Obituary.

illustrious brother who has , since wo wont to press with tho last number of tho MAGAZINE , departed from amongst ns . It is our painful duty to announce that tho worst fears wo expressed were realised on tho 23 rd ult ., when our distinguished brother breathed his last . Notwithstanding tho occasional hopoful symptoms of tho patient , tho severe asthmatic attack under which he suffered , aggravated as it was by tho continued severity of tho weather , proved too much for his advanced ago ; and , ripe in in honours

years as , ho has gono to his everlasting rest , surrounded by those who filled his house with snnshino , and who survive , it is to bo hoped , to add honour to his namo , and to emulate his brilliant example . Tho funeral of our departed brother took placo on Thursday last , bnt tho early timo which onr arrangements necessitate our going to press prevent us this wook from giving tho details of the solemn ceremonial . A full account , together with an epitome

of tho JIasonic career of ono of tho most distinguished mon and Jlasons the nineteenth century has produced , we reserve until a future number . Wo will only horo add that Sii- Archibald Alison was initiated in the Glasgow Kilwinning Lodge , No . 4 , and that during tho longtenuro of his offico as Prov . G . JI . for Glasgow—sinco 1848—ho distinguished himself by his untiring activity and zeal in , everything appertaining to tho -welfare of tho Craft in general , and of tho under his

particular province charge . This is tho more deserving of notice when wo consider tho nature of his magisterial duties as Sheriff of Lanarkshire , and tho amount of work which in this capacity alono ho wont through . It is illustrative of his immense powers of application that , in addition to tho calls upon his timo as Prov . G . JI . for Glasgow , ho laid tho foundation-stones of many of tho public buildings ' in that city and throughout tho west of Scotland , and presided at nearly all tho JIasonic gatherings within that district .

AVMTIXG IS CYPHERS AXT > IN SHOUT H . « D . —The abbreviated modes of writing are not of modern invention . Tho ancients had ingenious cyphers for thoir secret despatches , and sent private orders to their commanders and ambassadors , which could not bo opened so as to bo logiblo without a peculiar contrivance of tho key . Cassar ' s usual method was to write by agreement , tho fourth letter of tho alphabet for tho first ; for example , D for A , and so on , varying tho arrangement

occasionally . Tho Romans had also short-hand writers , a choson number of whom wore employed by Cicero to take down a speech of Cato . JIartial and Ausonius bear testimony to tho surprising skill of some of thorn .

Meetings Of The Scientific And Learned Societies For The Week Ending June

MEETINGS OF THE SCIENTIFIC AND LEARNED SOCIETIES FOR THE WEEK ENDING JUNE

8 nr , 1867 . Monday , June 3 rd .- — GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY , at 8 . 30 . Wednesday . June 5 th . —GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY , at 8 . Thursday , June 6 th . —CHEMICAL SOCIETY , at 8 .

The Week.

THE WEEK .

Tins COUET . —Tho Queon arrived at Balmoral Castle on tho 23 rd ult ., at a quarter before throe , accompanied by Prince and Princess Christian , Princess Louise , Princess Beatrice , Prince Leopold , and Prince Christian . The 24 th idt . being Hor JIajosty ' s birthday , all the servants belonging to Balmoral , and their families camo up to tho Castle to offer thoir congratulations on

tho anniversary . Tho Queen , accompanied by Princess Beatrice , Prince Arthur , and Princo Leopold , rode out in tho morning on ponies . In tho afternoon hor Jfajesty drove out , accompanied by tho Princesses Christian , Louise , and Beatrice . Tho 25 th ult . lioing the anniversary of her Royal Highness Princess Christian ' s birthwhen hor Royal Highness completed hor twenty-first year ,

, tho Crathie Choir sang somo p ieces of music under tho Princess ' s window at seven o ' clock in tho morning . Tho Queen , accompanied hy Princess Christian , drove out in tho morning . In tho afternoon her JIajosty and tho Princess Beatrice , attended by tho Duchess Dowager of Athole , drove and rodo on ponies . Tho

The Week.

Quoon attended Divme service in tho parish church of Crathie , on tho 26 th ult . Princess Louise , Princo Arthur , Prince Leopold , and Princo Christian accompanied hor JIajosty . IMPERIAL PARLIASIEUT—Questions wore asked on the 23 rd ult ., in tho HOUSE of LORDS , by tho Earl of Shaftesbury , and in tho Commons by Jlr . Whalloy , as to tho escape of somo girls from a convent school at Glossop . —The Houso pushed two or three

bills on a stage , aud adjourned at twenty-five minutes to sis o'clock . Lord Redosdalo is anxious to legislate for tho public parks in the way of excluding- the people from holding meetings in them . Ho brought a bill for this purpose into tho House of Lords on tho 24 th ult ., and explained that his object was to allow tho use of tho parks by tho public on exactly tho same

terms as those under which Sir F . Crossloy had given a park to tho people of Halifax . Lord Derby very properly pointed out that what might bo a fitting- provision to be made by a private proprietor might not bo so suitablo whore tho rights of tho Crown wore concerned . Tho bill was road a second time . Other bills having boon advanced a stage , tho Earl of Derby asked

thoir lordships to sit on tho 25 th ult ., in order to forward the bill for tho further suspension of tho Habeas Corpus Act in Ireland . Tho present Suspension Act expires on tho 1 st inst ., and tho royal assent must , therefore , bo procured for tho now bill before then . Tho Houso agreed to moot . Tho Houso sat for a fow minutes on tho 25 th ult ., and road tho Habeas

Corpus Suspension ( Ireland ) Bill a first timo . Lord Donman made a spirited appeal to tho Government not to hang tho Fenian Burke . Tho Earl of Derby , however , contondod that it was inexpedient to discuss tho matter then , and tho subject dropped Thoro wore seven poors present at tho sitting . The other business in tho , Houso on tho 17 th ult ., after Lord Derby had answered tho question put to him as to tho Fenians , was partly

a discussion on tho motion for tho third reading of tho bill for creating new judges for tho Divorce , Probate , and Admiralty Courts . Lord Cranworth moved tho rejection of tho measure , and contended that a ro-adjustment of tho manner of doing business in tho other courts would render this increase of tho number of tho judges wholly unnecessary . The bill was , however , road a third time on a division by SG to 40 . —Tho second

reading of tho Habeas Corpus Suspension ( Ireland ) Bill led to an animated discussion on tho condition of Ireland . Earl Russell doclarodihis conviction that it was timo something was dono to remove the grievances of Ireland . Ho especially pointed to the Irish Church , and said ho would bring forward a motion on the subject . Several peers having spoken , the Earl

of Derby said he did not consider the Irish Church a grievance . He twitted Earl Russell with having been many years in office without attempting to deal with the question of the Irish Church ; while now , in the first year of his opposition , he was fired with zeal for its abolition . Earl Russell replied that he had brought the question forward thirty years ago , but met with no

encouragement then . Now , however , public opinion was ripe on the subject . The Earl of Derby having replied to this , the discussion ended . The business in the House on the 28 th ult . was of no special importance . In the HOUSE OP COMMOSS , on the 23 rd ult , notices of amendments to the Reform Bill were given , and Jlr . Chichester Fortescue intimated

that he should call attention to the inconvenience of postponing the introduction of the Irish Reform Bill . The Chancellor of the Exchequer then announced that the clauses for giving effect to the amendment of Jlr . Hodgkinson would be in the hands of members . He should propose , when tho fourth clause was passed , to go to the thirtyfourth , of which tho clauses ho should propose would bo amendments . Finally , ho suggested the beginning next week