The Sun.
London, England, 1819-07-05 00:00:00

DRUitY-LASK -'I'IIBA.IRE AFFAIRS.

S.dtt.rttay R Meet jilt: of the :Proprietors took
e in !he Saloon—J. CaLcraa-r, Eig. M. P. in
the Coair.
The CHAIRMAN stated to the Meeting, that it
the New Renters had nor acquiesced in the pro-
posal roa,le to them by the Sal Ct Committee, that
Committee o mild have resigned their trust. The
2\ls•eling of Friday, howev. r, removed all appre-
litnsionx, and nothing enfold be more conciliating
than the conduct of those Gentlemen, to whom
the Theatte was tinder infinite obligations, and
V. ;Jo had made a sacrifice of upwards. of 16,0001.
arrears, ;resides accruing rents for the next tour
years to the same amount. The Chairman next
ad,erted to the subscriptions which had been
rai,ed He had applied to all the individuals of
the Roy -11 Family. The Prince Regent had acted
in he most munificent manner, MI was well
knoo,,..—(Applatise.)—Two °diets of the Royal
I:4tuily had assigned reasons that wete itresistable
.101. Ilei%ii;g 'declined to subscribe, and from three
others no communication nor answar had been
itceivetl. He then r, and the Report, in which
was eolvained the Resolution of the New Renters
to make tie above-mentioned sacrifice to the full
3*.f.1)001. for the 'sake of preserving
this great public establishment. It stated, that.
tlae consent of the bond-holders to conic to tin
al rarigement of r(ritil extent hall not yet been
bsceriained, bun
.ti,ere existed no ttotibt of their
Literality. The tradesnieh, it
,added; had con-
sented to the proposition made to them, and
thus ihe debt of 90,986/. wOuld be reduced to
48,000/. which, by the liberal offers made to the
Committee for the lease of the Theatre, would
also be paid off in ten years from this time,
'lv ben the proprietors ts ould have a dividend upon
their capital.
CALCRAFT stated, that if the loan of
toenty-fiee thou Sand pounds could be realized,
Ibis Theatre would be opened for the representa-
tion of the classical drama, under the most pro•
miring expectat ionsof success, as, from the altera-
tions in the form of the house that were proposed,
and the exertions to be made, there was a ra-
tionnil prospect of the Theatre resuming its former
attraction. The loan would, as be firmly believed,
'be Anivly guaranteed, and repaid with interest in
four on be years ; at which time the New Renters
-would.beor to receive thtir annuities regularly;
and hi ten years the proprietors would have a di-
videod on their respective shares. But the tem-
porary loan :was esseroial, without which they
;could trot proceed ; and be tuggested that the Se-
lect Committee should sit another fortnight, in
!order- :to- wake every effort to- raise 'the sum,
which, it not realized, the situation,' of the
'Theatre never could, at any time, he what it was
'At the present m orient. Such a diminution of
debt could never again be expected. With re-1
spect to the Proprietors, t. n years was certainly '
'a Jung time for them to wait, bur if every thing
)140 not been conceded, what definite time could
be assigne:d at which they could hope fur ally thing.
Shares, whir.h o ere How scarcely saleable, would
Sri the interval rise into valuable property.—(Ap-
._
flanse.)—The Proprietors bad given the New
Renters six years precedence, and to this they were
entitled by their original securities.
Mr.Rositis pressed the necessity of raising the
loan 'hy subscriptions, and spoke of the many fa-
Miliesconnected with the Theatre professionally,
it's.litt.'ing sir one claims upon the public. He said
the Bride tor opening the Theatre was fast sp-
priritelling, (hitt an accession of talent was indls-
pcosible, but the paramount necessity was 25,0001.
It a stifficient sum were raised to pay down to
the creditors ss. in the pound, be was convinced
that they would agree, either to subscribe the
remaining ss. towards the ;and, or agree to take
it hy in.talmeriti, so as to preserve this place of
rational entertainment open to tire public. At
no previous moment could lie so confidently as-
sure his brother creditors of the:fair prospect of
puiting the concern on a solid and solvent foot-
log. '['he proposal for the improvement of the
Theatre,*by contracting the size of the audience
part, would render i, truly attractive, by the
certainty of. hearing and seeing, so as to revive
the'pleasure once enjoyed in this favourite Thea.!
tre';'. and he trusted the Proprietors would find it.
their true interest, one and all, to exert them-
selVes -to save it. He saw many Gentlemen in the
kOirin It Om w hom he leaned with confidence loran
iddi,ion to their subscriptions, and he would be
teady to double his own.—(Applause.)
The Report was then unanimously confirmed,
end*, after thanks' had been voted to the Chair-
'man, the Meeting adjourned to Saturday fort-
night.
The address of Mr. ROBINS to those wbo bad
subscribed before was successful, and 8101. was
raked in the room: The whole amount of the
subscription was stated to he 10,3491., and it is
ter be' hoped thee. example will be readily followed
by the PrOprietors and Public at 'large.

