Star.
London, England, 1829-09-21 00:00:00

r

THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL.

FOR THE EVENING STAR.
How strangely LAW and Goan. vary,
Let W higs and Jesuits attest,
When tyrants, to defend their aerie,
Find things in Scarid suit them best.

The Often's curse, with quenchless Mel,
We're told, falls heavily on liars;
law's curse, we know, falls worst, in sooth,
On those—wko dare to tell the truth I
PETER SCHLENIIHL.

London, September 18,1829.

COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE.

Public advertisements had announced, that a Meeting of the
Shareholders of Govent-garden Theatre would take place on Sa-
turday, at the saloon of that establishment. At two o'clock, about
fifteen of these individuals had assembled : one of them, named
Wallop, took the chair.
The CHAIRMAN observed, that this meeting had been con-
vened by an advertisement which he had issued for the pur-
pose of calling the attention of the shareholders to the state of
the Theatre, and of learning what course they intended to pur-
sue. He was himself a Shareholder, and was quite unconnected
with Meurs. Kemble, Willett, and Forbes, or with any other
person interested in the Theatre. He was, however, bound to say,
that directly after the decree which had been made in Chancery
a short time since, be had had every reason as a shareholder to be
pleased with the conduct of Mr. Charles Kemble, and he antici-
pated from it the most favourable results. In this trying crisis be
was happy to observe the cordiality which seemed to exist between
Mr. Kemble and the engaged performers of the theatre; and he
felt, in consequence, his confidence in that gentleman's exertions
considerably strengthened. The spirit of conciliation, the wish to
unite in the endeavour to rescue this theatre trout its difficulties,
seemed now to pervade the breast of every person, and all other
considerations appeared to give way to it. Under these circum-
stances he had thought it desirable that the shareholders should
have the opportunity of declaring what were their intentions, and
what the line of conduct they meant to pursue; and although this
meeting was small in the amount of its numbers, he trusted and be-
lieved it would do nothing to which the other shareholders would
not most readily assent. Having thus stated his object in
calling them together, he should listen with attention to any
proposition that might be made on the subject of their meeting.
Mr. G. Roams, after a delay of a few minutes, addressed the
meeting. He was not a shareholder, and had, therefore, waited for
some one who held that character to make some proposition to them;
but as nobody bad risen to do so, and as he, though not a share-
holder was the representative of some Gentlemen who were, he
would leave, on their behalf, and by their authority, to propose
some resolutions. The Gentlemen he represented were ready to
agree to any resolutions that this meeting might think proper to
adopt, in order to save this theatre from the necessity of remain -
ing closed during the ensuing season. Mr. Robins here went into
a statement of what had been dime a few years since, when the
Theatre Royal, Drury-lane, was in similar difficulties, and ob-
served that what he should now ask the shareholders of Covent-
garden to do, was less in amount of sacrifice, but he trusted it
would be found equally beneficial. At Drury-lane, the debts to
the shareholders amounted to 50,0001. and these they had entirely
given up; but all he would ask of the shareholders of Covent-
garden was to abstain from making any claims on their shares for
three years to come, aud to give up, for the next season, their
right to receive any dividend. They would be entitled to their
free admissions as usual ; but if they hoped to make their property
in the Theatre equal its nominal value, they must not press for
present satisfaction of their demands. He should therefore pro-
pose the following resolutions :—" That at a Meeting of the Share-
holders of the Theatre Royal, Covent-garden, held pursuant to
notice in the Saloon of the Theatre, on Saturday, the 19th of Sep-
tember, Mr. Wallop in the Chair, t was resolved that the Share-
holders present do agree for themselves, and earnestly recommend
to every other Shareholder, to adopt the following resolutions :
" 1. To relinquish all right to the payment of any dividend for
the ensuing season, as an encouragement to the performers to open
the theatre, and with a view to prospectively improving the best
interests of the shareholders.
" 2. That all arrears of annuities now doe to the shareholders
of the Theatre Royal, Covent.garden, be allowed to remain as a
debt upon the theatre, the payment Of which is postponed for the
period of three years from the present time, and without having
recourse to any legal proceedings."
These resolutions having been seconded,
Mr. Roentgen!, M.P. said, that before they were put, he wished
to know what was the proportion of the shareholders present to
the shareholders belonging to the Theatre. He saw that this
meeting, in point of numbers at least, was very thinly attended,
and he wished to know whether there was a sufficient value of
shares there represented to render it probable that what they did
would not prove unavailing, in the event of any opposition from
the absentees? The resolutions now proposed went to bind the
persons present to a certain line of conduct, which he did not think
they ought to pledge themselves to without having some reason to
be satisfied that if the absent shareholders should pursue an oppo-
site course, they would not be put in a worse situation than the
dissentients.
Mr. Rosins said that the objection was such as required an an-
swer, and he thought he could give it one that might prove lads.
factory. There were about 152 shareholders in this Theatre, of
which he believed fifty were now present, in person or by their re-
presentatives • and be could assure the Honourable Gentleman that
at many of de meetings of the Drury-lane shareholders there had
been a smaller proportion present, and yet the Resolutions agreed
to had never met with opposition from the absentees. The fact
was, that the plan he had proposed was the only OW by which
the interest of the shareholders could be rendered really valu-

