The Week.

fore , and he thought that , on the whole , there was no foundation for the complaints made . After some remarks from Colonel Sykes and Jlr . Smollett , the House divided , and the Government was defeated by a majority of 13 . On Wednesday , Jlr . Bailies moved the second reading of the Borough Franchise Bill . At great length he pointed out the necessity for the measure . The Government had set aside the question of Reform ,

and it remained for independent members to take it up . He combated the objection that this was not the time to take up such a question when the Parliament was expiring , and showed that a precisely similar course was taken in 1832 . Indeed , any Reform Bill must be . passed in the last session of Parliament . The Government came into office pledged to a measure of Reform .

He alluded to the AVillis ' s Rooms compact , and said that though the urgency of foreign affairs and other matters might form some excuse for the Government not fulfilling their pledges , he could not but think that had the same resolution jbeen manifested in reference to this question which had been shown in respect to the French Treaty , the Budgets , and the repeal of the

paper duty , it would have been carried . There had been however , a want of support in the House on the question , and much apathy out of doors , but he was confident the demand for an extension of the franchise ivould again be made . He advised tho House not to wait fortius call but to take advantage of the present

period of calm and quiet to pass a measure of Reform . He contended that the £ 6 franchise would introduce a body of men who were fully to be trusted . He quoted speeches of Jlr . Disraeli and Earl Russell , in which they had stated that the working classes were increasing in knowledge , and iu support of this he adduced several statistics to show how much more general education was now than formerly . —Jlr . Bnzley seconded

tbe motion for the second reading . —Lord Elcho moved the previous question . He enlarged upon the apathy out of doors in respect to the measure . It would only admit 240 , 000 new voters , whereas Lord Derby ' s Bill would have admitted 500 , 000 . He did not believe that latter measure was required , hut as the question was put he had voted for it . On the broad principle he believed it ivould be unwise to depart from

the £ 10 line laid down by the Reform Bill . —Jlr . Black seconded the previous question on the ground that the Bill would encourage improvidence in the working classes . —Jlr . Leatham criticised the speech of Lord Elcho , and denied that because Government had not kept its pledges independent members should remain quiet . After some further discussion

the debate was adjourned . GENERAL HOME NEWS . —The health of the country considerably improved last week . The rate of mortality in the thousand declined in the ten principal towns from 27 , which it was in the previous week , to 24 . Of these ten towns Bristol is the most healthy , having only 21 deaths in tho thousand , and

Glasgow is ^ the worst , showing the high rate of 31 . London is two below the average . The aggregate mortality in all the ten towns was 2 , 687 deaths , to which London contributed 1 , 344 , being very [ little above its ten years' average . The births were 4 , 162 , of which 2 , 205 were born in the metropolis . The Gazette contains a long list of the noblemen and gentlemen

appointed by her JIajesty to act as commissioners for the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1865 . The Prince of AA ales is at the head of the body , aud among other names are those of the Earl Granville and the Duke of Sutherland . The weekly return of the Poor-law Board shows a further , though slight , improvement in the cotton manufacturing districts . Comparing the fourth with the third week of the present month , we find that | 240 paupers have disappeared

The Week.

from tho union rolls . Eleven unions—namely , Manchester , Ashton , Blackburn , Chorlton , The Fylde , Ilaslingden , Preston , Salford , Stockport , AA arrington , and AVigan—have , together , S 90 fewer paupers ; six unions show au aggregate increase of 650 ; while in the remaining eleven unions no change has been experienced . The total number of persons on the poor rates is 86 , 970 , or less than one-third the amount of pauperism in the

first week of December , 1862 . AA e deeply regret to state that Admiral Fitzroy , the well-known meteorologist , committed suicide on Sunday morning . In his post of hydrographer to the Admiralty he has studied , and carried to a considerable degree of accuracy , those prognostications of the weather fortyeight hours in advance , which , transmitted by telegraph along

our coasts , has prevented many a shipwreck , and rendered his name a household word throughout tho country . It was in the absorbing study of those calculations on which his predictions were founded that , it is feared , he met his death . The overtaxed brain appears to have given way , and , after some days of mental prostration , reason reeled from her throne , and the

unfortunate gentleman died by his own hand on Sunday morning last . AMEHICA . —The China brought New York advices to the 19 th ult . Public attention was absorbed by President Lincoln ' s

assassination , and the measures taken for the apprehension of the murderers ; and no disturbances had occurred anywhere throughout the North . John Wilkes Booth had not been apprehended ; hut a man , supposed to have been the assassin who attempted the lives of Secretary Seward and his sons , had been taken in Washington . Jlany persons , suspected to be accomplices in the assassination plot , had been arrested in AVashington and

elsewhere ; but most of them had been apparently set at liberty . President Johnson had made a speech , in which he declined to enter into any details of the policy which ho ivould pursue , but declared that traitors ought to be punished . General Sherman's army had occupied Raleigh without opposition . The Edinburgh has brought intelligence from New York to the 22 nd of April .

The late President's funeral bad been solemnised in AA ashington with every imposing circumstance . The remains have been conveyed to Springfield by way of the principal cities , in each of which public honours were paid . Both Jlr . Seward and his son are improving . Booth , the assassin , was still at large . A telegram was received in Liverpool on AA ednesday stating

that Wilkes Booth , the assassin of President Lincoln , had been arrested at Qneenstown , where he had landed from the Edinburgh . It turns out that a man was arrested who bore a strong resemblance to Booth , but ivhose name is O'Neill . As soon as the mistake was discovered he was set at liberty .

To Correspondents.

TO CORRESPONDENTS .

J . P . —AVe do not agree with you . W . JI . may fight his own quarrels . AA e will have nothing to do with them . A REGULAR SUBSCRIBER cannot have read our heading , or he would know that the party alluded to is not the manager of the Magazine . We cannot be held responsible for the braggart boasting of every fool .

SENTORIOUS is altogether wrong , and evidently does not understand what he writes about . T . P . —Yes ; Inigo Jones constituted several lodges in 1607 . O . JI . Y . —Certainly not . NEIV AVANDSWOETH LODGE . —Report of its consecration in our next . # * # Several communications are unavoidably postponed till next week .