The Week.

The Social Science Association commenced its annual session at York , under the presidency of Lord Brougham , on Thursday , the 21 st ult . The opening address of Lord Brougham was , as usual , a voluminous survey of the present position of the numerous subjects of inquiry which are grouped together under the comprehensive title of social science . Politics appear to be

one of these , and the noble lord denounced Russia for her treatment of Poland , and Prussia for her successful hut inglorious aggression upon Denmark . He lamented the fact that "there appears a determination in the two Great Powers of Germany to resist all constitutional improvements as tending to revolutions , " and that in " the smaller principalities the love of foreign

war , has superseded all internal reform . " He deplored the presence of French troops at Rome , and described the States of North America as " a scene ' of misery and crime , more horrid than any case known in modern , let us say Christian times ; and with this sad peculiarity , that the whole people , instead of

permitting , as in other cases , the crimes of their rulers , are themselves the active and willing- agents in the work of merciless slaughter—of such wholesale bloodshed as never before disgraced the name of man . " Towards tho close of his address , he referred in somewhat obscure language to the " unbelief Avhich is one of the great misfortunes of the present day , " — following up this part of his discourse by an expression of

commisseration for " the propagation of spiritual visions . "——The inquest on Mr . Briggs was resumed on Monday , before the coroner at Hackney , In conformity Avith au application made to the Home Secretary to that effect , the prisoner Muller was brought up for the purpose of identification . At the close of the evidence the jury returned a verdict of Avilful murder against Franz Mullcv , and a warrant was made out by the coroner for the committal of the prisoner on the capital charge .

iromthe coroners court the prisoner was conveyed to Bowstreet police court for re-examination before the magistrate . The trial , it is expected , will be postponed from the October until the November session of the Central Criminal Court . A horrible murder was committed at Saturday , near Romford . The victim was a poor woman who had cohabited with a man named AVane , hut had left him and agreed to marry

another man . The woman had her throat cut in three places , and AA ane has been apprehended on the capital charge . At the inquest on the body , several witnesses swore to the fact AVane had threatened on various occasions to take her life . The policeman proved that the boots worn by the prisoner corresponded with tho footmarks seen near the cottage ; and

altogether the evidence was so conclusive that the jury had little hesitation in returning a verdict of wilful murder against the prisoner . A case of some interest to volunteers has been before the Lord Mayor . Arthur Lee , formerly orderly-room clerk in the Third City Rifles , Avas charged Avith forgery , and committed for trial . His plan was very simjjle . He seems to

have got a cheque-book by an order Avritten on a sheet of the orderly-room paper , and then to have issued an unlimited number of cheques—which were paid—with forgeries of tbe names of Major Richards and Captain Laurie . Nothing could be easier , as finance committees of corps may find if they have not frequent audits of their bank accounts . Mr . Barker , sitting at

Clerkenwell . has givenhis decision on a copyright question , which has been before him more than once . He held that the infringement of the act was perfectly clear , and that the matter of the original invention of the pattern , imported into the evidence , aid not affect the issue—therefore his decision was for the plaintiffs ; but as the object of the prosecution was more to justify their right than to press for a penalty , he Avas content to fine the defendant onl y a shilling ancl the costs . A very serious charge

of fraud against an " outsider " on the Stock Exchange has been brought before the Lord Mayor , sitting at the Masion House . The prosecution arose out of some stock and share transactions ; and if the opening statement be borne out by the evidence to be accumulated , it would appear that the prisoner—who Avas remanded and refused bail by the Lord Mayor—has played upon

the ignorance of complicated commercial affairs shown . hy his client , Colonel Strange . The first and second mates of a ship just arrived from Demerara were brought up on Saturday at tha Thames Police-court , charged with disgusting aud long-continued cruelty to a boy on board their vessel . That the lad was very dirty is admitted ; but the evidence showed that all the

fiendish torture the accused could invent was the youth ' s punishment . The magistrate said he should commit them for trial . An inquest has been held at the London Hospital on the body of a boy named Jamieson , who Avas shot in Epping Forest , hy another boy , named Mordaunt . It seemed that Mordaunt , Avho

is only about 15 years of age , had foolishly been entrusted Avith a gun , and was using it in bravado " about Epping Forest . Some angry words passed between him and a group of other boys among whom the deceased was , when it is stated he levelled the gun at the deceased and fired at him . Mordaunt insists , however , that it was an accident . A singular case of

poisoning has been inquired into by Mr . Humphrey , the coroner . A carman , named Crooks , died after taking some medicine obtained from a chemist ' s , and it was his opinion ancl that of his relations that the medicine had poisoned him . It Avas conclusively proved , however , that the real cause of death was not the medicine , [ but a dose of a quarter of a pound of Epsom salts , Avhich the deceased had taken himself to carry off the effects of a drinking bout . The jury returned a verdict in accordance with these facts . ——A slight shock of earthquake has

been felt in Lancashire and Yorkshire . It is rather curious that this visitation comes about twelve months after the upheaval of last autumn . The inquiries of the Shareholders' Investigation Committee have led to some astounding disclosures respecting the manner in which the business of the Leeds Banking Company has been conducted . It has been discovered , for instance ,

that Marsden , the Leeds ironfounder , Avho has fled to New York , had within the last few years passed forged bills to the amount of about c £ 80 , 000 through the bank . Many of these bills were drawn upon persons who had no business connexion or even personal acquaintance Avith Marsden . In this work the fraudulent bankrupt seems to have been assisted by Thomas Skaife , his manager ancl brother-in-law , Avho has been apprehended on a charge of forgery and committed for trial at the assizes . ^—

A villanous attempt to burn down the goods station of the South-Western Railway at Nine-elms was happily discovered and frustrated . Under one of the workmen's tables a quantity of wood and coal was found piled up . Under these it was soon discovered there had been placed a quantity of dried shavings , and shavings were also strewed along the

floor . On taking them up it was found that a box of lucifer matches was hidden beneath them in such a manner that any passer by might tread on them , Avhich would have set the Avhole in a blaze . A most searching inquiry is now going on to discover tho contriver of this diabolical plot . A fire was discovered at a late hour on Monday night in the

premises of the Electric Telegraph ^ Company , Threadneedlestreet , City . One of tho poAverful steam-engines of Messrs . Shand and Mason Avas quickly on the spot , and [ rendered valuable assistance in extinguishing the flames , but much

_damage was done to the electrical machines . The property is insured . It is not known how the fire originated . A firework manufactory exploded at Sheffield on Monday morning