The Sun.
London, England, 1833-08-15 00:00:00

CAUSE OF THE DRAMA.

(Concluded from The Sun of yesterday.)
The 11Iiiquis of CLANRICARDE considered the eloquent
speech of the Bishop of London an excellent argument iu
favour of the nramatic Bill. It was a speech showing,
not the faults of the 13ill, hut the defects iif the citist;ng
laws.—( Hear.) He ought, however, to state that the
13!shop of London, though he disapproved of parts of the
Bill, did not vote against it. The Noble Marquis then
argued, that the law, as it at present stood, conferred tin
benefit upon any one, but was injurious in every way, and
therefore could not be continued. He concluded by
secotding the resolution, which was then unanimously
carried.
Mr. H. L. BULWER moved a resolution, deprecating
monopolies, which were given to particular individuals at
the expense of the great tindy of the people.
The Rev. Dr. WADE seconded the resolution. He,
like Mi. Bulwer, was surprised at the conduct of the
Bish•tp of London, who certainly owed his elevation to
his edition of the plays of /Eschylus. He hail bestd tha•
the Bishop of London (we believe) once reproved a cler-
gyman for his attachment to fox-hunting; hut the cler-
gyman replied, that he saw no greater harm in his enjoying
a manly .purr, than in his Grace sitting at the pianofort,
si erre' hours a day, and amusing him's. If with trunk.
Yet an order had lately been issued by the Right Reverend
Prelate, prohibiting the performance of sacred music on
Sund.iys. Toe Reverend Gentleman then said, that he
must, as a clergyman, defend the character of actors. Yet
the I,w called them vagabon ,s and vagrants. What right
had the law to give them this appellation ? It it were
just, then were the Judges who went the circui s vagrants
—(Lauy,hter, and cries of "Oh!")—and the ashops,
when th y went their visit itions, were vagrants.—(R •-
aewed laughter.) He would say, away with such alma-.
dities. •

Mr. E. MACARTHY moved the following Resolution :
" That after suffering theatres professedly built for the en-
couragement of the British drama to be devoted to the most
unworthy purposes, the proprietors have committed the last
breach of the trust on which they claim to hold their monopoly
by placing both the so-called national theatres in the hands of
one individual, whose management on behalf of another lessee
has been the principal means of alienating those stages from
their proper use, and who has, by the act of the proprietors,
become the sole legitimate arbiter of every thing connected
with the histrionic at."
Air L. RUDE said the provisions of the present dramatic
laws were absurd, and inconsistent to the greatest degree.
A man was liable to a 50/. penalty every time he played
in any piece in an unlicensed th.atie. A man playing in
three pieces would be liable to 150/. penslties_9ool. in
one week. Again, the police might e:iter the thetere,
anti take out all the performers, male and female. Think
of being subjected to the tender mercies of the police,
celebrated as they now were Mr humanity and forbear-
ance! It was nonsense to say these laws were not acted
upon But th• re they were—there is the avala,che, and
lie could not say that it would not roll upon them. No
actor could recover his salary trout the proprietor of an
unlicensed theatre, nor an author the value of a play,
although in the first case the actor had no right to call
upon the proprietor to show him that be lid a license,
and in the latter case the author might have sold his
piece without being aware to what purpose it was to be
dedicated—whether to be played in a licensed or un-
licensed theatre. With regard to wh it the Bishop of
London had said about the unfortunate young
worn •n who had lost her character, was that a very
extraordinary circumstance—w•-te characters lost in no
other places but in they res? He shim rl like to ask
the 11-verend Prelate whether many Noble Lords did not
enter he House of Peers and lose their characters?—
Lord Seagrave, too, who had called himself a Christi in at
heart, hail opposed the Bill. Now every body knew that
G lon I Bolt ley was u• der a very great o,digaiion to
Allred Bunn. He could not, ind•ed, sleep at night with- '
out thinking of that "Wig ition.—(Laughtei.) But still it
was too bad that Lord Seagrave should forget that he and
another Noble Lord had acted in an unlicensed theatre
(about eight years ago), and had caused others to do the
s:une, and thus transgress the law. Pity it was that the
House of Lords should have suvh an effect on the memory
of some Peers. Mr. Rede concluded by seconding the re-
solutim , which was passed.

