The Express.
London, England, 1850-06-21 00:00:00

IRELAND.

Deauw. Icrns 20
The citizens of Limerick responded to the invita-
tion of their Mayor, convening a meeting to take
some steps in consequence of the present situation of
their late ooenty representative, Mr. W. Smith
O'Brien. The meeting was held in the City Court-
house. The Mayor presided on the occasion; and a
long communication was read from Mr. Robert
O'Brien, embracing extracts from letters received
from his brother, describing his exact condition, and
confirming the statement mad* in the Hou'e of Com-
mons the other night by Bir Lucius O'Brien. The
follewicg aro a few extracts from this document :

Speaking of a letter he wrote le Mr. Meagher, which wee
retara.4 wkh a very aneoartecoas reprimand by Dr. Hump-
toe, Mr. S. Olin's says:—" It Sells how hapless is my let
without • friend to sheer me; that I bays bees eight weeks
in solitary aoafitientent without having received a visit from
the religious instruotor ; that sot even children are now
allowed to come near me; my walk is restricted within the
narrowest limits by fence and palitaade. It is only a rough
path 70 yards long, and a cross walk 20 yards wide. My
garden being crammed with potatoes. I hart dude opportunity
of working in it, except cutting off the heads ot the thistles
as they arrive at • certain maturity, and this occupation gives
me a utile occasional exercise. On a rainy day it is exposed.
and on a hot day without any shelter ; so test bat for an
hour I hoes no pleasure In walking in it." When first I ar-
rived in this island the sabordicita sfficcr appointed to
watch me used to assist in the gement of my tiny
household, but Dr. Hempen deprived me of his assistance,
and I now perform for enj self all kitchen others, except that
of cleating my own show, which are ',Wished for WO once
every week. My cell is viaited by an a iLer four times by
day and thrice by night. I have bean forbidden to use
butter with my bread, and I have not been allowed to
purchase coffee or rice. Ido not know a tether on aro
aware to what petty annoyances the authorities is Hobart
Town have condescended, as illustrated is the case of the
eoffee sod rico affair. You know I drink neither wise,
spirits, nor beer; so it is no lees to ato ba deprived of
these comforts. The water here does not ague with me,
and I am given nothing to mix with my water except
bad greed tau. A few days after came here I wrote to a
geatlentaa Hobert Town a note sent open, through
Dr. Hampton, in which I requested him to procure
for me a few pounds of coffee and some rube He was re-
fused permission to make this purchase. Though coffee
has since, on the representation of the supirditendent, been
nominally allowed as part of my ration, more than seven
weeks have elapsed without my having teen able to procure
a cup of coffee, though there have been several opportuni-
ties of forwarding it.
Attain,
I saw when I landed here a young man I had known is
Ireland; he was engaged as a pm-holder servant to the
Roman catholic clergyman of the station. When Dr.
Hampton visited the humid he discovered that the poor fellow
came from my native home, and he was consequently sent
off to Hobart Town without the delay of a single day, mach
to the inconvenience not only of himself, but to that
also of the worthy clergyman in whole service he was
employed. To isolate me from every human being
whocau feel the smallest interest in my fate, appears to be
the grand object of the marritanimone policy which has
been adopted towares me. None knows better than Dr.
Hampton, Comptroller-General, who has been the minis-
, tering agent is these proceedings, that in the CYO of 19
meat out of 20, a strict en:orcessient of the rues laid dowa
by him under the orders, he says of Sir William Danisoa,
would proems the loss of regime or of life. I ma anxious,
therefore, as there will be no coroner's inquest, ii I die in
Maria Island, that my tr:ends should know with whom rests
the merit of having .ocsaioneti my death.
Mr. O'Brien mentions that the Bishop of Tan:lnnis
had paid him a visit (I think) on the 31st January,
he having landed on the island cn the 29,11 October;
but does not say that any other person had been
allowed to see bits.

Another letter aye :
Amongst the chief sources which memory supplies Is the
recollec•ion of the affection which I experienced at a time
when It was most needed and least expected. I have not
been deprived of my books, end stn therefore provide in-
tellectual amusement for each SUCH WV' h ur. I am de-
barred from all enjoyment of society, but I much prefer
absolute solitude to association with persons whoes tastes
aro not congenial to mine. Nothing can compensate indeed
for the absence of my drat' :amity, and I do not profess to
hone for enjoyment during my absence from them.
Apin he writes :
Seance to say, that for the purpose of coercing me to enter
into the engtgementa required by government, air William
Denisen. the Governor, aided by Dr. Hampton, the C imp-
troller-Ger.eral, have 'vowed me to various privations hi-
therto unprecedented even in this land. These unworthy
proceedings ►ave had re other effect than that of confirming
my determination. When I declined to give a pledge that

