The Week.

THE WEEK .

THE COURT . —Our gracious Queen left Windsor on Tuesday for Balmoral . That her Majesty will , amid the wild but peaceful beauties of her Highland home , find a balm and solace to her grief , and return invigorated in mind and body , is , we are assured , the fervent wish of all her loving subjects . IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT . —Though the sitting of the HOUSE OP LORDS on Thursday tho 17 th was an unusually protracted one , no business of special interest was transacted . On

Friday Lord Carnarvon called attention to the subject of our colonial expenditure , contending that while it was but right that we should fortify aud garrison such purely military posts as Gibraltar and Malta , the colonies , properly so called , should provide for their own local defence . The noble Earl further condemned the amount of the civil expenditure on colonial account , ancl moved for papers bearing upon the question . The Duke of Newcastle lied that the civil expenditure was being

rep diminished every year , ancl with regard to the defence of the colonies , he stated that the subject had been considered cavefully by the Horse Guards and the War ancl Colonial Offices , whose joint report would be ready in a few days . He expressed his regret that the Canadian Legislature had decided upon so small a militia force—a feeling winch appears to have been shared by several Peers who followed the noble Duke . Several

bills were then advanced a stage . The proceedings of Monchiy were unimportant . On Tuesday Lord Carnarvon confessed fchaving made a rather serious mistake in his recent speech on the colonial expenditure . The noble Earl strongly condemned , on Friday night , what ho called the excessive outlay on colonial account , ancl astonished the Duke of Newcastle by the enormous total he represented to be yearly swallowed up in this way . He has since , however , discovered—and he admitted the fact

last night—that he hacl , by mistake , included in his calculations the charges for tbe diplomatic and consular services . The Thames Embankment Bill was read a second time , without any opposition ou the part of tho Duke of Buccleugh , who stated that , as the House of Commons hacl decided that public convenience required thafc tho embankment should run in front of his residence , he bowed to their verdict . Several other bills were advanced a stage , and their Lorclsln ' os adjourned .

The HOUSE OP Coimoxs held a morning sitting , on Thursday , the 17 th , but the business transacted was unimportant . At the evening sitting , the Chancellor of the Exchequer stated , in reply to a question , that he did not propose , during the present session , to ask for a vote of credit on account of China . Sir 0 AA ood , in reply to Mr . A . Mills , said no official information had been received respecting the rumoured disaffection in the northwest provinces of India . The riht hon . Baronet then proceeded

g to make his annual statement relative to the finances of India . Having congratulated the House upon fche fact that it would be unnecessary for him to seek powers to raise a loan , he replied at some length to Mr . Laing's minute , contending that he was perfectly justified by the facts of the case in censuring the mode in which that gentleman had made his calculations . He then laid before the House a statement of the revenue and

expenditure for several years past , and submitted that the military expenditure had been reduced to the lowest possible point . " He gave a favourable report of the progress made in the construction of railways , especially in the cotton-growing districts . The cultivation of cotton , he stated , was greatly extend iiicj : and all that was now required was that private enterprise should step in and establish agencies for the collection of the harvests of the

numerous and widely-scattered native growers . This was a work which the Government could not undertake . On Friday , Mr . Lindsay , brought forward his motion : — "That , iu the opinion of this House , the states which have seceded from the Union of the republic of the United States havo so long maintained themselves under a separate and established government , and have given such proof of their determination and ability to support their

independence , that the propriety of offering mediation , with the view of terminating hostilities between the contending parties , is worthy of the serious and immediate attention of Her Majesty ' s Government . The hon . gentleman entered into an elaborate statement of tho causes and course of the rebellion , and contended that ifc was hopeless to expect that the Union could ever bo restored . Mr . lor l

Tay strongy opposed the resolution , which was as warmly supported by Lord A . Vane Tempest . Mr . W . E . Forster had intended to move an amendment to Mr . Lindsay's resolution , but tlie member for Sunderland hacl so altered liis proposition

The Week.

