The Week.

which may be made upon them , and that others will be unable to pay such call in full , and he therefore estimates that the call will only produce about £ 6500 , —tbe only assets ^ to meet liabilities amounting to some £ 13 , 000 . It was stated , on Saturday , that depositors representing a total of £ 1-4 , 000 had accepted a proposal made by the National Savings Bank , to pay them 5 , ? . in the pound and give them paid-up shares for the remaining ; 15 s . The literary world will regret to hear of the death of

Mr . Buckle , the author of The History cf Civilisation , at the early age of forty years . Two volumes only of his great work were published ; and these are completed on a scale which made it simply impossible that the work should have been finished in the time of one man ' s life . It will be remembered that the first volume made a great sensation on its appearance ; as tho theory of the author is that civilisation depends , not upon religion or the moral virtueswhich are at all times fixed and

, stationary qualities , but that it rests more upon the education of the intellect—that men do not forbear from crimes because they know them to be wrong , but because they find them to be inconvenient . His second , and as it turns out , his last volume , excited equal controversy in Scotland , where tho religious habits and the ecclesiastical history of the people , received a severe handling . He diedat Damascuswhither he had gone

. , , it is said , to study the phases of civilisation in the East . He made few converts to his opinions , and stirred up many opponents ; but though they might complain of his one-sidedness , none denied his industry in the collection of facts , or the clearness with which he set them forth . FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE . —The French Legislative Body has been recommended by its committee to agree to the imposition

of several ot the new taxes proposed by the government , but to refuse to grant some others , and among them the additional duties on salt . It remains to be seen whether the Legislative Body will adopt all its committee's representations , ancl how M . Fould , who is indeed slid to ha willing to abandon the augmentation of the salt tax , will make good the deficiency arising from even a partial refusal of the fresh imposts which he requires . The Prussian Chamber of Deputies , after a debate which lasted twelve hours , and the rejection of all Conservative proposals and amendments , adopted , by a decisive majority of 219 to 109 the

address framed by its Committee , witli certain amendments moved by some of the more Radical members of the Liberal party . The indication thus afforded of the disposition of the Chamber is the more significant , as tho minority includes some Liberal and Progressist members besides the Poles . On Saturday afternoon the address was presented to the King , who replied , — " I have received with pleasure the assurance of faithful and loyal devotion which has just been expressed . While

repeating that I still remain unchangeably upon tbe ground of the constitution to which I have sworn , as well as upon that of my programme of ' November , 1858 , and that I am therein in full accord with my ministry , I add thereto tho firm-expectation of seeing the sentiments you have expressed ratified by deeds . As you have selected a sentence of my programme of 1858 , it will be well that you should impress it line

by line upon your minds . Yon will then rightly estimate my sentiments- " The Chamber of Deputies at Turin have approved by a large majority the course of the Government in suppressing the late intended movement of the Garibaldians . On Saturday the Finance Minister made his financial statement , which showeil a deficit of 500 , 000 , 000 lire for the present year , which , however , would bo reduced to 225 , 000 , 000 by taxes

already voted , and other means , and to meet the remainder the Minister proposed the sale of the public demesnes , & c . The statement had made a favourable impression , ancl was followed by a rise in the Italian loan . Tiie ukase appointing the Grand Duke Constantino to be his imperial brother's lieutenant in Poland has been signed by the Emperor Alexander . The Russian government is preparing to introduce " municipal reform" and

, has ordered the governors of cities to explain that henceforth the inhabitants will be expected to take a greater part in the management of their own affairs ; but we are not informed of the extent to which the Emperor Alexander is prepared to entrust power to the citizens , or tbeir representatives . It appears that the Austrian Minister of Finance had under-rated the deficit for the coming by some £ 1400000 ancl the

disyear ,, ; covery irritated the Reichsrath so greatly that at one time threats were uttered that no new taxes should be granted . AMERICA . —The accounts during the past week have been somewhat cont-. adictovy , —but it is evident the contest is far from ended . The Niagara brought accounts of the defeat sus-

