The Sun.
London, England, 1860-01-12 00:00:00

gPIRIT LICENCES TO 271EATRES.

Yesterday afternoon a public meeting on the
subject of spirit licences to theatres was held at the
Royal Oak Tavern, Princess-street, Lisson-grove.
The meeting was numerously and respectably at-
tended.
Mr, HARRIS, of the Equestrian, Blaiskfriars-road,
was called upon to preside, and opened the proceed-
ings by expressing his satisfaction at the presence of
so many persons not connected with the publicans'
trade, showing, he thought, that the subject was in-
teresting to others besides licensed victuallers.
Having explained the details of the dispute (as pre-
viously reported in our columns), the chairman
stated that the petitions against the continuance
of the present system were being most numerously
signed, and he had no doubt when they were pre-
sented to Parliament the obnoxious clause would
soon be repealed.

Mr. SSIELLIE then proposed :—" That in the
opinion of this meeting the recent alteration by
which- the lessees of theatres are allowed to sell
spirits, &c., while totally uncalled for by the public,
is likely to be productive of great moral injury, and
to lower the character of the stage."
Mr. DEACON having seconded the motion,
Mr. SLUES, the hon. secretary, drew attention to
the preamble of the act in question, showing that it
had no reference whatever to the objects attained
by the clause. The act was entitled "An Act to
exempt certain retailers of spirits to a small amount
from the additional duties on licences, and to dis-
continue the excise survey on wine and the use of
permits for the removal thereof." It would be rea-
dily seen that the preamble had nothing whatever
to do with the sale of spirits in theatres; but the
act contained the following clause—" And be it
enacted that it shall be lawful for the commissioners
and officers of excise, and they are hereby authorised
and empowered to grant retail licences to any per-
sons to sell beer, spirits, and wine in any theatre
established under a Royal patent, or in any theatre
or other place of public entertainment licensed by
the Lord Chamberlain ,or by justices of the peace,
without the production by the person applying for
such licence or licenses of any certificate or authority
for such person to keep a common inn, alehouse, or
victualling house, anything in any act or acts to the
contrary notwithstanding. '
The resolution having been put and carried una-
nimously, the petition to Parliament in favour of a
repeal of the clause was approved of, and thanks
were voted to the licensed victuallers of Binning-
ham, who had waited upon Mr. Scholefield, M.P., in
connection with the matter. Several persons hay-
ing protested against the continuance of the present
system, thanks were voted to the chairnian, and the
proeeedings closed.

The prospectus has been issued of the Rio de
Janeiro Drainage Company, with a capital of £650 000, in
£2O shares. The concession is for 90 years, and ee the
in
company an annual revenue of £4 14s. 6d.,Brazilian
currency, for every house in the city, the total number
being now 13,739. The company calculate that this rate,
which is to apply also to every house that may hereafter be
erected, will, according to the arrangements made with their
contractors for construction and repair, yield a net revenue
equal to 81 per cent., supposing the quotation of exchange
with England to be on an average maintained at par. The
contract provides for the payment of 2 per cent. interest
during the progress of the works.