The Sun.
London, England, 1818-02-23 00:00:00

THE IRISH STAGE.

On the 14th inst, the adjourned Meeting of
the FRIENDS OF THE DRAMA vas held at Morri-
son's great room, Dawson-street ; the hour men-
tioned:in the advertiiement for the meeting to
take place was three o'clock, but before that hoar
the room was nearly•filled..- At about a qua, ter
after three; there were loud cries'of Giair,Chair—
when Counsellor Creighton was called by the
universal voice of the meeting to the Chair. • -
Mr. CREIGHTON, on taking the Chair, addressed
the meeting. • He WAS deeply impressed with the
honour that the meeting had conferred npon hint,
by calling him to the chair, but he certainly felt
much reluctance in taking it, when he saw so
many,men of talent, genius, and respectability in
the room, and so many members of his own pro-
fession, who were much his elders, who
.might

have been selected to fill the situarion—(Cries of
No, No, Chair, Chair.)—He thanked the meet-
ing for their •kindness to him; and would en-
deavour to deserve it, by complying with their
wishes.
Mr. CARROLL stated,that incompliance with the
Resolution of the former day, the Committee had
prepared a Report, which was now ready to be
laid before the Meering—(Hear, hear !)—He
would now move, that the Report be read ; this
motion was seconded by Mr. Myler.
REPORT.

Your Committee, deeply impressed with the importance of
the subject confided to them, have, since.the day of their
ap-
pointment, bestowed unremitting attention upon it,
Fully agreeing,in tie opinion expresied in one of your Re-
solutions, " that the decay of the Drama, in this country, is
to be principally, if not wholly, attributed to the want of a
Second Theatre:" Your Committee entertain acontident hope,
that his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant will not refuse to
grant a Second Patent. They recommend that the Memorial,
which, according to your instructions, they have draw!, up,
and, which is now sutimitt:•d for yout approval, should be
signed as numerously as possiLle, and presented to his Ex-
cellency by a deputation, without delay, as your Com-
mittee is informed the term of the present Patent will
shortly expire.
Your Committee respectfully submit, that there .exists no
just or reasonable ground for granting to any indiv,idual
tight of monopoly in the. establishment of a Theatre -in the
City of Dublin. Why, they ask, should the Citizens be de-
prived of the gratification and advantage of a Second Thea-
tre ? The granting of a monopoly becomes simply a question
of expediency. es it may affect the Public interest, and this,
in the opinion'of your Committee, is the sole ground upon
which the question should be argued.
When a monopoly exists, the interest of the individual pos-
s-essing it does not always accord with that of the public. If
we suppose the profits of the Patentee to amount to a'certain

sum, with an indifferent Company, and that a good Com-
pany would not be likely to produce, according to his esti=
mate, an increase of profit equal to the increase of expense,
-it is no way doubtful that the Public should put up with the
indifferent Company, because it suited best the interest of
the Patentee-. "the interest of tile-Public is thus sacrificed to
that of the individual. Your Committee would think it more
fittim.., that the interest Of the individual should yield to that
of the Public.
Your COmmittee
,are aware ,that a doubt is entertained by
some highly respectable persons of the abiliti of the City
of Dublin to support two Theatres/ a doubt in which, for_
the reasons hereafter to be adduced, they arc far from con-

earring.
The cost of building', and outfit -of a handsome Theatre,
equalin size to that of Crow•street, which, for the regular
Drama, is, in the opinion of your Committee, sufficiently
large, may be estimated at 25,00 A—a sum which your Com-
mittee hare no doubt could be raised forthwith in the City of
Dublin, so great is the interest taken by the Public in this

