The Week.

with reference to the Dano-German dispute . —Lord Piilmerston , in reply to a question from Mr . Darby Griffith , said he had no reason to believe that the Dano-German Conference would not prolong the armistice beyond the fortnight to wliich it has just been extended . —Mr . Hubbard moved a resolution affirming that the income-tax ought not to be re-imposed in its present form . The hon . gentleman was supported by Mr .

Bovill . ' and opposed by Mr . Gladstone and Sir S . Nortiicote . On a division , the resolution was rejected by a large majority . On Wednesday , Mr . C . Forster moved the second reading of the bill providing for the abolition of the law by which" the property of persons convicted of felony becomes forfeited to the Crown . The hon . gentleman denounced the existing statute

as a barbarous relic -of feudal times , and pointed out that in no other civilised country was such a law put in force . Mr . AVard Hunt moved , as an amendment , that the bill be read a second time that day three months . The Attorney-General would vote for the second reading , as a record of the opinion of tbe House that the laiv required alteration , "but he could

not pledge himself to the particular measure under consideration . He offered , on the part of the Government , to consider the subject before next session . After some discussion , the amendment was negatived , and the bill read a second time . The remaining business ivas unimportant . GENERAL HOME NEWS . —The mortality in the metropolis

rose considerably last week . The deaths amounted to 1 , 285 , which was about 70 more than the number of tho previous week , and 130 in excess of the ten years' average . It is remarkable that the increase occurred almost entirely among persons in middle life , or between 20 and 60 years of ago . There were 1 , 923 children born during the week , which Avas slightly above the average . This year ' s list of pensions from

the civil list is necessarily a short one , the grant of £ 500 to I / ady Inglis absorbing about one hall ol the total amount ab the disposal of the Government . Miss Eliza Cook , the widow of Sheridan Knowles , and the Rev . C . B . Gibson take £ 100 each ; Mr . Kenny Meadows , £ 80 ; Miss Mulock , the novelist , Mr . Allingliam , the poet , aud Mrs . Austin , the widow of a civil engineer , £ 60 each ; Mrs . Leaf , the widow of a person who is

described as having been " a contributor of articles of great merit to various journals , " £ 50 ; and a sister of the late Hugh Miller , £ 30 . Mr . Purdy ' s statement shows that in the first iveek of the present month there was a decrease of 1 , 460 paupers in the distressed unions . Manchester relieved 360 ; the Preston union , 310 ; and the AA'igan union 210 paupers fewer than in

the last iveek of May . On the other hand , three unions exhibit an increase of pauperism . The Cliorlfcon union relieved 2 S 0 , the Haslingden union 130 , and the Blackburn union 120 more . There still continue on the union relief lists , 23 , 750 adult able-bodied paupers , only 398 of this class having ceased to receive parochial aid last week . The expenditure for

outdoor relief was £ 5 , 600 ; or £ 80 less than in the week immediately preceding the last . ——There was , on Saturday , another field day , under the command of Colonel M'Murdo , at Earl Cowper's seat , Panshanger Park , Herts . The Queen's ( Westminster ) , the London Rifle Brigade , the 20 th Middlesex , and the 2 nd Administrative Battalion of Herts , were the troops on

the field , and all the corps mustered pretty strongly . The success of the day was in one sense marred by a severe and nearly fatal accident to a volunteer . The poor follow received a wound from the bayonet of a comrade ; and ho had almost literally a hair-breadth escape , for the weapon passed within a quarter of an inch of the femoral artery , and if it had entered that passage of the blood , no skill could have saved him . Even as it is , the poor felloiv , ivho bore his sufferings with great

fortitude , is in a dangerous condition . The magistrates of Middlesexhadameeting on Tuesday , Mr . Pownallpresiding , ivhen Mr . Serjeant Payne moved , and Mr . Harivood seconded , that the magistrates should petition Parliament against the Prisons Bill , now before the House of Commons , on the ground that it ivould empower the Secretary of State to appoint Roman Catholic chaplains to the gaols against the wish of the magistrates . The

motion was carried by a large majority , and a petition was ordered to be forwarded to Mr . Newdegate for presentation . The Channel fleet left Plymouth Sound on Tuesday for Spithead . Should the ships not be required for more serious duty , it is thought probable that they will be sent out on a summer cruise round the British coast . The first stone of a stately building

which the Unitarians of Manchester have decided to erect in commemoration of the ejection of 1662 was laid on AVednesday by Mr . Alderman Mackie . The building will be known as the " Memorial Hall , " and it will be devoted chiefly to educational purposes . The ceremony of laying the first stone was followed in the evening by a dinner , ab which Mr . Sfcansfeld , JM . P .,

presided . The Postmaster-General has , in compliance with the urgent entreaties of a deputation , intimated his willingness to abstain for a month from taking measures to cancel the Galivay postal contract , with a view to enable tho Company to submit a proposition for the re-organisation of the service . A further extension of that railway system which will soon interpenetrate

and girdle round tho metropolis was opened to the public on on Monday , when trains were run from Farringdon-street to Hammersmith . The line embraces the Metropolitan Railway for its ivhole extent up to Bishop's-road station , then about a mile on the main line of tho Great AA estern , ending with the neiv portion of rail opened on Monday for the first time , running from a junction ivith the Great AVestern at Green-lane to

Hammersmith . The trains are very frequent , and the fares remarkably low , An appeal case ol considerable interest has been decided by the Lord Justices of Appeal . A gentleman named Lamb had assured his life on two policies , which contained tho usual clauses against payment of the sums assured in case of suicide unless the policies hacl previously been mortgaged to third parties . Lamb did mortgage his policies , and did afterwards

commit suicide , but there was no proof that the two facts were connected together . The insurance offices paid the sums to the mortgagee , but as the amount ivas more than the sum raised on mortgage , they sought so recover the difference as against the widow . This Vice Chancellor AVood first , and afterwards the Lords Justices , refused their claim . A curious ease lias

occupied the Court of Queen ' s Bench for two days . A Mr . AA eiss , a Prussian , sued our ambassador at Berlin , Lord A . Loftus , for a breach of contract . His case was that he hired the house of Baron Arnim , in Berlin , for ten years , at a rent of 6 , 050 thalers a year , and let it again to our ambassador at tho rent of 6 , 500 thalers , and ho claimed now to have the balance of 450 thalers

for ten years paid to him . Lord A . Loftus , on the other band , contended that he employed the defendant as a hcuse agent , to have the mansion at the loivest rent be could get it for , that he paid him his commission as house-agent , and had no more to do with him . The evidence of Baron Avnim completely confirmed this avermentand the plaintiffwho conducted his own

caseil-, , , lustrating the old legal proverb , had his claim rejected . ——At the last Middlesex sessions Mr . Payne sentenced to ten years' penal servitude a man found guilty of stealing a roll of cloth . A contemporary having commented upon the case Mr . Payne recalled the prisoner , and suspended , until inquiries could be made as to the man ' s character , the execution of the sentence . Iu the House of Commons the Home Secretary said that he had made inquiries about the truth of