NEWS OF THE WEEK.

THE preliminaries of peace were signed at Vienna on 'Monday, the 1st August, by the Plenipotentiaries of Austria, Prussia, and Denmark. The terms as far as Danmark is concerned are simple. Slid cedes Holstein, Lauenburg, Schleswig, and such districts of Jutland as are geographically within Schleswig, unconditionally to her conquerors, and, as we have shewn elsewhere, ceases to exist as a Power. No indemnity is demanded, but it is believed that half the fleet will be surrendered to the Duchies, and certain that they will be called on to pay the expenses of their own liberation. The armistice has been extended, and it is believed that peace will be concluded-and ratified in about a month, the delay being necessary to settle certain details. Denmark expressly renounces any right to interfere in the future disposal of the Duchies, which are left absolutely in the hands of the two monarchies, the Diet being ap- parently neither represented nor named. The treaty will leave Denmark in possession of Zealand, Funen, Jutland, and their neighbouring islands, containing some 12,000 square miles and 1,400,000 people, of Iceland, of the Faroe Islands, and of three little colonies in the West Indies, all of which will probably, like the Indian possessions of Denmark, be sold for money. France wants Iceland in particular as a whaling station.

The disposal of the Duchies has not yet been determined. The Saxon Government has announced that the next outrage on the Federal troops will be resisted by the bayonet ; but it is rutnoured that the Liberals of Germany have struck up some kind of alliance with Herr von Bismark. He is to seize the Duchies and fiat-lover, with perhaps some other smaller States, and they are, as they hope, to avail themselves of that approach to an united Germany. It is considered certain that he neither can nor will rest quiet, as peace implies the renewed activity of the Prussian Chamber. The pre- valent feeling of Germany is not badly expressed in a Viennese bon mot, "W e wanted Germany ruled from Vienna, and we have our wish, for Herr von Bismark is here."

The American intelligence of the week is of some importance. The character of the "negotiations for peace "—a clever elec- tioneering "dodge "—will be found explained elsewhere, but all accounts concur in representing that General Sherman has fel:en Atlanta. A final confirmation is still required, but reports in New York, growing clearer every hour, stated that Johnston had been superseded by Mr. Davis in favour of General Hood, that the latter had . given battle, had failed, and had retreated on Macon. If this account is correct—as we, on the whole, believe it to be—General Sherman is master of the nexus of the Georgian lines, and of the military workshop of the South, an immense ac- quisition. General Grant wã still before Petersburg, waiting quietly until the gaps in his ranks should have been filled up, an end said to have been attained by the arrival of a strong reinforce- ment brought by sea from New Orleans. More men were still required, and the President had issued a call for half a million more troops, so as to reinforce all the armies at once. This astounding number includes, however, large bodies of hundred- days men and volunteers, and represents probably an additional drain on the labour market of only half as many. If not supplied by September all deficiencies will be made up by draft, under the new law which abolishes exemptions but admits of substitutes.

Lord Palmerston has commenced the business of the recess, —" starring" it in the provinces. On Wednesday he turned the first sod of a new railway at Towcester, and male a most char- acteristic speech on the advantages of railways. He mentioned' casually their effect in reducing the cost of production, but the benefit upon which he dwelt with most evident appreciation was the facility the locomotive afforded for paying visits to one's friends. "Now, if one gentleman meets another, say in St. James's Street, he says, • I shall have some good shooting next week. Will you come down to me and spend a few days ? ' His friend re- plies, Oh, by all means I shall be charmed. What is the station nearest your house?' The first speaker rejoins, ' Why, I am not very well off at present in regard to railway communication —the nearest station is sixteen miles from my house. But it is a good road. You will get a nice fly, and you can come very well.' Upon this the invited guest says, 'Did you say it was Tuesday you asked me for ?' and excuses himself. And so for want of a railway the country gentleman has to go without his friend. The good people of Towcester were immensely amused at this illustration, which made each individual feel as if he were chit-chatting with the Premier.

Lord Palmerston's humorous impudence seems catching. During the ceremonial at Towcester Mr. Knightley, member for the county, had to return thanks, and uttered what he thought was a speech very complimentary to the visitor. The country, he said, always drew a distinction between Lord Pahnerstoa and hia colleagues, and set down any blunder ill the kettle of fish to " one of the scullions." The noble lord and his colleagues were always playing chuckfarthing, when it came up heads the Viscount Ind the credit, when tails the Ministry had the blame. It was not Lord Palmerston's fault, but the country was resolved to give him all the halfpence and his colleagues the kicks. Mr. Knightley's idea of a compliment is an odd oae, the speech really implying that the Premier's popularity was quite unmerited ; but the thought in his mind so oddly developed is exactly that of the public. Lord Palmerston's luck seemed to Mr. Knightley a capacity, and so it seems to the majority of his countrymen.