question.
Your-Committee are confident that two regular Theatres
would receive a support in this metropolis sufficiently ample
't,) enable the Public to derive all the udvantagcs which Must
result from a salutary. competition. There were two Theatres
maintained in Dublin when its population and'wealth were
noi'abOve a third of What they now are; when the ediscated
classes of the people,. who are the chief support of every
Theatre, were not in a proportion of ten to one to what they
now.are;' and there is good reason to befieve that the failure,
even then, of one of them was owing more to mismanage:
merit then to the want of support.
It is a well known circumstance that a taste fot the Drama
may. be created. The existence of two well conducted and
rival establishments would operate in various ways to pro-
duce this effect. The Drahut would thereby become more a
subject of general discussion itn.d' conversation. 'The public
would naturally enter into the spirit of the rivalry. They
would be desirous•of instituting comparisons beween rival
performers or new productions, and a greater, field would.be
afforded for the display of native talent in theditierent avoca-
tions of author and actor. The obstructions which now force
our dramatic writers.to seek encouragement, and the 'reward
of their talents, in another country, would, Your Conr•nittee
tiatter themselves, he altogether removed. An additional in-
ducerntnit would be offered .to diminish the number of ab-
sentees; and-an additional attraction to' draw strangers, as
svelf as natives, to the capital. That these hopes are not alto-
ether speculative is sufficiently shewn by the result of the
late Theatrical Perforinances at Kilkenny.

Your Committee submit, that the diiliculties and embar-
rassments in which the Crow-street Concern is involved:
should be.no discouragement to the .erection of a second
.:Theatre. The constantly increasing incunibrances to which,
for a series of years, it has been subjected, together with the
effect of improvident and unskilful management, must have
greatly reduced its profits, notwithstanding; which they are
still very considerable. A new Theatre would be free from
these accumulated burdens ; a good Company would easily
11e :provided, by allowing higher salaries than are now al-
lowed by the Crm-street Patentee. A half-price admission,
on the plan of the London Theatres, would guard against
all ,danger of empty benches, in .t he absence of an attractive
bill .of fare, and tend; in a peat measure, to render the
,Theatres Olees of fashionable resort.
A genert.l outline of the system pursued in Crow-street will
give.the public some idea of the ill effects of a Theatrical mo-
nopoly. The highest salary given at that Establishment,
does not produce, to the most poPular and deserving of our
resident Performers, more than 13n1. or 14(11. per annum.
The inferior Performers have put the half of not

even one fourth.. The Performers, therefore,. rely chiefly,
for the means of living, on the produce of their Benefits,
which, unless-in a few favoured cases; is but an uncertain pro-
vision for certain wants. Almost all the PerforMers are thus
forced to take benefits. By, making every possible•exertion
through themselves and their friends, they now and then cod-
trire, to draw, some money to the House, when it might other-
wise, in the present neglected state of the Theatre, and at
the late period' now fixed upon for, the Benefits, have been
comparatively empty. The-Patentee is paid a sum out of the
receipts, which often more than repays him the whole salary
• previously paid to the PefforMer, after which the balance 2
an,,,y is paid over to the person under whose ?tame the bene-
fit was advertised. _

The situation of those respectable PerformerS who are per-
manent residents among us, and of whose deserts the public
have DO second opinion, is•the more galling—when they see
strangers, possessing
.not more than equal• (often inferior)
talents, engaged on terms, for the short space of twelve or
twenty nights, more productive than a whole year's engage-
ment to themselves. In saying this much, ybor Committee
are far from complaining of the liberality ,with which any
Performer may. be treated on the Dublin Stage; they only la-
ment the inadequate remuneration of the lung established fa-
vourites of "the Irish Public, who feel its inadequacy the .more
severely, by the contrast between them and others, who,
whatever their deserts may be, cannot have equal claims with
themselves.

