Star.
London, England, 1801-12-24 00:00:00

The Lott) exituemott Paid, that, Wilier lOC
eircumflances of the cafe, he thould certainly hear
whatever Mr. Sheridan had to fay upon the fubjat,
W. Heit.t./irio then reqttefted his Lordthip'S in.
dolgence for a few obfervations. It had been
flitted by Mr. Sheridan, that he had expended
140,0001. upon an eftimate of 75,0001. in conle-
quence of which great dares had fallen upon the
Theatre. This he had felt very much : it was
not, however, actually the cafe. Mr. Sheridan
had fince withdrawn that ftatement, and did not
now attempt to deny that the eftimate was Bo,ocol.
and not mooch and that he expended under
75,0001. and not 140,0001. All. there premifes
being abandoned, he might .take the liberty to
conclude, that they were completely untenable.
The queftion had been farted, why was not the
whole Theatre finifhed with equal acclivity ? For
this two reafons had been Rated in his affidavit,
the one was cruelty towards the workmen em-
ployed, the other was a reflation upon the Pro-
prietors. He did not know who the Proprietors
were, although he bad been employed under them
for (even years. He did know, that according to'
the original agreement, and it was fo held out to
the workinen employed, that if the rum allotted
for building the Theatre was not fufficient, the
produce arifing from the Pale of fifteen private
bores was to be added to that fum.. So it flood
in his propofal, and fo it was agreed upon. What
alteration had fume been made he knee, riot, but •
he had all along a confidence in Mr. Sheridan,
that That agreement would be adhered to. Under
this imprellion, and with this confidence, bin-elf
and the workmen worked early and late: they did
every thing in their power to render the Theatre
in a fit Rate to be opened for reprefentation, and
no delay whatever could be imputed to them.—
Mr. Sheridan would furely give him credit for this.
By means of the greateft•exertion,theTheatre was
made ready for reprefentation in the month of Fe.
brnary, of which circntrillance he gave notice to
the Solicitor of the Theatre, and to Mr. Sheridan.
He. left it in that Rate in which it might be tided
for thofe objals for which it was intended. Mr.
Sheridan then reprefented that the nightly re-
ceipts would (non overbalance, from the capacity
of the Theatre, any additional expence which
might have been incurred in crating and finithin.g
it. The event certaialyproved this to be true,for in
the year 1796, as was proved by a paper which he
held in his hand, containing a return of tht Trea.
fiirer upon that occafion, the houfe held near 9001.
If this was certain, that the receipts of the Thea-
tre overbalanced the additional expenses atten-
dant upon the extraordinary expedition with which
it was erected and &lifted, then they were entitled
to be paid with promptitude, that fair remunera-
tion to which they were juftly entitled. Inftead of
this, their accounts were not fettled, nor everfince
ap to the percent moment had been fettled. The
workmen have been promifed from time to time,
and from day to day, but had never been paid ;
until at length, tired out by repeated promifes,
which were as repeatedly broken, they refufed to
go on any longer, and this was the reafon why
the Theatre was not completely finifhed. He
kpew, at the fame time, that 36,0001. had been re-
ceived from the produce of the private boxes, which
..remained unaccounted for. There was another
circumnance which he wifhed to advert to. A gen-
tleman had (worn, and he thought a little ftoutly,
that the Duke of Bedford would not grant a leafe
till the Out-buildings were completed 1--but it
appeared to him, from all that he knew upon
the fubjat, that the Out-buildings) could not be
completed till a leafe was granted. And it fhould
be recollected, that if thefe out-buildings were to
be lubjaled, along with the Theatre itfelf, to the
rent of 20001. it could never be certain how far
they might be liable for that rent, as, if the Duke
of Bedford could not find hit rent in the Theatre,
he might find it in fome of thefe out-buildings.
