The Week.

supplied them witli ammunition . —Lord Palmerston , in reply _ said he feared that Prussia was now playing the same game she played during the great revolt of 1831 , when she materially assisted Russia in quelling the insurrection . —The House now stands adjourned for the AVhitsnn holidays . GENERAL HOME NEWS . —The mortality in the metropolis

continues high , but it is subsiding . The returns for last week amounted to 1350 , ivhich was about 100 below the number reported for the first week in May . It is , however , 130 above the estimated average , so that London is still a good way off -from its normal state of health . The deaths from small-pox ¦ are falling-off , bnt they are still above 60 in the week . The

births were 1875 , which is about , though slightly under , the estimated average . The Convocation of the Province of Canterbury re-assembled at AVestuiinster on Tuesday . The Upper house did little beyond voting an address to the Prince and Princess of Wales on their marriage , and receiving petitions on and discussing the Colenso heresey . In the Lower House

the report of the committee appointed at the last sitting to -examine and report upon Bishop Colenso ' s books was presented . It was of great length , and summed up by describing Dr . Celcnso ' s views as mischievous and dangerous . The report was adopted . The Upper House of Convocation of the Province of Canterbury was engaged on AVednesday in a discussion in

reference to Bishop Colenso ' s book . An answer to the report of the Lower House on the subject was proposed hy the Bishop of AVinchester . This answer declared the book to he dangerous in character and suhsersive of faith in the Bible , but added that as their lordships had reason to believe that it would be shortly submitted to the judgment of an ecclesiastical court they declined to further action in the matter . The Bishop of St . David's objected to the declaration as to the dangerous

character of the book on the ground that no reasons were given for the conclusion arrived at . The Bishop of Salisbury objected to the second part of the answer , on the ground that convocation ought not to wait for the action of an ecclesiastical court before proceeding in the matter . Eventually the answer was apopted . A meeting of the members of the National Rifle Association was held last week , at AVillis's Rooms , the Duke of

Cambridge in the chair . The discussion related chiefly to the forthcoming rifle competition at AVimbledon , ivhich is fixed for the 18 th of July . For the Queen ' s prize 920 competitors had 'already entered . There is to be an Alexandra prize , instituted in honour of the Princess of AVales , to he shot for with rifles of the Government pattern , and generally the propriety of

encouraging the use of the Enfield rifle was admitted . Sir Roderick Murchison has received a letter from Captain Speke , in which that intrepid explorer announces that the great lake is unquestionably the main source of the Nile . Sir Roderick is also able to inform the numerous friends of Mr . Consul Petherick in this country that that gentlemen and his wife , who

were some time ago reported to have been drowned in crossing a river , joined Captain Speke and Grant on the 23 rd of February . The landowners and other inhabitants of Radnorshire have detremined to perpetuate the memory of Sir G . C . Lewis in some tangible form . It is also proposed to erect a memorial of the deceased statesmen at Hereford .

Mr . AVestern AVood , who was elected member for the City of London only a year or two ago , died on Monday morning , at liis country seat in Kent . The hon . member was in the 59 th year of his age . We regret to hear that Lord Clyde has been seriously , and even dangerously ill . The latest account of the . gallant veteran's condition is that "he may almost be pronounced cut of danger . " The great domestic event of Wednesday was a piece of business ivhich was got through in about three

minutes—the race for the Derby . The weather was not particularly favourable for al fresco holiday making , hut Epsom Downs was thronged , as is usual on the Derby Day , with " all sorts and conditions of mem , " women and children . The Prince of AVales and Prince Louis of Hesse , were among the thousands who witnessed the triumph of Maccaroni . On the 9 th inst ., as we gather from the weekly returns of Mr . Farnall , 182 , 564

persons were receiving parochial in the 27 unions affected by the cotton famine— -a decrease of 5 , 071 as compared with the previous week , but an increase of 275 per cent , as compared with the corresponding period in 1861 . The average per centage of pauperism on the populations of the unions referred to on the 9 th hist , was 9-2 , whereas in 1861 it was 2-4 . The balance held

hy the Central Relief Committee amounts to about £ 330 , 000 . The Corporation of Blackburn has adopted a memorial to the Government , praying that the necessary steps may be taken by legislative enactment or otherwise , for enabling the borough to borrow £ 70 , 000 at a low rate of interest , in order that the local authorities may at once proceed with the execution of

publie works of utility , and thus give employment to a large number of cotton operatives who are now supported either out of the poor rates or by public benevolence . The Town Council of Stockport has followed the example of the Corporation of Blackburn . The Lord Mayor has tendered his resignation as Major of the London Rifle Brigade . It seems that Lieutenant

Colonel AVarde has proposed that the lieutenant-colonelcy of the 2 nd battalion of the brigade should be given to the Hon . AV . S . Knox , M . P ., and this propossal meets . with the support of the members of the brigade . The Lord Mayor and his friends consider that as major of the the battalion he is entitled to the lieutenant-colonelcy , and as he is to he passed over he resigns his commission . ¦

The launch of an iron-cased vessel , built for the Russian service from a Russian design , took place at the Thames Iron Works and Shipbuilding Yard , Blackwall , on Tuesday . She is named the Peroenetz , or " Firstling , " and she is tho first iron-clad ship in the Russian navy . That Government appears to have made a good start in her design . To take only one of her qualities —she draws 14 feet of water , ivhich is lighter than any ship

in the English iron-cased fleet except the Enterprise , and she is only one-third the size . The nearest approach to her in size is the Royal Sovereign , now converting on Cowper Coles ' principle , hut she is calculated to draw 22 feet of water . It will he seen , therefore , that the Russian designer has shown great skill in his plans . Our readers will probably remember

the curious trial , where a Miss Annie Russell prosecuted Mr . Adams , the surgeon , for breach of promise of marriage , but . ivhich failed , as the evidence chiefly rested in certain professional visits that Miss Russell and her mother had requested him to make . The sequel of the case has been brought out in the Bankruptcy Court , Bliss Russell , as a bankrupt , having

sued for her release . The principal creditors opposed to her were Mr . Adams for his taxed costs in the case , and her own solicitor . It appears that the mother of Miss Russell has also become a bankrupt . An unusual incident occurred on Saturday at the Southwark Police-court , when three constables were convicted of making use of their position to extort money .

It appears that the keeper of a public-house , who had been convicted of allowing disorder under his management , was waited upon by the officers , who offered for a consideration to get his licence quietly transferred to another party . They denied the charge , but the magistrate held it to he proved , ancl sentenced them to imprisonment ; hut the severer punishment will be dismissal from the force . An adjourned inquest upon the body of Mr . Doggett , a wealthy ironmonger , who resided ia