The Week.

to which Lord Malmesbury referred . —A discussion took place on the Crawley Court-martial , Lord Colville and Lord Chelmsford censuring the manner in which the prosecution was conducted , and Lord Longford urging that Colonel Crawley was " entitled to the most generous consideration for the obliquy which had undeservedly been heaped upon him , and the serious

expense he had been put to . " The Duke of Cambridge made a sort of apology to Sir Hugh Rose and Sir AVilliam Mansfield for the strictures he had made upon their conduct in connection with the Mhow Court-martial ; and we understand Lord de Grey to have announced that an amendment of the procedure of courts-martial is under the consideration of the

Government . —In reply to a cracstioii from Lord Donoughmore , the Lord Chancellor made a statement which amounted to an intimation that proceedings would be taken against the Directors of the AVest Hartlepool Railway Company for exceeding their legal powers | in the issue of debentures . On Monday , Lord Russell , in reply to a question from the

Marquis of AVestmeath , said he had no evidence to prove that Mazzini , or any other person living in this country , shared in the plot to assassinate the Emperor , Napoleon , and the Government had no intention of taking any step in the matter . — Lord Ellenborough gave notice of a question as to whether the Government had taken any measures with the view of

affording material aid to Denmark . —The Insane Prisoners Act Amendment Bill was read a second time , Lord St . Leonards intimating his intention of moving amendments in committee . On Tuesday , the Marquis of Clarincarde said it was " notorious" that Federal agents had been recruiting in Ireland , and he wished to know whether the Government had remonstrated against such proceedings . Lord Russell replied that when he called the attention of Mr . Adams to the

subject he was met with an indignant denial of the allegations respecting Federal recruiting in Ireland . In January last , a man named Pike came forward as the accuser of another person , whom he charged with " going about to enlist recruits , " but on investigating the matter , the law officers of the Crown came to the conclusion that no jury would believe Pike's story . Lord Donoughmore did not appear to be satisfied with this

statement ; and Lord Derby asked whether the authorities at Dublin and Cork had informed the Government that persons were being regularly drilled and put through military exercise . Lord Granville said a statement to this effect had been received from Dublin , and the police had been ordered to look after the Fenians . There was , however , reason to believe that the Fenian

Brotherhood was " a perfectly contemptible organisation . " In the HOUSE OI ? COMMONS on Thursday , 25 th ult ., Lord Palmerston , in reply to a question from Mr . Peacocke , stated that orders had been sent out to the Cape directing the release ofthe Confederate cruiser Tuscaloosa , which was recently seized under instructions from the Home Government . The detention

of the vessel , said the noble lord , " would not be warranted hy international law . " —In answer to a question from Mr . AV . E . Forster , Mr . Layard said he had no information of the intention of the Danish Government to blockade the ports of Germany , but the coast of Schleswig and Holstein would , he believed , be blockaded . The hon . gentlemen , in reply to a second question ,

stated that Denmark , relying upon the treaty of London , had claimed assistance from England aud France , but that Her Majesty ' s Government had proposed a conference without an armistice , and that Austria and Prussia had accepted the proposal . France , he believed , would be willing to join the conference , and he fancied that Russia would not be indisposed to do so . He was not quite sure about Sweden , and no reply had been received from Copenhagen . —In answer to a question from Lord John

Manners , who asked whether the invasion of Jutland was not an infraction of the treaty of 1720 , Lord Palmerston said it was true that a Prussian force had passed the frontier and taken up a position at Kolding . Information , however , had been received from Berlin chat the officer responsible for this measure had acted contrary to his instructions , and would be reprimanded . It was added , however , that " the occupation of that place is

attended with great strategical advantage to the security ofthe allied forces in Schleswig , and that , therefore , the occupation will he continued . " Notwithstanding this , the great German Powers " still acknowledge the validity" of the Protocol of London , and therefore , in the opinion of the noble lord , " the case contemplated by the treaty of 1720 has not yet arisen . "

—The motion for going into Committee of Supply was , as usual , taken advantage of hy several members to bring various questions under the notice of the House . Mr . Lindsay referred to dockyard management ; Col . Dunne to the cession of the Ionian Islands ; Sir J . Walsh to the necessity for taking vigorous measures for maintaining our naval supremacy ; and Mr . Hennessy

to the despatch on the Polish question sent to St . Petersburg by Lord Russell . —Lord Clarence Paget then made his annual statement respecting the condition of the navy . He said the navy was in a , " satisfactory state of efficiency . " They had a large force iu commission , and under the new system ships could , upon an emergency , be much more rapidly manned than

formerly . Seven iron-plated vessels are in commission ; six more could be got ready , if required , by the middle of this year ; and another six by December next . He explained that these ironsides require fewer men than the ordinary screw ships of war , and that thus he was enabled to propose a reduction in the number of seamen . A long discussion ensued resulting in nothing . On Friday Mr . Roebuck gave notice of a motion

deprecating any attempt on the part of Her Majesty's Government to obstruct the construction of the Suez canal . In replyto a question from Mr . Morritt , Sir George Grey said the convict Townley , being under sentence of penal servitude for life , could not obtain a ticket of leave . —In answer to several questions , Lord Palmerston said the basis of negotiation on the Dano-German dispute proposed by her Majesty ' s Government

was simply the treaty of London—their object being to make such arrangements as would he compatible with the maintenanceof the integrity of the Danish monarchy . The Government had not yet received the assent of all the powers to the proposal of a conference . Owing to " local considerations , " the Danish Government desired to he allowed a short time

consider the proposal , and no reply had yet been received from the German Diet . —Tho noble lord , in reply to a question from Mr . Cave , said he thought that in attempting to put an end to the slave trade it would be the better course to adhere to the present arrangements for securing its suppression , and not to send ships to cruise in Cuban waters . He stated that this

abominable traffic was greatly diminishing , and this result he mainly attributed to the operation of the recent treaty with the United States . He regretted to be obliged to add that France had given but a " lukewarm " support to this work . —A Select Committee was appointed to inquire into the taxation of Ireland . —The Malt for Cattle Bill passed through Committee ; and several

measures having been advanced astage , the House adjourned . —— - On Monday Lord R . Cecil gave notice of a motion to the effect " that it is unconstitutional and inconsistent with the right of Her Majesty ' s subjects for any Minister of the Crown , without statute authority or power to do so , to order the detention of ships belonging to owners in this country . "—In answer to a question from Mr . Dalglish , Mr . Layard stated that the armourplated vessel recently launched on the Clyde for the Danish