The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-31 00:00:00

THIS 1)41'8 SHIPPING.

LONDON, Dec. 31.—Wind this day at noon, N.W.;
moderate breeze, and weather thick and hazy.
COWES, Dec. 30.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Bremen
(screw steamer), for New York ; has on tleight 52;000 dols.
for France.

TRIGNMOTJTH, Dec. 30.—Wind
Go Forward, from St. John's, Newfoundland.
PLYMOUTH, Dec. 30.—Wind W.—Sailed—Anne, for
Gibraltar. _ _

PORTSMOUTH, Dec. 30.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Cupid,
from Alexandria ; Denmark, from Copenhagen for Santa
Cruz, with martingale and bobstay chains carried away.
RtimouTH,Dec.,3o.--WindW.—Sailed—Salto (steamer)
for Monte Video.
NEWPORT, Dec. 30.—Wind
for St. Thomas. ,
_ _ _

DIFF, Dec. 30.—Wind W.--Arrived—Newbattle,
from Gibraltar. died—Nero, for Rio Janeiro ; Ostend,
from Rio Janeiro.
QUEENSTOWN, Dec. 29.—Wind N.—Arrived—Ann
Thompson, from Moulmein; Regina, from New Orleans.
Sailed—Hydespas, for Bombay.

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
SOUTHAMPTON, Friday Morning.

Wind calm, thick fog.
Arrived—Purveyor, from S‘Vanage ; Ondine, steamer,
from London; Marquis of Bute and Lively, from Seiham ;
Caledonia, Light and Sign, Clara, Blue Jacket, Ally, and
Woodlands, from Sunderland ; Cornelia, steamers.
Sailed—Hft,mmonia, steamer, for Hamburg ; Dorset, for
Sunderland.

LIVERPOOL, Friday Morning.

Wind S.S.W.
Arrived, Deo. 30—Westmoreland, from New Orleans.
Sailed, Dec.'3o—China, for New Orleans; Water Sprite,
for St. Michael's.

(BY SUBMARINE AND BRITISH TELEGRAPH.)
GRAVESEND, Friday Morning.
Calm and foggy ' • nearly high water.
Arrived, Dec. 30—Angelina, from Gottenburg; Vic-
toria, from Dantsic.

DEAL, Friday Morning.

Wind S, by E., moderate.
Passed—Odessa, screw steamer, from London, for Con-
stantinople.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AND Loss OF THREE LIVES.
—Yesterday morning, between the hours of one and two
o'clock, A fife, which terminated, we regret to say, in the
loss of three lives, broke out in London passage, a very
narrow thoroughfare, leading frol Whitecross-street to
Oolden•lane, St. Luke's. The premises were in the occu-
pation of Mr. Charles Wrench, cane-dresser, London-
passage. The scene immediately after the alarm was heart-
rending ; mon and women rushing from their houses un-
dressed, with their children in their arms, and most of them
in a state almost of frenzy. The husband a few minutes
before had, been frying some salt in the back room, for the
Pttkpose of relieving the toothache, from which the wife was
guttering, and on coining down stairs he found the back
room in flames. He at once rushed into the court, leaving
the door open. The wind carried the flames up the stair-
case, rendering the escape of the inmates impossible. The
Are-es-calls promptly arrived, also the Whiteeross-street
engines, the station of which is only a few yards distant. The,
premises, however, wore entirely gaited before the fire was
extinguished. As soon after as possible, the Engineers
commenced a search for the missing persons. Mrs. Wrench
was found sitting on a box in the front room, with her
arm partly out of the window, and her child Eliza
Wrench, aged seven months, on her arm. The eldest boy,
Charles Wrench, aged nine years, was found on the first
floor backroom, up in the corner, burnt to a cinder. Shells
having . been procured the bodies were conveyed to St.
Luke's workhouse, ;Ind baba:nation has been forwarded to
tit!) 01'00r.

And as compared with. the month ending the 21st Novem-
ber, 1857, the above returns show an increase of £265,488
in the circulation of notes in England, and an increase of
£367,041 in the circulation of the United Kingdom.
On comparing the above with the fixed issues of the seve-
ral banks the following is the state of the circulation :
The English private banks are below their fixed
issue
The English joint-stock banks are below their
fixed issue £331,440

Total below fixed issue in England.... £1,278,966
The Scotch banks are above their fixed issue .. £1,296,069

The Irish banks are above their fixed issue .... £480,621
The average stock of bullion held by the Bank of Eng-
land in both departments during the month ending the 17th
of Nov. was £18,721,776, being a decrease of £675,850 as
compared with the previous month, and an increase of
£11,000,792 when compared with the same period last year.
The following are the amounts of specie held by the Scotch
and Irish banks during the month ending the 20th Nov. :
Gold and silver held by the Scotch banks £2,496,145
Gold and silver held by the Irish banks 2,461,746

£4,957,891
Being an increase of £179,251 as compared with the
previous return, and en increase of £486,160 when compared
with the corresponding period of last year,

CHURCH RATE FOR WOOLWlCH.—Yesterday
afternoon a vestry meeting of the rate-payers of Woolwich
was hold to consider the question of making a church-rate
for the ensuing year. The chair was occupied by the Rev.
Henry Brown, A.M. (rector). The estimates for the rate
having been read, Dr. Richardson moved, and Mr. Webber
seconded, that a church rate be made of 2d. in the pound.
The Rev. T. Tuffield (Congregational minister) opposed
the rate. After some discussion the motion for making a 2d.
rate was put, and lost by a large majority, one of the church-
wardens (Mr. Jolly) voting against the rate. Mr. Church-
warden Dixon demanded a poll infavour of the rate, which
was fixed by the chairman to take place on Tuesday and
Weidaaday