Channel Islands.

shelter , and who prefer clean rough nights' quarters anywhere outside of a workhouse , in any honest company , if they can only get them , for love , money , or labour . " One of the People who has roughed it" gives some very vivid p ictures of hard and rough quarters and rude fare taken from such authorities as the "North-West Passage by Land , " Letters from High Latitudes , "

" My Indian Journal , " & c , and proves , we believe successfully , that the " infamy " is not in the rough nights ' quarters , but elsewhere ; and life , music , adventure , and pleasure give place to pain , dulness , discord , and deadlyills , when discomfort is endured amidst dirt and misery , obscenity and profanity , in a casual ward . There is no poetry in grim poverty ; but the Douglas was right

when he said of old , "I would rather hear the lark sing than the mouse squeak . " Iu the words of our author , the worst of the casual story is in the description of men and manners , the dirt , and the lack of discipline in a place under supervision . The best cure for such evils seems to be in placing rogues and their casual wards under the police , who know how to deal with them .

Meetings Of The Scientific And Learned Societies For The Week Ending May 4th, 1866.

MEETINGS OF THE SCIENTIFIC AND LEARNED SOCIETIES FOR THE WEEK ENDING MAY 4 TH , 1866 .

Tuesday , May 1 st . —INSTITUTION OE CIVIL ENGINEERS , at 8 . Wednesday , May 2 nd . —SOCIETY OP ARTS , at 8 . Thursday , May 3 rd . —CHEMICAL SOCIETY , at 8 .

The Week.

THE WEEK .

THE Corar . —The Queen , accompanied hy their Royal Highnesses Princess Helena aud Prince Leopold , and his Serene Highness Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein , drove out on the 18 th inst ., attended by Major-General the Hon . A . Hood ; and her Majesty walked in the grounds , accompanied by Princess Helena and Princess Louise . The Queen , accompanied by

Princess Louise , walked in the grounds ou the 19 th inst ., and her Majesty drove in the afternoon , accompanied by Princess Leiningen . The Queen , accompanied by Princess Louise , Prince Leopold , and Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein , walked in the grounds on the 20 th instant , and drove out in the afternoon , accompanied by Princess Helena and Prince

Christian , and attended by Lady Augusta Stanley . Major General the Hon . A . Hood was in attendance upon horseback . The Queeu , accompanied by Princess Helena , Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein , and Prince Teck , walked in the grounds on the 21 st inst ., and her Blajesty , accompanied by Princess Louise , drove in the grounds iu tbe afternoon . The

Very Rev . the Dean o £ AA estmiuster performed the service on the 22 nd inst . at Osborne , before her Majesty and their Royal Highnesses Princess Louise and Prince Leopold . The Queen , accompanied by Princess Louise , went out in the grounds on the 23 rd inst ., and drove out in the afternoon , accompanied by Princess Helena , and attended by the Hon .

Caroline Cavendish . The Queen walked in the grounds on the 2-lth inst ., accompanied by Princess Helena , Princess Louise , and Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein , and again in the afternoon , accompanied by Princess Louise . IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT . — The House of Lords , on the 19 th inst ., went into committee on the Oaths Bill . The Blarquis of Bath wished to add to the oath the words " On the true faith of a Christian , " the object of which was , of course , to keep Jews

out of Parliament . He met with no support , however , and the amendment was negatived without a division . The amendment of Lord Chelmsford declaring the supremacy of the Crown was agreed to , and the Bill passed through committee . The standing orders were suspended , and the Bill was passed through its other stages . Subsequently the Marquis of Clanricarde com « mented rather strongly on the conduct of Chief Justice Lefroy

continuing to hold his seat on the bench when by his age he was unfit to discharge the duties . Lord Chelmsford and Lord Liftbrd defended the Chief Justice . The House on the 20 th inst . had a short sitting , hut discussed several topics . First the Blarquis of Clanricarde made a personal explanation as to his remarks on the previous evening on Chief Justice Lefroy .

Then tbe same peer originated a short but interesting discussion ou the late report of the Sea Fisheries Commission . The Blarquis of Townshend called attention to the carpet beating in the Strand Union AA orkhouse , aud eulargeo . generally on the shortcomings of that institution . Earl Granville briefly replied . Some bills were advanced a stage , and the

House adjourned at half-past six o ' clock . On the 23 rd iust ., the Earl of Clarendon read a letter from Lieut .-Col . Mereweather , our resident at Aden . It was to the effect that Mr . Rassam had been most courteously received by the Emperor of Abyssinia , who had given him presents , written a letter to her Majesty , and promised to give up the captives . Mr . Rassam

was expected to arrive witii the captives at Massowah oil the 10 th or 12 th of April . The other business was of no importance . On the 2-l . fch inst ., Lord Houghton moved the second reading of the Qualification for Offices Bill . The Earl of Derby said as they had altered the Parliamentary oaths he saw no reason why this bill should not pass . After some brief discussion on oaths generally the hill was read a second time

Some other business was disposed of and the House . adjourned at twenty-five minutes past six o'clock . After a preliminary discussion , got up hy Mr . Ferrand in reference from Harden , the HOTTSE OE COMMONS went to work again at the Reform Bill . BIr . Graham opened the debate in a speech humorous in tone and invincible in argument .

Lord Elcho followed . First he defended himself for opposing the bill ; then declared that lie would oppose any measure until he knew all he wanted to know about the constituencies . Subsequently he indulged in some strong flavoured bandinage at the expense of BIr . W . Layard , Sir AV . Hutt , and others ; and concluded with a declaration , which he again and a <* ain

made in the course of his speech , that he should vote for the amendment . Sir AAllliain Hutt spoke in his own defence , and very briefly and pithily disposed of the charges which had been made against him . Then came Mr . Beresford Hope , who insisted that those who refused them the franchise were the true friends of the working men . Mr . Thomas Hughes

followed with an able speech in support of the bill . BIr . Doulton came next , and in the course of a speech , almost every word " of which showed how unfit he is to represent a Liberal constituency like that of Lambeth , said he should vote against the second reading of the bill . Mr . Blilner Gibson replied to the speeches against the measure in a

speech which was as remarkable for the moderation of its tone as for the inexorable of its arguments . The debate was weakly brought to a close for the night by Mr . Gathorne Hardy . BIr . Leveson Gower , the member for Bodmin , moved the adjournment . On the 20 th inst . the House had to dispose of some other matters before ifc would go to the debate on the Reform Bill . First the Speaker obtained leave to be represented by the Deputy-Speaker afc a Royal Commission