The Sun.
London, England, 1833-08-02 00:00:00

THE DRAMA.-MR. BULWER'S BILL.

Yesterday a very numerous and respectable melting was
held at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, for the parpose of
considering the propriety of petitioning the House of Lords,
to pass Mr. Bulwer's Dramatic Bill into a law.
His Grace the Duke of SOMERSET having been called
to the Chair, and briefly stated the object of the me sting,
Mr. SEALE came forward amidst loud cheering and
proceeded to address the assembly. He said the quetition
for their consideration was one involving the welfare of
from 2,000 to 3,000 individuals, who had spent their
best property, their time, and their labour—the streng th
of their youth, and the experience of their age, in per-
fecting themselves in an art, by the practice of which the),
sought, as a matter of right, to obtain an honest and
honourable existence.—(Hear.) The law, which in
the first instance had denounced them as rogues and
vagabonds, bad at last pressed upon them so severely,
that they were compelled to come igifore the public to
ask its all-powerful aid in breaking down a creul mono-
poly upheld by the law, not only for their sakes, but
in behalf of millions who would be otherwise debarred
from enjoying amusement.—(Hear.) Was, it not won-
derful that, in such a large metropolis as' this not a
single theatre was or could be legalized, except in
Westminster, although we claimed to be the first lite-
rary nation in the world ?—( Hear.) A year and 4, quarter
ago circular letters were sent to every member of th e thea-
trical profession, telling them that if the cause not
then seem to be his, it would soon be so; and the ,oro-
phecy bad been verified, for foreign spectacle and Fret. Th
opera had displaced the English drama, and driven awa,v
the company of Covent-garden to serve the nobler purposes
of foreign dancers and fi4dlas.—(Hear, and cheers.) Here
they stand (said Mr. Serle, pointing to a bust of thea-
tricals on the platform) this day, witnesses of the fact
that the structures which were devoted to the genius of
Shakspeare have been left to be occupied exclusively by
Terpsichore.—(Hear, hear.) The common expounders
of Shakspeare were compelled to take refuge in what I
were called minor theatres, in which there was, however,
a spirit which raised them above the majors.—(Cheers.)
They now presented themselves to the public, who, if it
thought they asked too much, might refuse to aid them,
might prevent their petition, and establish the drama on
the popular judgment, guided by a sense of justice, to which
they would readily submit, and be satisfied to be the fol-
lowers instead of the leaders. —(Cheers.) He referred to
the report of the Committee of Drury-lane Theatre, just
made public, in which that Committee did not declare
that they would secure to the public rational, instead of
mere sensual entertainment, or promise any rescuscitation
of the intellectual drama—no; but they declared that they
had secured the rent.—(Laughter.) They declared that
they had let the theatre to a lessee for whose talent and
ability they had the highest respect, and they bad secured
the rent. This was their first and last object. The law as
it at present stood prohibited the opening of any theatre
within the metropolitan district, 20 miles in extent. It
could not be expected that the fact would be so long, and,
indeed, theatres had sprung up in all parts ; and while
the national theatres were turning from the intellectual to
the sensual, the minors acted the legitimate drama, until
the result was, that the play of Hamlet, which would
not draw a house at Covent garden, was attractive for
several nights together at the Pavilion, in Whitechapel.—
(Hear.) Finding themselves beaten at their own weapons,

the great houses said, "If we cannot succeed by our in-
genuity, we will have recourse to the strong arm of the
law." They did so. Mr. Chapman having produced a
piece, the Field of Forty Footsteps, at the Tottenham-
street theatre, which the manager of the Haymarket had
previously rejected, be was proceeded against by the latter
for doing an act of justice to the author and the public,
and by the state of the law obtained a conviction. To
change a scene, to make a motion in a pantomime, to hold
a dialogue, or deliver an epilogue, were all offences against