able; and he should take care that those who were now absent
should be speedily apprised of what bad been done, and their
adoption of it requested, and their answers should be known
in a week or ten days, at which time another meeting
might take place, when the shareholders now present would
be able to learn with certainty whether what they proposed
could or could not be carried into full effect. The security against
any ill-natured creditor (if there was any such person) would be
complete ; for if the subscriptions went on, as he trusted they
would, the property now in the theatre would be transferred by a
bill of sale to the trustees of the subscribers, so that it would be
perfectly impossible for any such person, though he did not believe
such a person existed) to avail himself of any part of that property
in satisfaction of his debt. He might come into the house and
seise upon the bare walls ; but, as be could seize on nothing else,
it was not likely he would put himself to the trouble and expense
of issuing an execution, when he could gain no advantage by it.
Mr. Rosins*); expressed himself satisfied with this explanation,
and the resolutions were then put and carried without a dissentient.
Mr. Roars then read letters from two large shareholders, au-
thorizing him to agree on their part to any thing he might
think advisable for the benefit of all. He afterwards adverted
to the subscription list, which, he said, was not what he ex-
pected to have seen it, so far, at least, as the subscriptions of
the Nobility went ; but he trusted that when the present Don-
caster 'Races, which had engaged so much of their attention
were over, and they returned to town, they would poor in their
subscriptions, so as to enable the theatre to open concurrently
with Drury-lane. He added, that the Duke of Devonshire, Earl
Spencer, and Lord Kenyon, had already subscribed; and that Mr.
Soane, who was so closely connected with the rival theatre had
generously made them a present of £lOO, and had subscribed as a
loan the sum of £2oo—(Cheers). He wished again to remind the
holders of private boxes, that their property would be of no value
if the Theatre did not open ; and that it could not open unless a
sum of at least £6,000 should be subscribed. He then undertook
to send the proper notice of this meeting to the shareholders not
present ; and afterwards proposed a vote of thanks to the Chair-
man, which being carried, the meeting adjourned.
The statement circulated intimating that his MAJ EBTY
'was affected with a complaint in his eyes, similar to that
which had befallen the Princess SopHIA, the formation
of cataracts, is nearly destitute of foundation. The report
in question seems to have arisen from this slight cause, and
from the known predisposition of the Royal Family to dis-
ease of the eye, his late MAJESTY having been, previous
to his death, for several years affected with total blindness ;
and his Royal Highness the Duke of CUMBERLAND
having undergone, a few years ago, at Berlin, an opera-
tion for cataract, which was performed by the celebrated
oculist of that capital, Dr. GRAEFE, and was completely
successful.
A Board of Field-officers has been constituted, of which
General Sir CHAaLts DOYLE is the President, for the
purpose of carrying on the inquiry into the abuses of the
Chelsea Pension List, which have been discovered to
exist to an enormous extent. The Board will hold a
permanent sitting at the Horse Guards, as head-quarters;
but, to facilitate the inquiry, a number of Officers will be
dispatched in different directions, two forming a Board,
each Board to be accompanied by a Chelsea Clerk.