The Statesman.
London, England, 1815-06-08 00:00:00

DRURY-LANE THEATRE.

Meeting of the Proprietors of this Theatre took
yesterday, at the Crown and Anchor Tavern ;
ihitbread, Esq. in the Chair.
rhe CHAIRMAN informed the Meeting, that it hay-
-4 been determined at the last Meeting iu to let the
heatre, as had been proposed, but to continue the
Stem of management by a Sub-Committee; the
Imittee had found it their duty to enquire what
Ilemen were willing to undertake the manage-
, and what Members of the present Sub-Corn-
cee were Willing to continue in that station. He
niderstned that Lord Byron, whose name was a
lcient recommendation, the Earl of Essex, Mr. P.
(sore, the Honourable Cavendish Bradshaw, and the
Kinnaird, were willing to take upon them-
the duties of the Sub-Committee; and after
tug gone through the forms of electing the Earl of
,tr and Lord Byron, Members of the Committee,
had submitted them with the other Gentlemen to
approbation of the Proprietors: as although this
)(it necessary at the present moment, the previous
.ction of the proprietors was desired by the Gen-
(emen who were willing to take on themselves
performance of their gratuitous services to the
t re.

The names of Lord Byron, the Earl of Essex, Mr.
:tne, and the lion. 1). Kinneird, having been
posed as Members of the Sub-Committee, were
nimnusly approved of by the Meeting. Mr. C.
ishaw is already a Member of the Sub-Com.
niitrep.

