The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-02-23 00:00:00

SIATESMAN.

COVENT-GARDEN THE4TRS.
--...--

After the performance of Tile Antiquary, a Wry spi-
rited Parce, entitled Too late for Dinner, was last night
produced. It has not to boast of much ingenuity as to
the construction of plot, or novelty of incident ; vet the
&etho► has cultivated the apparently exhausted soil upon
which all farce writers have worked, with so touch sue-
ress as to produce an abundant crop of original wit and
humour. Frank Poppleton, Jonas, a rake of the high-
est order, and younger brother to Frederick Poppleton,
CONNOR, modest and simple to the opposite extreme,
after a tavern row takes advantage of the first open door
that presents itself, to cloak the pursuit of the guardians
of the night. He finds himself in the hem* of Mrs.
Thompson, Mrs. Davastronr, the friend of his brother,
and aunt to Emma Somrrton, Miss Fours, with whom
Frank had become enamoured at first sight, and with
whose name he was then unacquainted. She discloses it
to him, and after some necessary difficulties, he makes
good his retreat. Some calls from his brother, whilst
from home, had put Frank in po ion of several
cards of Frederick s ; and these have been left with the
tavern-keeper, poliee-officers, &c. In conseqnenee, Fre-
derick is called on for payment by the former, and
to answer eh it made by the latter. In the mean
time Frank visits his brother's honse, and recognise,
in his servant, Eisner, an old play-fellow, who readily
allows him to carry on his deceptions, and even enters into
his designs. .t letter directed to Mr. F. Poppleton arrives,
n hich Frank i aaaa nealiately opens, and finds it to contain an
invitation to .laceonot Cottage, from Mr. Pincloth, its
owner, lit.sstenano, a retired linen-draper. Poppleton
is informed that Mr. Twill, Lwow, successor to Pin-
cloth, will drive him to the cottage in his gig. lie ac-
cordingly makes his appearance, which is in direct con-
tradiction to his first statement to Frank, that .. he sticks
to the rharehonse like ear;" fur his dandified costume,
and affected air of running, when the booby shin., su-
perlatively above all, would seen, to vindicate that he
stuck to any or every thing else. The letter also men-
tions the names of Mrs. l'hompson, and Emma Soarer-
ton, as being of the party To Dinner, and Frank loses
no time in accepting the invitation on his own account.
He prevails on Twill to give him the reins, and in re-
turn breaks the gig to pieces, and leaves its owner in the
ditch. Arrived at the cottage, (whose inmates expected
the modest and retiring Frederick.) he is determined to
" astonish the natives" by showing off in his most
fleshy style. This he is enabled to do from the non-ap-
pearance of Mrs. Thompson and her niece, who are the
only ones that can detect him from a knowledge of his
brother. After winning the money of ?Valid dire, and giv-
ing mortal offence to Pint-loth by calling him llnckaback,
be asat last obliged to effect a precipitate retreat. On .llrs.
Thompson's arrival, she is lost in amazement at the re-
cital of the imagined Frederick's misconduct, and de-
clares herself to have been grossly imposed on by his af-
fected shew of modesty. The real invited guest is at length
announced, but the name has been resounded in the ears
of every domestic, coupled with an interdiction against
its possessor's admittance. Frederick is about to return,
when the appearance of Mrs. Thompson and the Pin-
cloth family creates fresh cause of wonder. The en-
trance of Frank is the solution to all, and his beloved
Emma promises to reward him when he shall have re-
formed ; Frederick forgives him, and Twill has the
sagacity to discover that he is a wag. All the misfor-
tune now remaining is, that the late comers arc To*
lattLAr Dinner.
The characters of JONES. LISTON, and Einar are ad-
mirably drawn, and supported with the greatest spirit
and force. The Farce abounds with the ladicrons, and
every scene is relieved by incidents of the mast WO.
able description. The dialogue is never dull, the wit
seldom insipid, and still less frequently approaching the
vulgar. Upon the whole, we think it cannot fail of hay-
ing a long run.

bIE KING'S mom.
--4.--

Yesterday, at three o'clock, his Majesty held a Court,
at his Palace in Pall-mall, which was attended by the
Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord President of the
Council, the Lord Privy Seal, the First Lord of the
Treasury, the Secretaries of State for the Home and Co-
lonial Departments, the First Lord of the Admiralty.
the Master tietteral of the Ordnance, the Chancellor of
the Escheqner, the President of the Board of Controul,
the Master of the Mint, the Chancellor of the Duchy of
Lancaster, the Earl of Mulgrave, the Lord Chamberlain,
the Lord Steward of the Household, the Treasurer of
the Household, the Vice-Chamberlain, the Lord Lieute-
nant of Ireland, the Lord Chief Baron of Scotland, the
Earl of Winchilsea, Mr. Long, the Marquis of Headfort,
the Hon. Colonel Stanhope, Sir Arthur Paget, Mr. Sul-
liven, &c.
His Majesty held a Privy Conned, when he petformed
the ceremony of pricking for several Sheriffs, in the
room of those pricked for at the last Council, who ottre
not able to serve the office.

