The Sun.
London, England, 1818-06-01 00:00:00

Th\XI.RUPf LAWS.

Mr. WROTTESLEY obtained leave to bring in a
Bill to repeal so touch of the Bankrupt Laws as
required of Creditors within the City of London
au:l bills of mortality to meet at Guildhall.—The
Bill was read a first time, and ordere3 to be read
a second time on Monday.
The Report of the Irish County Infirmaries'
Bill was brought up, some amendments were
agreed to, and the Report ordered to be taken in-
to lot ther consideration on Monday se'nnight.--=
Adjourned.

THE OPERA-1101P,E.

MEETING of SUBSCRILigIT to the OPERA-HOUSE.

A Meeting of Noblemen and Gentlemen was on
Saturday convened by advertisement, at the
'Thatched-house Tavern, St. Ja.nes's- Street, to
take into consideration the state and management
of the conccrn of the Opera-house. Soon after
two o'clock, the Earl of A YLR'BU Rl' was unani-
mously called to the Chair. He stated the man-
ner in which the Meeting of the Proprietors and
Subscribers had been called together, and pro-
posed to read some facts that bad come to his
knowledge,.atter which be should propose a Ile-
'solution for the adoption of the present Meeting.
lle proceeded to state, that a certain letter had
been written by Itlr.lVatets, the present Proprie-
tor and Manager of the Opera-house, addressed
to the Subscribers, requiring thern to pay him
371. 10s. in addition to the 2621. 10s. they paid
for a box for the former season (making the sob.
scription 3001. for the present season), alleging as
a pretence for his making that claim upon them,
that the establishment had been increased, had
been materially improved, and it was his object
still further to merit the encouragement of the
Stibscribers; but so far from his haring redeemed •
that pledge, the number of performers had been
considerably lessened this season. The salaries
of the musicians had been greatly reduced, in con-
sequence of which,. several 'of the most eminent
Performers had quitted the Orchestra; and there
was another circumstance, said his Lordship,
equally deserVing of notice. There was at present
tin Composer attached to the Orchestra--no Com-
, poser of music was at present engaged. With re-
gard to the Italian Singers, they were reduced to
tour of the male singers, and there was not one
single Italian female singer belonging to the corn-
, pany. From this it was obvious there could* be
no performance of serious Operas. In fact they
could not be given at all, and this was in a man-
ner a saving to the Proprietor, the expence of a
serious Opera being considerably more than that
of a comic one. Mr. Waters, the Manager,
might have engaged Madame Camporese, hut be
had neglected so to do. In various other respects
he had acted in a way which neither kept pace
with his own assurances nor the liberality of the
Subscribers.—With respect to the Bullet, it was
too contemptible for an unlicensed Theatre—it
was a disgrace to a Theatre-royal. The• Diver-
tisement had been laid aside, and that alteration
produced a
..very tedious suspension of all per-
formance for above half an hour, the company
being frequently compelled to wait for a much
longer period without any thing to amuse them,
till the Manager thought fit to draw tip the cur-
tain. Dancers whom Mr. Waters had engaged for
the Ballet, were inferior Performers taken from
the Minor Theatres of Paris', instead of the Aca-
demy Royal, front whence they ought to have
been selected. Five principal Dancers had been
announced by Mr. Waters to the Subscribers, ai
having been previously engaged by him ; but they
had nut yet wade their appearance, nor was it
ljkely they would ; nor had any others been en-
gaged in theii. stead. The ballet Master of the
principal Parisian limn! e bad tnn desirous of an

- engagement with Mr. Waters en libe'ral
seasou, but that prudent Manager had decliocie:,
V
for no other reason than because he wished
save expence. The Figure Dancers were e' !.
indifferent with the est of the cgablisluneat
The Ballets were not got up with that liberale
that ought to distinguish them, considering the
splendotir, in point of exrence,
Tie N°l,
were supported' by the British public.
Lord said, that in 1811, t 1 aat. tae Aonour to lief
long to a Committee to examine the accounts re
the King's Theatre, and having had access t°tif
books of Mr. Taylor, he had. furnished himse I
with some notes of their contents. Jr alqielire:l
that Madame Catalani had a salary of 210010 Bin.
that the other Performers in that particular
part went bad salaries equally liberal in proP",t;,°,4
to their respective talents. The sum paid at with which M,
time for the Singers was 98351. The sum ,•; ',of
for the salaries of the dancers, who were a"
first-rate talents, increased the actual. exPeilw
tore of the concern to 16,7801. a sum nearly
the amount of what was paid by Mr. Wate""idie
Lou dship said, he had apprised Mr. Waters °" .e
Meeting, and had expected that be would l'a's
ltattended it, for the purpose of entering into !ti
explanations of his conduct, which he colli`
but anticipate would be required. Mr.
I.ad written to him, requestin an intercle-.,
This he had declined. His Lordship was of eP:
nion, Resolution's should be entered into, "Pir,:p
;
sive of the opinion of the subscribers at the
of conduct pmsned by Mr. Waters. rifr
Lord LoWTH E a said, he rose to say a feW (ittg
in extenut ion of the conduct of Mr. Waters. oe.
stated the extreme difficulty there 'Was of riija
ing performers in Paris fur the English I"‘jr,
Opera. He happened to be at Paris when dad
Waters was endeavouring to engage dancers':
he knew that there was but.one. and he a sec-:';tt
rate dancer, who would listen to Mr. Waters, •
any terars. That one had entered into an eng'i'ret
went, but, afterwards repenting, ref,ised toc4tot
it into effect. His Lordship said, he loww
.irir
an eminent dancer had refused to engage for
Mr. Mr. Waters at a less rate than 30,000 (Pin° irfr
two months. He had been disappointed of ell'
eve
ing Madame Camporese, and had in conseceddr
applied to some other singers of celebrity t° of
ply her place. Two principal women (Ll'oolllllo
the French Opera had eroposals made r°
by Mr. Waters, and he offered them 5001' efig‘
for two months; but they refused, sayjogrii-hir
msu would not ply their expenses. His Lar,"e-0
assured the Meeting, that Mr. Waters bad 9;bell
t he greatest readiness in endeavouring to strenf-„ero
the singing department. The affairs of tbe'roe
House baring been so long under
Court of Chancery—a Court tardy in its c'rter'
tiow—iniglit have discouraged persons front
ing into eegagements with the Manager Of. pp'
r cern so s 'tared. Upon the whole, he
sliver, said his Lordship, for the earnest ende'' er•
of Mr. Waters to procure the best possiblejelf •
formers of all descriptions, He was Pei;
eryl
convinced he had made very handsome and "-
offers. Satili
Lord ABOYNE observed, that what tb t),
scribers thought they had reason to ComPlii—the
was, that Mr. Waters had never procurer! tool
performers, his engagement with whom !'e rib' •
made the basis of his application-to the SOll5llO
ers for an additional sum for their boxes."'"