One of thefe buildings Was intended to be a tavern,
but it was not to be fuppofed that that, or any of
the other buildings, could be let to any advantage
undet fuch circumftances. From the outfide of
the Theatre, however, he mutt now, according to
the Affidavits, go within fide and here the Affida-
vits had hated, that the inede was a mere fell.
Mr. Sheridan had hated, that an excels of debt, to
a confiderable amount, had been incurred, arifing
from the large fume expended to make the Theatre
fit for reprefentation. A perfon of the name of
Jacob-, a little carpenter, employed in various
odd jobs about the Theatre, had Rated in his Af-
fidavit that a conliderable Turn had been expended,
but he knew that the price of a pot of porter was
to Jacobs a confiderable fum, and how was be to
know from this, how much had been expended ?
&fides which, Jacobs had never been employed in
any work upon which a confiderable (tun could be
ezrnded. The fad was, that the labour of the
workmen within the Theatre had been fufpended
in conkquence of the bad credit of the Trullees
and holm ictors. When dude conliderable fume,
however, were inveftigated, they became very ma-
lei ially reduced, there appeared a hill of the little
carpenter, Jacobs, fur 1661 and another of Mr.
Fo&rook for 46rd. t6s. 3d. but no confiderable
funs were to be dilcovercd, nor was any work to
be found, or even heard of, correfponding to fuch
a ilaten:ent.—Ti- ere was indeed an expenceof7ool.
or ;tool. for a carpenter's (hop. It bad been a ma-
terial objat to render the Theatre incombuflible,
, and if the dire of Lord Stanhope and Mr.
I Harley bad been followed, it might have been ren-
dered fo. But thole diralions not having been fol-
lowed, the Fire•offices wouhl not infure theTheatre
under a very high premium, which they hill fur-
ther increafed on account of the carpenter's Chop,
wliirli it was fnpprfed by them,added very greatly
to the danger of the Theatre. It was found th it
the dcfirtalion of the carpenter's fhop would Pave
4001. per annum, in premiums; accordingly, in
confeouence of this the carpenter's (hop was de-
firti ed. This wis done without his knowledge.
Ile had ,:ate.! he knew upon the filbje.4 of the
building t Thcatre; he contended, that it was
fib :.; ~,111:1 as :o le: fit for every purpofe for
niaeli it had liven tiled before. It was the misfor-
tore of this'l'l..,the, that the original plan upon
ehieli `t was 11:•VC been eroded, had not been
toilowi.si up; for 1144 tliat ckaleciat phut Imen fo/-

r !Owed vp by all parties, the fubfequeot ernbartaff-
Meats would not has: arifen, nor would any occa-
Ann have been given for thole proceedings which
' were now before the Court. Suppofe the ground
around the Theatre had been let .upon
Butldinß-
leafes, he confidered that it would have produced
5001. per annum. Hi had thought of this, and
had fpoken to fevers`. perfons upon the f..bjee.
He did not like to hate his opinion, but he had
often refleeed, in his own mind, nn the lnfs the
Theatre had fuftained by fuffering this ground to
remain unoccupied, and producing nothing, and
he was convinced that Ws was not fo little as
to,oool. It teemed that Mr. Fofbrook now tom.
plained of the want of a Box-Office. The honk,
however, which he now occupied, had been mi..
ginally fitted up for him as a box-office, and with
that he always expreffed himfelf perfectly fatisfied.
He did not know who were the Proprietors of
the' Theatre ; but when affertions were made,
involving his charadter, he felt himfelf called
upon to contradict them. But, unfortunately
for him, theft Proprietors had employed learned
Connie], by whom affertions were made in a lan-
guage which he could not underhand, or elle he
would have anfwered them more fully. There
was one point more which he wi(hed to take notice
of :—A contra had been mentioned, or a tome.
