public works, reports that "a vast amount of useful work may be beneficially undertaken and executed by the best of the distressed men out of employment." Any loss on the work in the first instance would, he thought, be more than made up to the locality in a saving of the poor-rate.

19. The Lower House of Convocation presents to the Upper a report on Bishop Colenso's work on the Pentateuch, which they find to contain errors of the gravest and most dangerous character. The Prelates answered, "That this House, having reason to believe that the book in question will shortly be submitted to the judgment of an ecclesiastical court, declines to take further action in the matter, but that we affectionately warn those who may not be able to read the published and convincing answers to the work which have appeared, of its dangerous character."

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Henry Valentine Smith, known in theatrical circles as Swanborough," and a favourite actor at the Strand Theatre, commits suicide by cutting his throat, in his bed-room, in a fit of mental depression.

26.-Herat captured by the forces of Mahomet Khan of Affghanistan. He died within a few weeks of his triumph, leaving the succession to his throne to be disputed by two sons.

27. In reply to an address from the Chamber of Deputies, the King of Prussia states that the Ministry possess his entire confidence, and that he purposes again to carry on the Government of the country without a parliament.

The

28. In the House of Commons Mr. Walpole presented a petition from Mr. Churchward, whose contract for the Dover post-office packets had been suddenly terminated. Chancellor of the Exchequer defended the course pursued, and the Report was agreed to by 205 votes to 191.

30.-Accident on the Brighton Railway, between Streatham and Balham, the engine exploding when proceeding at a rapid rate, and dragging the greater part of the train down an embankment. The engine-driver and three passengers were killed on the spot, and serious injuries were sustained by between thirty and forty of the Grenadier Guards, returning fror.. rifle practice at Eastbourne.

31.-The Crown Prince of Prussia remonstrates with his father on his arbitrary conduct in dissolving the deputies.

June 1.-Came on in the Court of Queen's Bench the matter of the Earl of Winchelsea ex parte Willes, Mr. Hawkins, Q.C., moving for a rule calling on the Earl and a Mr. James Kennett to show cause why a criminal information should not issue against them for certain libels upon the applicant, Mr. Willes, the Argus of the sporting world. The libel appeared in the Sporting Gazette, and was contained in a rhyming prophecy which Lord Winchelsea was alleged to have con

tributed to that journal under the signature of "John Davis."

"Adown the eventful course the beaten lay, And Pindar was the 'Argus' of that day; Our own reporter,' with a scale of fees, At whose bureau you purchased what you please. No fee, no puff!' 'Half-price-praise only horse Full price'-dish owner up with friendly sauce: Full price and douceur with the run of table'Butter horse, man, and everything you are able." An explanation being demanded, Lord Winchelsea replied that he made it a rule not to answer impertinent questions, and on the same day Mr. Willes's solicitor received a note signed "John Davis," denying that there was anything to complain of, except the fact of mentioning Pindar and "Argus" in the same paragraph. The Court was of opinion that it was not such a matter as would justify their interference, and that Mr. Willes's proper remedy would be by action or by indictment.

- Lord Ebury moved an address for the appointment of a committee to inquire into the present compulsory and indiscriminate use of the Burial Service of the Church of England, but the motion was withdrawn on the understanding that the bishops would prepare a mea. sure to relieve the scruples of the clergy.

3. Mr. Soames' bill for closing publichouses on Sunday thrown out on a second reading, by 278 to 103 votes.

4. In the House of Commons Mr. Bagwell moves a resolution that it is impolitic any longer to exclude Ireland from the operation of the Volunteer system. Lord Palmerston op. posed the resolution, not from any doubt of the loyalty of the Irish, but because religious zeal was likely to lead to dangerous results when each party was armed. Resolution negatived by 156 to 45.

5. Mr. Fortescue calls the attention of the House of Commons to the circumstances attending the death, after four weeks' imprisonment, of Regimental Sergeant-Major Lilley of the 6th Dragoons, at Mhow, in India, on the 25th of May, 1862; and to the imprisonment at the same time, for a still longer period, of Troop Sergeant Majors Duval and Wakefield of the same regiment, without either of the three having been brought to trial, or any formal charge having been preferred against them; and to ask whether the commanding officer (Colonel Crawley), under whose authority those things took place, was still to be left in command of the regiment. Further inquiry promised.

