The Week.

critical—that they are like to those pointed at m a passage in the Apocalypse . He prayed that the Queen might select one worthy to fill the place of the late Premier . Viscount Sidney presided on Saturday last at the opening of an industrial exhibition in the Painted Hall , Greenwich Hospital . There was a grand performance of music , and the proceedings were interesting . The alleged Fenians , are , it appears , seeking to

turn the law against the Government officials . They assert that the conduct of the Irish Executive in seizing , tbeJtrish People is unconstitutional and illegal ; and they have applied to the law courts in Dublin for writs against the Lord Lieutenant and Sir Thomas Larcom , and they seek to put formal interrogatories to Mr . Stronge , the committing magistrate .

Tlle hearing of the ease against the Halls for conspiring to wrong Mdnie . Valentin was resumed at Mnrlborough-street Police-court on Saturday last . Mr . Ribton addressed Mr . Knox at great length on behalf of the accused , but Mr . Frederic Hall , who alone appeared , was committed for trial , bail being accepted for him . A man calling himself Gastaldi , who had

been committed for trial for burglary at the Earl of Fife's , has hanged himself in the House of Detention . He made a noose with his handkerchief , and having passed it round his neck , he contrived to fasten tbe free end to the window-sill . Shortly afterwards he was found dead . The prisoner seems to have been a burglar for a long time . We regret to announce that

Mr . Justice Crompton died on Monday morning . Mr . Lush who is to succeed him on the bench , was sworn in . Mr . Arthur Otway , the Liberal member for Chatham , was' entertained at a banquet in the Lecture Hall at that place on Monday . Mr . Tribe , the Mayor of Chatham , presided . - Mr . Otway in responding to the toast of his health , spoke in high terms of Earl Russell , andjexpressed his strong conviction that tbe

Ministry would bring in a Reform Bill . 'Ihe proceedings altogether were of a genial character . A most destructive fire has taken place in a series of great warehouses known as Real ' s AVharf , near to London Bridge , and close to the place where the great fire took place a few years ago . On Monday early in the morning ifc was discovered that the warehouse

was on fire , and the brigade soon got to work . It became clear , however , that the flames had got too strong a hold to be easily suppressed , and it wasivitb difficulty they were prevented from spreading to the adjoining buildings . A very large quantity of tea has been destroyed , and the damage altogether is estimated at £ 180 , 000 . It is believed that the fire must have

been smouldering throughout Suiidny . A report comes to us from Scotland which contains painful evidence of the dangers of a fisherman ' s life on that rugged coast . On Wednesday , the 25 th ult ., while the haddock fishing . boats on the Dornoch Firth were at sea they were exposed to a sudden storm , and two entire crews , to the number of thirteen men , perished .

Earl Russell publishes in Tuesday night's Gazelle a despatch which be has written to our Consul in Egypt , in reference to the Abyssinian prisoners . His lordship traces the history of our connection with Abyssinia with a view of relieving the Government from blame on account of the manner in which they have dealt with the imprisonment of Mr . Cameron . He

denies that England has ever behaved unfairly to Abyssinia . What she has ever held in view lias boon the extension of her commerce . As to Mr . Cameron , while his lordship does not believe he ever incited the Egyptians against Abyssinia , he went to Bogos without orders , and lias been blamed for it . Lord Russell hopes that Mr . Rassam's mission will procure the

release of Mr . Cameron , who will be kept out of mischief in Abyssinia in future by being employed elsewhere . Lord Russell finishes by declaring that those who think England

ought to interfere in behalf of Abyssinia , because it is Christian , against Egypt and Turkey , because they are Mahommedan , are not in the least likely to have their wishes gratified . England , his lordship says , has obligations various and heavy enough " without undertaking so costly , hazardous , and . unprofitable a protectorate . " An explosion , far more serious in the loss of

life and injury to property it has occasioned than that of the Erith gunpowder magazines , took place on Tuesday at the gas-works of the London Gaslight Company , Nine Elms . Tbe men employed on the works had just returned from their dinner , and were fully employed in the different parts of tbe establishment , when the explosion took place . A meter-house was

blown into the air , and almost at the same moment a huge gasometer exploded . The damage was fearful . Many of the men were buried in the ruins and killed ; others were knocked down and bruised by the flying debris . The bouses near were shaken , so that every pane of glass in them was broken , and inside partition walls were thrown down . Farther oft' damage of

a similar kind was done , and the shock of the explosion was felt miles away from the gas-works . As soon as possible attention was paid to the sufferers . Ifc is impossible to say as yet how many men aro killed . Seven bodies ifc is stated have been taken from the ruins , and it is feared there are several more still buried . The wounded were mosfc numerous .

They were taken in cabs to hospitals and private houses and received every attention . Two men died in the hospital . The cause of the explosion is not known . On Tuesday tlva branch line of the North London Railway , extending from Dalston-lane to Broad-street , was formally inspected by a party of directors anil other gentlemen . The trial trip went off satisfactorily , and a banquet terminated the proceedings . The line was opened on AVednesday . The dilatoriness

of the Corporation of the City in respect to the Smithfield dead meat market is rousing the indignation of some of the citizens . On Tuesday there was a meeting convened by tbe churchwardens of St . Sepulchre's where the matter was very freely discussed . Mr . Torrens , M . P . for Finsbury , presided . Several of the speakers described the Corporation in

anything but complimentary terms , and comparisons which must have been especially odious to the civic dignitaries were made between them in their coporate capacity and tho Metropolitan Board of AVorks . A resolution was passed to the effect that tbe construction of the market ought to be transferred to the Board of AVorks , and a deputation was appointed

to wait upon the Home Secretary to induce him to take steps to transfer the work to the Metropolitan Board . The gale on the east coast last week did much damage . A seaman has been landed at Yarmouth , who states that he was one of the crew of the French fishing lugger Victorine , which was driven on to a sandbank , and twenty-one men were washed

overboard and drowned . On Tuesday there were several disastrous fires , one at Gravesend being of considerable magnitude . Richmond Theatre was in some danger on Monday night , but the fire was fortunately confined to the stage , and , as the audience retained their self-possession , nobody was hurt . Sir Edward Cust has virtually admitted his error in presiding on

the bench and passing sentence on a labouring man who was charged with stealing his dog by having procured tbe immediate liberation of the prisoner . We are glad to be able to report so prompt an act of reparation . The Mayor of Oxford gave a grand banquet on Monday evening , at which the members for the city and county of Oxford were present . All the speakers

spoke in terms of great regret of tho death of Lord Palmerston . Mr . Cardwell made the death of the late Premier the staple of his speech , and Mr . Neate , Mr . Henley , the Earl of Abingdon ,