There is another practice frequently resorted to by the Pa-
tentee, which your Committee cannot but express their repre-
hiension of. The name of a Performer is often advert isedlor
a Benefit, who receives hut a-small share .of Alie profits, the
reinainder going into the Treasury Fund. 'Phis are the pub-
lic grossly iniFsed upon; they imagine they are assisting the
:Performer, when, in reality, they are giving their money to
the ; and all thine who have paid -a valuable consi-
derntion-for annual admissions to the TheatreAre deprived of
their right under a false pretence. This practice has, in two
ways, the effect of injuring the bona tide Benefits of the other
Performers, by a iii,64l gning abroad, that the Benefits ge-
nerally, are but a pretence r, increase the profits of the Pa-
tentee; and by inundatiiig the town with Benefit Tickets:

At, the close of •each Season the • Perini-nit-I.s are considered
as unengaged.. It is not, however;the custom Of the Patentee
to give them notice that their engagewent would. or would
not be renewed :—theyare thus reduced to a most distressing
dilemma. They feel themselves not at liberty to seek engage-
ments elsewhere, as their &lug so may displease the Peru-
tee, and prevent his're:eng,aging them, if unsuccessful. The
opportunity thus passes away, and at the commencement of
the next Seas‘in they are complAelyat his mercy', if he wishes
to make au uagencrous use of the-fortuitous power thus ac-
quired over them. --The salary-of tltc past season is then not,
always his guide in a new offer,. and cases have snore than
mice occurred, your Committee are infotated, wisest Per-
formers have been compelled et'; accept most humiliating con-
ditions, to save themselves and families from Utter ruin.

Your Conimitiee are convinced yeu will agree with them
that under such a System no good Company will . contintie
permanent on the Dublin Stage, *hough your Committee is
informed, the Actors are in g4.!ue_rfil more partialle a Dublin
than a London audience, provided they found their situations
as respectable in Dublin as on the London Beards. They
would be slOisfied to play here -for a smaller salary, she, if the
system were open a proper footing, they would expect to
• supply the-deficiency by a good benefit.
Authors who are desirous to bare their works produted on
the Dublin Stage are still more sinfavourably circumstanced
t hen even the Actors. It is no unlikely contingency that an
author might be a considerable loser by the bringing out of
his piece, whilst to the Patentee it may be a very profitable
speculation. The rule observed is this—The Patentee re-
serves for his own benefit the profits of the first and second
representations ; And generously allows the author a benefit
on the third night, being first secured in a sum of eighty
pounds-, Briti,h, for what he calls " the expences of the
Flouse.", It is possible the total receipts may not amount to
half that sum, in which case the author, or his security,
should make good the deficiency.
.It is to be observed that a benefit would be conceded to the
lowest person on trite boards for a suns of Sixty Guineas; or
to any body, no matter who, for the suns first mentioned ; yet
the 'Author, whose talents may have, contributed to enrich
the Treasury, is placed in a worse condition than the,pettiest
Actor on tlte Stage; and on the same footing with any
stranger who may have no sort of claim either on the Pa-
tentee or the Public. . •

'l'his•treatment of Authors has the effect of an actual pro-
hibition upon the productions of native talent, alike inju-
rious to the interests of the Theatre, and disreputable to the
country ; whilst novelty is sought for from the London
Theatres, and new Pieces indiscriminately imported from
thence, neither adapted to our manners, opinions, or cir-
cumstances, and often unintelligible frnru their localities.—
Thcir general failure on our Stage is, therefore, easily to be
accounted for.
_

Youi Committee cannot help noticing the exterior of the
present Theatre Royal, which has no appearatice whatever of
a Public thudding, nor even the decent aspect of an ordi-
nary private house—surrounded on every side with mud
and filth, and accessible by no approach sufficiently wide
and unobstructed to prevent much inconvenience, and on
crowded nights,- confusion and accidents; the danger of
which is, in no small degree, increased by the late hours of
opening the‘doors, when a crowd is to be expected..
It
is not the intention of your Committee (nor wouldthey
feel themselves warranted in such a proceeding) to enter into
a particular investigation of acts of injustice or oppression (if
any there be) alleged as charges against the present Patentee,
, in his present situation as Manager of the Theatre.
Your Committee will not descend to become inquisitors in-
to the conduct of any man, especially a man circumstanced es
the patentee admits himself to be. It-is-fair, however, to
state, that-he did invite your Committee to enter upon this
inquisitorial office—an invitation which they felt•themselves
bound to decline. Your Committee arc far from entertain-
ing the least personal hostility to the Patentee, although they
cannot help stating that the productions which have recently
issued from the Press, bearing his signature, one of which was
addressed to the Chairman of your late Meeting, afford no
satisfactory evidence of his possessing those qualities of good •
sense and discretion Which should be essential requisites in
the Manager of a National Theatre.
Your Collimate(' rest your and their Cause on this broad
principle, that the existence of an exclusive Patent is of great
'public detriment; arid they deny the justice of any claims
which may he made to the possession of an exclusive Patent
as private' property. Any system founded upon an- exclusive
principle, like-stagnant air which is cut off from intermix-
ture with the.surrounding element, becomes of necessity cor-
rupt and noxious. A good Manager, at the head of such a
system, will not lung continue so; a had one becomes a pest
to the Performers, as well as to the Public.

