The Week.

of the association , occupied the chair . His Royal Highness made some pertinent remarks in reference to Mr . Snider ' s mode of converting the Enfield rifle into a breech loader . In his opinion it had the double recommendation of cheapness ancl facility of production , and for a time solved the difficulty of breech-loaders as against muzzle-loaders ; therefore he advised its adoption . His Royal

Highness likewise announced that the AA'imbeldon meeting would commence on the 9 th , the prizes this year amounting to £ -4 , 020 and numbering 633 , as against £ 3 , 595 aud 580 last year . He embraced the opportunity also for a personal explanation , stating that an impression had gone abroad that the National Rifle Association was the cause of the volunteer review not

being held , as recently intended , in Hyde Park . The association were not in any manner to blame . If any one was it was himself , for on learning that a field-day was contemplated with a force of 10 , 000 men , his experience at once suggested that the park did not afford sufficient space , ancl his representations to that effect were the sole cause of the

disappointment which no doubt large numbers of volunteers had experienced . The Queen ' s birthday was kept on the 26 th ult , There was the usual holiday making in the public departments , and there were the usual illuminations in the evening . All the Cabinet Ministers gave State Dinners . The Queen herself has gone to Cliefden . There was a fearful fire at

Ottery , a village near Exeter , on the 25 th ult . Some children playing with burning paper set fire to a foul chimney . The sparks fell on the roofs ofthe adjoining houses , which were mostly thatched , and set five to them . Fvom house to house and street to street the conflagration spread until 150 families had been rendered homeless . The nearest enables had several miles to

come , and there was but a scanty supply of water . The wonder appears to be that the whole village was not destroyed . On the 2 Gth ult ., a man named Gibson attempted to murder his wife , and then cut his own throat . The couple lodged in a house in Eagle-street , High Holborn , and are stated to have lived very unhappily together . On Saturday night Gibson went home , found a razor , and tried to cut his wife's throat . He only

succeeded , however , in doing her a slight injury before she got away from him . He then cut his own throat so severely that he is not likely to recover . The Duke of Edinburgh , better known to us all as the Prince Alfred , was made a grocer on the 28 th ult . He visited the hall of the Grocers' Company , receiveci the freedom of the company , and then took luncheon with the

grocers in their hall . On Sunday the 26 th ult ., the curate of the parish church of Maker , near Plymouth , had just completed a sentence in his sermon when he fell back and expired . The deceased was suffering from aneurismn of the heart , ancl had for some time been conscious that sudden death might at any moment overtake him . -An alarming fire broke out on the

26 th ultimo , at Sidmouth . Four houses—one of them a large hotel—were destroyed . The fire originated in an unoccupied house . The French banker who is charged with being a fraudulent bankrupt escaped from France , was brought up at Bow-street police court on the 28 th ult . The presiding magistrate decided that he was bound to grant the warrant

for the committal of tlie prisoner to the House of Detention where he would await the order of the Secretary of State for his removal . The prisoner ' s counsel said he meant to move the Court of Queen ' s Bench for a writ of habeas corpus . At the Middlesex Session on the 29 th ultimo , Edward Hamilton Finney , said to be most respectably connected , was indicted for stealing a silver spoon from the Albion Tavern . Serjeant Ballantine asked the jury to believe that the spoon which was

The Week.

found in the prisoner ' s pocket came there by accident . They declined to adopt that theory , ancl found the prisoner guilty , Judgment was postponed to the next sessions . At the last meeting for the session of the Society of Arts , on the 30 th ult . ; a very interesting paper on " Popular Errors concerning Australia , " was read by the Hon . Charles Gavan Duffy . The

hon . gentleman vindicated the Government of the colony and the colonists from the charges respectively of instability and a desire for change , and refuted the statement that the sudden changes of Government were attributable to the extension oi the franchise . Ail interesting debate followed the reading of the paper . Mr . Marsh , M . P ., drew a dismal picture of the

condition of society in the colon }' . New South AVales and A'ictoriu were in a state of financial and political retrogression ; property was insecure , tho magistracy unfitted for their duties , ancl the members of the Legislature venal and corrupt . Mr . Duffy asked the hon . gentleman to adduce a single proof of the latter charge , which request Mr . Marsh . did not think fit to

comply with . Mr . Hart , late Chief Secretary of South Australia , followed , and combated the opinions of Mr . Marsh , stating that South Australia was never in a more prosperous financial condition than at present , and that universal suffrage and the ballot worked admirably in it . Sir John Gray , M . P ., made some pertinent observations with respect to the alleged inse

curity of property in Australia ; and the proceedings closed with a warm vote of thanks to Mr . Duffy for his able paper There was a conference also at AVestminster Palace Hotel of members of the Associated Trades Protection Societies of the

kingdom . Mr . R . AA ' ells , of Hull , presided . The subject under discussion was the new Bankruptcy Bill . The chief features of the Bill were approved , but suggestions for amendment in certain particulars were drawn up . Later in the day a deputation waited on the Attorney-General to present these suggestions . He promised to give them his most careful attention . At Marylebone Police-court , a woman named Allen charged Mr .

Alexander Moseley with having committed an indecent assault upon her while in a carriage on the London and North Western Railway . Her evidence was of a singular character , including the fact that the defendant , during the time he was engaged in committing tins assault , was smoking . The counsel for the defendant further threw such light upon the antecedents of the prosecutrix as induced the magistrate to dismiss the case .

A very shocking murder was perpetrated in Birmingham . Two boys , named John Davis , ton years old , and Thomas M'Gee , nine years old , quarrelled in the street . The latter pulled out a knife ancl stabbed Davis , who died instantly .

To Correspondents.

TO CORRESPONDENTS .

* # '•* AH communications to he addressed to 19 , Salisbury-street , Strand , London , AV . C . P ., LENG-III , ALESSANDEIA . —Se la Squadra non ci perviene pel prossimo corriere , Sara sospeso il cambio della nostra pubblicazione . EKEATA . —In Bro . Purton Cooper ' s communication , "Christianity ancl English Freemasonry , " p . 391 of the present volume , line 2 for Ereemasonry reacl Freemasons ; line 9 for hitherto

, , been read hitherto walked ; and lino 32 , for In this picture read In the picture . A . —MASONIC EMBLEMS ON PUBLIC HOUSES AND HOTELS , — 1 . AVe have , you will find in previous numbers of the FBEE - 3 IAS 0 NS' MAGAZINE , already expressed ourselves strongly hi condemnation of the objectionable practice to which you refer . 2 . With reference to the particular case in point

, we do not think we should be justified in addressing the founders of the Metropolitan chapter of instruction ; it is for them and not for us to legislate upon the subject . Certainly , we hope with you , that they will raise their voice against the perpetuation of the practice at their place pf meeting . AA'e feel assured we need not say more .