156 LON 
eves was his own wife, a corpfe by his fide. A paroxyfm 
of frenzy was the immediate confequence, and he was 
borne off from the fcene of death in this dreadful fitua- 
tion. 
After the jury had infpefted the bodies of the deceafed, 
they proceeded to the theatre to affift their judgment in 
afcertainjng the cauf'e of this diftrefling occurrence. Not 
•the lead fymptom of conflagration was to be feen in any 
part of the premifes, either before or behind the curtain ; 
and throughout the building not a plank had given way, 
excepting the front of the orcheftra, which had been broken 
down by perfons attempting to efcape in that direction. 
After they had thus fatisfied their minds with refpeft to 
thefe particulars, the jury again returned to the drawing- 
room, where Mr. Hodgfon, the coroner, having taken the 
chair, they proceeded to the interrogation of witneffes. 
Little or no irrtefefl can attach to the examination of 
one let of witneffes, being merely the parents or other 
relations of the deceafed, or friends who had accompanied 
them to the theatre, and were feparated from them in the 
crowd. The following, however, is worth notice: Ben¬ 
jamin Price, deceafed, was identified by his mother, who 
Jfated that lire refides at No. 31, Lime-flreet, Leadenhali- 
flreet; the deceafed was eleven years of age; he obtained 
leave to accompany fome' neighbours to Sadler’s Wells. 
About half paft ten, his little filler, who was at home, 
went into the kitchen, where (lie law her brother, who 
{lie thought was at the play. She called him, but he im¬ 
mediately difappeared. She then became alarmed, and 
Laid it certainly was her brother’s glioft, and file wa3 Aire 
lie was dead. Witnefs, being alarmed at the ftory told by 
Tier daughter, hafiened with a friend to Sadler's Wells, 
whefe file found her boy a corpfe. 
The next feries of witneffes depofed to the attention 
paid to the unhappy fufferers, and to the diligence and 
humanity of the proprietors of the theatre and others, to 
prevent, as much as poffible, the fatal confequence of the 
general alarm and confufion. 
Mr. George Smith, a performer, depofed, that he was, 
the preceding night, upon the ftage, when he noticed a 
considerable difturbance. He faw two men, in particular, 
fighting in the middle of the gallery. He then heard a 
cry of fire, and fome women were prefling over the front 
of the orcheftra. He leaped into the orcheftra to affift 
them. They were wounded and bruifed. The front of the 
orcheftra was broken down by the prefl'ure. The witnefs 
then went to undrefs; when near his dreffing-room, he 
found a boy lying on the ground, for whom he procured 
the attendance of Mr. Knight, a medical gentleman ; the 
witnefs thought the firft cry was “ fight,” although after¬ 
wards it was “fire.” He exerted himfeif, exclaiming, 
there was no fire. All the doors were thrown open for 
the efcape of the audience. 
Jones, a lathe young man, was brought in next. He 
Laid, he was in the gallery ; that two men at firft jumped 
rip, and {truck feveral blows at people. One of them gave 
him a violent knock on the fhoulder ; on which he fell, 
crying out, “I am robbed !” He remained on the ftairs 
Until he was picked up. A young woman was with him ; 
{he had not returned home ; and lie did not know where 
4 Tie was. The witnefs could not de-fcribe the men, but 
thought he fliould know them if they were ftiown to him. 
They were fomewhere about the middle of the gallery. 
John Dobfon, chemift and druggi.fi, in Coleman-ftreet, 
.-depofed, that he was in the pit , handing on the benches 
•near the door, where there were feven or eight men, with 
.two girls, handfomely dfeffed, quarrell'ing among them¬ 
selves. About ten o’clock, they were moft riotous. It 
was a benefit-night, and the pit was very full. Thefe men 
and girls tried to affront feveral people, who'Would take 
,110 notice of them. 
M". Reeve, one of the proprietors, and a mufieian, faid, 
that every thing was done, by the ufe of the fpeaking- 
trumpet, and otherwife, to appeafe the general alarm. He 
was in the orcheftra during the whole of the laft piece. 
D O N. 
