The Sun.
London, England, 1818-12-14 00:00:00

day.

FOR THE SUN.

INSOLVENT ACT.

MR. EDITOR,—Since you did me the hononr of
inserting in your valuable columns a few simple
nnadoined observatiofis tinder the 'ignature of
MERCAToR, a host of Correspondents have been
amusing► themselves, and endeavouring to amuse
the Public, by writing professsedty on this subject;
• bait having read numerous letters from an OLD
BARRISTER, MS SON, SCRUTATOR, Mr. M. is-
DoCTUS, AGENT FOR SELF AND CO., &C. it really
does -appear to me, that though th,y have elabo-
rarely treated o►► a vatie:y of subjects, the real
merits or demerits of the Insolvent Act have en-
grossed but a small portion of their sage cogita-
tions. The chief point they seem to contend is,
that this law, whether salutary and wholesome or
otherwise, is ado:ned or disgraced by the practice
of those who are termed AGENTS ;. men never re-
cognised even by County Courts, of -Refinesls,
Pie-Powder, or any other of the most inferior de-
scription. The allowing such men to act as Soli-
citors, Attornies, or Agents, appears to me an ab-
surdity 100 glaring and too monstrous *for any
one to countenance or support with the smallest
hope of making converts. But, Sir, I take it
the real question, the only one worth considering,
is, whether the Act itself is good or bad in its
principle.
The OLn BARRISTER has evinced extensive
reading an,: diligent application in .41e-history he
has favoured us with, of imprisonment for civil
tit hr; and as a large proportion of the Politic
not have the means of referring to more
antient and enlightened authors, who have treated
on the sau►e subject ►,early in similar terms, they
:re much inch:b:ed to him and your. Paper, for
that which they might never have seen by °dick
means.

Next comes a Chip of the Old Block, and he
talks Latin which others have talked before., but
which I fear a very small proportion of those
who are chiefly interested in the Insolvent Act
will even be able to comprehend, any more than
they will be able to discover on which side of tl,e
qu scion this legitimate Son of the Old Barrister is
desirous of writing. But, Sir, it seems that there
has been plenty of attempts to write itn this mo-
mentous subject, erlootot, more than enough ; it is
now time that soniething should be doing: 1 will
thereon', with roir permission, address a few
words to the Merchants and Traders of this
Kingdom, anti advise that Meetings be held in
every ti'ard or Parish of the Metropolis ; that
Delegates be chosen at such Meetings, to form
a General Meeting, so that the sense of the
'fratling Interest be brought into one focus, and
that a Petition be presented to Parliament, as
the majority of such General Meeting shall agree
upon, either for a continuance of this measure or
its total abandonment. This, Sir, will be the
fair way of collecting public opittion ; and that
opinion so collected will doubtless have due
weight in the p‘oper place.

MERCATOR.

UNIVERSI i Y INTELLIGENCE.

OXFORD, DEC. 12.

The following 4tthjects are proposed for the
ChancePori Prizes int, the ensuing year, via. :
For Latin Verses—Syraciesce.
Por an English Essay—The characteristic DPrenees of
Greek and iolin l'oetrv.

or a Latin Essny—Qurenans filerint prtecipme in Causer,
qnwl lioniir rit Cortiingine irinwpAnvit I
The first of the above sulojects is intended for those Gen-
tlemen of the University who have nut exceeded four years
front the time of their matriculation; and the, other two for
such as hare exceeded font, but not completed fieVell years.

S;IR 0 r.te NFWDIGATE's PNIxE.—For the hest composition
in English verse, not containing. either more or fewer i ban
tif,y lines, by an I7nder-Graduate who has not vxce:-tied four
yeais from the time of his matriculation .—The ipigenia of
Tininidhes.

Thursday last, Mr. Edward Dickinson Scott uas elected
Tribe' ,lar, arid M essrs. Joseph Simpson, Miles Cooper Bolton,
William Airey, tlelityßookin, Hobert Shepherd. Joseph Bal
lantine Dykes, KOJI Joshua I.Ocoeli Bragg, Scholars ui the old
foundation; and Richard Bracken, Scholar on Mr. Ali-
cliel's fouhdation, at Qbeen% College.

Thursthy last the following Gentlemen trete
admitted to Degrees

MaAter of ..-lrts.—lier. Fredrecli anr, Taberdar of Queen's
(Mit ge.

lac/iv/ors of itrt, —'fbornas John PoWell, St. Alban tiall ;
Mt my St. Amin,. St. John, Wadham. College;
swift, Edward mon Scott, George Chilton, Scholars of
Queen's :'allege; t alter Matthews
.Paul, Flaliol College;
The Most Noble tlit Marquis of 7'itch6cld, Christ church ;
Richards College; Mired Toulie, St. Mary
Hall; C:arri. Tupper, Pegibrukv College.

MISS TELLY.