Justice is to be done to the donkeys. There is to be a show of donkeys at the Islington Agricultural lhll next week, whe eight classes will be exhibited,—Eimg1ih and foreign donkeys, Eag- lish and foreign mules, and four Itiuds of the animal " used in business" to draw costermon,,,ers' ctrts awl washerwomen's baskets. The Prince of Wales, we are glad to see, will exhibit, and two or three Peers, and if the foreign description is shown to advantage the Londoners will be able to form a totally new idea of their old friends. The amazeipent of the average costermonger when he finds that a donkey may be as big as a pony and as sleek as a mouse, may be driven swiftly without blows, may be taught a singularly rapid trot, and may be finally cured of kicking, will be as well worth seeing as the animals themselves. Nothing is 8) much wanted in Englind as a beast of draught which is at once strong and cheap to keep, bat though the donkey is both no effort has ever been made to improve the breed. We trust the Islington show may be the forerunner of happier days for one of the most intelligent and far tlie best tempered of all the domestic animals.

A strange case has begun in the Divorce Court this week. Admiral H. Codrington charged his wife, daughter of Mr. Smith of Florence and an Italian lady, with adultery with two persons, Lieutenant-Colonel D. Anderson, of Her Majesty's 22nd Foot, and Lieutenant Midway, 3r1 Battalion Rifle Brigade. The evidence seemed rather weak—depositions from hostile servants and unsigned letters,—until Mrs. Watson, wife of a clergyman in Malts, entered the box, and deposed positively that Mrs. Codrington had confessed to her an act of adultery with Lieutenant' Mildmay. This act not having been mentioned in the pleas, the respondent's counsel announced himself taken by surprise, and asked for an adjournment, which was granted, the judge expressing himself strongly against the law which prevents Mrs. Codrington putting herself in the box. Altnoat the entire press has followed hi Lordship's hint, and advocated a change of the law which would in conduct in continuing a war which involves such carnage. The document contains nothing new, being a repetition of the old assertions that the North violated the fundamental com- pact, that it has only to cease from aggression in order to secure peace, that eight millions of determined men cannot be conquered, and that all the South asks is the enjoyment of "its hereditary rights" and "its cherished institutions." Doubtless that is all, and what more does the Czar ask in Poland? Nobody in England ever denied that the South, for adequate cause, had a right to revolt against Washington, just as Hungary has a right to revolt against Vienna,—the point is the adequacy of the cause. The South, with every privilege guaranteed, with a majority in Congress, with the same chance of electing a President as any other section of the country, with West Point, and the fleet, and the arsenals all in the hands of Southerners, revolted because a President was elected pledged to resist the extension of slavery. Apart from the moral question, Ireland might just as well revolt because the House of Commons preferred a Protestant to a Catholic Premier. It is too late for manifestoes. The South, with the ballot-boxes open, appealed to the decision of the sword, and must abide by its decree. fact compel parties to a divorce suit to make statements exposing themselves if not to legal, to much severer social penalties.

The Whigs have lost another -seat. The Liberal member for Exeter, Mr. Divett, died, and the Tories set up Lord Cotutenay, son of the Earl of Devon, and Tory of the milder type, who will uphold the Church, but compromise Church-rates. Mr. Coleridge, Q.C., High Church Radical, was selected as the Liberal candidate, and lost the seat, chiefly, we imagine, on account of his religious opinions. Exeter has had too much of Dr. Philpotts to like the High Church, and Lord Courtenay won the day by 1,071 to 1,048. There is one compensation for the loss, that it introduces another man under thirty into the House, which is done to death by respectable people of fifty with half a million.

Tunbridge Wells has been the scene of a riot. A Mr. Webber, a surgeon residing there, reported that the drainage was bad, a sanitary commissioner said it was satisfactory, but Mr. Webber repeated his opinion. Thereupon a mob, incited, as mobs always are, by " respectable " persons, attacked his house, broke his windows, injured his property, and threatened him. Tunbridge Wells is a curious place. It has grown into a great town, but, as usual with mere pleasure places, the poverty of the poor is terrible. There is no municip dity, the tradesmen are completely masters of the local Conservancy Board, they will not allow a market to be established lest it should interfere with their monopoly, and prices are most exorbitant. The residents live on the visitors, who pay anything they are asked, and a surgeon who talks publicly about drainage is of course a man to be stoned by the extremely inde- pendent set who, when needful, constitute the " people " of the Wells.