I ;would not attempt to escape, I, of carne, emsemu-el to be
placed under such surveillance and restraint as noel,: effec-
tually secure my person ! hat I did not imagine any officials,
representing the government of Great Britain, would
condescend to employ soch expedients as those which
have been used (1 beacve without authority trent
home), to vetce my wail, Pr to punish me for noe-
compliance with the wishts of the government.—
/ do net wish you, however, to suppose that this treat-
ment has produced the sentiments of deepondeccy.
which it is calculated to engender. I am in excellent healtn,
and this eentiniptible system of petty persecution, far from
depressing my epirite, has a tendency to evoke whatever for-
titude belongs to my nature.
The latest aecountstates—(9th Feb.)—' I will not cocceal
from you that the solitary confinement was b ginning to
affect my health very seriously, and I suffered continued
pain in my left side about the hewn." On a representation
made by the medical officer, • relax vile as to exercises has
taken place, and he is allowed to about the island, ao-
companied by a keeper, which, he says, " has greatly im-
proved his health and spirits." The only ether indulgence
I. has received has been that of a letter from his wife
handed to him, endorsed " opened but not read."
The following resolution was proposed by Sir R.
De Burgh°, and seconded by Mr. J. Hoye :
That the harsh and cruel treatment of William Smith
O'Brien by the officials of Maria Island has filled us with
astonishment, grief, and indignation. That rumours of this
treatment, though tor some time generally current, were
received by us with incredulity ; but that now, having been
shown by authority which cannot be questioned, to be all,
and more than all, the most cruel imagination could con •
calve, we cannot avoid expressing cur solemn conviction
that such a persecution of a prostrate prisoner is not only
wholly unsuited to the prssent age, but ungenerous, un;ost,
and deeply ungraceful to the British name.

Other resolutions similar in tone were unanimously
passed, and a memorial to the Queen was adopted,
praying for the exercise of the royal prerogative of
mercy in favour of Smith O'Brien and the other state
prisoners.

M USIC.
ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.

The reproduction of the " Prophet.," last evening,
was a scene of extraordinary excitement; even
greater, indeed, than on the night of its first pet-
' formance. The theatre was crowded to the ceiling,
and the performance was received with an enthu-
siasm which went on increasing from the first scene to
the last. This arose from the great improvement in
the performance in its ensemble as well as in the par-
' dealer parts; and from the circumstance that the
many representations of last season had em.bled
a largo portion of the audience to understand
the construction of the work and feel its innumer-
able beauties. Madame Viardot has returned to no
with all her genius and more than her former Oa
cal strength. She was full of eucrgy and vigour,
'and exerted a degree of vocal power which we were
never before aware that she possessed. Her voice, in
some of the great scenes of force and passion, actually
rang through the theatre, and was increased an
flexibility, mellowness, and volume, as much as in
atrongth. If she continue tasing as she did last
night it will not again be said (as it often has been)
that her physical power are inferior to those of
her mind, and that her voice is incapable of giving
full expression to the greatness and beauty of her
conceptions. Mario, to.), surpassed himself. Ha
threw himself into his part with an intense earnest-
'seas which seemed absolute inspiration, and appeared
to share the enthusiasm which he excited in the audi-
sec.. The power, moreover, of the choral and
orchestra music was increased by the greater facility
drmgoranittssfuanl tdo thetchoemeabirn,aatniodnsw boereldzestwoaredf Meclyeearrbeeluirds
with which it was executed ; everything was smooth
"ha
intelligible. The parte of the three anablptists,
which were the failure of last year, were now given
to Formes, Polonini, and Moralti, who sang their
religions chorales in good tune, and with very striking
and imposing effect, and the chief of the trio, Zeclki.
ries, was invested by Formes with strong dramatic
individuality.
• Madame Viardot and Mario were called before the
certain fear or five times during the course of the
piece, as well we at its close, and a share of the
triumph was justly awarded to Madame Castellan fee
her fine performance of Ba rtha, a part which she had
sustained with great éclat daring the last season at
Paris. It is evident that the success of the "Prophets"
wilt even exceed that of last year, and wo have no
doubt that it wiU endow) to be performed with little
interruption to the end of the season.

•
PROPOSED REVIEW IN HYDE-PARC-It la in-
leaded gat woe after the gltristenins of Nu is 1 -
review cm stead seal. shall aka place to Hyde 4. 2'
Hoe will b eouposed of the tire battalion. 4. •
quartered to the metropolis, the two re
Huse's, the l6th Luton from Hounslowsad .
the Royal Harm Artillery from Woolwich. ••••
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