Masonic Festivities.

that found any reason to complain , the whole proceedings clearly demonstrating that people can not only dwell , but also live and act together in harmony , and that—we hope we may say—Freemasonry has a tendency to promote this very desirable object .

Meetings Of The Scientific And Learned Societies For The Week Ending March 10th , 1866.

MEETINGS OF THE SCIENTIFIC AND LEARNED SOCIETIES FOR THE WEEK ENDING MARCH 10 TH , 1866 .

Tuesday , March 6 , —INSTITUTION OF CIA ' ENGINEERS , at 8 . Wednesday , March 7 . —SOCIETY OJ ? AIMS , at 8 . GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY or LONDON , at 8 .

The Week.

THE WEEK .

THE Corriw . —The Queen , accompanied by her Royal Highness Princess Helena , walked and drove in the grounds on Thursday , the 22 nd ult . Earl Russell had an audience of the Queen . Her Majesty walked this morning with Princess Louise . Lord and Lady Napier arrived at the Castle on the 22 nd ult ., and had the honour of an interview with her Majesty . The

Hon . Emily Cathcart and the Hon . Florence Seymour have arrived at the Castle as Maids of Honour in Waiting . The Qneen , accompanied by her lloyal Highness Princess Helena , drove out on the 23 rd ult ., attended by the Duchess of Roxburghe . Her Majesty the Queen , with Princess Helena ancl Princess Louise , went to London on the 24 th ult ., and paid a visit of condolence

to Lady Phipps , at St . James's Palace , on the occasion of the death of Colonel the Hon . Sir C . B . Phipps . Her Majesty was attended by the Duchess of Roxburghe ancl Lieutenant-General Hon . C . Grey . His Royal Highness Prince Alfred arrived at the Castle on the 23 rd ult ., having completed his service on board her Majesty ' s ship Racoon . The Prince went to Loudon ,

attended by Lieut . Haig . Viscount Sydney , Lord Chamberlain , had an audience of the Queen to present the addresses from the House of Lords , in answer to her Majesty's message . Her Majesty the Queen , accompanied by her Royal Highness Princess Louise , drove in the grounds on Saturday , the 21 th

ult . The Chancellor of the Exchequer arrived at the Castle , and had an audience of the Queen . Tho Queen , Princess Helena , Princess Louise , Princess Beatrice , Prince Leopold , and Princess Hohenlohe , and the ladies ancl gentlemen in waiting , attended Divine service ou Sunday in the private chapel . The Hon . and Very Rev . the Dean of AVindsor officiated . The Princa and Princess of AA'ales , attended by the Countess of Macclesfield

and Major Teesdale , returned to Marlborough House , on Saturday , the 24 th ult ., from a visit to the Duke of Rutland , at Belvoir Castle . His Royal Highness Prince Alfred , attended by Lieutenant Haig , arrived at Marlborough House , on a visit to the Prince and Princess of Wales . The Prince and Princess of Wales and Prince Alfred , with the Countess of Macclesfield ,

Major Teesdale , and Lieutenant Haig in waiting , attended Divine service at the Chapel Royal , St . James ' s . Their Royal Highnesses tho Duchess of Cambridge ancl Princess Mary attended the service . The Queen , accompanied by her Royal Highness Princess Helena , drove in the grounds on tbe 26 th ult . The Prince of AA ' ales went to the House of Lords . The

Princess of AVales , attended-by the Countess of Macclesfield , took a carriage drive . The Queen walked ancl drove this morning , accompanied by Princess Helena . Viscount Torrington and the Hon . Mortimer Seckville AVest have succeeded the Earl of Caithness and Major-General P . Seymour , C . B ., as Lord and

Groom in AA aitir . g . The Prince of AA ' ales went to the House of Lords yesterday afternoon . IIIPEEIAII PAKLLMENT . —The HOUSE OP LOEDS sat rather longer than usual on Thursday the 22 nd ult . An address , the echo of tho Queen ' s Message in reference to ohe Princess Helena and Prince Alfred , was brought up by Earl Russell . The Sales

by Auction Bill made some progress . Tlie Art Bill passed through committee , and some explanations were given about the Cattle Diseases Bill , which nobody seems to understand . Their lordships rose before eight o ' clock . On Friday the House of Lords was occupied only a short time , and the cattle plague was of course the chief topic of discussion . On Monday the 26 th

ult . Lord Derby gave notice that on Friday evening the 22 udinst ., he should , on behalf of the trustees of the late King of the Belgians , lay a statement before the House . —Earl Granville announced that Government declined to take charge of Mr . Hunt ' s Cattle Plague Bill , and said that if it were taken up by an independent peer be should have a string of amendments to

propose to it . The bill was brought in and read a first time . —Viscount'Lifford , in a lengthened speech , desired to be informed whether the Government intended to endow the Roman Catholic clergy in Ireland . He was understood to advocate the application of some of the funds of the Established Church to the education of the people . —Earl Russel , in reply ,

reviewed the legislation with respect to Ireland for the la 3 t thirty years , and most distinctly said Government would not propose to endow the Roman Catholic clergy . Indeed that clergy were strongly opposed to any such thing . It was certain , said his lordship , that the Church of Ireland was not the Church of the people , and the Government would be glad if the revenues of that Church could be applied as had been suggested ; but any proposition to that effect would create heartburnings .

—Earl Grey afterwards gave notice that he would bring forward some resolutions in reference to Ireland . Their lordships adjourned at twenty-five minutes past seven o ' clock . ¦ The Cattle Plague took up most of the time of the House on the 27 th ult . Earl Granville moved the second reading of the Cattle Plague Bill , which , after some discussion , was agreed to . Earl Granville then moved that the bill be referred to a

select committee , one of the members of which is the Prince of Wales . This was also agreed to . —Subsequently the Earl of Airlie , in moving for a memorial from Kincardineshire , strongly condemned the indiscriminate slaughter of cattle . Their lordships rose at twenty minutes to seven o ' clock . In the HOUSE OB COMMONS , on Thursday , the 22 nd ult , the first

business was the proposal made by the Chaneellor of the Exchequer in reference to the Princess Helena aud Prince Alfred . Mr . Gladstone proposed that an annuity of £ 6 , 000 a year should be settled on the Princess , payable from the date of her marriage , and that she should have besides a dowry of £ 30 , 000 . As to Prince Alfred , it was proposed to settle £ 15 , 000

a year upon him for life . Both proposals were accepted by the House with very little discussion . Another proposal made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer was than a monument to Lord Pahnerston should be erected in Westminster Abbey at the expense of the nation . In making the proposition , which was acceded to , Mr . Gladstone pronounced an

eloquent and glowing eulogy en the late Premier . The second reading of the Jamaica Bill came next under cliscuscussion . It was from the first evident that any entering upon the larger question of the massacres in the island was deemed inexpedient . Only one person had the bad taste to break through this understanding . It was Colonel Edwards , who was anxious apparently so show that he had been foolish enough to make some absurd statements at a dinner in Yorkshire . The