Star.
London, England, 1828-11-07 00:00:00

DRURY-LANE THEATRE.

Last evening, Mr. LIS EON commenced his engage-
meat at this Theatre for the present season, as So/us,
in the Comedy of Every (hie has his Fault. He looked
tind played with his usual drollery, and, if possible, se:th
more than ordinary care and attention. His aspirations
alter the felicities of a married hi- contra ted finely
with the doubt and hesitation which the little aw kward-
ness ftnin time to time occurring between the wedded
portion of the dramatis persona appeared to occasion
in his mind on the subject. kis impossible to conceive any
thing more ludictous than the process by which barns
represents the old hachelor as screwing hi; courage up to'
the perpetration of matrimony. JoNt.a%bir Rohn t Hamble
is an admitable p ece of acting—the atone feeling of
the part, concealed under the mask of fashionab'e
beat tlessness and indifference, was very happily conveyed
by the performer. Mr. FA RIME was the Harmony of the
piece, and scattered oil on the troubled ways: ate and
him with very excellent effect ; it was a delightful per-
formance. The Placid c f Mr. %towns was com-
mendably henpecked and insignificant. Lord !garland
is a disagroc.ble character, and it was disagreeably
played by Mr.YouNos. COOPER'S part, that of Captain
Irwin, is one requiring guest delicacy and foibeatance
in the performer ; it, was done full justice to last night.
After all, it is a character alike distressing to the feelings
vif actor and audience ; and we confess that the better and
more naturally such things are played the less we like
them. Another part w hich harrows up the feelings too
much is that of Lady Pleanor Irwin.which was alloitedto
Mrs. FAUCIT, and personated by her with much dis-
cretion. Placid's wife is one of those stage shrews in
the perform-me of which Mrs. DAVISON is generally
extremely happy. Her acting yesterday evening did
not derogate Runt her previously acquired reputation
in this way. Tf.e old maid of Mrs. C. JONES was,
bating a little coarseness, very fair. Miss E. 'lnas
play e.l delightfully as the deserted wife of the volatle
Thimble. ...this young actress is nightly maiming in
excellence, and grows proportionably in favour with
the audience.
On the whole the comedy was very well and strongly
cast. All the performers, from Livros downward, to
little Miss WILMOT (whose personation of the trilling
part of Edward was excellent). exerted themselves to
the utmost. Nevertheless tlw piece, which, with many
capital strokes of nature and character, is, taking it al-
together, too lugubrious for a comedy, went off rather
heavily.

We learn by a letter from Messina, of the 15th ult.
that the Christina, &diets frigate, arrived there from
a cruise, with a small Tripolitan schooner, on the 9th
• inst.; and the Isabella frigate, on the 10th, also with
small Triplitan privateer. The Sirene frigate arlivei
from a. <rvise on the llth.
Ttle,Valere PARR.—A number of carpenters have
beene.tetied since Tuesday in erecting • high paling,
;Morn e Basin in the Park, to prevent the men who
are Clearing itef the mud from being obstructed in their
labour by the public. Already several hundred loads f
mud have been carried out of the reservoir, into an in.
closed area, contiguous to the south east the of the
Basin, where it had been deposited in large heaps, bin
an immense quantity still remains to be removed. The
gravel walks within the paling are now inaccessible to
the pulite, and will remain so until the Basin is quite
cleared and the improvements completed. Among the
latter? there is a banOsonie iron railing to be erected on
the verge of the Reservoir, to prevent accidents, as the
water_will buoy considerable depth; and as the gravel
walkaatf feemented by the children of respect
able families in the steighbourbood, they would, with-
out such protection, be constantly exposed to danger.
The "my works will be considerably improved, and
the eetaptso4.which will supply the Reservoir pith water
Null in fume be a more striltios and inspasistabint
'shin it was forma ly•

(101.1 t C OP CO.kINION COUNCIL.

Yesterday a Court hi Common Cerhncil was held, for
t' e purpose of t 'king into consideration theitepott upon
the subject 1,1 the Office of

SECONDARY.
Vona the motion that the Report piesented on the
last Court day be agreed to,
Mr. LEGG moveJ an Amendment, that the olEce`of
Secondary be nut sold.
Mr. STEVENS supported the Amendment; as did alio
Mr. G.4110a ay, Mr. flichnrd 'rapier, and ?Ir. Faye!).
Mr. RICHARDSON, of Cripplegate, said, he thought
the o►Ylce might be sold, as al:ether k was sold or given
to some influential beggar, it could be subjected to die
same regulations. 1-le understood that if they would
give the appointment rf the Sherid's to Government,
Government were willing to pay all the costs of the:
prisons of the metropolis, which responsibility would:
save the City 20,000!. a year—a matter of such para.
mount importAnce, that whatever might be the oppo-
sition he should experience, he certainly would bring it
forward upon a future day.
An aJjournment of the question was then moved, but it was lost
by 81 to Js—Majority 16.
The Amendment, that the office should not be sold, was then
carried by a very large majority.
The LORD MAYOR Elect mentioned to the Court, on
behalf of himself and the Sheriffs, that he had a request
which he hoped would be complied with. They had
found it impossible to accommodate the number of
friends they wished to invite, and they therefore hoped
that the &dugs up of Guildhall would be allowed to
remain for some days, in order to afford time for a
second entertainment.