• Your Committee conclude by expressing
.their confident
hope, that his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant wilt not reject
the application of the enlightened portion of the Inhabitants
of this great City; the object sought for being. founded a!ilie
in reason and in justice, -and the accomplishment -of which
must be fraught with great and most desirable advantages to
the City of Dublin and the Public at large.
CARROLL, Chairman.
F. W. CONWAY, Secretary.

bublin, Feb. 14, 1818.

Me. CARROLL moved, that-the Report, es read,
be adopted as. the Report of this Meeting; this
was, seconded by Mr. Myler.

. Counsellor: Altic NALLY stated, that although
he had not heard the whole of the Report read,
having only just entered the room., yet he had
heard enough of it to make him anxious that it
should be real paragraph by paragraph, as there
might be some passages in it which=would meet
the approbation of every person present, and some
from which a -number of the real friends of the
Drama would dissent.

Mr. CARROLL said, that the Report was not
like a series of Resolutions proposed by one per-
son, which, to pass regularly, should be react
seriatim.; the Report should be either accepted or
rejected. The Committee had bestowed great
pains on it, and, in his conception, it went to the
feelings of every person who was present at the
last Meeting; he therefore persisted in his mo-
tion.

The CHAIRMAN having put• the question, Mr.
MacNally rose, and, in a speech Of great length,
combated the idea of the City of Dublin being
able to support two Theatres. 'He lwas ably re-
plied to by Mr. Cdrroll, and the Resolution
passed with a few dissentient voices. :
Mr. Mirt.Ett begged leave to submit to the
Meeting a ropy 'of the Meniorial that was in-
tended to be presented to his Excellency the Lord

