The Week.

George Pocock , LL . B ., incumbent of St . Paul ' s , Alarylebone , aud his sons , one of whom is chaplain to the City of London Union . The learned Sergeant defended the conduct of these gentlemen in a speech of considerable length , and declared that they had been actuated by honourable and Christian motives . Mr . Selfe , on the other hand , reiterated all the statements ivhich he had previously made , and read a letter from Air . George Pocock , dated so recently as the 17 th January last , in which he solicited assistance on behalf of the charity . Jlr . Sergeant Parry gave Jlr . Selfe to understand that he had made imputations ivhich were libellous ; but the magistrate intimated that he was quite prepared to assume the responsibility of what ho had stated .

FOREIGN NEWS . —The imperial and royal congress at Baden has passed off satisfactorily . The interview between the Emperor Napoleon and the Prince Regent is described as having been extremely cordial , aud the general result of the conferences with the German princes is likely to be favourable to peace . The congress broke up after another conference and an assembly at the villa of the Duchess of Hamilton . The Emperor Napoleon then returned to Paris , and on Sunday he presided at a council of ministers . The emperor appears to have given most pacific

assurances to the royal personages who assembled at Baden . By the arrival of tho Persia at Liverpool , we have detailed news from the United States to the 6 th instant . Air . Sumner had delivered a great speech in the senate in favour of the admission of Kansas into the Union as a state , but it was feared that the admission would not take place this session . The Japanese ambassadors had taken farewell of the president , and had expressed themselves greatly gratified by their visit to America . A terrible tornado had swept over a part of the states of

Iowa and Illinois , and had occasioned a great loss of life . -From Sicily , wc learn that Garibaldi has opened a national subscription , which was headed by the archbishop and tbe nobility generally . There appears to be a report that two steamers , filled with Garibaldians , had been captured by a Neapolitan frigate . It is said that the steamers had on board SOO men , 25 , 000 muskets , and 2 , 000 , 000 pounds of powder—a supply ofthe munitions of war which would have been most serviceable to the revolutionary government . The refusal of France to interfere on behalf

of the King of Naples is now definitely announced , aud the precise language in which he couched his refusal is even reported . There is a report from Turin , that the Sardinian parliament would be convoked , to ratify tho decree by which Sicily has been annexed to Sardinia . The Sardinian Ambassador has demanded tho restitution of the two steamers and their 800 passengers , who wero captured by the Neapolitan

frigate 1 < tdmtnantc , as thoy had passports for Alalta . Jlr . Elliott , the English Ambassador , has supported this demand . It is asserted that the king has dismissed Lanza , Lctizia , and three other generals iu Sicily , and has exiled them to the island of Ischia . Four English vessels were lying off Naples . The captains of the two captured vessels had claimed an indemnity of 26 , 000 ducats from the Neapolitan government . Recent telegrams from Sicily announce that Garibaldi has organized a a division under the command , of Colonel TinT , and has re-established

the property tax on its anterior footing . The evacuation of Palermo was to continue a week longer . Jfazziui did not undertake a voyage into Sicily , as he did not expect a favourable reception . Colonel Afedici , with 3 , 000 volunteers , has arrived at Palermo , and considerable forces were to leave for Messina , while important desertions from the Neapolitan army have taken place . The latest Paris news is , that the state of Prince Jerome ' s health is such as to cause great anxiety . The Opinion Natioiiule has received a second arcrtissemcnl for the publication of

Victor Hugo ' s speech . The motive given is , that this article contains expressions with regard to Neapolitan affairs constituting a general and violent appeal to revolutionary passions . COMMERCIAL ; AND PUBLIC COMPANIES . —The traffic returns of the railways in the United Kingdom for the week , amounted lo £ 509 , 738 , and for tho corresponding period of last year to £ 448 , 446 , showing an increase of £ 21 , 292 . The gross receipts of the eight railways having

their termini in the metropolis amounted , for the week ending as above , to £ 225 , 668 , and for the corresponding week of last year to £ 215 , 542 , showing an increase of £ 10 , 126 . The receipts on the other lines in tho United Kingdom amounted to £ 284 , 070 , and for the corresponding period of 1859 to £ 272 , 904 , showing an increase of £ 11 , 1 . 60 in the receipts of those lines , ivhich added to the increase on the metropolitan lines , makes the total increase £ 21 , 292 as compared with tho corresponding week of 1 S 59 .

Public Amusements.

PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS .

