318 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1818. 



He then called Mr. Thompson, 

 a surveyor, who stated, that he 

 was employed by the Commis- 

 sioners to examine the rooms. 

 They were made assembly-rooms 

 about ] 5 years ago ; Mr. Slade 

 bought them afterwards from 

 Colonel Greville, but witness did 

 not know what he gave for them. 

 In 1803 or 1804 they were offered 

 to him for 3,500/. After the 

 passing of the New-street Act, 

 he spoke to Mr. Slade on the 

 subject of the rooms, and in con- 

 sequence of what then passed the 

 intended line of the street was in 

 some degree altered. Only a 

 small part of the premises were 

 at present required : this con- 

 sisted of the coach-house, stables, 

 part of the counting-house, and a 

 room which was used as a dress- 

 ing-room. The assemblies could, 

 in his opinion, be carried on 

 there, after these were removed. 



In his cross-examination he 

 said, that the intended alteration 

 would make the orchestra near 

 the street, which would not be so 

 advantageous, as it would be ex- 

 posed to the noise of the 

 carriages. In the subsequent 

 part of his cross-examination, 

 which was very long, he spoke of 

 several conferences and verbal 

 communications which had passed 

 with Mr. Slade on the subject 

 before. He also said that Col. 

 Greville and Mr. Slade had ex- 

 pended several thousand pounds 

 on the rooms. 



Mr. Lethbrid^e, the machinist 

 at Drury-lane theatre, stated, 

 that the inconvenience of the 

 orchestra being near the street 

 could be remedied, by having 

 two walls with a space between 

 tliem, which, when filled up with 



that the building of 

 occupy 



saw-dust, wool, horse-hair, or 

 woollen cloth, would prevent the 

 sound from without ; and when a 

 boarded partition was raised 

 inside, the effect of the music 

 would not be diminished within. 

 He added 



new rooms would not 

 more than nine months. 



Mr. Ayrton, one of the mana- 

 gers of the Philharmonic Society, 

 gave it as his opinion, that the 

 assemblies could be held at the 

 rooms after the proposed altera- 

 tions. The new street he con- 

 sidered would be an advantage to 

 them. 



Mr. Montague, Mr Willock, 

 and another surveyor, stated that 

 the premises were not worth more 

 than 14,610/. 



The case for the Commis- 

 sioners being closed, 



Mr. Sergeant Best, in reply, 

 contended, that his client had a 

 right, by the act of Parliament, to 

 make the Commissioners take the 

 whole of his premises, though 

 perhaps only a part of them was 

 wanted. He also maintained that 

 the sum demanded was only a 

 fair compensation for the loss Mr. 

 Slade would sustain. 



The Deputy High Bailiff 

 summed up the evidence, and the 

 jury, after half an hour's delibera- 

 tion, returned a verdict for the 

 claim.ant. — Comjjensatioii 22,750/. 



VICE-CHANCELLORS COURT, 

 WEDNESDAY, NOV. 11. 



The Attorney- General v. The 

 Mai/or and Corporation of Bristol. 

 — This case excited considerable 

 interest in the court. In the 

 year 1562, Sir Thomas White 

 devised 2,000/. to be laid out in 



the 



