Star.
London, England, 1819-06-07 00:00:00

DRURY-LANE THEAME.

Satttrday a general meeting of the Proprietors
of this Theatre was held in the Saloon.

J. CALCRAFT, Esq. M.P. took the Chair at a quar-
ter before two o'clock. The Honourable Gentleman
commenced by observing, that he was ignorant of
the particular objects of the meeting, but •whatevee
they were, he would discharge his duty to the hest
of his power. He hoped that, whatever variety of
opinion might prevail, every gentleman would be al-
lowed a fair and impartial hearing.
Mr. WARD, the Secretary, proceeded to read the
Report of the Sub-Committee, as sent in and quoted
by the General Committee. The Sub-Committee
expressed their regret at being obliged to state, that
this season had terminated as the previous one had
done, by adding to the debt of the property. They
did not mean to shrink from the responsibility of the
measures adopted by them, as, however unsuccessful,
their efforts had been used to promote the interests
of the establishment. The experiment of reducing
the price of admission had totally failed, but it was
expected that the plan of raising the price, recently
adopted, would be productive of profit, the number
of persons visiting the Theatre being in both instances
the same. The. Sub-Committee were of opinion that
the publication of the financial state of the Theatre,
and the observations made upon the talents of the
performers, tended to lower it in public estimation.
Having found that the expenditure of the Theatre
exceeded the receipts, the Committee would have
proposed its being closed, were it not for the pro-
posal of Mr. Ironmonger to advance a sum sufficient
to pay the contrast debts, at the rate of 6s. Bd. in
the pound. This proposal had, however, been with-
drawn, on the ground that the proposed security
was not, in the opinion of Mr. Ironmonger's legal ad-
viser, sufficient to secure an advance of £12,000.

A letter from Mr. IRONMONGER, one of the Sub-
Committee, was next read. It stated that that gen-
tlenidn had withdrawn his proposal of advancing
£12,000, not only on the ground of the security
being defective, but also from a knowledge that this
sum would be insufficient to answer the end in view.
Early next year there would be a debt of £10,340,
owing by the establishment, without any expectation
of being able to compromise with the creditors. He
was still anxious to follow up his offer, if any means
could be devised of effecting R practical relief.
Mr. WARD proceeded to read an account of the
revenue and expenditure of the last season, from
which it appeared, that tip to the sth of May, the
receipts were £35,996, and the expenditure £37,293
12s. making a deficiency of £1,297125. The debt last
year was £44,800 ; this year it was 90,9221. 7s. ltd.
But in the charge of this year there was a sum of
16,2281. for judgments entered up, orto persons whose
claims were in a train oflegal adjudication—this was
included in the whole debt. •

Mr. S. KEMILE said, that during the last season
the receipts had been sufficient to cover the current
expenditure of the Theatre ; with the debts otherwise
contracted he had nothing to do.
Mr. COCKER observed, that there had been an in-
crease of 6,0001. of debt this year, without any divi-
dend having been made.
Mr. ROBINS expressed his regret that Mr. Iron-
monger was not present. That gentleman had seen
the resolutions of the Committee, and might have
opposed them if he pleased. He (Mr. Ironmonger)
had made a magnificent offer, and it was eagerly ac-
cepted ; but he now withdrew it, on the ground that
there was an outstanding debt which he had not
foreseen. But that gentleman was fully acquainted
with the state of the Treasury, and must have known
of its debts, as well as of its means of meeting them.
This offer had injured the Proprietors, inasmuch as
it prevented them, in a great degree, from calling on
the Sub-Committee to make good their offer of ad-
vancing 3,000/. or 4,0001. each, to extricate the es-
tablishment from its difficulties. After some obser-
vations on the management of the Sub-Committee,
Mr. Robins observed, that the time was now come
to set their shoulders to the wheel, or else the estab-
lishment must sink altogether. Mr. Arnold had a
proposal in view, which was not yet fully digested;
the ground of it was, that if lie got the theatre, he
would require but a very small salary at first, but
that should increase with the increasing profits of
the House.
Mr. S. K ENI ELF: said he was authorised by Mr. Kean
to state, that he (Mr. Kean) would take the Theatre
at a rent of 80001. a-year. If this proposal were ac-
cepted, it would, he was sure, satisfy both the public
and the performers. He was not authorised to go
farther, but he was convinced that if Mr.. Kean were
allowed a lease of ten years, he would narrow the
star and bring forward the boxes, improvements
Which were very much wanting. He would. also de-
corate the Theatre in a proper manner.
Mr. PEARY expressed his approbation of the hand-
some offer of Mr. Kean : if there was any plan by
which the Establishment could be relieved from its
present difficulties, it was this. He (Mr. Perry had
five years ago opposed the proposition of Mr. Whit-
bread to let the Theatre, on the ground that a public
establishment of the kind ought not to be made sub-
servient to the views of any individual speculator;
and because he conceived that the arts would be
better protected and encouraged by adopting a pub-
lic spirited and general principle of management—
Experience had proved that he had been decived ;
and therefore be had felt it his duty openi to ac-
knowledge the error, and lament the disappointment.
(Hear, kettr.)—He should move, that it was the opt.
nion Of the Meeting the Subscribers ought to make
an advance of £lO on their shares, in otder that
the present incumbranccs might be cleared off ; that
for the sums so advanced there should be given such
:securities as the Es.tablihhment afforded ; and that
those advancos should be repaid before any divide:id
was made to the Proprietors.
Mr. ,ecoaded this Retolution.
Mr. S. ii%AIELE said, he had oinitt,i to ttim...ian,

