24 i 



at first, and afTorded liis audience (uiiich 

 ue should have l)ecii j^hul to liave 

 found more nnnierous, and «l)icli oiig:lit 

 to have liccn more numerous) a degree 

 of gratification that >\as evinced by 

 considerable appianse. Ilcniemberin}^, 

 as \vc well do, tlie former and si- 

 milar undertaking's of Dr, Kenrick, 

 of Henderson, and of Thomas Sheridan, 

 father of the late Ricliard Brinsley, we 

 cannot avoid diauins a comparison be- 

 tween the pcrformanees at the Devil's 

 Tavern, Fleet street, and at Free- 

 Mason's Hall, and those at the Hay- 

 market Theatre ; and it is no trivial 

 liononr to the present dramatical com- 

 mentator and poetical reciter, to say 

 that he loses notliirif; by our recollection 

 of the ability with which those gentle- 

 men acquitted tliemseives. The en- 

 tertainment to which Mr. T. invites the 

 jioblic is so rational, so tridy intel- 

 lectual, and sohononrabie to tlie mental 

 encrzy and personal spirit and vigour 

 of a man of his advanerd years, that we 

 really think it wontd n lU-ct more ciedit 

 on the taste of the t r.vn, were his pcr- 

 ibrmaiices better attended ; we mean 

 in point o( mimbers ; f<:r his audience, 

 thiingh thin, vias of the most res|Ket- 

 able description. Mr. Thelwall, amidst 

 the decided di>ad^an(agcs of declining 

 years, possesses many refjnisites for the 

 task he has imposed upon himself. His 



Brifisk Legislation. [April I, 



deportment is unembarrassed, his action 



impressive, and the p;ei;eral style of his 

 delivery judicious and appropriate. If 

 occasionally he borilers a little on the 

 extravagant, for the mo.st part lie is 

 true to nature; and we cannot hol|> 

 thinking, that, had he more early Inniect 

 his attention to the stage, the |)ublic 

 Would have fnnnd in his exertions, 

 proofs of hislricinie powers, equal to 

 those of the most admired of our pre- 

 sent actors. In respect of his remarks 

 on th(; bard of Avon, it is but ju.st to 

 say, that they discoveretl a close and 

 studious consideration of the transcen- 

 dent genius (»f his author ; an e(|ually- 

 wtll-fonnded condenmation of the li- 

 renlioiis freedom exercised by Dryden, 

 Davenant, and otliers, in their addi- 

 tions, alierations, anil mutilations of his 

 text; and a just discrimination be- 

 tween the liiglKT and the less excellent 

 of his beauties. To these cursory, but, 

 we believe, well-grounded observations, 

 we have only to add, that the general 

 merit of Mr. T.'s perlormance has in- 

 duced our wish, that he may be more 

 liberally and more deservedly encou- 

 raged ; and iminessed us with the 

 opinion, that a more extended pa- 

 tronage of his labours would be as 

 honourable to the intellectual character 

 of the country as his disphiy of genuine 

 talent and sound judgment is to himself. 



BRITISH LEGISLATION. 



Diiifl of an Order in Cnvncil for imprnting 



the Cindilion of the Slures in Tiiwdnd. 

 1. V\! HEKEAS it is neeess;iiy that pro- 

 '' vision slioiild be made lor the itli- 

 gioiis in»tri:rtion of the Slaves in Trinidad, 

 and for the improvement of their condition. 

 And viheieus tlu- Frocurador Syudieof the 

 cabildo of the town of Port of Spain, lialli 

 liitlieito performed the duties of the of- 

 fice of Protector and Guardian of Slaves 

 in the said island, and it is expedient that 

 the said otfice should be more fully es- 

 tablished, and that the duties thereof 

 should be more clearly ascertained, and 

 that provision should be ni^ide for the .sup- 

 port thereof; it is hereby ordered, that 

 tlieProcnrador Syndic of tlie cabildo of the 

 the town of Port of Spain, be confirmed in 

 his said office of protector and tnardian of 

 slaves. And that such protector and 

 guardian of slave.', shall appear before the 

 governor of the said island, and take an 

 oa!h in ti;e Ibllowing words : 



" I, A. i>. do swear that I v»ill, to the 

 Lestof my knowledge anil ability, faithfully 

 ext cute and pciforoi the rliitles of the ot- 

 lice of piotcctor and guardian of tlavCi m 



the island of Trinidad, without fear, fa- 

 vour, or partiality. — So help me God.'' 



S. That the .said protector and guardian 

 keep an office in Port of Spain, and shall 

 regidarly attend at such oljice, and pre- 

 seive records, books, papers, and writings. 



3. That the said protector and guardian 

 shall not be the owner of any plantation 

 within the said island, or of any slaves 

 employed upon any plantation, or in any 

 kind of agriculture, and shall not have any 

 interest in, or any mortgaye or security 

 upon, any such plantation, slaves, or slave. 



4. That the said protector and gnardiaii 

 shall be resident within the island, and 

 shall not quit the same without a .special 

 licence to be granted for that purpose. 



b. That upon the death or resignation of 

 the said protector and guardian of slaves, 

 or in the event of his sickness or other 

 bodily or mental incapacity, or (hiring his 

 temporary absence from the said island, it 

 sJiall be lawful for the governor or acting- 

 governor to nominate and appoint some 

 other fit and proper person to act as the 

 deputy for the said protector and gnaidiau 

 of slaves. 



fl. Tuat 