A motion to this effect was then put, and carried by
Acclamation. Adjourned.

THE COAL TRADE.

Yesterday Mr. Hone and Sir Wm. De Crespigny weir
occupied at Union-hall in hearing informations against
persons belonging to the Coal Trade. The first itif
mation was against Mr. Humphries, a coal merchant,
residing in Christ Church, Surrey, who was charged
with giving one of the labouring coal•meters 12s. by
way of a fee for yielding to certain irregularities in the
measurement of coals.

John Stayers, a labewing coal-mater, stated, that on
Monday, ch. 30. h of September, he was at th.• J smaica
Wharf, and raw the defendant there, who put 12-. into
his hand for yielding to different irregularities that had
occurred at the wharf in the course of the work. After
having received the money. the witness carried it to Mr.
Turquand, the principal me:er, and mentinned to him
what purpose it was presented t • him by the defend-
ant. When the defendant gave the mot.ey he remarked,
" I give you this for Mr. Hale's ,A ark." The money
was given to him on M inday the 30th of September.
—Ott referring to Cie Almanack, Mr. THLSSIGER dis-
covered that Monday was the 29th, instead tithe 30th,
as averred in the information, and the Magistrates dis-
missed the into: mation on the above ground.
Another information was then read, which charged
the defendant with giving Stayers a sovereign on the
10th of October, under circumstances similar to those
set forth in the foregoing informatiiin.
Stayers stated, that on the 10th of October he saw
the defendant at the Jamaica Wharf ; the defendant
slipped a sovereign into his hand, saying, " take that,
it's what I promised you for yourself." Witness subse-
quently gave the soyeresn to the principal coal meter,
who had previously given him directions to take what-
ever money was dieted to him.
Mr. Triissicaa cnntended that it was necessary to
prove the wiuue•s had been actually on duty at the
harf when he received the soveteign. Now it appeared
tiat he had suit superintended at that wharf since the
3d of October.

The Magistrates fired the defendant in the full pe.
halt) of 101. and costs. . _

The defendant', Counsel gave notice of appeal.
The next information was against Mr. Juhn Lovewell,
a coal dealer, for giving George Wilco:, a labouring
meter, the sum ol 2s; 6J. over and above the usual al-
lowance to p.rsons in his situation.
Wilco: stated that on the 4th of October he was sta.

tinned at Mr. Somerville's wharf, at Vauxhall, and in
the course of that day inspected a room of coals, which
was sold by the defendant to a tientleman. After the
nor k was done the defendant gave witness half-a-crown,
sal ing, " that is for waking a long five." A " long five,"
►was, the dealer taking some sacks out of the barge,
and sending the rest to the purchaser.
A Solicitor, who act nded for the defendant, stated
that the witness ought not to have accei ted the bribe ;
it was his duty, when offered to him, to have rejected
it, and then no offence would have been committed.—
In this instance the witness induces a party to commit
an offence, and then turns round up. n him.
Mr. HONE—It was at the suggestion of the principal
meter, the brit .e was taken by his servant, in order to
discover the impositions practised up( n the public.
The Magistrates fined the defendant 1.51. and costs,
which was paid, the defendant rennet king that he should
not appeal against the conviction.
Mr. Georg,. Manners, another coal-dealer, pleated
guilty to an it formation exhibited against him for a
similar offence, and was fined 51. and costs.

Yesterday evening an Inquest was held at the Tik
umphant Chariot, Pembroke Mews, Grosvenor-place,
on the body of Elizabeth Ann Cature, aged 73. The
deceased resided in Park-stieet, Grosvenor-square; she
WAS in the act 1f stooping near the tile, when her clothe,
caught fire, arid she was so dreadfully burnt that she
died soon afterward;. Verdict--Acciaiental Death:

COACH ACCIDENT.—About hall•patt seven o'clock nn
nigl.t, the Fakenham coach, 41 Regulator,"
was overturned near Stansread, in E.sex, on its toad to
town. There were twelve outside and four inside pas-
seizers, neither of whom received any serious injury.
The r ins, it is said, broke, and the horses nut being
under command, drew the coach iato one of the road
side ditches, and, fortunately for those whose limbs aid
lives were concerned, it fell upon a soft green sward
which was beyond it.