Poetry.

The shipwrecked stranger on a foreign strand , Encompassed by this mystic tie , Finds friends with generous heart and open hand , And hears sweet tones of sympathy . If age or sickness blight the toiling hand , Stern Want may not the soul dismay ; Like Mercy's handmaids come the mystic band

, And chase the hideous sprite away . You cheer the mourning heart of widowhood , The orphan's moving cry you hear ; Sear schools , and smile to see the germs of good Unfolding 'neath your guardian care . These helpless fatherless , thus made your

own—Henceforth from vice they'll be restrained ; No longer wanderers , shelterless , alone—In Wisdoin ' s ways they'll now be trained . And such the fruits . Then keep your mystery . Would earth were one such brotherhood . Then would the verdict cease so oft to

be" He died for want of needful food ;" Or , " Self-destroyed from shame of guilt to go—Incurred , perhaps , through torturing want . " Speed—speed your charities till crime and woe No more earth ' s habitations haunt . Ye brothers true , enlarge your pillared dome ,

That thousands here may frequent meet ; Of brothers , faithful , as at cherished home , In union lasting—strong and sweet . Dig deep your moral corner-stone to lay , Uproot the hydra's teeming nest : That he who doth his countless victims slay , No more our kingdom may infest .

The Week.

THE WEEK .

THE COUBT . —The Queen , accompanied by several members of her family , left Windsor Castle on Friday evening for Balmoral , which was safely reached on the following day . It is stated that her Majesty will remain at Balmoral until the 10 th ¦ of June . Lord Stanley of Alderley is the minister in attendance . The Prince and Princess of Wales continue in London . On Wednesday his Royal Highness presided at the meeting of the

Literary Fund , and was supported by about three hundred and fifty gentlemen—the donations and subscriptions announced amounting to about £ 2 , 000 . On Thursday morning her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales , accompanied by the Princess Mary of Cambridge , visited the grand fancy dress bazaar held at St . James ' s Hall in aid of the funds of the Protestant French

Schools . IMPERIAL PAELIA : JIE 2 . T . —In the HOUSE OP LORDS on Thursday , the 12 th inst ., Lord Ellenborough called attention to the infamous system of kidnapping foreigners for the Federal Army which prevailed at New York and other cities in the Northern States ; but Lord Russell could only reply that

Lord Lyons had made repeated complaints on the subject to the United States Government without receiving any satisfactory answer . —A number of bills were advanced a stage , and after a short discussion respecting the liberation of three men who had been apprehended in Ireland for an agrarian offence , their lordships adjourned . On Friday , Lord Ellenborough

denounced the conduct of Austria and Prussia in Jutland , and parodying a well-known passage of Byron , declared that they had employed the force at their disposal to butcher the Danes "to make a German holiday . " Lord Russell , in reply to several questions put uy the noble earl , said the

levying of war contributions would be stopped during the month ' s suspension of hostilities , but he took the opportunity of affirming that the method adopted by the allied commanders of robbing the subjects of the King of Denmark was contrary to the usages of civilised warfare . —A discussion took place on the motion for committing the Government bill for the endowment of Professor Jowett ' s chair at Oxford , and although

Lord Derby ( the Chancellor of the University ) declared tbat it was not his intention to stop the progress of the measure , th "previous question" —moved by Lord Redesdale—was carried by a majority of more than two to one . The exact numbe were 55 and 25 . Mr . Jowett ' s visions of a canonry are , therefore , dispelled ; and , for the present , one of the most

accom-—plished Greek scholars of the day must be content with a salary of £ 40 . Their Lordships adjourned for the Whitsun holidays . In the HOUSE ov Connroys , on Thursday , the 12 th , Mr . Long gave notice of a question relating to the barbarities committed in Jutland by the Germans , and Mr . Morritt announced his determination to proceed with his motion for the repeal of the

malt tax . —In reply to a question from Mr . Caird , the Lord Advocate entered into an explanation of the so-called "Clerico-Police Tax , " which has of late led to so many small disturbances at Edinburgh . The tax is J . evied partly for the support of the clergy of the Established Church in Edinburgh , and stands as a substitute for the " Annuity Tax , " against which

the Dissenters of the Scottish capital struggled so long . A . number of the Dissenters appear to regard this impost as merely an old enemy with a new face , and have refused , on " conscientious grounds , " to pay the money . Recourse has , therefore , been bad to distraints , and some unseemly " rows " have occurred . The Lord Advocate said the disturbances had been greatly exaggerated , and , as his information led him to

believe that only a small portion of the citizens opposed the collection ot the rate , it was not intended to propose any alteration of the law under which the present charge was substituted for the former direct levy for the payment of the stipends of the clergy . Sir George Grey moved the appointment of a Select Committee to inquire into the practice of the Committee of Council with respect to the

reports of the inspectors of schools . This proposal arose out of the somewhat remarkable explanation which was made by Mr . Lowe , and the main object of the Government was to vindicate the conduct of the right hon . gentleman during his tenure of the office of Minister of Education . Sir John Pakington moved that the proposed committee should also inquire " into the

constitution of the Committee of Council , and how far their mode of conducting the business of the department is consistent with the due control of Parliament over the annual educational grants . " This addition was opposed by Mr . Bruce—Mr . Lowe's successor—and supported by Lord Robert Cecil and Mr . Adderley ; while Mr . Bernal Osborne promised to move that the resolution

condemning Mr . Lowe , which now stood on the books of the House , should be rescinded . On a division Sir George Grey ' s motion was carried by a large majority On Friday Lord Hartington , in reply to a question , stated that the manufacture of small arms at Enfield was being curtailed , not more than 1 , 000 a week being turned out at present . —Mr . Long put

a question to the Government in reference to the exactions of the Germans in Jutland ; hut , as we have already noticed , the statement of Lord Russell on the same subject in the House of Lords , it is unnecessary to give a summary of Sir George Grey ' s reply . —In answer to a question from Colonel French , Sir George Grey said he believed that under an old statute the Archbishop of Canterbury has the power to confer medical degrees , Lui u u Dr . Longley , the present primate , had never