The Express.
London, England, 1849-03-26 00:00:00

of the might upon Which it was contesited,- as
Indeed had been also the ease for assay dgmbefore and after-
wards, she WM at her lodgings in the house of a pm*
' sea maned lianwia respectable Uraemia's), end in •
room is which the sister other landlady likewise slept. This
testimonis baked upon se being of p very important cha-
racter. A good deal ot cariosity has hem samifestod to see
the primmer, and many perms, . led* haveob-
mina orders to view.** goof in tatty hem*, of
come, hem disappointed by the • • • of the prises m-
esh:doss It is said that a cane • boss obtained to the
man who eerried the yirisoner's • • boas Trenchardmtrest
to 13,. Michael's Hill, whereas, up.*** mainem.
Tus.Rm lanm 8n *easipsw, a
public meeting albs Plymouth leas a.7d at
the Guildhall male t 4 ps ddisey of the mayor, W.
Esq. • R ielnafteimiereagiarsaMeembroof aympatliy witli Mr.
ri
She, cad er Mmmihm that the rannelass of
religious liberty had•beld butravid by 'kb ineareeratioa,.and
apt iving of a pettiest to the irrigable, praying for the abo-
litiaa of all as and penaltiei-on'religiotas opinions, and of
the eedraisstleal .moms. In the everting a similar meeting
was held at the Devoaport Guildhall, under the presidency
of M. W. Jake' Beg. Both meetines were very fobat-
tended, end the hating.of -sympathy with Mr. Shore, shd of
disapprobation of the course pursued by tLe Rialto? at Exe-
ter In the discharge of his °Geld dudes, was neemintous.
The petitions are to be presented in the Home of Canaan
by the respective stuaben of the two boroughs, end in the
Home of Lends, the Plymouth by Lewd Morley, sad the
Devonport one by Lord Campbell.
eottgaeareatas

SPICIDS or C0i...-6.-BlniC2l7lt7 Saturday', Aft. A.
H. English, the thither at Bath, renamed an adjourned in-
quiry respecting the death of Col. Charles Bird, aged Pt, of
the Bon. But India Company's service, who committed
suicide in the following manner. The inquiry was com-
menced en Friday night. end adjourned tilt next dsy for
Sather evidence.—Ann Doren, housemaid to the
said that en Thursday, about one o'clock, the dvcassedrang
the bell, and on her going to answer it, he requeetei her to
take a note to Col. Palmer, at No. I, Sien•placa, whichshe
did. and returned in about 20 minutes, when ohs asked the
ladles where the colonel was ? They told her that he
was is the nodose, but on going there she *KW not
and him. She stewards went to the back drawing-
room, at the door of which she knocked, but got
no answer. Whilst at the door Col. Budd arrived,
and having made known her stspicions to him be bad a
ladder brought, and the colonel entered at the window
and opened the door for witness, and when she' entered she
footed her muter sitting in, Ms their covered with blood.
Two pistols were on the Sur, and a razor was on the chair
at Ms side.. His left arm was en', and be seemed quite dead.
Deceased had seemed very low-spirited lately, especially du-
ring the last two or three days. Col. Budd corroborated the
evidence of the previous witness. Col. Palmer said deceased
had been greatly deposed lately. He received a letter
from him the day hefts his death, in which he said, " I
duet think I shall our know happiness again." lie be-
lieved his depression arose from being separatod from his
wife. Dr. Harvay,l proved being sent for to 'es the de-
ceased, when be found him dead. Other evidence having
been given, the jury were considering astir verdict whoop the
reporter was obliged to despatch his parcel to meet the train.

itluotr.
HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.

