The Week.

folly of the loud-voiced representative of Beverley , however , met with no imitators , aud the bill was read a second time . Then the House went on to cattle plague again . On Friday the 23 rd ult ., Sir Robert Peel elicited from the Chancellor of the Ex . chequer the declaration that what is proposed to be done in respect to the Queen ' s University in Ireland will be submitted to the House before it is carried out . The formal

resolutions in reference to { the dowry of the Princess Helena were agreed to Afterwards tho House entered upon a discussion relative to the deep sea oyster fishery , and a somewhat longer and deeply interesting debate on our neutrality laws . The chief topic of debate in the House on Monday the 26 th ult ., was Mr . AVhite's motion iu reference to expenditure . Mr . AA'hyte

enforced the necessity for retrenchment in an exceedingly able speech , ancl was followed by Mr . Baxter . —Mr . Laing , Mr . M'Laren , and others took part in the debate , which was brought to a close hy a speech from the Chancellor of the Exchequer . — Later in the evening Lord C . Paget introduced the navy estimates . On Tuesday , the 27 th ulth , Mr . Layard , in replying to Mi-.

Ewart said that when the customs arrangement between France and Monaco was made , her Majesty's Government notified to the French Government that thej r could not accept it as a precedent , and that if any other nation insisted upon having the same rights and privileges they should insist upon having them also . Mr . Sheridan got leave to introduce a bill to compel railway

companies to provide means of communication between guards andjpassengers , and ^ Mr . B . Cochrane obtained leave to bring in a bill to amend the Colonial Governor's Pensions Act . A motion by Mr . Aryton for a select committee to inquire into the local government of the metropolis led to rather a sharp passage of words between that lion . gentleman ancl Lord Robert Montagu . Both , however , seemed to agree that there was room for

improvement in the management of London . Sir George Grey afterwards acceded to the motion for a committee , ancl it agreed to —• The condition of the telegraphic communication with India was the subject of an interesting debate . Mr . Crawford moved for a select committee on the matter , and pointed out ho . v gross were the neglects and delays between Bagdad and Kuvvachee .

Several other speakers endorsed the statements of the member for the City of London , and the Government acceded to the motion for a committee . The other business was disposed of , ancl the House adjourned at nine o'clock . Mr . Hadfield succeeded on Thursday , the 23 th ult , earring the second reading of his Qualification for Office Bill . Mr . Newdc-gate was its

opponent , ancl adduced all the stock arguments in support of his amendment for the rejection of the bill . The discussion was interesting , and the division showed 170 for the second reading and only 52 against it . Another me-. surn , having also for its object the extension ' of religions liberty , was the Fellows of Colleges Declaration Bill , introduced by Mr .

Bouverie . It too was read a second time . The Jamaica Government Bill was read a third time and passed after a brief discussion ; and the bills for the annuities of the Princess Helena and Prince Alfred were also put forward a stage . The House adjourned at three o'clock . GEXEHAT , HOME NEWS . —The Registrar-General , in his usual

weekly return , states : In the week that ended on Saturday , February 21 , the births registered in London and twelve other large towns in the United Kingnom were . -1 , 709 ; the deaths registered 3 . G 38 ; f lie annual rate of mortality was 31 per 1 , 000 persons living . In London the births of 1 , 1 S 9 boys and 1 , 101 girls , in all 2 , 350 children were registered in the week . In the corresponding weeks of ten years 1 S 55- G 5 the average number , corrected for increase of population , was 2 . 135 . The deaths

registered in London during the week were 1 , 630- It was the eighth week of the year , and the average number of deaths for that week is , with a correction for increase of population , 1 , 503 The present return is not of a favourable character , for the actual deaths exceed the number calculated for the third week of

February by 127 . Small pox appears to be gradually on tho increase ; and the fatal cases referred to it last week were 26 , of which number 11 were returned as having occured iu the Smallpox Hospital . Forty-six deaths from measles were recorded , 37 from scarlatina , 11 from diptheria , 70 from whooping cough , 69 from typhus , IS from diarrhoea . The mortality from pulmonary diseases became decidly heavier ; the deaths from phthisis , which

had been 151 and 170 in the two previous weeks , rose to 214 ; those from bronchitis , which had been 115 and 331 , rose to 210 ; while in the last three weeks those from pneumonia were successively 67 , 59 , and 95 . The deaths from diseases of the respiratory organs , exclusive of phthisis , were-337 , the corrected average being 319 . The annual rate of mortality last week was

28 per 1 , 000 in London , ' 38 in Edinburgh , and 29 in Dublin ; 31 in Bristol , 31 in Birmingham , 10 in Liverpool , 35 in Manchester , 36 in Salford , 37 in Sheffield , 38 in Leeds , 27 iu Hull , 26 in Newcastle upon-Tyne , and 32 in Glasgow . Some discussion of an important character took place in the Court of Common Council on the 22 nd ult ., on the subject of the

cattle plague . Now that the passage of cattle through the streets will be stopped , it is necessary that a larger number of dead meat markets should be opened , and one or two mombers of the court urged that the requisite steps should be iaken to supply the metropolis with food . —Mr . Hunt ' s clause prohibits the moving or transport of cattle for a greater distance than 500

yards , An attempt will be made to obtain a modification of this clause , in older that foreign cattle arriving at Blackwall may be brought to-Londonto be slaughtered . —Messrs . Rosenthal and Osmond , merchants , were defendants at the Mansion House on

tbe 23 rd ult ., on a charge of having sold several rifles , the barrels of which did not bear the proper proof mark . Some very foolish statements have appeared iu some of our contemporaries anticipatory of this case , but it really was a very simple aff . iir . Mersrs . Rosenthal and Osmond hud had consigned to to them a number of muskets , which having been manufactured

for Austria during tbe war with France , had been superseded by better weapons . Afterwards they were te have been sent to the Confederate States , but did not get off . Finally , as we have said , they came into the hands of Messrs . Rosenthal and Osmond , who sold some of them . They did not bear the proof marks required by law , and hence the offence charged had been

technically committed . The defendandants were fined one shilling per barrel for the number they had sold . The army estimates have been issued . They show " a net decrease as compared with the votes of last year of £ 253 , 447 . On Thursday , tlii-23 rd ult ., the London and Scotch express from London ran into a bank engine a few miles from Preston . "

Several of the passengers were much contused , and the line was blocked for a time . At Lambeth police court , on Friday , the 23 rd ult ,, two Poles were brought up , charged with having in their possession a number of forged Russian bank notes . When apprehended in Walworth by Inspector Thompson , of the detective force , one of the prisoners endeavoured to throw away

two small parcels , which , on being picked up , w ere found to contain the forged notes in question . On the person of his companion were found a few Polish State Bonds forming a portion of those stolen from the Polish Treasury . —A deputation waited upon the President-of the Board of Trade on Saturday tho 21 th ult ., to ask that a Roval Commission might b e