The Sun.
London, England, 1857-07-25 00:00:00

OLEIIPIC THEATER'.

Last night Mr. Wigan formally took leave of the
public which had assembled in great force to cele-
brate his benefit with appropriate honour. At the
end of the second piece he came forward, amid loud
and encouraging cheers, the expression of his coun-
tenance bearing witness to the depth of his feelings
on this really solemn occasion. After a short pause,
during which ho collected himself with some diffi-
culty, he spoke as follows :
"Ladies and Gentlemen,—l appear before you
this evening under the influence of strong feelings
—feelings of mingled pride, gratitude, an I regret.
This has been
.announced as a farewell benefit, but
it is not the farewell of the outworn vete-
ran, retiring in the natural decay of his powers to
the leisure fairly earned by long service. It is the
leave-taking of. one stopped short in mid-course—
in the moat vegoreus time of lite—campeded to
retire from management when most successful,
and from acting when in the full enjoyment of
your favour and approbation, by strange and un-
foreseen illness. But with pain at this unlooked
for close (for the present, at lea-t) of my manage-
rial and pi ofe-,sional career are .blended pride and
gratitude for the favours so liberally bestowed upon
me for years pist, and so nobly crowned this even-
ing. I have had the honour of managing the
Olympic Theatre for four years, or, more strictly
speaking, for three years, f r during the whole of
the present season the active business of manage-
ment in every department has devolved upon my
wife. During that period ten pieces have been got
up and pro lured under her sole superintendence,
and I trust you will not attrit ute it to a husband's
partiality performed her task well
and under circumstances
hasciperformedmstances of diffi-
cultypecpeculiar and bravelyd e nds say
on. That the public has been
if I
depression.
;i
satisfied with her exertions is best proved by that
most satisfactery of all tests—the balance-sheet.
The result of the season has been prosperity and
profit, where disaster and loss must have been
looked fir had I not possessed so able and iu-
def .tigable a substitute. She can no longer sup-
port the fatigue,' excitement, and anxiety of such
exertion without risk, and I am therefore com-
pelled to retire until I may again be able to
take my share of labour. The course I have
adopted during my management has, I am proud to
think, raised the Olympic Theatre to a high posi-
tion in public favour, and I can look back and fear-
lessly say that its success has been honestly and
fairly won by hard and well-directed work. When
retrospect le WE'S this feeling, no wonder that part-
iug from the theatre and from you, its indulgent
patrons, should be very painful. But on painful
feelings I will not dwell. After surmounting the
many difficulties in the way of firmly establishing
this theatre as a place of rational and harmless
amusement, I shall, on the 7th of next month, re-
linquish all connection wi, h it; but I shall always
feel a warm interest in its fortune, and a sincere
wish that it may long enjoy the success that has
hitherto attended it. I have now a large debt of
thanks to pay to the gentlemen of the newspaper
press, for the fairness and the good-nature of their
criticisms upon the performances at this theatre,
and also for the warm and cordial sympathy
which they have expressed with my present
position ; to the comuir tee of friends who have
done me the great honour to associate their
illustrious natnea with mine ; to the authors
who have written for me ; and to my company
generally, not only to my brother actors for their
zealous and loyal co-operation (more especially
during this last season, under the direction of my
wife), but to every one employed in the theatre,
down to the humblest artisan ; and above all, my
warm thanks are due to the public, whose support
has so generously rewarded my exertions. For
myself, should the blessing of health be iestored. to
me—and I will look forward hopefully—l may
again be able to contribute to your amusement,
when I trust that, by keeping to the same course,
the same result will follow—that success will be
won by a sincere desire and an earnest effort to
deserve it. But should my hopes bo doomed to
disappointment—should this be my last appearance
before you, I will carry with me to the end the
memory of the great kindness I have always re
ceived at your hands—kindness so warm, so sym-
pathetic, and so unvarying, that it leaves me
scarcely able to pronounce that word which for me
blends so much sweetness with so much sadness.
But, linger as I may, it must be spoken ; and so,
ladies and gentlemen, good friends and patrons, 1
most respectfully and gratefully bid you all fare-
well."

At the meeting of the Scottish A‘istralian Investment
Company yesterday, the dividend of 10s. per shore prod
posed by the directors was declared,