TO THE EDIToft OF THE SUN.
tietiiietta-street, Dec. 12, 1818

rt,.--ShockeA as I am to be cot-kindled to &Article myself
on Public atten'6On, and totally ineonipetent as I knoif my-
self to he to engage iti ally thing like controversy with Mr. Ste-
phen Kenthle, 1 consider myself to he imperiously called upon
to notice his letter which appeared in your Paper of this day,
in which lam very uncerenionionsly accused of having ut-
tered a deliberate 'Wifehood. I shall not so far forget myself
as to retort the accusation upfitv'Mr. Stephen Kemble ; I will
rather, in charity, believe that he most have forgotten the
ciicamstanets of my short correspondence with him, when
he ventures to impute to me the utterance of an notrfil h. I
will also believe that Mr. Stephen fiemble *as ignorant of
the nature of my former engagement at Drury-Lane Theatre,
when the subjoined letters passed between us, or he would
have known that the salary I received was fully-adequate t o
my utmost wishes ; bat that salary was by no means the Most
essential consideration with me. In My former engagement
I had etpressly stipulated for an absence of six weeks to fulfil
an engageMent in Ireland : and the Sub-Committee were
dully 'apprised of my existing engagement at the English
opera House, which precluded the possibility of my accept-
ing one which required, as a prelhniqary Condition, that my
services should be confined to Drury-Lane Theatre during the
whole of the Season.
The offer, therefore, was no offer at all-it was an unwor-
thy artifice to arm the Sub-Committee with a defensive an-
swer, in case any inquiry should be made by those who con-
descend to consider my humble talents as of sonic conse-
quence to a Theatre, Besides this, it will be observed, that
Mr. S. Kembte's Letter to me is dated August sth, about one
month may before the usual period 'of opening the Theatre
The Sub-Committee (front whom I had received, during the
whole past season, the most unprovoked insults, with a de-
tail of which i 4 is unnecessary to trouble the public), were
perfectly conscious that I had received my regular discharge
at the end of the season, together with all others not under
articles ; and they must have been well aware, that I had nut
suffered more than half the summer to elapse, without mak-
ing such arrangements for country engagements, as might
occupy a portion of my future time, and which I was com-
pelled to form by the natural conclusion that they had no in-
tention to retain my services. The following offer, through Mr.
Stephen Kemple, therefore, coupled with restrictions, which
they knew it to b, impossible for me to comply with,i was a
mere mockery, and as such I considered it.

[Copy, No. I.]
" Theafre Royal, Drum/-lane, /fu g% 5, It IS.
" Man ,m,-1 have it in command from the Gentlemen of
the Sul) Committee of Drury-lane Theatre, to offer you fur
the next season the terms you had last season; only I am de-
sired to observe, that they require your talents to be con-
fined to this conct rti solely during the whole of the season,
he privilege of writing orders, I am desired to inform you,
is discontinued. I am, Madam, your obedient Servant.
(Signed) " S. KMBLE."
ICoPY , No. 2.]
St a,--Pressure of business and some illness hare prevented
my earlier reply to your letter. From what I now hear of
the .state of Drury-Lane Theatre, I presume it will not he re-
qui-ite to trouble either you or mvself with an answer which
would necessarily be at considerable length. It will be sudi-
dent to say at present, that the total neglect of the Sub-
Committee has driven me to form engagements elsewhere,
independent of prior ones, which they are folly aware of,
and which would render it impossible for me to have accepted
the terms of your proposal,
"I have the honour to he, Sir,
" Your obedient Servant,
"F. M. KELLY."

It•must also he noticed, that at the time I received this of.
fer, such as it was, an injunction . from the Court of Chan
eery bad restrained the Sub-Committee, as I understood,
from entering into any engagement whatever; and it %ill be
seen, bfrni' answer to Mr. Ker»hie, that I declined going
into particulars on that account 6' for the present," but when
the injunction was rentrved, there was tint the slightest in-
clination manifested by him to renew the negociation.
The public have now nay case before them ; they will best
decide whether I am not justified in asserting that the Sill).
Committee 66 hare not chosen to retain in!, services," :odd,
they might have retained had they thought proper, as in the
former season, fur sorb periods as their own contemptuous
neglect had lett at toy disposal; and also how far Mr. S.
Kemble is justified in the charge of falsehood which he has not
scrupled to bring against me. I cannot conclude without oh-
sery trig that Mr. S. Kemble, in his anxiety to prove nie
guilty of an untruth in one respect, has totally over-loot:et) the
main grievance of which I have to complain. The fact td my
being deprived of a liberal engagement at Covent Garden
Theatre, by the perverted operation of au injurious ',lmpart,
remains Uncontradicted : whatever may he Mr. S. Keirible's
hopes, and wishes on the subject. the stubborn truth exists
in all its force, that I am the victim ofl a cruel conspiracy--;
that by the unjust interference of the Sulr-Committee, I am
deprived of the fruits of my professional labours—and that

- .
any compelled to draw ni.in my limited and hardly-earned
sariNgs for the means of present subsistence.
I have the honour to he, sir.
Your most obedient Servaht,
F. M. KELLY.

As we wish to do justice 'to both parties, we
insert this day Miss KELLY'S Letter in answer
to that from Mr. STEPURN KRMBLa, Which ap-
peared in our Paper of Saturday,- written by that.
Gentleman, by desire of the SUB-COMMITTEE of
Drury-Lane Theatre. We repeat onr perfect con-
fidence in the open candour and manly firmness of
Mr. KEMELCS character, and are persuaded that
l►e acted to the best of his judgment, according
to the information which he had received ; Ent
it seems evident that he was not bipprized of the
engagements into which Miss KELLY had en-
tered, and which precluded her ft►om accept:.
ing such an engagement at Drury• Lane Thea-
tre as regnired her to devote the whole of

her exertions to that Theatre. if the SUB-
COMMITTER were themselves fully apprized of
those engagements, the condition which they
proposed of confining her efforts to their Theatre,
rendered their offer, indeed, as she says, a kind of
" mockery." But th-e main question between the
Public and the Theatres is' this—shall an excellent
Actress, and a very amiable young woman, who is
most deservedly one of the chief favourites of the
Public, he deprived of an opportmiity of exerting
her talents for the support of herself and her
family, by any compact het ween the two Theatres,
and shall the -Public by such compai,t be deprived
of the plea%ure which those talents are so emi-
nently qualifit d to afford ?