The Statesman.
London, England, 1809-12-26 00:00:00

GO vs NrtGARDEN THEATRE.

. .
In Ti,T. ST ATIESI4.4`T of yesterday, we nolited
the emission of the Proprietors to announce the
terms of the arrangement of Saturday last—that
omission, as we conjectured, was merely accidental
—as appears'lrom the following notice subjoined
to the plv bilksistfe4) Oil morning
" The Pairoliewe +et toopectihilly iotoroled, that after
this ammo, the retire circle of Upper [!ones alit be opeo•to
parrot ude, eleeptiog oidy ra ass "Anima lions on etch
side of the Theatre."

The Public, perhaps, may not exactly bear in
mind the precise number and situations of the
Private Bozos, but as the !omber to be retained
by the Proprietors in the whole is TEN, there can
be no further digculty on the subject ; and the
♦eason may, in truth, be said to commence on this
evening. The receipts of the House during the
last week have, we understand, been very respect-
able, but the attraction of the new Pantomime,
during the Holidays will, perhaps, bring a more
uninterrupted succession of overflowing Houses,
than bas been witnessed at any Theatre fur many
years.
The positive loss of the Proprietors has neces-
sarily been fi;reat ; from such Contott, no other
result could be. anticipated. The defecation of
revenue wilt, hon•!•ver, in all probability, be so
ample" made good by the rectipts of the remainder
of the season, tliat the ProprietOrs tLay look fur.
ward !o something enure errn Gi per cent.

There now con ains no obstacle to the restoration
of ported harmony between the Prep:;e►ors and
the Public, llut the obtrusive presence of several
ohnostious characters, whom ste have so fre-
quently had occasion to particularize, that it is
unnecessary to repeat their names. That the pre.
sence of thos.! persons w►ll not be sanctioned by
gratuitous admi.Aons, the Public have a right to
expect ; and we ran have no doubt of the Props ie-
tors seeing this subject in the same point of view
with ourselves.

The conduct of Mr. Brandon, has certainly pra-
duccd,ott the minds of severtl persons who person.
ally experienced the effects of his active exertion:,
considerable irritation. The public at large were
indignant, but the persons who, by Mr. Bran.
dun's order, and under bib immediate superintend.
vice, were brutally dragged from the Theatre,
beaten, and imprisoned, may reasonably he pre-
sumed to have retained a very strong sentiment of
hostility towards that very active organ of the Pro-
,
priet ors.
We have; however, the satisfaction of knowing
that Mr. Brandon has stibsequently personally
apologized, in most instances, fur the personal
offences, of which ho had during the contest been
guilty, and that such apologies have been accept.
ed, as an atonement for the insults offered.—
Perhaps, at this auspicious moment, a pub.
lic acknowledgment by Mr. Brandon, of his
regret, for what has passed—might induce
that Public, which has acted so generously
to the Proprietors, to extend their favour
to Mr. Brandon.

Having, to our. great regret, had very fre.
(pent occasion to censure Mr. Wanda:a, we
does it but candid to state, that having from
infancy been devoted to the service of the
Theatremhis total secession from that employ.
ment, must obviously reduce him to a situation of
peculiar embarrassment, as he cannut be pre.
sumed to be very well adopted, after a life
of theatrical habits, for the ordinary pursuits
of life. The cxtcut of M-. Brandon's fo.
roily—consi.ting at the prrscnt moment of six
Nnung children, is a t Insideration which cannot
tail of having a very powerful effect in obliterating
the resentment of Julio Bull, whose generous
tore re*olts at the bare idea, of inflicting misery
on the ehi:d, fur the irregularities of the parent.
The salutary le3s'on %laid) has been given by
John Bull, to those who have had the; temerity to
take that itublu animal by the horns, we are per.
fectly assured , would prevent the recurrence of
the Proprietors, or their vnts, to the insti &rabic
measures that have been adopted. But we trust,
that even were the masters of Mr. Brandon so un-
wise, he wo told have the good sense to see that his
dqty to the Public, is paramount to every other
considcratio n.

We have now only to express our hope. and
opinion, that tho Public will, on Mr. Brandon's
publicly apologizing fur the &reviler:Wes of his
recent con duct, draw the veil of oblivion over the
scenes in which he has been so prominent a per.
former, and consent to his restoration to the place
he held at Covent Garden Theatre.