8.-The Prince and Princess of Wales visit the City in state, and are entertained at a banquet in Guildhall by the Corporation. An address was also presented to his Royal Highness expressive of the pleasure felt by the Corporation that he should have assumed the freedom of the City in virtue of the citizenship of his lamented father. The banquet on the occasion was of unusual splendour, the City companies having sent in most of their

rich ornaments and plate. The feast was followed by a ball, which was kept up till one o'clock, when the Royal visitors left with an escort of Life-guardsmen, The route from Marlborough House to the City was brilliantly illuminated, and great enthusiasm was manifested by the mass of spectators who lined the streets.

9.-Discussion in the House of Commons on Mr. Buxton's resolution to relax the stringency of Subscription under the Act of Uniformity.

Came on for hearing, in the Court of Queen's Bench, the case of the Queen v. Lieutenant-Colonel Calthorpe ex parte the Earl of Cardigan, in the form of a rule for a criminal information against the defendant. The case arose out of certain imputations upon the conduct of Lord Cardigan in the memorable Light Cavalry charge at Balaklava during the Crimean war, made by General Calthorpe in a work entitled "Letters from Head-Quarters, by a Staff Officer." The main charge made against his lordship was one of cowardice, the General alleging that his lordship, although well known to be a consummate horseman, had allowed his horse during the charge to take him to the rear. Lord Cardigan ap plied repeatedly to General Calthorpe to retract his statement, but without any other result than a note to the following effect in the second edition: "The author had relied on statements furnished by officers actually engaged in the charge; but as the excellence of Lord Cardigan's horsemanship is unquestionable, the idea that his horse ran away with him is no doubt erroneous.' Lord Cardigan came before the Court last term, and obtained a rule for a criminal information, which came on for argument this day. Mr. Garth was heard in support of the rule, and many affidavits were produced on behalf of Lord Cardigan. At the conclusion of a lengthened judgment, the Lord Chief Justice said he was glad the discussion had so completely vindicated the gallant Earl, but the Court had no alternative but to discharge the rule. other judges concurred, and the rule was accordingly discharged, but without costs.

The

Came on for hearing in the House of Lords, before a Committee of Privilege, the petition of the Earl of Dundonald, praying that he was entitled to vote for representative peers in Scotland, and that he was the lawful son of the late Earl. The petitioner's brother, Captain the Hon. L. Cochrane, of her Majesty's ship Warrior, claimed the peerage, as the eldest son born after the marriage of his father and mother. The Dowager Countess of Dundonald was examined, and detailed the circumstances which led first to a private marraige, at Annan, in Scotland, in 1812, and then to a more public ecclesiastical ceremony, when her husband was about to leave this country. Their Lordships concurred that the Countess had fully explained the validity of the first

marriage, and that the petitioner had made good his claim.

10.-Inauguration of the Albert Memorial of 1851, at the Horticultural Gardens, South Kensington. A large and fashionable gathering assembled to receive the Prince and Princess of Wales, on whom devolved the duty of receiving addresses from the Council of the Horticultural Society and the Executive Committee of the Memorial. With the exception of her Majesty, most of the Royal Family were present, and took part in the procession through the grounds. Besides other inscriptions relating to the Exhibition, one tablet bore that the Memorial, then uncovered, was erected by public subscription. "Originally intended only to commemorate the International Exhibition of 1851, now dedicated also to the memory of the great author of that undertaking, the Good Prince, to whose far-seeing and comprehensive philanthropy its first conception was due, and to whose clear judgment and untiring exertions in directing its execution the world is indebted for its unprecedented success-Albert Francis Augustus Charles Emmanuel, the Prince Consort. Born August 26, 1819. Died December 14, 1861." Her Majesty visited the Memorial on the 12th.

The French army under General Forey enters the Mexican capital, President Juarez having previously transferred his seat of government to San Luis de Potosi,

11. The Duc de Chartres married, at Kingston, to his cousin, the Princess Amélie of Orleans, daughter of the Prince de Joinville.

14.-The Montreal Ocean steam-ship Norwegian wrecked in a thick fog on St. Paul's Island, near the North-east Light. She had on board 58 cabin and 271 steerage passengers, who, with the crew and mails, were all saved. A portion of the cargo was also recovered.

15.-The House of Commons, by a majority of 267 to 135, vote 123,000l. to purchase the seventeen acres of land at South Kensington, where the Exhibition building stands. The proposal made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on the 2d July, to vote 105,000l. for the purchase of the building itself, was negatived by a majority of 166 in a House of 408 members.

