The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-09-17 00:00:00

• .
LETTER FROM4PI-OLD 0. A
le WC • .% • • •
MINDERS OF THE NEW 0. P. ASSOIdiATION.

Gomtne.,—lf the still voice of reason can
boor w reach your wall amid the noise and clamour
of ,our present occupation', I flatter myself (hat
voile peculiar pretensions to entitle me to a
fiveurable hearing. from yowl *. Though by Nature
disci:shied feit, taking any active part in tumults of
this nature,. being gifted by her Ladyship with a!
I. ry moderate portion of lungs, I confess that
tithotgh the greater part of the contests of last sea.
sat a pleased spectator et *bat eonsitlerent
as o,,licationi of very meritorious expression or.
seirit amain' managerial encroachment.-1
Though I "over went so far as to pen a placard my..
6,11, yet I have given hints to sweble artist in that
depaitinent, who did not feal to improve my slender
suc,.:ratiots: up to a pitch of laughable:extravaganza.
I hate been appesled to on a poem, and consulted
uo a cat icaturi In.short, my *idest en that oc.
ea,itot may entele me to the character, if nor of a
practical, yet certainly of a contemplative 0. P.
With something of the old spirit iu me, 1 did
out fail of being present the first eight of the pre-
sent season, and fur a while my ears were not un-
pleasantly regaird with a rapetitm oit Ikesc sounds
Ueelessing to a telenellaeliar
but in a little time my asktheiyirvi sebsialad, and
calmer reason took her•placet •
I edultl n,it help lodate/limped no,' and asking,
what were the greawds tbe present contest ?
Were they such as to entitle this to the name of a
just and items:try war ? or haat they nut, in truth,
bhiued their position from time to time, till they
had arrived at that conjuncture, where, .without
injury to the dignity of either party, a fair and
honourable peace might be eassielodett, either upon
the basis of the steeds antes or the esti pussidelis P
The Private Buses, that first sod lag bone of
retention, to which the raised prices iced Certainly .
peter any thing inure than a subordinate of sepoe.
mentary grievance, which of itself would never
have disturbed the harmony between the Public and
the Proprietors fur any length of time—the Private
Bears, the objections to which, on au imaginary
ecore of morality, lead been so loudly lasisted upon,
that the real grievants() of them, their encroachment
upon the right of. public adinisslow.was iu danger
of being overlooked;—the Privaic Boxes had
,hrunk from their reurbitant and insulting dimen.
Aleuts into a cgloperitively very MUM Space, • In.
stead of that nbalstiotut circle, which formed).
Wed and bullied the house, they bad contracted
thembeyes, I was :happy tosee,vinto two witt4s, or
rather maestri, of their former domains, anti nu
loupr brow.beatvd the lavish(' with the exihnsive.
f their eueroaelainents, of the offensiveness of
their •Ituation. So much, thought I, we have;,
arieJ ; we have a- fair space of two-thirds laid
rit ; a goodly common redeemed from iniquitous
torl wires; a .lice cut out of the very heart of the
rile., y', c tomes. Let these persons, if they have a
vanity of detaching themselves from public con.
tee;, enjoy their solitary par.ticipation in the
rohlic pleasures in sides and corners, from
w hence the continual prospect of the ample
territories which we have won from them will not'
fail of teaching them a salutary lesson of moderation ;
and let the Theatre profit by their weakness. There
is room fur us and them ; mourn in that space which
we have gained upon them ; roam in the two ample
tiers which are below them, no -part of which was
ever attempted to be wrested front us; here is room,
without ascending higher, for all the decent cam.
patty which the Proprietors can hope to see as.
sembled ninety.nine out of every hundred eights of
perforniance! If in consequence of .the four boxes
tat each side, which are all that are at present ob-
jected to, a few well.drest prostitutes and their
admirers are compelled upwards into a less can-
Totten( place for seeing and hearing that Ojai is
the list thing they come either to see or !nab the
performances—we, the Public, are nail* diners
by
.their exclusion: and with all our dislike to
those privileged separatists, the inmates of the,Pri,
vale Boxes, it must be-confessed, that there is nothing.
in the exterior of their deportment uirestsive W de-
trucy or good mauners.
These reflections were unavoidably forced upon
me by.a casual glince which I gave at the interior
of the Theatre, after the first emotions of eyie_
panty, with which I had listened to the yfell.
known* snoods of popular displeatilie halt tub.
.
sided.

