The Week.

THE WEEK .

THE COURT . —The Queen drovo out in the afternoon of tho loth inst .. accompanied by Princess Louiso and Prince Leopold . Her Majesty and Princess Beatrice walked ancl rode on ponies in the grounds on tho morning of tho 10 th inst ., attondod by tho Countess of Calodon . Tho Queen ancl Princoss Louisa drovo out in tho aftornoon , attondod by tho Hon . Mrs . Gordon ; and her Majesty and hor Royal Highness rode on ponies on tho

morning of tho 17 th inst . Tho Queen , with their Royal Highnesses Princess Louiso , Princosss Beatrice , aud Prince Leopold , loft Osborne at twenty minutes past throe o'clock in tho aftornoon of the J-lSth inst ., and arrived at Windsor Castlo at sovon . Tho Quoon , their Royal Highnesses tho Prince and Princess Christian , Princoss Louiso , Princoss Beatrice , ancl Prince Leopold , and tho

Ladios and Gontlomon in Waiting , attondod Divine service on tho morning of tho 19 th inst . in tho private chapol . Tho ceremony of laying tho first stone of tho Hall of Arts and Sciences , at Kensington , was performed , on tho morning of tho 20 th inst ., by hor Majesty . Tho Queen , accompanied by Prince Leopold and Princess Beatrice , drovo out on tho afternoon of tho 21 st inst .

Tho Queen , accompanied by Princoss Louise , walked ancl drove in tho grounds on tho morning of tho 22 nd inst . IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT . —Tho HOUSE OP LORDS sat only an hour on tho lGth inst . After some opposition tho bill for rearranging tho judges in tho Admiralty , Divorce , and Probate Courts passed through committee . Tho other business was

unimportant . Lord Lifford presented a petition on tho 17 th inst . asking their lordships to address tho Queen that tho lives of tho Fenian convicts might bo spared . Tho petitioners woro inhabitants of Glasnevin . Lord Lifford expressed his strong approval of tho prayer of tho petition , aud declared that if tho sentences on tho Fenian , convicts woro carried out it j would aggravate tho Soros of Ireland . —Tho other business was

wholly unimportant , and thoir lordships rose at half-past five . On tho 20 th inst . tho House endeavoured to make some progress in committee with tho bill for tho increase of tho E piscopate . Tho Archbishop of Canterbury , however , proposed tho insertion of a clause authorising tho appointment of suffragan bishops , and this led to much opposition . Eventually progress was ordered to bo reported , and tho consideration of tho bill is to

bo resumed on a future day . Thoir lordships rose at six o ' clock . An important statement was mado on the 21 st inst . by tho Earl of Derby . Replying to a question put by Earl Russell , his lordship said that in respect to tho Alabama claims tho Government of tho United States had accepted tho proposal to rotor tho matter to arbitration . Differences had arisen as to tho form in

which tho matter should bo brought before tho arbitrator . Tho British Government wished to have a statement of tho points in dispute , while tho Government o £ tho United States wished to have all the correspondence laid before tho arbitrator . There woro some points which tho British Government could not consent to submit to arbitration ; but tho negotiations on tho

matter wore proceeding in a thoroughly friendly spirit . It is to bo hoped that no technicalities will bo allowed by Lord Stanley to stand in tho way of a frank settlement' of this ugly business . —Among tho matters dealt with was tho Sale and Purchase of Sharos Bill , which , on tho motion of Lord Rodasdalo , was road a second time . A bill relating to contagious

diseases among animals was also road a second time . In the HOUSE OV COAIMOXS on the 16 th inst ., the first order was the second reading of tbe National Debt Bill . Upon tbe order being read , Mr . H . B . Sheridan moved an amendment to the effect that the reduction of the fire insurance duty would be a better way of disposing of any surplus than the creation of annuities with a view to the reduction of the national debt , Mr .

Sheridan supported his motion in a long and able speech . It was seconded by Mr . Hubbard , and supported by Mr . Laing . Mr . Gladstone opposed the motion , and a prolonged discussion followed . Eventually Mr . Sheridan ' s motion was rejected by 163 votes to 38 , and the billl was read a second time . Mr . Darb y Griffith returned to the charge on the 17 th inst ., respecting the

additional members to he given to Scotland . He insisted that the Chancellor of the Exchequer had given him no proper answer to his question on a previous evening as to where the seven additional members were to be obtained . He ivas no more successful this time . —Supply having been shunted , the House went into committe again on the Reform Bill . The

discussion of the amendments of Mr . Watkin and Mr . Pease , who aimed at defining what a house shoidd be , were discussed at some length . Finally they were withdrawn , it being understood that the Attorney-General should bring in an interpretation clause dealing with the question . The next amendment was one by Sir Francis Goldsmid , declaring that no house should

qualifymore than one voter at a time . There was a brief discussion on this amendment , which eventually was carried by 259 votes to 25 . —A much more important question was raised by the next amendment , which was moved by Mr . Hodgkinson . His proposal was in effect to sweep away all compounding for rates , by putting every occupier on the rate-book for the

frill rateable value of the premises he occupied . This amendment the hon . gentleman supported in a lengthy speech , in which ho condemned tho system of compounding as ono which throw upon tho ratepayers an extra burden for tha benefit of thoso Avho mado tho arrangement with tho parish . Mr . Gladstone gave his support to tho amenchnont as one tending to remove tho inequalities which now disgraced tho bill . Tho Chancellor of tho Exchequer declared his readiness to accept tho

proposition . It had indood formed part of thoir bill originally , but had boon struck out because it was feared that it would create too much opposition . Ho urged that tho amendment shoidd , however , bo withdrawn , and promised that tho Government would bring in a bill to givo effect to its suggestion . Mi-Guilders urged that tho two bills should proceed pari passu , to which tho Chancellor of tho Exchequer objected entirely . Aftor

a long discussion , progress was ordered to bo reported , tho understanding being that the Govornmont should stato whother the caso of tho compound householder should bo doalt Avith by a separate bill , or by clauses in tho Reform Bill . On the 20 th inst ., the House Avas very anxious to hear the decision of the Government as to Mr Hodgkinson ' s amendment

on the Reform Bill . Before the Chancellor of the Exchequer could make his statement , however , several questions had to be put and answered . Among these was one as to when the Irish Reform Bill would be introduced . The reply was in effect not until after Whitsuntide . Then Mr . Taylor wanted to know whether the Government intended to proceed with the Public

Parks Bill , and w old by Mr . Gathorno Hardy that the second reading of the bi ould not be moved until after AVhitsuntide . At last the House go t into committee on the Reform Bill , and tbe Chancellor ofthe Exchequer made his statementof the determination of the Cabinet as to Mr . Hodgkinson ' s amendment . It was that the principle of the amendment was

accepted , and that it would be , embodied in clauses in this bill , while that the 34 th clause would not be taken next to the 3 rd . The announcement Avas received with loud choors . Mr . Disraoli wont on to say that thoro woro somo matters which tho law officers of the Crown had to inquire into ; but he hoped by tho 23 rd inst . to bo ablo to lay tho clauso on tho tablo of tho House . Ho evidently thought all would bo now plain sailing Avith tho bill , for he added that he Avould on that day