16. The Prince and Princess of Wales attend the Oxford Commemoration, during the ceremonies incident to which the degree of D.C.L. was conferred on his Royal Highness. At the proceedings in the Sheldonian Theatre, the Chancellor (Earl Derby) addressed the Prince in a Latin speech, which was greatly admired, both for the beauty of its Latinity and the happy choice of topics it displayed. In the evening the Prince and Princess were entertained at a state banquet, in the hall of Christ Church. Next day the Royal visitors attended the Commemoration proper, and in the evening witnessed the time-honoured procession of

boats on the Isis. The Prince and Princess left Oxford for Windsor on the afternoon of the 18th.

In

17.-Earl Russell forwards to Lord Napier, at St. Petersburg, the text of the note on the Polish question which had been drawn up concurrently with France and Austria. "Her Majesty's Government," he said, "would deem themselves guilty of great presumption if they were to express an assurance that vague declarations of good intentions, or even the enactment of some wise laws, would make such an impression on the minds of the Polish people as to obtain peace and restore obedience. present circumstances, it appears to her Majesty's Government that nothing less than the following outline of measures should be adopted as the bases of pacification :—(1) Complete and general amnesty. (2) National representation, with powers similar to those which are fixed by the charter of the 15-27th November, 1815. (3) Poles to be named to public offices in such a manner as to form a distinct national Administration, having the confidence of the country. (4) Full and entire liberty of conscience; repeal of the restrictions imposed on Catholic worship. (5) The Polish language recognised in the kingdom as the official language, and used as such in the administration of the law and in education. (6) The establishment of a regular and legal system of recruiting. These six points might serve as the indications of measures to be adopted, after calm and full deliberation. But it is difficult, nay, almost impossible, to create the requisite confidence and calm while the passions of men are becoming daily more excited, their hatreds more deadly, their determination to succeed or perish, more fixed and immovable."

Captains Speke and Grant, the now famous African travellers, arrive at Portsmouth on board the Pera, and are presented by the Corporation with an address expressive of the pleasure they felt in welcoming travellers "whose recent discoveries have solved the perplexing problem of all ages, by ascertaining the true source of one of the most wonderful rivers on the face of the earth." On the 22d they received a most enthusiastic reception at the Royal Geographical Society, and made a brief. statement of their discoveries.

18.-The King of the Belgians, as arbitrator between the British and Brazilian Governments, in the dispute concerning the arrest, by the guard of Brazilian police stationed at Tijaca, of three officers of the British navy, pronounces his opinion that in the mode in which the laws of Brazil have been applied towards the English officers, there was neither premeditation of offence nor offence given to the British navy.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals obtain a conviction before a bench of magistrates, at Loughborough,

against the Marquis of Hastings, for cock-fighting at Donnington Hall. The Marquis was adjudged to pay the full penalty of 5%. and the three gamekeepers concerned 27. each.

19.-Argued before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the cases of Williams v. the Bishop of Salisbury and Wilson v. Fendall, the appellants in both cases being charged with publishing opinions in the book known as "Essays and Reviews" at variance with the teaching of the Church of England (see Feb. 8, 1864).

Discussion in the House of Lords con. cerning the atrocities committed by Russia in Poland.

22.-The House of Commons resolves to postpone, in the meantime, the discussion of a motion which Mr. Pope Hennessy had given notice of, for an address to the Crown, expressing the regret of the House at learning that the Emperor of Russia had set up a claim to the sovereignty of Poland, which was in violation of the Treaty of Vienna, and praying her Majesty to adopt measures in concert with other Powers which might preserve the legitimate right of Poland, and tend to produce a durable peace.

23.-Carlo Valerio, a tight-rope dancer, killed in Cremorne-gardens by a steel hook giving way, which suddenly slackened the wire on which he was performing, and threw him to the ground among the spectators.

At a meeting of the Shakspeare Committee held in the apartments of the Royal Society of Literature, and presided over by the Duke of Manchester, it was resolved that a national celebration of the three-hundredth birthday of the poet should be held on the 23d April, 1864.

Discussion in the House of Lords on the case of Mary Ann Walkley, who was said to have died from over-work, and from sleeping in a badly ventilated room at a fashionable milliner's in Regent-street.

24. In the Court of Exchequer, the jury return a verdict for the defendants in the case of the Alexandra, seized at Liverpool under the Foreign Enlistment Act. In summing up, the Lord Chief Baron Pollock directed the jury that, if there was to be a conviction under the Act, it must be upon evidence and not suspicion. If they thought the object really was to build a ship in obedience to an order, and in compliance with a contract, leaving those who bought it to make what use of it they thought fit, then it appeared to him that the Foreign Enlistment Act had not been in any degree broken.

