The Statesman.
London, England, 1809-09-22 00:00:00

Retreats."

~

The rulitoting hand-hill had been most Indus.
triuusly cireul4teil 41 tue duurs, and in the streets
adjacent to the Theatre-
CAUTION.
Ard M A NSII ELD, on the trial of the Rioters in the case
ei•Mr. MACKLIN, stated, a lkiti3h Audience had a right
elipress tacir approbation or disappnibr ion of Pbs and
At-MN in the usual nay, but if it could be proved that any
Penun or P:•rsons %%cut, night after night, to the Theatre, for
the purpose of preventing an Actor exercising his Profession,
or TO I NJ eft E TILE MANAGERS or PROPRIETORS,
such l'irr,ou or Persons *I mild NOT ooiy he subject to AN
ACTION at LAW, balasight' be INDICTED FOR TILE
OFFLNCE.

And in the cue of the Miser/els in the Kinz's Bench, Lord
MANSFILLD stated, if the parties concur in doing the act,
4th •ar,b they were NOT PREY to USLY Acquainted with
each other, IT IS A CONSPIILACY.—( Sapp/comet to
Vitor's 4bridgaust.)

Some time after the perform-ince commenced,
one of the Poke Officers rushed among the
standard.bearers in tile Pit, and lore down a
placard. Hu then made his way towards the
Orchestra, followed by many of the opposition
party. A geueral struggle was the consequelice,
and the shore mass of people in the Pit was en.
gaged in one continued battle. Some fell, Whets
ruse triumphant, but the triends of the Managers
proved the strongest patty, and all the placards,
were carried away from the Pit by the Coustables.
The Hornets mere also obliged to quit their posi.'
buns to avoid the impundiug danger. Doting this
conflict the uproar became so violent, that the'
performers stood fixed on the stage with their eyes
directed to the scene of suntention, which threat..
a
1 • ,
cued to terminate in a tragical catastrophe. I.
amazon' came on about this time with Mrs.
I.hcloms. and the instant %hey appeared, a di cud.
tad shout was set iipi'' The nerves of Mrs.
Ilekorts *ere isteepable of sustaining this
'shuck; she seeniedlieatly affected, and stopped
I.:lort, -apparently linatutac by terror. leo-t-
-ows (*envoi:red tAiesture her to some degree of
corritiostitte, and 4'ith treat difficulty prevailed on
her t",ittliiihe the uitgrak.ii.i. task of facing the
clanwristaii spectatois, Ihe °dicers cud hired
mob tben gained complete IlWiloeSSi4lll -of the lit,
and it remained comparatively quiet all the night.
The Bozes and Galleries continued the-Isproar on.
til the cortaiedrupped, *elitist peals of rattling'

thunder. M. Luau, the person..who addressed'
the Noise on two preceding erenings,appeared agent
at his post in the Lower Buses. The noise bas too
great to enable or to hear distinctly all he said.

'RTES lAN.

He deprecated the conduct of the Managers in
issuing orders to admit persons to thu Theatre
for the purpose of opposing tbe general mini_
meta of the Public. He censured Mr., KKN.
ut.s: for introducing CATALANS on the British
stage. Ile had beard, he said. that she was
learning English, to perform in oar popular
dramatic pieces. It would be very interest.
ing, he observed, to see Mr. Kemble superintend.
log the education of CATALANI with a rod in his
band. He opposed the statement respecting the
pecuniary affairs of the Theatre. if the advance
of the prices of admission was a trilling advance,
as stated, why did not the Managers concede that
trifle to the public ? If it was a trifle, why did
they allow the Theatre to.be disturbed every night
in the manner it had been, by their obstinacy, in
not resigning that trifle to the unanimous voice of
the public ? The truth was, Managers were like
keen sportsmen—they would pursue their object

even over the ruins of the Theatre. lie had told
them on a former night, if they expressed their
sentiments properly, they would succeed. (Loud
cry of bravo !) lie repeated to them the observe.
4lon, if they had obstinate Managers to deal with,
they ought to act with equal obstinacy. rie
peaces of building the Theatre were staled to be
enormous. Every person who knew the value of
poutisis, *billings, and pence, knew that the sum
required for building such a theatre was large ;
but was a great part of that money never to be
repaid ? The money derived from the Private
Boxes would pay the interest of the whole capi-
•tal, and when this was considered, it was abomi.
nable on the part of the Managers to make sta.!,
an advance. Would any one give credit to the '
statement, that Mr. lizmacx had not been gaiuing
more than six per cent. on the Theatre? The cue.
duct of the Managers was abominable ; but
neither the staves of constables, the arms of
fighting watertnen, the Riot Act, the presence
of blagistrates, the menacing noise of engines,
nor the odious exposure secret trapdoors,
should intimidate the aii,lietize to comply with
the Managers' unjustifiable demand. One Pro.
prietur, who was also ea Actor, had pasted
by the voice of the audience, with more. insult
and more contumacy than was ever shown by a
Minister to the voice of the people. With all his
boast of the liberality of the Managers, and the
necessity of the increase of prices, he had refused
to an old English Club, who drank Port wine
and ate beefsteaks, a room which they had al-
wa)s enjoyed, in order to make a dressing.room
fur a foreign singer. Itespectalile non were drag.
god to Butr-street, fur manifesting what Lord
Mansfield has stated was their unalienable right* ;
and an English Theatre was reduced to the despo.
tic away of an absolute Manager. He conjured
them to persevere. as they had done, and they I
would succeed.

