The Statesman.
London, England, 1809-11-29 00:00:00

COPIES OF THE AFFIDAVITS

ON WEIICII THE MOTION AGAINST \IR. CLIF-
FORD AND OTHERS WAS GROUNDED.
[CONTINUED FROM OUR PAPER OF YESTERDAY.]

Joun Timms, Tnomrsom, of Lnng.acre, in
the county of Middlesex, camp equipage.maker,
'naked' oath and saitb, that on the evening of the
Bth day of November last, a nuinber of persons
were assembled in a riotous manner in the Pit of
CV/eat-garden Theatre during the representation
of dramatic pieces, and after the admission of
half price had commenced, hallooing, boating,
hissing, crying " Off! Olt ! Off !" and making
so great and such incessant nuke, as to permit
but a small part of the perfurmauce, after the
commencement of the half price, to be heard by
the audience, for the purpose, as Deponent be-
lieves, by force and numbers,. by tumult► clamour,
and terror, compelling the Proprietors of the
Theatre to reduce the prices of admission to what
they had been prior to the burning down of the
old Theatre ; and this Deponent further saith,
that many of the persons so engaged in interrupt.
pug the performance, wore in their hats the letters
0. P. meaning, as Deponent believes, Old Prices;
and this Deponent believes, that the said persons
wore the said letters as a badge for the per.
pose of exciting and encouraging the-persons there
assembled, so as aforesaid, to conduct themselves
for the purpose aforesaid ; and this Deponent fur.
ther saith, that on the said Bth day of November,
inst. he saw John Birkitt Weinholt, of Thames
Dillon, in the county of Surrey, Gentleman, in
one of the lower boxes of the New Theatre Royal,
Covent Garden, in company with two other per.
lons, during the performance at the said Theatre,
and that soon after, the said John Birkitt Wein.
hull held up and exhibited a placard with the fol.
lowing words :..-" We conquer or die ;" and the
said placard was thrown into and among the per.
sons in the Pit of the said 'lrliestre; and at the
same time there was a great shouting, noise, riot,
and disturbance in the said Theatre, during the
performance, so that but little part thereof could
lie heard; and this Deponent further saith, that he
hath seen the said John Birkitt Weinholt twice
since that time in tho said Theatre, making a great
noise and riot during the performance at the said
Theatre, and at which time there was a great noise
hiltl riot in divers parts of the said Theatre, so that
but little part of the performances could be heard.
JOHN THOMAS THOMPSON.
Swore its Court this 90th Day of liev.lllo9.
By the Coml.

JOHN Mugge WlLsom, of No. 34, Russell.
street, in the county of Middlesex, music-sellerf
maketh oath and saith, that un the evening of the
thirtieth day of October last, a number of persons
were assembled in a riotous manner, in the Pit et
Covent Garden Theatre, during the representa.
Lion of dramatic pieces, and after the admission
of hit( price had commenced, hallouing, booting,
loissing,cryiug " Of, off, off:" and making so great
and such incessant noise as to permit bat a small
part of performance, after the commencement
of the half-price, te be heard by the audience,
for the purpose, as Deponent believes, by force
and numbers, by tumult, clamour, and ter.
ror, to compel the Proprietors of the Thee.
tre to reduce the prices of admission to OW
they had been prior to the burning duet* of the
old Theatre. And this Deponent further saith,
that many of the persons vs engaged in interrupt.
ing the performance, wore in their hats the letters
0. P. meaning, as Deponent believes, Old Prices.
And this Deponent believes, that the said per.
sons wore the said letters as a badge, fur the
purpose of exciting and encouraging the per-
sons there assembled, so as aforesaid, to con.
duct themselves fur the purpose aforesaid.—
And this Deponent further saith, that John Rid.
ley, of Compton-street, Suho, loither-seller, was
at the cumtnencemet:t of the second Act of the
Play, then performing, in the Pit, and one of the
persons eho so wore the letters 0. P. in his bat,
and, that he, the said JAI, Ridley, made a great
noise and hissing. Awl, this Deponent further
saith, that on the same night, and during the said
riot, the said John Ridl .y was apprehended by a
peace officer, and taken before James Read, Esq.
a Magistrate for the County of Middlesex, and
for the City of Westoniuster, and while he
was under examination by the said James Read,
the said John Ridley sail, " That he load the let.
'6 tors 0. P. in his hat, and meant to have them
again to-morrow," or words to that or tho like
effect) meaning, as this Dopouent believes, that
he would go into the said 'Piave on the evening
of the next day with the said letters 0. P.in his hat,
fur the purpose of etching the persons in the said
Theatre to riot and tumult.
Swim in Coast, this 411th day
JOHN p. WILSON.
of November, 11109.

the Court..

The Lout) MAYOR Ills appointed a Court of
CHonnon-Council to be held on Tuesday next...
T., tote into consider:ohm the late nowise, ill-digested,
nod cal/min:ma by which the blood and tr.-agree
of this realm bare bees wasted—the chancier of our gallsOl
army eape•ed--ond is IldonNell reduced by pestilence, pnva-
'inn., and discasr, more than by thr sword. And to coronet
the roprorty of petitintiing h(. mak-4y hpAilate an jrn•
quiry into th,.sc great national misfit, tunes—into the plain NA
wcti,wr wpm w bleb those Elpeditioas were oner.lnkses—o
:toil into toe Collides/0 and Capon-its of the Cointnand-.,- to
Who n t'n't wive mufti ted. And :he inortelfeetenlly to pro.
toe-. taqii.rir-, so beseech I Allaiew) f •ittia itu
sin.recte the Partbuseat."

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