The Week.

make the matter a hustings question , ancl , disregarding landlord influence , return men belonging to their own body , or who may be trusted to oppose the game laws in the House of Parliament . A case well worthy of notice was heard at Bow-street Police-court on Saturday last . The landlady of a public-house in the Strand was charged with having her

house open at forbidden hours on the morning of December 23 rd last . A policeman was examined , aud made statements as to the alleged offence , which , if true , would have rendered the defendant liable to fine . But she was able to call three gentle- ' men as witnesses who disproved the accuracy of the policeman's statement . Mr . Vaughan dismissed the summons , and very

properly denounced the conduct of the policeman as a poisoning of the fountain head of justice . A strange case of suicide was inquired into on Saturday last by a jury under the direction of Dr . Lankester . A Mr . Steele , a law stationer , had been found dead in his chambers in Chancery-lane . It was thought at first that he had died from natural causes , but on closer examination

it was found that he had adopted Hamlet's suggestion , and " his quietus made with a hare bodkin . " He bad stabbed himself under the left breast with a stationer's bodkin , which , penetrating the heart , had caused his death instantaneously . The jury returned a verdict of temporary insanity . It is positively stated that the report that Mr . Goschen was to

be appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is well founded , and that ho has actually accepted the office . -A fearful gale , or rather a succession of heavy squalls , raged over London for several hours on Monday morning . In one of theso

squalls , about noon , the roof of a house in Fleet-street was blown bodily into the roadway , fortunately without hurting anybody . A good deal of damage was clone elsewhere in London . Three young men—two of whom were described on the charge-sheet as gentlemen—were brought up at Worship-street Police-court on Monday , charged with cruelty to animals . On Saturday

night the prisoners were going homewards , having with them three dogs . These clogs they incited to worry the cats that were unfortunate enough to come in their way . In a very short distance no less than three cats were thus mangled and killed . The magistrate sentenced each of the prisoners to pay a fine of 10 s . and costs . The Mansion House committee , formed four years

ago for the relief of distress in Lancashire held its last meeting on Tuesday . It appeared from the report that considerably over half a million sterling bad been received , and the greater portion of ifc distributed , together with a large amount of clothing , blankets , & c . There was still nearl y £ 10 , 000 in hand . A proposal was made to form out of this sum the nucleus of a

fund for improving the dwellings of the poor , but the majority of the committee were of opinion that they had no power to divert the money of the subscribers to other objects than that for which it was subscribed ; so they agreed to lock it up in the funds . Charles Christopher liobinson , a youth of 19 , who was condemned to death for the murder of a girl named

Seager , at Batley , in Staffordshire , was executed in front of Stafford jail on Tuesday morning . Efforts had been made to obtain a commutation of tbe sentence on the plea of insanity , but the Home Secretary declined to interfere . There were about 4 , 000 persons present to witness the execution , but their conduct was upon the whole orderly . It is said that the convict

made a statement to the chaplain , but with a condition that it should not be given to the public . The Mansion House on Wednesday was the scene of-a pleasant ceremony . A number of Jewish gentlemen , deputed by the vestry of the Great Synagogue , waited upon the Lord Mayor to present him with an address of congratulation . The Lord Mayor acknowledged the address in a brief manly speech , in which he

made graceful allusion to the fact that intolerance was certainly not ii failing of the Corporation . At the Central Criminal Court or . Wednesday William Shirley was tried on a charge of shooting with a pistol at Mr . Hus , a lamp manufacturer in Lambeth . Ifc will be remembered that the firing of the pistol took place in the manufactory of Mr . Hus , who was

wounded . The prisoner also was wounded , and he declared that Mr . Hus attacked him first , and that in seeking to wrest the pistol from Hus that individual was injured . This was the defenceset up at the trial . The jury acquitted the prisoner . A melancholy case of wife killing occurred on Tuesday night at Paddingtou . A paperhanger named Riugwood ancl his wife

were in a beer-shop together when tbe woman began abusing him . After bearing this some time he took up a knife and stabbed her in the neck . She died almost instantly . He was brought up at the Marylebone Police-court on Wednesday , and remanded . It is stated that the woman was given to drunken habits , aud that the prisoner had repeatedly paid fines which

hid been imposed upon her for drunkenness . They had nine children , who have been taken to the workhouse . They were in a deplorable condition . We have the report of an incendiary fire in Yorkshire . On Wednesday morning early a fire was discovered in the stackyard of a farmer living near Hessle , a village close to Hull . Several stacks of corn were destroyed

before a mastery was got over the flames . A man against whom there is cause for suspicion was arrested and charged with having caused the fire . At Brigg , in North Lincolnshire , there was an incendiary fire on Monday night . Ifc is to be hoped that these are not the forerunners of a series of stack-burnings such as disgraced Yorkshire last winter . FOREIGN - INTEELISEK -CE . —The French and Austrian

friendship is still the subject of discussion on the Continent . It is asked , how will Austria act with respect to Venetia if she and France are to draw closer together ? In her conduct she does not seem as if she contemplated any evacuation of that province . The municipality of Venice is severed completely from the Venetian territory , and the order for a new constitution seems

intended to rivet still firmer the chains of the Venetians . A Madrid telegram says that the military insurgents of Ocana , after leaving that place , broke down the bridges over the Tagus to delay the troops sent in pursuit of them . If this be true , the insurgents are no mere rabble . It is worthy of notice that almost every revolution iu Spain has been of a military character .

The army , or part of it , lias revolted , aud , putting a general at its head , has conquered its opponents . The authorities say that General Prim is at tho head of the insurgents , who , to the number of 600 , were marching towards Tarrancon . The garrison of Avila , 300 strong , had also revolted , but were

refused admission to Zamora , where the garrison remained loyal . Great efforts are being made by the authorities , however , to represent the rising as of no significance . The Minister of the Interior had informed the Cortes that order would be soon re-established . He proceeded to say that the revolt was the work of the Progressists , and was promptly contradicted on that head by a Progressist member of the Cortes . There

is , however , the ugly fact that it has been thought necessary to put Madrid under martial law and to stop the distribution o the opposition papers . Marshal O'Donnell had inspected th barracks in Madrid , had been received with cries of "Viva la Beina ! " He , it is stated , has admitted that the affair is a very serious one , ancl that a wide-spread conspiracy had

existed . The telegraph brings important news from Madrid . A rumour , which we should be disposed to think well founded , prevailed in that city that General Prim had defeated the column commanded by General Concha ( the Marquis de Duero )