that there are already as many theatres as are needed, or that
the theatre draws people away from the churches, chapels, mission
halls, and the like in its neighborhood. The assumption should be
that every citizen has a right to open and conduct a theatre, and
therefore has a right to a licence unless he has forfeited that
right by allowing his theatre to become a disorderly house, or
failing to provide a building which complies with the regulations
concerning sanitation and egress in case of fire, or being
convicted of an offence against public decency. Also, the
licensing powers of the authority should not be delegated to any
official or committee; and the manager or lessee of the theatre
should have a right to appear in person or by counsel to plead
against any motion to refuse to grant or renew his licence. With
these safeguards the licensing power could not be stretched to
censorship. The manager would enjoy liberty of conscience as far
as the local authority is concerned; but on the least attempt on
his part to keep a disorderly house under cover of opening a
theatre he would risk his licence.

But the managers will not and should not be satisfied with these
limits to the municipal power. If they are deprived of the
protection of the Lord Chamberlain's licence, and at the same
time efficiently protected against every attempt at censorship by
the licensing authority, the enemies of the theatre will resort
to the ordinary law, and try to get from the prejudices of a jury
what they are debarred from getting from the prejudices of a
County Council or City Corporation. Moral Reform Societies,
"Purity" Societies, Vigilance Societies, exist in England and
America for the purpose of enforcing the existing laws against
obscenity, blasphemy, Sabbath-breaking, the debauchery of