The Barrow Herald and Furness Advertiser. — 1880-05-11 (Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England)

FASHIONS FOR MAY.  The toilettes of this season should be more elegant and becoming than they have ever been within our remembrance judging from the numerous beautiful mates iels and great variety of styles offered for our choice. Another great advantage presented by the modes du jour is the fact that the elegance of a dress or costume will depend, not on the richness or superfine quality of the material, but on its design, facoa, and trimmings. Some of the most recherchees toilettes worn:by toe leaders of fashion are composed of really inexpensive fabrics, bat airinag,ed and made with such perfect taste and style that their effect is infinitely superior to that of the handsomest materials made in a commo iplace or unbecoming style. Charming toilettes are composed of the .best class of washing materials, each as foulard satin°, plain, and a desseins. The latter is used also in combination with silk, Serall and silk foulards of many kinds; and such cosmmes are not only admissible, but the most fashionable for fetes, garden parties, and even dinners, except the latter are en graude ceremouie. \ isitieg and carriage dresses are also made of materials of this c'ass. Toilettes of such fabrics are more suitable for young married and single ladies than for those of more matured age and appearance. Pekins and etripes of all kinds ate still very fashionable, and w ill continue so through the season; the furore fir: spots, on the contrary, though now very marked, is not likely to be so lasting. Foulards of all 1 :lids and designs will be greatly in fashion, the Sarah being the most rechercho. Whit, evening dresses are made of Indian muslin, mousseline la lame V Ale de wave, drapei over white silk: the garnitures most fashionable for these fabrics being silver braid embroidered with pearl beads, orgeld braid with gold beads. Bodices of different material to the skirt are more fashionable than ever for all purposes of morning or evening wear. The very lightest and raost diophanous skirts are often accompanied by brocade, satin, and velvet bodices ; the thin material is worn over a silken skirt the same colour, but the corsage, of thicker tissue, is ofien of different shade. For instance, emerald velvet with skit tof electric green or vett d'argent, violet de Lorraine with " Ophelia" mauve, royal blue with Arctic or blue de lac, claret with creme, &c. Pompadour brocades are much used for the same purpose; Pekius, velvet on satin or silk, being reserved now for wear. Many of the leading dressmakers are making muslin, batistes, and other thin washing materials hi the same manner. Waistbands, in fact, w ill be very fashionably worn, especially with materials that have not sufficient firmness to fit well. Our readers will surely welcome the return to fashion of the polonaise, the most becoming, elegant, and convenient of facers. Undor the guise of tunique polonaise, it has been most elegantly worn for serveral weeks. It is made in a variety of styles, falling without drapery at the hack in uninterrupted lines, giving great distinction to a well-made figure ; or raised at one side a 4 " Marguerite " to show the underskirt, the drapery apparently supported by a cord and tassels, arranged ala Sultaiue, i.e. placed lower than the waist. The polonaise skirt is also worn draped in the centre and at each side en panie-s, and may DO arranged as a short skit t at the back or lengthened into a train. For this mode, pattern materials will be employed over plain ones. The vogue of this over-dress will continue through the season on teims of equality with the " Princess° " dress and draperies, and the separate skirt and corsage. For grandee toilettes de ceremonie very long trains are , worn, especially when loose from the skirt en manteau de. cour ; for every-day occasions their length is much ' more moderate. The convenient fashion of moveable trains is as much adopted by th s leading modistes as when first introduced, and now that all walling dresses, even toilettes des visites (many of which ate made of rich and elaborate materials) are worn shurt, the traiue raportee, which cmverts the costume into a robe a traine fit for evening wear, is in greater request than ever. The short skirts have a bayalouse fral inside. This adds greatly to their elegance Many dresses have a plisse of bright-coloured satin or silk of different shade under the hem, red being ens, cally affectod for this geurs, which is novel and effective.—.Le  The Tay Bridge inquiry has been adjourned am di., to e,•1+131,, the commissioners to report to theyoard of Trade.  Henry Blades was committed for trial at Skiptou on Saturday on the charge of haying murdered hie wife by stangling her. A petition was filed in the Preston county court, on Saturday, on behalf of Messrs. Frank Owtram and James Edelston, cotton manufacturers, the liabilities being stat( d at 05,000. A ballot having been taken in the miners' lodges throughout Durham on the proposal to restiict the output of coal, it appears that more than two-thirds of the members have negatived it. - .  John Hum y Wood will be executed at York this moraing for the murder cf j‘ hn Coe, at Rotherham. The condemned man was visited by his father, mother, and other relatives on Saturday. Mr. E. T. Coombe, 'ecorder of Longport, committed suicide by shooting himself on Saturday. Mrs. Coombe died only on Wednesday, and it is believed that her death mude him temporarily insane.  The House of Lords had a brief sitting on Fri,-lay, and a number of were took the oath. Amongst them were the Prince of 'Wales and the Duke of Connaught. _ _  The Ir.dian vernacular pros is unanimous in its rejoicings over the vault of the general election Not a single rative piper regrets the downfall of the Conservative Ministry. It is stated that Lord Seaconsfield will address a meeting of the Tory party on the 19th inst., probably at the carlton Club. It is anticipated by some that his lordship will then resign the leader-, ship of the party, but the expectation does not appear to be based upon any km)wn facts. It is said that the Queen is to open the new Parliament. He: Majeaty has been greatly moved by tb,. rumours that she has become a pure p -rtisan, and herself suggested that the Prince of Wales Should show some marked courtesies to Sir Charles Date and Mr. Chamberlain.  OCHING 1 RAGEDY —Captain Henry Gill, thirty: two years of age, committed suicide by shooting himself in a main thoroughfare at Cheethatu Hill on Salm day evening. It is stated that a young lady had refused to acct.pt his addresses, and that thi; had preyed upon hie mind. Ile took away his own He in the young lady's presence. A.