The Week.

morning , the 2 nd inst . The session of Parliament is expected to open on the 5 th of next month , and the Globe assures us that ministers will meet the members with a satisfactory balance sheet in their hands , and with estimates cut down to a " substantial " extent . A shocking crime is reported from Edinburgh . Au " artistic hair jeweller" in that city , named Milne , having quarrelled with one of his workmen , stabbed him in the breast , inflicting a wound which proved fatal in a few minutes . Milne is in custod

y . The trial of the six men charged , with stealing Bank of England paper from the Laverstoko Mills , and with forging Bank notes , commenced at the Central Criminal Ccuvt on Wednesday . Burnett , the man who instigated the informer to purloin the Bank paper , and Griffiths , the Birmingham printer , pleaded guilty , and the remaining prisoners not guilty . The trial is expected to extend over three or four days . FOREIGN ISTEI . MG-ENOE . —Tuesday ' s Gazette contains a

memorandum which is the first authentic declaration of her Majesty ' s Government on the subject of the cession of the Ionian Islands . The document is that which the Hon . Mr . Elliott was instructed to deliver to the President of the Provisional Government of Greece on his recent mission to that country . It sets forth that England has always had a deep interest in the welfare and prosperity of Greece , and cites the treaties of 1827 aud 1832 as evidence . Passing then from generals to particulars , the document promises that if Greece shall elect

a Sovereign acceptable to the Queen , and refrain from aggression against Turkey , her Majesty will propose to the Senate and Representatives of the Ionian Islands her desire that they should unite themselves with Greece , and if they are of the same mind then the Queen will take steps to obtain the concurrence of the other powers to that arrangement . But if Greece choose a prince who shall be the symbol of revolution and aggression her Majesty will refuse to relinquish her protectorate . On the other handa constitutional

, Prince will be honoured with the friendship and confidence of the Queen . French papers contain an account of a demonstration in Corfu , on the 25 th of December , in honour of England ' s renunciation of the protectorate of the Ionian Isles . The Archbishop delivered ou the occasion a prayer for the general union of the Hellenic race , and an address was pronounced expressive of gratitude to the Queen of Great Britain for the promise measure . By a previous agreement there was no allusion made to the candidature of Prince Alfredas it

, was believed that any such reference would be inconvenient and inappropriate . The Jvtoniteur ' s account of the few words addressed by the Emperor Napoleon to the diplomatic body on New Year ' s day , is that the Emperor said that the assembled Envoys " would be able to bear witness to his desire to uphold those friendly relations so

requisite for present and future security . " The French Government is now , like ourselves , directing attention to the subject of criminal jurisdiction in this country ; as is shown by the Moniteur giving a long report on this much debated matter . In the course of his official receptions on the 1 st inst . King Victor Emanuel entreated the Italian parliament to trust him , and spoke of "the folly of dreamers who endangered public order . " When the southern provinces should be fully pacified , " the national cause would be fully triumphant . " The ' s irit was excellentand " with it and a

armysp , concordant nation the world might be defied . " From Naples we have news relative to a " demonstration among the lower class of the population . " About 15 arrests were made . From Turin wo learn that the prefects are ordered to push forward the formation of 220 battalions of tlie mobilised National Guard . The Pope , while replying to the New Year ' s congratulations of the French officers quartered in Rome , " expressed a conviction that repentant Piedmont would fall at the feet of the chair of St . Peteras Jacob prostrated

, himself before the angel after having wrestlbd with him all night in ignorance of'his origin . " The Common Conucil of Berlin , in their New Year ' s address to the King , express a hope that , during the present year , tlie Crown will terminate that conflict between the government and the Chambers " which endangers the basis of the constitution , confuses the public mind , and lowers the foreign estimate of Prussia . " The ministers , who had some inkling of the uncourtly vigour of the addressrequested that the draft

, might be communicated to them ; but the sturdy Common Councillors refused to comply , and immediately passed their address , and forwarded it to be laid before the King . The reports of a coolness between Austria and Prussia prevail as much as ever ; but Austria is represented as determined not to afford any pretext for the quarrel which the Prussian Prime Minister is believed not unwilling to seek . The Madrid journals contain the decree of the Queen of Spain accepting the resignation of the late