About a quarter paft ten there was a little difiurbance, 
which feemed to begin with a fight. The noife rapidly 
increafed ; a cry of fire was raifed, and the ladies in the 
fide boxes lifted up their hands and ferenmed, fb as greatly 
to alarm the crowd in the galiery. Then it was that the 
confufion above ftairs became general. He faw many per¬ 
fons dropping down from thence into the pit, where they 
made their way into the orcheftra, and leaped upon the 
ftage. The cry of fire was now vociferated on all fides, 
and the witnefs exclaimed “ No fire ! No fire !” in vain. 
The evidence being terminated, the coroner obferved 
upon it as follows: “Gentlemen of the Jury, There is 
little to be faid on this cccafi'on, fince it is impofiible 
to attach any thing criminal. It can only be cafual 
death ; although it might have been otherwife, if a defigu 
had been proved to knock any perfon down, or to com¬ 
mit fimilar violence. Riot is a mifaemeanour, but would 
not conftitute, in a cafe of this nature, the crime of mur¬ 
der ; nor can it, in thefe circnmftances, come under the 
diftinffion of manftaughter. If a charge of riot can be 
fixed upon any party, it is a mifdemeanour of which the 
law takes cognizance ; but we cannot do fo here.” The 
verdidf, after the names of the deceafed had been read, 
was immediately given; “Killed cafually, accidentally, 
and by misfortune.”—Mr, Hodgfon then added, “ No 
blame is attached to the theatre ; they have done all that 
humanity could diftate; nothing has been neglected.” 
The jury unanimoufly concurred in this obfervation. 
We turn from thefe feenes of woe to commercial and 
political tranfaclions.—The Grand Surry Canal Bafon at 
Rotherhithe, which had fo long been an object of atten¬ 
tion in the mercantile world, was opened for the recep¬ 
tion of dripping and craft on the 13th of March. The 
ceremony took place in the prefence of a numerous af- 
femblage of fpeftators, compofed principally of the pro¬ 
prietors and their friends, together with a large company 
of ladies, who all appeared much gratified on this inte- 
refting occafion. At two o’clock the (hip intended to 
take the lead in entering began to drefs in the colours of 
various nations ; and the remaining lliips alfo followed 
the example, though in a plainer ftyle. About the fame 
time the company aflembled on the infular wharfage, 
where marquees and a cold collation were prepared for 
their accommodation. At length the tide rofe to a level 
with the water in the bafon ; the gates were thrown open, 
and guns were fired as a fignal for veffels to enter. About 
half paft three o’clock, the Argo, a fine brig of 34.3 tons 
burthen, the property of Mr. John Hall, made her entry 
atnidft the acclamations of the lpe&ators. She was faluted 
by a difeharge of cannon on-fiiore, which was returned by 
the veffel; whilft a band of martial mufic on the deck 
played God fave the King, and Rule Britannia. Four 
other vefi’els, all handfomely ornamented with colours, im¬ 
mediately followed. The whole made a very interefting 
appearance. 
The next event to be noticed in the order of time is the 
change of the miniftry.—We have already noticed (p. 154) 
their laft public a£l; and we lament that a fet of men, 
combining fo much integrity and talent, who had ho¬ 
noured themfelves by introducing limited fervice into 
the army^-by the moft ftrenuous endeavours for peace— 
and by the abolition of the flave-trade—fnould have, been 
induced to propofe and infill: Upon a meafure, to which, 
had it been carried through the houfe, the king neither 
would nor ought to have given his afient. It was enti¬ 
tled “ A Bill for. enabling his Majefty to avail himfeif of 
the Services of all his liege Subjects in his naval and mi¬ 
litary Forces ;” and the preamble (fated,'that this was “ for 
the maintenance of the rights of his crown, and of the in- 
terefis, honour,and independence,of Great Britain.” The 
intent of it, however, was to admit Roman catholics into 
every rank of the navy and army. Upon this lubjeef, 
which has been much agitated fince, we beg to refer our 
readers to the article Liberty of Conscience, vol. xii. 
p. 589 & feq. • 
The 
