The Week.

THE WEEK .

TIIE COUET . —Her Majesty the Queen , accompanied by tho Queen of the Belgians , Princess Helena , and Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein , drove out on the afternoon of the 4 th inst . in a carriage and four . —The marriage of her Eoyal Highness the Princess Helena Augusta Victoria , third daughter of her Majesty Queen Victoria ancl of his Eoyal Higness the

Prince Consort , Duke of Saxony and Prince of Saxe Coburgh ancl Gotha , with his Boyal Highness the Prince Christian of Sclileswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg , was solemnised on the 5 th inst . in the chapel within AVindsor Castie at halfpast twelve o'clock . At quarter-past four o'clock their Eoyal Hig hnesses the Prince ancl Princess Christian of

Schleswig-Holstein took their departure by special train for Southampton en route for Osborne . The Queen accompanied the bride and bridegroom to the grand entrance , attended by the Great Officers of State of her Majesty ' s household , ancl by the ladies and gentlemen in waiting upon the Queen and upon the Eoyal family present . —The Queen , attended hy the Duchess of

Boxburgh , walked and drove in the grounds on the morning of the 16 th inst . —The Queen , accompanied by her Eoyal Highness Princess Louise and her Grand Ducal Highness the Princess of Leiningen , drove out in tho afternoon . Her Majesty , with Princess Beatrice and Princess Leiningen , drove in the grounds on the morning of the 7 tii inst . Princess Louise ancl Prince

Leopold also went out driving . Her Majesty the Queen , their Eoyal Highnesses Princess Louise , Princess Beatrice , Prince Leopold , and her Grand Ducal Highness the Princess of Leiningen left the Castle at twenty minutes before four o'clock for Osborne . —The Queen , accompanied by their Eoyal Highnesses Princess Louise , Prince Leopold , and Princess Beatrice , and the ladies and gentlemen in waiting , arrived at Osborne at a

quarter past seven o'clock , having crossed over from Gosport m the royal / yacht Alberta . Their Eoyal Highnesses the Prince and Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein , attended by Lady Susan Melville and Major-General Seymour , C . B ., met her Majesty on landing at the Trinity Pier , Cowes . The Queen , and their Eoyal Highnesses Prince and Princess Christian , Princess Louise , Prince Leopold , and Princess Beatrice , and the ladies

and gentlemen in waiting , attended the service at AVhippiugham Church on the Sth inst . Tho Eev . G . Prothero officiated . —The Queen , accompanied by Princess Louise and Princess Beatrice , went out on the afternoon of the 9 th inst ., and walked in the grounds on the morning of the 10 th inst . Her Majesty held a Council at half-past one o ' clock , at which the Duke of

Buckingnam , the Earl of Malmesbury , ancl the Eight Hon . Sir Stafford Northcote were present . —The Queen drove out on the afternoon of the 10 th inst . with Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein , ancl her Majesty walked in tho grounds on the 11 th inst ., accompanied by their Eoyal Highnesses' Prince ancl Princess Christian , Princess Louise , and Princess Beatrice . In honour

of the marriage of tho Prince and Princess Christian , the children attending the Queen ' s school at AVhippingham wore entertained with tea ancl cake in the school-room , and afterwards played at various games . Iin ? EElAli PABliiAHEUT . —In the Houso of Lords on the 5 th inst , Earl Eussell moved the adjournment of the House until

the 9 th inst . Lord Brougham , in seconding the motion , fcook occasion to lament the war in Europe . The Houso was adjourned . There was a great gathering in the House of Lords on tbe 9 th inst . to hear the Earl of Derby ' s first statement as Prime Minister . The Prince ancl Princess of AVales , the Duke of Edinburgh , the Duke of Cambridge , and a large number of peeresses were present , as well as a goodly gathering of members

of the House of Commons . The Earl of Derby rose shortly after five o ' clock , and proceeded to describe how he came to fill the position he then occupied . He told how when he was sent for by the Queen , he accepted with reluctance the formation of a Ministry , a work , however , which his friends thought he ought to take in hand . ' He then proceeded to narrate how he applied to the Earl of Clarendonthe Duke of Somersetthe late

Mar-, , quis of Lansdowne , ancl the AduIIamites , " prefacing the statement first by a fine drawn distinction between a coalition Government and a Government on an enlarged basis . Erom all those to whom he applied , he met with no favourable response , ancl the Marquis of Lansdowne informed him that it was no use to apply to Mr . Lowe . The noble Earl then described what his

Government would endeavour to do , ancl took the opportunity of sneering at Earl Eussell for his foreign policy . Earl Eussell followed in a speech in which , he keenly criticised the speech to which they had just listened , ancl paid a high and glowing

tribute to Mr . Gladstone's statesmanship ancl zeal . Thereafter some private business was disposed of , and the House adjourned . On the 10 th inst . there was a discussion on the motion for the second reading of the South Eastern and London , Chatham , ancl Dover , and London and Brighton Eailways Bill . Lord Eedesdale objected to the second reading on account of some alleged irregularity in the mode in which the AVharncliffe

meet-—ing had been called . Eventually , however , the bill was read a second time . The other business transacted was unimportant . In the HOUSE OV Comioxs on the 15 th inst ., it was announced that the Devonport election petition was withdrawn . In reference to the Helston petition , Mr . Lowe called attention to tha non-appearance of the returning-officer , and it was agreed

to consider the report of the committee on that day fortnight . Captain Vivian gave notice of a question as to the needle-gun . In reply to Mr . Watkin , Mr . Gladstone said the Government had had no communication with the directors of the Bank o £

England in reference to the rate of discount . He presumed that in what the directors had done they were governed by banking considerations . Mr . Layard , replying to Mr . Baillie Cochrane , announced that a telegram had been received con firmatory of the reported cession of Venetia to France . After some other questions had been disposed of , the Chancellor of the Exchequer , in a brief , feeling speech , returned thanks to those

members of the House who had by their adhesion done what was possible to help the Government iu the recent struggle . The House subserviently adjourned . ——AVhen tho House of Commons met on the Gfch inst ., it was at once observed that the supporters of the new Ministry bad crossed over to the Ministerial side , and that the Liberals occupied the benches on

the left hand side of the Speaker . Mr . AVhiteside for some time sat alone on the Treasury bench , but he was presently joined by Mr . Adderley , Mr . Ward Hunt , Colonel Taylor , and another honourable member . It was noticed that Mr . Henley took a seat on the Government side , corresponding to that which , he has uniformly occupied on the Opposition benches . Mr .

Mill sat at the upper end of the third bench below the gangway , as was his usual custom when sitting on the Ministerial side . Mr . Gladstone walked up the floor of the House to the front Opposition bench , and while doing so he was heartily cheered by the members on the Opposition side of the House . Mr . AVard Hunt , as Secretary to the Treasury , moved the issue of the

various writs for tho re-election of the members of the new Government . In the House of Commons Sir T . M . Wilson's bill to enable him to let on building leases part of Hampstead Heath was rejected after some discussion by a majority of seven votes . K " ew writs wero moved for the re-election of some of the members who have accepted subordinate offices in the new