'*fVt: •

~.:_ _

evite*talact t
.e promise" of- the aipport of the
hneatest Authors and Poets of the net, in the event of
is obtaining the Theatre.

Mr. UALCRAFT suggested the propriety of refer-
ring the trassissaddocements to a'Committee.
Mr. S. KEMBLE prei.Ted the necessity of comb* to
some reint!tion as soon as possible, otherwiie the
Theatre could not be opened in roper time. All the
actors were now discharged except those who were
under contracts. Decoration and painting would be
necessary before the. commencement of nest season.
To fill' up the Company and Prepare the House
would take some time, and therefore it was necessary
that a speedy determination should be come to.'
After a fe',V observations from Sir THOMAS Tuliroii.,;
Mr. PERRY submitted the followistg resolution :
" That a voluntary subscription should be entered into by
the Share-ho!dera, for the payment of the contract debts, isms
security being given that the New Renters, Pood.boldetzg, and
Proprietors should receire no dividend until the principal and
interest of this subscription were paid."
This Resolution was agreed to unanimously, and
ordered to he referred to a Comrnittee.--.-Upon the
Motion of Mr. ROBINS, It was also resolved,
" That a Committee beappointed reconsider and repoktepea
all domments produced, and to receive pesposals yr any pm". •
bition for conducting the Theatre."
The following were the names the Committee :
Lord Yarmeuth, Sir T. Tenon, Mr. CliCrln, Mr. Alderman
Wood, Mr. Grenfell, Mr. Robins, Ndr. Iltssier, Air. John
Mr. Perry, and Mr. Pallovvfiettl. To which the flob.Conur.ittee
wan added.

Mr. Rostra expressed a hope that this Resolution
would be published as widely as possible, and that
every facility would be given to those desirous of
making propositions to rent the Thentre—.-(ilen,
It was then resolved, that the Committee sou...
de die in diem, and that they should' Report their
ceedings en Saturday next, the I ttb. inst.
Sir T. TURTAN moved the Thanks of the 31keting
to Mr. CalcrAft, for his conduct in the Chair-

Mr. CALCRAPT, in returning his acknowledgments,
said it was the distressed state of the concern that had
induced him to come forward.

NAVAL INTET.LIGENCE.