r. Roavws wished to pat a question to any Mem- t of Rex v. Sutton, 4 Burr. 2116, in which Sir Fletcher
rf the new Sub-Committee then present-e-whether Norton moved to quash an indictment for a nuisance
'as their intention to displace Mr. Raymond from in•keeping a house (near Epsom) for inoculating for
_ situation of Stage Manager ? That Gentleman the small-pox ; and the Court held that the Defendant
Laying had six years experience in the old Theatre, must demur, and that they were not bound to quash it
Lyceum, and the present Theatre, might be sup- upon motion. •
Ito have acquired some knowledge, which would Lord ELLERRORODGH said, that under the words!
use to the new Sub-Committee; and if a person in the present indictment unlawfully and istjuriously,l
,ut experience was substituted to this Gentleman, it would have been open to the prosecution to show,
Auld but add to the regret which he felt at the , that the Defendant had acted incautiously, and in
tquishment of the plan for letting the Theatre. such a manner as was likely to produce public mis.
'r. KINNAIRD said, it was mot till that moment chief. The word unlawfWly excluded any lawful
the new Sub-Committee had been finally consti- excuse on the part of the Defendant ; and he having t
they were, therefore, in no situation to have confessed judgment, the Court were bound to take
!mined either on the continuance or discontinu- it that the prevent offence was committed under cir-
of Mr. Raymond, and they, of course, had no cumstances excluding legality. No doubt the small.
Irrionicetions on the subject. The idea that Mr. pox may he innocently inoculated for ; but it must
/mond was to be displaced, arose from a factious be done under a guard as to the public health,
rresponcleitt of the Morning Post, who, first: Ai hiCh the law would not suffer to be endangered ,
,o• the formidable signature of " The Proprietor by the exposure of an infectious and dangerous dis.
a Thousand Shares," and then as " A Warning
oice," had misled the Proprietors. He could posi- i The A TTORISRTGZHERAL.—The Small-Pox Hos-
-4y state that the Sob-Committee was not pledged ; pital won't imoctilate any person who is not taken
'her to the continuance or discontinuance of Mr.! within their own walls; and it was built at a distance
7mond ; but would act conscientiously, without I from London as a kind of pest-house.
trig influenced by personal considerations. I Lord ELLENBOROOGH.—If, from the extent of ;
The Hon. C. BRADSHAW also stated, that he knew London, that should become. dangerous to the in-;
io meeting or communication on the subject of habitanits of the neighbourhood, there is no doubt
Raymond. that it may be put down with all its walls and build.
Ir. P. Mooat also stated, that he had never heard ! ings.
!ion of Mr. Raymond's name as a subject of de- I Mr. Justice BATLEY.—The Defendant should have 1
iberation among the new Sub-Committee, and indeed attended his patients at their own homes, and not I
would have been quite out of season if he had. ; caused them to be brought to him.
Ir. WHITBREAD observed, that the present Sub- Mr. Justice DAMPIER.—The Defendant having
imittee would of course continue to act till the caused the children to be inoculated, publicly aired
of the season. Of the new Sub-Committee the ! them in the streets.
mes were as respectable as could have been chosen, I The affidavit of Sarah Milburne, the mother of one
d afforded the Proprietors every security. As to of the children, was then put in, on the part of the
selection of the persons for the service of the The. prosecution. She deposed, that she was in the habit
, he eid not doubt they would act according to of meeting children at the Defendant's shop, who i
best of their judgment; and for the present Sub- were carried thither to be inoculated for the small-
onittee, he could assert that they had itot.select. pox,--that the Defendant's Assistant advised her to
one prrsun from motives of private partiality— prefer the small-pox to the cow-pox, and so that she •
Ipplauscj— for himself, he could say, that there took her child the next day to the Defendant's shop:
- not a single person selected by him, with whom, to be so inoculated--that the Defendant ordered her
iously to his undertaking the concerns of the to give the child port wine and brandy mixed—carve
'entre, he had any private acquaintance whatever. intoxicated to visit her child, and said it was doing
should mention, in explanation of an observatino well—that it died—
tir. on a former occasion, that his Ho- Lord ELLENBOROUGH said,there were meny things I
sable Friend, when he spoke of three successful in this affidavit as to the Defendant's skill and conduct
ions, could not have meant to excite sanguine ex- which he did not wish to see there.
pectations as to the dividend, which would not be The affidavit of Grace Shiite, of White Lion-court,
Willed. And though distinctions might be made as was then also put in ; she deposed that the Defendant
property and dividends, in the latter point of view advised her to have her child inoculated with the
e feared it would not be found, at the end of the small-pox, which operation he accordingly perform-
Iresent season, that the three last seasons had been ed ; that she took it to his shop, and he gave her
uccessful seasons. Since the last Meeting of the three powders for it, for which he charged li.; and
)prietors every thing had been done to maintain afterwards a phial of medicine, for which he also
_ interests of the legitimate Drama, and they had charged Is.; that the child died ; that the Defendant
brought forward nothing which was not perfectly refused to visit a child who had caught the small-
legitimate—[Dear, hear!]—hut he unfortunately pox, hut said he would send it medicines if he was
mid not say that the legitimate Drama had risen in paid for them.
estimation of the public. ' On the part of the Defendant, his affidavit was
Mr. linesArßD observed, that though the dividends put in. It stated, that being in embarrassed circum-
'been bet small, it could not be said that the sea- stances, lie had been arrested for debt, and imprison-
were unsoccessful,when large sums had been ap- ed in the King's Bench, not being aide to find bail:
plied to pay off debts, and to make up that deficiency that he, therefore, could not afford to defend the
4 capital under which the Theatre at first laboured. prosecution, although he believed he should have
fact he could state was most creditable to the pub- been able to prove he had committed no offence, had
taste, which was, that from the calculations he had he been so able ; that he always advised the parents
ade it appeared that no less than 70,6001. had been of children who were inoculated for the small-pox at
subscribed solely with dramatic views; so that in un- his shop to be careful to preserve them from essociat-
srtaking a share in the management of the Theatre, ing with other children ; and, therefore, ought lint
'le every thing was done for the support of the le. to be considered responsible. for their imprudence;
tmate Drams, he should, have the satisfaction of that he had issued printed papers of such advice, in
,wing that the dividends had not been the sole ob. which he desired the eit ildren to besired in the fields,
of the Subscribers. and carried thither with handkerchiefs over their
Mr.' Werrattear. said, many of the Proprietors faces; that he was unable to pay any fine ; that he
d become Subscribers at his solicitation—he wished had a wife and three children, who were entirely
could say, solely from dramatic views. But as it dependent upon him for support, iti a profession
the wish of the Subscribers at large, that the ex- which required his personal attendance ; and that lie
iment should be tried of maintaining exclusively was Nfllicted with frequent spittiugs of blood, which
legitimate drama, those persons whose views were would render imprisonment dangerous to his life.
rected solely to the dividends were of course bound The A TTOIINEY•G EN ERA I 4 in support of the pro-
the will of the larger number. Tim present Sub- secution, said, that if the Defendant would Limier-