"6th. The wardrobe to be restored, and all damages to be made good by Harris and Rutherford. "To that we should have no objection, provided we are not obliged to make good the damages Mr. Powell has done. "7th. Colman still to be the _acting_ manager. If alteration in the controuling power, it must be lodged in the other three proprietors. "Here the cloven foot indeed appears plainly: so the article must not be meddled with, or it must be altered in your favour! "8th. That all bills and all claims upon the Theatre should be discharged. "Whoever will attentively consider the above preliminaries must observe, that there is not a single point on which an arbitration could turn, which is not most artfully and subtilly provided for by Mr. Colman; that is to say, on every point they must determine absolutely for Mr. Colman, or otherwise some one of the preliminary articles will prevent their considering it at all. And these, Mr. Colman, you called fair, candid, and honest proposals, and have thrown the grossest abuse on us for not consenting to what you call a fair reference. "Mr. Harris and another gentleman calling in at the Theatre one afternoon, found therein Mr. Powell and yourself, with each a candle in your hands, lighting and shewing the Theatre to two of your counsel, your attorney, and another gentleman. Mr. Harris was at a loss to know whether they came as witnesses, or for what other purposes. The servants of the Theatre, however, were ordered to shew you, and your friends, all possible respect. Besides this fact, we defy you to prove at any one time that either yourself or Mr. Powell, or any one that came by your order, was refused entrance into the Theatre." "_Mr. Colman's Retort._ "As to my management of the Theatre, whatever reflections T. Harris may endeavour to throw on it, however he may prevaricate by talking of the small profits that have resulted from it, the success of it is incontestible; and the extraordinary receipts of the last season are an irrefragable proof that Covent-garden Theatre has attracted the particular notice and favour of the publick under my direction. If the disbursements have been very large, great part of those sums must be considered as the first expence of setting up in business, having been employed in what may be called stock in trade, which is at this instant of great intrinsic value, and will prevent future expence; and, large as those disbursements have been, I was not the promoter of them, except in the single instance of engaging Mr. and Mrs. Yates, more than Mr. Harris; and that single instance was honoured with Mr. Rutherford's approbation, till his colleague exerted his undue influence over him, and taught him to object to it.