KING'S THEATRE.-The orche...
The Times, 1824-01-13T00:00:00

KING'S THEATBE.-The orchestra of this theatre as- sembled yesterday evening in fuU number, for the purpose of trying the effect of the reverberation of sound under the alterations that bave taken place in the interior of the edi- fice, and of givng td-Rossini, the conductor, a specimnen of the combined as well as separate power of the instruments of wbich it is composed. A formal introduction - took place on the occasion, in which Signor Benelli acted as master of the cereinonies, first to Spagnoletti, the leader of the band, and then to each performer in- dividually. The piece selected as the first trial was the overture to La Gazva Ladra, which wvas played in a style fully answering the expectations of Rossini; at least, if external indications of pleasure may be considered a fair index of the composer's sentiments. With very few exceptions, the whole of the band of last vear appear again in their places. There is a first oboe and a princi- pal bassoon, bot foreigners,webelieve, who make theirfirst appearance iu this country, of *vhose talents it would be un- fair,, perhaps, to form a judgment on so slight a trial. The successors of Gricsbach and 3EIolmes, who were probably themnostilflilperf'orters on these ilnstr uments in J:urope, will hve mucht to encounter in the way of disadvantageous cornparison. Mtra WVetberell was yesterday, at ten o'clock, sworn into the office of Soliitor-Gencral. Atr.1rilbraham read the letters patent, signed by the King, appointing the learned gentleman to the office. Theoaths of allegiance and supremacy were then adminis- tered-to hinion his knees. On rising, be took the usual oath for the due execution of the duties of his office of Soliditor-Ger.eral, pro- mising weeU and truly to perform his duty of Solicitor-General in any of the courts of law in England, and on all occasions to promote the King's suit. The Lord Chancellor then delivered the letters patent to the Solicitor-reneral; and he received the congratulations of his leamed brothers upon his appointtment. CAsssaRIDg, Jan. 10.-We have authority to state, that a requishiton for a county Ymeeting is in the course of signature, to consider the proper measuTes to be pursued, in order to return to Parliament, at the next general election, two members for the caUn- ty free of expense following the noble example and patriotic spirit lately evinced by the freeholders of the county of Lincoln._Ifant- ingaon Gadttc. Colonel San Ailiguel, late Secretary of State under thif Constitutional tvovernment of Spain, who was taken prisoner by the French in Catadonia, and claimed by Ferdinand, is stated to have passed tbrough Bayonne an the 4th, under an escort, for France. it is certainlv to the honour of thc French Government, that this bravc man has not been given up to he butclhered, as was Riego, by the satellites of dcspotism at Madrid. GIBRALTAI, Dec. 19.-The 'Satda Fermica, PiTno, from Cadiz, and hence to Genoa, nut into Alnieria the 20th ult., having been plunderedl three days before byea 4panish felucca,oft Cape Ganlas, of 2,200 dollars, two barrels of cochineal, 21 serins of indigo, an3 some trunks belonging to thc passengers. Extract of a letter from Calcutta :-. , Mr. Trackery, the barrister, who went to Calcutta without any licence from the Direc- tors of the East India Company, has been refused admission by the Judges, stating, that the bar had already three uiore than its proper number, and that they would admit none tintil there were four va. cances, and then they would admit only one. Thc Government has also ordered him to leave Caleutta anid return to EBtrope, as he had liO licence to residc." THE LATE CHARLES DiuDiN.-On Satturday (Ceveting a meeting was held at the Freemasons' Tavern,to make arrangements ibr the public dinner and festival, wvhihl was numerously attended by subscribers and friends. At 8 o'clock Dr. Kitchiner was unani- inously caled to the chair; and, after a number of letters were read from several distinguished characters, regretting their absence on the occasion, the busincss was proceeded with. The public dinner wvas eventually fixed for Friday, March 5, and Admiral Sir Joseph Yorke is to be requested to preside on the occasion. T'he Lordl Chamberlain, it is said, has issued lis vet, against the performnance of French plays in any public building of the mnetropolis. It is reported also thbis Lordship has isued new regulations respecting the mlinor theatres, in cnnseqsmeace ofthar nlication of the prqpntetors of the two patent theatres. O p The smll.pox jircvails considerably at Cambridge, and several ch,ldren bave died. Tiie cotton-spinniiers of Retnfrewshire havc struck for wages, though they are said to earn from 25s. to .'0s. a week. It appears lrom the following passa%e in Tlte Lance! of last wveek, that the question of giving publicity to all proceedings in- volving public interzst, has been discussed in the medical as well in the political word:-' Tbe expediency of giving reports of public medical lectures, rests on the same general grouuls as that of pub- lishing reports of Parliamentary orjudicial proceedings. Tule ques- tion, as it regards jud,cial proceedings, has recently bean argued, with great ability, botb is the English and French journals. lirri- ters ofallparties areagreed as to thebeneficialfrectsof unrestrained publicity,-an opinion whieb has been sanctioned by a Committee of the House of Commons, and opposed by none, but a few persons whose minds, naturaRy feeble, have been still further cramped and debilitated by the trartmcls of professional sophistry. If the expe- diency of reporting Parliamentary and judicial prtcecdings be ad- mitted, becau6e those proceedings affect the liberties and property of the subject, on what ground can it be pretended that a similar pub- licity ought not to be given to public medical lectures, and public medical transactions of' every description, which affect the still more imnportant interests of the lives and health of the people a The im- mediate benefits arising froni such a publication are the correction of errors, the suggestion of improvenents, and an increased degree of vigilance and activity among all branches of the profession, whien they knowv that their proceedings are constantly under the eye of the public, and that. thy 'will be amenable to public opinion." LatUCSSTERs BoaOUs SESSIOrSS.