The Week.

which were essential to the object for which they were given over to the public . AVith regard to the suppressed meeting at Primrose-hill , he regretted that the police had exceeded their duty by interfering , and the inspector had been reprimanded for his conduct on that occasion . — The House then went into Committee of Supply pro forma , but progress was immediately reported . —The Public and

Refreshment Houses ( Metropolis ) Bill was read a second time . On Monday the Attorney-General , in reply to a series of questions relative to the arrangement in the case of the Mersey steam rams , gave an account of the negotiations which resulted in the purchase of the two vessels . The purchase-money is £ 220 , 000 , or £ 80 , 000 below the sum at first demanded by the

person represented to be the owner of the rams . The lion , and learned gentleman contended that on the part of the Government there had been no condonation of a violation of the law ; and he did not consider that the arrangement in this case would lead shipbuilders to construct vessels of the class of HI Toussain and Fl Monastic on the speculation that Government would buy

the ships . He added that , under present circumstances , her Majesty's Ministers did not deem it necessary to propose an amendment to the Foreign Enlistment Act . —In reply to a question from Mr . Baines , Mr . Peel said the question as to whether any measures should be taken " to remedy the present deficiency in the supply of silver coin" was under consideration . —

Mr . AVhiteside moved a resolution to the effect that the existing duties on spirits should be reduced . The right lion , gentleman contended that the present high duties had acted most prejudicially upon Ireland . Illicit distillation had been encouraged , the distillers were being driven out of the trade , tho revenue suffered , and serious social evils were produced . He attributed the course taken by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in this

matter to the policy of the Government in China—a policy which could only be sustained by a large expenditure of money . Mr . Gladstone opposed the motion—disputing Mr . AA'hitesidc ' s allegations as to the extent to which illicit distillation was carried on , and the fiscal results of the increased duties . The motion was lost , and the House went into committee of supply , when several votes were passed . Ou Tuesday , Mr . Layard

stated , in answer to a question , that no official information had been received by the Government as to the grounds upon which the Chincha Islands had been seized by the Spaniards ; but he was in a position to say that the shipment of guano from the islands on British account would not be stopped . Mr . Lindsay postponed his

motion relative to the Confederate States , and Lord Clarence Paget announced his intention of asking the House to sanction a supplementary vote for the purchase of the Birkenhead steam rams . — Mr . Cobden moved a resolution affirming that the policy of non-intervention should he observed in our intercourse with China . The hon . gentleman commented at

considerable length upon the pleas which the Government put forth in support of its policy in China , and contended that , even on the assumption that it was politic to advance commerce by the agency of the sword , we had failed to secure au increase of trade at all proportionate to the expenditure which our wars with China had rendered necessary . He supported

this argument by copious statistics , and was replied to by Mr . Layard , who was no loss ready with an array of figures to prove the very reverse of the conclusions arrived at hy the member for Rochdale . The debate was continued by Lord Naas , Mr . Liddell , Lord Palmerston , Mr . Bright , and other members ; and ultimately Mr . Cobclen withdrew his motion .- On AVednesday , Mr . Dodson moved that the House go into committee on the Tests Abolition ( Oxford ) Bill . Mr . Trofusis moved

that the House go into committee that day six months . The bill sought to introduce a new principle into the University which ought not to be done without good reason being shown . This had not been shown . The bill was not required by the country , and if passed it would do much to dissever the Established Church from the University . Mr . Leatbam said the real reason why the bill was opposed was because it was a concession to

Nonconformity , which some gentlemen always seemed to think was a blow aimed at the Church of England . They had heard the same argument of the Church iu danger too often to be alarmed at it . At present they might have in the governing body of the Universities bishops who did not believe in Noah's Ark , but they refused admission to Dissenters who did believe in Noah's Ark , but did

not believe iu bishops . He hoped the bill would pass . Colonel Clifford also supported the bill , as did Mr . Morrison . Sir S . Northcote opposed it on the ground that it was an undue interference with the University . A long discussion ensued , and the motion for going into committee was carried by 236 votes to 226 . The House then went into committee , and progress was

immediately reported . —The House was proceeding with the discussion of the Elections Committees Bill when , at a quarter to six , the debate was , in accordance with standing orders , suspended . GENERAL HOME NEWS . —The metropolitan mortality in the last week in May was singularly near to the average deaths in that week corrected for the increase of population during the last ten years . That average was 1 , 233 , and the deaths actually occurring in the course of last week were 1 , 23-1 . The births for the same period were rather above the average , which has

not been the case for some time past . The actual births were 1 , 966 ; the average was 1 , 938 . The general meeting of the National Rifle Association has been held , the Duke of Cambridge presiding . Lord Elcho explained that the finances of the association were in an exceedingly healthy condition ; the number and value of the prizes were increased , as well as the number of competitors . This was especially the case with the

Queen ' s prize , for which there were about 200 more competitors than last year , though the entrance fee had heen doubled . His Royal Highness , at the close of the meeting , made some remarks on the Prussian needle gun , of which he did not think so highly as some gentlemen did from the recent practice at Dybhol . . A numerous deputation , including a number of members of

Parliament , waited upon Lord Palmerston , on Tuesday , to urge his lordship cither to postpone the Church Building Acts Amendment Bill or to insert a clause prohibiting the levy of church rates in new parishes . The noblj lord declined to give any pledge on the subject . The object of the Government , he said , was merely to bring together the various enactments

relating to the church building question that were scattered through several acts of Parliament , and he could only piomise to lay the suggestions of the deputation before his colleagues . A frightful railway accident occurred on Wednesday morning at Stow-hill , Bradford , resulting in death to one person and serious injury to a number of others—injuries which it is feared may in several of the cases yet prove fatal . It appears that a train of carriages , filled with colliers , was overturned at the foot of an incline which leads from Stow-hill to

the Low Moor Collieries . Besides one of the unfortunate men being killed and about a dozen severely injured , thore was considerable damage done to property . The guard of the train has been taken into custody for alleged negligence . The caso of Colonel Knox against Mr . Gye , of the Royal Italian Opera , which , it will be remembered , was a claim ou tho part of the colonel to establish a partnership between Mr . Gye and himself in the Opera House , and an appeal from the decision of Vice-Chancellor AVood , who held that Colonel Knox had not