The Week.

reference to its finance , public works , taxation , and cotton supply , has been held at Manchester , ivhich was attended by Mr . Eazlev , M . P ., Mr . Murray , M . P ., Mr . A . Turner , M . P ., Mr . Everton , M . P ., and other members of Parliament , besides a great many of the representatives ot different chambers of commerce in the country . The conference assumed the form of a regular debate on Indian matters , the object being to press on the Government the necessity of taking energetic steps , as soon as possible , to restore the equilibrium between Indian income and expenditure . A meeting of the hop-Towers of Mid-Kent was held at

Maidstone , when a very unanimous feeling was exhibited in favour of a total and immediate repeal of both ihe excise duty on home grown and the customs duty on foreign hops . Earl Amherst ivas in the chair , and the meeting was addressed by Lord Holmesdale and Sir Edward Filiner , members for AVest Kent ,- Lord Peveusey and Mr . Dodson , members for Sussex ; Mr . AVykebam Martin , late member for AA ' est Kent ; Mr . Beresford Hope , late member for Maidstone ; and others . The main argument of the meeting wasthat the dutiesas now arranged by Mr . Gladstone

, , , operated as an absolute protection to the foreigner over the home grower ; for be could pay his duties when he liked , and on as much of his crop as he liked , while the English planter paid on every cwt . that was picked , and at a fixed time , whatever ivas the state of the market or the quality of his hops . And in return for these enormous advantages the foreigner only paid a shilling a cwt . over his English rival . In the Secondaries Court , damages have been assessed in a case of breach of promise of marriage , in which judgment had been allowed to go by default . The

parties concerned were Miss Knights , a daughter of a farmer in Essex , and Mr . Thistlewood , residing near Regent's Park . The defendant , the gentleman , of course , had gone to lodge at the house of Mr . Knights , where the acquaintanceship was formed ivhich led to a confession of love , promise of marriage , and ultimately to the breach of the same , as now complained of . It was attempted to be set up in defence that Mr . Thistlewood was a person of weak intellect . The jury awarded the lady a solatium of £ 600 . In the Court of Queen ' s Benchanother action was

, brought for a breach of promise of marriage , the parties being in this instance a Miss Judd , of Homerton , and Mr . Gilby , a jeweller ' s shopman . Love letters without number , stuffed full of vows of never-ending affection , both in prose and rhyme , photographic portraits , rings , and trinkets , with all the other multifarious important trifles that go to the making up of what is called " paying and receiving addresses , " were given and exchanged ; but all leading to nothing as a climax , save the present action by the young lady . Although the defendant maintained tbat he bad

never made promise , the jury , after listening to the reading of the interesting correspondence and the statements of witnesses , returned a verdict for the plaintiff , with damages , £ 40 . In the Lord Mayor ' s Court , an action was brought on Saturday by Mr . Maxwell , publisher , against Messrs . Straker and Son , printers , for not sending in in proper time , according to contract , 5000 copies of a " Life of Garibaldi , " whereby he had sustained a loss of £ 10710 s . —the amount sought to be recovered—through inability to supply the orders subscribed for . The defendant pleaded that due diligence had been exercisedand that the time between that of receiving

, the order for printing and the final completion of the work was no greater than was absolutely required for its performance . The j-ary returned a verdict for the defendants . POEEIGN INTELLIGENCE . —The French Chambers were opened on Monday by the Emperor in person . In his speech his Majesty informed tiie Chambers that he had decided that every year a genera ! statement of the situation of the country should be laid before them , and that in their address they ivould be allowed to express their opinions on the questions

of the day , in a free and unrestricted manner . His Majesty then explained the way in which , under the changes in the constitution he had granted , the laws would be framed and debated , and passed by tbe legislative bodies . His Majesty next alluded to the internal condition of the empire , and announced that , in order to render articles of first necessity as cheap as possible , he had entered into a commercial treaty with England , and that though hy this measure he had lost ninety millions of annual revenue , the budget would be presented in a state of equilibrium , without resort to new taxes or fresh loans . Tlie Emperor said he had endeavoured , in his relations with foreign powers , to prove his sincere desire f o maintain

peace . In Italy , in accordance ivith his allies , he liad adopted the policy of non-intervention , permitting every country to be master of-its-own destinies . The Emperor then briefly alluded to the cession of Savoy and Nice , the war against China , the occupation ot Syria , the support lie had afforded the Pope , and the dispatch of his fleet to Gaefa , and ultimate withdrawal to avoid the breach of the principle of neutrality ; and concluded by stating his firm determination not to enter on any conflict whore the cause of France was not based on right and justice . At the of the

sitting Corps Legislaiif , Paris , on Tuesday , alter the address of Count ile Moruy , a paper containing an exposition of the present state of the empire was laid on the table . It contains a statement of the progress and condition of France ; the finances ; the agriculture , eommerce , ° and public works ; the system of public instruction , and of the courts of justice ; the strength of the army and navy ; the condition of the colonies ; and the relations of Prance with forei gn powers . The Belgian Government have followed the example of that of France , and decided that the verification of the

passports on frontiers shall be immediately suppressed . Passports will , however , -till be necessary for foreigners who intend to stay in the country . The Court of Rome seems disposed to back out of its connection with the reactionary movements in the Abruzzi , now that it sees the Sardinians wil no longer be trifled with . The Pope has accordingl y ordered his soldiers to return to Rome , notwithstanding the opposition of M « r de Merode , by whom , and Count Trapani , it is reported the reactionary movement was organized . His Holiness has also given up the . Sardinian prisoners of war . The Sardinians , on their side , on the representations of the Emperor Napoleon , have evacuated the Papal lerritorv .