THE CRYSTAL PALACE . FRENCH FESTIVAL . —The Orpheonists who are to take part in the festival will arrive from France during the afternoon of to-morrow . The western line of France has several special trains appointed to leave Paris between 9 and 11 p . m . on Saturday night , and ( ive , or if needed six , large steamers will await the trains at Dieppe , arriving at London Bridge'Station bseveral special trains in two relays from Newhaven

y , about one ancl eight o ' clock . The northern line of France have appi anted special trains to leave Paris at 11 . 30 p . m ., and three extra steamers will await the arrival ofthe passengers at Calais and Boulogne , reaching the London Bridge Station of the South Eastern Railway in tho course of the following afternoon .

Public Amusements.

It has not been found practicable to make use ofthe handsome offer of the Peninsular aud Oriental Company to send specially one of their splendid steamers to Cherbourg , from the circumstance of that port being connected with Paris by only a single line of rails , and as the government of France strictly prohibit excursion trains being run on lines thus circumstanced , it was impossible to accept the valuable offer of this corporation . As an evidence , however , of liberality , it deserves more record than mere passing mention .

The two great new hotels in the Islington Cattle Market—buildings of enormous capacity—are being fitted up throughout with beds for a largo body of the Orpheonists , and it is probable that the North London Railway will afford the means of conveyance daily to Fenchurch Street , from whence tho distance is but short to the Crystal Palace London Bridge Station . To ensure the general arrangements being understood by the Orpheonists on their arrivalone hundred commission airesselected from the

, , officers of each society , will precede thoni : these will arrive in London on Thursday night . That tho preparations for tho decoration of tho great orchestra may not be interrupted , it was closed to the public immediately after a great dinner given to the men ofthe Scots Fusilier Guards on Wednesday , to celebrate their bicenfcury . The following is a short account of the proposed decoration . Running round the back of the orchestra will be lixed the name of each department of France in which the members of the

musical societies are resident . Between- each name is a large gilt eagle , surmounted with trieoloured flags , the intermediate spaces being filled in with trieoloured escutcheons or shields . AVreaths of evergreens and flowers , and groups of palm trees and exotic shrubs , occupy the lower portion of the back of the orchestra , interspersed with which are busts of celebrated meu of France . In front of the organ some emblematic devices are being prepared by Mr . E . T . Parris , whoso labours in connection with the restoration ofthe interior of the dome of St . Pant's are so well known .

A matter of much interest will be the exhibition of the banners and emblems of each society . These will be arranged along the rising front of the orchestra , and as the amour propre of the French Choral Societies leads to considerable outlay in this respect—many of the banners being magnificently embroidered and decorated—an exhibition of an unusual and pleasing character is sure to result . In the middle of the great orchestra will be ranged the band of the Imperial Regiment of Guides , their splendid uniforms forming an

appropriate centre . In front of them a number of harpists will be stationed , whose services are engaged to accompany the chorus written expressly for the occasion by Al . Halevy , the celebrated French composer , who it is anticipated will , with other members of the French Committee of Patronage , visit this country with tho Orpheonists . Both the band and the harpists have been placed as near as possible to tho front , because although the full choruses will be heard in all their power in any part of the vast locale in ivhich the festival will be

held , the extreme delicacy of the wind instruments of the Guides' Band —for ivhich they are so celebrated—will render the possession of reserved scats iu the forward blocks most desirable . In addition to the vocal music in each day ' s selection , which will be accompanied by the band of the Guides , they will perform selections from their extensive repertoire ; and as the arrangement of the audience will be the same as at the Handel Festival , this celebrated band will be heard with the attention ivhich was not possible on the occasion of the

fete for the . Patriotic Fund in October , 1854 . As a conclusion to these remarks it will be fitting to notice the formation of an influential committee of members of Parliament , selected irrespective of political views , who have kindly undertaken to render any assistance in their power for the Orpheonists visiting , on production of their special passports , such places of public exhibition or of industrial character as are not usually open to visitors . The stay of the Orpheonists is limited to one week ; they will leave England on the 1 st of July , the three performances being fixeel for Alonday 25 th , Tuesday 26 th , and Thursday 28 th June .

To Correspondents.

TO CORRESPONDENTS .

" BETA . "—The property possessed by the Freemasons of England in connection with their hall , are Nos . 59 to 65 , in Great Queen-streetwith five houses in Queen ' s-place , and extensive back premises in the rear of tha different houses . The first stone of the Hall was laid in 1775 . " ENQUIRER . "— -The Right Hon . Lord Leigh , Prov . G . AI . for

AVarwickshire , opened the Sussex Wing of the Royal Free Hospital in , we believe , 1856 , "P . 7 ,. " - — Her Alajesty gave £ 50 to the Royal Benevolent Annuity Fund for Aged Alasons in 1845 . "A YOUNG MASON . "—The new school house for female children on AVandsworth Common was opened in 1852 . Tho M . W . G . M . presided

at the dedication , "J . AY . " — You havo no right to assume the S . AY . ' s chair in his absence . The AVAL may request whom lie pleases to fulfil the duty ,