The Week.

from courts of common law to courts of equity , as the case might be . Lord Chelmsford and Lord AVeusleydalc spoke unfavourably of the measure . The bill was read a second time . In the HOUSE of COMMONS on Mouday the debate on the reform bill was resumed by Mr . E . James , who vindicated the claims of the working classes to an extension of the franchise ; but at the same time objected to the bill that it was defective in it 3 nondisfranchisement of old , aud its nonenfranchisement of new constituencies ; defective in not varying the

character of the constituencies by creating a lodger franchise ; defective in maintaining the payment of taxes as a condition of exercising the franchise ^ and , above all , that , as being the adjustment of a great question , it was the mere skeleton of a bill in not providing for a revision of the registration , which was absolutely necessary to a proper exercise of the franchise . Mr . M . Milnes regarded the gloomy anticipations as to the results of the bill , which were so extensively indulged in by the Opposition , as being idle and groundless , aud gave his support

to the measure . Mr . Peacocke argued iu favour of close boroughs and small constituencies , as the surest means of securing , at the same time , a real representation of the people and tho independence of parliament . Mr . Newdegate claimed credit for the Conservative party , for permitting the bill to be read a second time without a division . Lord Palmerston suggested that the debate should be resumed on Thursday , and expressed a hope that it would then come to a conclusion . Mr . Disraeli , on behalf of his side of the housedisclaimed all idea of unfair delaybut

, , considered it unlikel y that the discussion could terminate on Thursday . After some further conversation , the debate was adjourned till Thursday . On Tuesday the vexed question of what is to be done to obtain increased space for the collections in tho British Museum , was brought before the House of Commons by Mr . Gregory , who moved for the appointment of a select committee to consider the subject . The government appeared to be favourable to the removal of the natural history collection to Bromptonwhile Mr . Gregory and his friends opposed the separation of

, any part of the contents of the building , except in the case of duplicate specimens or books , which Mr . Kinnaird suggested mi ght be presented to district museums . The motion was agreed to . On the order of the day for the second reading of the London Corporation Bill , Mr . Ayrtou contended that the city corporation was a petty municipality altogether

unworthy of the metropolis ; and , referring to the Metropolitan Board of AVorks in terms of the highest praise , as being a useful aud laborious body , he insisted that it would be much better to utilise and extend it . He proposed to constitute a really effective metropolitan municipality , consisting of aldermen and common councilmen elected by the . districts now represented on the Board of AAfu-ks ; but the variety of details which such a scheme embraced he left for future examination and discussion . The bill was read a second timewith an understanding that

, Mr . Ayrton should bring forward his amendment on the motion for going into committee on the bill . On AVednesday Mr . E . James gave notice that in Committee on the Reform Bill he should submit a motion with the view of establishing a lodger franchise . The house then went into committee on the Law of Property Bill , tho first clause of which was objected to , but the bill ultimately passed through com mittee . Th e Masters and Operatives Bill was read a second time , and referred to the select committee

on masters and operatives . GENERAL HOME NEWS . —A cabinet council was held last Saturday at which all the ministers were present . Lord Cowdcy arrived from Paris on that day and waited on the Queen . The deaths in London last week were 1 , 284 , being a decrease on the previous week , when the amount was 1 , 407 . The births of 923 boys and S 34 girls , in all 1 , 757 children , were registered . In the ten corresponding weeks of the years 85059

J-, the average number was 1 , 6 S 5 . The members of the St . Geox-ge ' s Rifle Corps gave a dinner to their commanding officer , Colonel Lindsay , on Monday , at Willis ' s Rooms , St . James ' s . The attendance was very large , aud the appearance ol the room when the guests had

taken their places at the table was exceedingly animated rind picturesque . On this occasion all , of course , were attired " as for a grand parade , and the aspect they presented was certainly very striking and martial . The Naval Reserve Force is in a state which shows that sailors are not quite so suspicious respecting its character as they were said to be on the first motion of tho machinery . There are S 50 sailors already enrolled , and that there have been , up to the present , 980 claims made . These 850 men are sailors of good character , and rating- as A . B ., with five service at within the

years' sea last ten years , and are all under forty years of age . A most disastrous conflagration took place in London on Sunday , the scone of the catastrophe being Red Cross-street and the Barbican . No less than six houses became a prey to the devouring element , and a vast amount of property was destroyed . The firemen wore at one time exposed to great personal danger , but happily no lives were lost . The great boat race for £ 200 , between Clasper , of Newcastle , and Drewitt , of Chelsea , came off on Tuesday , and resulted in the triumph of the

latter . The Harwich election has resulted in the defeat of the liberal candidate by a majority of forty . This borough , with a population of between four and five thousand , returns as many members to the House of Commons as the Tower Hamlets , with nearly six hundred thousand . The Association in Aid of the Deaf aud Dumb , the Association for Teaching the Blind to Read , the Protestant Alliance , the Church , of England Sunday School Institute , the City of London Ragged Schools , and the Aged Pilgrims' Friend Society , all held their meetings hiiftt Tuesday .- ;— -A conference of dissenting ministers favourable to the ballot , was held at the AVhittingtou Club on T-uesdav , Mr . AYhitelmrst