The Indian Government appears to be still troubled about affairs in Bootan. It appears that Mr. Ashley Eden did really, under compulsion, sign a treaty ceding Assam— an event, we believe, unprecedented in our history—and the Bootanese are disposed to enforce the treaty. Any descent into our provinces must be de- feated, and troops are being despatched up the Brahmaputra, but the Government is desirous of also recovering the treaty. It is not a pleasant thing to have to fight men for entering a province which our own agent gave them, and the plan finally adopted seems as fair as the circumstances will admit. This is to defend the passes which lead from Bootan into Assam, seize the Terai, block the southern passes, and wait till the want of supplies forces the ..Bootanese to surrender the paper extorted from Mr. Eden.

The Bishop of London explained on Monday, at a meeting of the Executive Committee, the results of his application to the public for aid. The promoters had intended originally, he said, to ask London for 100,000/. in ten years, but he had advised them to ask for ten times that sum, and 75,0001. had been collected in one year. With this sum and other resources arrangements had been made for the employment of fifty-eight additional clergy and thirty lay agents, who will ultimately, it is hoped, be paid from the funds of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. He trusted in ten years to see the diocese something very different from what it had been, but it was necessary to extend their appeal farther, and reach the tradespeople and the poor. Some of the wealthy had . given liberally, but he had received little as yet from the middle class. Lord John Manners on Wednesday made a most suggestive speech to the Leicestershire Agricultural Society. He started the doubt whether, considering the average prices obtained for wheat of late years, the farmers had not bestowed too much attention on its cultivation. He was inclined -slowly and by degrees to try other crops, and recommended Leicestershire farmers to try at least five acres of flax. There seemed no limit to the demand for that plant, which would grow tolerably on any deep dry soil, and which yielded a mean profit of some 9/. an acre. Wool, too, was paying admirably,—a statement to which his audience assented,—and these high prices might last for a considerable time. The culti- vations recommended are only applicable to certain parts of the country, but the principle of greater variety of culture is sound. The landlords, however, must help if any change is to be made, for The Confederate States have issued a manifesto in the shape of it is the clauses inserted in their leases quite as much as the pre- a resolution passed by both Houses of Congress, defending their judices of farmers which stereotype agriculture.

The Record has left our statement of last week, showing that it had pieced together a leader out of snippets from this journal and the Tablet, unnoticed. Its conductors refuse either to explain, or defend, or apologize for the offence of deliberately pass- ing the work of other men off as their own. It was perhaps foolish to expect them to follow any one of those courses. The act is below explanation, and incapable of defence, and as for apology, the kind of people who apologize for a wrong do not often appropriate property not their own. Yet this is the journal which declares itself to be the only one guided by truly Christian principle, which maintains an espionage on clergymen wicked enough tq dance, which inserts advertisements from "serious" tradesmen, and which yesterday published in a leaded review the following astounding sentence :—" Error is a species of moral evil, and religion knows little or nothing of the subtle line by which we are apt to separate the intellectual from the moral in man." The Tablet at least is avenged, for the cardinal dogma of its Church is accepted as a principle by the organ of her staunchest foes.

Samuel Porter, whose atrocious treatment of a lunatic brother in Cornwall was fully disclosed at his trial some months ago, has received sentence. He was convicted at the time, but a point of law was reserved as to whether the relationship did not except him from the operation of the statute. This having been decided against the prisoner, Mr. Justice Byles gave judgment at Bodmin on Saturday, and sentenced him to nine months' imprisonment, on behalf of Mr. Justice Martin, who tried the case. In explanation of the extraordinary lenity of the sentence he advanced, firstly, the recommendation to mercy of a Cornish jury, who seem to have had decidedly provincial ideas on the subject ; secondly, the length of the period during which the lunatic had been kept "in a state of filth and neglect which we would scarcely keep a domestic

The cook of the Ouse, bound from Sunderland to Alexandria, has been charged with attempting to poison the whole crew. Three of them, it seems, died, but "AnM.D.," writing to the Times, sug- gests that they died of eating bad pork. There is a disease among pigs in which they become infected with a minute worm called trichina spiralis. If the meat thus poisoned is not particularly well cooked the worm enters the consumer's system, and gradually eats through him also, causing disease or death. The complaint is well known in Germany, and even in England several cases have been reported, particularly at Birmingham, and Professor Gamgee mentioned to the committee on diseased cattle the necessity for special precautions against the evil. Pork is not often eaten by the rich half cooked, but sailors eat it nearly raw, and it remains some- times in sausages only just heated through. In this weather a tinge of Mohammedan opinion among us would have a decidedly good sanitary influence.