The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, the Earl of Winchil-
sea, the Lord Chief Baron of Sentland. Sir Arthur
Net, Mr. C. Long. and Mr. Sullivan were introduced
to the Council and sworn in Members.
Mr. Bailer attended as Clerk of the Council.

The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was introduced, and
had the honour of an audience of his Majesty upon his
arrival in England.
The Earl of Winchilsea had an audience of the King,
and delivered his IKev of Office as Comptroller of the
Household oa the Windsor Establishment to his late
Majesty, when his Majesty was graciously pleased to
continue the Privilege of the Entre to the Noble Earl.
His Majesty also gave audience to the Earl of Hay-
rowhy, the sari of Liverpool, the Karl &aunt, and
Mr. Bathurst.

.._.. _......__.
The Marquis of Heenan and the Hos. Col. Stanhope
were the Lord and (boom in Waiting, who kissed heals
■pon their re-appointment to office.
The Court broke ep a little before six.

lesterdaT, at four o'clock, the Duke of York held a
Levee, as Commander in Chief, at his Mc, in the Horse
Onards.
The Dnelies. of Kent received the Address of Condo-
lence from Viseount blorpeth and the Deputation of the
Noose of Commons, with her infant Princess. Alessi,-
*lrina, in her arms, at half past twelve o'clock on Monday.
Her Royal Highness received the Address from the
Marquis Cornwallis and the Deputation of the House of
Lords, at one o'clock of the same day. The Royal
Duchess was attended by the attendants of her late much
lamented Duke, Captain Conroy. Oeneral Moore, General
Wetherell, Colonel Grinkwater, mad Dr. Wilson. The
Duchess received the Addresses in her drawing-room in
the King's Palace, at Kensington.
The following is a copy of the Answer returned by
the Duchess I am very sensible of the feelings
which have induced the Honer of Commons to condole
with me on the calamitous and nodmely death of his
late Hord Highness the Duke of Kent; and I request
!that they will accept my grateful arknowkdgmenta for
their Message, as It shows me that my beloved husband's
memory will be preserved in this country, now, I am
proud to say, become mhee. by *tertian and inclination.
as well as (row my emmextion with it by marriage to a
most amiable and rxcellent Prince, whose loss it to the
irreparable."

• OLD 11141141.—(Tats 11fintmxc.)
--di- -

Joseph clerk, John Pritehef. and Imre ti,ight, were
found gniltr of bnrglarionsly breaking and entering the
dwelling4;itss of Jane Edwards, and ttealing a cloth
pelisse, a silk dress, Lc. &c.
The three prisoners were all extremely yonng—the
oldest apparently not more than thirteen years of age.
Thee appeAred extremely affected with their situation.
Simnel Roberts was indicted for stealing font. coats,
rains 4f., the property of Daniel Angell, in his dwelling.
house.

The prisoner was found guilty of stealing—but the
count charging him with stealing in a duelling-house
was not proved-, and be was acquitted of the capital part
of the charge.
Thos. Bishop was pnt to the bar, charged with having
stolen four coats, value N., the property of lieorge
Baxter.

George Baxter, the prosecutor, stated, that he resides
in Beanfort-buildings, Strand. The prisoner entered
his service in September last. Witness having received
information that some duplicates were found in the pri-
soner's horse, went there, with Ellis, the officer, and
found duplicates of the property he had lost.
-- Ellie, the officer, proved that he had applrhentied
the prisoner, and found at his lodgings some duplicates
relating to Mr. Banter's property.
The shopkeeper of Mr. Ashman, pawnbroker, Strand,
proved that the prisoner's wife, under the name of Mary
Smith, had pledged at his shop two coats, and a pair of
breeches. Two guineas were advanced upon the coat%
and ten shillings upon the breeches.
Mr. Baxter Identified the property, which he said had
been sent to his shop for the purpose of sale.
Wan. Townsend, a pawnbroker, residing in Little
Russell-court, eovent-ganien, proved, that the prisoner's
wife, on the 23t Is of Feb. last, pledged a coat at his shop.
Upon a subsequent occasion she pledged another. Upon
both these coats witness had advanced IL 16s.

Bacter proved, that this properly was afro stolen
from his hou►e.

The prisoner confessed hls guilt, and threw himself
npon the merry of the t'onrt. He called no witnesses.
The Cnstatoar SCIJEANT, in addressing the Jury, ob-
served, that though the goods stolen were in the whole
of greater value than 405., vet, as it did nut appear that
they had all been stolen at one and the same time, it
would he their duty to find him Guilty of stealing under
the value of 40s.

