Public Amusements.

33 th inst ., present in combination all those brilliant entertainments that have commanded the admiration of the public , and be rendered further inviting by the appearance of several artistes in the concert , the theatres , and the hall , who have kindly offered their services on the occasion . AVhen it is added that that evening Mr . E . T . Smith assigned for his special

benefit , and that to this cause was due the vast augmentation of the attraction ofthe programme , it will be readily understood that in every respect this was the grand fete of the season . All the resources of this extensive establishment were brought into play , and amusements extending from noon till midnight kept the succession of visitors gratified by all

that can charm the eye and delight the ear . The admission was half-a-crown , which included thc privilege of seeing the grand tournament , with all its equestrian and spectacular effects in the Ashbumham Hall .

The Week.

THE WEEK .

THE COURT . —Her Majesty left Osborne on Monday , for Windsor , where she arrived about mid-day , and proceeded to the Castle , On Tuesday she left for the Continent , embarking at AVoolwich . A ery stringent orders had been issued rliroughoufc Woolwich Dockyard that no notice was to bo taken of the Queen as she passed through to embark on board the Fairy .

All Her Majesty's subjects are aware of and respect her desire for seclusion ; but that these offensive orders elo not emanate from her , was best proved by the fact that in her route from Vauxhall to AVoolwich the blinds of her carriage were up , and she could be plainly seen by all . Her Majesty was accompanied by the Princess Helena , Louisa , and Beatrice , and the Princes

Alfred and Leopold . Prince Arthur has gone to Bagshot . — The Prince and Princess of AVales arrived in Edinghurgh , from Ripon , on Thursday . Their Royal Highnesses resumed their journey northwards on Friday , halting at Perth for the night . In the evening they drove to Scone , tbe old Royal Palace and crowning place of tho Scottish kings ; but now under the

hereditary keeping of the Earl of Mansfield . On Saturday they set off for the Highlands , and arrived there in the course of the day . The Queen arrived in Brussels on AVednesday evening , and that the Kiyal party were received by the King of

the Belgians and the Duke and Duchess of Brabant . GENERAL HOME NEWS . —The mortality of the metropolis at last shows signs of being upon the turn . The deaths last week were 1402 , or 112 below the number of the previous week . They are still , howeve . r , 150 above the ten years' average . The most prevalent cansc of death is diarrhoea , but smallpox still figures prominently , and , indeed , for the last two

\ vesks it-has shown a tendency to increase . The births for the week amounted to 1772 . The correeponding numbej the previous ten years was 1797 . At the weekly meeting of the Lancashire Central Executive Relief Committee , a discussion ensued on the probable- effects of some of tbe clauses of the Public AVorlcs Act . Mr . Farnall said that though the bill was

permissive throughout , there was strong reason to believe that the 300 local authorities with whom he and Mr . Rawlinson had conferred would accept the measure in its entirety . Mr . Rawlinson enumerated places which he expected would avail themselves of the provision of the act to borrow an aggregate sum " of about £ 120 , 000 . Mr . Farnall ' s return showed that there was an

increase of 1299 persons receiving parochial relief in the 27 unions composing the cotton manufacturing districts , compared with tbe returns of the previous week . Since the 6 th December the total decrease had been 126 , 013 . On the 1 st inst . 135 , 758 per- J

sons were receiving parochial relief , at a cost of £ 3986 , against 49 , 268 in the corresponding week of 1861 , at a cost of £ 2128 . Tlie elevation to the peerage of Colonel White , of AVoodlands , and Mr . Monckton Milnes , is officially announced in the Gazette . Colonel AVhite takes the title of Baron Annaby , and Mr . Milnes that of Baron Houghton . It is announced that Sir James Hudson , who has so ably represented England at the

Court of Turin for many years , and through a most critica l period for Italy , retires from that post . His successor is to be Mr . Elliott , formerly English Minister at Naples . This is a change which has been contemplated for a considerable time past . The place of Judge of the Probate and Divorce Court , rendered vacant by the lamented death of Sir Cresswell

Cresswell , has been filled up by the appointment of Sir James Wilde , one of the barons of the Exchequer . AVe believe the appointment meets with the general approbation of the profession . Baron Wilde's seat on the Exchequer remains to be filled up . The St . George ' s Rifles , under the command of Colonel

Lindsay , \ fere inspected in Hyde Park on Saturday , by Colonel M'Murdo , who expressed himself satisfied with their appearance and efficiency . He stated the volunteers were increasing both in that corps and throughout the kingdom , and illustrated the value of discipline hy the fact that at the fall of the platform , when he reviewed the Devonshire volunteers the other day ,

not a man moved out of the ranks to look after the safety of their friends till he gave them the word of command . ¦ A heavy gloom has been thrown over the Western Circuit by the sudden death of one of its leading and most popular members—Sir Frederick S'ade , Bart ., Q . C . On Friday the learned counsel was apparently in robust health , and conducted a case in the Nisi Prius Court , at AVells . On Saturday lie complained of being somewhat unwell , and at night he was found dead in

I beel from apoplexy . Mr . J . W . Gilbart , F . U . S ., a gentleman of eminence in connection with banking and finance , and who was long the manager of the London and Westminster Bank , has also just died , aged GO . A singular story of allegetl proselytism , of which we shall probably hear more by-aud-by , is told in a letter which appears in the Times . A gentleman , named Harrison , states that his son , who was the captain of

AVestminster School , was taken one day to see the Brompton Oratory . About one o'clock he was introduced to a priest , and eight hours afterwards he was baptised , " for the express purpose of preventing any interposition of parental authority . " Mr . Harrison attempted in various ways to assert his position as the natural guardian of his son , but he alleges that he was iu

every instance foiled by tho Oratorians . With the aid and sanction of Mr . Faber , the superior of the establishment , the lad , he says , has " set him completely at defiance , and has continued to reside in the Oratory ever since . " ——The floating battery Pervenelz , which was built for the Russian Government on the Thames , went down to Gravesend on Saturday , and

sailed for Cronstadt . The fine Russian frigate the General Admiral , has eovne over to escort her to Cronstadt—an assistance of which she stands in need , as she is in a condition as unfinished as the day she was launched ; and the iron plates which are intended to cover her sides are at present stowed away between decks . It is said the reason for thus hurrying off tbe

vessel in a dangerously incomplete state is the fear of her being seized in case of a sudden declaration of war against Russia . The case of Colonel AVangh has once more come before the public , through an application to-day to Mr . Justice Keating at Chambers . By the decision now given , the colonel must either find bail , as directed by Mr . Commissioner Holroyd , not for his protection , but for his release , or remain in custody until the comple-