n a play by John Banim, one of the authors of the "Tales of the
O'Hara Family," Colman had forbidden certain lines to be chanted by
monks and nuns in a scene of a foreign cathedral. It was too profane.
What about the singing of "God save the King" upon the stage? That had
been sanctioned by custom, Colman maintained; but he could not regard
it as a precedent. Was he prepared to mutilate Portia's great speech
in the "Merchant of Venice?" Certainly he was; but then custom had
sanctioned it, and playgoers were not prepared for any meddling with
the text of Shakespeare. He admitted, however, that he did not trouble
himself to ascertain whether his excisions were carried into effect
when the plays came to be represented. "My duty," he said, "is simply
to object to everything immoral or politically dangerous. When I have
marked my objections the play is licensed, subject to the omission of
the passages objected to; beyond this I have nothing to do, or an
examiner would become a spy as well as a censor on the theatre." Any
breach of the law was therefore left to be remedied by the action of
the "common informer" of the period.

As evidence of Colman's lack of conscientiousness in this matter, a
letter he wrote to Mr. Frederick Yates, in 1829, may be cited. A
dramatic author, the friend both of Colman and Yates, had bitterly
complained of the retrenchments made by the Examiner in a certain
play, or, to follow Colman's own words, had stated "that his comedy
would be sure to be damned by the public, owing to the removal of some
devilish good jokes by the Examiner." "Cannot you, my dear Fred,
instruct him better?" wrote Colman. "The play, you know, must be
printed in strict accordance with my obliterations; but if the parts
be previously given out, it will be difficult to induce the actors to
preach from my text!" No doubt upon this hint the actors spake. Only,
in that case, of what good was the Examiner, regarded as a public
servant?

It was questioned at the time whether the Chamberlain, by his deputy,
was not exercising more authority than he was really clothed with,
under virtue of the Licensing Act. He was entitled to prohibit the
performance of any play; but could he make terms with the managers,
and cut and carve their manuscripts, forcing upon them his capricious
alterations? Further, it was asked by what right he delegated his
power to another? The Act made no mention of his deputy or of such an
officer as an Examiner o