Lieutenant ; this vies seconded by Mr. Carrol 4
and the following Memorial was then read :•---
MEMORIAL TO.THE LORD LIEUTENANT.
We, the Citizens o f Dublin, beg leave to approach Y.,otil.
Excellency with those sentiments of respect which your -e'
celleitcy's administration during the period of exercising the.
Viceregal functions i part of the United Kingdom,are '
1
eminently calculate 1 fortht and to assort your Ex
lency of our unfeignt tachment to the House of Bruns.'
wick, and veneration our'exci Bent Constitution. '
Among the manifold advantages derived under that C°,°-
,
stitution, there is tone so beneficial in its
ject, and, by necessary consequence, so serviceable to tl e
State, as the principle of open and unfettered competition,
by which the capital, the talent, and the industry of every
individual are allowed to attain their level in the comustut;
nit.y. When this effects to the suT
principle is 'deserted, your MerlunJ4liii,,,
humbly suggest, that abuse or insufficiency is fourUF genera. ..,..
to prevail; and when monopolyis established by Patent, Hu'
abuse is always the consequence. - , - '
This is so notoriously the case with regard to the Pater!
t
granted by one of your Excellency's predecessors, to Fred el-
rick E. Jones, Esq. for an exclusive Theatre, that it scarcl
requires a formal proof. By confiding to one individual tt •
sole adnfinistration of public anoisement—(4 consi,kratto:
of the greatest moruent, in the wisest States .of ancient, ire
well as modern times)—it leaves the publie completelY aVts,
-discretion of the individual, as to the nature, the quata,'P-
and the Manner of administering to the taste and grAiT,..ill
tion of the town. It leaves Performers to his mercy, ar-'`li,l -.•• ,
the case of the present. Patentee, it has the effect of han.-1,-.1 • ;
bug from the Irish Stage these Irish authors, who, for
the
vious causes, would 'rather try their fortune, at least 0 ~, t'l',,,.
'first instance, before.a tribunal of their countrymen,
.seek an audience among strangers. ' '
For these and other reasons set forth in a Report, Psssie
at the General Meeting, and which we have the baarte
herewith to present, We hanobly pray, that your Excelle-„ • '
will take into your- serious cons;cimation the propriety -
granting to a fit and ostensible person, to be selected by Y°L'ai
Excellency, a Patent for a second Tiicirre, in the CitY -
19ublin, which will prevent theflublie rights iron) tel cool:
promised—will place on a fair aid inipaitiut basis
courageusent of dramatic writers, and cause the servicAe.,,,
Actors to be reasonably remunerated, and their indepez?ue
preserved. .
Oil
The: followinc, Resolution was tinauja“)
b
-agreed to ;•—• ' , il nt '
That the Memorial- to his Excellency the Lord Liell•,e„Hci-
of Ireland (now read) be adopted as the Memorial of t''` •
tizens of Dublin, friends of the Drama.
I ''''
The following Resolutions were then pasiet,:ike
Resolved Unanimotisly—That the Committee do ::0. -
charge of the Memorial for the purpose of o Ina; !jilt.; •!'",,,411-
tures, and when ready for presentation, that they bc „14
powered to call another General Meeting for the' pull' -
appointing a Deputation to accomptiny f t bis
Resolved Unanimously—That the grateful "Thanks 0. ~ifij
Meeting' are given to Mr: Arthur Morrison, for his : t..
ace° nissodation of his Room, I •tl • • I the former )le'''
for )1S and the 03,1
in Resolved—That the Thanks of this Meeting be giveg-the
the Committee, for their able and zealous discharge of
'''
duties confided to them.
Mr. SUTTER was then called to the Chair, "d
a Vote\of Thanks was passed by acclattlati" to.
•
Counsellor Creighton,' who was appointed a Men'r
ber of the Committee' in the room of Counsen'l
Phillips.
The Meeting then adjourned.. •

From the LONDON GAZETTE, FEB. 11;

On the 19th inst. the Prince Regent appointed Ilio n
nod
George Aiweece Sheriff of, the Counties .of Cambridg:
svas
Huptingdon. The same day the Marquis of 11.1)0,0:wig'
elected a Knight of the Garter, and invested witl,„-„tbaca
nia of the order by the Prince Regent; and Lord til:3—c PA.
was sworn in as Lord-Licotenant of Bedfordshire. sir Lc,
Pole, Sir P. F. Fremantle, and Sir G. Cockburn; haccpc
dominated Knights Grand Crosses of the Bath.

. Crown-Office, Feb. 2L.
Met,rnber returned to serve in this present Parliatuent!th,
Borough of Plymouth.—Sir %Vm. Congreve, Bart.
room of the Right Hon. Siillenjainin.Blootofield, who 11'
cepted the office of Keeper of his Majesty's Privy Purse'

• Norther), Circuit,
Sir Richard Richards, 'Cut. Arid Mr. Justice Bailey.'
City of York, and county of the same Clty—,:iatuiPr
March 7 at the Guildhall of the said City. .
Yorkshire—The same slay, at the Castle of York.
Lancashire--Saturday, March 21, at tire Castle .of Lair
caster.