Bet the Centred
Ilya shall we get rid of
this treat timat
That keeps us pale /
Let us fairly look this formidable obstacle in the
face, and try. if from some corner of it' we cannot
extract some circumstance which may lead us out
of the labyrinth.
That the Proprietqrs did enter Into a sti—
palatiun expressly- to confine the Private Loxes
to the number of three ou each side, they do
mut attempt to deny. That they somehow consider
themselves as released front the literal fulfilment of
this promise, k equally certain. Let us enquire
how this delusion, if it be one, on their part, was
fostered by the sucoura • nt or acquiescence of
edit.
the public. "`
In the interim, between the entering into the co,
teant, and the close of the lain season, the act fur
r'huitiling Drury-tape Theatre passed. It is not
• el intention to comment n pun the unqualified liberty
tlurein given for the crectiag of Private Boxes, or
meddle vs ith the doubtless sage intentions of the
I- 'pasture. Perhaps it was not strictly decorous
13 House of Lords or Commons to interfere iu a
Theatre squabble. It WAS too much like making
I'leattelvcs a party with the Managers again•t us..
Perhaps it wits not strictly logical in the Proprietors
et Covent Garden Theatre to make this a plea for
dcmtn.ding a relessement from the rigorous fulfil-
Ism! of their conditions, particularly while their
'441 whose newly.satictioned superius privilege
they so much affected to dread, remained in a state
of very dubl us revivification. Still they did make
thus plea by the mouth of Mr. K. on the last day
:f the season, and that request did stein to be very
wily acceded to. Nut satisfied with even this sane.
thin, Mr. K.' made personal application to the
ntlemen who were considered as the leaders of
Ole Grown anti 4nchor Association) and from all

tF
of /hens hi turs)receired the fullest aisirrinices of
their concurrence in the new urrang.ens Ad.'
nutting the propriety of making the request at all,
I, do not see -what more he could have done to neer.
tine the public sense, the 0. P.'s having ceased to
aasemble as a body, unless indeed he. had called
19011 every individoal of us in person et our re--
-spective places of abode : a task, which consider.
'sing the strength of our slumbers at that time, would
have been almost too much to have demanded from
,the pliability of any Manager.
- Tba crime then by which the Proprietors have
'had the misfortune to merit your resentment, seems
to have been, nut that they did not seek to obtain
;your sanction, as far as it could be gathered, to
this departure Item the primitive contract ; but
that, being once made, they should ever think• of
departing from it at all.
Gentlemen, the Proprietors of Covent Garden
Theatre are men, and not heroes. Let us pat the
case home to ourselves. . Which of us that by a
dilemma, amounting pretty nearly to compulsion,
had at any time entered into an unpalateablo en.
gagement, would scruple etideavuuring to, secede
from sumac harsh stipulation coutained in it, when.
ever we thought we could, perceive a relenting
pliysiegisonly, a departure from rigour in the coon.
lenance of the .utter party? That something of
this friendly aspect had appeared, I argue (rolls the
unqualified greetings with which the reappearance
of Mr. -K. was received au tile memorable night
of the Reconciliation, who. ka
,jtadutgens- Public
hailed the;restoretiooof their old' l'abitrites, and
consented to bury all 'Past Emirs -its obit/ion:.
What wboder if the Prisprietors,,:gacouraged . by
such demoustrations of good will,. thought they
saw in them something which looked more kindly
en them than the face o'f•iigorwts luitiCe is ordi.
warily paititel ; something which savou'ted of equity,
favour, and -liberal .construotion.? •Where was the
heinousness of the utfence, if-by a veniaybecause-
alight, deviation from the lino of unerring rectitude,
they wev anxious to staten the terms of a contract,
which, as it placed them ina worse situation than
they were hefure the unhappy contests Vegan, had
something of rigorous anttover.strattied inits very
fir..t concoction ? What if, ;dying upon the kindly
fiction of a perfect furgiveness, by. which a state of
penitence iv considereti as equivalent to a state:of
innocence, they hoped from your re-turning favisar
to ho no worse off than they were before they bail
the unhappiness to forfeit it formerly ? %Ire were
conquerors ; but it has not seldom been seen, that
a Conqueror has witig %red those laws, w hich, in
the plenitude of his first power, he ;night hove
thought necessary to his own dignity to inipuse.