An Individual th,n got upon a bench, and said he wished
to say a few words. The mreting should recollect that
!he Bishop of London was in a sitevation—(Great
laughter)—which mode it incumbent on him to lock to
the moths's of the people. Now much differtnce of

opinion existed with regard to theeatres—(Law2ht;)—
4nd it was for the Giivernment to consider whether tl'ey
should tolerate theeaticul--(A burst of laughter, and
cries of " We won't tolerate you !" drowned the speaker's
anti he was compelled to sit down.
Mi. SERLE moved the fillowing iesolution

" That this is a state of slavery for the professors of an art
unparalleled in any age or country, and disgracefully incon-
sistent with the spirit of the 19th cehtury, and the freedom of
the subjects of the United Kingdom."
Tme ri-AutAin h iviug been seconded by Mr. THEL.
WALL; was agreed to.
Air. Da VIDGE said he was now the oldest manager of
minor theatres in the metropolis; and he well remem
bered the execrable stuff performed at them in for mer years.
Twenty-seven years ago he was at the Royal Circus, and
the following formed part of the convers aion :
" Well, Peg, Meg, Jack, how very much you grow ;
Eh, Tom, these things are very strange, you know :
" Well, dangit, never mind, so hob or nob,
You know salt water makes but sorry grog :
So in my love with you I'll dancing go;
Bless your dear sparkling day-lights—folderiddlerido."
Could they return to such p-r orinances as tvese, and at a
time when other classes were progressing, ought the drama
arid tie profession to retrograde ? Mr. Ddvidge having
stated the way in which he was dealt with by the laree
theatres when he was sued for pen and their un-
scrupulous pocketing of the whole penalties, 1001., moved
a resolution to the effcct

" That in order to protect the minor theatres from ruin,
subscriptions be entered into to defray the expense of meeting
any proceedings that may be brought against them."
Mr. Davidge said that this was the cause of the public.
The actors and prourietors of the miner theatres should
stand firm, and the public would ultimately reap the be.
mfit which would accrue from ihe improvement of the
drama arid the eneourag, men, of the perf..rmers. Mr.
Hawes had sub:crilu-d 5/. ; Mr. B,id6in, the barrister, Si. ;
and Mr. E. L. Bulwrr 25 guitreas..--(Great cheering.)
The resolution was then adapted.
The f, diowinz petition was agreed to, with the under.
standing that it sh• old he nteseored next se.:si a :"'"
" To the Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Tem.
poral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ire.
land, in Parliament assembled—
" The humble Petition of the undersigned Inhabitants of
London and Westminster, and the Vicinity thereof—
" Humbly Showeth,--That it is contrary to the spirit and
practice of the laws of Great Britain, that any person should
be prevented from exercising the profession or calling by which

he may gain an honourable livelihood.
"That it is contrary to the spirit and practice of the same
laws to make the irresponsible right of controlling any pro.

fessicn or calling, and thereby determining on the livelihood of
the professors as saleable property.
" Ilat the dramatic art is now subjected in the metropolis
of the empire to such saleable control vested in the hands of
an individual unconnected with the art itself.

" That by this monopoly two-thirds of the artists are precluded
from the legal exercise of their art, the drama itself is dete-

laureled, and the public are denied the advantages Of a Compe-
tition in prices and quality, and a rational entertainment at a
reasonable distance from their respective habitations.
" Your petitioners, therefore, humbly pray that your Lord-
ships wille be pleased so to amend the law in this particular,
that authors and actors may no longer be subjected to the ab-
solute and irresponsible power of any one who may be able to
purchase such power, and that the public may be enabled to
enjoy such benefits from competition in the drama as are ad.
mitted to be due to them in all other matters of use or enjoy-
ment."

Thanks were voted to the Chairman, and the meeting
@epara:ed.
--..

SOUTH AMERICAN SLEEPING NUISANCE.
—I extended a portable air rnat•ress or, the ground, and
began carefully to examine the walls. Woe be unto the
traveller who shall omit this precaution, and expose him-
twit' to the bite of the bisucha the creeping incon-
veniences to be met with in all the country inns in Eng_
land are nothing compared to it. This ins-ct, the plague
of the Pampas, is ab.,ut the size of a common cockchafer,
cleanliness is no protection.
transport themselves
being of a very dull: brown colour, and of un even-
ing is generally perfrc 1), flat, but after feasting on
the blood of its victims it may be sen as round and plump
fromfa' :r aa
scaltn'heeer;r.yaa.nriethijowntifton'gridu.'n.tathhteerlyy. Lel7eltoy, Sporting 3149,2ine.
Russ-shires this season. The young birds
GAME.—We are happy in being able to state
that there is every prospect of i!bundantspaia.wtneodrnenthlaiet icnhionogrs,
in Inverness and
aTrheewweelleghreorwwoi,B afanvdmithutehiceowvehyisie atrheelbairrgdes
and the late rains have, so far as we can learn, done no
injury either on the high or low ground. In some of the
Perthshire Moors the rains have been productive of much
loss, and on obe Breadalbane estate we understand the
grouse are very scarce. The number of strangers, sports-
men, will be unusually large this year, as the applications
for shooting grounds and premises have been greater than
was ever before experienced in this quarter.—Elgin
'Courier.