24.-The Japanese close their ports against foreign traders.

26. The Guards give a grand ball to the Prince and Princess of Wales in the picturegalleries of the International Exhibition building. The decorations were of surpassing splendour, it being calculated that the gold and silver plate represented a gross value of two millions sterling. The company was limited to 1,400.

-- In answer to Mr. B. Osborne, Mr. Cardwell said that the appointment of a Select Committee to inquire into the present ecclesiastical settlement of Ireland would open a contro versy which had convulsed and disorganized the country.

Died, aged 70, General Sir Joshua Jebb, well known in the annals of prison discipline.

27.--In the case of Dickson v. Combermere and others, charged with conspiring to remove the plaintiff from the command of the 2d Tower Hanilets Militia, the jury return a verdict for the defendants. The case occupied the Queen's Bench over eight days.

The American mail steamer Persia arrives at Liverpool with the intelligence that General Lee had commenced offensive operations against the North by an invasion of the State of Pennsylvania with the army of the Kappahannock.

28.-General Meade supersedes Hooker in the command of the Federal Army of the Potomac.

29. Came on for hearing, in the Court of Queen's Bench, Guildhall, before the Lord Chief Justice and a special jury, the case of Morrison v. Belcher, being a claim of damages for a libel written by the defendant, Admiral Sir Edward Belcher, concerning the plaintiff, a retired naval officer, and editor of the astrological publication known as "Zadkiel's Almanac." Shortly after the death of Prince Albert, Mr. Alderman Humphrey was led to make some observations from his place on the magisterial bench regarding certain prophecies said to be contained in "Zadkiel for 1861. Commenting thereon, a writer in the Telegraph asked: "Who is this 'Zadkiel,' and are there no means of ferreting him out and hauling him up to Bow-street as a rogue and vagabond?" Sir Edward Belcher thereupon addressed a letter to the Telegraph, describing "Zadkiel" as a pretended naval lieutenant, who in 1852 had imposed upon many people with a crystal globe by which he pretended to hold intercourse with spirits. This was the Itel complained of. Witnesses were now adduced to show that, though the plaintiff had visited several houses of note with his magic crystal, he had not received any money for doing so, nor did it appear that he had wilfully deceived anybody. Among those examined were the Earl of Wilton, Sir E. B. Lytton, Lord Harry Vane, the Marchioness of Aylesbury,

In the debate on Mr. Roebuck's motion to recognise the Southern States as an independent Power, the hon. member for Sheffield gave an account of his interview with the Emperor of the French, and of some important declarations made by the Emperor, who gave him authority, he said, to discloso them to the House. The Emperor of the French said: "As soon as I learnt that the rumour of an alteration of my views was circulating in England, I gave instructions to my Ambassador to deny the truth of it. Nay, more; I instructed him to say that my feeling was not, indeed, exactly the same as it was, because it was stronger than ever in favour of recog. nising the South. I told him also to lay before the British Government my understanding and my wishes on this question, and to ask them still again whether they would be willing to join me in that recognition." "Now, Sir," continued Mr. Roebuck, "there is no mistake about this matter. I pledge my veracity that the Emperor of the French told me that. And, what is more, I laid before his Majesty two courses of conduct. I said, 'Your Majesty may make a formal application to England.' He stopped me and said, 'No, I cannot do that; and I will tell you why. Some months ago I did make a formal application to England. England sent my despatch to America. That despatch, getting into Mr. Seward's hands, was shown to my Ambassador at Washington. It came back to me, and I feel that I was ill-treated by such conduct. I will not,' he added, "I cannot, subject myself again to the danger of similar treatment. But I will do everything short of it. I give you full liberty to state to the English House of Commons my wish, and to say to them that I have determined in all things'-(I will quote his words)—'I have determined in all things to act with England; and, more than all things, I have determined to act with her as regards America.' Well, Sir, with this before us, can the Government be ignorant of this fact? I do not believe

it. With this before them, are they not prepared to act in concert with France? Are they afraid of war? War with whom? With the Northern States of America? Why, in ten days, Sir, we should sweep from the sea every ship. (Exclamations of dissent.) Yes, there are people so imbued with Northern feeling as to be indignant at that assertion,

But the truth is known. Why, the Warrior would destroy their whole fleet. Their armies are melting away; their invasion is rolled back; Washington is in danger; and the only fear which we ought to have is, lest the independence of the South should be established without us. "" On the 13th July Mr. Roebuck moved that the order for resuming the debate be discharged.