In common life two men m ike a contract itt an
affair of property. If it shall afterwards appear
to one of the parties, that by receding from the
letter of the contract in one instance, .he shalt part
with stone privilege very insignificant in itself, but,
by so doing he pall confer. a most valuable consi-
deration upop the other party, he will readily do it,
if he btu not a 'very's...lush or ill.eativeir man. In the
present case what you demand, Gentleiumi, if com.,
plied with, will diminish the receipts of the Theatre
by maw tbousauds Qf Puunds, and nut an individual
of you will receive any beuefit by it iu money or
convenience.
My 1'6%14, it is excellent to have a • giant's
strength, bet it is tyrannous to use it like a giant.
Let me request you to smirch your own bosoms,
and you will perhaps fioil.iliat there is amu ive, al-
togedier distinct (rein a feeling of justice, which
yet may mingle with that feeling, and render it a
little suspicious. Of all the motives which set man,
kind to work, the strongest, and what mixes more
or less with every ether, is a love of power. Are
you sure that you are exempt from this ? That you
do not feel a tickling sensation at the thought of de-
priving the Town of its favourite diversions At
converting the Theatre into 4 scat of war, and re.
doing the Players to the state of Puppets ? Du you
feel no soothiags of complacence, wbeu a' Gentle-
man of Nlr. K.'s education and talents, by the ac-
cident of hie torofession, is obliged to subject him-
self tee,xpressiotis of disrespect, which he dare nut
tetanal*? If.any thing of this sort mingles with
your sense of injustice, let roe begot you to dismiss
it as soon as possible. The love of justice cannot
be too pure and unmingled. Hoping that these de.
.soltory observations- may have some weight, and,
with 4 probability of addressing you again soon,
I remain, Gentlemen,
Your devoted Servant,
. CONCILIATOR.

Sept. 16.

Bears have within a few years increased so consi.
dciable in Bengal and the Carnatic, as to induce the
India Government to oder large rewards fur their
destruction.
The Four.in.hand Club have of late been unmer.
eifully lashed by our Gazetteers ; and hardly
enough, we think, for they have this negative merit
at least; seine of them it may be true, can du
but little in discharging either the national incum.
beraucy or their own ; but, then they take a laude.
ble care that their country shall owe nothing to
them.
A vast quantity of rain foil during the middle of
last month in the States of New York and South
Carolina, which, causing great freshca, occasioned
imineuse losses to individuals whose plantations
%or e situated near the river. On Beach Island, tho
whole of the crops werdalosts4loJ, and 250 head
of cattle drowned.
The City intend to apply 'to Parliament, early
in the cusuing Session, for Bills to alter and amend
the late Acts relative to Smithfield-market, ti, the
Sunday toll on Blackfriar's.bridge, the entrances
into the City by Picket andSls.inner-streeli, and to
some ogler objects of municipal regulation.
The Content of Gries, near Berne, was sup.
pressed early last month, and converted into bar.
racks; all the Convents lit the department of the
Upper Adige will, it is supposed, share the same
fate.. . •
A peer of 30 persons were assembled in a large
building at Petersburglr, it the beginning of last
meat, to,celebrale a marriage, when a (builder
storm coming on, the root Was struck by the light.
o;ng,. which entering, killed the bride and bride.
groom just as the Priest si as joining their hands)
without the °then Euetutoles any material Injury.

ftT

• ,
___noit•AtaL.
• :
' trraser OF A .FRIVATA :Lelergir MOW.
JOATAD I.' . l• •*. ,
•54 We.have,rumnurs here that Alm "dl ,Ns.
Ns.
27th at night. An aceount, said to have jiataumi
received, states that the. trenches Were opened cnil
the 24th ult. and that on the 27th a matizhie blear
up, which did such damage to the. place that hada.'
render was the consequence.. The place is certainly'
of some importance, but the loss by nnineaus ren-
ders our affairifilesperate. Colonel etas, 'commaad.l
ant of the place, is safe. It Is nut impossiltle thitt
this may have been the effect of treachery." • • •
Lissom, AUG. 27.—We are informed Irons Beira
Bahia, that Captain White, commandiog a squadron
of the 13th British Dragoons, and another ef the
4th regiment of Portuguese cavalry, 'on the ltd
hal a rencounter with an enemy's patrule of 60
horse, near the village of Ladociro. The result of
the action was, that the whole were made prisoners,
without any loss on our side; but the officer coin.
mantling the party made his escape in the confusion.
Captain White praisekhighly the Portuguese troops,
anti the Ensign Pedro du Oliveira, who comtnanded
them.
• HADAJO;, Auc. 22. The position of the Mir.
'Os de Romanis remains the sanse as before, as does
also that of the French:
Lissom, Ave. 27.r-Buan,official letter .from
Lord Wellington, dated flead.quarters at Alverca,
the 22d inst. we are informed that the enemy are
lisbouring at the trend* against Almeida ; but
owing to the nature 9/ the ground, as well As
the tire from Abe fortress,, their labours are rendered
airy difienit: -At the above. date, the enemy had
r-
not openeti his•brc against the place. Our army is
asking a forward movement.
Lissom, Amain. 31.—According to accounts
from the headquarters at Avelans de Bribeira,
dated the 26th instant, the enemy continue their
Works before Almeida, but hare not- yet opened
their fire. • • •

