The Sun.
London, England, 1866-05-05 00:00:00

Theatrical Licences and Regulations.

The committee of the llouse of Commons ap-
pointed to inquire into the state of the law affecting
theatrical licences and regulations reassembled yes-
terday—the Right Hon. G. J. Goschen, M.P., in
the chair.
Mr. Dion Boucicault was re-examined. He said
' --"-- for any one of his plays
to be produced at any of the
enjoyed, on account of the noise and talk which
took place in them. Hethought the functions of the
Lord Chamberlain—not the present one, but gene-
rally—were exercised with caprice and a disregard
to public opinion. It was desirable to maintain the
present state of the law with regard to copyright ;
but authors ought to be able to avail themselves of
it without having recourse to the Court of Chancery.
If London possessed double the number of theatres
he thought they would be prosperous, and that good
actors would be found to appear in them. Men who
who ought to be on the stage were performing at
music-halls, where they received much larger sala-
ries than at the theatres. He was in favour of unre-
stricted competition in theatres, with police regula-
tions to preserve decency. He thought there were
not enough theatres in London, but too many opera-
houses. (Laughter.) Class theatres did not pay, be-
cause the classes for which their performances were
specially produced did not support them in sufficient
numbers. Astley's would pay wellif it were situated
in Piccadilly or at the top of the Haymarket.
Mr. Shirley Brooks was next examined. He said
he thought the office of Lord Chamberlain was ex-
ercised with a certain amount of caprice. As an il-
lustration of that, he might mention that when he
was a very young man Mr. Disraeli brought out
" Coningsby," and, as it was considered a work
which could be advantageously produced at the Ly-
ceum, witness dramatised it. Everything was nearly
ready, when he received information that the pro-
duction of the piece would not be allowed, The
Lord Chamberlain said there were many reasons
why it was undesirable to produce the piece, which,
his lordship said, drew quasi a political contrast be-
tween the manufacturing and other classes. His
lordship said certain passages might be said to al-
lude to somefamily in Shropshire—(laughter)—and
he even objected to an allusion to Holloway's pills,
because Mr. Holloway was a respectable trader,
and employed a great number of people. (Renewed
laughter.) That occured in 1837 or 1838. Witness
was in favour of having an appeal from the Lord
Chamberlain's decision. Dramatic authors were
not much hampered by the present restrictions and
regulations. The drama had fallen to a low ebb,
both in literary and histrionic respects, and that he
attributed to public taste more than legislation. At
present there were bad pieces,, bad actors, and bad
criticism. The public taste was not in favour of
the legitimate drama. There was no great actor on
the stage now, and that was caused by the want of
a school of art. The performance of plays at music-
halls would not, in his opinion, deteriorate the
drama.

Mr. Wigan, manager of the Olympic Theatre,
thought the present number of theatres sufficient for
the playgoing people of London. There were plenty
of actors to be got, and their
pay had largely in-
creased. If music-halls were allowed to produce
plays it would interfere with the theatres and lower
and bring the drama into disrepute. It would be
desirable to place music-halls under a licensing sys-
tem as to songs and ballets. At present there were
really no dramatic authors, and those so styled were
mostly translators from the French. The Lord
Chamberlain had told witness that the supplying of
drink in the stalls of the theatre would be a direct
violation of the conditions under which he held his
license. Witness did not see why, if the proprie-
tors of music-halls wished to perform plays, they
should not turn their halls into theatres and con-
form to the law. The audiences at music-halls
frequented them for drink and to make appoint-
ments. It was the ballets which formed the chief
attraction of the music-halls. He looked upon
ballets as a very meretricious performance, and he
would be glad to see them done away with alto-
gether. He had heard of managers receiving sums
of money for allowing ladies to
appear at their
theatres—possibly with the object of being seen and
admired. Witness often had had large sums offered
to him for the same
them.
The committee then adjourned.
purpose, but he always refused