The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-10-18
rHEATR,cALs At HOME AND ABROAD.
Minutes Of Evidence Taken Before Select
Committee Of the British Parliament.

Minutes Of Evidence Taken Before a Select
Committee Of the British Parliament.
A select committee OF the English House OF Commons
has been recently taking testimony in relation To theatr
cal licenses and representations, in which great deal OF
interesting Information has been elected We have
ccved printed copy OF portion Of the testimony, in
Guiding that Of Mr. Dion Boucicault probably tho
voluminous OF dramatic authors, he having written
he says from 1870 200 pieces; that OF Mr.. Shirley
Brooks who modcsty thinks he may DO called dramatic
author as he has written from half dozen dozen
pieces, though he he would hardly claim for them
the dignihcd name OF dramas and that OF Mr. T. T.
Smith, the MANAGER Of Asey's theatre The points to
which the committee addressed itself moro particularly
tho policy Of maintaining the censorship OF the
press through the Lord Chamberlain, the licensing or
theatres the cond Of the English stage compared
with that Of the United sta and other foreign
tries and incidentally the comparative condition Of the
stage in England France and the United States. The
testimony OF all the witnesses most cmphatically ad-
to the continuance Of the censorship OF the drama
the Wow taken by them being that there present
settled rule governing tho Lord Chamberlain In the
matter that what incumbent OF the ONCE VIII reject
his will admit. and vce v-rsn, and that tba
proper and best tribunal Is that established In tho United
satesnameiy the good taste Of tho people, and their
intolerance Of lccntiousness the stage Mr. Brooks
gives amusing account OF the difhcutes he expc-
rcnced many years ago when he dramatized Disracis
brilliant novel OF "Coningsby, and relates how he and
the Lord Chamberlain went over the piece, scene by
scene and how the author perfectly astounded at the
ridiculous objections made by the The results Of
was says be learned his lesson and made his
satire out Of mder materials Hesays that "the British
public tocraby fastidous far questions OF pub
lie indecency co. and that such matters may be safey
left them. Mr. Boucicaut relates how a passage In
one Of his plays II came Scott rcmained pray"
nj NJ N 10 . All
believed that the famous line from Godsmith's De-
serted Village
q And fools that came to scof remained to pray
passage from the Bible.
II would that OF the witnesses have q very
called ssthe British public" Mr.. Brooks thinks II would
be difficult TO 90 very much lower than managers had
already gone with any chance q keeping decent order
leys sorry say that Der Freischutz does draw
IN that establishments and that pantomme answers best
rey side Of the Thames He have had pretty broad
grin his face when. In reply question In reference
a. the horse opera he said, Yes little taste in
that way suits the public sentiments"
The arrangement known "half price" for the ac
commodaiion Of those who come when the performance
Il half over s not In vogue anywhere In the United
states and seems to be 10 the way Of dcontnuance In
London. Mr. smith says he dlscontn red Il At Astleys
because he found that gentlemen of the House Of Com
who dned late In the habit of coming In al
half price. and he thought they might very well be
made 10 ray fun price ana that no would prefer II
certainly very natural and frank answer 70 give To
bis right honorable n,eogntors 10 regard 70 private
boxes he thinks that balconies similar 70 the American
theatres much preferable but sill he does not adj
nit that any mischief arises from them On being re-
minded that Madame Vestris would allow stalls IN
tho theatre because she thought an arstocraiic diys
ion, he suggested that she very clover woman, but
that he differed from her there such thing having
the drawn rght private boxes he says be
and that such thing would not 30 tolerated
Mr. BoucIcaut has great deal 10 say on those va
1ous subjects He thinks that the Lord Chamberlain
his Of tho censorship has acted rather capri
cloudy and illustrates bis caprice by showing how be
had forbidden Moses IN Egypt and allowed the psrnbls
OF The Prod gal Son 10 10 put on tho sa9e how ons
lord Chamberlain refused 20 license any more theatres
hax sSs oSd S cb.msers hes ia, Mere rsre
not enough and declared his willingness 10 license moro
Y they were properly built; hos Rossiuis opera q
Mos, Egito was forbidden, and hos II WIS performed
In another form, With another title; how Kuy Bias was
forbidden. twenty years ago, because there was 40
changed into q Princess the piece permitted One
Of the right honorable lnerogaiors got on Joke here,
skns Whether that wa. 90 'os principle ~ 'ge ~,
Boucicault replied that he supposed 40
With regard to Refreshments IN theatres Mr. Bonccant
or the opinion that restrictions In that respect
necessary that might be saely LETT 70 the
ger and the public suggested by member Of the
committee that the result would be that all the THEATRES
would be turned into music halls but witness
pressed his conviction that u would not be He had
seen = tired - Amor'ca WHERE there was 20 iesa re-
yet where the theatre was maintained al higher level
than In England Tar the nature of The performances
went, and where the actors themselves wcrs OF better
class few years ago. 10 Of the German theatres
on the side Of toe city lager beer used circulate
freely between the scts. and the Teuton and has fras
used 10 enjoy the National beverage sa pvstrsr 10 the
auditorium but thai has been dlscontinued We be-
cve ali Of them Mr. Bouecaglt Is quite right m say
ing that Nil these may safely be s 70 the taste
the public and 70 the managers understanding Of
that taste sorry say that the picture
be draws or the American stage IA entirely too latter
ing. He describes things he saw them here
ave six years ago bat NJ they are no onger He says
for Instance thai the standard ~ the drama very
much higher In the United States than In England that
tho pieces produced are Of bettor character, aud
that tbe legitimate drama generally patronsed
That all yeafs snce but, unfortunately,
metropolitan theatres have safly degeneraied within
that time The Barnutnzlng' process has destroyed
tho legitimate drama herc. Many u the theatres have
been converted into halls for the display Of acrobac PIT
forunnoes and for tho exhibition of immoral specaees
~ " only 10 the French and German theatres where
hstef and Dawson maintain the glory OF the stage that
tbe egitiuate drama has home In New YORK, and
unt thorough reconstruction policy be adopted W re-
CARO- 70 thota theatres Who have followed alter Barnnn
strange code, the testimony which Mr. Boucicault bore