The Week.

THE WEEK .

THE COURT . —Her ^ Majesty and the larger part of the royal family remain at AVindsor . It is announced that the Prince of AA ' ales will visit the Ionian Islands shortly after Christinas , and then proceed to Syria and Egypt . GENERAL HOME NEWS , —The effect of the cold weather begins to appear in the Registrar General ' s Report . The deaths have

been steadily mounting up week by week for the last few weeks , till in that ended on Saturday last they amounted to 1288 . This was within six of the average number of deaths that have occured in the corresponding week for the last ten years . The report from the City Court of Sewers shows that the number of deaths there exactly reaches the average mortality of the last six years . The

births for the week are considerably above the average . Strong complaints were made at a meeting of intending exhibitors , held in Manchester , of the smallness of the space allotted to Manchester products by the Commissioners for the Exhibition of 1862 . It was , however , finally decided " That a circular be forwarded to each intending exhibitor , requesting him to state , within a week ,

how far he can reduce the amount of space he has already applied for , and if no reply be received , that the application be considered as withdrawn . " The local Committee will , in the meantime , communicate with tbe Commissioners on the subject , and another meeting will be held . The first consignment of Russian goods for the Exhibition is already in London . The Leeds Conference on

reform- —a demonstration projected by the Leeds AA'orking Men's Parliamentary Reform ' Association—was opened on Monday . About 200 delegates from Lancashire and Yorkshire were present , and a long discussion resulted in the appointment of a Committee to draw up a programme , which will be submitted to a general meeting for consideration to-day . Household suffrage and annual Parliaments found advocates in this congress ; but Mr . Baines , M . P . and other speakers counselled a more moderate " platform . " On

Tuesday the Conference held its second and concluding sitting . The Committee appointed to draw up a reform programme agreed to seven resolutions , all of which were passed by the delegates , after considerable discussion . No definite scheme was submitted to the meeting—the nearest approach to such a thing being the following resolution , which was not carried without a strong show of opposition on the part of the advocates of manhood

suffrage : — " That the members of this Conference , whilst differing considerably among themselves as to the degree to which the franchise ought to be extended , are unanimous in declaring that they , and those whom they represent , are deeply dissatisfied with the state of the franchise , and claim such an extension of the franchise in counties and boroughs as will give the working classes a

fair , honest , and effectual representation in the Commons House of Parliament , as well as the protection of the voter by ballot , aud the distribution of the right to return Members of Parliament more in accordance with population and property . " The formation of local associations was recommended , as well as constant efforts , by petition and otherwise , to induce Parliament and the

Government to concede an extensive measure of reform . A " National Conference " will be held in London , immediately after the opening of next session , ivhen a kind of bill ivill be drawn up , showing exactly what is demanded hy the promoters of the movement . Should the Cabinet fail , as they did last session , to introduce a measure dealing with the question , then ,

according to tbe formally-expressed opinion of the Leeds gathering , "they must forfeit the confidence of the people . " Mr . Bright has written a letter expressing his approval of the suggestion made by the Glasgow Council of United Trades that the trade societies of the country should take up the question of reform . "You have , " —he tells the secretary of the Glasgow Association—" an organisation , more or less complete , almost everywhere

Cannot this organisation , for a single year , be made an instrument for your political deliverance ? " He believes that such a course " cannot fail to bring about a speedy concession of the suffrage to a very considerable number of those to whom , up to this time , ifc has heen denied . The storm that raged on the north-eastern coast towards the close of last week was as fatal to life and property

as any of those that went before it , and afforded many an opportunity for testing the courage , hardihood , and poiver of endurance of the crews of the life-boats—a test ivhieh , we rejoice to say , they nobly withstood . It may he mentioned here , too , that Lord Charles Beauclerk , who it will not be forgotten , lost his own life in endeavouring to save a shipwrecked crew , was buried at Scarborough

on Friday , in presence of bis brothers and a large assemblage of townspeople . The official report of the Warrior's performances during her late cruise , states that the mean rate of speed attained under full steam was a fraction over sixteen knots an hour . Under canvas , however , she was beaten by her consort , tho Revenge , which also showed her superiority over the ironside in answering her helm .

The Warrior , during the trip , required nineteen minutes to " wear , " but it appears that this defect arose from causes which may easily be removed . She exhibited considerable liveliness in rather heavy weather , hut her rolling was by no means such as to justify the gloomy prognostics of some parties who do not believe in " iron sides . " In firing broadsides she only " shakes a little , " and the space between decks is kept wonderfully clear from

smoke by the ventilating machinery with which she is supplied . The Blade Prince—an iron-plated frigate of about the same dimensions as the Warrior— arrived on Monday morning at Spithead from the Clyde , ivhere she was built . She left Greenock on Saturday afternoon , and considering that she is still in a very incomplete state , the time occupied in making the voyage

round must he regarded as satisfactory evidence that she is capable of attaining a high rate of speed . She is said to have made 17 knots an hour when leaving the Clyde . The Times states that orders have been received at Portsmouth to hold all the gunboats in the first-class reserve afc that port in readiness for active service at an hour ' s notice . The officers and men

for each have been told off from the ships in harbour , and each gunboat will take in a month's provisions . The object of the Admiralty is , no doubt , to ascertain , by actual experiment , how soon these naval minnows might be got ready for sea in case of urgent necessity . Considerable apprehension prevails respecting the safety of the Canadian mail steamer North Briton , which left Quebec for Liverpool on the 2 nd inst ., with about ninety

passengers-She reached Father Point on the 3 rd , and from that date it would appear that nothing had heen seen or heard of her . It is hoped that nothing has occurred beyond some injury to the ship ' s machinery , which ivould oblige the captain either to put back for repairs ,, or to attempt to complete the voyage under canvas only . It is stated that the Africa , on her late homeward passage , fell in with

two large icebergs " further east than was at all usual . " Sir T . Phillips delivered the opening address of the 108 th session of the Society of Arts , on AVednesday . He referred at length to the International Exhibition of 1862—an undertaking in which the society naturally takes the deepest interest . ——On AVednesday an influential deputation , representing several metropolitan parishes ,

waited upon Lord Pahnerston to urge upon his lordship the desirability of constructing an embankment on the south side of the Thames . They considered that , if this were not done , the embankment which is projected on the north side of the river would tend to reflect tbe current to the other side , and increase the severity of the floods to which some districts are already subjected , and which

are attended by a great destruction of property . They requested that a clause should be inserted in the Thames Embankment Bill , empowering the Metropolitan Board of AA ' orks to construct these necessary works . The views of the deputation were communicated to his lordship by Mr . AVilliams , M . P ., Dr . Brady , M . P ., Mr . Doulton , and other gentlemen . Lord Palmerston expressed his entire willing-