The Rev. Htigh d‘Veii, M A. Minister of St.
.7,1 Shrewsbury, is instituted to the Rectory
of Stapleton, Shropshire, (void by the death of
the Rev. Edward Powys), on the presentation of
I%IN. 11„0,.ys
rtaa.--Yesterday morning, about one o'clock,
an alarming fire broke out in the house of Mr.
Nichols, pawn-broker, of Gray's Inn-lane, Hol-
born ; it, communicated to the house of Mr. Wil-
liams, tallow-chandler, next door, whine pre-
mises were considerably daMaged. Several en.
vies arrived shortly after the fire commenced,
and with a good supply of water played very ac-
tively. The family had retired to rest when it
began, and is origin is not ascertained. The
whole of their property was destroyed.
DREADFUL SUICIDE.---SatUrdtly evening an In•
quest was held at the Yorkshire Grey, corner of
Loudon-street, Fitzroy-square, before THOMAS
STIRLING, Esq. Coroner, on the body of Samuel
Bayers, aged 35, who, in consequence of a. quarrel
with his mother, whom he threatened to murder,
was taken to St. Pancras Watch-house, where he
tad words with a Lieutenant of the Army. He was
locked.up
.in a separate apartment, where he cut
his throat in a dreadful manner, with a piece of a
carving knife, and nearly severed Li, head 'row
Lis body. Vcrdict-7‘..4:insauny.':

tA
INTIJ.LLiGtNcs,

COURT' OF KING'S 'BENCH, JULY 9.

CRINI. CON.

PEACOCK. V. DERBYSHIRE.

Mr. SCARLETT stated, that the plaintlfY, int his
case, was *respectable law stationer in Chauvry-
lane, and the defendant the son of a respectable
apothecary resident in Berner's-street. The de-
fendant also held a situation in the office of Messrs.
Campbell, army agents, and was an Ensign in the
Army. The plaint ff now sought to recover corn-
pensath.n for one of the most serionsinjuries
which a man could have to complain of—namely,
the seduction of his wife. Mr. Scarlett then pro-
ceeded to state the facts of the case ; the marriage
of the plaintiff,in 181 I,to the daughter of Sir Henry
Itnd Lidy Peake ; and to detail the affectionateman-
ner iii which they lived up to the summer of last
year, when the defendant, by his conduct, broke
in upon that happiness. Ile did not attempt to
describe this as a case of the most aggravated de-
scription, or of cool, determined, deliberate se-
duction. The question of damages he would leave
to the Jut y, who, in their sober judgment, would
say to what compensation . the plaintiff was en-
titled for the destruction of his peace,. the inva-
sion at his domestic comfort, and tha loss of a
mother. to his infant children, The Pearned
Counse) then proceeded to call the following wit-
nesses ;

The clerk of the parish at which the marriage
was 'eeltbra! ed in 1811, who produced the parish
register and certificate of the marriage.
Mr. Lewis Peacock, brother of .11+e
proved the hand-writing of the parties, and that
they lived together till September fast. 'Witness
Was in the habit of visiting and being visited by
them ; they appeared o live happily together.
Fanny White lived servant with Mr. and Mrs.
Peacock. Three years previous to last September
there were two children, and two servants were
kept. Witness considered her master and mistress
as living happily together ; did not observe her
mistress went out very frequently : she used some-
times to go out in the morning,. and occasionally
took her little girl with her ; did not obses ye that
she went more frequently last year than formerly.
Witness recollected her master and mistress going
to France in June last ; they were absent about a
week. Sir Henry and Lady Peake. t ent with
them, but did not return till some time atter
Mrs: Peacock went out as usual during the tune
.her father and mother were absent. Witness re-
collected, in September last, after she was in bed,
being disturbed by a noise; got up to see what
it .was, and on,coming.down stairs found her
tress standing on the landing-place undressed ; dis-
covered that it was a disagreement between her
master and mistress, but did not at that time know
what it was abouti, next day her mistress left
home, and went to her father's house.
Elizabeth Williams, the nurse-maid, corrobo-
rated 'the statement of the fottner witness as to
the disturbance. When the witness came I
town
her master called for a candle. Witness brought
a lighted one, but Mrs. Peacock immediately.blew
it out. Lieutenant Peacock was present at that
time. _ . .

