THE NATIONAL REGISTER. Palermo, on his return trout Sicily; Admiral Wilson, on his promotion. It w!..s understood that the Earl of Liverpool kissed his Majesty's hand upon his being appointed Secretary of State for the War and Colonial Departments. About four o'clock the Delegates from the University of Cambridge arrived, in grand procession, headed by the Esquires and Beadles. The Address was most g raciously reeeivetl, and the Deputies had the h on our t o hi ss his Ma jesty's hand. The Delegates from the University of Oxford were also introduced to his Majesty, and presented their Address. His Majesty afterwards held a Privy Council, at which Tiseuntit Palmerston was sworn in a Member, and took his seat at the Right Honourable Board accordingly. Mr. Ryder was sworn in Secretary of State for the qome Department. CITY DDI?ESS. Wednesday the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, the Aldermen, Sheriffs, and Common Council of the City of London, waited upon his MAJESTY at the Queen's Palace, (being introduced by the Lord in Waiting) with the fol lowinr, Address, which was read by JOHN SL[XESTER, Esq. the Recorder : • " • • TO THE KING's MOST EXCELLE . AT MAJESTY. The humble and dutiful Address of the tonD MAYOR, AL DCRISTEK, and CoMMONs of the City of London, in Common Council assembled. 44 MOST GRACIOUS . SOVEREIGN, " We, the Lord Mayor. Aldermen, and Commons of the City of London, in Common Council assembled, approach your Majesty's sacred Person, %sift] . our Mast 'lively and unfeigned congratulations on the recent Anniversary of your Majesty's Ae ces•ion to the Throne of these Realms. With joy and gladness we hailed the day on which your Majesty entered into the 50th year of vour llajegty ., ; reign, not only over the persons, but in the lielrtq of your Majesty's sul!iects. " l; hen it pleased the Almighty Ruler of Princes to place the sceptre in your Majesty's hands, the brave, free, and loyal People whom your Majesty was ordained. to govern, received with pleasure your Majesty's first declaration to the Great Created of the nation, that horn and educated a Briton, the per!iliar hapi:iness of your Majesty's life wOuld ever consist in promoting- t;;e welfare of your people ; and your Majesty's reso lution to maintain our most excellent Constitution, both in Church mei State ;with with an assurance that the civil and religious rights of t%e subject were equally dear to your Majesty with the most val.:tAlle prerogatives of the Crown. " We experience and acknowledge the blessings of this secu rity to onv religion and laws, and that great charter of our liber ties which, in virtue of the glorious Bevolusinsn, your Majesty's illustrioos house was chosen to defend. Through a lapse of nearly half a century, your Majesty has proved yourself ee every occasion unwearied in the maintenance and practice of all the principles so graciOusly pledged. " It is a prdui subject fcr your Majesty's faithful citizens of London to record;hat in the midst of all our unexampled strug gles, your Majesty • is enabled to say now, as at tin commence ment of your Majesty's reign, that your Majesty can see with joy of heart the commerce of theSe kingdoms, that great source of our riches and fixed object of your Majesty's neter-failing care and protection, flourishing to an extent unknown in any former war. 4b Deeply impressed with gratitude to Almighty Cod, for the innumerable blessings he has been pleased to pour down upon this highly favoured nation, and more particularly for his won derful hnd great goodness, in baying continued his divine pro tection to your Majesty thisjoyful period : we, your Ma jesty's faithful Citizens of London, have implored Heaven to ac cept our fervent prayers, of praise and tbanksgiving,and to con tinue that same providential care and protection to your Ma jesty for many years yet to come. " Believe, Sire. (hot it is the warmest wish andniost fervent prayer of your Majesty's Citizeni of London, that Providence may long continue to this nation so distinguishing a mark of di vine favour, and that. in the fullness of time, when your Ma jesty shall be called from your earthly to A celestial crown, the 709 memory and example of so beloved a Sovereign may secure to a grateful people the imitation of your Majesty's virtues, in the succosors ,)f your Royal Hotise, till time shall he uo more." To which Address his 'Majesty %.% iIS pleased to return the following most gracious answer : " I thank you for this testimony of °your zeal 2utl affection for me and my Government. " It has ever been my anxious care to maintain the t ight4 and privileges of every class of my cabjecti ; and it is a great satis faction to me to reflect, that in the midst of till our unemitupleit struggles, and notwithstanding the duration of the wari, in which, for the snfety of my people, I have been engaged, the commerce, aPd manufactures of my City of London have been carried to as extent unknown at any former period." • THE elTil I C LS. • COVENT GARDEN THEATRE. There is no complaint so general, and perhaps none so jtest, a, that of the decline of dramatic genius, both his trionic and literary ; in the good old daVR of Wycheriev, Steele, and Shakespeare, though we sometimes find a coarse ness of language and an indelicacy of allusion forbidden by modern refinement; yet there was a freedom