The Week.

THE WEEK .

THE COURT . —The Queen , the Prince and the Princess of Hesse , with the junior members of the Royal Family , continue at Osborne . G ENERAL HOME NEWS . —The health of London , we are glad to perceive , has greatly improved , the deaths last week having fallen 162 below the numbers reported in the week previous .

The mortality , however , is still considerably above the ten years' average , which is 1 , 36 S , while the actual deaths reported last week were 1 , 433 . The principal causes of death were measles and diarrhcea , and their principal ravages were among young children . The births amounted to 1 , 962 , which was about ISO above the general average . It is now reported

that Lord AVodehouse will . succeed Lord Carlisle as Irish Viceroy . Mr . T . B . AVestern , of Rivenhall , Essex , father of the member for Maldon , has been ci'eated a boronet . A Cork contemporary states that the emigration from Ireland to the United States , has almost ceased . As a landing place for the Atlantic Telegraph Cable , Heart's Content , Trinity Bay , has

heen selected . This is one of the best harbours in Newfoundland , and ships as large as the Great Eastern can anchor within a mile of the station . Au important modification in the regulations for the transmission , through the Post-office , of patterns and samples of merchandise , is announced in a notice just issued by the Postmaster-General . On and after the 1 st of

next month , the scale of charges will be largely reduced , and the rule prohibiting certain articles from being sent through the Post-office , will be " so far relaxed as to permit the transmission of scissors , knives , razors , forks , steel pens , nails , keys , watch machinery , metal tubing , pieces of metal or ore , and such like , as samples , provided that they be packed and guarded in so secure a manner as to afford complete protection to the

contents of the mail bags and the officers of the Post-office , while at the same time the samples may be easily examined , and provided also that such samples as might be in themselves of intrinsic value , are rendered unsaleable by being slightly damaged before they are posted . " These modifications apply only to the United Kingdom—the regulations as regards the colonies and foreign countries remaining as before . At the

monthly meeting of the Central Executive Relief Committee , a large amount of most valuable and interesting information was given by Mr . Maclure respecting the condition of the cotton manufacturing districts . During the past month there has been a reduction of 15 , 051 in the number of persons relieved , whilst the reduction since the commencement of the year has

heen close upon 100 , 000 . The average pressure of pauperism has now fallen to 3-9 per cent ., and this being the case , it has heen decided that in all unions in which the pauperism does not exceed 5 per cent ., the grants of the Committee shall be confined to the relief of persons who are not in receipt of aid from the rates . The Committee holds a balance of £ 129 , 000 .

Mr . Purdy's weekly return shows that last week there was a net decrease of 480 iu the number of persons receiving parochial relief in the 21 unions embraced in the report . The unions of Ashfcon , Blackburn , Bury , Chorlton , Glossop , and Todmorden experienced an increase of pauperism amounting in the whole to 360—an unfavourable change , which is redressed by a total

decrease of 840 in the remaining unions . There were last week 18 , 203 adults on the relief list , or 174 fewer than in the preceding week . The sum expended in out-door relief was £ 4 , 742 , or only about one « alf the outlay in the corresponding week of last year .: On Tuesday , the most important of all the many important experiments at Shoeburyness took place . The 600-pounder .

gun was fired against a floating target made on the principle of the Warrior . It was intended to fire at a range of 2 , 000 yards , but with a view to secure accuracy , the firing took place at 500 yards . The charge of powder , however , if increased in certain proportions , would represent the same effects at 2 , 000 yards . The shell that struck the target practically demolished

it , and would have sunk any ship it might take effect upon . It was the universal opinion that this 600-pouuder gun will sink any iron-clad ship that could be built . There is no country but England that has a 600-pounder , and we have only this one at present , but we are building more . Mrs . Yelverton , or Miss Longworth , is the pursuer in another action

for libel which will be tried before the Scottish Court of Session . The defendants in the present case are the proprietors of the Saturday Review , and the damages are laid at £ 3 , 000 . The libel complained of formed part of an article on the decision of the House of Lords , in which our contemporary spoke in vary uncomplimentary terms of the lady , and

described her as " out of keeping with society both as it is and as it ought to be , " and as " an adventuress launched into the world nobody knows how , with a previous history that has never been told . " The defendants have not a Scotch domicile , but in order to found jurisdiction , as it is called , moneys due to the Saturday Review by several Edinburgh publishers have

been attached . Mr . Lindsay addressed a meeting of his constituents at Sunderland on Monday night , and after expounding his views on the American war , and other questions , received an almost unanimous vote of confidence . It is hardly necessary . to remind our readers that the honourable gentleman has been a consistent advocate of the recognition of the Southern States . . Ainong the meetings of Volunteer regiments , on Saturday , was a prize shooting match

of the St . George ' s Rifles , when a number of valuable prizes were awarded . The 7 th Surrey Rifles , under their commanding officer , Major Beresford , were inspbcted by Colonel Ibbetson , who , while he pointed out some defects in their practice , gave high praise to their general efficiency . Great regret was expressed at the unavoidable absence of Colonel M'Murdo , who had always hitherto inspected the corps , and it was stated that

the gallant officer intended to resign his appointment as inspector-general of the volunteers at the end of the year . A dinner was given to the Lords of the Admiralty and the officers of the Channel fleet , lying at Queenstown , by the Mayor and citizens of Cork last week . There was a brilliant assemblage present . Some amusing attempts were made to extract a

promise from the Duke of Somerset on the subject of a Government dock to be constructed at Queenstown , but his grace refused to commit himself , and reminded the meeting that the harbours which had no Government docks , Liverpool and Glasgow , were more prosperous than Portsmouth and Plymouth that possessed them , and urged the people to rely on their own

exertions rather than on Government aid . AVe regret to announce the death of Mr . Robson , the well-known actor and joint lessee of the Olympic Theatre , which took place late on Thursday , the 4 th inst . Mr . Robson has been in bad health for some time past . The colliers' strike in East Worcestershire has come to an end , the men , as we are informed , having found

themselves obliged to " go in" upon the masters' terms . The Liverpool papers contain a -narrative of fearful sufferings endured by the passengers and crew of a Liverpool vessel , the AU Serene , that was capsized in a gale on her voyage from the Sandwich Islands to Sydney . Most of those on board took , refuge in the chains , where they managed to make a raft or punt , to which they committed themselves , and for sixteen days endured terrible sufferings on the open ocean , men dying .