The Sun.
London, England, 1850-10-11 00:00:00

THE ADELAIDE GALLERY.

Mr. Thomas Bartlett Simpson, of the Albion Tavern,
Russell-Gtr, et, Covent garden, applied for a licence to
the Adelaide Gallery, Lowther Arcade.
The petition having been read, it appeared that Mr.
Simpson held a lease of the premises for 21 years. and
that in rent and taxe:, he paid upwards of 1 000/. per
annum; LILA be had laid out several tlacusand pounds in
altering and improving the place; that ho had purchased
an extensive collection of mechanical—foreign as well as
native—curiosities, which he was now exhibiting in se-
veral rooms in the building, and that, moreover, he had
also purchased the celebrated " Apollonicon," which he
had erected in the great concert-room.
Mr. CLARKSON (with whom were Mr. Bodkin and Mr.
Parry) said that there was also a petition in favour of
this licence, which was signed by upwards of 1,000 of
the ratepa) ers of the district.
Mr. ARMSTRONG said that, as he had ma do it his busi-
ness to take a minute view of these premises in his ma-
gisterial character, probably the statement of his impres-
sion, after having made his observation would save the
Court the necessity of hearing this petition from the
ratepayers read.—(Hear, hear.) His chief object in
visiting the Adelaide Gallery had been to ascertain, by
personal observation, whether there Ras any objection
in a moral FAnt of view to a licence being awarded to
the petitioner. He was happy to say that on going over
the place he was most agreeably surprised; for whilst, in
the first instance, he had found in the great music-hall
that magnificent instrument the Apollonicon, he bad, in
the second, seen that every other room had been pre-
pared in a manner which was only calculated to render
that convenience and comfort to the visitors of the estab-
lishment which the ingenuity of a man of cleverness, and
respectability, and wealth, would have conceived. He
had been anxious to see whether, by the arrangements,
any facility would be afforded to immorality, and he was
glad to find that there was a total absence of any such
facility. That being the case, he was happy to feel him-
self fully justified in moving that this licence be granted.
Captain BAGUE had much pleasure in seconding the
motion.

Mr. STOCKS said that the best guarantee the Court
had that this establishment would be carried on in a
proper manner was the respectable character of the pro-
prietor, combined with his well-known pecuniary means,
and his having conducted the Albion Tavern for so
many years with such general satisfaction.
Mr. TUBES was last year one of the minority of three
who had voted for this licence. He had then tho;ight
that the,licence ought to be given, and he was still of the
same opinion.
Mr. WILLS said that on the same principle that he
had voted fur the Colosseum licence, so should he now
vote for a licence for the Adelaide Gallery.—(Hear,
hear.) He had been over the rooms, and a more beauti-
ful or rare collection and repository of specimens of
the past and present day he had never seen. There
were in that establishment things which were calcu-
lated to afford instruction as well as astonishment.
There were models of machinery and other matters, all
of which were of a character to increase the informa-
tion of mankind; and, as it was manifest that dancing
and music were not the sole objects of the petitioner, he
would willingly vote for the licence.—The licence was
then unanimously granted.