Sarah Jenkins had formerly lived servant with
the plaintiff; spoke to the affectionate manner in
which her master awl mistress lived together.
Samuel Peacock, brother to the plaintiff, a
Lieutenant in the Navy, was on a visit to his bro-
ther in September last ; had frequently visited
them before ; they lived very comfortable ; knew
the defendant, but lied never seen him at the
plaintiff's house. On the 2d or 3d of September,
after the witness was in, bed, he was awoke by a
high dispute between Mr. and Mrs. Peacock, and
heard Mrs. Peacock repeatedly say, '' you shan't
have it, it is mine ; you shan't read it, it is my
litter." Witness beard a Struggle, and a rush
out at the bed-room door, and down stairs.
Soon after Mr. Peacock knocked at the wit-
ness's door, and begged him to get up. Wit-
ness did so, and went into the passage, where be
saw Mrs. Peacock also, in nothing but her night-
gown, her hair about her shoulders, and in a state
of great agitation. Witness begged her to `go to
bed, and not exposé- herself to her servants ; she
went into her own room, and soon after Mr. Pea-
cock came into witness's room with a letter in his
hand, which be was about to read to the witness,
when Mrs. Peacock came in, put out the candle,
and endeavoured to seize the letter. Witness, bow-
ever, secured it, and locked it up ; it was the same
now produced. Next day Mrs. Peacock's father
and mother took her away. On the following
day witness called on the defendant, and remon-
strated with hint on his conduct. At length he said
he got into a scrape, and must get out of it as well
as he could, at the same time adding, the errors
of youth often led us into the commission of acts
which we might regret as long as we lived, and
which might have the effect of blasting our future
prospects in life. Witness asked him it he had
any other letters of Mrs. Peacook's ? He acknow-
ledged be bad, and witness asked him if he would
give them up ; he, in reply, asked witness if he
would pledge his word and honour that Mrs. Pea-
cock would consent to his doing so. Witness
declining to give the pledge, the defendant, after
retiring into another room, where he appeared to
confer with some one, returned, and stated that
be declined giving them up.
Mr. Knight, a clerk in Mr. Campbell's office,
knew Mr. 'Derbyshire, who was in the same
office. Witness believed the letter produced _to be
his band-writing. He was not now in the office,
and was 'an ensign on half-pay.
The letter was then put in and read, and be-
gan—" Dear Mary, what will you think of the
blockheads- at'this office tor• not giving me your
letter till-this morning. • I give you all credit for
your excellent contrivance, and will not forget
Mrs. Smith ; but what could you suppose at not
receiving a letter from that lady r -The letter-
then proceeded to _state, that the plan would
do very; well for a little time, but the,,l)est
policy, would be to change occasionally,
,least
her fret:lnt:l4 appearance at tlae POst!.oflice,shotild
eaeite, curiosity,
.and
.oext, suspicion,
,to :which
would‘paturally follow, as a-matter of coukse,.de!
tection. The
,letter also contained ackno.wJedg'
tneAtl, to a_ little prescut ,the yrtite,r-Lla4

re-etivea ; anti, atter reCriiiinienftint:t .critli.ion, Con-
chided in the most affectionate and was
signed
Mr. ADAMS, who was for the defendant, sob-
mnitted to the !Jury, that he had never heard a case
in which a Charge 'Of this nature stood on so weak
a foundation.

SCARLETT here inteiTosed, and observed, if
his Lordship should be of -opinion with his Learn-
ed Friend, he would bow to that opinion, and stop
the case here by contenting to a nonsuit.
The CHIEF JurricE-Call the plaintiff.
Plaintiff nonsuited.
FALSE IMPRISONMENT:
RIGGS V. GRIRFITHS'.

This was an Action for an assault and false into
prisonment: The plaintiff was the wife of a sol-
dier residing at Chelsea. On a day mentioned in
the record, Mrs. liggs went to the defendant's
shop to buy a straw bonnet, and having selected
one, tendered a 11. note in payment. The de•
fendant, on looking at it, said it was a had one,
on which MrS. Riggs left the. shop, -and went to
another in the neighbourhood, kept by Mr. Per-
ring, where she bought a bonnet,'-and was in the
act of paying for it with a 11. ,note, when Mrs.
Griffiths, who had followed her, entered the shop,
seized the note from her hand, anal• -charged her
kith being an utterer of forged notes. A con-
stable was. sent for, and she was given in charge
by the defendant, who, although it was mid-day,
directed. she should be taken to the watch•house,
where she was kept in the dungeon all might, On
the following morning, the constable went to the
Bank, taking with him two 11. notes fPltnd in
Mrs. Itiggs's possession ; • when it'appeared that
the notes were good. She was then taker; before
a Magivrate and discharged. There was no de-
fence and the Jury, after an address from the
Judge, ivlio strongly reprobated the conthict of
the defendant in keeping the woman in custody
all night, when there was plenty of time for tak-
ing her before a Magis►rate during the day, found
verdict for the plaint iff—Damagei 211. cults 40s.