Obituary.

fche original , members of the Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Rite . His measures being- objected to by one of the lodges of which he continued a member some seven years ago , he withdrew , and resigned all connection ivith Masonry . He was formerly in the silk trade , bufc for many years followed no occupation . Being a member of a powerful city family , he was » appoinfced a Deputy-Lieutenant of fche County of Middlesex .

The Week.

THE WEEK .

THE COURT . —The Royal family still continue in retirement at Osborne . His Royal Highness fche Prince Consort will hold levees on the part of her Majesty at Sfc . James ' s Palace on Saturday , the 4 th of May next , ancl on AA ednesday , the 15 th of May next . It is nnderstood that fche Queen ivill hold two Drawing-rooms at St . -James ' s Palace towards the end of Juno next . IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT . —In the HOUSE or LORDS , on Thursday , April 11 , Lord Redesclale moved that no printed bill brought from

the Commons should be read a second time after Tuesday , the 9 fch July . That no bill confirming any provisional order of the Board of Health , or authorising any inclosure of land under special report of the Enclosure Commissioners for England and AVales ; or for ¦ conforming any scheme of Charity Commissioners for England ancl Wales , shall be read a second time after tho Sth clay of July , and that when a bill shall have passed this Honse with amendment , these orders shall not apply to any new bill sent up from the

House of Commons , which the Chairman of Committee shall report to the House , is substantially the same as the bill amended . The motion was agreed to . On Friday , in reply to a question by the Earl of Carnarvon , Lord AVoclehouse saicl there wero different sets of Druse chiefs in confinement . Fuad Pasha had condemned fiftyeight chiefs to death in one district , and eleven at Beyrout . AVith regard to those at Beyrout , a difference of opinion had arisen amongst the Commissionersancl their fate was still under

con-, sideration . On Monday , the Lunacy Regulation Bill passed through committee .- An Amendment was introduced , at the suggestion of the Earl of Shaftesbury , by which one medical visitor is to be appointed to take charge ol lunatics under the care of the Court of Chancery , instead of the present arrangement . The Mutiny Bill , the Marine Mutiny Bill , Exchequer Bills Bill , ancl Consolidated Fund ( £ 3 , 000 , 000 ) Bill passed through committees . On Tuesdaythe Bankruptcy and Insolvency Bill was read a

, second time . The Law of Foreign Countries Bill , the Mutiny Bill , fche Marine Mutiny Bill , the Exchequer Bills Bill , and the Consolidated Fund Bill , were respectively read a third time and passed . In the HOUSE OP COMMONS , on Thursday , Mr . Lindsay moved resolutions declaring it to be expedient to suspend the construction

and conversion of wooden line-of-battle ships , and to abandon , at least for the present , the system of building ivooden vessels currying guns on more than one deck ; and culling upon the Houso not to sanction , without further experience , the adaptation of the dockyard to the construction of iron ships . After some discussion Mr . Lindsay withdrew his resolutions . A long debate followed on a motion submitted by Sir John Trelawny , condemnatory of the policy of fche New Zealand Government in connection with the

native insurrection , ivhich was adjourned . On Friday the debate on Sir John Trelawney ' s motion relative to the affairs of New Zealand was resinned , and , after , a short discussion , the motion was negatived on a division by 38 to 24 . The House then went into Committee of supply , anil , after several votes bad been taken , adjourned . On Monday , the Chancellor of the Exchequer made his financial statement . Ho said the estimated expenditure provided by the House in the year 1860-61 was £ 73604000 irrespective of

,,, the special vote for fortifications , while the actual expenditure was £ 72 , 8-1-2 , 000 , being a difference of £ 822 , 000 in favour ofthe country . The revenue of the financial year 1859-60 ivas £ 71 , 089 , 000 , and that of 1860-61 £ 70 , 283 , 000 , being a deficiency in the latter year of £ 806 , 000 . A considerable portion of this deficit AVUS , however , to be traced to the exceptional circumstance that , for all financial purposes , the year 1860-61 was shorter by three days than its predecessor .

The year 1859-60 was leap year , and contained one additional clay ; fche year 1860-01 began and ended on a Sunday , thereby losing one day ; while in 1860-61 there were two Good Fridays . 'J'lielliminution in the revenue by the abstraction of three days from the year 1860-01 accounted for £ 506 , 000 of the £ 806 , 000 . The taxes remitted hist year amounted in round numbers to £ 3 , 000 , 000 , but as £ 3000000 of taxes were also imposedthe remissions and

impo-,, , sitions balanced each other . Last ye . ir he estimated the Excise to produce £ 21 , 261 , 000 , but it had only produced £ 19 , 430 , 000 , leaving a deficiency of 1 , 829 , 000 . AVith regard to the year 1 SG 1-G 2 , the estimated expenditure of the year , including an additional vote of credit of 1 , 000 , 000 on account of the Chinese war , and £ 127 , 000 for the expence of the census , was £ 0 ' 9 , ! JOU , 000 . Tiie estimated revenue for the year , including a portion of the Chinese indemnity ,