thing which he was fuppofed to have made. When
he was &It called upon, relative to re-building
-theThearre, Mr. Sheridan wanted a plan ; he made
out a fummary. Mr. Sheridan wifhed to know the
expence t it was well known, that in works of
magnitude, it was .very ufual to form an efiimate
according to the great fquare ; and, according to
this method of eflirnation, he . made a rough elli-
mate. The fum of 80,0001. was held out to the
Subfcribers, as the fum for which the Whole would
be completed. He faid, he was willing to under-
take it for that fun), but no contra& was drawn
up, nor was any regular eflimate made. The
Solicitor made out a contract with the workmen,
to do fo much work for fo much money.; they
were to receive certificates from him 'of the work
performed, to entitle them to receive the flipulated
compenfations fos fo much work. Thole certifi-
cates he had regularly given, and the fums paid
upon them would be found to he in the total amount
as he had flared the expenditure to have been.
Many other circumflances had come to his know-
ledge that he could explain, but he would forbear,
as he did not with to be irrelevant.

Mr. SHERIDAN then addreffed the Court, and
began nearly as fiillows :—My Lord, having linen-
ed with patience to every gentleman %silo has
fpoke ; having afforded every facility in my power
to the confideration, of every claim which has been
prefented, I hope the time is now come when I
may Rand forth in my defence, and communicate
to your LoialfhigTairly and fully all the informa-
tion of whicb I am mailer. After what has been
laid by the Solicitor General, I troll, that in plead-
ing my own caufe, t will not be thought guilty of
prefumption. I have no dilirufi either in the abi-
lities or zeal of my Counfel. I have never been
able to furnifh them with a complete brief, and
upon fuch a fubjeCt I mutt neceffarily be better ac-
quainted. Above all, this is a queftion of charac-
ter as much as of property, or rather charafter is
the chief property at flake. In my own vindica-
tion I fhall (peak with greater feeling, and I truft
heard with equal refpedl. The Gentleman on my
left hand (Mr. Holland) who has on this occafion
proceeded againit me with fucb marked hoftility,
is greatly miflaken if he thinks I will have recourfe
to the tricks of logic, or the flowers of eloquence.
I hope your Lordthip gives me credit for too much
refpeft for the Court to wafte its time in vain de-
clamation, and too much regard for myfelf by
thus trying to blind the penetration of the Judge
tp betray a confcioufnefs of guilt. I than confine
myfelf to proofs, and thefe proofs I hold in my
hand. Thefe will be fufficient to juftify use in the
mind of your Lordfhip, which is at once large and
enlightened, unfophiflicated and fimple. Upon
the opinion which (hall be formed in your Lord-
thip's mind upon a confederation of -dick docu-
ments, I am contented to reft all my pretenfions
to public tharaeler, and to private honour.
Your Lordfhip juftly expreffeil an anxious with
to know who were the. proprietors. This mull
certainly be afcertained before judgment can be
pronounced; and I therefor,: (hall proieed to (hew
that Mr. Grubb is not to be included in the num-
ber. I hope Mr. Mansfield will not imagine that
in doing this I will to recede from the ternis of
fettlement I have offered. If I rightly underflocd
what fell from your Lordfhip on a former day,
the parties are not precluded from taking a gene-
ral view of the whole cafe ; and I mutt that,
though fome things I may advance Mould not at
Ara fight appear to bear upon the points at Ale,
I than have credit for not wilfully introducing
irrelevant matter. Mr. Grubb's cafe has been
ably, though not briefly-fupported by the Learn-
ed Gentleman on my right. He undertakes to
prove, notwiddlanding his want 'of accefs to the
original deeds, that Mr. Grubb has an undoubted
title to a (hare in the property. 1 believe in the
opinion of every one who heard him he failed in
this undertaking. In the first affidavit he referred
to, Mr. Grubb fwears that he had purchased
a feventh part of the Theatre, and that a memo-
random of the bargain being drawn up by Mr.
01a:titian was figned Richard Brinfley Sheridan.