• •
BANKRUPTS.
'l'. Saint, jun. St. Philip and Jacob, ,Glortce stershitekr;
spanritn er,
Inn,M airlcrlitst3ol. Attorney,
,4, atid
Mr. x seie
pr at te, art. tZt•,, 1.401,
Fleet-street.
P. Andras, .Melcomb Regis, Dorsetshire, milliner,
Nrorch
•-
16, 17, and April 4,,at twelve, at the Three Col's
Bath. Attornies, Messrs. Max, Son, and Steppe's
Doughty-street. •
„
W. Bush, Saffron Walden, Essex, cat:penter, ke"..aie'll •
March 7, and April 4, at twelve, at !-.3itildhall. Alt
J~pr~
Messrs, Grimaldi and Stables, Copthall.cotlrt, Throg
tun-street.
f-0
L. Wellman, Liverpool, com Mon brewer, March 11, 1-••
i
April I. at th b
, at one, e .Geor,,e Inn Liverpool. •
Attoffi "
Mr. Chester, Staple-Inn..
h
J. Page, Bermondsey-street, Southwark, grocer, . ° ;Jr.
3, 14, and April 4, at ten, at Guildhall. Attorney, - •
Buckle, Size-lane.
J. Younge and J. Deakin, Sheffield, button-manufacture:4l,
March 3,4, and April 4, at twelve, at the Comiherciae
cit
Sheffield. Attornies, Messrs. Stocker,. Dawson, 011 A-
ringham, Finn' val's Inn. -
A :it
J. Baker, -Bath, tailor, Feb. 27, March 5, and APr"l4ll-
twelve, at the Full Moon Inn, Bath. Attorney, 111.•
moor, Scott's-yard.
F. H. Ronalds and J. Singleton, Foster-lane, Cheal)sicc,
warehousemen, Feb. 28, March 14, and April 4, at W.f.
at Guildhall. Attorney, Mr. Phipps, Basing
G. Bone, Webb's County Terrace, Kent-road, mercPao:ti%all•
24, at eleven, March 7, and April 4, at ten, at G• 0-
Attorney, Mr. Holt, Threadueedle-street. 004
J. A. Brush, Liverpool, Merchant, March 9, ID, at 00e,',Jor-
April 4, at four, at the King's Arms, Liverpool.
,‘,l„gs•
nies, Messrs; Lowe and -flower, Southampton-1'1;1i- •
• Chancery-lane,
,f •ch 9*
C. Eardley, Stockport, Cheshire, cotton-spinner, ,ter..
14, and April 4, at. ten, at the Albion Hotel, Matica'
Attornies, Messrs. Milne and Parry, Temple. • at
T. Palbster, York, corner, March 5,• April 4r
eleven, at the .house of Mr. Baynes, Petergate, 1r
Attornies, Messrs. Cardale and Young, Gray's. Inn. A
J. Hawes, Ipswieb, pawnbroker, March 6, 27, and April 41
eleven, at the White. Hart Inn, Woodbridge, Suffolk.
tornies, Messrs. Baster-and BoWker, Furnivai's Inn. ,11
W. Rigby, Liverpool, corn-factor; March 10, 19, anil•A%,
4, at one, at the George Inn,-Liverpool. Attornies
_ .Clarke, Richards, and Medcall, Chancery-lane. ,
C. Brown, Jetfry's Terrace, Kentish Town,. jeweller, FO' '
•
March 7, and April 4, at twelve, at Guildhall. At,tol:"
Mr. Uranium, Tavislock-row, Covent-garden. tar
J. Hill, Baldwin-street, Bristol, ironmonger, March '.stot'
and April 4. at twelve, at the Commercial Rooms, o,,r'iore
Attorney, Mr. E. Bigg, Southampton Buildings,
cosy-lane.

[Dividends, Tu-morrow.]

BIRTHS. 1,41
On the 14th instant, at Avoch-house, Ross-shire, the .
of Sir Alexander Mackenzie, of a son and heir.
aiider
On the 12th nit. at Naples, the consort of the Comm—
in-Chief, Prince Nugent, of a slaughter. • , 0
Right
0'
On the Mb ult. at the Island of Madeira, the Rig-
Lady Elizabeth Percival, of a daughter.
__..----.'r-'''.