The Jury found their verdict accordingly.
Jenne* Pollard, a man of respectable appearance, was
inflicted for stealing twenty yards of woollen stuff, rain,
YIN., the property of liriffith Foulkes. The prosecutor,
who is a linen-draper. residing near ('event-gartlen,
stated, that on the 13th January, the prisoner and two
women were observed loitering about his shop. The
prisoner, after a short time, ran off: and witness, sus-
pecting that something had been stolen, followed him
up Drury-lane, and found the article mentioned in the
indictment concealed under the coat of the prisoner.
The officer who apprehended the prisoner deposed to
that circumstance.
The prisoner was found Guilty.

Further extracts from the French papers on the
Spanish affairs

" The army of the Malcontents amounts to more than
10,000 men, all resolute, and abundantly supplied with
provisions of all kinds. The Royal troops, commanded
by Wu. Frevre. are superior in numbers, because a great
many militia base been incorporated; but, in general,
their fidelity cannot be trusted. The truth is, that the
soldiers of the advanced posts salute each other as friends,
and do not seem inclined to fight. They are now, how-
tree, In presence of each other, and a decisive action
is anxiously expected.

" MADRID, Faa. 7.—The Ex-Minister, Lozano Torres,
was the only time of the disgraced Members of the Ca-
binet who had been allowed to reside at Court. 'though
separated from the Ministry, he nevertheless enjoyed
the confidence of the King. On the 5111 he left the ca-
pital, under a good escort, for his place of destination.
" Don Antonio Ugarte, a broker and obscure man,
wbo had succeeded in gaining the confidence of the
King, by paying court to certain Ambassadors, has
also just been exiled to the fort of Segovia. He was
entrusted with the affairs connected with expeditions
preparing against the colonies, and he gave himself
the title of I'ltra•marine Minister. This nun, without
any talent, had slipped into the Ministry, and even al-
most in the chamber of the King, by means of his base
Battery, and was one of the persons composing the pH.
♦ste Council of the King, called the Camarillo.

" Don Valet' Frontin, selsodl-master and notary at
Corinna, and little known till lately, had coma up to
Madrid to seek remuneration for past services of na mo-
meet. bet he had the address also to gain favour. He
was also one of the (irritating. He has been exiled to
Tarragona. Persdns who wodld wish to see a change
In the drift of the Uovernment, in order to restore order
and trangnillity, anger well of this event under present
circumstances, anti think it a sign of a favourable dispo-
sition to adopt some of those ideas these men pointed out
as Opposed to the stability of the Throne."
(WM AY *MritcAf PAPill.)

Zkietartu.s, Outo, JAN. s.—Nr. Sarnitel Chandler,
who was boring for salt on hit land on Kilt Creek, about
ll miles from this town, having penetrated to the depth
of 133 feet from the surface, came to something 'muss-
ally hard and difficult ,o penetrate, and the hard snit-
stance, when raised to the snrfaee, by the process
sisnally nude use of when boring for salt, proved to be
a metallic substance, which excited no great curiosity
for some time, till last week a quantity of this metallic
substance was brollght to Putnam, where it was tested
by an ingenious silversmith; and analysed by one of the
most learned chemists in the Western country. and both
unite in prorionocieg the specimen offered them to be
silver, nearly or quite as pure as the common silver
coin now in circulation ! It is ascertained that the
stratum of silver, at the place where the auger pe.
nitrated. Is six or seven inches thick. The instru-
ment called the anger is from twelve to eighteen
inches in length,to which a pole of suitable imams! con-
venient length is firmly attached, and as occasion re-
quires, an additional pole is attaehed to the preceding
one till they descend, in same instances, more than 601/
feet in a rock which elteuds all through this part
of the country, with, generally, front ten to twenty
feet of good soil coveting it. The depth of the rock is
nnknown; but as fa as It has been penetrated is found
to lie mostly free or sand stone t bet in boring it, whew
ever the auger strike+ • atrium's of dint, lime4totie.
or any other very hard substanee, it is instantly know*
by tLose who manage the eager, and the segue
pole is marked, and it is easily known when they get
through, and thus the thickset' of any hard stratum is
accurately ascertained.

A company h dow forming to duk a shaft to the
ahot-e-mentiontsit ore.

INckrooi has entered Iwo a Wets with Mr. &Ate-
Toe, and Is to tonne oat in the ()pees ofArtasatna, with
Stun am arid the whole strength of the Drary-Lase Opera.
Mr. IPtituere, the tinter, it k said, has been offered
r Illinois to retnro to Ne* York for one month only ;
another report his already sent 1:ino to a different counter
—no U•ss thin M.tna ger of the Dublin Theatre, under the
new arrangement