Ambassador to the Tuileries , General Concha , Marquis of Havana . Her Majesty , at the same time , declares herself quite satisfied with the zeal , intelligence , and loyalty displayed by the marquis in bis ministerial functions . The Spanish Premier has , it is said , announced that he will not resign if the Opposition succeed in carrying a vote of want of confidence , but that he . will dissolve the Cortes , and appeal to the eonsfcifcuences . His parliamentary danger seems to have been caused by the Mexican expedition , a body of his own

supporters having been alienated by his policy , and especially by his vigorous declarations respecting the conduct of the French Cabinet . The Sultan , for reasons yet unknown in Western Europe , has seen fit to make some changes in his ministry . His dissatisfaction

seems to have been confined to the military and naval administration , the Seraskier and the Capudan Pasha having been dismissed , and replaced by new ministers . A "ministerial crisis" has occurred in Holland , the Colonial Minister having resigned , in consequence of an adverse vote of the Lower Chamber , which rejected his proposals for encouraging the settlement of European planters in Java . IHDIA AKD CHINA . —There is nothing of extraordinary interest in

the Bombay and Calcutta mails received by the Bombay mail . Admiral Sir James Hope arrived at Calcutta ou the 2 nd of December , ou a visit to the Viceroy . He had quite recovered from his neuralgic indisposition . Retribution had Been exacted from tbe Somalies , who " murdered Lieutenant Fontaine and fourteen men of the crew of the Penguin . The Sultan of Allootah ordered the execution of eight of the murderers , which took place in presence of the Semiramis . An important discovery has been made in Eastern

Rewar of a large extent of coal . Dost Mahomed had rejected the overtures made by the Herat chief , and was still investing the town . We have news from Shanghao to Nov . 23 rd , when there were alarming rumours of the near approach of the rebels . There had been an engagement at a place called Paokong between the successor of General Ward and the rebels , in which the latter had 2000 killed . It is said the Russians have offered their assistance to the Chinese Government for the recapture of Nankin .

A-tfEEicA . —The Norwegian brings us the announcement that there was no change of affairs on the Rappahannock . Winchester had , however , been occupied by the Federal .. troops , the Confederates having evacuated the town after destroying the railway , and having retired up the Shennandosh Valley towards Staunton . In the southwest , the Confederates were showing much activity , and we are told that apprehensions were excited by the position of the Federal armies . It was supposed that the Confederates would endeavour fo crush General Rosencranz's army , and recover possession of Nashville , and

then defeat the operations undertaken against Vicksbnrgh by General Grant , who was said to be already so situated that he cannot send an order twenty miles in any direction from his own camp . The Confederates had re-captured Holly Springs , and had there taken some prisoners and a large quantity of stores ; and they had burned Union City . Some 7000 of their troops were said to be advancing towards * Columbus , Kentucky , the place which they originally selected as their first barrier against a Federal descent of the Mississippi . At the same timethe noted guerrilla leader Morgan had re-entered

Ken-, tucky , and had occupied Glasgow President Jefferson Davis had issued a "retaliatory proclamation , " declaring that General Butler and his officers , and any officers commanding armed slaves , shall be delivered over , iu the event of their capture , to the discretion of the local authorities of the states in which they may hai e been taken , or whose laws they may have violated . President Lincoln had not yet signed the bill which , in spite of the clear provisions of the Federal Constitutionadmits Western Virginia into the Union as the

, state of Kanawha . It was doubted whether he would follow up his emancipation proclamation by issuing on the 1 st of January another proclamation defining the states and part of states over which emancipation shall extend . The Republicans asserted that he must and would do it ; but tho Democrats affirmed that he would take time for consideration . The New York Herald was already venturing to urge Governor Seymour to commence his governorship of New York state by convoking a convention of all tho loyal states , to which the

rebellious states should be invited to send delegates , for the purpose of restoring the Union on the basis of the old Federal Constitution , —The Edinburgh has brought one or two additional items of American news . It had been discovered that great frauds had been committed on thr Government in respect of the army contracts . General M'Dowell appears to have made clear his loyalty and military capacity . The decision of the Attorney-General has established the right of negroes to become citizens of the United States under the constitution .

To Correspondents.

TO CORRESPONDENTS .

J . M . —There is no necessity for going through the complete ceremony of installation with a brother who has already passed the chair , but he must be re-obligated . S . S . —The Editor has never been on the Board of General Purposes ; when he sought the honours it was thought he would be too troublesome . He has now the opinion that the duties would be too troublesome for him . R . E . X . will find all the information relative to binding the volumes

at the top of our first column . P . M . —Certainly not . J . S . T . —We do not give up the names of our Correspondents under any circumstances . L . L . —The brother alluded to has not been connected with the Magazine or written a line for it for upwards of five years .