The Express.
London, England, 1847-01-13 00:00:00

SUFFOLK.

IPSWICH APPEARS TO lIS A FLOURISHING Town. Not.
withstanding the reduction of Customs' duties on several
articles, a decided augmentation of the revenue of the port is
shown by the returns. The prosperity may now be considered
so permanently progressive—the amount of income for the
year 1846 exceeding that for 1845 by upwards of 4,0001., and
that for 1844 by above 8,0001. The foreign trade has very
considerably increased this year compared with the preced-
ing year, and as compared with 1844 in the ratio of Bto 5.
The following statistics may be interesting:—The Customs'
duties received in 1846 amounted to 36,9831.—Foreign car-
goes inwards, 79 ; coasters inwards 1,404, the tonnage of which
amounted to 97,096 tons; counters outwards 913, amounting
to 54,457 tong—Number of registered vessels belonging to the
port 181, of the burthenol 14,.t44 tons, and employing about
900 men.—Above 90 cargoes of iron have been entered in-
wards during the past year, amounting to 14,000 tons ;
10,000 quarters of linseed have been imported from the
Black Sea and the Baltic; 3,162 loads of sawn timber, and
6,426 loads of hewn timber have been imported ; 34,401 lbs.
of tea removed coastwise from London, and the duty paid on
19,880, amounting to above 2,000/., by tradesmen of the
town. The following are the quantities of wine and spirit*
remaining in bond at the end of the year 1846:-41,021
gallons of wine, 5,983 ditto brandy, 14,577 ditto rum.
RELIEF OP THE POOH itt IRBLANIL—Tho members of the
Society of Friends resident in Wurzhal;ton and neighbour.
hoof have subscribed 153/. in aid of a lund for the relief of
,the distressed poor in Ireland.

Stmt.
PEINCESS'S.—Last night Miss Basilan() made her
debut at this theatre, as a dramatic performer, in the cha-
racter of Ann Boleyn, in an English version of Donizetti's
" Anna Bolena." This young lady was educated in our
Royal Academy of Music, and, after spending several years
in Italy (where, we believe, she appeared on the stage), she
came baler* the public last season, with considerable mecum,
as a concert-singer. At the Birmingham Festival, in parti-
cular, she acquitted herself with much,' red& Her choice of the
above part for her theatrical &lb utAres,we I in k, an injndicious
one. There is no merit in the opera of " Anna Bolena."
The libretto is contemptible ; and though the treatment of
the story of our unfortunate queen may be tolerated in a
foreign theatre and a foreign language, yet as we have it on
our stage, and represented by our own actors, it becomes
really too ridiculous. Nnr is there anything intrinsic in
Donisetti's music. It is a poor and meagre outline. depend.
ing entirely, for its effect on the rich colouring given to it by
the great artists for whom it was destined, and who may be
almost said to compose it every time they sing it. A
young performer, too, who appears in this part, has
to contend with the remini‘cences of Pasta, Mali-
bran, and, above all, Henn, whose innumerable
representation, of it are fresh in the memory of every body
in the least conversant with the musical stage. 1 here is,
besides, the further disadvantage of ringing Italian music
with words in a different language ; for every one knows
that the bond between Italian melody and Italian speech
cannot be broken with impunity. Notwithstanding these
unfavourable circumstances, however, Miss Bassano's debut
was attended with considerable success. She exhibited
talents of a superior order ; and her reception, if not enthu-
siastic, was very favourable. She has a powerful voice—a
mezzo soprano—of excellent quality, and more than ordinary
compass and flexibility. 'f here seems ta be something ardent
and almost impetuous in her temperament, which impels her,
in momenta of excitement, to throw out her tones with a
degree of excitement at variance with grace and smoothness
of style, which belongs to the finished artist. And the same
cause, it seems to us, hurries her into a somewhat exagge-
rated manner of acting—movements and gesticulations so
violent as sometimes to approach the confines of caricature.
These are faults, however, which we are not sorry to see in
a young performer; they arise from an excess of feeling, an
exuberance of en'rgy, which time and experience subdues
and softens down. Miss Bauano is handsome both in face
end figure, has expressive features, :and grace and
dignity of manner. Among her vocal efforts, the most sue-
ceicsful were the elvatina " But my sorrows deeply eeated,"
(Non .'ha sguardo) ; the finale to the second act, at the end
of which she was loudly called for by the audience ; and the
impassioned air in the last scene, which she gave with great
effect. From her whole performance, we are convinced that
she will be a very great acquisition to the musical stage ; and
we hope she will speedily appear in another part, better cal-
culated for the advantageous display of her powers. Allen
performed Percy, and sang with grace and delicacy ;
his " Vivi tu," in particular, was enthwiiastically applauded.
Leffler was respectable in the King; Miss Smithson (bating
a good deal of false intonation) performed the part of Jane
Seymour very creditably ; and Miss Sarah Flower, in the
part of timeaton, sang the pretty lute-song, " Ah, Fara," in
a manner which reminded us of Brembilla. The piece was,
altogether, carefully and well got up, but we do not think
its intrinsic merits sufficient to keep s! for any length oftime
on the stage.