The Week.

mation they had received respecting this remarkable exodus . Lord Russell promised to give all the information in his power . The details were of a most painful character , and ho was afraid that great barbarities had been perpetrated . —After some discussion , the Mortgage Debentures Bill passed through Committee . The clause which empowers trustees to invest trust moneys in the debentures which companies are authorised to

issue under tho bill was expunged ; and , at a subsequent stage , a new clause will be inserted relative to the investment of trust funds in securities of this description . —Several measures were advanced a stage , and Lord Clanricarde introduced a Bill for the protection and regulation of the oyster fisheries . On Friday , Lord Dunsany , in moving for certain papers

connected with the Government of Jamaica , affirmed that matters had come to a dead lock in tiiat island , and submitted that the present state of things could only he remedied by a modification of the Constitution of the colony . —Lord Shaftesbury's hill , rendering the law more stringent against the employment of " climbing boys , " passed through Committee .

On Monday Lord Russell , after some pressure from Lord Campbell , consented to produce the papers relating to the case of the Rev . F . Anderson , who was some time ago arrested at Grodno by the Russians , on suspicion of having been in some way or other connected with the insurgent Poles . The noble Earl stated that the Queen's Advocate had given an opinion to

the effect that this was not a case for the interference of the Government . —After a long discussion , the Public Schools Bill was read a second time . On Tuesday the Penal Servitude Bill passed through Committee . Clause 2 was amended on the motion of Lord Grey , —the amendment being to the effect that criminals previously convicted twice or oftener should receive a minimum sentence of 7 years' penal servitude . On clause 4 , Lord

Houghton moved the omission of tho words , " requiring ticket-ofleave owners to report themselves once a month , " but still leaving the obligation to report themselves on change of residence . The amendment was , however , rejected by a majority of 49 to 41 . In the HOUSE OP COMMONS on Thursday , 2 nd inst . Lord Stanley , in reply to a question from Mr . Dilhvyn , said the

Patent Law Commissioners' report would be laid on the table in a few days . —Mr . Cardwoll , in answer to a question , said negotiations were going on between the Government and the Hudson ' s Bay Company , with a view to the transference of a portion of the Hudson's Bay territory to the Crown . —Mr . Adderley's motion , condemnatory of the minute recently issued

by the Committee of Council with reference to the participation of endowed schools in the parliamentary grant for educational purposes , was thrown out by a majority of eight ; 111 members voted with , and 119 against , the right hon . gentleman . —The somewhat angry debate , adjourned from Tuesday , on the constitution of the Committee for inquiring into the alleged

mutilation of the School Inspectors' reports , terminated in an arrangement by which the General Committee of Elections will nominate a select committee of five—the House appointing two assessors . ——On Friday , Lord Stanley moved the repeal of the standing order which prohibits railway companies from becoming the owners of steam vessels . Mr . Milnei- Gibson

supported the motion , which was , however , negatived without a division . —In answer to a question from Mr . H . Seymour , Mr . Layard said the Government had received-indirect information that the King of Abyssinia had imprisoned the English Consul and several missionaries , and the matter was now under the serious consideration of the Foreign Office . —Sir Charles

Wood , in reply to a question , said he intended to bring forward the Indian Budget as soon as the estimates were in a sufficientl y advanced stage to enable him to do so . —In answer to a

question from Lord Robert Cecil , Mr . Layard said the Government had received no intimation that a British steam-packet had been searched in a Federal port , and the newspapers contained among the private luggage removed . This question and answer , we presume , had reference to the report that a number of Federal functionaries boarded the Cunard steamer Scotia , just as she was about to start on her recent voyage from New York to

Liverpool , and carried off all the copies they could find of the two New York journals which published the forged proclamation . —A discussion took place on the government of Greenwich Hospital , in the course of which it was stated from the Treasury Bench that a Bill would shortly bs introduced for the removal of the abuses which swallow so large a portion of the revenues

of the institution . It is proposed to abolish well-paid sinecures and to increase the allowances to the pensioners . —Sir James Fergusson , who complained that the Scotch business in Parliament was not satisfactorily conducted , moved for a Select Committee to consider whether the Lord Advocate was able , singlehanded , to do justice to the affairs of Scotland ; but after a long debate the hon . baronet withdrew the motion . On Monday Mr . Cardwell , in reply to a question , stated that the

Government of New Zealand proposed to raise a loan for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the war in that colony , and that it was the intention of her Majesty ' s Government to ask Parliament to sanction an imperial guarantee for the amount sought to be borrowed . —A message from the Queen was read , asking the House to " enable " her Majesty to make a grant of

£ 20 , 000 to Sir Rowland Hill , in consideration of his " eminent services in devising and carrying out important reforms in postal administration . " A second message was read , recommending a pension of £ 1 , 000 a year to the widow of the late Lord Elgin . Messages were also read in the Upper House , inviting their lordships to " concur" iu the proposed appropriations which

will be taken into consideration—in the Lower House on Thursday , and in the House of Lords on the next day . —Lord H . Lennox asked Mr . Bernal Osborne whether he was ready to re-open the subject of the treaty of 1 S 52 . Mr . Bernal Osborne said that before he gave any assurance that ho would bring the question once more before the House , he should prefer to know whether

Mr . Disraeli would again meet his motion with the " previous question . " He believed that the Conference had been convened more with the object of bolstering up the Goverment than with a serious view to the maintenance of tho Danish

monarchy ; and he submitted that the time had arrived when the House ought to insist upon having some definite information as to what was going on in Downing-street . Mr . Disraeli had no desire to embarrass the Government , but he agreed with Mr . B . Osborne that the House ought to know whether the Government still adhered to the principle on which they avowedly entered the Conference . Lord Palmerston declined

to communicate to the House the proceedings of tho Conference . At present he was " tongue-tied , " but he should be prepared at the proper time to vindicate the course which the Government had pursued . In Committee of Supply a vote of £ 10 , 000 on acccount of a new National Gallery at Burlington House was rejected . On Tuesday Mr .

Lindsaymoved for copies of the correspondence which has passed between the Government of this country and the Governments of France , Spain , and Portugal during the last fourteen years relative to the discriminating duties still levied upon British vessels trading to French , Spanish , and Portuguese ports . Mr . Milner Gibson agreed to produce the papers , and stated that the Government lost no opportunity of bringing this quest ' - under the notice of foreign governments . —Mr . Caird moved a resolution to the effect that " the collection and early publica-