The limerick ,Standard contains an extraordinary account of a visit
to Limerick by Father Matthew, an apostle of " temperance,", who is making it great stir among the whisky-drinkers- " On Saturday evening last this gentleman arrived in this city, and on the fol- lowing day preaehed to a munerous congregation in St. Michael's Chapel. It having been announced that on NIonday he would administer the temperance pledge in thiF; ii :y, the entire previous day and night, and ail yesterday, thou- sands upon th.,:mouls of the country-people were flocking into town from all parts of the country, some having .eome a distance of one hundreml miles fir the purpose. The various thoroughfares were literally covered with people; and the steamers plying on the Shannon brought up each trip human cargoes, varying in number from live hundred to one thousand. The holds of the ves- sels were literally crammed ; and wherever standieg-room was to be found on the decks, it was at once occupied. It was really frightful to see the rolling of the vessels as they approached the quays. The crowd at the Chapel on Sun- day was immense; and it was in vain the Police opposed the progress of the ignorant multitude : they were struck over and over again amidst cries of ' Kill the rascals!'—' Strike them down :' And ultimately the mob had it all their own way. " But, if the crowd and confusion were great on Sunday, it was infinitely more so yesterday, as reinforcements were 'hourly pouring in from all sides, so that from an early hour yesterday morning the neighbourhood of Mallow Street, where the reverend gentleman stopped, was occupied by a dense mass of the people, all pressing forward to take the temperance pledge ; and so great was the pressure around the house in which Mr. Matthew was, that although Aldermen Fitzgerald and a party of Police were there to keep order, it was im- possible to do so ; and missiles and blows were dealt bounteously on them. Constables Phillips, Cornelius, and others, were severely struck. At length, from the great pressure, the iron railings in front of the home yielded, and a number of people were precipitated into the area; when, we regret to state, one woman was so severely injured that she since died ; another had her thigh broken ; and many other persons were more or less injured. " The confusion had now become so great, that Colonel Maunsell, with his usual diligence and anxiety for the public safety, at the request of the Magis- trates, brought a party of the Scotch Greys to the spot, who succeeded, in some measure, in restoring quiet ; but it was found in vain to administer the pledge here ; and, in a short time, FatherMatthew, escorted by a party of dragoons, pro- ceeded to the Comity Court-house, fidlowed by thousands of people, where, it was hoped, more accommodation would have been afforded ; but the doors of the Court-house were closed, and, ere long., the pressure of the mob in the large open space, extending from the New Bridge to the Court-house, was so great, that the entire railing which surrounded the building gave way ; and we regret to add, that several persons fell into the river, and many more were taken to the hospital severely injureml by the falling of the rails, and trampled on by the crowd. The Scotch Greys were again called on to preserve order; and, after a considerable tinie, succeeded in separating the dense mass.
" It was now rumoured. that Father Matthew had proceeded to the Corn- market, as a more convenient place tbr the proceedings e and aecordiegly the rush took place in that direction; and from that again to Mallow Street, which mice more became the general resort. 13ut during the entire day, the spacious
streets of our city seemed completely covered with.human beings mulling to nail fro; nut ny th,ez ni a beastly state of intoxication, after drinlany their Varela!l to whisky,' and blindly rushiny to the taking of the temperance pkilye. ,have witneased.many scenes of uproar and confusion, and .seen large bodies of ,peeplatogetber, hut suck aseene as the city preseuted yesterday we have never witnessed. At a moderats computation there could not have been less than 40,000 strangers in town; indeed, so numerous were they that some provisions could sdarcely be had. The threepenny loaf brought so high a price as six- pence ; and the potatoes and other articles, consumed by the lower class, ad- vancedin an equal ratio. Towards night, from the apprehension of rioting, numy of the situps were closed ; but we are happy to find the precautions taken by the Magistrates preserved the peace. Yesterday, and this day also, thousands of these poor people were and are inostratc on their knees aila bareheaded in Mallow Street ; where Mr. Matthew, from the steps of one of the houses, assisted by two other Roman Catholic clergymen; are occupied administering the pledges to them ; and up to this hour there seems to be no diminution in their number. Ile was obliged, on this occasion, to depart from his usual practice of curing them of whisky- drinking ' one by one, and to perform the operation on fifties and hundreds at the same moment !"
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