The Week.

firmed by the Bishop of Lincoln . The motion was agreed to , Lord Grauville , however , expressing his belief that the case was not so bad as represented by Lord Shaftesbury . —The Marquis of Westmeath , who appears to have taken the Protestant faith under his special protection , raised a short discussion on Mr-Wagner ' s objection to break the " seal of confession , " at Trowbridge , and on the alleged excessive ritualism by which the

services at some of the metropolitan churches are marked . Several bills were advanced a stage . On Monday , the grievances of the Indian officers formed the subject of a discussion , in the course of which Lord Dufferin ( the Under Secretary for India ) stated that a commission would be appointed to enquire how far the recommendations of the previous

Commission had been carried out . In reply to a question from Lord Wicklow , Lord Granville said tlie Government had under consideration the subject of a more thorough checking of the accounts of the public departments . —Lord Houghton asked whether the Government intended to withdraw the " concession" of belligerent rights to the Confederate States . Lord

Russell said there never had been any " concession "—it was a matter of right from the moment the blockade of the Southern coast was proclaimed . It was impossible , he said , to answer Lord Houghton ' s question until they saw what course the Government of Washington intended to take . On Tuesday , tho Duke of Somerset , in reply to a question , said it was

proposed to abolish the rank of Master in the royal navy—a measure strongly objected to by Lord Hardwicke . The Utilisation of Sewage Bill was read a second time , and several other measures advanced a stage . In the HOUSE OF COJOIOSS on Thursday , the 11 th , on the order for going into Committee on the Union Chargeability Bill , Mr . Bentinck moved tiiat it be an instruction to the

Committee , with a view to rendering the working of the system of Union chargeability more just and equal , to facilitate in certain cases the alteration of the limits of existing Unions . Mr . Packo seconded the motion , and an animated debate ensued . Upon a division , the motion of Mr . Bentinck was negatived by 193 to US . —Mr . Thompson then moved that the Bill he referred to a select committee , which was seconded by Mr .

Ferrand , and another debate ensued . On a division , the motion for adjournment was negatived by 174 to SO . —Mr . Lygon then moved the adjournment of the House . This was negatived , but subsequently the debate was adjourned until Monday next . The other business on tho paper was disposed of , and the House adjourned . On Friday Mr . Cave called attention to the

allowance to postmasters in respect of Post-Odiee Savings Banks , and moved that , in the opinion of this House , it is neither just nor expedient that labour and responsibility should be imposed upon public servants without adequate remuneration . —Mr . Ayrton said there had been a loss of G 0 , O 0 G 7 . on Government Savings' Banks , and therefore they ought not to encourage any

additional expenditure on their behalf . —Mr . Peel thought it was reasonable that persons should receive additional remuneration for additional duties , but that was now done under the Post-Office Savings' Bank system , but it was not desirable that post-masters should have an interest in larger as against smaller deposits . After some discussion the matter dropped . The

House went into Supply , which occupied the rest of tho sitting . ¦ On Monday Mr . Whalley gave notice of his intention to move for a select committee , to inquire into the manner in which the services at St . Paul's Church , Brighton , are conducted by Mr . Wagner , the clergyman to whom Miss Constance Kent made her terrible confession . Mr . Ferrand asked whether Mr . H . S . Wilde , lately registrar of the Leeds Bankruptcy Court , was called upon to resign his oflice , and , having refused , was

then " informed that if he would resign at once and obtain a medical certificate he should have a pension of 6002 . a . year , although he was then iu a good state of health ; " whether the medical certificate was obtained and the pension granted ; whether Mr . Wilde was not succeeded by Mr . Welch , who was then in a precarious state of health ; and whether it was not arranged that Mr . Welch should hold the appointment until the outlawry

of the Hon . Richard Bethell was reversed . The Attorney-General replied that Mr . Wilde was not called on to resign , hut to answer some complaints of irregularities—not , however , amounting to " personal or pecuniary defalcation "—iu his office . The Chief Registrar was informed that Mr . Wilde ' s health was not good , and he was allowed to resign on a pension of - £ 600

upon his own petition , supported by a medical certificate . As to the charge of Mr . Welch having been appointed as a mere warming-pan for the convenience of Mr . Bethell , it was explained that his appointment took place in July J while the Lord . Chancellor ' s heir was not outlawed until December . Mr . Welch had been strongly recommended to the Lord Chancellor by the

late Sir William Atherton and other members of the Northern , Circuit ; and his lordship was not aware that he was in a delicate state of health . When Mr . Bethell resigned the registrarship in London , the Lord Chancellor positively refused to transfer him to Leeds , and to give the appointment to Mr . Welch . — Mr . White put a question relative to the Confederate States

similar to that addressed to the Government by Lord Houghton in the Upper House ; and Lord Palmerston ' s reply was of course to the same effect as Lord Russell ' s . —The debate on the Union Chargeability Bill was resumed by Mr . Henley , who strongly opposed the measure . He was followed by Mr . Bruce , Mr . Peacocke , and other members . Ultimately , the hill was allowed to go into Committee by a majority of 266 to 93 . On

Tuesday , Lord Ilartington , in reply to Mr . Hussoy Vivian , said the Government had not yet come to any definite decision on the subject of converting Enfield rifles into breech-loaders . In reply to Lord Stanley , Mr . Cardwell said no fresh war had broken out at Lagos . The recent hostilities were merely a continuation of the old dispute , and were justified on the ground

that an invasion of British territory was threatened . The Attorney-General stated , in reply to a question from Mr . Cox , that it was hopeless to expect to pass a bill this session for the amendment of the patent laws . Tho hon . and learned gentleman also slated that he bad received a letter from Mr . Welch confirming the . accuracy of the explanation he gave on the

previous day respecting the appointment of that gentleman to the registrarship of the Leeds Bankruptcy Court . A discussion was raised by Mr . Arthur Mills upon the regulations for the examination of candidates for the Indian Civil Service . Lord Stanley , among other members , urged that the present system required reform , while Sir Charles Wood stated that

effortswere being made to obviate the most objectionable results of a scheme which necessarily led to a good deal of what is known as " cramming . " The House was counted out during a discussion on bankruptcy law reform . On Wednesday , Mr . Monsell moved the seconding reading of the bill for the repeal of the oaths which the Irish Roman Catholics consider so "

obnoxious . " Mr . Lefroy moved as an amendment that the bill be read a second time that day six months ; and he found a seconder iu the member for Peterborough . Sir George Grey and another member of the Government—Mr . Chichester Fortescue—supported the bill , which was opposed by Mr . Whiteside and Mr . Walpole . After some further discussion the House divided , when the second reading was carried by a majority of 5 G . The numbers were 190 for , and 13-1 against . GENUAL HOME NEWS . —The health of the country is still