was what they complained of. fro°
Mr. FREF:MANTLE said, it struck pity' V
000, what Lord Lowther had said, that it IVOti
unnecessary to enter into the details of the,ice to
duct of Mr. Waters. The hest way would %toe
appoint a Committee, who should couoll"Wi
to
with Mr. Waters upon the subject. it see,H)Cri( art
him there bad been gross misfmnduct on 111,e,i'olkt
of Mr. Waters. if Mr. Waters, as the ,Iga tP
Lord had stated, knew the difficulties he "ler
content! with, and that he could not eog3get'ilif
formers at any price whatever, lie might noll'avo.
pretending he had actually eagaged them, fificrir
inducc:l the Proprietors to advaoce.their sut,)s,l
lion in the way he had done. He coucho'eifile
moving the following Resolution :--" bta-ref
present Meeting are of opinion, that the 6:troO°
the Opera Establishment is unworthy (be pai
age it has received"—(Hear !)—This ile9`;,%lY';
was put from the Chair, and carried onanin3",ce
Lord SEFTON observed, that, in cousetrelidtbe
the adoption of this Resolution, he apprebel.)( coal°
next step to be taken would be to appoint 0 tlttl
, •
mittee- to communicate with Mr. Waters °I., or
state of the establishment, and to give hinl ° 004
portunity of explaining why it was in snehillsobic
as to be unworthy of their patronage..
Lord, in conclusion, moved—" That t'',.,„estel:
mittee of Proprietors and Subscribers be re' bjec.
to communicate with Mr. Water.; on (be's°
tl;e
of the establishment." that
It Was suggested as• an Amendment, -isr„ters'
Committee should communicate with Mr. "orV (,(1
" and 'other persons," as it might be neceAsn
-
''
examine others upon the subject. This
in l
ment was adopted. eth t
The lion. DOUGLAS .KINNAIRD sObtn"l Free.
consequence of what had fallen from
mantle on the subject of proprietors cecerste;
that the propt ietors had no intetest , td °-
prate .I.orrt the subscribers. He wisno e-
understood distinctly---(Hear, hear l) once:
Lord LOWTHER said, that some a"`,,
ought to be made for Mr. Waters, Wile" ;tier°
recollected that he had so recently been °los (It
by the Court of Chancery to pay into the ft'o(f the
that Court so large a sum, in coosequne,e „, ~
suit which had been commenced agaiost
Sir W. W. WYNNE said, it ovos an oirrd
nary argument that because Mr. Watets "be call.'
chased the Opera, the frequenters were to
ed upon to pay for it. It.et-kg'
Some little discusr-ion took place as t° tto'
old it •
the dal on which the next meeting 5,10 - vt*
(14 •
place should be Friday or Saturday. "11
finally agreed to. Win°te
A Committee of thirteen was then 11°
among_whom were—
The Fall of Ailesbury, Lord Harriwieite,LoW3efTri't
oviit
Scarborough, Lord Vcruiam, Lord Abovnef Lc° Sirs,
Sir W. W. Wynn, Lord Plymouth, Mr. .Veeemantke,
Liddell, Lord Normanhy,&c. Sec.—A. vote of thang;fie,/
passed to the Earl of Aileshurv.—(Noritri,g Cl‘r"
.••••MIO.CACiL,.. NO 'POO • ;
LONDON: Printed b y .1. 11. GAItJfA of 'bv "
Ormond-street, Qtreeo-siluare; and published TO vt
SCRIPPS, of No. 7, `youth Molton-strcet, at. Of
()dice, No. .119, Strand..;whete Adecoisernero'
Letters, ice, (post-yaid most be a;laresscd.

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