since ifc was first put upon the notice paper that it was difficult to see his precise object . Mr . Forster was of opinion that any foreign interference would be resented by the American people , aud urged that they should be left alone . If this course were followed , he believed that the North would in time find thafc ifc had undertaken a task whieh it could not carry out . The discussion was continued by Mr . Whiteside and other members ;

and Lord Palmerston having again declared that the time had nofc yet arrived for intervention , the motion was withdrawn , On Monday , Mr . Seymour Fitzgerald complained that . while France , Spain , and every other maritime power were represented at New Orleans by ships of war , no similar protection had been afforded to British subjects in that city . The subject was one of grave interest , and the proceedings of General Butler , as well as the possibility of differences between England and

America , rendered it important that her Majesty ' s Government should give their serious attention to the matter . Sir James Fergusson having expressed his concurrence in the remarks of the member lor Horsham , Mr . Layard insisted that tlie Government had not neglected British interests afc New Orleans . A ship of war hacl been ordered to thafc city , but the order wassubsequently countermanded , as it was felt to he desirable fco avoid any manifestation of power . He added that our

Vice-Consul had beeu recognised by the Federal Government . Sir C . AA ' oocl stated , in reply to a question , that he had . received no official information of the repulse of the allies by the Chinese rebels , and that he was not aware that any other department of the Government hacl . On Tuesday the report on Supply was brought up aud agreed to ,, and the Fortifications Bill was read a third time , and passed .. General Lindsay moved a resolution iu favour of some public

recognition of the services of Captain Grant , the inventor of the well-known military cooking apparatus . The motion was opposed . by Sir G . C . Lewis , and , on a division , was rejected by a majority of one . Mr . Cobbetfc brought before the House the case of the .-railway engine-drivers and firemen , who complain of the excessive hours they are obliged to work . The hon . gentleman said . it was too late in the session to ask for legislation upon the subject , but he pledged himself to bring the matter before Parliament in a more tangible state next year . Mr . Milner Gibson

said ifc would become the duty of tho legislature to interfere , if it could be proved that the safety of railway passengers was endangered by the amount of daily labour these men were compelled to undergo , but in the absence of any such proof it would be better to leave the engine-drivers aud their employers to settle the question among themselves . Tho President of the Poor-law Board obtained leave to bring in a bill to enable Boards of Guardians in the cotton manufacturing districts to have

recourse to rates in aid in the event of the continued increase of the distress . A short discussion took place on the subject , iu the course of which Lord Palmerston stated that tho Government were nofc wedded to any one particular form of meeting the exigency , but would be glad to listen to any suggestions whieh members from the distressed districts might have to oiler . On Wednesday the Niht-Poaching prevention Bill was

g under discussion , and on the motion for going into committee an amendment , moved by Sir Joseph Paxton , to shelve the measure , was defeated by 139 votes toll ) , Lord Stanley appealed to the House not to allow it to be said thafc when lrigiiti ' ul distress prevailed in the country its last act of session was to jiass a bill for the protection of game . The first clause was not agreed to when progress was ordered to lie reported . That harbinger

of the cud of the session , the Appropriation Bill , was subsequently brought in ancl read a first time . GENERAL HOME NEWS . —A low temperature in the summer months , though unfavourable to the growth of crops , is generally conducive to tlie public health , especially in large and dense communities . A proof of this is afforded hy the Registrar General ' s return of the births and deaths iu London during last

week . The average number of deaths for corresponding weeks is 1201 , and the deaths last week being only 1111 , it results that the deaths were less hy 90 than the average number . Tho deaths from diarrhaco , a disease generally so prevalent at this season , were only 39 . There were 1 S 12 children born during the week , viz ., 921 hoys and 891 girls . The select committee of the House of Lords , to which was eufcrasted the examination of the Thames Embankment Bill , met on Wednesday , and

passed the preamble . They struck out clauses 9 , 33 , ancl 36 . Clause 9 ordered thafc the Metropolitan Board of Works should not construct the road between the east side of Hungerfordbridge and Wellington-street until the other works were com-