The Week.

some persons as to its operation . Ono thing every one believed it would do , and that is to push education forward . The ritualism commissioners have made their first report . It is very short . They state that none of the witnesses who ivere examined believe the use of vestments to be essential , and they recommend that the use of them should be restrained by some easy and

effectual means which parishioners are to call into force . AVhat those means aro we are not told . The convict George Britten , condemned for the murder of his wife at AA oolverton , near Frome , was hanged at Taunton on the 29 th ult . He struggled fearfully after thc drop fell . There was a large crowd of people to witness the execution . The prosecution by the

Post Office of a man for delivering circulars was also resumed at the Bow-street Police-court . Mr . Manuel Eyre , who had employed the man to deliver the circulars , was represented by counsel . Mr . Eyre had founded a company the object of which was to deliver circulars at a cheap rate . This delivery the Post-office authorities contend is a breach of thc Post-office

Acts . Counsel for Mr . Eyre argued that the circulars were not letters , but merely advertisements , and therefore did not come under the prohibition of the Post-office Acts . Sir Thomas Henry held that thoy were letters within tho meaning of the Acts , and he fined the defendant £ 5 . Answering a remark made by Mr . Eyre ' s counsel , Sir Thomas Henry said that

the Commissionaires , ancl any one who , in a similar manner to them , delivered letters , were liable to a like penalty . The funeral of the late Duke of Northumberland took place on the 30 th ult . at AYcstmhister Abbey . The ceremony was , in obedience to the wish of the deceased nobleman , of a simple character . The service was impressively read by the Kev . Canon Hawkins , D . D . Along the route of the procession but few persons had assembled , but within the Abbey there was a

large concourse of mourners and sympathetic spectators . Many alarmist statements have been made within tlie last few days as to tho condition of the atmosphere in tho underground parts of the Metropolitan Kailvay . These statements are , no doubt , mainly sensational . Unfortunately , they have received some colour from the fact that one or two persons subject to

bronchial affections have died on the line . Another case of this kind came under the notice of Dr . Lancaster , as coroner , on the 30 th ult . A woman who had complained of pain before she took her seat in a train on the line died before she got to the end of the journey . A medical witness declined to say that death had been accelerated by the foul air in the tunnels , and

the inquest was adjourned for an examination to bo made . Mr-Fenton , the manager of the company , declared there was no foundation for the statements as to the condition of the line . The servants of the company were , he said , more healthy than those employed by the Great AA estern Railway Company on their line . It is to be sincerely hoped that

a full and careful inquiry will be made into tlie matter David Jackson , tho man who is charged with forging Union Bank ofVScotland notes , was brought up again at tho Mansion Houso . It seems clear that a gigantic system of fraud was nearly completed when tho prime mover in it was arrested . Tho polico appear to havo been aware of what was going on from tho first

stop taken by tho would-be forgers . Jackson was committed for trial . Mr . Dillwyn has been explaining to bis constituents his conduct during tho last session of Parliament . The } - do not seem to havo altogether approved of his intrigues with Colonel Taylor . But ho succeeded apparently in satisfying them , and won a , voto of thanks beforo the mooting closed . A very serious accident

happened on tbo 31 st ult . at Chatham . Tho caisson which shut out tho water from tho dry dock in which her Majesty ' s ship Beacon was being repaired , suddenly yielded to tho pressure , aud

tho water burst into tbo dock . Tho " Beacon was floated , and much damage was done , Fortunately no lives were lost . It is announced , with somo show of authority , that tho Yicoroy of Egypt has not promised to furnish 5 , 000 camels for our Abyssinian oxpodition . AA o aro to find thorn ourselves whore wo can . Tho preparations for tbo oxpodition aro boing pushed forward "

Somo of tho ships which havo boon taken up for transport service will sail on tho 10 th inst . An inquest was hold on tho 2 nd inst . at Bothlohom Hospital on tho body of Miss Mary Anno Cornwall , la to an inmate of tho asylum . Tho unfortunate lady was suffering from religious mania , and had mado many attempts on her own life . She was carefully watched , but she contrived to obtain some lucifer matcheswith one of which she set fire

, to hor dress . Before the fire could be extinguished she was so severely burnt that death ensued . There seemed to be some tendency on tbe part of the jury to complain of the nonrestraint of suicidal patients in the hospital , but the medical officer said the system of removing restraints had had the happiest effects . Since it has been adopted it is stated that the number of suicides in the institution has diminished by eighty

per cent . The National Temperance League held their annual feto at thc Crystal Palace on the 3 rd inst . Notwithstanding the unpropitious weather of the morning the fete was attendee ! by about 30 , 000 persons , nearly a third of tbat number having arrived from tlie provinces . It was announced that Mr . W . Lloyd Garrison would attend . Being on tbe Continent he was unable to do so , but a letter full of sound and

wholesome advice was read from him , and warmly received . The proceedings of the clay were not marred by a single hitch , ancl may be taken as significant index of the progress of temperance in our time . Lieutenant Brand , R . N ., of Morant Baynotoriety , has not been allowed to suffer long for his gross impertinence to Mr . Buxton , M . P ., and his conduct generally . He hasit seemsbeen appointed to the Irresistible

screw-, , steam coastguard-ship at Southampton for service in tender . A jury at the Surrey Sessions , on the 3 rd inst ., behaved in a singular manner . They retired to their room to consider their verdict in a case which had been tried before them . Another vary was sworn , and tlie first was nearly forarotten . when an

officer came into court with a strange statement . Several of the jury who were supposed to be locked up were , he said , smoking their pipes comfortably on the roof of their room . It was then half-past four o ' clock , and the jury had been out of court some three hours . The officer was told to order the smokers down from their exalted seats . He did so ; they were locked into their room , and soon afterwards found a verdict . A shocking murder was committed on the 3 rd inst . in tlie Kent-road . In a

house there a currier named Bourdier cohabited with a woman named Emma Snow . A little before six o ' clock he got out of bed , and , taking up a sharp knife , cut the woman ' s throat . She was able to stagger upstairs to her aunt and tell her what had happened , and then she died . Bourdier , when he had cut the woman ' s throat , went into another room where his little daughter was sleeping , and seizing her by the throat looked

intently in her face and then bade her lie down again . Beyond doubt he had meditated murdering her also . He was soon afterwards taken into custody . He admitted that he had killed Emma Snow , and said he was obliged to do it . Letters found on him show that he had intended to kill himself and the children also . He was brought up at the Lambeth Police-court and remanded . The members for Oxfordshire have been

speaking to some of their constituents at the dinner of an agricultural society at Bicester . Mr . Henley discoursed chiefly on Reform , aud congratulated his hearers on the passing of the Reform Bill . After fourteen years' playing with the business he had been resolved that , as far as he was concerned , there should be no more humbug about the matter , and he gladly supported a measure which promised a long settlement of the

question . Speaking of education , Mr . Henley repeated his theories about what agricultural labourers need to be taught . Colonel North and Colonel Fane both spoke of the Reform Bill , but very doubtfully , and with the tone of tears in their words . Colonel Fane declared that Mr . Henley had more to do with the passing the bill than anyone else . Mr . Gladstone was present on the 4 th inst ., at a meeting iu Wales in behalf of the Society

for the Propagation of the Gospel . The right hon . gentleman made a long and interesting speech , in which he strongly advocated the claims of the society , ancl urged the duty of England to propagate the gospel .