The Week.

whole of the spacious square in front of the Guildhall , and stretched far down into King-street and tho other adjoining streets . Inside tho hall the Lord Mayor presided , and made a very excellent speech . Tho other speeches were all marked by great earnestness . Outside the hall t ' . vi meetings were held , and there resolutions were passed affirming the necessity for Reform . The proceedings were of the most orderly character .- -The cholera returns from the London

Hospital would seem to show that there is a slight abatement in tlie virulence of tho disease . The accounts to hand of the state of the district show that it is in a fearfully insanitary state . Are we to suppose that a second Guy Fawkcs lias been trying his hand at an effort to blow up tho Houses of Parliament ? It would really seem as if some insane individual had had some such design . It is stated that very early on the 6 th inst ., a parcel was found close to the House

of Commons which contained about nine pounds of gunpowder . A slow match was attached to the parcel , and this had boon fired and quenched . The inquest on the boy Jeffery , who is supposed to have been murdered hy his father in a cellar in St . Giles ' s , was resumed on the Sth inst . The evidence adduced threw no fresh light on the tragedy . It was stated that the man who hung himself at Clapham , and who was supposed to bo the father of the murdered

lad , was certainly not that individual . The Coroner suggested that the Home Secretary should offer a reward for the apprehension of Jeffery , and the jury passed a resolution requesting that to be done . The inquest was further adjourned . FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE . —The report that negotiations of peace will shortly be opened at Prague is confirmed . Prussian troops now occupy Mannheim and Heidelburg . The Prussian official papers

deny . with great bitterness the assertion made from . Munich that the Prussian forces had advanced into Bavaria after a truce had been agreed upon . They say that the truce was only to commence from the 2 nd August , and the position of the respective forces was then to be determined by their commanders ou tbe basis of the uti possidetis . As a matter of fact tlie Prussians have occupied part of Wurnbuvg . The death of Signor Farini is announced- Few men came

more prominently forward m the great movement by which the unity of Italy was assured- He was a physician who , having been expelled from Rome for political causes , was created Dictator of Modena in 18 G 0 , when the Duke was driven out . Subsequently Farini was Governor of Naples . He was a man in whom Count Cavour placed the most implicit confidence . ILf filled various places in the Italian Ministry ; but he worked too hard and brought on softening of the brain . In

this lamentable condition he has been for some time . In Italy he will he deeply lamented . Prussia has concluded an armistice with Wurtemberg . The other news is of no special interest . It seems that the pressure upon Frankfort is being lessened . The soldiers who were billetted on the inhabitants have been ordered into barracks . The Prussian Chambers were opened on the oth inst . by the King in person . His Majesty began with congratulatory remarks on the

recent war , and the heroism of the Prussian troops , whose flags bad been pushed forward till their line stretched from the Carpathians to the Rhine . He had comforting assurances as to the finances , which are in good order . The work the Chambers had to do was to make arrangements for the convening of a German Parliament , and the passing not only of a budget but of an indemnity bill for the Government for having dispensed with a budget in recent years .

The conduct of the Government in tho course they took in this respect was , the King admits , contrary to law , but it was for the benefit , of the country . The King said nothing about the immediate prospect of peace , but concluded by praying that God would continue to watch over Prussia . There is no further news as to the peace negotiations . Judging from a passage in the Nazione . it would seem that Austria persists in her foolish policy of treating with Italy only

through France . The Conrrier du Dimanclie has been suppressed by Imperial decree . An article from the brilliant . and satirical pen of M . Prevost-Paradol is put forth as the reason for this severe measure . The real cause is probably to bo found in the fact that a short time ago , when some heavy censures were being levelled against the press in Paris , the Conrrier du Dimanclie republished without comment the protest of the Paris journalists against a repressive

measure of Charles X . That protest was the beginning of the revo lution which drove Charles from the throne and led to the installation of Louis Philippe , It is stated that there is a hitch in the nego - tiations between Austria and Italy . France has declined , it seems , to conduct them any further at present , aud the two powers are loft face to face . The preliminary negotiations are to take place at Cormons , a small place in Istria , just at the point where the railway

from Vcuetia to Trieste crosses the Isonzo River . A Vienna telegram speaks of the possibility of war being resumed after the 10 th should a satisfactory agreement not be come to . Our correspondent , writing from Padua , informs us that there much doubt exists as to the conclusion of pence just yet . He says that General Cialdini is beyond Udino , on the Istrian frontier , with 250 . 000 men , quite prepared to resume tlie offensive . It is scarcely likefv , however , that Italy will

continue the war if Prussia makes peace , as Prussia will . There is in the King of Prussia ' s speech to the Chambers a noticeable omission of all allusion to Italy , and tbis has been commented ou as showing that the relation between Italy and Prussia aro not of a very warm character . A few days , however , will show all clearly . The Mtendard , a Paris paper of no great authority , asserts that Austria refuses to sign an armistice unless the Italians first evacuate

tho Tyrol and territory not Venetian . That will be a very difficult matter for Italy to consent to . In the Prussian Chamber of Deputies , General Stavcnbage , the senior member , delivered an address in which he praised the King and the Government for the manner in which they had conducted the campaign . He concluded by calling for cheers for the King , which were given . Count Stolberg has heen elected President of the Upper House . Prussia has declined the

proposal of Russia that the European complications should be settled by a Congress . The most credulous could scarcely have believed in the possibility of Prussia allowing any such interference with her plans . To tho end she will treat it as a family quarrel . Tlie Paris papers do not seem to admire the speech of the King of Prussia . They complain af its coldness and stiffness , and especially that it makes no mention whatever of the mediation of the Emperor of the

French . Probably the King of Prussia will not be much affected by these criticisms . It seems that the Austrians are marching troops once more to the South , and have actually sent 90 , 000 men , so that they may operate either by way of Trent or on Cialdini ' s left flank . This looks as if the negotiations for an armistice with Italy were not expected to have a favourable result . Italy is represented as being anxious ( o secure Trent , and part at least of Istria , and these

Austria is not disposed to give up . It will be seen by the terms of peace between Austria and Prussia that it is stipulated that the only territory the former shall give up shall be that of Lombardo-Venetia . Another article states that Prussia undertakes , as soon as the cession of territory to Italy is complete , to " determine " the King of Italy to accept preliminaries of peace . This can hardly mean that if Italy refuses to be satisfied with less than Istria and what she calls her

" natural frontiers " in the Tyrol , Prussia will turn against her . Yet on the face of tlie document that seems to be involved . In all probability , however , the question will not be tried out . Italy will scarcely persevere with demands which meet with no countenance from her allies and friends . The Emperor Napoleon has returned suddenly to Paris to hold a Cabinet Council . It is said that a hitch in Italian affairs is the cause of tin ' s . A fearful storm is

reported to have swept over the Adriatic . The Italian fleet in harbour at Ancona has suffered severely , and the ironclad ram Affondatore was sunk . The Affoii'latorc was built by the Millwail Shipbuilding Company . Efforts are being made to raise her It is reported that General Manteuffel has been despatched on a special mission from Berlin to St . Petersburg . — -There is no doubt that there are difficulties in the way of the

settlement of an armistice between Austria and Italy . Moniteur condescends to admit the fact , and says it arises from the demand Of Italy that the preliminaries shall be settled on the basis of the uti possidetis , while Austria insists that the Italian troops shall retire into Venetia Proper . The Pati-ie—a very unreliable authorityintimates that the difficulty has been got over by a further suspension of hostilities in place of an armistice . .