The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1845-04-29 00:00:00

THE COURT 4- FASHIONABLE WORLD

HER MAJESTY'S STATE BALL.—The Queen gave
the first state ball for the season, at Buckingham Palace,
on Friday night. Upwards of one thousand of the nobi-
lity and gentry attended. The company began to assemble
so3n after nine o'clock. Among the guests were Viscouut
and Viscountess Palmerstone, Lord and Lady Stanley,
Sir Edward Cust. Viscount and Viscounteß: Sandon, the
Right Hon. W. E. and Mrs. Gladstone, Mr. and Mrs.
Cardwell, and Sir Howard and Lady Douglas. The
dresses of the whole were very varied and superb. The
Queen opened the ball with the Hereditary Grand Duke
of Mecklenburgh Strelitz, and all went off with great
eclat.

It is rumoured in Court circles that her Majesty and
Prince Albert will, after their visit to Ireland, proceed to
Lisbon, there to visit the Queen of Portugal, whose
royal consort is a cousin of Prince Albert.
At the levee on Wednesday, Earl Powis and the Bishops
of Hereford and Bangor presented to her Majesty nume-
rous petitions from different parts of Wales and the bor-
dering counties, against the union of the sees of St. Asaph
and Bangor.

Her MAjesty and Prince Albert paid their contemplated
visit to the Great Britain steam-ship, on Tuesday after-
noon. The day was remarkably fine, and many thousand
persons assembled at Greenwich to witness the embarka-
tion of the royal party. Her Majesty expressed herself
highly gratified with her visit, and remained on board
nearly three quartets of an hour. Just previous to her
departure her Majesty addressed Captain Hosken, and
said, " I am very much gratified with the sight of your
magnificent ship, and I wish you every possible success in
your voyages across the Atlantic." Prince Albert asked
when it was intended to start on the voyage, and upon
Captain Hosken informing his royal highness that it would
be either the latter end of July or the beginning of Au-
gust, the Prince remarked, he supposed that. Captain Hos-
ken wished to save the equinox. Captain Hosken replied,
that was not so much the object as to make one or two
voyages as speedily as possible, in order that the public
may be perfectly convinced of the safety of the ship.
Viscount Melbowne fell on his left side, whilst alight-
ing from his carriage, a few evenings ago, and was se-
verely though not dangerously, hurt.

MARRIAGE IN HIGH LIFE.—On the 10th instant Sir
J. Graham Montgomery, of Stanhope, led to the hyme-
neal altar Miss Alice Hope Johnstone, the beautiful and
accomplished daughter of John James Hope Johnstone,
Esq. of Annandale. The tenantry upon Sir Graham's es-
thte in Peebleshire, along with a number of the respectable
inhabi►ants of the town and country, celebrated the joyous
event by dining together in the Tontine Hotel, Peebles.
The rejoicings were on an extensive scale, and the locality
was illuminated far and near by bonfires. Good cheer was
also liberally dispensed to all classes of the community.

FASHIONS FOR9MAY.

(From the " London and Paris Ladies' Magazine cf

Fashion.")

The great novelty of the season for silk dresses are
those in pyramidal and transversal stripes, frequently
shaded on each side the stripe till the colour blends with
that of the ground ; there is also a new style of check,
which is of a different texture where the check is formed.
Bareges of new designs, taff tas foulards de Chine in
wide checks like ribbon, moire, balzorines, 'c., are all
now in demand. Dark colours prevail in all new mate.
rials, and those of silk are as yet most fashionable. The
forms do not vary. The demi puritanic and very high
bodies, but open en calcr, showing the chemisette, or
guimpe, are prevailing styles; some are with rivers or
rolling collars ; gimp, fringe, and lace for the usual trim-
mings.

The newest trimming is with fringed ribbons a la .Ninon.
placed apart, rising half way up the skirt in gradual
shades. Black mantelets will still be worn, trimmed with
a double row of lace ; they are rounded behind and reach
very low, with scarf ends in front ; some also are made of
lace or imitation, and trimmed with fringed ribbon.
Scarfs of embroidered muslin are finished with lace, and
the mantelets douariere have broad frills of muslin fes.
tonne's. Scarfs of the Arab or Alperine style are also
fashionable, with wide stripes of different colours ; they
are usually of very thick soft silk.

