The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-06-12

doubtless follow his Consul and his Minister to
England.
CLOUDS IN THE THEATRICAL HORIZoN-THE
Sock AND BUsKIN AT LoGGERHEADs-The thea
trioal atmosphere looks almost as squally just
now as the political Difficulties which, like
the Central American question, had been tenn
porarily patched up by Clayton-Bulwer expe-
dents, are waxing to head, and are about to
claim their due share of public attention. We
cannot always live on political excitement.
Variety is charming, and the caterers for our
amusement, as they love to style themselves
rush in to beguile the tedium of the interval Of
suspense between the dismissal Of Champion
and its probable ricocha, the election of Dali
Las. Whilst we are waiting for the results
of quarrel on large scale, they generously
afford us an opportunity of amusing ourselves
with the mimic spectacle of contests, in which,
as usual, there will be q great deal of noise,
great deal Of recrimination, and but few
broken bones. Artists aud managers dis.
pptes never prove dangerous, and when there
is any damage, it is generally the public who
are called upon to repair it.
The last piece of gossip in this way is the
announcement that Manager Burton and Mana
geress Keene are at daggers drawn about
the lesseeship of the Varieties theatre. We
are sorry to find that the former is losing his
gallantry in his old days, and is quarrelliug
with the fair sex. But Burton is getting rich,
and with the acquisition Of wealth mems ma
lures are apt to change. He is no longer, 10
- or;G M m
ment, and accordingly the fair Laura has
bundle of grievances against him. The origin
Of the difficulty is this:-Burton has just sue
ceeded in selling his theatre in Chambers street,
which originally cost him only 100000, for
the handsome sum of $1S0,000, and he has
invested the money in the purchase of the Va
rieties, which, in his hands, is likely to be one
of the best theatrical properties in town.
Laura Keene, it seems, has five years lease Of
the theatre; but this instrument has not been
allowed to stand in the way of the bargain, it
being alleged, that she has not fulfilled all its
covenants The version of the affair put for
ward by the lady's friends is this: She leased
tie theatre in December, to run till December
next, at the rate of $500 per week, payable in
advance. She had the privilege of renewal
Of four years from September by giving notice
on the 1st of May last. On that day she was
in arrears for rent and gave no notice.
Strictly speaking, therefore, the covenants OF
the lease were violated. But on the 10th of
May she paid to Mr.. Lafarge, at his residence,
S2,S75, the amount due, and has his receipts
to June the 9th, in full. On receiving the
arrears Mr.. Lafarge promised Miss Keene the
theatre for four years from September,
1856, and made statements to that effect to
several other persons. Mr.. Burton has been
long DESTROYS Of leasing the theatre; but Mr..
Lafarge declined letting it to him, stating
that he wished to sell the fee simple of the
property or let it for a heightened term-say
twenty-one years. On Saturday last Mr.. Bur-
OF the ground but under what understanding
or agreement with Mr.. Lafarge in regard to
the present lessee we have yet to learn. As
will be seen by the following letter, Miss
Keene is under the impression that Mr.. La
farge's word is as good as his bond =
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.
SR-In Of the city Journals OF to-day statements
were made with respect 70 the Q: which
sions with respect to Mr. Latarge and myself have In
vested many lhoufard dollars and Al possess IN the
world, in his buildings aud al the profits of my arduous
exerens through the past season are visible in the i'm
provepents, scenery ana decoratons We're surren-
der NY yhts therefore, should leave the house with
nothing but my will and energy.
LOO net contemplate taking any such STEP particular
y IS have had no intistion from M Lsiargs that any
Of my rights in jeopardy. On the contrary, having
performed al the covenants OF Lease, do not believe
Mr.. LArge would be party to any at tending to dc.
prve me Of my hard earned property am assured Of
still further by The fact thai he his heartes.
congratulations my informing HIM that would hold
for the whole OF the several terms
which it at my option, under the lease, to retain
the house. He gave me- ALSO his word as gentleman
together with the present of one weeks rent as
arrest Of his sympathy and co-operauon and he Will
not assured, yield little of his honor, or even
the memory of his and generous assurances You
obedisntly, LAURA kEENE.
LAURA KrEsEs VARIETIES, June II, 1856.
However all this may be, it is certain that
the theatre is now Burton's property, and as
Miss Keene intimates pretty plainly that she
will not submit quietly to this transfer of her
interests, the affair will end in litigation, un-
less some compromise can be arrived at. We
recommend Burton to play Petrarch to the fair
Laura on this occasion, and to accommodate
matters in a quiet civil Toodles-like way.
The affairs of the Academy Of Music con-
tinue in the same unsettled state. There is
but little probability that the call of SIPS per
ehsre, which has been made upon the stock
holders, will be paid up. The debt of the con-
Germ is S150,0OO, and the present call, If
realized, would merely meet the interest
of the money. Thus year after year
the stockholders would be called upon
for similar instalments, without any hope of
diecharging eventually the load of obligation
which is weighing upon them. The only ra
tional course would be to pay up the full
amount of their shares, and thus at once re-
lieve the property from its membranes.
Neither of these steps, however, are they likely
to take, and the consequence will be that
| the nrnnerty will fall under the hammer AZ