The tioruar and confusion continued after this
%kb unabated violence, and at last the mighty
ra:rant, Kiii. JOAN, appeared, mid after an
iinanitimis salutation of humps, groans, and every
species of abuse, declared that he was extremely
sorry that the considerations u hich he had the hu.
nour to propose to them last ni4ht had out met
their approbation—Ue begged, however, to re-
mind them, sud hoped they would liberally coml.
der—[here the audience, perceiving an actinic'.
cence in their wishes was nut intended, burst into
a renewed uproar, in the midst of which, bowing
respectfully to all parts-of the house, Mr, Kill-
ma was compelled to retire.]

After order had been in some degree restored,
the orator, who hitl addressed them before, re.
sumed—•4 Gentlemen, you have nut gained all
you wished, but you have gained much—in the
first place, the fire.etigines have been w.tlidrawn—
nest a kind of apology has been made in the bills
of the day—and lastly, the Bow-street Officers
are visibly diminished."
The mention of Bow.street instantly called up
another speaker, who now insisted on precedence;
—" Gentlemen (said he), you see you mug
filially conquer—be Brat, and you most be view..
rious—l need not ask you to be motknte, for I

believe there never was an instance in which the
public opinion was so utianiinuusly expressed,
and in the expression of which su little injury has
been done—Yon are men of sense, and there.
fore, though you will be firm, you will nut be
outrageous. Mr. hesrnr.e shall nut lay the bands
of the law un yoii, and yet that very law with
which he threatens us, declares this mighty and
nisgoaninions Jousr Pinup Ki:stsie to be a
vagrant. It does so rightly ; for that is the only
heck we can have moon such fellows. Gentlemen
you are unanimous,.l pope you will be karma-
nious"—the last expression had scarcely escaped
the speaker'4 tips, when the musical instruments
were instantly 'At in requisition, and the evening
concluded with a full chorus, all the audience
strikiii; up God save lite King, and Rate I.la.
tannic, in concert with the raffles and French.
burns. The audience separated before eleven.

As, from the increased iipmbers with which the
house is every night gratuitously filled, the Pro.
prietors appear determined to pat down the Public,
it may be word( while dispassionately to examine
the fecundation of their claim to an advance of
prices. They have attcatpted to bully and dra-
goon the public, by eunplu)itig Thief-catchers,
Bruisers, Catch-poles, and a whole tribe of
servile hirelings and dependants. They have
had recourse successively to Trop-doors, firemen,
engine-pipes, constables, bellies, ruffians, and
fie;liting watermen. Nor still bayoneti, the
" ultimo ratio Regan," be wanting, if :wets.'
nary ; though, in this instance, we greatly doubt
the pocribility of bringing the military to act
against the people. We have also had, though
last, not least, l'iner's Abridgment, mud Lord
Mansfield, brought into the line of battle.
Against all these truly formidable antagonists, we
shall on the part of the public oppose but one

following is the case to which thin Gentleman al-
laded, and a note of part of Lord %tan set IMP', Speech spas
that occasion, in the K ing's Kenai, Thursday, May 11th, 1I 13.
—The King agaiint Leigh and others.
Lard Ms savtfLD said, " rocas I took care to say before,
to be ante every man Cult is at the Key-Howe has a right
to ciiiitst his approbation or di,approbatiou instantaneously,
according as he likes either the acting o. the piect.---tisst is
a right due to the Theatre---au unalterable tight--they mum!
base that."

Gentleman, who is, however, in himself sr host,
in all matters of calcolation—that is the Author
of a little Book of Rudiments, by which we
first acquire the art of comities—the ingenious
Mr* COCK**. Now, Mr. lOW Philip Kemble,
" Mark bow a plain tale alma pat you dews"
The Proprietors hare expended, stye Mr. Joe*
PHILIP Kkatar.r, on this Theatre the Pum of
150,0001.
We will not here stop to argue this Mao bet
admit that to be the fact. - .

The Interest of that sum, at lfl. pii Sad. Is
7,5001.
Now the 30 private Retreat., ittealtiagly ttr
pedantically called Annual Boxes, are let at di
sum of 400 guineas each fur the season, whisk
amount(to the annual sum of 12,6001._

The account, therefore, between the Proprietor
and the public stands thus :

Cost of the Theatre it 150,03G1
(Moisten-it of vs isich
it 7,5111. per :tn.)
nalance,oxtorted ft oat
the public, in the
tint liotance,by pel-
otas I{oresresctu-
sfus of lb! nitempt
to raise the Priers 19%000
1:251.W0

The aetival.servi
red for prixote
Bates is 41°,600
per mine., whirl) is
td
to the interest
4115.1,1106

• ....a____.
E 1.52.0111

4' Three thew thns mike istiot.ll--Ciarpit."

The above statement it is impossible to ',Woke.
The Proprietors of Covent Ilirden, pet vpwirds
of 100,0(-`01. in their pockets—diminish the ac.
comou,!ations for the people--and then have the
unparalleled effrontery to raise the rieet
admission !!!....0!‘ love of pelf!
As if We-tease of appetite had gram
•`.13/ what it fed ea."