The Sun.
London, England, 1853-08-08 00:00:00

THE IMPERIAL _RUSSIAN FAMILY.

Her Imperial Highness the Grand Duchess Marie of
Russia, accompanied by her eldest daughter, the Princess
Marie, and attended by a numerous suite, arrived in
town, at six o'clock on Saturday evening, from Tor-
quay. Her Imperial Highness drove direct from the
Paddington railway station to the hotel where her im-
perial sister, the Grand Duchess Olga, is sojourning,
and, after a long interview, proceeded to Chesham
House, the residence of the Russian Legation, where
her Imperial Highness will again take up her abode
during her sejour in London.
The Crown Prince and Princess of Wurtemberg paid
a visit to the Grand Duchess Marie, at the residence
of the legation, on Saturday evening.
Yesterday morning, their Imperial Highnesses at-
tended Divine service at the chapel of the Russian
legation in Welbeck-street. The Rev. Mr. Papanoff
officiated.
After luncheon, the Grand Duchess Marie and the
Grand Duchess Olga, the former accompanied by her
daughter the Princess Marie, and the latter by her con-
sort the Crown Prince of Wurtemberg, and attended by
the members of their suite, left town by the Great
Western Railway for Slough, where two of the Queen's
carriages were in waiting to convey their Imperial High-
nesses to Windsor. The illustrious party first proceeded
to the castle, and after viewing the interior of this regal
edifice, and inspecting St. George's Chapel, drove
through the Great Park to Virginia Water. Lesd
Charles Fitzroy was in attendance upon their Imperial
Highnesses. The Grand Duchesses returned to town
at six o'clock.

THE QUEEN'S VISIT TO IRELAND.—It is expected that
his Grace the Duke of Newcastle will be the Secretary
in attendance upon the Queen during the Royal visit to
Ireland, and that his "reliever," to use Sir Thomas
Pioton's town, will, on arrival in Scotland, be Viscount

Palmerston.
CABINET CouNcIL.—A Cabinet Council was held at
the official residence of the First Lord of the Treasury.
in Downing-street, on Saturday afternoon. The Mini-
sters present were—the Earl of Abesdmen, the Lord
Chancellor, Earl Granville, the Duke of Argyll, Vis-
count Palmerston, the Earl of Clarendon, the Duke of
Newcastle, Lord John Russell, the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, Sir James Graham, Sir Charles Wood, the
Right Hon. Sidney Herbert, and Sir William Moles-
worth. The Council sat two hours and a half.
THE NEW GOVERNMENT OF INDIA.—It is currently
reported in political circles that Sir James Weir Hogg,
Bart., M.P., will be the chief Government officer in the
East India direction, under the provisions of the new

bill.
PROROGATION OF PARLIAMENT.—The Queen will not
prorogue Parliament in person. The prorogation will
take place by commission froze the 18th to the 20th inst.
The last of the supplies for the year will be voted to-
morrow (this day), immediately after which the appro-
priation clause will be introduced. This is usually the
last act of the session, and takes about ten days to go
through its various stages, and receives the royal assent
on the day of the prorogation.--Observer.
THE CITIZEN STEAM-BOAT COMPANY'S FETE.—On
Saturday the directors of the Citizen Steam-boat Com-
pany gave their eighth annual entertainment to the men
and boys in their employment, to the number of about
300, in the company's dry dock at Battersea. The iron
steam fleet, 13 in number, started in procession from
London-bridge, the first boat having a band of music on
board, and also the chairman, directors, secretary, anvil
other principal officials of the company. On reaching
the Cremorne Gardens, a salute was fired. and it was
answered by another discharge of cannon from the works
of the company. The servants sat down to an excellent
dinner in the presence of a vast number of ladies and
gentlemen, and the day was spent with great hilarity.
A ball, with refreshments, will conclude the festivities
this day.
TERMINATION OF THE DOCK LABOURERS' STRIKE

This morning, in consequence of arrangements made
with the Commissioners of Police by the London and
St. Katharine's Dock Companies, a strong force of the
A, H, and K divisions of police, under the direction of
Mr. Superintendent Steed and Inspector Miller of the
H division, were posted at the entrance to the respec-
tive docks, for the purpose of protecting the new hands
who were engaged, and preserving the public peace. At
the hour of commencing work a large number of la-
bourers who had been previously engaged presented
themselves and entered the docks without molestation,
with the exception of a few groans from some isolated
knots of strike hands who were assembled outside. So
numerous was the supply of labourers at the London
Docks that in the course of the morning a communica-
tion was made by the Superintendent to the St. Katha-
rine's Dock Company that they could be supplied with
200 men if they were required. Although both com-
panies have set more men to work than were actu-
ally required, there being nearly 1,200 employed
at the London, and between 700 and 800 at St.
Katharine's Docks, there are now several hundreds
willing to go to work at 2s. 6d. per day. At the East
and West India Docks the strike has not been general,
not a single ticket or preference man having joined the
movement, and a very great number of men were wait-
ing at the entrances this morning for employment, the
turn-outs having proceeded with a band and flags to hold
a meeting in Bonner's-fields. Fears were entertained by
shipowners and master riggers that the riggers and
lumpers would have joined in the movement, but it ap-
pears that this class of men are perfectly satisfied with
their present rate of wages. Owing to the excellent ar-
rangements of the police not thei lightest disturbance
has taken place.
SERIOUS FIRES.—THE EFFECTS OF THE LATE FLOODS.
—Yesterday (Sunday), between the hours of one and
two a.m., information was received that a fire of a for-
midable character was raging in Cold Arbour-lane,
Chislehurst, Kent, about twelve miles from town. The
moment the news arrived, Mr. Henderson, the chief
officer of the D district of the London brigade, started to
the scene with an engine and a powerful body of firemen,
and upon arriving there found that the disaster had ori-
ginated in an extensive rick of new hay, containing
nearly 80 loads. The engine was at once set to work
from a pond of water on the estate ; but in spite of the
most strenuous exertions of the firemen, they were unable
for the space of three or four hours to get the flames sub-
dued, and not until one-third of the rick was destroyed.
Fortunately Mr. R. Higgs, who is the sufferer, was in-
sured in the Royal Exchange Fire-office. The previous
morning, about the same hour, an express reached the
London fire stations that a conflagration had occurred
in the premises belonging to Mrs. Elizabeth Stevens,
cow-keeper, in Pratt's-lane, Lower Homerton, nearly
facing the union workhouse. Mr. Fogo, the head
officer of the A section of brigade, at once started
with his engines and firemen, and on gaining the spot
found a large rick of hay, the produce of several acres,
wrapped in flames, and the cow-houses burning most
furiously. The engine, without loss of time, set to
work from a pond, and some thousand gallons of water
were scattered over the fire, but very little impression
could be made upon it until the lapse of two or three
hours, and not until considerable damage had been done,
one-third, at least, of the hay being consumed, the back
of the cow-houses much burned, and partivf
i the roof de-
stroyed. Mrs. Stevens was likewise insured n the Royal
Exchange Fire-office. The origin of both fires has been
traced to the late fall of heavy rains, which completely
inundated the country, and laid under water some thou-
sand acres of farming produce. The fine weather hav-
ing set in, the farmers, in Order to save their crops, have
in most instances stacked them too soon, and before
the produce has become sufficiently dry, and the rays of
the sun having set upon the same 'lave caused the hay
to over-heat itself, and spontaneous ignition has fol-
lowed. It is the general opinion of those best able to
judge, that during the present month many similar
casualties will occur from the Paine cause.