Lsitnrotow, June B.—Arrived the Astell East-Indiaman, from
Bengal—sailed 23d January, in company tvith the Coldstream
and CoxvieU, for the Cape and London ; and the Lady Camp-
bell, MARQUIS, from Madras and London, and parted next day.
The Astell arrived at St. Helena 26th March, and sailed from
thence 3d April, in company with the Fairlie and tl-.0 Henry
Percher (those two ships have arrived in the Channel) ; left
there the Albania, from Cork ; and the Garland, &tows:, from
'the Cape. The AsteU sailed from Ascension Island Bth Aprils
!eft there his Majesty's ship Bison...La and a Russian frigate.—
Vessels spoken with by the Astell after leaving Bengal: the
Emma, Miecant, from Liverpool, April 13th, in lat. 5. 58.
long. 22. W. the Victoria, Dunnax, had also that morning spoken
the Atlas and Sreatharn East-India Company's ships, all well.
April 18, lat. 6. 15. long. 18. 42. John and William brig, frcm
Live pool for 'hellos Ayres ; April 29, lat. 5. 4. N. long. 23.
58. R . Marquis Wellington brig, from Liverrol ; May 17, L%
lat. 32. 45. N. long. 34. 24. the Comet, Phipps, of Hull, from
the South Seas, with 210 tons of oil, in want of fuel and pro-
visions, with which she was suppli2d by the Astel The James
Sibbald was at the Cape. and was to sail the 28d March. Rs
Majesty's ship PROVOS was expected to sail frnm St. Helena the
25th February. When the Astell sailed from St. Helena the
island was healthy, and Bonaparte well.
PORT/MC/VTR, Jeut 6.—Wind B. F.—Passed up Channel the
Paisley, Astell, Henry Percher, East Indianan, from Bengal,
and the Sovereign, East Indisman, from Calcutta. Came in
the Fanny trairspert, from Deptford; also arrived the Royal So-
vereign, Swap, from Fiume, with timber for the Dock-yard
left loading when she sailed the William, Britannia, Berwick,
Hawker nnd the Prince Regc-.t, all for this port.
Dons:, Jmus I.—Sailed this day the Lard Duncan packet,
Captai•i raseos, with a mail and passengers, alas the £klchester
packet, Captain 11•:rrns, and Cumberland, Captain fississorm,
for Calais, with passengers. Arrived this aftemoon. tke'Xir.g
George packet, Captain Kum, sad Le Desirf French padict,
from Calais, with passengers.
_ .

. -
Jcxx6.—t-Arrived this afternoon the Prince*, Clarhattepacket,
Captain Ilatzaztes, from Ostend, with a mail and pauengers.
MONITOO Bat' (Jamaica), Maims 2.5.—An Independent
cruizer has lately been on the coast of Cuba, but did not teniain
long. We have been very free from those manudery lately,
which is entirely to be attributed to the judicious manner in
which Sir Hosts bantam has stationed the vessels under his
command.

Last Thursday, after the Levee, the PRINCE RE-
GENT entertained a party of Naval Officers, viz.—
Sir G. CAMPBELL, Sir ISAAC COFFIN, Sir GEORGE
MARTIN, and Sir EDMUND NEAGLE ; with Sir G.
WooD, of the Artillery, Sir BENJAMIN BcoostriEt.o,
the Earl of FIFE, Mr. MANNERS, the Rev. J. BLOM-
BERG, Colonel THORNTON, and Mr. SUTTON.

Saturday afternoon the Astle Indiaman, Captain
CaccwELL, passed Portsmouth for the River, in com-
paay with the Fairlie and Porcher extra ships. The
Astle left the Hoogly on the 23d of January, in com-
pany with the Northampton, which ship she left at
St. Helena on the 3d of April last. By some passen-
gers which landed there, we hear that tranquillity
prevailed throughout India ; the measures and pre-
cautions of the Governor-General having had the
most decided effect on the turbulent spirit of the
Mahratta Chieftains, who are so closely watched by
onr troops, for whose maintenance they severally pay
heavy subsidies, that they will not again be able very
speedily to collect any large bodies of troops to dis-
turb their snore peaceable neighbours.
Lrraaaroax.—We are requested to state that The
Letters of an Qflker in the Army, to John Frederick
heifer, Es;'. will shortly be published, with nume-
rous documents of an intere.ting nature.
The landscape scenery around Carlisle
.pseseneed
rather a singular appearance on Sunday sVunight.
While the beautiful meadows which border' the
Rivers Eden, Caldew, and Petterel, exhibited their
“ green attire" in all its splendour, Sfriddaw and
the other distant mountains were clad In their winter
covering; and appeared hoary with snow.—thus as-
similating our Alpine scenes to the grand views :a
Switzerland, where these contrasts of colouring con-
tinue invariably the same.