The Week.

Government , would remain in her present incomplete state while hostilities were going on between Denmark and Germany . She was allowed to leave the stocks on the assurance of the Danish Minister that no attempt would be made to fit her out , and this promise had heen " honourably " observed . —Mr . Disraeli made another attack on the Foreign Policy of the Government , and was replied to by Lord Palmerston , who was followed by Mr .

Seymour Fitzgerald . The House then went into Committee on the Navy Estimates , and several votes were agreen to . On Tuesday Mr . Villiers , in reply to a question from Mr . Hibbert , said the Poor-law Board coulcl not at present undertake the consolidation of the statutes relating to the relief of the poor . —In reply to a question from Mr . Gregory , Lord

Hartington said the competitive trial of the Whitworth and Armstrong guns would begin on the 1 st of April . The delay which had taken place in bringing the question as to the relative merits of the two systems to an issue , was the fault , not of the Government , but of Mr . Whitworth . —Mr . Marsh moved a resolution to the effect that the Civil Service and Miscellaneous

Estimates , which had increased by about five millions and a half during the last thirty years , " ought to be reduced . " Mr . F . Peel admitted that the increase had been " certainly serious , " hut the question arose whether they were prepared to abolish the grants for education , for the reformation of criminals , for the suppression of the slave trade , and other public purposes .

These estimates had also been swelled by the transfer of many charges from local rates to the imperial Exchequer—a course which was rendered necessary when the repeal of the corn laws deprived the agricultural interest of advantages which had been enjoyed under a system of protection . After a short discussion , Mr . Marsh withdrew his motion . -On AVednesday , Mr . Floyer , the new member for Dorsetshire , took the oaths and his seat ;

Mr . Newdegate postponed his Church-rates Commutation Bill ; and the Chain Cables Bill was referred to a select committee . GENERAL HOME NEWS . —The mortality of London has again taken a startling movement upwards . The last week in February was the most fatal of the four . The deaths in all were 1 , 677 , which is 210 above the corrected average for the corresponding week of the last ten years . The births in the

same w eek amounted to 2 , 000 , which is 57 below the average . The Gazette of last Friday contains a list of honours granted to sundry naval officers for their services . Sir Alexander Milne , whose long and able services in discharging the delicate duties of commander-in-chief on the North American station has just expired , is made a Military Knight

Commander of the Bath . He had before held the same order , hut in the civil division , so that there is not much to be said for this in the way of promotion . The same reward has heen conferred on Admiral Kuper , the hero of Kagosima . Commodore Sir Wm . Wiseman and one or two other officers on the New Zealand station are also made Companions of the

Bath . The only soldier who has lately received a decoration for his services is General Cameron in New Zealand . Another relapse has taken place in the condition of the operatives of the cotton districts . The improvement which we have chronicled week by week for some time past has heen suddenly checked , ancl we have now to report an increase of 1 , 700 in the number

of persons receiving parochial relief . Rochdale , Chorlton , Ashton , Stockport , Blackburn , Bury , the Flyde , and Bolton are among the unions which have suffered in this respect . The principal business before the Metropolitan Board of Works last week , was to vote an increase ot salarly to their principal officers . The solicitor ' s salary was augmented from £ 1 , 000 to £ 1 , 250 a year , and the clerk had an increase of £ 200 to his original salary . The last augmentation was very keenly

contested , and the motion was carried hy a narrow majority . One of the opponents stated that the members of the board had heen canvassed to vote for the increase . Mr . Gladstone expects to be able to make his financial statement on the 7 th of April . The National Rifle Association held their annual meeting on Saturday at Willis's Rooms . The Duke

of Cambridge , as president of the Association , took the chair . There was an unusually large attendance of members , and great interest appeared to be taken in the proceedings . The selection of Stangate and the new ground to be gained hy the Thames Southern Embankment as a site for the new St . Thomas ' s Hospital , received the sanction of Vice Chancellor Sir Wm . Page

AVood on Saturday . In compliance with a memorial from the Manchester Chamber of Commerce , Lord Russell has promised to call the attention of Viceroy of Egypt to tho serious interruptions to the deliveries of cotton from that country which have been caused by the Government monopolising all the means of transmit ; and also by the gross

misconduct of the Custom House and other officials . It is stated in the Morning Post that Mr . Mason , the Confederate commissioner , who has been residing in Paris since his abrupt departure from this country some months ago , has just returned to London at the desire of his Government . Mr . Mason ' s re-appearance in England is supposed not to he

unconnected with some important negociations which are being carried on between the French and English Governments on the subject of the Southern Confederacy . Major Swindley , of the Inniskilling Dragoons—who was one of the most important witnesses against Colonel Crawley at the late courtmartial—is gazetted out of the regiment . He goes on half pay . ——The O'Donoghue and his friends , foiled in their attempt to induce a public meeting in Dublin to insult the memory

of the Prince Consort , held a hole-and-corner one for the purpose on Monday . There was an immense crowd outside , hut none were admitted who did not satisfy the appointed scrutineers that they would say ditto to The O'Donoghue . About 500 persons passed this ordeal , and the meeting thus comfortably packed gladdened the hearts of the disloyal promoters by passing unanimously all the resolutions brought before them .

The miners employed at two extensive collieries in the neighbourhood of Barnsley having struck for an advance of wages , a number of the coalowners have given notice of a lock out . Should the " turn outs " be firm in their demand for increased wages , and refuse to resume work , close upon 3 , 000 other miners will thus he thrown out of employment . Seven persons were

killed , and some twelve or fourteen others seriously injured , by a boiler explosion , near AVest Bromwich , on Tuesday . A colliery explosion at Hanley ou the same day resulted in the death of two persons and the injury of several others . After a protracted trial , the " great Derbyshire will case" has resulted in a verdict for the defendants , —that is to say , the

three codicils , set up by Mr . John Else , are declared by the jury to be forgeries . These codicils were all in favour of Mr . Else , and were found at intervals after the testator ' s death . The whole case is one of a remarkable character , and has formed the subject of much litigation for the last six years . Henry Summers , the captain , and George

Woolcott , the look-out-out-man on board tho Lady of the LaJce , a steamer plying between Southampton and the Isle of AVight , were indicted at the Winchester assizes on the charge of manslaughter , in having run down the fishing-boat of a man named Fulder , in October last , by which he was drowned . After hearing the evidence in the case , the judge saw there was no evidence against Woolcott , who had the lookout at the time of the accident . The jury then deliberated on