THEATERS, LAWS AS TO. In Great Britain all theaters must be licensed, either by virtue of letters-patent from her majesty, or by license from the lord chamberlain for the time being, or from justices of the peace. The lord chamberlain grants licenses to all theaters (not being patent theaters) within the English metropolis, and within the places where her majesty occasionally resides, except New Windsor and Brighton. For every license of the lord chamberlain, a fee not exceeding 10s. per month is charged_ In other parts of Great Britain, the justices of the peace of the county, city, or borough must be applied to for a license; and after the usual notice, they hold a special session, for the purpose of granting licenses to theaters, the fee payable being a sum not exceed. ing 5s. per month. It is only to the actual and responsible manager of the theater that a license can be granted, and his name and place of abode must be printed on every play-bill. The manager must find sureties to observe the rules issued by the lord cham berlain and justices, which rules relate to the days and hours of keeping open, and the insuring of order and decency. A penalty of £10 is imposed, by
A copy of every new play, epilogue, or prologue, or alteration of the same, intended to be produced at any theater in Great Britain, must be sent to the lord chamberlain, by the manager, seven days before such production; and for examination of such plays and alterations of plays, he may charge fees not exceeding ten guineas, according to a scale fixed by him. He may forbid the acting of any play, whenever he considers it to be fitting to the preservation of good manners, decorum, or the public peace, to do so. To act a play not allowed or disallowed, subjects each actor and manager to a penalty of £50. It has been decided by the courts, that a booth used as a temporary or portable theater requires a license, and that any dualogue or dramatic performance by two persons is a stage-play, and therefore subject to the license. Of late, the policy of placing the theaters so entirely under the control of the lord chamberlain and justices has been dis. puted, especially as the increasing practice of introducing theatrical performances at public supper-rooms has led to some vexatious prosecutions at the instance of the licensees of regular theaters.