One would have furpofed that this paper would
have been produced. This faCt being denied in
his fecond affidavit, he fwears that it was dra Nis
up by Mr. Richardron, and-not figned at all, the
initials being merely added by Mr. Richardfim.-
-Ht then twears that the profits of the feventh
amount to an immenfe funs in a few of the wort
years that could occur. According to the Aida.
vit of a gentleman, ma much inclined to favour
my fide of the quefiioa, 16,c001. was necefiary to
complete the Theatre ; going into a new houfc,
we were without a fcene—our wardrobe was
empty, and• our expellees enormous in every de-
pai
tm,:nr. If we aEtcd Harder or airTkrs, we
might almoft as well have got up a new parto-
mime. Yet this feventh, of which I matte him a I
point, is fappofed to entide him in three or fon:-
fuch years, to a dividend of to,ccQl. For the vtry
Aare which Mr. Grubb luppolcs Lind-elf ta hav'e

msrchafed for 5,c,c:01. I taft,i'el
therefore would reprelent that, th nrga Ilit j t' Peen him but a vet y few tires, I Iva, ft, fo,:,:`;.
i';
with Lis phygingti.tell fi
nity, I ter in lovv with
eharaifter, I was lo taken with tha•
in birth, which he has inlttn&ed his Counfdto i- kitte to me, that I infifted upon him tteeptiovnig
leventh part of' my property. Ile has a 0)
defctibe Inc• as carelefs, but not as :I 111.tj 171--;
The Itory carries, internal evidence it.
labTn have accepted loch a !tsars inr
•,i, runti .
ration, would have been fansething onofe think 14.
folly with which lam charged.--[it nom o-4,
produced by Mr, Grubb 's Solicitor a. a cipy
this agreemcnt.]—Tili paper is not: called calf
a copy, but if it Cut a ha.i tigure its an
it cuts a worfe as a copy. It is f::ratched, blo,tee
and interlined. This might be thavxi:tt•Lit a fiefi
drawght, but would not a chid be and (tee
from etamonth furcs ?
olt is likes ire ti•tli,tut date of da
k, . r year ! Grubb Avears that
Mr. Sheridan mutt have the .iris-in.::. So lit
mould repreleat me as Co ter. ified iv:i he Ihoold
get of front keeping the •prefent of this fhare of
My property, fo apprehenfire kit I Ihould be
obliged to take hack what I had given, that I was
determinedao pin Mtn down, and that I kept the
original of the agreement, while poor Mr. Gruhh,
indifferent Of what became of it, tamely allowed
ftic to carry it :twig,. The agrectmatt of the t9tli
September is the only bond of conaaelha betwc:a
ns. That wit drawn-up in hli•. Grohlr's hour: in
Lincoln's Inn-field., is dated two o'clock, was
figned by Mr. Richardfon, Mr. Gmbh, and my_
MS; and is :incited by two witn.As, Mr, peaks and
Mr. Woodrolle three copies of it were made out,
, and feverally executed. A 5 I was then going out
of town I granted the two a pnwer to nt,„ae
the Theatre, and provided they bought up the
!hares which remained unlidd, they trete to hart
one-feventh of the clear !Naas. By forfeiting
the fum of tool. and' giving fix months notice,
it was competent to any of us to ei;tfolte the
partnerfltip. The connenion wis found mutt'-
, ally slifadvantageous, and a me.;ting was held to
put an end to it. It was here Cued that Mr.
Grubb's interell depended folely upon 1:1e Aqrce-
ment of the istrli September. Let Mr. Grua; file
his bill. I !hall hare no objetTon to aufwer to
intetrOgatories to-morrow. An arbitration was
then agreed on. • I chose Mr. Bigot ; Mr. Grubb
Mr. Conlt ; and Mr. Rich:it-droll Mr. Morris; the
award of thee gentlemen wars to he final. This
agreement was drawn up, and figned by all the
three. Mr. Grubb afterwards denied that he had
figned any agreement on the 19!11 of Septem'aer,
and refolutery pet-titled in this till a cc,py nf it wai
(hewn hint. I impute nothing to hint ailltoroura-
ble ; I have not a doubt that -Lc had forrtot it, hut
I am a little furprized that after he baet,),,,,, his
memory to be fo frail, he fhould venture two years
longer after the time to fwcar to the esitience of
a memorandum againft all improbablity, and his
account of which he is obliged In materially to vary.
