The Week.

THE WEEK .

THE COITBT . —Her Majesty and family remain at AVindsor . It is reported that her Majesty will open Parliament in person . GEXERAI , HOITE JSTEWS . —The decline in the metropolitan mortality has been but of short duration . Last week the deaths rose again to nearly 80 over those of the week preceding , and to an excess of 133 over the estimated average of the last

ten years . The fatal cases were chiefly from bronchitis and from typhus fever . The births for the week were 1 , 8-17 , which is just 11 below the estimated average number . Monday was universally observed as the true Christmas holiday . Business in London was suspended , and shops were closed , and labour came to a general standstill . Iu the early part of the

day the streets were crowded , despite the dull cheerless aspect of the sky , and the keen biting east wind . Family groups were wending their way to various places of amusement , and among ethers the Crystal Palace enjoyed a large amount of the general patronage . In the evening the theatres were filled to overflowing to witness the new pantomimes which the managers

had provided . It is pleasant to note an increasing demand for labour , as shown by that sensitive gauge of industrial activity—the Poor-law Board ' s return of pauperism . Last week , taking the cotton unions generally , very nearly 2 , 000 persons were struck off the rates . Strictly speaking , a larger nuinler went off , namely , 2 , 610 , but , as several unions increased at the

same time , 1 , 970 paupers less was the net result . The unions that decreased most , mid the numbers by which their lists were lightened are these : —Ashton-under-Lyne , 610 ; Blackburn , 260 ; Burnley , 440 ; Bury , 300 ; Preston , 110 ; Rochdale , 220 ; Stockport , 300 ; and Todmorden , 120 . Of those unions which , standing on the opposite side of the account , exhibited a total increase of 670 , Chorlton , bad 110 ; Manchester , 350 ; ancl

Skipton , 110 more paupers than in the second week of the present month . The adult able-bodied paupers decreased by 1 , 060 ; and the out-door relief is at the present time upwards of £ 2 , 000 per week less than at Christmas , 1863 . Since things took a favourable turn , four or five weeks ago , the pauperism of the district has diminished by 8 , 800 . The Christmas examinations of the Royal Military Academy at

Woolwich took place last week , before their Iloyal Highnesses the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Arthur , accompanied by a brilliant stall ' . The examination gave great satisfaction , and » everal commissions and prizes wore awarded ; but his Iloyal Highness seriously warned the young men against the repetition of some irregularities that occurred in the course of last

halfyear . It may be inferred from an after-dinner speech delivered by the "Duke of Cambridge that no sensible reduction will be made next year in our naval and military establishments . He said that in a time of peace people were disposed to cut down the army and navy , with the view of lowering the taxes , " but , " he remarked , " for

commercial , and not for military reasons , I am convinced that the best investment you can make is to leave well alone , for , believe me , if by the means I have described you were now to take off a little taxation , the chances are that you would have to pay double and treble the amount of this gain hereafter . " Lord Lyons , her Majesty's Minister at Washington , has

arrived in England . According to a semi-official statement made some time ago , bis lordship has come home on leave of absence on account of the state of his health . There is , however / a report current that he will not return to America , but will exchange places with the British Ambassador at \ 1 enna . AVhen the French frigate La Danae visited Sunderland , a few months ago , the officers and crew were received with

unbounded hospitality . This circumstance was brought under tbe notice of tbe Emperor , and his Majesty has forwarded a handsome gold box to Mr . Allison , who was mayor at the time the Danae was lying at Sunderland . The box was presented to Mr . Allison by the French Alce-Consul , at a meeting of the Town Council last week . Accompanying the imperial gift was a letter from M . Drouyn

de Lhuys , who says that such manifestations as the welcome given to the officers and seamen of the Vanaei " cannot but strengthen the bonds of friendship which so happily unite France and England , and contribute to the development of'the good understanding between the two countries . " At a large meeting of the iron trade , held at Birmingham , it was

decided to give notice of a reduction iu tbe wages o £ puddlers and millmen . Most of the great iron districts of the country were represented at the meeting , and it is understood that the ironmasters will stand by one another in the event of any attempt on the part of the men to resist tbe present decision by a strike . It is held by

the masters that a reduction of wages is rendered absolutely necessary for the present state of the market for iron . Lord WharnclifTe has published the correspondence which lately took place between himself and Mr . Adams , relative to the money raised at Liverpool for the relief of the Confederate prisoners in the North . Mr , Adams " very cheerfully" complied

with Lord Wharncliffe's request to forward to Mr . Seward his lordship ' s application , that an agent might be allowed to distribute tbe £ 17 , 000 raised by means of the Southern bazaar ; but he could not avoid expressing the wish that the efforts of the Confederate prisoners' friends hacl " extended to the ministering to the mental ailment not less than the bodily sufferings of these unfortunate persons , thus contributing to put an cud

to a struggle which otherwise is too likely to be only procrastinated by your labours . " Mr . Seward's "indignation letter" has told all England the result of the application ; but Lord AVbarncliffe states " that the refusal of the Federal Government will not practically affect the distribution of the fund , for which , unhappily , we can find but too many recipients . " A case was tried before the Lord Chief

Justice , at the Guildhall , where the Maharajah Dhuleep Singh was a defendant , and appeared as a witness . It appeared his Highness had engaged a Sikh soldier as a falconer , who had como with him to England . Two years ago he left his Highness ' s service , and now brought an action for salary , for loss of caste , for the loss of prize money which he might have

gained if he had remained a soldier , and sundry other charges , which the Maharajah , on being called upon , declared were most exorbitant , besides which tbe plaintiff bad himself broken the contract entered into between them . The jury stopped the case , but the counsel for the Maharajah stated that his Highness was still willing to pay the plaintiff ' s

passage to Calcutta . A short time since Mr . Gutteres , chaplain of her Majesty ' s ship Besistance , was placed under arrest for declining to report to the captain whether or no one of the officers complied with an order for ^ compulsory attendance at an extra church service . The sequel of the story shows an extraordinary piece of Admiralty red-tapeism ; The chaplain is "

publicly " censured for his contumacy ; but at the same time a " private and confidential" letter has been sent to all captains instructing them not to engage chaplains to carry out their punitive regulations , as the chaplain ought to be the friend of every one on board . Two young men , named Feast , brothers , who have been several times before the Lord Mayor on a charge of conspiring to defraud an Australian merchant in some consign , inents of pickles , have been committed to Newgate for trial .