A murder, which unhappily confirms the popular notion of the condition of the working classes of the black country, was com- mitted on Monday last. A collier at Bilston, named Christian, married eight years ago a respectable widow with two children by her former husband. These eight years he has passed in con- stant drunkenness and brutality towards his wife, spending his time and money in cock-fighting and pigeon-flying, and on his return home pulling his wife's hair out, knocking out her teeth, and ill-treating his stepchildren. At last the climax arrived, and in reply to a piteous remonstrance from his wife, he attempted to burn both her and her daughter in their beds, drove them out of the house with a heavy strap, and on the next day followed them to the house of his wife's father, where they had taken refuge, and after fearful violence to both he fell upon the old man and de- liberately strangled him to death. animal in," as if the blunting of the prisoner's sense of the lunatic's condition bad any bearing upon the actual crime for which he was arraigned ; and thirdly, the extenuating fact that food suffi- cient even for the lunatic's morbid appetite had been supplied to him. The real cause of this lenity is shadowed forth, we fear, in the intimation that the judge who had tried the case was not "acces- sible to popular clamour." Strong popular feeling ought not to influence judges either way.

The Sultan, in a fit of religious alarm, has almost quarrelled with his only remaining friend. The Protestant Missionaries, it is said, have of late made considerable progress in Turkey, and the fanatical party, which believes, with the Record of Friday, that error is a moral evil, prevailed on the Divan to shut up the establish- ment of the Bible Society, forbid the preaching of the missionaries, and arrest some of the recent converts. As this proceeding is a -distinct breach of treaty Sir H. Bulwer remonstrated, and the Sultan re-opened the Bible Society's store, permitted preaching any- where except in a public place, and contented himself with banishing the converts " temporarily" to some "consular station" in Asia. The limitation on preaching is a police measure, but banishment is a severe punishment for the offence of changing one's faith, and odd things are done by Turks at stations in Asia, 4' consular" or otherwise. We presume some further pressure will be applied to the Divan, but the incident will not be unfortunate if it teaches the English world that the Khalifat, like the Papacy, cannot change. If the Sultan does not carry out the Koran he has no raison d'être ; to ask him to be tolerant, or to ask the 4' Vicegerent of Christ to be a "constitutional Sovereign," is to ask that the same man shall be and not be. The Sultanat and the Papacy must be so/utus i legibus, or cease to exist.

The engine-driver and fireman in charge of the train which met with the accident on its return from Ascot races were placed upon their trial at Guildford Assizes on Wednesday. The evidence dis- elosed a chaotic state of contradictory regulations,—and constant evasion of all of them,—which completely exonerated the two ser- vants of the company technically charged with manslaughter. For the hundredth time the question was asked why the inexpensive and yet efficient precautions used in the case of Royal trains were not taken when the safety of the public only was at stake, and met with an answer even more unsatisfactory than usual. The traffic manager of the Company frankly admitted that the only effect of the special regulations issued on the day in question was to render the probable number of killed and wounded in the inevitable accident rather less than it otherwise would have beeh. Mr. Justice Wiles not only agreed in the volunteered verdict of acquittal, but remarked that the accused were doing their best at the time to pre- vent an accident which instructions of an unusual and contradictory kindrendered imminent. He also hinted that every company which persisted in a similar system must be prepared for heavy compen- sation in case of accident.

Mr. Cooke, the magistrate sitting in the Worship Street Police Court, seems determined to emulate the fame of Sir Peter Laurie, and "put down" suicide. He announced on Thursday that cases of attempted suicide were becoming as frequent as cases of petty larceny, and he would send every person brought before him on the charge for trial. That will doubtless diminish the number of " attempts " by increasing that of successful suicides. It is Br fear of the charge which induces those who have made the attempt with half a heart to make it again more earnestly. Those who have really roads up their minds to face the grim King are not very likely to be deterred by terror of Mr. Cooke.

The Board of Trade has issued a circular to all Railway Boards, suggesting in a style very suggestive of "bated breath and whisper- ing humbleness," whether, the public mind being alarmed, it might not be possible to furnish trains with foot-boards and hand-rails which would admit of the guard passing along the train. Of course, says Milner Gibson, with comical fear lest he should be asking too much, there must be "carefully framed regulations to prevent abuse." And "my Lords are very sensible that without the cordial co-operatiim of the railway companies" very little can be accomplished. Of coarse the directors will reply with a. hundred reasons, proving to demonstration that the suggestion is impracticable, though-,if -Mr. 'Milner Gibson had done his duty, and introduced a short Act, instead of signing that smooth twaddle, it would have been carried out at once.

