Drury-Lane Theatre.
The Times, 1824-07-12T00:00:00

The Annua Mieeting ofthe Proprietors of this Theatretook placei on Saturday in the Saloon, in PruneO ulcavrieet te ce.washof pubic advertisement. Atbslf.psp two, Mr. CALCLAFT Was CalUed to the chair and the advertisement by which the meeting was convened ws2 read by' Mr. Dunn, the scretary. ~eLdwa eAp Mr. Du;z; then ra the following reort:. 2 REPORT OF THE SUB-COMb.ITTEE TO THE GEIMRAL COM-' 5.ITTEE. The Sub-Committee have again the satisfactoon to mtea the eneral Committee with their report upon the affairs of the com. pany, which they submit as a brief summary tof the anaingemed of their concerns whish have taken place sioce the last G.veneral, Assembly. pT the report win be confivemed by the proDuction of the acoixints, which have been regularly audited 'y 1Mr. Oakley. They have the stsfactiDi to state, thut the rent aue from the lessee has been regularly paid; in addition to wich, he has made the deposit, provided by the lease, of 2,0001., towards the rmnt for the ensuing year. The Sub-Committee deem it necessary also to observe, that by teouies of new stock, the lessee has c not only maintained the oyvetueafthe wardrobets, scener, &c. enual to the estimate when de- livered into his hands, but considerably incdrase it eand the best proof of the general improvement of the pr ty by the alteratiess of the theatre, is foand in the patronage of the public, whd*4ve re, warded the enterprise of the loeyey a successful sweaon. " The new Rentess wh6se annuity of Is. 3d. per stightcam.. mencd e th 1stof ctoer ht, avereceived the amount from thbe Sub-Committeee through their tr es, oMtesss. Turtoit, Fal. lowfeld nd nodgass,to hoseaccunt the same hasi been paid, by rgultedinsalmets,int th baking-house of Mlessrs. Run- " The first instalment of the bond-holders, directed by the act of Parlianmeat to he made in the preent month, amountineg to 3,4881. Os. 3d., was paid in anticipation on the 1st of October last, in order to save to the proprietary one year's interest thereon. "The Sub-Committeee had long contesmplated effecting an. ad ditional security against fire, to the pro perty smtrusted to their- Care, whenever the funds of the Theatre would admit. "They have accordingly erected, at a very considerable expense, a tank at each extremity of the building, calsulated to contain a sufficient quzntity of water to extinguish fire in the remotest part of the Theatre, should such a calamity take plac' " The means by which the Sibh-oDnmittes have been enabled to meet these expenses, they submit, with great gratification, to the General Commiitt It will be in their recollection, that in theyear 1819, (a perod at which the Theatre laboured under extrene pecua niary dififculties) his Most Gracious Majesty condescended to head a subscription by a loan of one thousand pounds, in support of a plar projected by the Sub-Committee to disencumber the concern. This loan His Majesty has been graciouslgy pleased to direct should be considered as a contribution towards the general funds of the Company. " The Sub-Committee have also the satisfaction to state, tlht his Royal Highness the Prince Leopold' has desired the same applice- tion to be made of his subscription of 2001. " The Sub-Committee have now to state, that the claims discover- ed to be due to the various creditors in 1819, amounting io 9,0001., have, by the atranzement, and a regular appropriation of thefunds, been reduced to 27,1721. 12s. 4d. " In closing this report, the Sub-Conniittee have only to reqatse the attention of the (eneral Committee to the annual state-aen of accounts prelaaratory to its being-ii befope 'he Gdneial Assernbly, and which statement is now reduced to a very brief abstract, viz. at the last GeneralAssembly in July, 123, the debt ef the Tlatre " Thc payment of the first instalment to the bondholders,-made ih October last, amounting to 3,4881, Os. 8d., leaves the present incum. brance upon the concern, with the addition of the interest to them for the last year, at 27,1721. 12s. 4d., co?nisting ef-the followir.g items :_ "Bondholders, 20,9281. 