The Week.

INDIA . —Lord Canning has refused to the Legislative Council the dispatch relative to the grant to the descendants of Tippoo Saib on the ground of the incompleteness of the correspondence , but he promises to transmit the resolutions passed in the Legislative Council to the Secretary of State , who alone can order that the history of the proposed grant shall be made known . The message also states that no money has yet been paid on account of the extraordinary grant of £ 520 , 000 , and that nothing bej-ond the usual yearly pensions to the Mysore family lias been included in any of the estimates hitherto laid before the Legislative

Council . AA'ith the exception of some acrimony caused hy the indiscretion ofthe income tax executive in the matter of surcharging , the excitement even on that sore subject was dying out . Indeed , it is long since India presented a more tranquil appearance . AMERICA .- —The intelligence from the United States is of a mixed character . Colonal Hayne , commanding the States forces in Florida , had telegraphed to President Buchanan that lie would not attack Fort Pickensand that the Southern states would avoid a collisionin the hope

, , of an amicable adjustment , and from a desire to preserve peace . On the other hand , the secession movement continues . The senators from Florida , Alabama , and Mississippi had withdrawn from the Senate , and Georgia had signed a secession ordinance . The financial state of . the Government is also unsatisfactory . The Secretary of the Treasury has reported that the expenditure for carrying on the government till the 1 st of Jul . y will exceed the revenue by 20 , 000 , 000 dollars . The Senate had passed the bill for the admission of Kansas into the Union . Mr . Douglas

had prepared an amendment to the constitution , which he intended to offer to Congress as a substitute for Mr . Crittenden's resolutions . AVhen we state that this scheme proposes to deprive Congress of the power to prohibit slavery in the Territories , and to abolish the inter-State slave trade ; _ that it gives greater force to the Fugitive Slave Law ; ancl that it prohibits the coloured race from exercising any of the rights of citizenship , whether Federal , State , territorial , or municipal , the hopelessness of such a compromise will at once become apparent . Georgia had seceded from the Union , but had resolved to maintain the various Federal departments intact . >

Public Amusements.

PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS .

CRYSTAL PALACE . AA'ith a view to make the Crystal Palace something more than a mere place of amusement , a school of art , science , and literature was established within it shortly after Easter last . It commenced withtwo artistic classes , and one French class , by way of experiment ; and these turning out highly successful , others were quickly added , and now there are no less than fourteen , in which instruction is afforded to a . considerable number of persons weekly , in English language and literature , French , GermanItalianlatinhistoryhysical geographarithmeticmusic

, , , , p y , , , drawing , and other accomplishments . In order still further to utilise the institution , it has now been determined that scientific lectures shall bo given , and that the courses shall be so systematically arranged as to afford the largest possible amount of instruction to those attending them . The first two of these lectures were delivered to a large and fashionable audience at the Palace last week . The subject of the first was Botany ; the second Physiology , applied to health and education .

Notes On Music And The Drama.

NOTES ON MUSIC AND THE DRAMA .

The Philharmonic Society will commence its concerts this year ( eight in number ) on Saturday , March the 4 th . A new English opera by Howard Glover , founded on the story of " liny Bias , " is in the bands of the lessees of Covent Garden . It is said that Mr . Gye has engaged Mdlle . Emma Livry ( the young itanseuse , who has excited some sensation in Paris ) for the Royal Italian Opera . There is a report that the at the Grand Operato follow "

Tanuopera , hiiuser , " will be a grand opera by M . Gounod . A new comic opera , by M . Jules Beer—relation , we understand , of M . Meyerbeer—has been just brought to a successful hearing at a private performance in the house of Sig . Rossini . An Austrian journal announces that Herr AA agner is expected shortly in Vienna , with a view of studying the materials at his disposal for the theatres , and of writing an opera for that capital . AVe imagine this to be merely a tale .

The score of the new grand opera by M . Berlioz , " Les Troycns , " is said to be in the engraver ' s hands , and , if so , maj- perhaps be shown to the public ere it is presented on the stage . Mi . Ella has just founded an institution in Hanover Square , which has for its object the development of musical talent . Compositions not previously tested will be brought out by it , and artistes who have not before made their appearance in public will have an opportunity of displayingtheir powers under its auspices . Lectures , too , upon music will be delivered from time to time .

To Correspondents.

TO CORRESPONDENTS .

LODGE OI ? U . NTO ? ., CiiicirESTEK . —This report arrived too late , our columns being unusually crowded this week . T . T . —Never . P . M . —We cannot understand your question . S . S . —AVe have more than once stated that we will not enter into personal disputes . 0 . P . Q . cannot be a Freemason .