The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1851-07-01 00:00:00

COURT AAO FASHION

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Her Majesty will visit the Royal Italian Opera, in state,
early in the present month. _ _ _

Ifer Majesty, the Prince Consort, the Princess Royal,
and the King of the Belgians, and his sons and daughter,
left Buckingham Palace, on Saturday, for Osborne-house,
Isle of 'Wight. her Majesty and her royal visitors are
expected to return to•day to London.
THE ROYAL CHILDRXN TO BE TAUGHT GAELIC !—A
correspondent of the Inverness Courier, who dates from
the Temple, states that her Majesty and Prince Albert
have commissioned a gentleman from the north to engage
the services of a Gaelic teacher for the royal family !
" There is every chance," he says, " of an intimate friend
of mine getting the enviable appointment." This is cer-
tainly a compliment to the ancient language of the Gael.

ALARMING FIRE IN LONDON,

One of the most fearful conflagrations that have been
witnessed in the metropolis since the fire at the Tower of
London, broke out on Monday, about half•past three
o'clock in the afternoon, at Montague-close, Southwark,
known as Humphrey's warehouses, near London-bridge,
and running parallel with the river. The premises con-
sist of a block of warehouses, extending the whole length
of the str'et, and abutting to the northern side of St.
Saviour's Church.

The fire originated in the second story of the warehouse
on the east end of the range, which was used for the joint
purpose of a rag, hop, cheese, and provision warehouse.
In a short time nearly the whole of the brigade and West
of England fire-engines were on the spot ; but, notwith-
standing the utmost efforts made by the firemen, the
flames raged with uncontrolled fury, until at last the
entire building was one body of fire, and the roof shortly
after, being burnt through, fell down with a tremendous
crash. Shortly, however, before this event occurred, the
floating fire-engines from Southwark-bridge and Rother-
hithe were brought opposite to the Hibernia Wharf,
manned by nearly three hundred men. The hose from
each of them was conveyed through the lower ware-
houses, and in a few moments they rendered great ser-
vice, the water being literally thrown in torrents upon the
flames, but which nevertheless continued to burn with
great rapidity. The first range of warehouses had now
burnt itself completely out; but in consequence of the
great heat the fire communicated to the roof of the adjoin-
ing warehouses in the occupation of Messrs. Wiggins,
White, and Co., hop-factors and warehousemen; and
these also shared the fate of those adjoining, and in a
very short space of time were completely gutted.
The greatest apprehensions were, during this time, en-
tertained for the safety of St. Saviour's Church, and every
possible precaution was taken and though somewhat
damaged, the edifice has sustained no serious injury.
After these two immense piles of buildings had been in
a great measure burnt out, the flames were got under, and
it Ras thought that any further extension of the fire was
at an end. Between seven and eight o'clock, however,
the fourth warehouse, in the occupation of Messrs. Wigan
and Co.. also took fire, at the back part of a roof, which
soon revealed itself in a fearful body of flame bursting out
of the front of the premises, and so suddenly was it that a
fireman standing on the top of the wall with a hose nearly
fell a victim to the devouring element. However, he made
a precipitate retreat and escaped uninjured. Not many
minutes had elapsed before it became evident that this
building was also doomed to the same fate. The fire next
shewed itself in the third warehouse, that had hitherto
remained unscathed, although completely surrounded ;
and the flames, now joined by a new and powerful ad-
junct, rose with fearful rapidity, and the evening ap•
proaching they showed forth with a vividness that pre-
sented a scene of grandeur.

The fire remained burning all night; and at twelve
o'clock on Tuesday, although the flames had been long
completely got under, there still existed in all the three
warehouses an immense body of smothered embers; and
the engines were kept at work in playing on the ruins
until nine o'clock on Tuesday night. The total loss sus.
tained by this fire cannot be less than £150,000.

CURIOUS SCENE IN A CHURCH.—For some weeks past
a series of discourses has been in course of delivery at the
Sunday evening services in St. John's Church, Upper
Charlotte-street, Fi'zroy-square, London, the subject
being, " The Message of the Church." Last Sunday the
special topic of the day was the
"Message to the Poor,"
and the sermon was preached from Luke 16, by the Rev.
C. Kingsley, the well-known author of " Alton Locke."
In his discourse the rev. gentleman eloquently enforced
the peculiar views which attracted so much attention to
his published works. He dwelt most emphatically upon
the wrongs and miseries of the iporer classes, attributing
their vices to their poverty and ignorance, and those again
to the injustice they suffered at the hands of the rich ;
while to the latter be assigned the responsibility of all the
social evil that prevailed to so lanientable an extent. The
discourse was listened to with extreme surprise by a very
crowded congregation. After the preacher had concluded,
the Rev. Mr. Drew. the rector of the parish, who had
occupied a pew beneath the pulpit, rose in his seat and
addressed the audience just as they were about to disperse.
A most painful duty, he said, had devolved upon him in
o ns
a rebukemineed
matter
having to condemn the discourse just delivered, and
a Drew
er
edt
fhe
declared
rt
e withdsternc
which he had never anticipated hearing from a pulpit.
Mr.
o n n
emotion,ttelri rtproceededatKingsley,was t o
whose admi-
nister
sermon
question-
able in doctrine, pernicious in tendency, and untrue in
fact. He regretted that exhortations of so dangerous a
character should have been offered to the members of a
Christian church. This interposition caused much excite-
ment among the congregation, and a large number re-
mained round the doors of the church for some time after
they were closed, exchanging comments upon the singular
incident of the evening.