Mdlle. Alboni having returned to Paris, to com-
plete her engagement at the Theatre Dollen, the
"Concretisele has been laid aside, and on Saturday
evening, Verdi's " Ernani" was produced for the debut
of two performers new to our Italian stage; Signor
43ordss' who appeared in the character of Brining, and
Madame Giuliani in that of Elrira.
This opera is well known to the English public,
having had, during the lest four or five season., many
more representations than it deserves. But, though
possessed of little positive merit, it has at least the
comparative meet of being the best work 9f its
author. This author, moreover, is the only
Italian composer tf the present day who has
achieved celebrity; end the Italian stage has
always realised the proverb, that " a living
dog is better than a dead lion." And his made has
the further advantage of being easily sung and easily
understood. It cellists almost entirely of. melody;
even his chce uses are most frequently unisonons ; and
in his orchestral accompaniments we find little more
than the voice part played in the unison or the octave,
some attempt at variety being made by the employ-
ment of different instruments for this purpose. His
harmonies are inartifleial in the extreme • destitute
of the masterly construction, and the ingenious and
delightful combing ions, figures, and responses which
give so much interest to the music of the great
dramatic composers of the Italian as well as the
German school. In command of the resources of
counterpoint, Verdi is inferior even to his im-
mediate predecessors Bellini and Doninetti, and
still more inferior to them in dramatis ex-
pression and effect. Bat his music is• the
newest, and consequently will pass in Italy for
the best, till Verdi shall be shoved aside by somebody
else, perchance as inferior to him as he is to Bellini
and Donizettir for there is no saying to what depth
of degradation the musical taste of the once-famed
land of bong is destined to fall.
Still, however, this opera of " Ernani " is not wholly
without some reideeming points. The drama (a lyrical
version of Victor Hugo s celebrated tragedy) has the
simplicity and clearness of plot which the musical
stage demands, and the incident on which the cata-
strophe turns is striking and.pathetic. The composer,
too, has been happy in several of the airs, and one of
the concerted pieces, the quintet in the first act, 4` Vedi
come boon veglia;do," is harmonious and effective.
Asa whole, though " Ernani " can never 'produce a
great impression, yet, when it is efficiently cast, and
its beet features are well exhibited, it always .mects
with a favourable reception, and is able to bad some
few repetiloons in the course of a season.
On Battu/ay night the performance was marred by
the Indisposition of Clarion', who performed the ire-
=character of the King, Carlo (Jidda He
ander so avers a cold, that he was obliged
to walk through the part, without even attempting to
sing, so that several of the best scenes (amounting to
almost a third part of the whole piece), were entirely
omitted. This contretemps was unavoidable, and
could only be regretted. M. lords., who sustained
the pert of Brossni, is a respectable performer, His
tensor nein is good, bat not at all remarkable ; he
stags in a good style, and seta with intelligence and
peopiety. He is one of Shoes who afford little
room for criticism, bat who exhibit no high or
peesdiar excellence: Madams Giuliani (who, as we
have heard, though we did not recognise her features,
is the Madame Jolian who was a member pf the
Benumb Company,it.Drury-lane, some masa§ ago)
is a handsome and graeeful woman, and possesses con-
siderable merit as an 'drew and singer. Her voice
is a soprano of goodepality, but its power liesehiefiy
in the upper part of the scale, the lower notes beii.g
competitively veiled and feeble. Her aria ;Migrate,
el Erman, involasui,". win well sung and much ap-
plaided ; andisse reedition thrall/hoist the opera was
very favournbles Tfie best *formula wee de-
cidedly that of Bellied, in the character of RisiaGornes
de Silva. He was energetic and irenardoengt end
his highly-finished execnuon of the fur In /*lice, e
two etudevi,' which was loudly encored, was die chid
mural restore of the evening. The choruses end in-
shimmed eboompaniments were well executed ; but
this opera does not afford roont fir any display of
excellenes on the part of the orchestra or the chorus.

ANCIENT CONCESTS.—A meeting of the directors
of bet Najesty's Concerts of Antient Music took place on
Friday. at Ap•ley Hoses, which was attended by Prince
Albert, the Duke of Wellington, and Lord Cawdor, when
it was molted that the eeneeets shield be discontinued toe
the peen§ rm.—Swaim Pow,. ,