It is suggested that the ladies who are
engaged to play in the pantomimes and
burlesques, to which it may be presumed your
Lordship's remarks especially apply, seize
with eagerness the opportunity of displaying
ing too much of their charms to appreciative
audiences. Contrariwise, it has
been urged in more than one letter by the
managers of Theatres, and by casual critics,
that the fault is not with them, but with
the public; that the public has ceased to
be decorous itself, and calls aloud for a
want of decorum in its entertainers; that
managers give, in a word, the kind of
entertainment, which has at last brought upon
them the mild thunders of your Lordship's
office, because that kind was imperatively
demanded by their exacting supporters.
This is a serious charge to bring against a
public; but it is a still more serious matter
when the accused assumes its truth and
glibly runs off, as one of the slipshod topics
of the day, with commonplaces about the
indecencies of the stage. People who talk
thus forget the important fact that the
drama with a large class of spectators takes
the place of books, and is a popular
instructor for good or for evil, of vast
importance—an engine of enormous power
in forming the public tastes, which it is
of the highest importance to keep in good
working order—an institution which loses
all its influence for good, if discredit be
allowed to be cast upon it. The state
of the theatre fairly reflects, although,
occasionally, it may be conceded, in a
somewhat distorted mirror, the state of the
society of the day; at any rate, the tone of
the stage is in a great degree derived from
the tone of the audiences—each reacts upon
the other; and, if mischief be done, it is
difficult to apportion the blame among the
parties concerned.

The first important question, however,
would appear to be this: Is mischief being
done? Have we been getting "gradually
worse and worse, until we have all
imperceptibly assisted in the creation of a
nuisance that now cries aloud for suppression?

Your Lordship yourself discreetly confines
your remarks to "some of the metropolitan
theatres," although the circular is
sent to all; but the fact of the solemn warning
being addressed to every manager, would
make it appear that there must be several
who have incurred your Lordship's displeasure.
In certain evidence given before a committee
of the House of Commons, your Lordship
expressed yourself satisfied with the
powers vested in the office of Lord
Chamberlain, considering them sufficient for all
necessary purposes of supervision, and, in
case of need, suppression. From this it
would appear that the observations in the
press and the remarks from other sources
which instigated the circular of the 28th of
January last, applied to so many theatres
that your Lordship felt it impossible to
exercise the authority vested in the Lord
Chamberlain's office, and that the evil had
attained too great a height to be cured by
a coup-de-main, and that gradual measures
were judged the most likely to be successful.

A constant playgoer from his youth up,
the gravity of the charge thus made against
managers, actors, and audiences, considerably
startled the Commissioner who has the
honour of making this report. He was
concerned to think that he had assisted at
entertainments, at which costumes were
worn of an impropriety so marked, as to call
for the interference of the State. He was
horrified to think that he had permitted the
ladies of his family to sanction by their
presence exhibitions of questionable decency.
Much disturbed in mind, thinking it possible
that there might be special reason
for complaint that had hitherto escaped his
eyes, and anxious to see how matters really
stood, he formed himself into a Volunteer
Commission of one, and devoted himself to
the study of the pantomimes and burlesques
of the season. He also carefully studied
the kind of entertainment presented at Music
Halls. And with (or without) your Lordship's
permission he has now the honour to
lay his report at your feet.

Your Commissioner may respectfully point
out to your Lordship that in the course of
his remarks upon the numerous performances
he has attended, there will be found
observations on subjects not specially
connected with the department of Lord
Chamberlain, and not in any respect under your
Lordship's authority. Your Commissioner,
being a volunteer, and under his own
command, has not thought it necessary to
regulate his report by any strict rules of
departmental discipline, and has no doubt
that such cases will frequently occur in
the present document.

In fact, the whole of the earlier portion of
the report now presented, treats of matters
foreign to your Lordship's department.
That they may soon be brought under
strong influence, and sharp discipline, is
much to be desired.