rom "heads and hints before him
to refer to should his memory falter." In an attempt to levy a fee on
account of an oratorio performed at Covent Garden, Colman failed,
however; it was proved that the libretto was entirely composed of
passages from the Scriptures. After great discussion it was ultimately
decided that the Bible did not need the license of the Lord
Chamberlain.

Colman died in 1836, and was succeeded as Examiner of Plays by Mr.
Charles Kemble, who, strange to say, while holding that appointment
returned to the stage for a short season and performed certain of his
most celebrated characters. He resigned the office in 1840, and his
son John Mitchell Kemble then held it in his stead. On the death of
John Mitchell Kemble, in 1857, Mr. William Bodham Donne, the late
Examiner, received the appointment. Mr. Donne, however, had in truth
performed the duties of the office as the deputy of the Chamberlain's
deputy since the year 1849. As he informed the Parliamentary committee
of 1866, he had received a salary of L320, subject to deduction on
account of income-tax. Further, the Examiner receives fees for every
play examined. Two guineas are paid for every play of three acts or
more; under three acts the fee is L1 1s. For every song sung in a
theatre a fee of 5s. is paid. As Mr. Donne explained to the
committee, he had examined between 1857 and 1866 about 1800 plays.

It is to be noted that in 1843 the Act for Regulating Theatres,
commonly known as Sir James Graham's Act, became law. By this measure
the powers of the Lord Chamberlain were enlarged and more firmly
established; he was empowered to charge such fees as he might deem fit
in regard to every play, prologue, epilogue, or part thereof, intended
to be produced or acted in Great Britain, although no fee was in any
case to exceed L2 2s. in amount. Further, it was made lawful for him,
whenever he should be of opinion that it was fitting for the
preservation of good manners, decorum, or of the public peace so to
do, to forbid the performance of any stage play, or any act, scene or
part thereof, or any prologue or epilogue or any part thereof,
anywhere in Great Britain or in any such theatre as he should specify,
and either absolutely or for such time as he should think fit. It was
enacted, moreover, that the term "stage play" should be taken to
include "every tragedy, comedy, farce, opera, burletta, interlude,
melodrama, pantomime, or other entertainment of the