The Statesman.
London, England, 1809-11-22 00:00:00

To the EDITOR of THE STATESMAN.

- Sr a--Not doubting your impartiality on a sub.
ject so pregnant with fatal events to Britons, I
venture to trouble you with some i'eas, relative
to the riots at the Theatre, which struck me in
the course of Wednesday evening, and which I
certainly should have communicated to the sue.
mice, could I have found a favourable oppor.
tunity.
Eitherthe conduct of the Proprietors of Co.
vent Garden Theatre is legal, or it is illegal. If
it be illegal, their perseverance in error must
render them still more criminal, by every ring,
and every accident, which has occurred slate the
ant night of opening the Hogue, when the ene.
mies of new prices, and Private Boxes, most on.
doubtedly expressed their opposition, in terms
not to be misunderstood If, on the contrary,
their conduct be legal, shameful has been that of
the opposers, and a dreadful responsibility must
rest somewhere.
With respect to the objections to the prices, I
beg leave to a•k, Sir,. was the late Drury Lase
Theatre opened at old prices? And were there
then riots in consequence of the new ? No, S;r.
Bad as our situation then was, there didnnot exist
the same preasing Urgency to tumultuous disap.
probation ; nor the same necessity to give it a
happy torn, where it might vent its rage, and
become exhausted, ere it could reach the real
objects of displeasure, because the real authors of
the trouble occasioning it. Then the Public re.
tained sufficient prudence to reflect that :hem.
selves, at least the greater part of them, were
shrimpers, and would not only have been
highly incensed, but have deemed themselvei ille.
gaily used, had persons entered their shops; and,
after telling them that they could have purchased
similar articles some 20 years :efore, at 10 or
per cent. less than was then demanded, insisting
on such goods being sold at the old prices. And
if such conduct would have been deemed illegal
then, it cannot be legal now ; no Act of Parlia.
meut having since past to r.nder it so.
As to the objections made to the Prigate Boxes,
a few questions will, I prebumc, Sir, tend to ob-
viate them. Were there nu Private Buses in the

~‘,0%

lite Theatre, or in that of Drury-lane? Certainly
there were. But were thee' forty Infameus prac-
tic.* el* discolored in these Private Boxes ?
believe not, Sir. Why, diva, are we soddenly
%come so very fastidious ? I do not- like ft.:44..
I am mot satisfied with acting so Lillie' pimple so
'terribly alive to the appreleresion of transactions
terhicli moral men ought to blush sad sle.dder at
ale very mistime eel it would ale' at authorise a
btranier to fancy that we were really worse that
we are. Every body elest recollect the trite adage
about the old measles loiang into the ones. And
as to a whole tier being monopolised—while peo-
ple sit in these bow, the) cannot occupy, any
other placate Nor, in point of convenience to
She Public, can I see mit great diference whe.
thee people take Public ibozes 0;014 or chose
to retain one for the season. Where is the man,
is buc:less, who, if he knows where the best a-
dd:A in his line are to be procures!, will not, if
possible, contract for the whole quantity which
he can consume ? And shall British' Tradesmen,
Ito famed for their probity, and the strict integrity
of their transactions, throughout the universe,
adopt a system so diametrically of posite, by
holding a right to do that An their oleo tetenisev,
which they will not suffer the Prepriaton of
Theatei !loyal to do. ? 0 shame! 'Never may
such conduct be Whlspered on toe World !
I know, Sir, it has been public!) avowed that
the theatrical tumults have, been oceasioned prin-
cipally by young clerks and 'prentice boy', who
enter the Theatre at half price. To such juvenile
gentry it may appear to be very line fen. But
when I see persons, whom I hate fur many years
deemed respectable characters, plunge Into the
Beau, gorgeous(' arrayed in purple breast-
plates, superbly embossed with tinselled 0. P's,
and feel them, suns cerentonie, rush to the flout
seat (already occupied), that their hisses, their
offs, and their affected coughs, may be more dis-
tinctly observed by their admirers, to the extreme
annoyance of the whole row, 1 hardly know
whether to laugh at men for so ridiculously capes.
leg themselves, or be angry with them fur incom-
moding me, merely that they may show their
'isegnificent, and highly dignified insignia, to
greater advantage—as much as to say, 6 6 See
what a mighty big fellow I our ! Thus will some
,men vainly expose themselves, to obtain a fleeting
hour of popularity.
Did thy matter rest here, Sir, there might be
some attempt made to apologise fur the proneness
to vanity of the old, and the proneness to mis.
chief of the young. But these are v..ry ink ward
times, Sir. We have got a strange, motley. Ad.
ministration, and have but too much reason to
anticipate strenge and motley measures ! N,,w, it
So happens, men the most utak for high, official
stations, would least suffer their actions to be pub.
hely canvassed ; and a hiss, or a taunt, in a pub-
lic Thum., would cut them to the soul. To
snob men, Sir, may not our nightly riots be
deemed the happy precursors of halcyon dugs,
j they not yield an excellent pretext for smog-
! Ong Bills into a certain Assembly, fur Use pur-
pose of placing our Theatres on the same footing
with those on the Continent ? Are not some of
the ex °Ai° train on duty ao the Theatre every
night, to stimulate the riots ; and may not some
of those conspicuous pedagigues, with their eru-
dite breasespieew 0( p. ,xpectation of a
place or a pension, for the infinite services they
so honourably reeder thorn ? I glory in a brave,
intrepid soldier in the Held ; I must coulees,
even were the conduct of the Proprietors actually
and illegally imposing, if I were simple enough to
give them my money, I would rather sit quietly,
and decorously, like an English Gentleman, than,
by tumultrafford a pretence for Ministen'to cum.
pal me to bit like a slave, ~ith a grenadier et 'lie
door of every Box, and a bad unmet .t' my elbow,
if I happened to cast a smile of tit gists,' at any of
the bungling colder: of uer motley Junta.
These, Sir, are serious relle‘lionst and ought
to inset the consideration of those gent/enters riot.
era, who may be fathers of families ; aui. who
would not fail to whip themselves, moat acire!e,
whenever they reflected that their tine its enable
conduct had entailed slavery on their offspring.
I am, Sc.

