The Week.

THE WEEK .

TEE COURT . —Her Majesty and family are still at AVindsor . The Prince of AA ales held his third levee for the season . As in the case of the former levees , it was announced that the presentations to his Royal Highness would be held equivalent to presentations to her Majesty in person . The levee was numerous and brilliant .

IHEEMAI , PAKLIAMEXT . —In the HOUSE OI- LORDS on Thursday , 30 tli ult ., Lord Kinnaird brought in a Bill , which was read a first time , providing that all metalliferous mines should be placed under the Mines Inspection Act . —•—On Friday the Colonial Naval Defence Bill was read a third time and passed ; and the other orders having been disposed of , with the

exception of Lord Shaftesbury ' s motion concerning Houses for the Poor , nothing of importance took place .- On Monday a long discussion took place on the motion for the second reading of the Public Schools Bill . The majority of tho speakers objected to the measure as it stood , and Lord Derby , while offering no opposition to the second reading , suggested that it should be

referred to a Select Committee . The Bill was read a second time , and several other measures were advanced a stage . On Tuesday , Lord Granville , in reply to a question from the Bishop of Oxford , said Lord Russell had instructed our agents in Russia to collect ancl publish all the information they could obtain respecting tho terrible plague which is now travelling

westward . —Petitions were presented from Harrow and Rugby schools , and from the Master ancl Fellows of St . John ' s College , Cambridge , praying to be heard by counsel against the Public Schools Bill . Lord Clarendon said the measure would bo referred to a select committee . ——In the HOUSE OP COMJIOXS on Thursday , the 30 th ult ., some opposition was offered to the committal of the Courts of Justice Concentration Bill , on the

ground that the site selected was an unsuitable one , but ultimately the Bill passed through committee . —On the order for going into committee upon the Courts of Chancery ( Ireland ) Bill , introduced by tho Government , Hr . AAliiteside moved , by way of amendment , that this Bill be referred to a select committee , to which he proposed that his own bills should be referred , the committee to be empowered to take evidence . After

some observations by Sir G . Bowycr ancl a reply by the Attorney-General , upon a division the amendment was negatived by 6 S to 30 , ancl the House went into committee pro forma . On Friday , Mr . M'Mahon gave notice of a resolution affirming the desirableness of a complete assimilation of the laws of England ancl Ireland . —In reply to a question from Mr . Caird ,

Mr . Milner Gibson said the Government intended to try a " voluntary" plan for the collection of agricultural statistics in Great Britain . —Mr . Villiers , iu answer to a question from Mr . AA . Egerton , said it would not be practicable to introduce clauses in the Union C'liargeability Bill to give powers to guardians to re-construct unions . —In reply to Mr . 0 . Stanley , Lord

Clarence Paget said tlie Admiralty had received no proposal for another Arctic expedition . —The Attorney-General , in reply to a question , defended the appointment of Mr . II . J . Stonor—a gentleman who once figured prominently in an election for Sligo—to a County Court Judgeship . —Mr . Newclegate called attention to the statements which had been made in the French

Senate , and in French journals , as to the probability of tho Pope seeking refuge in England , and asked whether , considering the peculiar relations in which Roman Catholics stood towards his Holiness , it would be conducive to internal harmony and the peace of Europe to permit him to take up his residence in this country . Lord Palmerston replied that it was only an assumption of Mr . Newdegate ' s that the Pope would be obliged to

leave Rome ; ancl , as to his Holiness establishing himself in England , such a step would be at once " a political solecism ' and " a political anachronism . " The noble lord seemed to hint , in accordance with the suggestion made to the Pope personallysome time ago by Mr . Odo Russell , that if compelled to quit Rome , everything would be done to mako his Holiness comfortable , if he chose to settle at Malta . —Mr . Maguire moved

for a select committee to inquire into the relations between landlord aud tenant in Ireland—a motion which was seconded by Mr . IV . Ii . Forster . After some discussion , Lord Palmerston suggested that the inquiry should be confined to the operation of the Acts passed in I 860 , for enabling tenants to enter into arrangements with their landlords in reference to the

improvement of farms . This suggestion was adopted . On Monday , Lord Palmeiston pronounced a high panegyric on the statesman whose death the whole country mourns . " Mr . Cobden's name , " said the noble Lord , " will be for ever associated with great and disinterested services to his country , ancl I am sure that there is no man in this House who does not feel that it has to regret the loss of one of its brightest ornaments , and the country the death of one of its most useful

servants . Mr . Disraeli followed , in an eloquent speech , in which he did reverent homage to the memory of the great free-trader . He described Mr . Cobden as without doubt the greatest political character that the upper middle class of this country has as yet produced ; " adding that he was " an ornament to the House of Commons , ancl an honour to England . " After a few remarks from Mr . Bright , who seemed to he deeply moved , the House

passed on to the orders of tlie day . —Lord Hartington stated that in the judgment of the War Office , there is no " adequate reason " why volunteer officers should be exempted from serving on juries . —¦—On Tuesday there ivas no House . —¦¦—On AArednesday notice was given by The O'Donoghue that , on Tuesday , tbo 2-lth , he should move an address to the Crown for a charter of

incorporation to the Roman Catholic University of Ireland . — The Metropolitan Houseless Poor Bill passed through Committee , after an amendment had been introduced , on the motion of Mr . Ayrton , to make it a permanent measure . —On the motion of Colonel Taylor , a new writ was ordered to issue for the election of a member for South Shropshire , iu the room of Lord Newport , called to the House of Peers by the title of tlie Karl of Bradford .

GEXEEAL HOME N EWS . —Tne mortality of England made a sudden advance last week . In London ' and the nine other largest towns the deaths amounted to 3 , 327 , or thirty-two in the thousand , which was an increase of three over the previous week . Of these the deaths in London were 1 , G 7 G , or more than 100 over the ten years' average . Manchester had the unenviable pre-eminence in death last week , but it is explained

that the return included all the inquests held during the quarter , though only now registered . Its neighbour town of Salford stands lowest . The births were 4 , 26-t , of which 2 , 166 occurred in London . The last week of March has closed , according to the return just issued by tho Poor-law Board , with a diminution of pauperism in the cotton manufacturing unions .

During the week in question 1 , 030 persons went off the Guardian ' s relief lists ; of that number 510 were adult ablebodied paupers . The Ashton-under-Lyne union decreased 500 ; Chorlton , 290 ,- Manchester , 160 ; Preston , 120 ; and Rochdale j 111 . In all , fifteen unions decreased 1 , 600 ; seven experienced no change ; and six increased in the aggregate 570 . The

largest figures noticeable in the last class relate to Blackburn and Burnley , both unions having increased by 110 , and Haslingdon by 130 . Tho Guardians disbursed £ 5 , 901 in outdoor relief , or JS 226 more than they expended during the week im-