The Week.

Federal and Confederate States . " —On the motion for the third reading of the Fortifications Bill , Mr . Bernal Osborne strongly denouncedJLord Palmerston ' s whole scheme of fortifications , subm itting that it was a mere "delusion . " The Marquis of Hartington defended the scheme at some length , and after a short conversation , the matter dropped , the other business being little

more than formal . On Tuesday , the business was unimportant , tho House being counted out early . On AVednesday , the new regulations relative to the conducting of the private business of the house were agreed to . —The Lords' amendments to the Thames Conservancy Bill were considered and agreed to . — Leave was given to the Attorney-General for Ireland to bring

in a bill for the recording of titles in _ Ireland ; to Mr . E . P . Booverie , a bill to establish courts of codciliation ; and to Mr . T . Baring , to amend the Salmon Fishery Act ( 1861 ) . GENEEAE HOME NEWS . —The mortality of the metropolis was high last week , even for this season of the year when summer diarrhoea is prevalent ; it rose to 145 cases chiefly

among children and young persons . The deaths from all causes amounted to 1 , 399 . The average would not exceed 1 , 266 . The births for the week were rather above the average , or 1 , 870 against 1 , 831 . It appears , from Mr . Purday's last return of pauperism in the cotton manufacturing districts , that the decline in the numbers relieved by the Guardians , reckoning

from the period of deepest distress , now amounts to nearly 190 , 000 . Last week 2 , 470 persons were taken off the union relief lists . " No union has more paupers ; " four show no variation ; aud 17 exhibit a decrease . Ashton-under-Lyne union shows a falling-off of ISO ; Chorlton union , 320 ; Manchester , 330 ; and Preston union , 400 . At the same time the adult able-bodied paupers of the district affected by the cotton famine are reduced to 19 , 000 . Tho outdoor relief last week was £ 149

less than in the preceding week . Sir J . Duke has announced his intention of retiring from the representation of the City , after fifteen years' service on behalf of the citizens , and twentyseven years altogether in the House of Commons . The Lord Mayor ( Air . Alderman Lawrence ) offers himself to the citizens as his successor . Both gentlemen belong to the Liberal party

in politics . Sir Charles Lyell , the eminent geologist , has been created a baronet . The Metropolitan Board of AVorks on Monday invited the members of metropolitan vestries and other friends to inspect their works at the outfalls on both sides of the river . They proceeded by steamer , and entered one of the chambers of the great reservoir on the north

sidethe only one of the four which is not yet brought into useand then went across the river and inspected the reservoir on the south side . Those reservoirs being now finished will be brought into immediate use , and act in draining off from the river a still larger portion of the sewage than has yet been diverted . AA e understand that the diversion already

amounts to one third of the whole metropolitan sewage . It is generally known that the corporation of the City of London has of late shown considerable liberality in its votes of money for public purposes . From a report just presented by the committee which is charged with the superintendence of the City finances it appears that this liberality has not been ahvays

under the guidance of discretion , for they state that these votes will cause a deficiency in the City accounts to the extent of between £ 1-0 , 000 and £ 50 , 000 . The committee complain that a standing order of the corporation , which requires that all votes for extra expenditure shall be submitted to them before they arc agreed to , has been neglected , or this serious deficit ivould not have happened . The new regulations for the traffic through the City , pursuant to the late act obtained , were

published on Saturday . They exhibit a small amount of alterations compared with the ambitious projects first entertained by the Aldermen , but which it was afterwards found passed beyond the bounds of the act . It is now provided that the omnibuses passing to and from London Bridge and the westward shall go by way of Cannon-street instead of Cheapside , and that the

heavy traffic of the City must not pass through the streets between nine in the morning and six in the evening . Saturday was " Election Saturday " at Eton College , when the usual formalities took place , closing with a cricket match in the play fields , and a procession of boats , the crews and coxswains in gay costumes , rowing from AA'indsor to Surley

Hall , where they had a refection in the open air . AVindsor Bridge and the banks of the river were gay witli spectators . A dinner also took place in the College Hall , at which Dr . Goodford , provost of Eton College , presided . We are sorry to have to record that a serious accident occurred at the AVimbledon meeting on the 21 st . A private in the Coldstream

Guards , who was employed as a marker at one of the pool targets for 500 yards , was shot through the body by a serjeant connected with the School of Musketry . He was immediately borne to the surgeon's tent , where it was found that the wound was mortal , though it is liotvbeilieved the sufferea may recover . The principal event ofthe shooting was the decision of the

International Match between the mixed marksmen of England and Scotland . On this occasion fortune was in favour of the North . The rifle competition was brought to a close on Friday . It would have been the most successful , and the most gratifying of all the meetings that have yet been held , but for the unfortunate accident to the marker of the pool target . A curious case of dissolution of marriage has taken place . A young man named George Henry AVells married a prostitute

clandestinely , bis name of George , by which he was generally known , being omitted in the proclamation of the banns . It appeared that the girl knew of this suppression and consented to it , on which the jury found the marriage null , and the judge pronounced accordingly . At the Surrey Assizes a case of some importance to the Duke of Devonshire has been settled . The duke and Mr . Davies Gilbert were joint lords of the manor of

Eastbourne . The present Mr . Gilbert is a minor , and his representatives raised an action to have it found that a certain piece of waste manor belonged to him aud not to the duke . The land in question was worthless in itself , but the determination of its ownership involved the point whether some eighty dwelling-houses of a superior classs which the duke had

erected at Eastbourne , were not- built on Mr . Gilbert ' s land , and therefore fell to him . The case occupied two days , when a compromise was come to by ivhich it was understood the property is to be divided . Some time ago a charge was brought against a Mrs . Grant , widow of an officer who was killed in the Indian mutiny , of having set fire to her house in Brighton .

She was brought up to be tried on the charge at the Lewes assizes , but the case was postponed on the application of her counsel , acceded to by the prosecution , on the ground that some material witnesses for her defence were absent . ——At the same assizes there was a curious trial between Mr . Teibin , the well-known scene painter , and Mr . Fechter , the equally

wellknown actor . The latter had agreed to give the former £ 100 for scenery to illustrate the play of " Hamlet , " and which he expected would be delivered to him by the 20 th of April last . But as Mr . Teibin did not deliver the scenery till the 14 th of May , he refused to pay more than £ 270 , which he had already paid on account . The only question was whether a contract had been entered into for delivery by the 20 th of