The Week.

needlessly impede the progress of the bills . There was an animated discussion , ancl eventually Sir R . Knightley ' s instruction was carried by 248 votes to 238 . Thereupon the Chancellor of the Exchequer expressed a hope that the hon . baronet would be ready to produce the clauses he wished to have adopted . Captain Hayter then moved his amendment , declaring the

Government Distribution of Seats Bill to he immature and wrong in principle . He spoke at some length in support of the motion , and was followed by Major Anson , who seconded it . The Major , however , went against both the bills , ancl denounced the Government plan altogether . Mr . Bagnall , Mr . Barnett , and Mr . Sclater-Booth supported the amendment , and were

replied to in a capital speech by the Solicitor-General . After him followed Mr . Sandford , whose pompous platitudes respecting the bills were smartly ridiculed by Mr . Locke . Then Col , Barttelot denounced the proposals of the bills , and the adjournment of the debate was moved by Captain Jervis . The Chancellor of the Exchequer saw no objection , but urged that

the debate should be continued . Mr . Disraeli discovered that this was the first occasion on which the principle of the two hills could be fairly discussed , and told the Government not to be in a hurry . After some more discussion the debate was adjourned to the 31 st ult . The questions in the House possessed no great interest . In the course of them , however , the

Chancellor of the Exchequer stated that as ho understood Mr . Clay was going to press his Franchise Bill , the Church Rates Bill would be postponed to the 13 th inst . The evils of bribery at elections formed the subject of the first and only set discussion . Mr . Hussey Vivian proposed two resolutions , declaring that those who bribed or offered bribes at elections should be for ever disfranchised and disqualified to sit in Parliament , and that those who receiveci bribes should also be disfranchised . Mr .

Buxton sought to add to these propositions another to the effect that , where there was sufficient evidence , the Attorney General should prosecute all those against whom acts of bribery were reported . Mr . Powell urged that something should be clone , and Mr . Bernal Osborne commented caustically on the difference in the tone of the House that night from what it was on the 28 th ulfc ., when members had only to talk against bribery , and

not to do anything practically to put it down . He charged the AA'higs with having originated bribery . He had no great faith in the motion , ancl strenuously urged that the examination into disputed elections should be taken away from committees of that House . Mr . Paull did not think the motion would have any good effect . The Attorney General adminis .

tered a sharp rebuke to Mr . Bernal Osborne for the manner in which he had spoken of the constituencies , ancl then proceeded to throw doubts on to the advisability of carrying the resolutions proposed . In the discussion which followed , Mr . Lusk pointed to the ballot and large constituencies as the only means of preventing bribery . Mr . Vivian offered to

withdraw the motion after what had been said by the Attorney General . This led to another lively debate , in which Mr . Otway , Sir G . Grey , ancl Mr . D . McLaren took prominent part . The motions were then withdrawn . Several notices having been disposed of , Mv . AA'halley was proceeding with a motion in reference to Roman Catholic lotteries in Scotland ,

when the House was counted out at ten minutes past eight o'clock . On the 30 th ult . Mr . Clay moved the second reading of his bill for conferring the elective franchise on those who pass a scholastic examination . Mr . Gladstone moved that the Bill be reacl a second time that day six months , and argued that it would be impossible to devise any simple ancl satisfactory mode of determining the intellectual fitness of applicants for the

franchise . He succeeded in eliciting a capital illustration of the foolishness of tbe proposed tests . One of them was the division of money . How many members , asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer , could divide £ 1 , 330 17 s . 6 d . by £ 2 13 s . 8 d . ? Lord Robert Montagu promptly declared it coulcl not be done , whereupon Mr . Gladstone remarked , amid the laughter of the

House , that one illustration was worth a thousand arguments . He gave numerous reasons why the bill should not pass , and moved its rejection . Lord Robert Montagu was unwise enough to repeat what he had saicl about the impossibility of dividing the sum named by Mr . Gladstone , and gave his adhesion to the bill . Mr . Clive and Mr . Ewert also supported the measure , as

did Sir John Parkington , though he did not agree with all its details . Mr . Goschen described the measure as one that gave the maximum of Liberal profession with the minimum of Liberal results , and therefore it had the support of the Conservatives . Mv . B . Hope did not think the bill in its present shape ought to pass , but still he should vote for it . Mr .

Denman believed the bill would lead to the grossest jobbery if carried . Mr . AVhiteside saw much merit in the proposal , and supported it . Mr . Bright opposed the bill in a vigorovs speech , in which ho showed the utter futility of such a franchise as that proposed , and asked what state the country would be reduced to were it governed solely on the principles of Mr . Whiteside or

the three Universities . The only real way to progress in the direction of further enfranchisement was to tread in the beaten paths ancl adopt the municipal franchise . Lord Cranbourne resrarded the bill as a valuable corrective of the

Government measure , and therefore should vote for it . The Attorney General stigmatised the conduct of the Opposition in regard to this measure as an organised hypocrisy . He declared that Mr . Bright deserved well of the House and the country , and that his views with respect to the municipal franchise were the only sound views on the subject . Mr . Adderley attacked Mr . Bright ancl defended the bill . Mr .

Locke defended Mr . Bright and attacked the bill . Sir Stafford Northcote , though not approving wholly of the bill , should support it . Mr . Ackland opposed the bill , and Mr . Montagu Chambers was speaking against it , when at a quarter to six the debate was brought to a close by tbe standing orders . GEKEEAL HOME NEWS . —A large and influential meeting ,

convened Dy the Lord Mayor , in obedience to a requisition signed by several of the most eminent citizens of London , was held at the Mansion House , on the 24 th ult ., to do honour to Mr . Peabody , and to devise a lasting form of recognition of his liberal benefaction to the poor of London . The Lord Mayor

presided , and he and other gentlemen laid before the meeting a plan to erect a statue in some prominent position in the City . Mr . Billings , while offering no objection to the proposal , certainly thought it incomplete , unless it embraced a subscription towards a further extension of the benefits secured by Mr . Peabody ' s munificence . The statue , of course , was decided

upon . An inquest was helcl on the body of the woman Hopkins , who is alleged to have been murdered last Monday night by her husband at Edmonton . A good deal of evidence was taken , and the jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against Hopkins . In the Court of Chancery , on the 25 th ult ., various petitions for the winding up of Overend , Gurney

and Co . were postponed for the present— the application for the postponement being based upon the prospect of a more satisfactory settlement of the company ' s affairs . The National Rifle Association helcl its usual spring meeting at Willis's Rooms . There was a very influential attendance , including his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge , who , as president