NEWS:OF - THE 'WEEK.

WNrrstrsriDE has been rendered peculiarly happy as a holiday. making season, by the casual circumstances of the day. The Parliamentary session was of a kind easy to be suspended for a brief period without great interruption to public business ; the means of transit have been developed to an extraordinary degree, for railway companies are anxious ta, make the most of their machinery ; houses of entertainment have been multiplied at ,every conspicuous station ; and no Whitsuntide has ever exhibited such an extraordinary amount of locomotion, of out-door holiday-making, and of human oiroulation. The weather was splendid ; the working classes had, upon the whole, rather an unusual amount of money in their pockets, at the same time that quite lately a certain relaxation in trade rendered idleness less difficult than it might have been at a still better season.

But the time is more contrasted with past seasons than it is even in those casual circumstances. The visit of the Duke of Cambridge to Birmingham has been mentioned, and justly mentioned, as affording a prominent example of the extraordinary change that has happened in the country since Birmingham concentrated notice on itself. Twenty-five years ago, "the whisper of a faction" roused that iron town to declare its mind, which materially helped the more conspicuous Reformers to carry Lord Grey's Bill through both Houses of Parliament. In this year, "the upper ten" of this country are seen presenting a new park to Birmingham for the delectation of its working classes. The Queen's near relation goes down from the Horse Guards on purpose to enjoy the honour of opening the ground to the public ; and he does it with an unaffected address on the policy of providing the people with the means of healthy recreation. In 1857 we have exchanged the tumultuary meetings for Valthorpe Park, and the two scenes fairly enough symbolize the great political and social change that has happened in the intervaL

The meeting to celebrate the retirement of Mr. Ferrer from the representation of South Durham presents the other side of the picture, but it is not much less interesting. The Duke of Cleveland was the principalApokesman ; p4e may be said to have accepted for his party the reduced ccreufances, the humbler position, in which the progress of the world has left them. He indorsed Mr. Disraeli's idea ot nut opposing the Reform Bill of 1858, but of endeavouring to insert into it provisions favourable to the Conservative idea of progress. He is particularly anxious that the minority should be represented, foreseeing that his own party will be in the minority ; and therefore he is very favourable to Lord John Russell's plan of giving three Members to a county and Only ,two votes to each elector. But while advocating certain extensions of the franchise, the Duke entirely sets his face against the ten-pound occupancy franchise, and he explains why. He is for giving the franchise to the curate or the railway clerk of 1001. or 50/. income, but he dreads the admission of the journeyman carpenter ; though he does not explain why the carpenter of 100/. or 501. income has not as fair a

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chance of being an honest or intelligent man in political matters as some railway clerks or even curates. These views of the Duke of Cleveland were well received by. the Conservative company at the dinner ; Lord Adolphus Vane Tempest throwing in his word to prove that the Conservatives—they no longer like to be called "Tories "—are more popular and less " oligarchical " than the Whigs. Lord Adolphus protests, as a Conservative against being called "a milestone—immoveable." These worthy gentlemen,thus accepting reforms which would have once been called rather extensive, unquestionably act as tide-posts, showing the level to which common opinion is rising.

Disappointing both kinds of Cross reports that have anticipated his movements, the Grand Duke Constantine of Russia has not abstained from visiting this country, though he has not paid any visit "worth speaking of." He made his appearance at Osborne on Saturday, coming direct from Cherbourg, which he had inspected as minutely as he had examined other French ports and arsenals. The Royal residence was the only place at which he landed on our side : there he passed a few hours ; and among the entertainments provided for him was a short trip in the Royal steamer on Sunday, from which he was able to survey the shipping in the Portsmouth waters and the ()oasts of England; but he slept on shore only one night, and departed before the rest of the world was fairly astir on Monday morning. Instead of visiting England, therefore, the Grand Duke has only had a glimpse, not even a superficial survey. The hasty nature of this visit confirms the report which prevailed for some time that he would not come at all, but would return to the North without having so much as exchanged bows. If the report originated in his own unwillingness to come' or in the default of any pressing invitation to bring him, his determination has been overruled. It may be inferred that the host whose hospitality he has been enjoying so long, and as intimately as if he 'were at home, had pointed out the necessity of at least leaving his card ; and accordingly the Grand Duke has left his card at Oshorne..

The French Government has issued its mandate to the departments for the election of members to the Corps Legislatif ; and the proceeding has at least the merit of perfect openness. No dictation was ever more completely stripped of anything like a. veil. Addressing himself to the Prefeots of the departments, M. Billault, the Minister of the Interior, states that Government will nominate most of the members of the late Corps for election : with regard to some, they will not be proposed again ; but it is intimated that any members in opposition may be brought forward with impunity. How far this impunity is to be carried into effect, we can only infer from certain known circumstances. In the late Chamber there were some members who did not give their absolute fiat to every proposition of Government ; and it seems there is to be a weeding of members unacceptable to the Government. This implies a hope that the next Chamber will be snore subservient than the body now dissolved ; a result which could scarcely be attained by the election of Opposition candidates. Again, it is well known that in France, even down to the present moment, the police are a universal element. Garbed in private clothes, they may be encountered in the street, in the café, the church, the theatre, the library, the railway carriage, and the drawingroom ; they operate as an effectual cheek even among the travellers of first-class carriages ; and are we to suppose that they will virtuously depart and abstain from all superintendence

over the election ? . .

A most remarkable accompaniment to this circular is the first chapter of a volume about to be published by M. Granier de Cassagnae, litterateur-en-chef to the Emperor Napoleon. From the foretaste, the volume is to give a complete account of the coup ,d'etat. It avows that all the Generals of division took part in the conspiracy ; it thus establishes as an historical fact, what was before suspected, that the present French constitution springs directly from military dictation, in which the Army constituted the real Privy Council of the Emperor-Dictator. For the disclosure of these facts, the time selected is just before the elections !

