Knights Templar.

The G . M . next proposed the health of the Prov . G . Commanders , and coupled with the toast the name of Sir Knt . J . Rankin Stebbing . The V . E . Dr . HINXMAN , Prov . G . Com . of Kent , rose with great diffidence to respond to the toast , because the name of another Sir Knt . had been mentioned in connection with it . Still , he felt that the Prov . G . Corns , could not allow the opportunitto pass without tendering their best thanks for the

y honour . He was happy to see the continued prosperity ofthe Order , from which he drew certain conclusions ; for , twenty years ago , there were but seven Sir Knts , who held that distinguished position , whilst at the present time they numbered twenty-four , and in their names he begged to return thanks . Sir Knt . J . R . STEERING would not have presumed to have intrudednot being a Prov . G . Com . but for the special

, , mention of his name by the S . G . M ., and tbe compliment it involved . He took it to be another instance that the S . G . M . regarded the Prov . Sir Knights as of some importance in the Order , and that the twenty-four provinces alluded to were taken as integral portions of Knight Templary . In this view the S . G . M . was only following Prince Edward , Duke of Kent ,

who was a great patron of their Order , and was installed Grand Master in 1792 . In that year there were no less than eighteen Prov . G . Commanders , and although H . R . H . was in Canada at that time , he ( Sir Knt . Stebbing ) had seen a letter to Sir Knt . Dunckerley , written by H . R . H ., whose correspondence was that of one Freemason to another , and man to man . Their present S . G . M . governed a large proportion of the British colonies , ancl held the balanceever picking up the hewers of wood and

, drawers of water , in Freemasonry both far and wide . They had examples how apt was the instruction issued to all under his rule , and evidence how such a community could be kept together , and in this the S . G . M . and the Prince Edward were parallels . Their Grand Master's character was universally revered , and everywhere amongst Knights Templar his name was received with honour . So it had been with Prince Edward seventy years

ago , and so it would he with the name of Sir Knt . Stuart seventy years to come ; and , though ho was not a prince of the blood , yet he was a prince of nature ' s handiwork . ( Loud cheers . ) The S . G . M . retired shortly after , and the Sir Knights separated , expressing regret only at the absence of their amiable , kind , and esteemed Treasurer .

The Week.

THE WEEK .

THE COURT . —Her Majesty left Osborne on Thursday for AVindsor Castle , and on Friday proceeded to Balmoral , accompanied by Prince Alfred , Prince Leopold , the Princess Helena , the Princess Louisa , and the Princess Beatrice . —The Duke of Cambridge on Tuesday morning , in presence of the Prince of AA ales , inspected the Middlesex Militia in Hyde Park . —The Prince held a levee , by command of Her Majesty , at St . James's Palaceon Wednesday afternoon . It was most

nume-, rously- attended . Viscount and A'iscountess Pahnerston were honoured by the company of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales at dinner in the evening , at Cambridge House , Piccadilly . The banquet was served up in tbe principal dining-room . Lady Pahnerston was supported on either side by the Prince of Wales ancl Prince Alfred , and on the right of the noble host was seated the Princess of Wales . The

illustrious guests and company left the banepietting room shortly before ten o ' clock . . The three spacious saloons fronting Piccadillyjjwere thrown open , and the drawing-room in the rear was devoted to dancing . The Prince of AVales danced with the Princess Mary , and the Duke of Cambridge with the Princess of A \ ales . Their Royal Highnesses remained until after one o'clock . —The Corporation of London has formally givenand

, the Prince and Princess of Wales have formally accepted , the invitation to be at a ball to be given at Guildhall , which , at the suggestion of his Royal Highness , is fixed for the Sth instead of the 1 st of June . The freedom of the City is to be given to his Royal Highness on the same occasion . IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT . —In the HOUSE OF LORDS , on Thursday , ' the 7 th inst ., the Corrupt Practices Bill passed through