The special correspondent of the Times gives a singular account of the state of religious feeling in Denmark. The Danes are admitted to be one of the .very best people in the world, upright and sober, singularly free from violent crime, hospitable, cheerful, and kind. They pay, however, it would appear, but little atten- tion to the externals of religion, rarely go to church, never dissent from the established form of worship, and care nothing whatever for ecclesiastical discussions. The clergy are few, the churches poor and scanty, and only opened apparently for one service A week: In Denmark, as in heaven, men find themselves able to keep the law of God without the observances which in the rest of the Pro- testant world buttress, and prop, and shelter failing virtue. We suspect the explanation is to be found in the temperament of the Dane, which disinclines him to vice and Calvinism, as it does to other strong excitements.

"he adjourned inquest on the Somers Town murder and suicide was resumed on Tuesday. Medical and other evidence fully corro- borated the prinui facie aspect of the case, and the only new feature was the total discrepancy between the evidence of Mrs. Loader, the lodger who first discovered the bodies, and a statement alleged to have been made by her to another lodger. According to the evidence of the latter, Mrs. Loader was a witness of the actual quarrel which resulted in the murder, if not of the crime itself. The jury returned a verdict of murder and suicide against Brown, and the Coroner granted a warrant for his burial in the usual terms.

The Peninsular, West Indian, and Southern Bank has been established for the purpose of giving increased facilities to mer- chants and others trading or otherwise connected with the West India Islands and the Southern States of America. The capital of the Bank is 2,000,000/., in 20,000 shares of 100/. each, one-half of which is already subscribed. The Directors intend to open branches immediately at St. Thomas's, Bermuda, Nassau, and Liverpool, and to extend their operations to Panama, and the Northern Republics of South America. The ultimate object of the Directors being to establish banks for the Southern States of America, the neceesary measures will be taken, at the close of the present struggle, for forming branches at the leading Southern ports and cities.

The Merchant Shipping Company, capital 1,000,000/., in 20,000 shares of 50/. each, has been introduced by the Imperial Mercan- tile Credit and Credit Mobilier Companies, with the object of pur- chasing the valuable shipping business of Messrs. Somes Brothers. The fleet at the present moment consists of eighteen vessels, some of which are built of iron, and are now employed in the East India, China, and Australian trades. Seven of these vessels are over 1,000 tons.

The Natal Investment Company, with a capital of 500,000/., in 10,000 shares of 501. each, is also announced. The Directors pro- pose to lend and invest in the colony, at colonial interest, which varies from 10 to 12 per cent., money advanced upon Debentures, &c., in this country, to undertake the management of estates for absentees and others, and to transact the usual business of a finan- cial company.

The Directors of the Bank of England have further advanced their minitnunt rate of discount to eight per cent. The stock of - bullion is reduced to 12,877,4331., and the reserve of notes and coin is only 5,598,4931.

On Saturday last Consols closed at 90 to 90k for money, and 90g. i for account. Yesterday they left off at 84 + for transfer, and 89i for the September account.

Subjoined is a table showing the closing prices of the leading Foreign Securities yesterday and on Friday week :—

Greek .. .. ..

Do. Coupons .. ..

Mexican .. .. ..

tip auish Passive • • ..

Do. Certificates .. Turkish 6 percents., 1858..

1862..

„ Consolides.. .. • • ••

Frldfts, July 29.

.. 24 • • — .. 291 .. 2:0 .. 10 .. 72 .. 70 .. 601 Friday, A:170:st 5 .. 231 .. — .. 28 / .. 29i .. 11 .. 72 .. 6.1 , 401

Subjoined are the closing prices of the leading British Railways yesterday and on Friday week :—

Caledonian Great Eastern Great Northern .. Friday, July 2).

.. 1261 421 139 Friday, Aug!Ist 125 471 184 Great Western.. ..

72i

091 Lancashire and Yorkshire

121

12o London and Brighton ..

107

London and North-Western .• 1171

117 London aud South-Weatern

• •

lle

92 London, Chatham, and Dover

• •

43

48} Midland ..

• •

1381

0. •

1381 North-Eastern, Berwick ..

1 lo 1981

110 07 !West liatUand, Gibed -.

431

42