The Week.

Philip Dashwood Arthy , was brought up charged with obtaining ; E 100 from the Royal Bounty Fund under false pretences . He had written to Lord Derby in the name of Mrs . Caroline Chisholm , asking for a grant , and his lordship made the grant . The necessary documents were sent to the address given by the prisoner , and he obtained the money . Subsequently he ivas arrested on another charge of obtaining nioiiey under false

pretences , and is undergoing a term of imprisonment in Canterbury Gaol , whence he was brought by habeas corpus . He was committed for trial on the new charge . A deputation from the Central Chamber of Agricultural waited , on the 17 th inst ., upon the Duke of Buckingham relative to the cattle plague restrictions . The deputation

urged that a most unwise step had been taken in permitting anywhere the holding of markets and fairs . The Duke of Buckingham said it was merely a question between cattle being moved aud sold under license and proper regulations and a profession of total stoppage which led to gross evasions . The deputation next urged that fat cattle coining from abroad

should be slaughtered on landing , and that store stock should be subjected to twenty-eight days' quarantine . After a long conversation , his Grace said the matter would probr . bly come before Parliament . The prizes competed for by the members of the North Middlesex Rifles have been distributed at the St . Pancras A ' estry Hall by Mr . Thomas Chambers , Q . C ., M . P .

Mr . Harvey Lewis , M . P ., and Lord Ranelagh wero among those present . His lordship said the volunteer force ivas not in that state of organisation which it should be , and it Avas " a farce" for the Government to ignore the fact any longer . Let them boldly face the difficulty , and come forward with some scheme which would place the great volunteer regiments of this country in a proper state of organisation . .

At Leeds , on the loth inst ., a poetic offender excited the sympathy of an appreciative judge . While in the lock-up he wrote a number of verses , in which he set forth how the Devil tempted him to commit the robbery , how chance gave him the opportunity , and how conscience at last prevented the completion of his guilty design . After his conviction , he handed a poetic

appeal to Mr . Justice Lush , who read a portion of it to the jury . The prisoner , after making various piteous appeals for mercy , promised if they were responded to he would embalm both judge and jury in immortal verse . The judge complimented him on his talents , and sentenced him to twelve months hard labour . There have been several more explosions at

Barnsley , and these are expected to continue unless the pit is inundated . The bodies that have been recovered were buried ou the 15 th inst . The Bishop of Ripon was one ofthe officiating clergymen . Moses Moses , the receiver of stolen goods , upon whose premises in Houndsditeh so much valuable property was recently found , ivas tried at the Central Criminal Court on

the 17 th inst . He was convicted in several cases of receiving tolen goods , and was sentenced to 20 years' penal servitude . ——The polling at Guildford toolc place on the 18 th inst . The Liberal party had good hopes of the return of Mr . Pocock , and at ten o ' clock he was well ahead . By twelve , however , Mr . Garth headed the poll hy a considerable majority , and mains

tained his lead to the end . The cause of the Staffordshire explosion has been discovered . The blacksmith ' s safety-lamp was found with its top off , and the flame of course at once ignited the gas . The blacksmith usuall y does his work close ' to the shaft , where there is no danger of explosion , and he is therefore enabled to use a common lamp . Iu this case the unfortunate man seems to have strolled into the workings with his lamp , and thus caused the explosion . Lawyers , like other hard

The Week.

worked men , look forward to Christmas as eagerly as schoolboys anticipate the vacation . The Solicitor-General represented the feeling of the profession generally when , on the 18 th inst ., he prayed the Lord Chief Justice to allow the sittings to terminate on the Saturday before Christmas Day , instead of on the Monday . His lordship graciously acceded to the request , and no doubt judges , counsels , and jurors are all equally satisfied

with an arrangement which adds another day to their Christmas holiday . A ceremony of much interest and of no small amount of social and political importance has been gone through at Blackwall . Through the instrumentality of the benevolent gentlemen who constitute the committee of the Refuge for Homeless and Destitute Boys , Avhat may now be called

an ex-fifty gun frigate , the Chichester , has been converted into a training ship for the homeless boys of London , and the 18 th inst . witnessed the inauguration of the vessel . It appears that this is only a portion of the good work sought to be accomplished . The entire scheme is to provide for 400 of tho same class of boys . It is proposed to retain 100 boys in

the Refuge in Great Queen-street , Lincoln's Inn Fields , keep 200 on board the training ship , where they are to be educated for a seafaring life , and establish what is to be called a " country house , " with about 100 acres of land , where 100 more boys may be trained to agricultural pursuits . The sum required for fitting up and furnishing the Chichester for the reception of the boys is £ 3 , 000 , and the annual expense of each boy is estimated at £ lo . Surely this is a movement worthy

of the practical sympathy of the charitably disposed . The boy Gabbites , who murdered his fellow-apprentice so savagely at Sheffield a short time since , has been tried at Leeds . The jury , without much hesitation , found him guilty , but recommended him to mercy . The judge , who % vas very much affected , passed sentence of death , and promised to forward the recommendation .

of the jury to the proper quarter . On the 17 th instant an inquest was held on the body of a surgeon , named Vale , who was not iu practice , but enjoyed a comfortable income derived from house property and an annuity . The deceased may literally be said to have committed suicide by drink . He drank away all the proceeds of the property he

could sell , and for a long time before his death he demeaned himself more like a savage than a civilised being . Ultimately he died from effusion on the brain . An inquiry , presided over by Dr . Lankester , has brought to light some startling facts connected with the means by which a large class of London workpeople get a living . A man named Honey , and his four children , following the occupation of artificial flower-makers for one of the forthcoming pantomimes . Night

and day for ninety-six hours had these poor people stuck to their work , so as to have it ready in time ; and this , the father states , be has been frequently compelled to do , in order to earn bread for his family . At the close of the fourth day their labours were suddenly put a stop to by tbe upsetting of a candle , which simple accident resulted in the burning to death of one of the unfortunate man's children , and the destruction of the whole fruits of tho ninety-six hours' constant work . It

To Correspondents.

TO CORRESPONDENTS .

* * All communications to be addressed to 19 , Salisbury-street , Strand , London , W . C . Several letters , lodge reports , & c , have reached us , whicli Ave are prevented , from want of space , inserting in our present issue . S . L . and I . U . M . \ A . — \ A'e have answered your queries by letter . A MARK MASTER . —Our issue of last Saturday contains tbe report of the proceedings at the winter hall-yearly

convocation held on the 4 th inst . You will find your queries answered therein , and we feel assured if 3-011 address yourself to Bro . Binckes , the Mark G . Sec , that he will afford you any further information you may require .