the law ; but were such a law to be enforced, the minor
theatres would be shut up, and 3,000 persons deprived of
bread. lie trusted that the public would come forward
and declare this ought not to be. It was a proof of the
value of our constitution that the oppressed could first
appeal to the law, and, failing there, might turn to the
public, and ask it to go up to the Legislature, where they
would be sure of justice and redress.—(Cheers.) They
now desired to approach the House of Peers, one of
whom he was proud to see present—(Loud applause)—
but should the Bill not pass there, they would not
consider themselves defeated; they would still urge their
claim, and make known their case more extensively,
knowing that the more it was extended, the more its jus-
tice would be felt. They were grateful that it had passed
the Lower House, although one Hon. Member thought it
a disgrace, and absurd to legislate fur .6 outcasts."—
(Hisses.) The same Hon. Member said it was a discre-
ditable thing to have but one mode of obtaining a living.
—(Hisses.) But that gentleman bad thought proper
in his own cesrt to pursue a course in opposition to the
law of the land and the opinion of the twelve Judges,
therefore it was not surprising, since he erred in matters
of judgment, lie should also err in a matter of taste.—
(He ir, and laughter.) The Earl of Glengall, ae chair-
man of the meeting of the Drury-lane proprietors, congra-
tulated them upon being so fortunate as to obtain Mr.

Bunn as a lessee, from whose able management great things
were expected.—(Laughter.) Was not this an insult to
tha profession and the public ?—(Hear, hear.) Would
they have let the theatre to Mr. Bunn if they could have
got any other lessee ?—(Hear.) Lord Glengall also said
that the Bill would be thrown out in the Lords—(Laugh-
ter)—and that Lord Wynford and others had denounced
it as a gross infringement on private property. In an-
swer to that he would state that he waited on Lord
Wynford, who declared that if the Marquis of Clanri-
carde had not taken up the Bill he would have done
it himself.—(Cheers.) Mr. Robins, too, talked of the
depreciation of household property, but he forgot to
apply the fact to Drury-lane to its full extent, or
he would not have charged the Lord Chamberlain
with being the author of its ruin. The Lord Chamberlain
had no other power than that of a common informer, and
Mr. Robins denounced that Nobleman because he would
not do that which he had not courage to do himself.—
( Hear, and laughter.) Then there was an expression of
regret that they could not present a service of plate to
Captain Polhill, who they all knew was an honourable
man—(Cheers)—and who, if he had the money lost at
Drury. lane, might buy a superb service of plate.—(Hear.)
It appeared, too, that this was once intended for " poor
Elliston," who wished it postponed for a year, during
which he failed, and then his iron pillars and court dress

were not permitted to be given to him.—(Hear.)
Through the monopoly of the Royal theatres plays had
been kept bick, authors injured, the public deprived of
valuable dramatic works, and performers thrown out of
employment. Were these things to continue? Was not
Whitechapel equally entitled with Westminster to a
theatre ?—( Hear.) If the monopoly was bad before, was
it not likely to be worse now, if one man, competent, or
not competent, and subject to the common failings of hu-
manity, as even Mr. Bunn must be, was to be allowed to
hold both, and make them one ?—(Hear, and laughter.)
Latterly there had been no combination at the large
theatres ; they had made stare, but they did not act for
actors, and therefore made no companies.—(Hear.) Had
such a system existed in by-gone days we should have had
no Shakapeare, or Fletcher and Beaumont, or Massinger,
and a host of others, for it was only in proportion to the
competition on the stage dramatic authors would flourish.
Mr. Serle concluded by commending the cause of the drama
to the sympathies of the public, and sat down amidst loud
cheers.

Colonel EVANS, 'M.P., said a few words in condemna-
tion of monopoly of every kind, and proposed the first
resolution—" That the present state of law, which pro.
liibits all dramatic entertainments within twenty miles of
the metropolis, excepting only in the city of Westminster,
is an oppressive anomaly, which calla for the early re-
vision of the Legislature."
Mr. E. L. BULWER, M.P., came forward to second it,
and was loudlyhiattaebr.a)d avariciouscheered.dHo neec ,onb
gy
congratulated
nano
otgbepsdote
hlrtyevh
mee observed tnahotsnao t
not
hhoi
efte
majority
content
nitoi
yetf
drama did require the protection of the law it was
na;v:idwtroh:uab‘tvlehflo•aaruftagced Janus, in the person of Mr. Bunn.—
pttaellsinthgaot of
dthuerißngillitisnptrhoegrHesosusethoef
jona4lmoinnsf,avobuurt ofrethgere
Janus he had alluded to should have prosecuted one of his
contemporaries, as it was a proof that if the Bill should be
lost in the Lords, or delayed beyond the present session,
it would have the effect of throwing 3,000 persons out of
employment.—(Hear.) The evidence brought against the
Bill by its enemies was the very thing that justified it.
A Noble Lord, well known for his exploits in the green-
room, had declared that he (Mr. Bulwer) had brought
forward the Bill as an electioneering trick.—(Laughter.)
At the same time he admitted it was a popular Bill, and
that certainly was the best argument in its favour.--
(Hear, hear.) He hoped that the reform of the
drama would be sealed by the Lords; for it appeared
to him that its nurses, like the Hottentot mothers,
had bound up its head to keep it in shape and
render it intelLctual, and bad only rendered it ill shaped and
insensate.—(Hear, and laughter.)
The resolution vas then agreed to.