r

The rising in Biscay, Navarre, and the Asittrias,
.has become general, and another expedition. was
,iebeut to leave Corunna fur some. point pn that
.coast, in order to encourage and render more deci.
sive these generous efforts. We shall Soon be able
'tsgive.the particulars of their different movements.
General Buitrar has killed or made prisoners-50
.French dragoons in the vicinity of Bienveatids.
tittAtkANZA., Aug. 19.—The &zoedition egainst.
.Puebla de Senabria has caused much mare lots to
the enemy than was at first imagined; for General
Serras lost in (rout of that fortress more than 1,200
'meti killed, prisoners, and deserters; of which
!last, 240 came over to us, and a much greater nutn.
ber to General Mahi; and the enemy, to strengthen
themselves at Puebla weakened their garrisons at
Leon, Valladolid, 'and Benavente, into which dis.
'trios the Spanish gverriltas entered, and put to the
sword. the small garrisons which opposed them,
Allaying ',timid destroying all the French property
which they found. The enemy have left this vici.
,asty in. order to re.eatishlish their garrisons at ;be
ibove places.

lawn, SE r. I.—We have received Cadiz G
;antes up to the 26th August, the contents of which
Aire iitterebting. The army of the centre, under.
the orders of General- Blake, advanced on the 10th
of August from Oche to Murcia. General O'Don.
nel has hid an interview with General Caro in
Peuiscola to concert• their operations ; the bitter
had, on the $J of August, his headquarters in Alvali
de Xivert. General O'llontiel having entered Tor.
too, ordered, on the 4th of August, a general
sortie; the result of which was, the destruction of
nearly the whole of the enemy's works. General
Villacarapa has a line advanced in Arragon, to cut
off the communication between the French corps
which U(QUIIy Zaragussa and Elaroca.—( Lisbon
Gazette, Sept. 1.) °
VA LENCII, AUG. 3.—The divisions of our army
which are destined to destroy the French force.
which occupies the positions of Murillo, and the
right bank of the Ebro, have been considerably
reinforced. General Dun J. Caro has already set
out to take the cohimand thereof.—c(Sanie Raper.)
.LISBON, AUG. 31. —The brigade of Portuguese
horse, which, on the '2d instant, arrived in liada,
jos, put itself in motion on the /7th to juin the
army of the Marquis
On the 29th instant, the-Eagle. of the third Swiss
battalion in the service of France, which was taken
in Puebla de Senabria by the troops commanded by
General Silveira, was presented to our Government.
It is a matter of sincere congratulation for this
country, that the Portuguese troops, whenever
they meet with the enemy, display the utmost
steadiness, intrepiditya and valour. In point or
discipline they are equelly conspieuous., thanks to
the eminent Weida and uctremitting attiyity of ,his
Excellency Marshal J3ereaford.—( Lis4an gazette,
disgust 31.)
liaomoz, Auo. 23.-The Junta of Govern.
intent of this Province has received the following

official .account ;
" On the Bth, at 7 in the morning, the enemy
entered Lerina, to the amoynt of 8000 infantry and
700 burn!, *here they remained to tbss 11th, on
which day our troops Attacked them as they were
retiring in good order tv Montemolen, where the
enemy halted ; the division of our army proceeding
in the direction of Valenti*, Ventosa, Zafra, and
other • contiguous places. The loss of the French
was from 1500 to WOO killed or wounded, and
our's much less in both.
" On the 12tb, in the evening, the moveable
coltimn, established by the party of Gazallas, and
consisting of 500 infantry, anti forty horse, left it
fur Villagarcir, distant one league, to deliver 450
wounded they had taken, and property which hwi
been' left in Lerina on the day of the action,
This all4Ull retired on the 13th, and on the
14th the army of the enemy returned, bring.
mg wily 4001 infantry : there *Ai alai, a great
deficient!) in their cavalry. 1p thanksgiving for
what they esti a vici.rty, thoy caused 9 Te Deem j
to be sung —a solemn processi=m to ha mole'
through the street—and, still su•le to mislead'
the people, they save a Ipill-44ht. They hare
establish,d a Pretea,t a,41 a Royal cquros...ary,
and havit;g fixed their beast-tithtft.li
they recritre &ill) cuisa, 41
lily of pruYiSitooll alli4rcut aci,ids• as urea 010141.