The Intended Concert. - Colonial Times (Hobart, Tas. : 1828 - 1857) - 5 Mar 1839 (original) (raw)

Loading article contents, please wait...

Tue 5 Mar 1839 - Colonial Times (Hobart, Tas. : 1828 - 1857)
Page 4 - The Intended Concert.

We consider ourselves pcalled upon to

notice the mode in which the Concert, an-

nounced to take place on Tuesday evening

last, was prevented so taking place, and of

offering a few remarks thereupon, on public

grounds only. The printed statement, put

forth by Mr. Peck, completely exonerates

him from any share in the proceeding, and

is to the following effect:-

A short time after Mr. Moses had pur-

chased the Theatre, he kindly offered the

use of it to Mr. Peck, for the performance

of a Concert, intimating, at the same time,

that, by the terms of the sale, he, Mr.

Moses, would not be in legal possession

till the 22nd of February, one month, we

believe, from the day of sale, In conse-

quence of this, Mr. Peck took the pre-

caution to fix his Concert for the 26th of

February, four days after the time, on

which possession was to have been given.

When Mr. Moses went, on the 22nd, to take

possession, he found a Mr. Taylor, formerly

a performer here, in actual possession,

which he claimed, under a lease for twelve-

months. Thus baulked of possession, Mr.

Moses refused to ratify, on. his part, the

terms of the sale, and became, as it were,

unconnected with the concern. Mr. Peck

now applied to Mr. Degraves to know,

whether he would offer any interruption to

the Concert, when he was informed that,

he (Mr. Degraves) could not, and would

not in any manner interfere - that Mr.

Moses was in possession, and that any in-

terruption could alone emanate from him.

Assured by Mr. Moses, that no interference

should be made by him, Mr. Peck pro-

ceeded with his rehearsals, making, at the

same time, the preparations necessary for

the occasion, and these he continued up to

the evening preceding that on which the

Concert was notified to take place, when

he received a note from Mr. C. T. Smith,

one of the Trustees on behalf of the Share-

holders, warning Him against trespass. On

application to this gentleman, he was re-

ferred to Mr. Degraves' attorney, Mr. All-

port, who told him, that he could not, and

sbould not interrupt him, assuring him

also, that no one but Mr. Moses could do

so. On Tuesday evening Mr. Peck found

Taylor still in possession, and was again

assured of no interference from him, so that

he proceeded to complete his preparations.

"A short time ! afterwards, however;) »Taylor

«old his tttht pf possésáionto'Mr-. Degraves

for £5<! "^Mr/joèsÎaVèè "(Jfe'^âfS 'Mr.

Pebk's pjw^^oifds)meWeomh)ehcejd taking

up the Theatre, aad^urned m¿ friends out*

at the same limerfftfUring them the did not

intend io^iep^ihe'Cmcert: however, at

five o'clock, the keys were' tf W/ftfiJart's

«iven^up,tojaiiy ¡authority, but¡%.«Mosef

Mf^Mosesy of J course, under the circum-

stances above mentioned j refnsed'td receive

then!: thus was I, an undfi^riditig''ifld'

ViiJuaJ, deluded jnto heavy ejipih^O^

toy hopes of niofit destroyed." T

'TCtinaybe considered, ^erhapa^tlwj.llhis,

afjter, all« is no legitimate matter 4or<eha

cussion in a newspaper ^but^we^hopé to

prove the contrary, and, ihtft,1 too"; qfjfiiibie

disappc-inüqenjf infheted uno«; t^P^jc ;

and cannot but regret, th&Many Itobjtapje

should^ havebeeti Interposed to theiftreven

! tion df a recreation, not ifctely ¿Mea*,

ben but enlightening,and ameliorating- Few,

legare tneVmtta

ht??'indeed, HéaVéñüriows,are ïhb amusements

ß^ofthisrdescription, wïth~which we are pre,
wimäM Vnd/sura'wé artfïlifrït wrçihf be
fäWi na1, fytÂf&oHMftbenï and
X'oj^xmL ^toft percances,, when
u -th^yííírerooriguwlly applied, that, namely,
a; »fcsaavating 'ihp> mind, and of inspiring

noble and Virtuou» sentiments* are highly
n< Tbejaefieial" ; »four the degenerated state into
>h whicli the modern drama, with its tinsel
.A, srid^'tawdrinéás, has fallen, has rendered
ii H.ihe ^eafre 'oBnoWious't'o' roany persons'.
«?oîWfW» ^4eP^P.Weier» f*tf% «g?»1184
y"'\ B»iii^tjrjerfo¡tmarjc»^;cwhiph ten? greatly

ne* tOiMiiwhiaP^aJW.fof^P |the^mw?»>ran4 V;
d* ésMtè achoUonsoof! <tlte most pleasing »kind.

'rWe««h'iîik^tharefare, that bun notice of-the
prewitt'affaliy'which greatly intereslsUhe
,. vPtlWicj! isa fit subject'for animadversion

-<o'v~aü$*eWk.< '"^ ' ' ,r,u" J s

2t'ioi^h«e|l6 another point of view in which
?<"Uthfl rutter m?y be considered : we allude
¿i- to/¿hip .exposure, which is made qf ¿he

«miserable spirit pf litigation« and as well as

the want al candour, whicb it painfully ob-
trudes ¡upon pur notice. To the very

eleventh'hour ¡was Mr- Peck "assured"
"that no interruption Would be made to his
" Concert,--and,'thus assured by every per
" sort," who seemed to have any concern in
.' the Theatre : > but, at last, up starts a qUeS- >

tidfl, involving the right of possession,
» " Wriidh alairms the late proprjetbi', who

rests'to' "lather a curious expedient tç
- > secure it to himself. Now, we are no great,

prqficients in fegaí quibbles, but it appears j

ii tOiPSiexùemely clear, that, had the man,

Taylor, kept possession, only till the next
r day, no difficulty at all would have oc-

curred,-no liglit of possession would have
been infringed,-arid the public would
Have enjoyed t,hiee or four hours' rational
and 'delightful íecreation. it is true, that,
" perhaps, Mr. Taylor would haye been

ípínus his £5 ; but, even had it been ne*
* cessary to purchase the title for this/' mess
' of pottage," it would haye been as easy to

hate done so on the Wednesday, as on the
"~ Tuesday. But, thus it too often is amongst

^uhlaw-lovirig community : the public con
¿ venience is frequently sacrificed to private1
' merestf and; aS respects our Theatre,
1 {here'seems to Be attached to it a fatality,
«* highly 'subversive of (He «revival or re

eifablishmefif of t|ie pr/aipaj' or any of its
' kindred connexions. '