The Sun.
London, England, 1851-03-17 00:00:00

SADLER'S WELLS THEATRE.

Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton's dramatic chef dceuvre,
Richelieu, was performed here on Saturday evening, and
never have we seen this admirable play more perfectly
acted. On its original production at Covent-garden, there
may have been certain parts more powerfully sustained
(albeit this does not at all apply to the character of the
Cardinal himself), but as a whole it was not nearly so
evenly acted as it was on ,Saturday evening, and those
who visit a theatre to see a play (as contra-
distinguished from those who go to see a star),
the true lovers and admirers of the drama, should visit
Sadler's Wells during the run of Richelieu. The cha-
racter of the Cardinal was sustained by Mr. Phelps, and
we certainly prefer his impersonation of the wily French-
man to that of Mr. Macready. In occasional bursts Mr.
Macready was very great, but Mr. Phelps is more sus-
tained throughout, and hath that which Mr. Macready
had not, an ear for rythm, and can declaim with judg-
ment and emphasis. His Cardinal is a very fine piece
of acting. Equally great in its- way is the Baradas
of Mr. G. Bennett, and the Chevalier de Mauprat
of Mr. Henry Marston was very effective. Miss Sarah
Lyons sustained the character of Julie de Mortemar
with exquisite taste and judgment. Her pathos was
beautiful, and her impersonation of the character was
most interesting, not only intrinsically, but as contain-
ing the germ of much future excellence. The play will
be repeated this evening for the benefit of this very pro-
mising young lady.

EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY.
A. meeting of shareholders of this company was held
on Saturday last, at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-
street, the object of which was to apprise the share-
holders of an intention to put Mr. Waddington in nomi-
nation as a director of the company, and to consider
how far the return of that gentleman to such a position
would be likely to raise the company from its present
depressed condition. The meeting was called for three
o'clock, and at that hour the room being well filled, Mr.
G. H. Whalley was called to the chair.
The CHAIRMAN statel, that not having anticipated
his being placed in that position, he must rely more on
the common interest of- the parties present, as to the
subject for which they had assembled than on any ob-
servations of his, to lead them properly through the busi-
ness of the meeting. The last meeting having been
adjourned to the 18th instant, by a large majority, an
impression seems to have arisen that the majority on
that question were in favour of Mr. Waddington's re-elec-
tion as a director of the company. It was, no doubt,
within the knowledge of the meeting that from that time
to the present great efforts had been made on the part
of Mr. Waddington or his friends, by canvassing for at-
tendance and otherwise, to promote his election
on the 18th instant, and the question for their present
consideration was whether his election would or
would not be for the credit and benefit of the corapany.
For his own part, he could truly say that he came, to the
consideration of the question without the slightest per-
sonal feeling either against Mr. Waddington or for or
against any other party connected with the company,
beyond the common interests which he had in the
property, and the information afforded by the
published reports of the committee of investigation and
other official documents.—(Hear, hear.) Although he
had been a shareholder since 1845, and had seen his
property gradually declining from the price at which he
then purchased, namely, 251. down to the present 61. or
71., he had patiently submitted to his fate, and had
never, until the 27th of February, taken any
part in the affairs ; indeed he was almost un-
known to :his fellow-shareholders as well as to most of
the parties then assembled; but, when in addition to this
leas of property, he saw a prospect not only of a return
to and recognition of the system of management
to which the past misfortunes of the company
could most fairly be attributed, but also, as he believed,
of a permanent and deliberate surrender of the commer-
cial honour and character of the company, he felt it was
time to step forward and bear his share in protesting
against and preventing so fatal and so irretrievable a
step.—(Loud cheers.) Nothing could be further from
his intention than to say a word that could
give pain or offence to Mr. Waddington or
his friends, but, looking at the report of
the committee of investigation, which had never, to his
knowledge, been questioned, and to the exposure of
their affairs by the accountants, Messrs. Quitter—
looking also at the evidence given by Mr. Waddington
himself before that committee, he could not under-
stand how any person. being his friend, could sanction
his taking a step which would bring his former con-
nexion with the company under consideration and dis-
cussion.—(Hear, hear.) Waiving all minor questions of
misappropriation or mismanagement, the main
charge against Mr. Waddington appeared to be
that, having charge of the traffic department,
by his own special stipulation, when he
joined the company he permitted those very traffic ac-
counts to be mis-stated to the extent as is actually
proved of upwards of 600,000/.—(Loud cries of " Hear.' )
It was easy to understand how that system operated,
and also the object of it—by giving to the shareholders
for the time being a portion of the capital of the com-
pany, under the pretence that it was the fair revenue
earnings, they for the time most effectually stoppeei all
inquiry into the internal management of the affairs; of
the company. It was undoubtedly the most simple, tend
at the same time most effectual, method of ensuring
uncontrolled power over the vast property of this com-
pany, for it not only made the shareholders satisfied for
the time being with their dividends, but it prevented any
unpleasant inquiries; for to those who might either be
in the secret (as of course Mr. Waddington must
have been) or who might want faith in the
honesty of the dividend, the obvious course was to take
advantage of the high price to which these unfounded
dividends bad raised the value of the shares, and to sell
out.—(Hear, hear.) Hundreds of others, equally blind
t tc a
and confiding as himself, in the faith of public men,
n who
bought shares upon the credit of those dividends, and
based; and ansdtatiesmietnit3ososfibiaecctooucnotsnce aih they were
p er
on which
ve
has been a party to such a system can beso again
entitled to the confidence of the shareholders?—(No, no.)
Without imputing to Mr. Waddington more blame than
may be considered properly to attach to him as respon-
sible for the traffic accounts, it would in his (the Chair-
man's) opinion be a reflection on the commercial honour
of the country, as well as a disregard of all the rules and
obligations of commercial honesty, to elect him, for the
system with which a man is thus identified is itself ap-
proved when you approve of the man.—(Hear, hear.)
Much had been said as to Mr. Waddington's a bility, but
certainly if the state of the affairs of the comps ny during
his management has been truly represented by the re-
port of the committee and by that of Messrs. Quilter, it
did not by any means give u high notice of his adminis-
trative capacity; but even if he bad claims in that respect
they could never be advanced as &sufficient counterpoise for
what must assuredly be deemed a breach of good faith
with the shareholders and the public, nor could they
ever be received as a justification for a system, which, to
use the words of the committee, " it is impossible to find
any excuse, and which every right-minded man must in-
dignantly condemn."—(Hear.)
Mr. CHRISTY observed, that concurring ie. very much
that had been said by the Chairman, he yet could
hardly conceive it possible that it was necessnry to take
any steps to oppose the election of Mr. Waddington, for
he should suppose it to be utterly out of the question
that that gentleman would allow himself to bo
proposed again as a director. Having been a
member of the committee cf investigation, he
was unwilling to take any further active part
in the business of this meeting, but he could
not but think there must be some mistake in, the appre-
hension that Mr: Waddington would come forward as a
director, or, certainly, that if he did, there was the least
reason to fear that be would be elected.—(Hear.)
Mr. GREENE stated that, entirely coinciding with the
views of the Chairman, so far as he had heard
his observations (having entered the room after the com-
mencement of the proceedings), he was sorry to be
obliged to differ from Mr. Christy, for he had good rea-
son for believing that unless the shareholders vigorously
exerted themselves, Mr. Waddington would almost
become a director again before they were aware of
it. After :what bad fallen from the Chair-
man, and the warmer in which the ques-
tion had been by him brought before the
meeting, he need not dwell at any great length on
the subject, but he would remind the shareholders that
debentures to a large amount would have to be shortly
renewed; and he would ask, was Mr. Waddington's a
name to inspire confidence in the moneyed interest?—
(Hear, hear, and laughter.) Moreover, the grand aim
of that Honourable Gentleman wss to get possession of
the chair of the company, and convert it into a seat of
dictatorship over their affairs.—(Elear, hear.) Mr.
Greene then, amid cheers, moved the adoption of :the
principal resoiution.—(See advertisement.)
This was seconded. by Mr. GOETZ, who was quite
satisfied that the shareholders should be informed of
what was going bn, with a view to the election of Mr.
wuddington. Nothing, in his opinion, would be more fatal
to all the prospects of his company than his election. If the
company could bellow at length placed in good hands, b:1
the hands of perms who, with the regulate kuowledge and