.... . ..a a a. J.. 1.• 1 aa.l.• •

Ti Ms cult,* of Tilt STAILIMAN. -

I ••••■•1111ww-
. .
• Lichfield. Dee. U I*.
MR. EDITOR—To advocate the cause of those
whom the fortune of war bath rendered pridosars,
is an office peculiarly becoming a Christine and a
Briton; litths spulugy will therefore be required•
by Toe STAtISMAN, fur this address from One
who glories in those truly enviable Appellation.
I have !the happiness of being personally as
imainted with several French Officers of distinc.
Lion on their parole of honour at Lichfield, and I
can with confidence appeal to every inhabitant of
our city, for testimonials as to the general, indeed
I may say, as to the universal propriety of their
conduct and demeanour ; that it is therefore oar
duty to ameliorate, as much as is consistent with
safety and propriety, the rigours and hardships, at
all times attendant on a privation of liberty, is a
position that few, I trust, will venture to deny ;
but great will be your astonishment at hearing
what is, however, the fact, that in addition to the
restriction fruit being seen at a greater distance
than one mile from Lichfield, and being compelled
to repair to their habitations, every evening at
five o'clock, the French officers at Lichfield,
, have been refused permision to get up splay among
I themselves, though not to the esclusiou tof the
reipeetable Inhabitants of the city.
This uncalled for severity is unworthy of the
British nation—it displays a littleness of soul be-
neath our national character, and reflects disgrace
1 upon those who interposed their authority oft so
, trivial an occasion. In common with many others
of our countrymen, Mr. Editor, I have relatives
at this nt.utent prisoners in France, and I recol-
lect with what pleaburable sensations, some little
time ago, I read in letters trent France, inserted
in our Newspapers, an account of the 64 Verdun
Races." I ant, Sir, far, very far indeed, from
o-ishing to see French customs, or French man_
ft. ri, introduced into Great Britain, but, I cannot
help regretting that a foe whom we so justly
reproach with his treatment of his own sub-
jects, shunld be suffered to extol us, in comp's-
, sionating the situation, and in alleviaties the suf.
1 ferings of his captives.
I
Your wollwisher,
AN ENGLISHMAN.

TO TILE EDI7YM OF THE STATESMAN.

December 24,1839.
Sia—The Observer of this day, has the fol.
lowing passage :
" Mayntz, we endentend, is the bearer of a
" letter from the Marquis Wellesley to Prince
6' Stahrenillerg, in reply to the renewed offer,
66 which, with the concurrence of Bonaparte, he
" was directed to make to this Government, of
the mediation of Austria to effect a general
" peace : This answer is reported to conimuni.
46 cote to his Excellency the strong desire which
" his Majesty entertains to terminate the war, by
" a safe and equitable pow, without eemproalis-
gi lug his own honour, or the interests of his Al..' lies ; but that, preparatory to the acceptance
66 of the proffered invitation to aegociate, his
'44 Majesty requires from France a full exposition
" of the basis upon which she is willing to treat."
I acknowledge the wisdom of the Marquis Wel.
Inky, in sending this answer ; I rejoice that our
Government has professed such pacific sentiments ;
for I cawnot agree with The Observer, in the opi-
nion which he has subjoined to this intelligence.
Ills expressions arc these :

" We must repeat the opinion we have before
44 expressed, that peace, however desirable, is
ti not attainable at the present moment. It is
" iinpossibk that we cau abandon our still fresh
" engagements with Spain and Portugal, h,peless
" as their cause has become ; and it is not reason-
" able to suppose, that Bonaparte► after wading
" so deer in blood and guilt as he has done, to
" usurp those Thrones, will almost, in the rim.
" ntent of consummation, forego his prey, for
" the more remote advantages of a peace with
" England."

Surely it cannot be contended, that the engage-
' ments of the British Ministers, with the self-as.
snored authoiities in Spain, have pledged this
1 country to continue the war with 13,inaparte, as
long as resistance can be made to his measures in
any part of Spain. The fair meaning of our en-
gagement is, that while there is any hope of the
Spaniards being able successfully to resist the esta-
blishment of a new dynasty, we will give them
support ; but whenever it is manifest, that their
efforts cannot ultimately be attended with success,
we certainly have a right to withdraw from the
conflict. On any other construction, Great Bri.
tain might be bound to continue as useless and
unnecessary war for twenty years. Having
mentioned this Remark of the Observer, I am
led to take notice of an opinion diligently incul.
cated, that if we make. Pows....mith Bonaparte,
he will avail himself of that Peace, to create a
Naval Power. Is he not able to create a Mies!
Power in time of war? Is it not acknowledged,
that he has fourteen sail of the line, bpsidcs many
heavy frigates, in the Scheldt ? Is their not rea-
son to believe, that his ships. of -war in the vAri.
ous ports of Holland, are more numerous than
those which he has in the Scheldt ? You have
destroyed the Port of Flushing ; Flushing was a
port of consequence to the Dutch Republic,
cause they did not possess the Scheldt. But to
Boraperte, the Sovereign of the Scheldt, the
Port of Flushing is of very little importance 3 the
whole river, with all its various inlets, is to Itha
a harbour ; and the late Eapedition ender the
Earl of Chatham, has proclaimed shat harbour
to be impregnable. fteeellect, that the Portent'
Holland, with the Scheldt, fpnn a kid acorn):
try, more conveniently situated fir building ships
of war, than any other part of Europe. Theli.hine,
with all the various rivers which fail into it, will
furnish ship timber, and the navel stores if the
Baltic, should their passage by the German Ocean
to the ports of Holland, be interrepted by our
crosiers, may, without much difficulty, be wafteil
across the Baltic to the German shire: and from
thence be transported by land into Holland.—
Thit is not mere theory • we ,now by the taped.
NM of err; Wir which w• Lin had !tilt the