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Civil dissension has burst out in Belgium ; the latest subject of dispute being ahly the immediate provocative to 'a trial of strength between two parties long opposed. For some years the Liberals have been endeavouring to extend freedom of discusthou; the Patti Pretre seeking to tighten the control of the clergy over instruction. A Ministerial projet de loi for the regulation of charitable bequests to the poor, schools, and hospitals, had been for five weeks before the Legislature : the majority refused to adopt amendments proposed by the Liberals ; the opponents of the bill obtained the support of the public in the galleries and of the mob in the streets, which assembled round the Legislative Palace, and gave boisterous signs of its sympathy or antipathy as the members took their departure ; and a rough " ovation " was given to the Papal Nuncio. The troops were called out ; the tumult spread to other towns, and a reactionary outbreak was evoked in the provinces. Under these circumstances, King Leopold prorogued the Chambers, and the Executive suspended legislation to concentrate its energies on the maintenance of peace.

Our own Parliament has reassembled in good working condition. The Peers began with an outburst from Lord Brougham —a broad, clear, common-sense utterance on the folly committed by the House in adopting the " amendment " that forbids the marriage of a divorced person ; " a new species of divorce invented by the Peers," which releases one party a vinculo but retains the other bound. It is an amendment which tends to frustrate: the very object of the bill, by encouraging the man with a statutory guarantee of immunity, while it leaves to the woman no alternative but that of sin or starvation. The vigour with which the veteran lawyer stripped off the superficial fallades that the Law Lords, the Lords Spiritual, and the Lords Pedantic have wrapped round the whole question, was a refreshing incident of the session. The Lord Chancellor's Bill will be pruned again at least to its original simplicity, or it will be arrested to be done "rightly and properly next session."

The Committee on the Sale of Poisons Bill enabled Lord Granville to explain the provisions of the bill. They consist mainly in compelling vendors of poisons to adopt specified precautions with regard to a number of drugs that are to be stated in a schedule—precautions with respect to the certificates upon which such poisons may be sold, the coverings in which they are to be wrapped, and the colours which are to be mixed with them when they are colourless. The reference of the bill to a Select Committee will probably render it more complete for working purposes. The great difficulty, however, lies in the fact that it • seems to offer guarantees which the malignant poisoner can easily overcome, and the more easily if a trust be reposed in this safeguard. What is " poison " ? When that question can be answered, Lord. Granville may render his schedule complete.

The House of Commons recommenced with a string of " motions." One of the most conspicuous was Lord Robert Cecil's motion for a Select Committee to inquire into the expediency of collecting votes at the elections for counties and universities by way of voting-papers ; a method of taking the suffrage at Parliamentary elections recommended by its quietness, and its adaptation to a distributed. constituency. But serious objections are made out. That method has been used in the collection of poorlaw votes, and has been found open to many frauds. By what machinery would the voting-papers be distributed and collected ? The Post-office has been named as one means : but how painful the idea of subjecting that great machine for our daily business to an electoral paroxysm every now and then ! The votingpaper, too, would afford a certain test highly available for bribery ; for the paper itself might be actually sold, and the purchaser would hold it in his hand as a valid security. These and other objections, which possibly might be answered, are not pertinent to the proposal to inquire ; for we do want information on the subject : but, no doubt, the inquiry may be more deliberately accomplished next session, than it would be in the "two months" to which it seems intended to limit the present sittings of the Collective Wisdom. The motion was withdrawn. Mr. Horsfall's motion for a rule to show cause why the Board of Trade should not be remodelled, failed through the weakness of the case. He showed. well enough that gentlemen at Liverpool and elsewhere, professional or municipal, accuse the Board of Trade of acting wrongfully ; and he said that the Board had too much to do ; but he produced no solid evidence. The complaint of discontented engineers, or municipal corporations that have changed their own mind, is not enough warrant for the rule. The best-founded accusations against the Board of Trade in late years have been, that it has not undertaken quite enough ; in railway affairs, for instance, it has not been quite so active as it might have been ; but the reason is that Parliament has delayed or enfeebled the warrant. The principal result of Mr. Horsfall's motion was, to draw forth stsong counter-statements, especially by Sir James Graham and Mr. Lowe,—evidences of the immense amount of work that the Boani has done for the advantage of the public.

No small portion of the seine Thursday evening was consumed in other motions or bills of private Members : Mr. Slaney's motion, for the appointment of a standing Committee or unpaid Commission to deliberate on suggestions for improving the condition of the working classes ; Mr. Atherton's bill, introduced to

amend the public-house licensing system, which is immensely

open to improvement ; Mr. Malins's bill, to give married women a greater control over their own reversionary interests ; and Mr. Coningham's motion for a Select Committee to test the accusations of Mr. Bertolacci against the administration of the Duchy of Lancaster ;---all, and some others, agreed to, except Mr. Slaney's benevolent scheme, which was withdrawn.

But there were two still more important events. Early in the evening, Sir Frederick Thesiger announced for the Opposition, that it adopts the Government Oaths Bill, only proposing an amendment "to preserve the Christian character of the oath." The Opposition has adopted this course, apparently, as a mode of letting itself down on Monday next.

And Lord Palmerston has announced, in answer to Sir John Trelawny, that Government "have a measure upon the subject of Church-rates in course of preparation, and will be able to submit it to the House before long." "Does before long mean next session?" asked Sir John Paldngton. "Next session," answered Lord Palmerston, "is a very long time to look forward, to " ; hence, that something will be done in the present session is expected.