Committee , but minus two of its clauses , including that which empowers the House of Commons to suspend writs by resolution . A long discussion took place on a resolution moved by Lord Redesdale , to the effect that the principle of charging

entailed estates for railways involved questions of too much nicety and importance to he sanctioned otherwise than by public legislation . An amendment was moved by Lord Eversley , but ultimately tlie original motion was agreed to without a division . On Fridiry Lord Shaftesbury brought forward the case of Poland , and urged that the grand remedy for all the troubles , of that country was separation from Russia . After a few remarks from Lord HarrowbyLord Russell expressed great

, confidence in the humane intentions of the Czar ; but he could , not see how , after years of oppression and perfidy , the Poles were to exhibit that confidence in His Majesty's policy without which , according to ^ Prince Gortchakoff , it was impossible to hope for a fair trial of the promised concessions . The question of separation was surrounded with great difficulties , and involved the possibility of a long and costly warinto which Her

, Majesty ' s Government "would be loth to enter without the most pressing necessity . " Her Majesty's Government had advised the Emperor to restore the constitution granted by Alexander I ., to give the Poles a free parliament , and to place the judicial , civic , and political administration ofthe country in the hands of men whom the people could trust , lie hoped the minor states would back up the representations of the great

powers on this question , and he could not , but believe that ultimately public opinion thus forcibly expressed would tell even upon the conduct of the Autocrat of all the Russias . On > Monday the royal assent was given to a number of bills by - commission . —Lord Normanby once more pleaded the cause of Mr . Bishop , the young Englishman who is now undergoing a term of imprisonment in Italfor carrying treasonable

desy patches between Naples and Rome . "After some discussion Lord Russell said Mr . Bishop had a fair and impartial trial , hut Her Majesty's Government would continue their exertions , and he hoped ultimately with success , for that gentleman's release . On Tuesday , the business was unimportant . In the HOUSE OF COMMONS on Thursday , the 17 th inst ., a rather warm discussion took place on the conduct of Mr . Christie , the English

minister at Rio . Lord Pahnerston defended the line taken by Mr . Christie with respect to the recent question between this country and Brazil , ancl he referred in somewhat contemptuous tones to the conduct of General Webb , the American Minister

at Rio , wno had sent to Lord Russell a long and intemperate statement of a private quarrel between himself and our representative . General Webb ' s letter , said the noble lord , had been treated by the Foreign Secretary " with the entire disregard it justly merited , and if any such letter , had been written by a British diplomatist , he was quite sure his noble friend , without hesitation , would instantly have dismissed the writer as having proved himself totallunfit and unsuitcd to

y hold any position under her Majesty's Government . "—Mr . Bramley-Moore and Lord R . Cecil declined to accept Lord Palmcrston . ' s estimate of Mr . Christie , while Mr . Newdegate , Mr . Bonverie , anel Mv . Howard defended that gentleman . The motion for going into committee on the Prison Ministers Bill was opposed by Mr . Long ancl other members ; but , ou a divisionthe supporters of the Bill appeared in a majoritand

, y , the consideration of tho clauses was proceeded with . On Friday , a report was presented from the Committee on the Loudon Police Bill , which amounted to an intimation that the measure for amalgamating the metropolitan and city forces could not be further proceeded with this session . Mr . Gladstone announced that he had abandoned another of his budget resolutions—that imposing a licence on clubs . —Mr . Pope Henncssy

moved for certain papers relating to Southern Italy , his main object in doing so being to all appearance to gather official information in support of his contention that our trade with the Two Sicilies has diminished rather than increased since tho overthrow of the Bourbon dynasty . —Mr . C Bentinck seconded the motion , and spoke in strong condemnation of the present state of things in Southern Italy . According to his showing

the brigands are patriots , while the Italian Government , through its agents , is more cruel than that which preceded it . —Mr . Layard defended the Italian Government , and submitted that the brigands really were what their designation represented them to be ; that the unhappy condition ofthe Two Sicilies was clue to the circumstance that the Italian Government had not yet been able to eradicate the vices engendered under the

discarded dynasty ; and , finally , that our trade had increased with every port of Italy except the Papal States . —Lord Henry Lennox , who has recently been travelling in Italy , gave what he called a statement of his experience of Italian rule . It was an indictment against the new order of things , which he de-