The Week.

presided , aud Lord Teynham took part in the proceeding ' s . An' earnest appeal was made to ministers to support the ballot as the only means by I which electoral corruption could be effectually suppressed . -The Select Committee appointed to inquire whether it is possible to provide additional facilities for the public inspection of national institutions , have presented their report . It suggests that the British Museum and the National Gallery should be opened on weekday eveuings . Tom Sayers , the pugilist , is making a sort of triumphal progress , and large sums are

collected for him in various places ; which there is little doubt will amount to more than a thousand pounds ( perhaps two ) before the excitement subsides . Heenau declares he will not go away without the "belt " or another fight ; and the penny newspapers are furious iu the cause of " morality ; " their diatribes , however , appear only to serve the purpose of increasing the popularity of the abused persons , and rumour assorts that they are written with that view . On Monday morning the ten o'clock express train from London to Manchesterin

, entering the Hatfield station of the Groat Northern Railway , met with a dreadful accident , through a portion of the train being thrown from the metals , two persons being killed and others more or less injured . Four passenger carriages were smashed to pieces , and a number of coal trucks much shattered , and the coal scattered in all directions . One of the deceased was Leslie Pym , Esq ., a magistrate of Bedfordshire , who was on his way to arrange some matters in relation to his late father ' s burial . A 'few days since Sergeant FletcherRoyal

Artilleryem-, , ployed on the recruiting service at Croydon , visited AAfoolwich , and committed suicide at the house of his brother-in-law , by taking prussic acid . The deceased was deficient in his regimental accounts to the amount of thirteen pounds . On Monday a murder was committed in Hull , by Thomas Kirkwood , a soldier , by whom Elizabeth Aim Parker ' s throat had been cut on the left side , about five or six inches . Medical assistance was called in , but the unfortunate woman died in the course of the eveningKirkwood was afterwards apprehendedsitting on

. , some steps on the Spring Bank , partly in a state ' of intoxication . No cause has yet been ascertained for committing this deed . The condemned Portuguese convict , Amiois , the probability of whose sentence being commuted we have already announced , was formally reprieved on Tuesday , under the authority of the Home Office .

This announcement was made to the convict by Sheriff Phillips . On Sunday evening the riots in the parish church of St- George ' s-in-the-East were brought to a close by means which were entirely unexpected , and which had the effect of cutting off the service soon after the first lesson had been read . The church was thrown into a state of darkness , and although many attempts were made to light it up again they all proved failures . The circumstance was attributable to an accident which happened to the gas . The mob of blackguards , though deprived

of their usual Sunday night ' s recreation , profaned the church to the utmost of their power till their old acquaintances the " blues " arrived , when the indignant " AntiPuseyites , " probably having their reasons for declining police recognition , speedily cleared themselves away . The cashier of the Union Bank of London , one Mr . Pullinger , has made quite a Redpath Robsonian haul upon the funds of that company , his defalcations are between £ 200 , 000 and £ 300 , 000 . He had been in the service of the bank from its foundation , and was previously a clerk in

the banking firm of Sir Claude Scott and Co . He is about forty years of age , ajvidower , and was considered to be one of the most regular and quiet persons in the establishment . It seems certain , moreover , that it is within the last five years that his misappropriations have commenced . His salary during the greater part of that time was £ 500 a year , and about twelve months back it was increased to MOO . It is hinted that temptation came to him through some unscrupulous person on the Stock Exchange . Mr . Westerton , the churchwarden of St . Paul's , Knightsbi'idgc , has recommenced proceedings against Mr . Liddell , the incumbent , on the ground that that gentleman lias restored mauy of

the practices which were expressly prohibited by the judicial committee of Privy Council iu their well-known judgpient . An application was made in the Ecclesiastical Court on AA ednesda 3 ' that the cause might be referred back to the judicial committee in order that they might punish Mr . Liddell for contempt . -Another astounding case of defalcation has been discovered at Liverpool in the accounts of Mr . AAflliam Statham , the registrar of the Liverpool County Court , an officer with a fixed salary of £ 700 , which , with perquisites received from insolvency from

cases , was increased to about £ 1 , 000 a-year . At the same time the position which Mr . Statham held in the court , ho had contrived to involve some of the subordinate officials . The amount " appropriated " is said to be J 20 , 000 . The aggregate number of patients relieved during the week ending April 21 st , at the Metropolitan Free Hospital , Devonshire-square , City , was , medical , 919 ; surgical , 130 ; total , 1355 , of which iOS were new cases . FOREIGN NEWS . —The pretence ol voting has been completed in Savoy

on the question of annexation to France . Averse as the majority of the population are to it , their wishes will not be allowed to stand in the way of a Napoleonic idea . For instance , the voting in Faucigny has taken place entirely under the influence of the authorities and clergy . There was no ballot , and not oven permission to print cards expressing a vote against annexation . The number of electors who have abstained from voting is large . Something more definite is announced as to the forthcoming conference . Austria and Russia having proposed Paris as the place for the assembling of the European conference for the regulation of the question relative to the neutralised districts of Chabluis and