The Week.

reduced income tax ancl tea duty—will learn without much concern that the revenue of the past year is less than that of 1882 by about half a million . Some valuable information respecting the condition of the cotton manufacturing districts Avill be found in the report presented to the Central Relief Committee , by Mr . Maclure . The return for the past month

shows a decrease of 10 , 546 in the number of persons fully employed in the mills and manufactories of the cotton districts . This change for the Averse had been anticipated , and Mr . Maclure , basing his opinion , no doubt , on the best information he could obtain on the subject , remarks that " there is reason to fear that during the next three or four weeks the time

worked in the mills AA'ill not be more than at present . " Mr . E . Ashworth said that after the next three months " he had no doubt there Avould be sufficient cotton for from four-and-a-half to five days working weekly , and owing to this increased supply , and the extended operation of the Public AVorks Act , he thought itwould , after March , become a subject for consideration

Avhether the Committee might not with advantage suspend or close its operations . " There are at . present about 2 , 000 men employed under the Public AVorks Act , but Mr . Rawlinson is of opinion that from 10 , 000 to 12 , 000 might IIOAV he set to work on public improvements for Avhich loans have already been advanced . Mr . Farnall reports an increase of about 1 , 000 in the number of

persons receiving parochial relief in the suffering districts . The emigration from Liverpool during the past year was on a vast scale . What the returns from other ports , such as London , Queenstown , and Galway may SIIOAV Ave are not at present in a position to state , but it seems from tables just issued that close upon 138 , 000 emigrants sailed from the port of Liverpool during the twelve months . This is an increase of upwards of 76 , 000 on the return of the preA-ious year . A large proportion

of the emigrants were Irish , who , as a general rule , made their way to the United States , where many of them , no doubt , have taken service under the Stars and Stripes . Mr . Cardwell and Mr . Neate Avere present at the annual dinner of the Oxford Druids , on the 1 st inst . Mr . Cardwell congratulated his constituents on the peace and prosperity Avhich this country has enjoyed during the past year . He was not insensible to the

danger involved in Avhat is called the Schleswig-Holstein question , hut he trusted that war might still he averted . " In this case at any rate , " he pointedly added , '• ' the appeal of England is to treaty . " AVith regard to the Avar in America , he said the one principle by Avhich England is to be guided is that , "fearless to menace , uninfluenced by

favour , Ave shall give to the principle of strict neutrality full and impartial effect , and carry out to the utmost of our poAver that principle of international law to Avhich we in our own time of danger and necessity ourselves appealed . " He defended the policy of the Government with respect to Poland , and justified the rejection of the French proposal of a congress

by declaring that " the hazard was too great to be encountered . " Coining to a subject of immediate interest to all Englishmen , the right hon . gentleman said that further remissions of taxation depended upon two considerations—the state of our foreign relations ancl such an expansion of trade as would pour into the treasury increased revenue . Mr . Neate thought the

Government had acted Avisely iu refusing to have anything to do Avith a congress , but , on the other hand , they had not taken a dignified course on the Polish question . Sir Stafford Northcote has been addressing a meeting at Exeter , on art education in this country and the new arrangements with regard to the Government grants to schools of art . . The hon . baronet thought the revised regulations Avould tell very seriously upon many of the masters ; but at the same time he admitted that

there was a good deal to be said for the course agreed upon by tbe Committee of Privy Council . He quoted some interesting figures from a Parliamentary return to show the progress we have made in the production of those articles which specially demand a cultivated taste . Taking the exports for the period between 1840 and 1862 , he found "that while the general advance of our manufactures had been rather more than

125 per cent ., it had been very nearly 200 per cent , in those particular articles which demand the exercise of taste . " Lord Stanley , on Wednesday , distributed the prizes and certificates awarded to the successful candidates in the Oxford Local Examination for the district of which Manchester is the centre . His lordship delivered an address on the occasion , in which Le

explained the general purpose and working of these examinations , and dwelt upon the success with Avhich they had been attended . The Chancellor of the Exchequer has been addressing a meeting of working men in Flintshire on the advantage of establishing a reading-room for their use , and took the opportunity of urging upon them the importance of thrifty

habits , and of laying by their money in the Post-office Savings Banks . He assigned to them , however , and to Scotchmen , superior qualities of thrift over those of the working men of England . At the meeting of the Metropolitan Board o £ AVorks , a motion made by Mr . Lowman Taylor , that the board should contribute one-half the expense to be incurred in

Avidening the street at the Mansion House , was strongly opposed , and lost hy a large majority . The engineer ' s report on the various Avorks showed that fair progress has been made during the month in the main drainage scheme , and that the more important portions are rapidly approaching completion . The new street in Southwark , running from near London-bridge to the Blackfriars-road , in line with Stamford street and the

Yorkroad , up to Westminster-road , Avas opened on the 1 st inst . The Channel squadron , which is at present away on a distant cruise , has been ordered home—a measure which most persons Avill connect with the crisis Avhich has been reached in the dispute between Denmark and Germany . The Sector ancl Achilles —two powerful armour-plated iron frigates—have * also been ordered to be got ready for immediate commission . -Six boys

Avere drowned—three at Darwen and three at Macclesfield—on Sunday , by the giving way of ice . A heavy sentence has deservedly been passed at the Central Criminal Court on a soldier who had set fire to two stacks of straw . Ten years ' penal servitude Avill perhaps do something toAvards stopping the crime of incendiarism . Eliza AVaterfield , charged with the

manslaughter of her husband , was acquitted ; Ellen Keefe convicted of the manslaughter of John M'Carthy , was sentenced to two calendar months ; and Johu Dyer , printer , convicted of forging a note , Avas condemned to three years' penal servitude . John Green was executed at Cambridge on Saturday for the murder of a women at Whittlesea . The sentence of death

passed upon the soldier Mahaig , Avho Avas convicted of causing or abetting the death of a Avoman at Guildford , has been commuted . It will be remembered that in this case the prisoner alleged that he ancl the deceased had made up their minds to die together . The woman took poison , or had it administered to her , AA'hile Mahaig attempted , but without success ,

to destroy his own life . He was strongly recommended to mercy by the jury . An effort is being made to obtain a commutation of the sentence of the man AVright , Avho killed his paramour in the Waterloo Road , London . It is urged that this man's crime lvas unpremeditated , ancl was committed during a violent quarrel with the deceased , who Avas known to have been in a state of intoxication on the night of her death . AVilliam AVhitehead , described as of "AVexham Rectory , Bucks , " and