Masonic Festivities.

MASONIC FESTIVITIES .

MASONIC BALL . c C . iiiDEX LouiiE or INSTIIIICTION- ( NO . 100 ( i ) . —The rather remarkable instance of a Lodge of Instruction giving a ball , took place on the 1 st instant , at the Assembly Rooms , Pentonville , which proved a triumphant sin-cess . The conipfiuy numbered upwards of one hundred , and Bro . J . X . frost . AVAL , Xo . 27 C , proved a very efficient M . C . Bro . Jones , VV . AL , No . lout ) , presided at the supper table , ivhich was very liberally supplied . Dancing was kept up with great spirit almost , beyond the small hours , and the company separated expressing their enjoyment of the evening , coupled with the satisfaction of aiding the Masonic charities .

The Week.

THE WEEK .

THE COIIHT . —The Queen and the Royal Family have concluded their stay . at Osborne , and returned to Buckingham Palace on AVednesilay morning , where it is proposed they shall stay for a fortnight before Easter . The squadron ordered to assemble at Spithead for the purpose of conveying the Prince of AVales across the Atlantic , on his visit to Canada , will consist of the Hero , 01 , screw , 600-horse power , Captain George H . Seymour , who will hoist his broad pendant as commodore of the squadron ; the Ariadne 26 screw 800-horse powerCaptain __ . AV .

, , , , Vaiisittart ; the Flying-fish , 6 , screw , 350-horse power , Commander Charles AA . Hope ; anil the Royal paddle yacht , Osborne , -ISO-horse power , nominal , Master-Commander , George H . It . Bower . The Prince will take his passage out and home in the Hero , one of the finest i ) l-gun ships in her Majesty ' s navy . The Osborne will be retained for services on the coasts and rivers of Canada during the stay of his Royal Highness in that colony .

I . iiPEiiLiL PAELIAMENT . —Iii the HOUSE of Loans on Alonday , Lord Lyndhm-st called attention to the state of business in the Divorce Court . The difficulty arose from the necessity of the presence of three judges for the constitution of a full court , and the common law judges were so occupied that they could only attend at rare intervals . Lord T . yndhorst proposed that tbe Judge Ordinary should be able to pass judgment himself . Lord Teyiiham then moved his resolution affirming the expediency of the vote by ballot . His lordship supported his

motion by an array of well-known arguments . The Duke of Newcastle replied , of course , in a hostile sense . No discussion whatever took place , and the vote exhibited the following result : —Contents , 4 ; non-contents , 30 . Lord de Gray and Ripon was not in the 1 louse at the moment the vote was taken , so that his name was omitted from the , ayes . On Tuesday the House sat only half au hour , and was occupied in nothing more important than a conversation on the artillery militia . Four out of thirteen regiments are to disembodied ; and the

Government will not ask next year for a renewal of the Act which embodies the militia in time of peace . On Monday in the HOUSE of COMMONS , Air . Kinglake informed the Commons ho had learned by telegram that the municipality of Xice had declared , by resolution , its preference of independence to annexation ; and its thanks to those members of the House of Commons who had opposed the annexation . He also invited an opinion from Lord John Russell as to the last despatch from AL Thouvenel to Count Cavour ; but the Foreign Secretary declined to

express his opinion at present . Lord John Russell moved the second reading of the reform bill . Air . Disraeli at once rose , and in a speech of au hour and a half reviewed the measure unfavourably ; but stated that he should not oppose it . He called upon Lord John Russell to

withdraw it . He described it as a , bill of a inediasval character , but without any inspiration of the feudal system or the genius of the middle ages . He drew a contrast betiveen the reform bill of this year and that brought iu last year by Lord Derby ' s government . The proposed method of in creasing the franchise in towns could bo justified neither upon tbe principles of political justice nor of political expediency ; and as for the county franchise , it would greatly reduce thc influence of the landed proprietor * . The measure had been universall

y condemned . The right hon . gentleman trusted that the house would not be asked to go into committee upon it , but would learn from the noble lord that this unnecessary , uncalled for , and mischievous proposal would be at once withdrawn . He was followed by Mr . Leatliam , the member for Huddersfield , in a brilliant speech—which gives undeniable promise of his future eminence as a debater . The debate was continued by Air . Baillie , Afr . Baxter , and Air . Rolt . On Tuesday , debate the reform bill

contrary to expectation , the adjourned on was ii"t resumed . In the first place , Air . Berkeley ' s motion in favour of the ballot occupied the House for a few hours , and when that was disposed » f , some other matters turned up . At length the opinion became prevalent that the debate on the reform bill could not be resumed at a leasonable hour , owing to the business that preceded it on the paper , and the honourable gentlemen weut to thoir dinners or to their clubs . After an unsuccessful attempt to count out Lord Palmerston and Lord

, I - Russell retired , and shortly after their departure the house was counted out at half-past eight o'clock . The ballot debate was raised by -Air . Berkeley on a motion for leave to introduce ) a bill- The hen . gentleman delivered a lively speech , and kept the House in good humour . But there was no disposition to hear any one else . Even the ¦ B & coucjer , ' LoriJ Henley , was greeted with cries for a division . Afr , Alarshe

