The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-07-08 00:00:00

year, anc

balance of £4033
don

then called to th
and the report concluded by recommending seve-
terations in the internal arrangewents.of the office, with
the view of a better system being established. Mr. Jackson
concluded by stating that the report and accounts would lie
on the table for public inspection. . .
The CHAIRMAN, on the part of the commissioners, paid a
high compliment to the zeal, diligence, care, and ability of
the committee, and thanked them for their trouble.
On the motion of Mr. WATSON, an abstract of the ac-
counts was ordered to be printed.

INCREASE OF THE TOWNSHIP,

Mr. Wiwiths JACKSON said, it would perhaps be some
sort of gratification to the commissioners to know the extent
to which the township of Birkenhead had increased. He
had been at some trouble to arrive at the facts, and, having
done so, he would lay them before the meeting. In the year
1823, the rack rental of the township of Birkenhead
amounted to £3lOl ; in 1833, it had increased to £6962 ; and
in 1841, only 8 years after, it had increased to the enor-
mous sum of £42,563! (Hear.) In 1811, the population
was 105 only; in 1842, it had increased 98 per cent.; in 1831,
it had increased 2400 per cent.; and in 1841, it had increased
le had further the satis-

7700 Per c
faction of

ey were a pours

tnc Taise allegations against the 'toad Uonanlttee for an
expenditure which ought not to be laid to their charge, h&
rates of• Birkenhead, including the poors' rates, and so on,
were only Is. 9d., whilst those of their neighbours of Liver-
pool were 3s. 3d.

PRICES AT THE FERRY

Mr. prat, in a letter to the chairman, complained of the
contract prices charged for children under 12 years of age.
The letter was referred to the Ferry. Committee. The com-
missioners then separated.

TH EATRE-ROYAL

A variety of amusing farces, dramas, and after pieces have
been performed during the week ; but the attendance has not
been so full as might have been expected from the attractions
offered. That the, taste for the drama in this town is at a
somewhat low ebb, we cannot but admit. It will be worth
while to look into the causes of this absence of support to
what used to be one of the most popular of all public amuse-
ments. We once heard a man about to assign several rea-
sons for the non-performance of certain matters in which he
was concerned : " First of all," said he, " there was a want
of money." "That is quite enough," remarked his listener,
" you need go no further." Perhaps in giving one of the
reasons for the theatre not being filled every night may be
ascribed the want of money, and the reader may say, go
no further ;" but yet we feel disposed to do so. We have
noticed the absence of numbers of those leading familes in
the town from the boxes, who were wont to grace them with
their presenee. This class have become tee-total drama ab-
stainers. Late dinner hours, the facilities of travelling, and
the progress of music in private families, are amongst many
of the causes that have induced the frequenters of the dress
circle to turn their faces any where but towards Williamson-
square. For the frequenters of the pit—scarcity of money,
the confinement in shops and offices, the attractions of the
public-houses—greatly enhanced by the late hours and long
confinements,—the charms of the Cheshire shore and the free
air ; but above all, the pestilential singing-houses, where
" vocal harmony " and pints of beer may be had in any
quantity. These singing-houses also influence the gallery ;
although the great harm is done to this part of the house by
the authorities permitting penny theatres to be opened in all
parts of the town. As to the singing-houses, we heard, in
passing one, the other evening, a young woman singing who
possessed a sweet voice, good execution and taste, such
as, in other times, would have commanded a tolerable en-
gagement at almost any theatre. Fancy the attraction to a
man of vulgar and low habits there must be in thus being
able to hear such singing while tippling his beer, or sipping
his whiskey-toddy ! Bad times may be the winding up of
this catalogue of causes ; and although the proprietors of
the Theatre-Royal may wince at being told the fact, and
managers may set their faces against the proceeding, " but to
this conclusion must we come at last :" the rent of the
theatre must be very considerably lowered, and the prices of
admission brought down. The prices are now what they
used to be in the good times when money was abundant.
Now that it is scarce—and what little we have even, in gold,
will not pass current—and all things are lowered, a suitable
reduction must be made in theatrical rents and prices. We
are not advocates for cheap things—far from it : high prices,
high wages. The cheap and nasty system has been one of
the causes of our present distress; and those who, unlike
the anti-corn-law agitators, look beyond their noses, know
it. But people must be induced by cheapness to visit a
theatre, as they are now induced to make purchases by the
temptation of price.