-REv. FL DAvis v. LIM.Y.-Tlus ease came to be argued before the Recorder, this day, in tme shape of, an appeal froml the decision of the MUagistrates at the Exchauge. Nr. Bond, for the respondent, addressed the Court at some length, to sbow that his client was entitled to Easter offerings,as due to hist of can mon ri ita s vicar of the parish of St. Nicholas, in this town. MIr. F. Bankart, for the appellant, insisted (the right of CUstoUI lhaving beets relinquished by Air. Bond) that his client was not liable, beause he beloaged to that class of persons (labourers) who were exempted from the payment of such offerings. and called witnesses to prove the fact. It appearing, however, that though Lilly generally worked at his trade tshoemaking) as a jour- neyman, that he did sometimes make shoes to order, tte Recorder held that he ditl not conie within the meaning of the act, and was thereforeliable to the virar'sidematidofsixpence_-that is, two-pence per head for every individual above the age of 16. The Recorder said the case liad been wel argued on both sides, and lamented that observations had been used by ifIr. Bond, and relilied to by Mfr. Bankart, which had nothiing to do with the question. The appel- lant had a right tg appeal-s lie htd done, amid even to caU upon oth1ers to assilt hint, iflic thought proper. Althoughl this ease uns been decided aeainstLily, it clearly appears that all person-of the class of labourers, tljgt is, all who do not manufacture and Kcll their own goods, are exenipt fromn the poayment of Easter offerings.- Leiccrier CAsronicler. ATTEMrTED.SUICDR .-Yesterday niorninig, an unfortu- -nate-nimatamed&Smlth;kccper othcwatcblelouse in Lancaster- street, at the Feat of the Foundling Hospital, attempted to-put a pe- rinod to his ceistense, by deseharging a large cavalry pistol, heavily loaaded with small shot, into t_el ower part of the skull, beneath the right ear, which cauttsed a comipountd fracture of the bone, carried awaY a great part af the ear, and totally tlestroyed the articulation of the jawv. The unfortunatc lnan had been out the previous night on patrol, and had retired to rest as usual in the uiornirig; when his wife went to call bin about ten o'clock, she found him literally steeped in blood; surgical assistance was immediately obtained, and after a partial dressing of the wounds, he was removed to the Mid- dlesext Hospital for furthe aid, but no hopes whatever were enter- taiped of his recovery-l He attended Ilatton-garden Police-offi ce on Saturdav, and was to have apDeareA before the grand jury at Nicks's.hall vesterday, to produce some property commnitted4to his charge, bytfie magistrate's order, on which bills of indictment v;ere preferred: tlr prosecutors having appeared, Smith was caUed, bUt no one answering, a nmessenger .was sent off to de- sire his attendance, whto soon after returned wAitw intelligence that he had shot himself through the head a few minutes be- fore; from this circuiiistance, it was supposed that in the interval he hbd made away witli'the property inlrusted to his charge, and had adopted thisdreadful altertiative in order to escaVe punishmlent. By direction qf the magistrates of Hatton.garden, Linibrick one of the offlicers, proceeded to tlethouse, when the w6unded mari was being removed ; and having atnounped tbe object of hiis mission, every ar. tide which Snmith had in care was faitlfully giien ttp to the officer by hisdisconsolate vife5so.that the spspicilonivs iimanifestly unjust. 1 here is-only one C seto :which this raAshact can be attributedi he |was latelydeprivedlof fbes tttati6o onf stretepcr, which he held -iuiad the conimitteewho lhave thC r2airagement of the- Larncaster estate, a.^dji4 deprivatioLr6yQd so heavily on his spirits that he .hasnof etran p u traction. e i6 representedas A vsry ssberinan; and a most s.ie.It officer; h behas left a: large tild helpless familyi . On Fiiray two c dtwprate feloavs, named Spencer and. Beclcwith, effected th-eir-escape ftom on board the Ganyntedg pri?9ni ship atChatbam ;- tbe vwere cov.sgted'of felonies somne time since, and reinamed in theGaymede, under rule of transportation for seven years.. They are supposed toliave returLed totheir-oldhau4ts in the neighbosrhood of Wihitechapel,wllich isthe bot.bed of every species of crime. Friday se'nnight, aboutlseven o'clock in the mnorning that iumenunse ridge clle thse Dripping Craigj aboutttwo hutidred .yards from the east s'sQe Of the-pier at Wemyas, in Fife, which the sez p.as been long under,mfiniiig,:fell wfih a tremeirdoits crash, -the uoise of iwhiCi excteded thlat ot thle loudest;thunder, and -madc the terrified ibabisnota start from theiri sleep, under the -itnpression tbat 'some 'Iwd ionvulsion of narture had .taen place. By this disruption, a considerable number of trees, wfu;begrew on th5 sumnmit, were pre- cieitsted to tbie beach, along with an immense quantity of stone, of wiich it is supposed that many.of tfie musses anot be leS than ! Im ve tods t0 J4wwigbt -,