The Week.

was about to do an act which was shabby in itself , and which , Tieing in violation of an express compact , was unjust as well as shabby . A heavy gale swept over the metropolis during Sunday night and early on Monday morning , and caused considerable damage amongst the shipping in the river . Such was the force of the wind inland , that a cart laden with hops on the Kent Road was blown over . Great fears were entertained at Lloyd ' sthat- the

, gale must have been very disastrous at sea . ——An influential meeting of the business men of Birmingham has decided on the establishment , on trial , of an Exchange in that town . At first , this institution will only be of modest pretensions , as ifc will be held in a room lent for the purpose , free of rent , by the Midland Institute . Tlie subscription has , accordingly , been fixed for tho present at tho low figure of half a guinea , and the names of sixty-five subscribers were

given in . The Central Criminal Court was opened on Monday , when the Recorder delivered his charge to the grand jury , and expressed his regret that the calendar , though not more numerous than usual , contained an extraordinary large amount of grave crimes . There were three charges of manslaughter , and no fewer ¦ than three charges of murder . The most noticeable trial on Tuesday was of a Chinese charged with theft , and who was anxious to have half his jury composed of his own countrymena privilege

, to which he was not entitled , and which could hardly have been complied with . ——On AVednesday , the seaman who was charged with the wilful murder of a comrade on board of a vessel in the 'Thames was convicted of manslaughter only , and the judge postponed the sentence . David Griffiths Jones , the medical man who was charge with having forged a will , under circmnsiances with which the public must he familiarwas also laced at the bar . He

, p pleaded guilty to the charge of perjury , ancl the prosecution abandoned the graver accusation of forgery Mr . Hill , whose alleged exposure of his child , has excited so much sensation among all ¦ classes , was on Saturday brought up before tho magistrates at Uugby for re-examination . The marriage was legally established , as well as the birth ofthe child , who was produced iii court ; ancl all the witnesses who were concerned in his removal and

maintenance were produced in court , and if reliance is to be placed on their testimony , they completely established his identity with the child taken from Mrs . Hill two years ago . The prisoner was represented on this occasion by counsel . On AVednesday , the final examination •of Hill took place . 'The marriage certificate of tho parties was first put in , and evidence identifying them as husband and wife , was also submitted . The nurse who attended on Mrs . Hill during lier confinement afc Rugbyexpressed her belief that the child who

, lias been discovered , is identical with the one who was born on that occasion . The case for the prosecution closed with tlie examination of Serjeant Brett . Mr . Philbrick , in a brief speech , suggested the line of defence whieh will be pursued , viz ., that Mrs . Hill must have been a consenting party to tho removal of the child for reasons which may hereafter be explained in the Divorce Court , and that probably the wrong registration was the fault of the registrar , who

•had been removed for having made other , though nofc equally important errors . The prisoner was committed for trial , the magistrates expressing their willingness to admit him to bail . A ¦ surgeon , named Flint , was brought before the magistrates afc Buxton , on Saturday , on the serious charge of shooting his wife with intent to do her grievous bodily harm . The crime was committed in the open street , in broad daylight , and in the presence of several people . After that , it is . hardly necessary to add , that the prisoner appears to he labouring under insanity , brought on , it is to be

feared , by Ins own intemperate habits . The man was much respected in consequence of the position he formerl y held in the place . The witnesses gave their evidence with reluctance , and as for the wife , who was not very seriously injured , she concealed herself to avoid giving evidence at all At the Southwark policecourt , the unusual spectacle has been exhibited of a wholesale merchant in the city being brought up , charged with being a receiver of stolen goods . The prisoner was a tea dealerand two foremen

, of a tea bonded warehouse were charged as accomplices in his guilt . The evidence is all on one side , for the prisoners reserved their defence , and the magistrate committed them for trial . A rather novel point of law was brought before Mr . Selfe , the magistrate . An apprentice , who was ill and unable to work , claimed his regular wages from his master , who demurred , on the ground that as the lad was also receiving aid from a benefit societ y , illness would

be more profitable to him than health . Tho magistrate called for the lad ' s indenture ; and finding there was no proviso thafc wages were to he withheld during illness , decided in favour of the apprentice ' s claim . A letter-carrier was on Monday ni ght taken into custod y on a charge of having kept more than 1000 letters which it was his dutv to deliver . His "beat" was in Lombard Street ; so that the " importance of the letters detained , and the inconvenience , suspicion , ancl mischief caused by their detention , not in Lombard Street , but over the whole commercial world , may be imagined . The iron-cased frigate , the Warrior ,

