The Week.

danger ivhich threatened the peace of Europe . Lord Russell defended tbe policy of the Government , and insisted that Denmark was hound to fulfil engagements into which she had solemnly entered . Lord Derby submitted that the Foreign Secretary ' s despatch had greatly increased the difficulties of this question , and that the recent proclamation of the King of Denmark ought to be accepted as a fair compromise . After

some remarks from Lord AVodehouse , who opposed the pretensions [ of the German Powers , the subject dropped . —¦—On Monday , the Marquis of Clanricarde urged the Government to adopt vigorous measures for checking what he called the illegal captures of British vessels by Federal cruisers . He contended that the authorities of the United States were setting

international law at defiance , and he saw no prospect of a more satisfactory state of things , unless her Majesty ' s Government took steps of " a more energetic and decisive character . " Lord Russell replied that Mr . Seward had over and over again intimated that no vessel must be seized unless there was sufficient ground to justify such a step , and in almost' every case of

seizure which had been brought under the notice of the Foreign Office ; the law officers of the Crown had reported that there was " no rational ground of objection . " With regard to adopting measures for the protection of English commerce , he said Admiral Milne had been ordered to send a ship or ships to the neighbourhood of Matamoras , but from the crowded state of

that port , it ivould not appear that the proceedings of the Federal cruisers had bad any effect in checking legitimate trade . AVith regard to the American Prize Courts , their impartiality and desire to do justice must for the present be unquestioned . The noble Earl , in conclusion , referred to the case of the Alabama . He denied that that ship had been fitted out with the cognisance of her Majesty's Government , and said there ivas

no desire on tho part of this country to "interfere unfairly " in the civil war . After a few remarks from Lord Derby , who agreed generally with Lord Russell , the subject dropped . ——On Tuesday , Lord Ebury moved the second reading of his bill providing for the repeal of the present stringent declaration of assent to every word contained , in the Book of Common Prayer which is required of all candidates for holy orders . —The

Archbishop of Canterbury strongly opposed tho measure , and moved the usual " this day six months " amendment . —The Bishop of London submitted that the present declaration was not merely useless but also mischievous . —Lord Lyttelton and the Bishop of Oxford opposed the bill , which ivas supported by the Bishop of St . David's . —The Bishop of Llandaff regretted the course

taken by the Primate , and trusted that some concession would still be made to the scruples of conscientious persons who could not give an unqualified assent to all that was contained in the Prayer Book—After some further discussion , the House divided , when the bill was thrown out by a majority of 40 . The Customs and Inland Revenue Bill was read a second time . Their

lordships adjourned at ten minutes eight , for the holidays . In the HOUSE OF COMMONS on Thursday , the IGth inst ., Mr . Berkeley intimated his intention of bringing the ballot question forward as soon as possible after the Whitsuntide recess . In reply to a question from Mr . Dawson , in reference to the loss of the Anglo-Saxon , Mr . Milner Gibson said the Board of Trade

had considered the desirableness of establishing fog signals at Cape Race , but the shipping interest had declined to sanction the payment of tolls for such a }_ urpo _ se , while the Atlantic steamship companies had refused to establish a system of signals on their own account . The New York Associated Press had offered to place a Daboll ' s fog trumpet at the Cape , but the Colonial authorities ivould not sanction such a step on the part of a foreign company . The United States government had

recommended a Daboll trumpet , hut they declined to guarantee its efficiency , The Marqnis of Hartington moved ths second reading of the Volunteer Bill , a measure based upon the recommendations of the Commission ivhich recently inquired into the state of the volunteer force . After a short discussion , the bill was read a second time . On Friday ,

Lord | Palmerston , in reply to a question from Mr . Darby Griffith relative to the Suez canal , said Her Majesty's Government had expressed their approval of the determination eome to by the Sultan aud the Viceroy of Egypt to put an end to forced labour . In a speech on the Italian question the o ther night , the Premier stated that Rome was the head-quarters of

a Committee which organised and sent forth bands of cutthroats into the ^ aepolitan territory . On Friday night Sir George Bowyer asked the noble Lord on what authority he had made that statement . Lord Palmerston replied that he wasin the habit ' of receiving interesting information from different parts of the world j hut , for obvious reasons , he declined to

name his correspondents . He , howeyer , referred the hon . Baronet fo the account given hy the Roman correspondent of the Morning Post , of a sermon recently preached before the ex-King of Naples by a Jesuit Father , named Curci . This rev . gentlemen who would seem from his antecedents to he anything , but favourable either to civil or religious liberty , reproached

the Neapolitan emigrants for their refusal to accept the decrees of Providence , and submit to the change which had taken place . He further censured their dissolute habits aud their efforts , b j promises of money and inflammatory writings , to horrnd on the scum of society to deeds of pillage and slaughter . —Mr . Liddell delivered a speech against the policy of the government in China j and moved for papers in order to give the House an opportunity of discussing the question . The motion was

negatived without a division . Mr . Cobden , and one or two other members who probably intended-to take part in the threatened debate , expressed surprise at the manner in which the subject had been got out ofthe way . Lord Naas , however , promised to give the House another opportunity of discussing the question . On Monday , Mr . Layard , in reply to a question from Mr . Pollard

Urquhart as to whether the Brazilian Minister in London had demanded his passports , stated that- the correspondence between his Excellency and her Majesty ' s Government was still going on , and that it would be inconvenient to lay any of the papers on the table at the present moment . —Sir George Bowyer returned to the " case " of Mr . Odo Russell , the representative of

this country at Rome , but Lord Palmerston declined to give any information which might be made use of for the purpose of fomenting a quarrel between that gentleman and the French and Papal authorities . —After some discussion , the Prison Ministers Bill was read a third time and passed , by a majority of 29 . —¦—On Tuesday , Mr . Gladstone stated , in reply to a question

from Sir H . Verney , that he could not positively say for what price the Exhibition building could be purchased , hut on the reassembling of the House after the holidays he hoped to be able to make a statement of the views of the Government on tbe subject . He added that if the Government did obtain possession of the structure it ivould be devoted to purposes of art . —

Mr . Layard , in reply to questions from Mr . AVarner and Sir James Fergusson , defended tho conduct of the Government in dismissing Mr . Magee , the British vice-consul at Mobile , for the course he had taken in shipping specie from that port without giving due notice to Lord Lyons . —Mr . Hennessy again called attention to the Polish insurrection . He condemned the apathy

of the Government on this question , and denounced the conduct of the Prussian authorities who allowed Russian troops to march through Prussian territory , and , instead of disarming them , re-