Ni-re have said that many light and amusing farces have
been performed Curing the week, principally written by Mr.
Selby, who, as author and actor, has made a decidedly good
impression on the Liverpool playgoers. His drama of " Ask
no Questions" gave Mr. Baker an opportunity of showing
his ability as Old Matthias. In Bernard's excellent and
humourous farce of " His Last Legs," Mr. Russell person-
ated O'Callaghan. It was extremely amusing. He pre-
sented us with a clever portrait of a reckless, broken down,
but light-hearted, Irishman; one who, having seen better
days, still clings to the hope of a chance turning up. We
have seen many such Irishmen; and from the applause
indulged in by the audience, it seemed as if the truth of the
sketch was generally admitted. At the close of the farce, on
appealing to the audience " epilogetically," he received three
distinct rounds of applause,. We consider his O'Callaghan as
very artistically done. His imitation of the animal magnetizers
was warmly taken up and recognized by the audience. Mr.
Nantz played Charles Rivers with spirit, and Mr. Cooke as
Dr. Banks, Mr. Vivash as Old Rivers, and Mrs. Barton,
as Julia, acted extremely well. On Wednesday Mr. Selby
took his benefit. The entertainments were a complete
" 011 a Podrida," an act out of one drama, and an act out of
another, with three farces to make up the sum "tattle" of the
whole—all remarkable for their absurdity and mirth-ex-
citing qualities, although not worth much as matters of re-
membrance. Mr. W. J. Hammond, Mrs. Clarke, and Mr.
Selby, greatly exerted themselves to amuse. The farce of
" Behind the Scenes" went off well, and is a happy bur-
lesque upon affairs hid from public gaze : the airs of the first
tragedy lady—the vulgarity of the first tragedian—the dic-
tatorial habits of the manager—the conceit of the danseuses;
the hopes of the aspirant, and the follies of the bangers-on
after actresses, are all admirably hit off. Mr. J. Russell in-
troduced the song of the
" Widow Malone," from " Charles
O'Malley;`' he sang it with considerable humour and point,
the audience caught at it at once, and enthusiastically and
eagerly encored it ; in fact, the song was hardly concluded
before the wish for its repetition was expressed. We may
observe that Mr. Russell's dress was as purely Irish as any
thing we ever saw : any one whn may have noticed the spe-
cimens of the finest pisantry on our quays and in our streets,
must have been struck with the uniqueness of the costume.
The " Widdy Malone " shows Mr. Russell's versatile
talents as a singer—he is equally at home in grave or gay.--5
quality rarely combined. We way observe that Mr. Russell
takes his benefit to-night, when an attractive bill is put
forth, in dramas that have rarely been played here. .‘ Do-
minique the Deserted ;" "An Hour of Table-talk,"
and
which several charming songs will be introduced ;,,.flatil
" Rory O'More " and the " Widdy Malone" is worn,
the money. The dissolving views are very beautiful, they
have been exhibited every night, and have been
ap-
plauded.
THE FIRE AT BERMONDSEY.—
perty destroyed byate t amount°l
f 8
, PO
tr )t.l
this conflagrationinsurance-offices offices by this (
total_,timc e.
The loses sustained by the various
sad calamity are as follow :—Britotisfill Fire-office, 4:,6,000 ;
Royal Exchange, Z 1,500;
Phoenix, .£4,300; Sun, £2,500 ; y
Union, ZOO ; an County,
Globe, £500; Guardian, £500;
.£3OO.