The Sun.
London, England, 1818-10-31 00:00:00

vended o,t iis succeit, tvo.ild concur
measure, which was the only one that afforded'
'the slightest prospect of keeping the Theatie open.
With respect to their approval of the Sub-Com-
mittee, he had alvirayslbought it unnecessary; but
as some. persons entertained doubts on the sub-
ject, it was as well to go through the form. It
thnse Gentlemen would -come .:forward to treat
with the creditors again, the last thing they would
do would be to accept their terms.

Mr. ItoAngs 'entered into a justification of the
Select Committee, of which he, was Chairman.--
He said it. their intention to stop at an
advance of 5,0001. or 10,0001 , but merely to ad-
vance the 5,0001, in the first ins! ance, as a begin-
ning;: conduct 'of the Sob-Committee was
not, therefore, so much more liberal as had been
represented. He could not give the Sub-Com-
mitee credit for liberality, because their offer,
in his opinitin, amounted to nothing. They were,
as neatly as possible, in a state of bankruptcy, and
he wild not stand in the way of any arrange-
ment which might keep the Theatre open.
Mr. IRoNsioNGett saki, he had made the propo-
sition originally with the utmost sincerity, and
had the satisfaction to find it was received in the
same spit it. They were all most anxious that it
.Itottl‘l be carried into effect. lie would again re-
new it with the same cordial disposition.

The cpw:ition for agreeing in the nomination of
the Suh•Committee being then put,
Mr. Rontxs rose to t)hject to Mr. Alderman
Cox, on the ground that as he held the of iee of
Auditor, he us as nut qualified to become a Mem-
her of the Sun,Committee, ai in that case he
would irive to audit'his own arcottnts.

The CHAIRMAN said, that Alderman Croix ,had
reFirned his simarion as Auditor. _

Air. RomNs- accordingly withdrew his ohjec-

firm.

One of the Creditors, 'whose name could not be
learned, a(knowledged the liberality of the Snb-
Committee, but thought it unjust that the trades-
men should lose one half of their debt, without
any prospect of recovering more.
Sir T. TucTON thought that their policy should
be to let the Theatre as soon as possible, a thing
that was not practicable until those demands were
dkposed of. No one would take it loaded with
such au nicuMbrance. There Were .many other
debts to be disposed of as well as the tradesmen's,
and if they Would consent to defer their claims
after the payment of 10s. in the pound, until the
other debts were discharged, an arrangement
might probably be made to that effect. if some
determination was not come to on this subject,
they never could go on, unless they could con•
trive to remove the Theatre into the King's
Bench, to go to jail themselves, and take the be-
nefit of the Insolvent Act.

Mr. NVALKER, as one of the Committee of Cre-
ditors, detailed their proceedings on the proposi-
tion of tie Sub-Committee, and expressed !heir
determination not to take lOs. in the pound, if
any other class of creditors got 20.

. . _
Air. ROBINS suggested that 10s, should be paid
to the tradesmen on their old debts, but that 20s.
should be allowed on those contracted during the
last seasow, _

Mr. IVALKER expressed his conviction that w 1
the creditors would agree to such a proposal.

The appointmet of the Sub-Committee was then
confirmed by the Meeting.
The question for the Chairman leaving the
Chair being Iv,
Mr. RomNs entered into a jostification of his
conduct, and that of the Special Committee. Ile
denied that they had gone willingly to the Court
of Chancery, but with the utmost reluctance, and
complained of the reduction of prices as a measure
fatal to the it►►erects of the Theatre. lie denied
also that he had any property in Covent-Garden
Theatre, as was stated by an anonymous writer,
who assigned it as a reason for his conduct to-
wards Drury-La►►e. Reverting to the subject of
the reduced prices, he maintained that the Pro-
prietors ought to have been called together before
it was detet mined on, and he believed L9rd Yar-
mouth and Sir T. Turton would concur in tl►at

Opinion.
The Earl of YAIIMOUTH said, he had thought
all along so strong a 'Leasure ought not to have
been resolved upon without going to the Proprie-
tors ; but as to the measure itself, he thought, for
many reasons not necessary to be stared now,
that it was the only one which could be of use to
the Theatre in its present condition.
Sir T. TuwroN declared his opinion of the
ruinous tendency of an experiment, the effect of
which was to make Drury• Lane Theatre play se-
cond fiddle to Covent•G 'Men: They ought not
to have speculated on the money of persons who
embarked in the Concern on an implied under-
standing that the prices should not be reduced.
Mr. ROBINS complained of it as operating also
against the interests of the Performers who took
benefits, and lamented that such an extinguisher
should he put upon that great actor Mr. Kean,
as was done, when they resolved that the public
should we him for five shillings, white they could
not see the Performers of the other Hope for less

than► seven.
Mr. CALCRAFT assigned as a reason for not
taking the sense of the Meeting 011 the appoint-
ment of the Sub-Committee, that those Gentlemen
had so involved the concern, as to, preven►
any one else front undertaking, it. This they had
&emit by tie engagements which they made, and
by the ruinous measure of reducing the price of
admittance. As they bad dressed the dish, so they
must endeavour to eat it, and therefore he per-
mitted their appointment to go on without oppo-
sition, except that of hoisting op his hand in the
negative on one occasion. He thought it due to
himself and to the Gentlemen with whom he
acted, to state thus much. He denied that
it ever was the intention of the Special Com-
mittee to shut the Theatre, with any other view
than that of opening it soon again with more ad-
vantage to the concern. They %vete now in a
storm, they had pilots who could command no
confidence, nor had they the best opinion of the
crew that was to work the vessel.
Mr. laoN.NtoNGett gave a pledge to some of the
creditors, who appealed to him, that he would re-
new the propbsal to the Sub-Committees, and use
his endeavours for its success. •
The Alectiug then broke up. •