Collars are worn quite high to the throat with slain
gui,npe if the dress is high, but embroidered guimpe
for a low dress ; the embrodiery on collars is very deli-
cate, points d'armes and plumetis intermixed and trim.
med with lace. Candezona will be much worn this spring ;
they are generally pointed behind with two or three rows
of work. For pailles de riz, leghorns, and all fancy
bonnets of gauze or crape, beautiful flowers are used ;
but for the inside coques of ribbon are preferred, some-
times delicate foliage is used. Veils and voilettes appear
indispensable, varying according to the degree of ele-
gance required.
The principal novelty are the gauze line or crape bon-
nets, in three shades of the same colour; open straws are
lined with pink or paille crape, silk, or ribbon and orna-
mented with flowers or fruit, intermixed with foliage ; the
forms are rather more spread from the cheeks. Ribbons
of several shades of the same colour are much worn on
caps as well as bonnets.

THE NEWSPAPER PRESS OF LONDON.

(From the London Journal, April 12.)
NO. V.—BELL'S LIFE IN LONDON

This Journal is almost entirely devoted to matters con-
nected with the Sporting world. Its principal features of
attraction are therefore constituted by intelligence respect-
ing the Turf, accounts of Regattas, the proceedings of
Yacht Clubs, and narratives of Prize Fights, Pedestrian
Exploits, and all kinds of Information relative to manly
pursuits, Games of Skill or Chance, &c. &c. Its " No-
tices to Correspondents" settle all disputed points in re-
ference to the rules and customs of the above departments.
From the regulations of a brutal prize-fight to the eti-
quette of a genteel game of ecarte, is this Journal an un-
doubted authority. The result is, that Bell's Life has
not a class circulation like many of its weekly contempo-
raries; it is seen on the table of the peer, and in the par-
lour of the public-house; it is read alike in the club and
the tap-room. In political principles it is very liberal,
and advocates the popular cause, But then the Tory
sportsman who reads it cares nothing for its politics • ' all
he regards is the peculiar infoirthation of its special de-
partment. Some years ago 1341's Life was famous for its
wood-cuts, caricaturing the ,prominent vices or foibles of
the age. The poetical accisopaniments to these graphic
designs were of the richest/and raciest kind of humour ;
indeed, they were remarkably clever, and, we should con-
ceive, might be resumed/with advantage to the journal.
" Poet's Corner" was also a famous feature in Bell's Life.
The metrical epistles pf Scroggins, and other supposed
characters, were in their class inimitable. They were
humourous and witw, but never ill-natured—satirical,
but never personal. / The poetry that now appears at times
in Bell's Life, is •tvritten by a clergyman residing in the
Isle of Wight. This is not, however, the only instance
of clerical talent being employed in the composition of
humourous poetry ; for, en passant, be it observed, that
tilt) e amazingly clever legends, which have appeared in
" Bentley's Miscellany", and " Colburn's New Monthly
Magazine", with the signature of " Thomas Ingoldsby'
attached to them, emanated from the pen of a reverend
gentleman of the name of Barham.
Mr. Grady is the aquatic reporter for Bell's Life, and
with the aid of one of his s-ns, he collates and arranges
the minor sporting intelligence. Mr. Dowling is the
principal editor. This gentleman manages the more im-
portant business connected with the Sporting world. lie
is said to be the mast graphic and spirited delineator of a
prize-fight that the sporting world can boast of. His
income, arising from his situation, is upwards of £BOO
per annum. Indeed, every one connected with the edi-
torial department of Bell's Life most liberally paid.
The proprietor of Bell's Life in London is Mr. Clement,
the late owner of the Morning Chronicle. This gentle-
man spares no expense in obtaining intelligence, or in
maintainit,g the reputation of his journal. as the principal
organ of the Sporting World• He was lately offered the
sum of £75.000 for Bell's Life, but did not feel disposed
to part with so valuable a property. Tile circulation of
this journal is 25.000 weekly. The profits arising from
the advertisements alone are £9O weekly.