Mr. HAwES, M.P., complimented Mr. Bulwer on the
zeal with which he had taken up this cause, and briefly
proposed the second resolution—'' That it is clear, both
from reason and experience, that any monopoly of the

exercise of an art, especially an exclusive
by purchase, must be destructive to tl,
place its professors under a tyranny altogei
able."--(Cheers.)
Mr. ABBOTT seconded the resolution, wl
mously agreed to. Mr. Abbott said, he
free order of the Victoria Theatre to th,
had called the profession " outcasts,"
opportunity of judging better bow to trei,
Mr. THELWALL, in an eloquent speed
exposed the injustice of theatrical monor
third resolution,—" That as such saleah
drama is now by law established, this
concurs in a petition to the House of
of passing the Bill now introduced to am,
which has already received the sanction
Commons."

Mr. MACARTHY seconded the motion.
his brethren had been forced into their pt
the revival of severe and impolitic laws,
lain in abeyance, by the proprietors of
Covent-garden Theatres. Those mono)
Limning from 300/. to 400/. in the shap,
their manifesto prohibiting all other tl
forming the legitimate drama, which tb
tinguished ; but they forgot there was
which forbearance ceased to be a virt
public were stronger than they.—(Chee)
tion was not now between majors and
ther the former were to deprive the pi
amusement?—(Hear.) Would the pu?
domination of a theatrical oligarchy ph
ness of vested rights ?—(Hear.) The
1 nally established to introduce good man,
veople, and he wished the Hon. Membet
Weal " outcasts" bad learned the lessoi
ianchter.) Of the delicacy or decency
woal, i say nothing, nor did he wish to
Gentle,,nan in the same way, understand
he descended from an American stock,
ing doubt:eos crossed the Atlantic for tl
country, as was evident from the fact the
was now one of our senators.—(Hearst
He (Mr. Mac.'rthy) observed that it co,
by an enlighten ed people, that Is. and
should monopoliz.l the drama, or that
should be the autocrat of the stage.—(H,
Mr. MANsELL, a barrister, spoke in
solution, which was unanimously agreed
_ _

On the motion of Air. WARDS, BeCOO
!tom the petition was' agreed to.
"To the Right Hon. th e Lords Spiritual
the United Kingdom of Great Britai
Parliament assembled.

"The humble petition of the undersig
London and Westminster and the vicinity
" Most humbly ehoweth unto your Lord/
"That the dramatic art is now by law si
poly, by means of which any persons, how'
may purchase the sole and exclusive direct
stage.

" That by law no theatre can exist with:
metropolis excepting only in the city of Wes
the most populous and wealthy district in Ei
measure, deprived of the highest class of am,
"That your petitioners refrain from elf
ment of the various consequences which ha,
two facts previously stated, merely enumerati:
tion of the drama, the evasion of the law, thz
tion to the livelihood of nearly 3,000 persons
dant on the minor theatres, and the general
sire for the higher classes of dramatic ent
various neighbourhoods in which such m
situate.

" Your petitioners therefore humbly pra:
tions may be made in the present state of tl
ble all the inhabitants of this great metropa
themselves of the best class of dramatic
their own respective vicinities, and that th,
art may be protected and encouraged in
whereby they may be enabled to gain an
hood for themselves and their families, and
new plays, to assist the literature of their coi
their representation, and that of the stani
spread taste and civilization among all classes
subjects."

Mr. Etzow said a few words in suppoi
object, remarking that, though he was n,
a royal theatre (the Haymarket), he felt
cause as when belonging to one of the
ments.--(Applause.)
On the motion of Mr. DAVIDGE,
OSBALDISTON, a vote of thanks was
Bu!wer, for the services he had rend,
performers.
Mr. SEttLE proposed thanks to the
which was seconded by Mr. Mac.anTu
acclamation.
The Duke of Somerset then left thi
meeting adjourned.