The Week.

Government by British subjects since the outbreak of the war between the Northern and Southern States . He urged that there were many cases , including that of the Saxon , in which great hardships had been inflicted on British subjects by the Federal Government , and submitted that it was the dut y of Her Majesty ' s Government to demand compensation . He also referred to the seizure of the Confederate cruizer

Tuscaloosa at the Cape , and to the demands made upon this country in respect of the damage done to American shipping by the Alabama . Lord Russell said the Saxon was seized by the Vanderbilt in foreign , and not in British waters , and that the officer who had shot the first mate of the Saxon had been put upon his trial . With regard to the Tuscaloosa , that ship had

been seized upon the advice of the Law Officers of the Crown . Referring to the depredations of tho Alabama , he insisted that the claims made on behalf of tbe American shipowners for compensation could not be entertained . The people of the Northern States were naturally irritated at the havoc caused by the Confederate cruisers , but the Government were content to

wait until a calmer state of feeling prevailed in the United States . He spoke , however , of the escape of ihe Alabamans a " scandal and a reproach to our law , " and he trusted that eventually the doubts with respect to fche Foreign Enlistment Act would be satisfactorily removed . The motion for papers was agreed to . In the HOUSE OE COMMONS , on Thursday 11 th , Mr . Ferraud

gave notice for the first supply night of a motion censuiing the policy of the Ministers in China for the last thirty years . —Sir C . Wood explained the circumstances which had led to the recent military operations against the hill tribes on the Punjaub frontier . —The Chancellor of the Exchequer obtained leave to bring in bills for replacing the lapsed issue of bank-notes in Scotland , and for amending the law relating to the purchase of

Government ; annuities through the medium of saving banks . Ou Friday Lord Clarence Paget brought up the Navy Estimates . —Mr . Hennessy gave notice of a motion on the subject of the " declining population " of Ireland . —Sir George Grey promised a bill intended to deal with that serious evilthe importation of diseased cattle from foreign countries ; and Mr . Cooper intimated that the Government intended to ask

the House for powers to erect new law courts in London . —In reply to a question from Sir George Bowyer , Sir George Grey said he saw no reason why the seven pirates lying under sentence of death at Newgate , should be removed from the City for execution . —In answer to a question from Mr . Peacocko , Lord Palmerston explained the exact terms

of the proposal made by England , in concert with France , Russia , and Sweden , just before tho two Great German Powers invaded Schleswig . They proposed that Denmark should be allowed time to take legal measures for the revocation of the Constitution of November , and that the promise of Denmark to withdraw that Constitution should be embodied in a protocol

to which the Neutral Powers should bo witnesses . No guarantee , either on the one side or the other , was proposedby Her Majesty ' s Government ; ifc was merely thought that au engagement on the pa .-fc of Denmark in tbe form suggested would be more binding than a simple declaration . Austria and Prussia , he-wevcr , were " bsnfc on obtaining great renown and great

military glory ; " and "thinking that that was to be got by attacking a small state like Denmark , " they rejected thoproposal . The noble lord was asked a questionin reference to a statement that the English Government has proposed an armistice to the belligerents on the basis of the evacuation of Schleswig , with the exception of fche island of Alsen , by the Danes . Lord Palmerston replied that some such arrangement has been proposed by England , in concert with France , Russia , and Sweden ,

and with the assent of Austria . The decision of the Governments of Copenhagen and Berlin on tbe subject , he added , was not yet known . —Mr . Seymour Fitzgerald moved for correspondence respecting the capture of several English vessels by Federal cruisers . The Atfcorney-Genpral opposed the motion , on the ground that these seizures were at present subjects of negotia tion . AVith reference to the shooting of the first mate of the

Saxon by one of the officers of the Vanderbilt , the honourable and learned gentleman stated that Captain Baldwin had expressed his deep regret at the occurrence , and that Lord Lyons had been instructed to demand that the officer should be put upon his trial for murder , if the result of an inquiry should be to confirm the statement of the case which has been

laid before Her Majesty ' s Government . A discussion followed , in the course of which several members of the Opposition accused the Government of bullying weak and truckling to strong States . Lord Palmerston defended the course which had been taken by the Government , and stated that the Cabinet of AVashington

had shown a desire to deal justly in its transactions with this country . The motion for the production of papers was . then withdrawn . On Monday , after several questions of no great public importance had been put and answered , Mr . Layard stated , in reply to a question from Mr . Disraeli , that the replies

to the English proposal that the belligerents in Schleswig should agree to an armistice were not " satisfactory , " and that there was " no reason to believe" that hostilities would be suspended . This , of course , means that the proposal of Her Majesty's Government has been rejected by one or more of the powers at war . —After a long discussion , the Insane Prisoners Act Amendment Bill—a measure suggested hy the grievous

miscarriage of justice in the ' Vownley case—was read a second time . —The Malt for Cattle Bill was also read a second time , after a protest from several of the "farmers ' friends" against the maintenance of any portion of the malt tax . The House on Tuesday was almost entirely occupied with railway bills , and tbe discussion of a series of

resolutions relating to the revision of parliamentary fees . On AYednesday the House was occupied in discussing a bills brought forward by Mr . Laird , for testing anchors and cable , by the merchant standard , and to make manufacturers responsible for the articles they sold ; and a bill , introduced by Mr . Bernard , for the substitution of union for parochial rating .

A good deal of discussion took place on both measures . The former —passed the * second reading ; the latter was withdrawn . A new writ having been ordered for the election of a member for the county of Dorset , in the room of Mr . Ker Seymer , resigned , the House adjourned .

HOME NEWS . —The mortality of London showed a slight decrease last week from that of the week before . It is still , however , high ; the average estimate for the last ten years is 195 below the number of 1617 , who deaths are recorded last week . While the death rate is high the birth rate is low . The number of births recorded last week amounted to 2005 ; the corrected average for the last ten years is 2116 The Navy

Estimates for 1 S 64—05 amount to £ 10 , 432 , 610 ; or £ 303 , 000 below the amount voted last year . The strength of the Marine corps is not " interfered with ; but the Admiralty propose to strike off about 4 , 000 seamen and boys . The estimated military expenditure for the coming financial year is £ 14 , Si 1 , 888 , against £ 15 , 0 ' . i 0 , 237 last year ; so that the total saving on

the two services will be a little over half a million . Mr . Farnall , we are glad to observe , reports a further decrease of close upon 1 , 600 in the number of persons receiving relief in the cotton manufacturing districts . At