Obituary.

Obituary .

BEO . AVILLIAM HALL . On Thursday last was interred at Clewer , Berks , Bro . AVm . Hall , Builder , of AVindsor , in his 59 th year . He was highly and deservedly respected by his fellow-townsmen . He was the oldest member of Lodge 252 , arid for many years filled the office of Treasurer

to the lodge , up to within the last two years . The brethren have lost by his death a bright example of the genuine principles of a good Mason . His brother Masons , wearing white gloves , mustered strongly at the churchyard to receive the corpse , and to pay a last tribute of respect and esteem to his memory . Martin Luther's Hymn was very well sung by Bro . Gibbons during the funeral

service , the whole of the brethren joining in the chorus . " His body is buried in peace , But . his name liveth evermore . "

Lines,

LINES ,

SUGGESTED BIT THE AEELICTING INTELLIGENCE OE THE DEATH OE THE PBINCE CONSORT . AA ' eep all ye muses ! mourn all ye gods of literature , Of science , and of art 1 for ye have lost a friend And faithful follower—the Prince Consort is no more . Weep thou , poor Queen ! for poor indeed thou art ,

Since what , on earth , thou most of all dids't prise , The ice-cold hand of death hath taken from thee . AVeep ye orphaned princes 1 ye royal children all ! Since none can estimate the loss thatye've sustained , Nor hope to fill the void his going forth ha th left . AVeep Albert Edward , Prince of AVales 1 for a father ,

Friend , and host of all good counsellors , To serve thee at thy need , thou'rt left to mourn . Weep Britannia ! for thou hast lost The clearest head ; tho brightest intellect ; and noblest heart ; That ee'r thou saw'st in mortal prince combined . Pray all ! both high and low , and rich and poor ,

That the great King of Kings may in his mercy take Unto himself the soul of our departed Prince . KENRX A . ISAACS .

The Week.

THE WEEK .

THE COURT . —We are happy to state that , according to the latest reports ftoni Osborne , the Queen's health continues good . The Prince of AA ' ales has rejoined her Majesty at Osborne , having completed at AVindsor the mournful duties which devolved upon him in connection with the late Prince Consort ' s funeral . A general order for the mourning in the army to he worn for the

lamented Prince has been issued by command of the Duke of Cambridge . The same regulations will apply to volunteers . GENERAL ROME NEWS . —Monday was one of the closest days we have ever seen in the metropolis , nearly every place of business and public resort being closed in consequence of the funeral of the Prince Consort . On Tuesday , a meeting ofthe Livery of London

was held in the Guildhall to adopt an address of condolence to her Majesty . The Lord Mayor presided , and the address , which was couched in very appropriate terms , was unanimously adopted . The document was ordered to be presented by the Lord Mayor , the Sheriffs , two Aldermen , and twelve Liverymen at such time as the Queen might appoint . On Tuesday , the royal gifts to the poor at Kensington and Keiv were dispensed with a kmatifu !

hand , and in many other parts of tbe metropolis arrangements have been made for supplying our necessitous brethren with food and fuel for Christmas . On Wednesday , Christmas Day was kept as of old in the metropolis , though the recent death of the Prince Consort cast a gloom over it . The weather was fine , but intensely cold , although the thermometer was far from being so low as it was at Christmas , 1860 . The returns from the metropolitan workhouses show that

our dependent poor were supplied with their usual bountiful fare . AA ' e are glad to learn that the terms offered by the Board of Admiralty to the masters and mates of our mercantile marine to enter as officers of the Naval Eeserve have proved perfectly satisfactory to that body . A numerous and influential meeting , presided over by Mr . Green , the eminent ship-owner , has been held in the Cityat which resolutionscordiallaccepting the termswere

, , y , unanimously agreed to . AVe understand that the Admiralty have already received applications from more of the mercantile officers than the number—450 , if we recollect right—which they proposed to receive . The applications to be enrolled among the seamen of the reserve amount to 10 , 000 , and of these more than 8000 have passed , and there are hundreds under examination . Of the seven prisoners who were arraigned at the Staffordshire Assizes for the

murder of John Bagott , of Bilston , three—Jones , Branch-ick , and Maddox—were found guilty , and the judge sentenced them to death without hope of mercy . Maddox , at Bilston , has made a confession , the effect of which is to entirely exculpate the four men who were acquitted . Maddox states that , although he entered the deceased ' s house , he took no part whatever in the attack upon Bagott ; Jones and Brandrick being , as he alleges , the actual perpetrators of the

crime . A case which has excited much interest in society was decided in the Divorce Court on Saturday . Sir Bichard Gethen first sought a divorce from his wife , on which the lady raised a counter suit for divorce against him . He then dropped his snit and was about to allow judgment to go against him by default , when the Attorney-General interfered , took up the original ground of Sir Richard's suit , ancl also alleged collusion between tbe parties . There were certainly grave suspicions ; but after a full and long-protracted trial , the lady ' s character came clear from the ordeal ; the jury found that on her part there had been neither adultery nor collusion , ancl a divorce from her husband was ordained .

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE . —The Moniieur contains an intimaton that the Journal des Debats has received a first warning for an article which the official journal describes as "written in a party spirit , and in flagrant contradiction to the principles on whicli the French people agreed to found an imperial throne " and the future of a dynasty . " It is reported in Paris that each regiment of infantry is to be diminished by a company ; but this diminution coupled with the recent disbanding of two regiments , will not

after all reduce the French army by more ; than some 10 , 000 men . On Saturday , the French Senate adopted , with only one dissentient , the Senatus Consultum , fembodying the constitutional changes accorded by the Emperor . The Senate ' s vote was preceded by a lengthened speech from M . Fould , who justified the statements made in his recent report , and declared that , since their publication , confidence had generally increased . He maintained that "transfers" and extraordinary credits" were

unnecessary and instanced the despatch of troops and ships from England to North America as a proof of their needlessness . Henceforth , he assured the senators , " nothing will be added to the deficit , because it is necessary that the income and outgoings should be balanced . If ¦ unforeseen events should demand extraordinary supplies , the government will apply to the legislative body for the uesiraoie tnereiore ists

requisite grants , . every guarantee , , ex , said M . Fould , in conclusion , but he made the ominous addition that the existence of these guarantees is assured , " if we have the strength to respect the laws which we have made . " The Italian Chamber of Deputies heard on Saturday , and afterwards " provisionally" approved by an overwhelming majority , the financial statement submitted by Count Bastogi . The Italian treasury shares the want of money which affects the exchequers of

almost all the great states of the Old and New AVorlds ; for the estimated deficit of the year 1862 is stated at about £ 12 , 700 , 000 , of which , however , about £ 6 , 300 , 000 will be covered by the proceeds of loans already effected . The remaining £ 6 , 400 , 000 the minister boldly proposed to sappy by the imposition of fresh taxes , partly direct and partly indirect , to the amount of about £ 5 , 600 , 000 , leaving some £ 800 , 000 to be met by an issue of Exchequer Bills .

His statements , and especially his exhortation to maintain Italian credit by the imposition of new taxes , and thus to frustrate the machinations of the enemies of Italy , were received with warm applause by the Chamber , which subsequently , in an extraordinary sitting , voted its " provisional" approval of the budget by a majority of 202 to 39 . It is said , too , that Count Bastogi ' s proposals , in spite of the heavy additions which they necessarily