The Week.

tained in Virginia by the Federal General Banks . From these accounts , it appears that General Banks , who commanded the corps acting in the Shenandoah Valley , retired to Winchester after an engagement between his vanguard ancl the Confederates At Winchester he was again attacked , on the 25 th ult ., by the Confederate Generals Ewell and Jackson , whose troops are said to have numbered 15 , 000 men , while the Federal force , which had been diminished by draughts to reinforce General M'Dowell ' s

corps , is alleged not to hare exceeded 4000 men . He was speedily compelled to retreat from Winchester to Mavtinsburg , and thence to the bank of the Potomac , which he crossed at Williamspoint and Harper's Ferry , thus sheltering the remains of his corps in Maryland , and leaving the Confederates in full possession of the Shenandoah Valley . These movements appearing to menace the safety of Washington itself which had been left comparatively unproteeced . President

Lincoln immediately took military possession of all railways , aud summoned reinforcements of militia and volunteers to Washington . The summons received a hearty response—nearly 500 , 000 men having , we are told , tendered their services—and many regiments immediately left for Washington . Later advices by the Anglo Saxon report that General Banks , having been rein forced , had again advanced into Virginia , and passed Marthisburg . The Confederates still threatened the Federal

lines at Harper ' s Ferry . General Butler was ruling with military rigour at New Orleans . The consuls had protested against his seizure of the money at the Dutch consulate , and a correspondence was proceeding between General Butler and the British consul relative to the seizure by the former of British subjects . The Anglo Saxon also brings the important announcement that on the 29 th ult ., Corinth was evacuated , * for want of provisions , by the Confederate army , which retreated to Grand

Junction , and which subsequently proceeded further south . The inhabitants at Corinth were said to be preparing to follow the Southern army in its retreat . It was reported , on the 31 st nit ., in New York , that Richmond had likewise been evacuated by the Confederates ; but we are told that no direct advices had been received , and that , therefore , the report is very doubtful . Tho last reliable information from that quarter is that McClellan had taken Hanover , and was purposing for a regular

siege of Richmond , the Confederates having an army of 200 , 000 strong . Pour hundred hales of cotton had arrived at New-Orleans , and we are assured that there was a favourable prospect of further arrivals . The British screw steamer Stettin had been captured oft' Charleston , by a Federal cruiser , and had been sent to New York . AUSTRALIA . —The Australian mail has arrived . The Melbourne Age promises a Ministerial crisis again before very long .

From Queensland we hear of the arrival in that colony of three gentlemen charged with the task of forwarding the cultivation of cotton . The revenue returns had vastly increased . At Sydney , a shock of an earthquake was felt on the 24 th of April . There , too , the revenue was improving , and the yield of gold steadily increasing . MEXICO . —According to semi-official dispatches in the New York papers tbe French have been defeatedwith the loss of 500

, men , about three leagues from Mexico . The Mexicans , who numbered 10 , 000 men , made the attack . It is not believed that Juarez had left the capital . The British Minister , the same papers state , had concluded a treaty , by which all the difficulties between Mexico and England are settled . That the French are in earnest in the prosecution of the war is apparent from the notification , in the Moniteur , of the blockade of the ports of Tampico and Alvarado , lying north and south of Vera Cruz .

To Correspondents.

TO CORRESPONDENTS .

W . 11 . SMITH . —We will ascertain in the course of a few days . J . B . It . —We are not acquainted with the work named , nor do we wish to be . S . J . —Under the Grand Chapter of Scotland . J . S . T—The age of the Duke of St . Albans , the Prov . G . M . for Lincolnshire , is 22 years . ERRATUM .

The last word of our third article in our number for June 7 , ANOTHER IKEEGOTAJRITY , should have been " enunciated" not " enumerated . " The error occurred in the correcting .