of outline and a boldness of relief infinitely more striking than the faint basso Vellevos of the modern dramatic chisel. In our old comedies there is a strength and originality Of spec i fic character, for which, in our modern ones is too ()flea sub stituted the mere delineation of general manners, or a hasty caricature fitted, perhaps, for the genii's of some particular actor, but whose spirit evaporates in the closet; in the old ones the derelopement of the plotis always illus trative of individual character, whilst the various shades of character are all necessary both to the cf.nduct of the story, ' and to its eclaircissement. So nicely are those framed, that no one character, no one scene could be expunged with out dernol-shing the fabric; not so with our modern ephemera, where . •we are often piinled to know why *half the characters are• introduced, except merely to Jill up the scene. Onr modern comedies too, for want of plot, are obliged to trust to the impression made by one striking character, and that too often a vicious one, as goodness alone is not susceptible of the high interest excited by dar ing villainy ; this, however, is of evil tendency, as we are all naturally attached to the Nero of the piece, whose pare, it well performed mast have a hail eWect on weak minds, by loosening the bonds of morality. We are led- to there observations by the representation on Saturday night of the "School for Reform," where the author's ineentiohs are decidedly on the side of virtue, but where the promi nent character is a villain ; rewarded too, without reform. This character of Lord Avondale is a difficult oee, and was represented by -Mr. Eg erton from Bath, as a first appear ' afice on the boards of a London Winter Theatre; but if we mistake not, he made his debut in this metropolis about three years ago, at the Hay-market, as the fluke in the . oney-Moon, in which he certainly did not succeed. His engagement at Bath must, however, have tended conside rably towards his improvement, and has certainly given a greater degree of ease, and knowledge of the stage. His entry was hailed by repeated plaudits, but as these were evidently the manceuvres of the 'Manager's party. little can be known from them of the impression which lie made on the Public in general, particularly as the most interest. ing and difficult passages were afterwards completely • drowned. by the half price vociferations; we, however, feel satisfied that he would havedeserved his early applause,. bad the piece been. concluded . without. interruption. His age is well fitted -for this-character ;•his step is easy and unctobarrassed, and.free• from stage affectation and par ticularly in the 4es:6e-where he brit discovers 'ipke, his ' 1 confusion and anxiety were natural andlniciressive; but iu the mope intesesting scones, especuttly those of renioise, he does no& stiffi9iontly attend to the modulation of voi ce . 'necetiory• to eepreas that • sensation ; anger may be allow. ed to taut ; the tunes of remorse arc " not loud but. • NOV. 5. , THE NATIONAL REGISTER. 709 _. . _ 1.,. . ... - Palermo, on his return frost Sicily; Admiral Wilson, on his memory and example of so beloved a Sovereign may secure to promotion. ' a grateful people the imitation of your Majestv's virtues, in the It wr”s understood that the Earl of Liverpool kissed his suecosors of your Royal House, till illll O shall he no more." Majesty's hand upon his being appoi n t e d S ecre t ary o f St a t e To w hi c h Address his Majesty spas pleased to return the for the War and Colonial Departments. following most gracious answer : About four o'clock the Delegates from the University of " I thank you for this test imooy of °your zeal 2utl affection • Cambridge arrived, in grand procession, headed by the for me and my Government. Esquires and Beadles. The Address was most graciously "It has ever been my anxious care to maintain the t ight4 and privileges of every class of my qubjecti; arid it is a great sat i t - rereivet's, and the Deputies had th e h onour t o ki ss hi s M a - (action to me to reflect, that in the midst of :..II our u n e%a m pl et t jesty's hand. struggles, nad notwithstanding the duration of the wars, in which, The Delegates from the University of Oxford were also for the snfetv of Inv people, I have been engaged, the commerce, introduced to his Majesty, and presented their Address. and manufactures of my City of London have been carried to as I His Majesty afterwards held a Privy Council, at which extent unknown at any former period." Viscount Palmerston was sworn in' a Member, and took his seat at the Right Honourable Board accordingly. THE elTil I C A LS. Mr. Ryder was sworn in Secretary of State for the some Department. COVENT GARDEN THEA T RE. ! • _.. There is no complaint so general, and perhaps none so CITY A D DI?ESS. just, a, that of the decline of dramatic f., , C10111, both his- _.....— . trionic awl literary ; in the good old days of Wycherley, :1 ' Wednesday the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, the Steele, and Shakespeare, though we sometimes find a coarse- Aldermen, Sheriffs, and Common Council of the City of ness of lanr,tiage and an indelicacy of allusion forbidden ,1 II London, waited upon his MAJESTY at the Queen's Palace, by modern refinement; yet there was a freedom of outline .. _ NOV. 5.