4s.'4d.: unclaimed dividends,1,28ML.; cm. positions awarded of the late theatre, 3,9181.; one year's interis to bondholders, 11046L o^s. h 1' Awl there is an available balance in the hands of the ba L; wards tkereductionof thesame,of 6,121.6s.7d.,wWich whenappliWd, the extent of the claim upoR the concern wiU be 21,41).6 6s. lOd." Mr. CALCP.AFT now rose, and said it was not necessary te trouble the meeting with any observationj. T-he report was so, explicit and so accurate in itself, that it cofitgwed all wlich couLt be said on the subject. There was a_ .circunsstaneel bowever, which it was fit to mention: he alluded to the item of debt awarded to persons having claims agaist the late theatz:e, Thia wa stated more for form's sake thin any thing else; fprhebhadl a doubt the committee would never be caJed upon to make that sum good. He was satisfied that the sum might be 2pplied to the liquidation of the 4ebt stated to be existing, according to the pre, sent state of things, which would thus be reduced to litte more. than 17,0001. (Hear.) According to the engsgewent under whichi the present management was conducted, it -as stipulated that- the old proprietors should not reap any bi-nefit from tbe pro; perty til 1830; but now he liad great satisfaction in remarking that they would, in all probability, be enabled to attain tbis desirable ena one year sooner, as by that time he anticpated the theatre -wonld be completely frce from incumbraice. (Rear.) The honeurable gen. tleman expregsed his gratitude in common with the other pro,prietor& for the liberalty which had been exercised by His Majesty2tn relifno quishing his claim to the thousand pounds wlich had been advartced to them bh way of loan in iSi9; anid he thou,glht.equal gratitude was. due to his Royal Highness Prince Leopold. (Hear.) Of the lessee too, it was impossible not to speak in the highest terms, for not only. had lie strictly complied with all the covenants of his agreement, buthehad gonefurther,and had greatly added to ibevalue and excel. lence of their property in every ssible way; and would no doubt in, the coming, as hbe ha in the late, sexcre a Succesfil season.nCheers.) Tle thinness of the sinecting he considered asat earnest of theconfi. - dence with which the proprietors regarded the-manner in which *heir interests had been prolmoted. In conclusion, the hon. gent. rmoveij that the report should be confirmed. ' The report was confirned accordingly, aud the Geuei-l Coin., n mittee, the Sub-Committce, and the Auaiior of last ycar were: re.. elected. A2r. . B. Alen andlMr. W. H.C- Chur vcere laO elected mnem. A~~~~~~~~~~~~~- .,: bers of the General Comnmittee, .n the rooin of AMr. Ricardo and 51r. Thomas Church. Mlr. PAL wExEtvrsl,D, one of the trustees of the niew renters. on the part of these persona expressed his gratitude to the Sub-Com nittee, for thc mnanner in which they had conducted the affairs of the Theatre, and stated his erfect confidence that this theatre would soon exhibit ananomalyithehistoryof theatres in this country- namezldy, that it weuld be oat of debt. IRe then moved the fol:owina resolunon~~~~~~~~~~flown " That the sincere and heartfelt thanks of the proprietors, renters, and bond-holders, be offered to the Sub-Committee, for the labour, sKill, anddilignce they have evinced in the arrmngement of the affairs of Drury.lane Thettre- and the meeting ventures to express a hope, that they will continue their labours till the bond debt becom- Pletely extinguished, and the theatre altogether liberated from em- barrassrnent."-Carried nem. con. MLr GEORGE ROa1sNS stated, as the best proof of the incrersed prosperity of the theatre, that the old shares,which were sold for IOL, ere now cold for 301.; and. that the new renters' shores, which were sold for 1001.,were now sold for 250 guineas* while those of Covent- garden, which paid 2sk 6d. per night, which was double the sum paid by the Dmry-lane theatre, only sold for 350 gulneas. This showvred on which side the greatest stability was supposed to The thanks of the meeting were then voted to 7Mr. Calcraft, and the meeting dissolved. DRU-RY-LANB THEATRE.