The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-22 00:00:00

THEC GRAND DUKA: NICHOLAS OF

RUSSIA.

A letter from St. Petersburg, of the 11th inst.,
says:—..

" I have already sent you an account of the betrothal
of the Grand Duke Nicholas. He was born on the Bth
of August, 1831, and the Princess Alexandra, daughter
of Prince Peter of Oldenburgh, to whom he is affianced,
on the 12th of June, 1838. The trousseau of the future
Grand Duchess is exhibited at the Oldenburgh Palace,
on the Neva Quay, and is visited by crowds. The Em-
peror has paid for it from his privy purse, owing to the
comparatively small fortune of Prince Peter, and the
number of children he has to establish. When princes
and princesses of the Imperial house of Russia are affi-
anced, it is the custom to place at their disposal a Ppe-
cial residence, and to create for their service what is
called a court— that is, to designate the principal officers
and functionaries of their household. The usage, how-
ever, has not been fully followed in the case of the Grand
Duke Nicholas, and tbis has given credit to the report
which has been current for some time, that his Imperial
Highness will soon he called to the throne of Poland,
it being intended to declare the Grand Duchy of
Warsaw independent immediately after the death of
Marshal Paskiewitch. The Queen Dowager of I the
Netherlands, Anna Pawlona, aunt of the Emperor, has,
since her arrival, been residing in the Palace of Anich-
kiew. I am told that she has succeeded in establishing
a sort of harmony between Alexander 11. and the Grand
Duke Constantine. The Emperor is generally beloved on
account of his mild character, but the Grand Duke is
heartily detested ; he is likewise dreaded, his violence
of character being such that he too often passes the
bounds of ordinary brutality. This fault, which is gene-
rally so rare in a young man, is strikingly developed in
the Grand Duke Constantine, who resembles in all re-
spects his two uncles Constantine and Michael, of de-
plorable memory. The Grand Duke, who is sincerely to
be pitied, falls at times into paroxysms of terrible fury ;
and these attacks are followed by a sort of physical and
moral prostration. Do not, therefore, believe the news-
mongers,
knowsgnigv eerhns tmow tooho
the
aGwn rne
all nu,
dna
and tit
tkhhea et Ctohnee
excessesstatnotwi ntn f
eo
whicht he
Polandwill
the Emperorvi -
lence of his passions may carry him, ever to confide to
him the task of directing either the whole or part of the
empire."

THE FIRE IN MINT-STREET, SOUTH-
WARK.

DISCOVERY OF THREE BODIES IN THE
RUINS.
_ _

Yesterday forenoon, shortly after 11 o'clock, as the
men were employed in searching the ruins of the pre-
mises occupied by Mr. Bygrave, furniture broker and
blacksmith, No. 25, Mint-street, Southwark, which were
destroyed by fire on Thursday morning, they discovered
the bodies of Lydia Thompson and herichild, about six
years old. They also found the body of a newly born
infant, all which were removed to the workhouse to
await a coroner's inquest.
Mrs. Thompson, it seems, was the first person who
discovered the fire, and having alarmed the other in-
mates, who got upon the adjoining houses, it looks
somewhat remarkable that the poor creature was unable
to effect her own •cape, unless it was that in conse-
quence of the sudden fright she was seized with the pains
of labour, and whilst in that state gave birth to the in-
fant found in the ruins.
_ _

Mr. Henderson, the chief officer of the Fire Brigade,
has minutely examined the ruin, and from his experi-
ence as a practical fireman there is no doubt entertained
that the fire commenced in the adjoining premises, and
not in Mr. Bygrave's. The melancholy event has created
a painful sensation throughout the neighbourhood.