commenced her first trial trip , under the command of the Hon . Capt : Cochrane , on 'Thursday week . The weather was all that could be desired for a pleasure trip . At several points along the shore there were crowds of persons assembled to see her pass by . The trip occupied twenty hours , and was accomplished in the most satisfactory manner , everything working admirably . Salutes were fired as usual , ancl replied to , at Sheerness and Portsmouth , at

which , latter plane she will be docked to-day , to be cleaned , and have her launching gear removed from her bottom . With this on she made 13 j , knots , and 15 afc least may be fairly expected when she leaves the dock . The average speed was ten miles an hour , and the ship was not once impeded by any adjustment of the machinery being necessary . The Great Eastern has been again in trouble . Another gale arose while lying at her mooring outside Queenstown

Harbour ; and as it was found impossible with her broken rudderpost either to enter the harbour or get her head to the wind , she drifted out to sea , and now fears began to be entertained for her safety . We are glad to find , however , that she returned , and has at last been secured in the splendid and capacious harbour of Queenstown . Tho captain of a small brig , the Magnet , of Nova Scotiabehaved in the most gallant manner during the late trials

, of the Great Faslern , lying by the disabled ship for 24 hours , till the passengers were assured of safety . Such conduct is above all praise . In justice to the commander of the great ship it should be mentioned that the passengers have passed a resolution highly commendatory of liis conduct during the trying scene .

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE . —At length an official announcement that the King of Prussia will visit the Emperor Napoleon has appeared in the Monileur . That journal has notified to the public that the king will arrive at Compiegne on tlie 6 th of October , but ifc failed to state the duration of the visit . In announcing the the King of Prusssia's arrival at Compiegne the Moniteur adds , "It appears certain that almost at the same period there

will be another royal visit to France . " Apparently the second royal visitor will be the King of the Netherlands , who will , we are told , leave the Hague for Compeigne on the 3 rd of October- M . de Persigny has just issued a circular to the various prefects , requesting a return of the name of every writer in the periodical press , the place of his birth , the position of his family , the amount of his salary , what degree he took at the university , what are his antecedentsancl what his scientific and literary works and

hon-, oi-avy distinctions . Several of tlie editors , when summoned "before the police , refused to answer such of the questions as related to their private affairs ; ancl a decided stand is preparing against the Home Minister ' s inquisitorial proceedings . A curious explanation has been given of the circular . The French Government , if we are to believe the official explanation , intended honour and not indignity to the press . "The Government" M .

, says Boniface , " wishing to decorate some eminent editors , asked for information from the prefects , but could not expect that its instructions , which were perfectly well meant , should be so misunderstood and so singularly carried out . Threats that martial law would be proclaimed , and the exhortations of the clergy , seem to have prevented a renewal of the disturbances in AVarsaw . It is remarkable that the Russian authorities , which

were once so unscrupulous in their employment of military force , now seem almost helpless in the face of the populace . No persons are arrested , no attempts appear to have been made to prevent the destruction of shops , and it is even said that Russian spies have been maltreated or killed in the very presence of the police . Tlie anniversary fetes in honour of the establishment of the Belgian kingdom have been proceeding in Brussels for some days back . They consist of reviews of the National Guarda iir national

, , concerts , theatrical performances , general illuminations ,. and fireworks . The weather has been rather unfavourable . A meeting of the Brussels Association in favour of a treaty of commerce with England , has just passed a resolution declaring that the stipulations of the Franco-Belgian treaty ought to he applied with the least possible delay to England , and to other nations , pending a more complete reform of the Belgian tariff . The resolution

met with only a slight and ineffectual opposition . Oscar Becker , who attempted to shoot the King of Prussia , has been convicted ; ancl has heen sentenced to be imprisoned for twenty years , and then to he banished . He at first asserted that his pistol was not loaded with ball , but ultimately admitted that his assertion was untrue , ancl that his intention had been to imitate Orsini . An attempt—happily altogether unsuccessful—was made on Thursday evening to assassinate the Queen of Greece . A

student , named Durios , who is said to be only seventeen years old , and who declares that he had no accomplices , fired a revolver at Her Majesty in the Palace-square at Athens , but luckily missed his aim , and was immediately arrested . The Queen displayed much coolness and courage , and showed herself in public on the following day . The Moniteur announces that the negotiations between the