will leave matters exactly as they are.

The report of the Joint Select Committee is a capital
illustration of this tendency. The case against the censorship
was overwhelming; and the defence was more damaging to it than no
defence at all could have been. Even had this not been so, the
mere caprice of opinion had turned against the institution; and a
reform was expected, evidence or no evidence. Therefore the
Committee was unanimous as to the necessity of reforming the
censorship; only, unfortunately, the majority attached to this
unanimity the usual condition that nothing should be done to
disturb the existing state of things. How this was effected may
be gathered from the recommendations finally agreed on, which are
as follows.

1. The drama is to be set entirely free by the abolition of the
existing obligation to procure a licence from the Censor before
performing a play; but every theatre lease is in future to be
construed as if it contained a clause giving the landlord power
to break it and evict the lessee if he produces a play without
first obtaining the usual licence from the Lord Chamberlain.

2. Some of the plays licensed by the Lord Chamberlain are so
vicious that their present practical immunity from prosecution
must be put an end to; but no manager who procures the Lord
Chamberlain's licence for a play can be punished in any way for
producing it, though a special tribunal may order him to
discontinue the performance; and even this order must not be
recorded to his disadvantage on the licence of his theatre, nor
may it be given as a judicial reason for cancelling that licence.