The Week.

on tbe 26 th they must be then paid . The day cannot therefore be observed as a universal holiday at the Bank of England , and the same reasons will operate with regard to all other banks . The pauperism of the cotton manufacturing districts continues to decline . Mr . Purely reports that there is a decrease of 2 , 100 paupers in the twenty-eight distressed unions on a

comparison of the first week of the present month with the last week of November . Seven unions show an aggregate increase of ' 110 paupers ; five are without change , and sixteen have decreased . The highest figures recorded of the unions in the ast-named sections are Asbton-undcr-Lyue , 390 ; Burnley , 350 ; Bury , 250 ; Manchester , 100 ; Preston , 390 ; and

Todmorden , 580 . Tbe total number of persons now on the rates is 100 , 590 . The able-bodied paupers went off the relief lists last week to the amount of 1 , 000 . The Guardians' disbursements for outdoor relief diminished at the same time by £ 116 ; the total distribution amounting to £ 6 / 117 . The funeral of tbe late Earl of Carlisle took place on Tuesday at Castle

Howard . During his last illness the deceased nobleman expressed a desire that bis funeral should be conducted with the greatest possible privacy , and his wishes were strictly complied with . A meeting was held at the Mansion House , on Wednesday , the Lord Mayor in the chair , in support of a project for the establishment of an orphan asylum , to bo called

tbe Albert Orphan Asylum , to be erected on Bagsbot Heath . It is proposed that tbe asylum , when complete , shall contain 1 , 000 orphans , and an interesting peculiarity of tbe scheme is * hat the subscribers are to elect tbe children without being ubject to the ' annoyance of a canvass . Clifton Suspension Bridge , which stretches across the Avon , and connects Somersetshire with Gloucestershire , was formally opened on Thursday last week . Its construction was contemplated 100

years since , and it was commenced upwards of thirty years ago , so that on its completion the Bristol people could not do less than make holiday . All the shops were closed in tbe town , tbe Volunteers , friendly societies , and trades' unions , turned out with their banners and insignia iu great force , and a long procession having followed tbe directors over the bridge and returned , the chairman delivered an adddress . The Bishop of

Bath and Wolls offered up prayer , after which tbe Lords Lieutenants of the two counties , the Earls Ducie aud Cork , declared the bridge duly opened . Salutes were fired , the National Anthem played , and so the ceremony ended . In tbe evening there was a substantial banquet at the Victoria Rooms , several private balls were held in the

neighbourhood , and the bridge was brilliantly illuminated . An important resolution was adopted by tbe Metropolitan Board of Works at their last weekly meeting . Mr . Samuda called the attention of the board to the fact that No . 1 contract of tbe Thames Embankment , in the hands of Mr . Furness , was proceeding at a rate which would require eight years for its

completion , instead of two years and a half , in which the contractor was bound to complete the * task . A letter was read from Mr . Furness making various excuses for the slow progress hitherto made ; but they failed to satisfy tbe board , which remitted to the embankment committee to examine into the matter , and report what steps ought to be taken in consequence of tbe

delay . Now that exhibitions of tbe products of " workingclass" ingenuity and skill are being promoted in various parts of the country , a movement has been set on foot to protect contributors to such collections in the right of their inventions . Such protection was accorded to exhibitors at tbe Great Exhibition of 1862 ; and tbe Attorney-General stated , at a meeting held on Tuesday night , that he was ready to use all his influence in favour of a measure for the extension of this privilege to

what we have now come to call Industrial Exhibitions . The question of the utilisation of town sewage has been brought under the notice of Sir George Grey by a numerous deputation , representing Birmingham , Preston , Nottingham , Derby , and other places of importance . It was suggested that the Government should introduce a bill empowering

Corporations to construct works for utilising sewage . Sir George Grey said the subject was under the consideration of the Government , and , while be gave no definite pledge as to tbe introduction of a measure , he requested tbe deputation to forward to him a statement of the plans upon which they proposed to proceed . A boat race from Putney to Mortlake for £ 200

was rowed on Wednesday between Frank Kilsby and David Coombes . The race originated in the late competition for Doggett ' s coat and badge , which Coombes won , but which Kilsby , who was second , thought he ought to have had . In the race on Wednesday Kilsby was unfortunately suffering from an ulcerated throat , which , it

may be inferred , told against his rowing . He was beaten by a few seconds , and bis opponent was again declared the winner . The Court of Session decided on Saturday to " apply" the judgment of the House of Lords in tbe Yelverfcon care ; that is to say ( as we understand the matter ) the highest judicature in Scotland formally bowed to the reversal

of its own decree by tbe supreme tribunal . It would seem , however , as if we were never to hear the last of this case ; for no sooner had the decision of the Court been announced than the Lord Advocate , acting on behalf of Miss Longworth , intimated his intention of " referring the whole case to the oath of tbe defender , William Charles Yelverton . A trial for breach of promise of marriage , under circumstances which the plaintiff ' s counsel well described as unparalleled , has

taken place in the Court of Common Pleas . The defendant , a Mr . Lyle , while an undergraduate at Cambridge , fell in love with bis landlady ' s daughter , and , though tbe girl's friends made objections on the ground of the disparity of their condition , he insisted on forming an engagement . This lasted for some time , though be kept it secret from his own friends , and

again and again the lady offered to break off the match , which the gentleman as strenuously resisted . At last he resolved to provide a home for her in tbe colonies , and went out to New Zealand for that purpose , His last letter was written to her by means of a homeward-bound ship they fell in with , but as soon as be arrived in the colony ho married a

young lady who bad been a fellow passenger with him , and the couple had since returned to this country . Before the case hsd proceeded far it was settled by the counsel for the defendant consenting to pay £ 1 , 000 damages . A case tried for breach of contract before Baron Martin , in the Court of Exchequer on Saturday , brought out some singular features . It was admitted

that the contract related to tbe engaging a vessel to run tbo blockade at Charleston ; on which Baron Martin interposing said be did not think the plaintiff could recover , as the contract was illegal . He was reminded that Mr . Justice Willes took an opposite view , and that his judgment had been upheld by the Court of Common Pleas ; but the learned judge adhered

to bis opinion , and expressed bis satisfaction that all the parties engaged in the transaction were foreigners . Ultimately a verdict was taken for the plaintiff , subject to decision on a point of law . It may be remembered that in a case where Mrs . Chetwynd sought a judicial separation from her husband , a Mr . Mulock was brought before the Court charged with writing a

letter to the lady calculated to intimidate her from prosecuting her suit . The judge imposed on him a fine of £ 100 , but on bis making submission the judge offered to remit the fine on his