lith Nay. 1809.

S. Q. P.

The Princess AMELIA is somewhat better.
There was a consultation of Physicians last week
at Windsor, upon her Royal Highness's case,
which was attended by Slit FRANCIS Mti.i.alats?
Dr. SA UN otns, Dr. HEIIIRDEN) and Dr. POPE.

The Confiance sloop of war, with a viceroy
from Riu Janeiro, is arrived at Croukhaven.
A LuisaTic.—On Monday a Court of loqtdry
was hold at the Mermaid Inn, at Hat kney, to as.
certain whether Mr. Samuel Bell, • merchant and
shio.owner, of Cheapside, was a lunatic or nut,
as directed by a decree of the High Court of Chan-
cery. Mayen, Esq appointed Shetiff by the
Lord Chancellor, pre..ids.d. The Commissioners
wets Mr. Esance, mud two ether Magistuttes.
There were fifteen Jnrymcn. The evidence ad..
duced to prove th, in ',lily of Mr. Bell related to
hie conduct at the Nat y Otfi.at, fur which he had
offered to take 4 contract. limier the persnasiun
that he was suing to Mr. Nelson, of the Navy
Office, he was earre I to the Bow-street Oilice by
Adkins, and se .1 tom, a strong room in the Browu
Bear. He conducted himself, howeveri in such
a .nanner, that I.i. Solicitor had no doubt of his
insanity, and he WAIS to Wasbariawa mad.
holm at Heaton. 11.• escaped from the mad-
house, and, it al peered afterwards, returned to it
of his own accord. Upon this evidence, Mr.
Sayers put the question to the Jury, to deterniiii.:,
whether, (turn the conduct of Mr. Bell, while he
was at the Brown Bear public-house, they e,.itsi-
dered him insane or tiot, w hich they kleternoned
by a /hew of bands accortlin_zly. They also de.
ter..ined eliailmo.!sly. in a simila. :twiner, that
he proved his jugend) of rct voltintarily to
Mr. arburtut house; and t..z.) A leriniiiito una-
nimously a third questioit, viz. :bat ho was not
now capable of th.inathg his business. The uu-
fortuttre Geo,!rnian was uteeent, and appeared
very composed, and perfectly eantitbk of what ho
was doine. No person who did sot t..
circumstance would bare napes.* k Ilaa duraug-4..