The Week.

On Friday , the Earl of Malmesbui-y laid on the table a bill for the amendment of the Leases and Sales of Settled Estates Act . The Chief Rents ( Ireland ) Bill was read a third time and passed . The Turnpike Roads Bill was read a second time . On Monday , Lord Wodehouse , in reply to a question from Lord Derby , stated that he had never told M . Hall , the

late Danish minister , that the revocation of the November Constitution would certainly not avert the invasion of Sehleswig . In answer to a question from Lord Campbell , Lord Granville said Her Majesty ' s Government had not entered into a combination with the other Great Powers against France . On the contrary , they were most anxious to act in concert with the

French Government on all European questions . —The Duke of Somerset , in reply to a question from Lord Ellenborough , said he was aware that two Austrian vessels of war had left Malta for Gibraltar , but he had received no further information of their movements . On Tuesday , Lord Ellenborough asked whether the statement was correct that Austria and Prussia

had made an amended proposal for an armistice . He trusted that if such a proposal had been made , Denmark would accept it , for it was certain that if the war continued that country must eventually be overpowered . The Duke cf Somerset was understood to say that the report referred , to by the noble earl was substantially correct . —After some discussion , in

the course of which Lords Grey and Wodehouse declared themselves opposed to the agitation for the repeal ofthe malt duty , the Malt for Cattle Bill was read a second time . Several other measures were advanced a stage . On Wednesday the House sat for a quarter of an hour , and advanced a stage two or three unopposed bills , which must receive the royal assent before the adjournment for the Easter recess . In the HOUSE OF CO . II . MOX 5 on Thursday , 11 th inst .,

Mr . Darby Griffith gave notice of his intention to ask the Government whether the Foreign Enlistment Act could not be suspended by an order in Council , so as to allow tho Danish Government to obtain the vessels of war now building for them in this country . —In reply to a question from Mr . Buxton , Sir George Grey said the whole question of prison diet was under consideration . —The Chancellor of the Exchequer , in ansiver to

a question from Mr . G . Give , said the Government had no power over any funds available for tho increase of Professor Jowett ' s salary , and , moreover , the Government did not know that the matter had been definitely settled by the University of Oxford . — Mr . Henry Berkeley made a speech on our naval armament . In the first place , be contended that foreigners had the

advantage of us in the matter of armour-plates , and , in the next place , that France was far ahead of us in artillery . Lord Clarence Paget was not prepared to say that the Admiralty were altogether satisfied with the guns supplied to the navy , but at the same time he submitted that we were better off iu this respect than , France . —On the House going into Committee

of-Supply on the Navy Estimates , the large vote for the establishments and dockyards at home was moved without any explanation , and declared carried without any discussion . Sir H . Willoughby , Mr . Lindsay , and Mr . Bright denounced the precipitate manner in which the vote had been taken , and eventually the Chancellor of the Exchequer intimated that the

Government would agree to its re-committal , in order to afford the House an opportunity of discussing the items of which it is composed . —A vote of £ 175 , 000—half of the sum England is to pay towards the redemption of the Scheldt duos—was agreed to . —The Mutiny Bill passed through Committee , after an ineffectual effort on the part of Mr . Cox to obtain the omission of the clauses authorising flogging and the branding of deserters . The House divided on Mr . Lawson ' s motion for leave to bring in a

" Permissive " Bill ; the result being that the member for Carlisle obtained a majority of 34 in a House of 106 . On Friday Mr . Seymour Fitzgerald having observed upon what he termed the contradictory statements made by the Government in the two Houses of Parliament with reference to the proposed conference on Danish affairs , inquired upon what basis had the proposal of a conference been made . Lord Palmerston replied

that Her Majesty ' s Government had vainly endeavoured to obtain the consent of the belligerents to an armistice preparatory to a conference , and that , failing in their overtures iu that respect , they had proposed to Austria and Prussia a conference without an armistice . To this latter , proposal Denmark had not as yet sent a reply , but Austria and Prussia had

expressed their willingness to join the conference . The other Powers to the Treaty of 1852 had not as yet been commuicated with , because all the belligerents had not sent in their adhesion to the proposition . No formal basis on which theconference was to proceed had been proposed , because it was not known whether Denmark ivould or would not send a

representative to it . —Mr . Henuessy called attention to some of the causes of the decline of the population ot Ireland , and especially to the difference between the laws for the relief ofthe poor in England and Scotland , ancl moved the following resolution : — "That this House is of opinion that it is . just and expedient to extend to Ireland the benefical

provisions of the English poor law . " After some dis- " enssion , the motion was withdrawn . On . Monday , Mr . Layard , in reply to a question , stated that the slave trade was carried on on the East Coast of Africa to a greater extent than on the West Coast—a condition of things arising- in a greab measure from the facility with which vessels plying in thafcquarter could obtain shelter under the French flag . —The

Marquis of Hartington , in answer to a question from Mr . Dawson - Darner , said the apprehensions with reference to the large number of soldiers whose time of service is about to expire were unfounded ; and measures were now being taken to induce themen to re-enlist . —Mr . Layard read a despatch from Colonel Neale and Admiral Kuper , explaining that there seemed to be a

misconception in England as the circumstances attending the bombardment of Kagosima . They affirm that the population of that city was only 40 , 000 , and that before the squadron opened firetthe whole of the inhabitants had quitted the place . They added that the Prince of Satsuma's agents " duly appreciated the moderation they had displayed . " —Mr . Roebuck made ,

an angry attack on the general policy of Lord Russell as Foreign . Minister , and , adverting especially to the intention of the Government to remonstate with President Davis on the employment of Confederate agents in this country , he wished to know whether representations would be made to the Government of Washington with reference to the enlistment of recruits in

Ireland for the Federal service . Lord Palmerston defended the policy of the Government with regard to the American war ,, and stated that there was no evidence to show that the Federals , were recruiting in Ireland . After some discussion , the subject dropped . —We gather from a reply given by the Attorney-General to a question from Mr . Butler Johnstone , that a

proclamation of neutrality in the war between Denmark and thetwo Great Powers of Germany will not be issued by her Majesty . —The House then went into Committee of Supply on . the Navy Estimates , and several votes were passed . On Tuesday , Mr . Dudley Fortescue—reverting to a painful subject , which he brought prominently before the House last sessionmoved for papers relating to the Mhow Court-martial , and tothe condition of the Inniski'ling Drrgoons , both before and after Colonel Crawley assumed the command of that regiment ,