A cautious man would have catechized his own
mind, and raid to Itimfelf, fince I have once erred,
I will not at this dillance of time fwear cunceinicg
a paper which I cannot produce.
„M-r. WooDROFWE faid, Mr. Grubb had been
greatly allonifhed when he law the agreement of
tion of it.
September, and at that time had loft all rccollcc.

After a few more obfervations upon this topie,
Mr. Sheridan continued : In the deed of 1798,
Mehl. Sheridan, Grubb and Riehardfon are call-
ed the fole proprietors of the ultimate property a
Drurylane Theatre ; the patent, the buildings,
and the moveables.—Here is an admitlion, no
doubt, as the learned Gentleman tai but there is
little circumliance which he choie entirely to
overlook, and which will be found to make ionic
alttration in the cafe. I refolutely refilled to fign
the deed till this memorandum had been added—
" It Is farther agreed, and hereby declared, that
nothing in this deed •(hall prejudice the red!fito
right of R. B. Sheridan to the property cl Drury-
lane Theatre, &c." As Ido not vlb now to fay
any thing againti the trances, 1 shall not (late ued:r
what eircumitances I figned the deed ; but prelfed
as I was, I infitted upon Mr. Grubb making a
complete renunciation of his claims. To prove
(till farther that he Lad a right only to a per cm-
cage on the profits, and not to a !;tare in tl e
property ; in that very deed "of t 7911, reference
is made to the rights, interefts, &c. of the p=--
ties as they were fettled in September.—Shall
then a memorandum which cannot be prodaczer
which has been twice renounced, and ab. r.
which there has been Inch contratliclory fwearir•g•
be fet up againa the agreement of September, of
which three copies are extant, kneel by all the
parties, and attested by two witnesses, one of whom
as Mr. Grubb's solicitor ?

M tch flrefs was laid upon the Bills of Exchange.
As Mr.Gruhh WAS/ partner, it was not always easy
to make a diainition between the partnership and
the Proptictory. The order were generally
given, the accounts drawn up, and the tradeimen's
Salt made out in the name of Mctlis. Sheridan,
Grubb and Richardlon. But whenever it has
come to a deed, I defy Mr. Grubb to f!:cw one
tingle inflance whet e I have tit tntert J a 4WW.I
agaitill his pi eteniions. No fir, ni,cr ittllance as
be given than in the CAC: or ln th
for granting ibis GentLman ;In &not -:y, .It.
Grtthb is (bled a partner, ar itor a popr;ettr.—
Mr. GiuLb earnelliy iii.ted to hticinnte trtaltuer
he had views pr, bably to tl.e office cf nit:it:Tett
his theatrical race aa. r., a t cat, that I
thought of goin upon tl,:t
cited me, I Paid z coulo! net part with M. Weil•
ley, who had been near 3o year! in the Ibeater,
berldes pie ii.t;n,,T in the Theltre, had rranag•
cal my private air:tilt %title th•: leiity.--
Betides, he had two yeats of his engagouent to
run. I therefore ituitted that he fliould have for
theft: two years his full ialai yof 55c1. and th he
should aftet ward,. have 2 so]. a j..ar It)
and the ;lune Cum to his wife. Mr. G: al,t) eon-
fmted. and a deed was tent to hint I .;
the annuities, which had firit ban 1) :•
kithardian anti myreli. 'flits det,l ;
his pucker, and would never :ac
gar e.. 1 ercrl rcruimitlan.:c, AL;.!