The Week.

AVhen the prisoner was brought out to be pinioned he wrestled with the turnkeys , and the pinioning had to be done while he was held down on the ground . AVhen he got to the scaffold he refused to stand under the beam , and after much struggling in the sight of tho crowd , he was held in position until the rope was adjusted and the bolt drawn . The scene was horrible .

FOBEIGN INTELLIGENCE . —The Paris journals assure us that there will be no war about Luxemburg , for that a peaceful solution of the difficulty is about to be found . The Ltendard says that this is not to be effected by the neutralisation of the Grand Duchy . Such a proposition , it declares , will have no chance of being accepted on either side of the Rhine . Our Berlin

correspondent says that the opinion there is that although war may he averted for the moment , it is certain to come . Count Bismarck is anxious for peace , anel believes in the chapter of accidents for its maintenance . Count von Molfke , on the other hand , would prefer immediate war , forthe very sufficient reason that he believes Prussia , in her present state of preparedness ,

would have three chances to one over France . In his opinion , if the war be postponed till next year , France will be quite ready , and then the chances would be rather against Prussia . This , of course , is only gossip . But we may be sure—that if Count Bismarck wills peace , peace there will be . No time is beinglostin tbe consolidation of Germany . The Bavarians have

given further proofs of their satisfaction with the treaty which makes them one with the North German States . On her side , Prussia is anxious to have the changes made in her constitution bv the North German Parliament ratified . For this purpose the convocation of the Prussian Chambers is to he hastened as much as possible . Hesse-Darmstadt bas placed itself in respect to Prussia in the same position as Saxony . There have been , it seems , rumours that Russia and Prussia are

in negotiation for tho transfer to the latter of all Poland to the Vistula . The North German Gazette declares that these reports are untrue , and adds that they are only put into circulation for the purpose of inciting the French against Prussia . Austria having apparently got Hungary satisfactorily settled , finds a new difficulty with Bohemia . There has been something very

like a row in the Bohemian Diet . Not less than ninet y of the members , after protesting against certain irregularities in the late elections , threw up their posts , and left the Chamber . Then followed such a scene of commotion that the President had to order the galleries to be cleared . Spain seems to be in a frightful condition . Everyone who ventures in any way to

question tbe acts of the Government is punished immeeliatelv . Five ofthe magistrates of the Superior Tribunal who had , in the Senate , voted in favour of the motion expressing regret at the measures taken hy the Government against Marshal Serrano , have been lemovod from their office . The Minister of the Interior , Gonzales Bravo , has not only justified the Government

, but declared that the repressive measures will be continued as long as the opposition to the Government continues . The value of the telegrams from Constantinople , as to the Cretan insurrection , may be judged of by the news latel y published . ~ We have been assured , times out of count , that the insurrection has been put down . "Yet weliavc a telegram from Athens which

not only speaks of the insurrection as successful , but adds that the Cretan National Assembly has proclaimed religious toleration , the equal rights of Turks and Christians , and security for the property of both . Oddly enough , Constantinople bears testimony partly confirmatory of this news . A telcram from there says that Omar Pasha has left with 1 , 500 picked men for Crete , to strike a decisive blow at the insurrection . If the insurrection were put clown , why should it need a decisive blow '

The telegram adds that when Omar Pasha ' s mission to Crete is accomplished he will proceed to take the command of the Turkish army on the Greek frontiers . AVe strongly suspect that if he does not go to the Greek frontiers until he has put down the Cretan insurrection , he will not get there for some time yet to come . The report grows stronger that the Luxemburg

question is likely to be settled peaceably . The manner of the settlement is curious . It is that the Duchy shall be annexed to Belgium . It is said that England has proposed this , and that Russia and Austria approve of it . The story is extremely improbable . Another equally improbable report is raised by an article in the Lebats , the effect of which is that Prussia

covets Holland , and is likely to annex that kingdom . In all probability , no such idea has ever occurred to Prussia . Tho Germans do not want Holland ; but thoy are dotorminod not to allow Franco to have Luxemburg . Tho South German papers ,, whilo pointing out that if war wore to onsuo between France and Prussia their country would bo tho chief battlo-fiold , doclaro that

no Gorman will over for a moment listen to a proposal for Prussia to evacuate tho fortress of Luxemburg . AVo learn by telegraph that tho Italian Senate , sitting as a High Court of Justice , has found Admiral Porsano guilty of disobedience , incapacity , and nogligonco . Ho is condemned to retire from the service , to bo degraded from tho rank of admiral , and to pay the costs of the

trial . This is a heavy punishment . At tho revolution in Hayti , tho success of the conspiracy arose from the unwillingness of President Goffrard to consent to any further effusion of blood . It does not seem clear that tho insurgents had any special grievance domanding redress ; on tho contrary , tho proclamation of the Provisional Government is singularly vague . But although

President Goffrard , after having triumphed over so many plots , has at last abandoned tho field to Ms adversaries from a chivalrous desire to prevent a further sacrifice of tho lives of his countrymen , it will bo impossible to blot out the record of a Govornmont which , according to tho testimony of ovory

woll-mformod English traveller , has been singularly wise ,. moderate , and successful for a period of ten years There is no definite information in reference to Luxemburg . It is clear , however , that the assurances given by the French papers that a satisfactory solution was probable , do not find much belief in France . The Avenir National , which told of extensive war preparationsand the movements of great

-, quan tities of war material to the eastern frontiers of France is , it seems , to be prosecuted for publishing false news . But the same story is told by several other French papers , and it appears to be the merest affectation to pretend that in the way of war preparation nothing particular is going on . AVe publish a story to which a contemporary gives currency . It is that France has sounded Austria as to the course she would take

should war break out between France and Prussia . Baron von Bnest is reported to have replied that Austria would remain neutral until she saw which Power offered her the best terms , and then she would take sides . This is very unlikel y to be true . There is , however , no doubt that the Austrian press speaks of Prussia in anything but kindly terms . The Paris Presse says that there are rumours of the resignation of Count

Bismarck , in consequence of differences of opinion between him and the King . The latter , says tho French paper , is unwilling to accept tlie evacuation of Luxemburg in " principle . Of course , tlie inference is , that Count Bismarck is willing to consent to the evacuation in principle , anel that is a thingwhicli we cannot believe . The whole story is most likely a fabrication . Signor Ratazzihas made a speech in the Italian

Chambers , in which he appears to have been intentionall y vague with reference to the composition and policy of his-Ministry . On most general principles , however , Signor Ratazzi will walk in the footsteps of his predecessor . He will insist upon maintaining the September Convention , and resist all but the most necessary measures for centralising power in the hands of the Government . His financial policy yet remains te be disclosed .