ivas £ 71 , 823 . 000 , Avhich Avould leave a surplus of revenue over ex- ; penditure of £ 1 , 923 , 000 . Some small alterations and modifications would be made ivhich it was expected ivould yield a sum of about £ 50 , 000 a year , while they would afford relief to certain classes . It was proposed to double the duty upon chicory ; to make houseagents take out a annual license of £ 2 ; to give wholesale dealers in spirits the privilege of retailing small quantities on payment of an extra sum of £ 3 a year ; to reduce the stamp duty upon agreements

to hire furnished houses for a less period than 12 months from 10 s . to 2 s . 6 c ? . ; to reduce haivkers' licences from £ 4 a year to £ 2 ; and fco tax smoking rooms kept ; open after a certain hour on the same scale as refreshment houses . AA'ith regard to the disposal of this balance the Government had come to the conclusion that it ivas too large a sum to retain in hand . He feared that , until the country Avas content to be governed on an expenditure of sixty-five millionsit ivould be futile to think of

, repealing the income tax . The Government were , however , prepared to make a commencement by reinittingthe penny ivhich ivas added to the tax Insfc year . The tax collectable therefore in the current year ivould beat the rate of 9 d . in the pound on incomes of £ 150 and upwards , and Gd . on incomes under £ 150 per annum . The loss which the revenue would sustain by the remission of one penny on the income tax would be £ 850 , 000 , which , if deducted from the

surplus of £ 1 , 922 , 000 , would still leave £ 1 , 073 , 000 . A portion of this amount ifc was intended to devote to the repeal of an indirect tax , namely , the paper duty , on the first of October next . The remission of the paper duty would cost £ 665 , 000 . The total remission of taxation would therefore be £ 1 , 515 , 000 , leaving a balance or surplus of £ 408 , 000 . He proposed , ivifch the view of leaving tho hands of Parliament free to make further remissions next year , that the income tax and the tea and sugar duties should

be imposed for one year only . The right hon . gentleman , ivho had spoken exactly three hours , concluded amid loncl cheering by placing ' in tbe hands of the Chairman a resolution imposing a double duty upon chicory . After some discussion , the resolution was agreed to . The Births Deaths , ancl Marriages Bill was read a second time , after considerable discussion . On the motion for referring the bill to a committee of the ivhole House , Mr . Scully moA-ed as an amendment that it be referred to a select committee . On a division fche amendment was

carried by 100 to 94 . On Tuesday , Mr . Augustus Smith moved for a select committee to inquire into the rights of the Crown and public , as well as of individuals , as connected with the foreshores and tidal waters of the United Kingdom , tho manner in which the Commissioners of AVoods and Forests are dealing with the same , and the state of the law affecting this description of property . The motion ivas opposed by the Attorney General , and rejected by 176 to 67 . Sir Frederick Smith called the attention of the House to

the report of the commissioners appointed to inquire into the control and management of her Majesty ' s naval yards , and moved that a revised estimate for vote 10 for the naval service he submitted , adopting in such revised estimate the principle of showing the amount proposed to be expended in the current year on each ship fco be built and converted in the Government yards . The Houso ivas counted out . On AVednesday , on the motion for going into committee on the Trustees of Charities Bill , Mr . Selwyn

moved that the House go into committee that day six months . The bill was lost by 200 to 171 . Mr . Monckton Milnes moved the second rending of the bill to legalize marriage with a deceased wife ' s sister . Mr . AVard Hunt moved as an amendment that fche bill ha read a second time that clay six months . The amendment was carried by 177 to 172 , and the bill lost . GENERAL HOME NEWS . —In tho metropolis last week there were 1209 deaths , which exhibits but a slight variation from the

numbers of the last few preceding weeks . The births registered in the same period were 2004—1012 boys , and 993 girls . Of the barometer the mean height was 30 ' 359 inches , ancl the average temperature shown by the thermometer ivas 4-1 * 2 degrees . The first regimental dinner of the London Ride Brigade took place on Saturday night . The Duke of Cambridge , who is colonel of the regiment , presided . His Royal Highness , in the course of the evening , expressed his views generally upon the Volunteer

movement , and upon the sham fight ; at Brighton . He considered that the Volunteers should bo regarded as a force auxiliary to the regular army . Ho denied that tho movement was regarded with disfavour at the Horse Guards . AVbile admitting the good intentions of the promoters of the Brighton meeting , he thought that the step ivas an ill-judged one ; that the day would have been bettor spent in drill ; and that anything like a shamfiht should have been deferred till tho end of the seasonand

g , then liave taken place under officers of the regular army . A meeting of officers commanding Volunteer corps has been helcl at the Thatehed-house Tavern , to confer with reference to the desirabilit y of Government iilicwdiii '' aid to the A ' olnnteers . Deputations attended from various parrs of the country , and the Mayor of Bristol was called to tlu chair . The mo , t- important re ?» jlnti » .: n yr . issed was