118 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1814. 



lie will deem this sufficient to ac- 

 quit them of the slightest intention 

 of any neglect or disrespect to- 

 wards them ; and trust that they 

 may with confidence throw them- 

 selves upon their just and good 

 feeling for the protection of their 

 property. 



December 20th, 1814. 



Besides this, there was a more 

 concise one distributed, offering 

 further explanation, through the 

 instrumentality of Mr. Rock, if it 

 was deemed necessary. The ex- 

 pedient of exhibiting on the stage 

 a canvas placard, written in cha- 

 racters sufficiently large to be in- 

 telligible to the upper gallery, was 

 even resorted to. It was received 

 with showers of all sorts of missiles. 

 Indeed, it seemed to serve only as 

 a signal for the more active part of 

 the audience to commence their 

 operations. It was immediately 

 followed by the breaking of a quan- 

 titj^of the foot lights, and the chan- 

 delier which was suspended over 

 the right-hand stage box. The 

 Lord Mayor and Sheriffs appeared 

 in the front box, and entreated 

 forbearance. The audience, they 

 said, might evince their disappro- 

 bation by words as long and as 

 loud as they wished, but they en- 

 treated of them to spare the pro- 

 perty. There was a loud cheer for 

 the civic authorities, and many per- 

 sons addressed them. The unani- 

 mous cry was for Mr. Jones ; and 

 most vehement asseverations were 

 uttered, that no performance would 

 be ever permitted if he did not yield. 

 Subscriptions, it was said, would 

 be entered into for the sustenance 

 of the dependent actors, if the pub- 

 lic were driven to any extremity. 



While the Lord Mayor and She- 

 riffs were engaged in remoustrat- 



ing in the centre of the hoiise, some 

 police men came in contact with 

 a group of joung men in one of 

 the stage boxes. To this quarter 

 the attention of the audience was 

 instantly directed. The Lord 

 Mayor repaired to the spot, and it 

 appeared that one or two gentle- 

 men were taken to the watch-house. 

 On inquiry, there was no authori- 

 ty for committing those persons 

 from the Lord Mayor or Sheriffs ; 

 and there was a general burst of in- 

 dignation. The offending consta- 

 bles were instantly put out of the 

 house, and the Lord Mayor had the 

 condescension to go in person to 

 liberate the captives. He did not 

 think it prudent, however, to let 

 them re-enter the theatre ; and he 

 extorted pledges from them, that 

 they should go quietly to their 

 houses. One fulfilled his promise, 

 but the other violated it. 



The employment of the peace- 

 makers in one quarter only afforded 

 opportunities for mischief in others. 



Before the Lord Mayor or She- 

 riffs could again obtain any thing 

 like a general hearing, many lights 

 were extinguished, and the or- 

 chestra and stage loaded with the 

 ruins of the adjoining boxes.— 

 They at length thought it useful to 

 address the house from the stage. 

 There was no man of good feeling 

 who was not pained at the humi- 

 liating expedient to which they 

 were compelled to resort. Three 

 or four words were all that could 

 be uttered in any interval of the 

 uproar. No more could be col- 

 lected from the Lord Mayor, than 

 that he " saw the Lord Lieutenant 

 that morning: that he proposed 

 to wait on his Excellency the 

 morning following with a represen- 

 tation of the state of the public 