The Week.

and Air . C . S . Fortescue , both from the liberal benches , opposed the motion . Mr . Lawson , the new member for Carlisle , made an appeal to hon . gentlemen to stay from their dinners a little longer ; and advocated the ballot in a style of good-humoured earnestness . Lord Palmerston then rose , and inserted , between jests at the beginning and end of Ids speech , a grave argument , to the effect that the franchise is a trust , not a right , and that the ballot is demoralising . Loud applause rewarded this . Mr . Berkeley said a few words in reply ; and the

division was taken . The numbers showed a falling off among the supporters ofthe ballot to the extent of nearly one hundred . Instead of 238 vote * it obtained but 14 / , while its opponents numbered 254 . Mr . T . Duncombo obtained leave to bring in a bill for the further removal of Jewish Disabilities . General Upton , in moving for a select committee on cei-tain Irish harbours , was interrupted by the count out . On Wednesday Mr . Dillwyn moved the second reading of his bill to alter the law with respect to endowed schools . The bill proposes to givo to

dissenters a share in the management , and the children of dissenters a share of the benefits of these schools , which are at present monopolised by the church party . Mr . Lowe , on the part of the government , strongly opposed the measure in a speech of great length , which was characterised by Lord Fermoy as Jesuitical . Afr . Lowe advised the withdrawal of tho bill , but did not move its rejection . That ; was clone by Air . Selwyii . After considerable debate the house divided , and the bill was thrown out by a majority of 190 against 120 votes .

The House then proceeded to settle the relations between bleaching and dyeing manufacturers and their workpeople . The bill for this purpose is in the care of Air . Crook , ancl its object is protection of the operatives against abuses from ivhich they are alleged to suffer in their employment . The bill is a measure of coercion against the employers , and is framed ou the j n-inciple of the Factory Acts . Mr . A . Turner opposed it , maintaining that no case was made out for interference , and contending that a very strong and plain case ought to be established to

warrant anomalous legislation like this . He moved the rejection of the bill , ivhich however was supported by Air . Eoebuek , Afr . Cobbett , and Lord John Maimers , and on a division was carried by the large majority of 226 against 39 . Sir H . Cairns and Mr . Richardson , on behalf of the Irish manufacturers , protested warmly against Ireland being included in the measure . Amongst other business disposed of was the passing of the usual Mutiny Bills .

GENERAL HOME NEWS . —AVe regret to learn that Afiss Florence Nightingale is seriously ill ; last Sunday prayers were publicly offered for her iu every gari-ison chapel in the kingdom . The Lords'Committee on Church-rates have agreed upon their report , and it is published among the Parliamentary papers . Their lordships deny that total abolition is desired even by dissenters , as a body ; and they recommended a scheme which consists mainly in the exemption of those who are willing also to resign their parochial rights in connexion

with the Church . It is also proposed to give legal facilities for enforcing the collection of the rate from those who do not claim exemption . The Weekly Register announces the receipt of a donation of £ ' 1 , 000 from the Dowager Duchess of Leeds , in aid of the necessities of the Pope . The same paper announces the inauguration of a genera ! collection in England , similar to that in Ireland , and states that a pastoral from Cardinal AViseman is about to be issued in aid of the movement , Lady Dover , the widow of the first Lord Dover , expired

on Saturday at her residence , Dover House , Whitehall . Her ladyship was the sister ofthe Earl of Carlisle and the Duchess of Sutherland . On the same day died the celebrated Mrs . Jameson after a very short , illness ; this lady ' s valuable works upon art and social science are well known and highly esteemed . The annual festival of the Society of St . Patrick was held on Saturday at the Freemasons' Tavern . The company was more numerous than it has been for several years . Many of the Irish volunteers appeared in their uniform . The first private telegram between India and England , via the Red Sea route , was

received at Lloyd s on Saturday , dated Calcutta , March 10 th , thus reducinithe communication between the chief Presidency of India mid the capital of England to a period of six days . When the entire line ot telegraph wire has been laid , the period of communication will be reduced to two clays . The Westminster Reformers Union hare adopted two resolutions—the one urging the desirability of adding a lodger suffrage to the Reform Bill , and calling attention to the fact that the contemplated extension of the franchise will only add seven

hundred to the electoral roll in that city ; while the other condemned the rate paying clauses . A deputation representing several hundreds of temperance societies in England and AVales had an interview with Mr . Gladstone on Tuesday , for the purpose of presenting a memorial against the AA'iue Licenses Bill . Afr . Gladstone expressed his conviction that the provisions of his bill would prevent the evils of which the deputation apprehended . The deputation then brought before the right hon . gentleman certain facts tending to show that public

opinion was favourable to a Permissive Prohibitory Liquor Law . At night , a great meeting of the Alliance was held in Exeter Hall . The total sum realized by subscription for Sir James Brooke amounted to £ 0 , 000 . His health is still very bad , and Captain Brooke has proceeded to Borneo as chief of the Sarawak government , and representative of Sir . Tames . All efforts to induce the British government to purchase the settlement arc now relinquished . It has been settled between the parliamentary agents for tho gas companies and the vestries of the metropolis , to secure legislation during the present session , by