July 1. - Prince Gortschakoff forwards to the Russian Ambassador in London the Emperor's answer to the representation made on behalf of the Poles by the Courts of London, Paris, and Vienna, as parties to the Treaty of Vienna. He declined to discuss

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in detail the six points placed before Russia, on the plea that the most of them had already either been decreed or were about to be initiated. "If Lord John Russell," he wrote, 'were exactly informed of what passes in the kingdom of Poland, he would know, as we do, that wherever the armed rebellion has striven to acquire substance, to give itself a visible head, it has been crushed. The masses have kept aloof from it, the rural population evinces even hostility to it, because the disorders by which agitators live ruin the industrial classes. The insurrection sustains itself only by a terrorism unprecedented in history. The principle of action of the directing committees from without is, to keep up agitation at all cost, in order to give food for the declamations of the press, to abuse public opinion, and to harass the Governments, by furnishing an occasion and a pretext for a diplomatic intervention which should lead to military action. Desirable as it may be speedily to place a term to the effusion of blood, this object can only be attained by the insurgents throwing down their arms and surrendering themselves to the clemency of the Emperor. Every other arrangement would be incompatible with the dignity of our august master, and with the sentiments of the Russian nation." In any case, the Prince insisted on the re-establishment of order as an indispensable condition, which must precede any serious application of the measures destined for the pacification of the kingdom.

- The Dutch abolish slavery in their West Indian possessions.

Commencement of a series of engagements at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, between the Federal and Confederate armies. The latter, under General Lee, attacked the former, commanded by General Meade, and drove them into a well-defended position on Cemetery Hill, to the south of the town. After a succession of severe onslaughts, the Confederates were defeated on the afternoon of the 2d, and again more seriously on the 3d, on the occasion of a gallant attack by General Pickett on the Federal position. The Confederates thereupon withdrew, leaving about 3,000 prisoners in the hands of General Meade. Vicksburg surrendered the following day.

6.-Public intimation having been made that Lord Barcaple intended to withdraw from the Free Church, in consequence of the Assembly's acquiescence in Dr. Candlish's attack on the Queen for permitting a verse from the Apocrypha to appear on the monument to the Prince Consort at Balmoral, Dr. Candlish now writes to explain that he spoke for himself alone, not for the Assembly, far less for the Church. "And it is scarcely reasonable, I submit, to saddle me with the blame of involving a dumb Assembly in my peculiar treason, and depriving a defenceless Church, on that account, of one of its ornaments and supports. But I must allow that, whatever the learned Judge's mode of punishing one in many and many in one may say for his logic or his law, it speaks volumes for his loyalty. It was relevant," he thought, "to a discussion upon the subject of Popish leanings in influential quarters to adduce as an instance the inscription of an Apocryphal text on the tomb or cairn of a Protestant Prince-a novelty, I am persuaded, in our country's monumental literature, for which it will be hard to find a precedent satisfactory, I say not to a theologian, but even to a mere antiquarian. .. Infidels and latitudinarian divines are simply preparing the way for Rome when they affect or seem to put the Apocrypha on the same footing with the Bible. I cannot get rid of the impression that the Balmoral inscription manifests a tendency in that most dangerous direction. I have said so; and whoever is responsible for it, I must say so still. I say it with the deepest sorrow, if it is the Queen who is responsible; which, however, I do not believe. I say it with indignation, whoever else it may be.”

Debate in the House of Commons concerning an alleged breach of neutrality laws, in permitting British officers to serve in the Chinese army. Lord Palmerston said he could not understand the censure of Lord Naas, who seemed to imply that we were wrong in teaching the Chinese the art of government, of regu lating their finances, of increasing their revenue, and improving their administration. He ad mitted these charges, and claimed credit for them. The House afterwards went into Committee of Supply.

7.-Died at Linden Grove, Bayswater, aged 78, William Mulready, R.A.

10. The Mexican Assembly resolve to adopt an hereditary monarchical government under a Roman Catholic emperor, and to invite the Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, eldest brother of the Emperor of Austria, to accept the imperial title. The provisional government afterwards assumed the style of the "Regency of the Mexican Empire."

13.-Treaty of London, approving of the election of Prince William of Denmark to the throne of Greece, signed by England, France, and Russia,