Mr. Taylorprefaced his motion upon the present state of the Theatres in the Metropolis with a few observations, which were scarcely audible in the gallery. He stated that before they proceeded to consider nest session the propriety of erecting an additional Theatre, it was, he thought, desirable that they should in the interim endeavour to ascertain the existing state of the drama, as well as the privileges exercised by the present theatres, to the monopoly of exclusive departments in the drama. He did not mean at present to go into any sort of detailed reasoning upon the question. The abstract principle upon which his motion and all similar applications, were grounded, was this simple proposi- 289 tion, namely, that the innocent and instructive amusement of the public was in itself a good, that to that good the public had prima facie an unquestionable right, and that no restrictions should be put upon the enjoyment of that right, but upon cogent reasons for so doing, and that any extraordinary restriction could only be justified upon the grounds of absolute necessity, or those of a political expediency, rendered by circumstances nearly as obligatory. The investigation he now in-tended to move for became the more necessary on account of the mummeries now exhibiting in some of the theatres, which indeed called for the interposition of that House, as having so direct a tendency to deprave the taste and injure the morals of the people, and which ought of necessity to be put down. He did not mean that his present motion should interfere at all with the interests of the renters in the late Drury lane theatre. He then moved, That a Select Committee be appointed to inquire into and report upon the present state of the Dramatic and Scenic Representation at the Theatres in this metro-polis, together with the grounds and nature of the privileges and immunities claimed by the several Theatres, and the restraints imposed there by upon the amusements of the public
§ Mr. Whitbreadwas greatly surprised that the hon. member should make such a motion after what had so lately passed, or that he could find any one to second his motion. Now, that the accounts of Drury-lane theatre were nearly disentangled, the proprietors satisfied, and a new scheme for re-building it in full progress, it was strange that an hon. member should think he had found out the proper time for throwing the whole into confusion. He was quite sure the hon. member did not mean to exhibit any hostility to the interests of the sufferers at Drury-lane, but he must have been conscious that the appointment of a committee to inquire into the abstract merits of any question touching the monopoly, must tend to throw cold water upon the present public inclination to the undertaking. If it was objected that there were not theatres enough, why not wait for the re-building of Drury-lane, and then ascertain whether more were wanted? A misconception had gone abroad relative to the nature of the Drury-lane patent. So well was parliament convinced of its solidity, that the subscribers to the rebuilding were, by the act of parliament, 290 enjoined to pay in the first instance a large proportion for the patent. He had no idea that the House could entertain the motion after what it had lately done, and would advise the honourable member to withdraw it.