The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-12 00:00:00

ROYAL DRAMATIC COLLEGE.

MEETING. THIS DAY.

A meeting of the subscribers to the Royal Dramatic Col-
lette was held to-day at the 'new Adelphi Theatre.
Among those present we observed Lord W. Lennox, Lord
Raynham, Sir G. Armytage, Sir W. De Bathe, the Rev. E.
Moore, Mr. Shepherd, Mr. Sams, Mr. H. Day, Mr. Oxen-
ford, Mr. Keeley, Mr. A. C. Billing, Mr. J. Johnston, Mr.
Nelson Lee, Mr. Paul Bedford, Mr. Hermann Vezin, Mr.
Theodore Martin, Mr. Ledger, Mr. R. Bell, Mr. Arce-
deckne, Mr. Creswick, Mr. B. Webster, Mr. Widdicombe,
Mr. S. Smith, Mr. John Cooper, Mr. T. P. Cooke, Dr. Roe,
Mr. W. Wilmott, Mr. Anson, &c.
The chair was occupied by Lord TENTERDEN.
It will be .recollected that a meeting was held en the
21st of July last, at the Princess's Theatre, when a pro-
visional committee presented a report stating—
" The Dramatic College you are this day called upon
to establish, and which the provisional committee feel
assured will soon take its place amongst the permanent
charitable institutions for which England is remarkable,
will owe its formation chiefly to a gentleman who has
placed at your disposal five acres of land, beautifully
situated, with no other condition than that you shall this
day give evidence of your desire to provide homes for those
actors and actresses who are no longer able to provide for
themselves, and whose aching limbs and wearied minds
have earned the reward now proposed for them. Thenamo
of that gentleman is withheld, in conformity with his own
request ; .but the committee are assured by his solicitor, Mr.
Macphail, that he only waits your appointment of trustees
to make an unconditional conveyance of the land."
It was stated to Mr. Charles Kean that Mr. Dodd, the
eminent dust contractor, was the gentleman who was ready
to make the magnificent gift as soon as a provisional com-
mittee was appointed to receive it. That committee was
duly appointed, and Mr. Charles Kean, Mr. Dickens, Mr.
Benjamin Webster, and Mr. Thackeray were nominated as
the parties to whom five acres of land were to be made
over ; but a delay arose in the transfer, on account
of the committee and Mr. Dodd not being able
to agree upon the conditions that were to accompany the
gift. A long correspondence arose, which resulted
in the committee breaking off all communication with Mr.

Dodd, who, it was stated, had so hampered his proposed

gift with conditions, that the committee refused to accept
it. Several other gentlemen had offered to convey the ne-

cessary land to the committee without any conditions, and
the present meeting was called to consider those proposi-
tions. The most advantageous offer was that of a gentleman
named Moore, who had offered seven acres of land at Ger-
rard's-cross, a short distance from Stoke Pogis.
The whole of the voluminous correspondence between the
parties having been read,

The CHAIRMAN, in opening the business of the day,
stated the above facts, and called upon Mr. Robert Bell to
move the first resolution.

Mr. BELL, in doing so, said the resolution he had to
move was simply that the proceedings of the provisional
committee be approved, and the report just read be adopted.
He thought that all present would agree that the committee
had acted very properly, and in saying one wordwith respect to
Mr. Dodd, he would only say that it was much to be regretted
that so much valuable time had been spent so uselessly, and
in parting with that gentleman the committee do so in no
feelings of acerbity, but those of respect.
Sir GEORGE ARMYTAGE seconded the resolution, which
was carried unanimously.

Mr. B. WEBSTER moved the second resolution, which
was that the best thanks of this meeting be given to the
Rev. Mr. Moore, and the London Necropolis Coln-
pany, for theft offers of land for the purposes of the college.
He said it had been part of his duty to visit the two sites
offered for the college, and anything more beautiful he had
never seen. (Hear, hear.) Much as the proceedings of
Mr. Dodd might be regretted, his loss, as far as the land
for the proposed college was concerned, was a positive gain.
(Hear, hear.) Instead of five acres, Mr. Moore had offered
seven. (Cheers.) And the liberality of that gentleman ex-
tended so far, that he actually offered him (Mr. Webster)
the opportunity of picking the land. If the meeting that day
determined which of the two sites they would accept; the
committee would be in a position to commence building
operations immediately, which they would not have been
enabled to do, even if they had accepted Mr. Dodd's land,
for by the law of mortmain they would have been com-
pelled to have been in possession twelve months before
they could have laid a single brick. Everything
since Mr. Dodd's refusal had improved the funds,
and offers of aid had flowed in without end ; and he hoped
that in a very short time the Royal Dramatic College would
become a reality, and be ranked with those benevolent in-
stitutions which were the pride of England. (Loud cheers.)
The resolution, having been seconded, was carried unani-
mously.