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NEWS OF THE WEEK.

Water a hundred Members of the House of Commons are col- lected within their Chamber, the Speaker feels gratified with the -eery respectable muster ; for he rarely beholds half that number. Ministers are of opinion that fifty Representatives of the People are more serviceable than five hundred and they are now pushing bills and "overtaking business" at early sittings. This week they presumed a little too far on the indulgence of the score of independ-

ent Members who remain in town, and provoked a reprimand from Mr. Hume by procuring large sums of money to be voted in a Com- mittee of Supply before noon on Tuesday. The proceeding was de- clared to be unprecedented and indecent. But was it not convenient

It was known that several votes wou!d be opposed, and therefore to bustle through the Committee was considered capital generalship. his precisely the kind of thing in which these Ministers excel. Bills of great importance—such as the New South Wales, Poor-law Continuance, Birmingham Police, County Constabulary, and Metro- politan Police Courts, are carried triumphantly ; the opponents varying from 14 to 40. Do not Ministers find their account in patting off business from February to August ? The Government is resolved to gain if possible an excuse for putting something about slavery into the Queen's prorogation-

speech. Lord PALMERSTON has introduced a Portuguese Bill, number two. He has cut down hip preamble to Parliamentary. limits; and the Queen having returned a gracious answer to Lord

Banueuest's address, he has a Royal message to start from. The more substantial objections to the old bill apply to the new ? and it remains to be seen whether the Lords will be satisfied with the

formal alterations. Lord PALMERSTON admits that he cannot deal effectually with the American slave-traders. The Republicans refuse to allow the right of search ; and as long as this is denied, suppression of the traffic is impracticable. The slave, trade car-

ried on by American citizens is very extensive. It was only yesterday that accounts were received from Havanna!' with a list of the American vessels notoriously employed by purchasers of slaves. The exhibition of American " papers " protects the vessel from seizure. What credit can this country gain by Portu-

guese Suppression Bills, while Lord PALMERSTON'S orders to

British officers are, not to meddle with the Americans ? What wonderful advantage is gained for the Blacks, when pro-

tection lost under one flag is offered under another ? MP. POWELL Berroat's statement, that precisely the same descrip- tion of measures which the Portuguese Bill authorizes, have

increased the horrors of the traffic and not diminished its amount—that nothing but evil can flow from perseverance in sueh measures—remains on record, denied by none ; and yet not a single Member of' the House of Commons gets up in his place with Mr. lluxeots's truth-telling volume in hand, to convict Minis- ters and their abettors of deluding the ignorant when they pro-

chid' that this Portuguese bill will benefit the Negro race. It is brought forward for the purpose of .scraping together a little Wretched popularity on a hypocritical pretence. The 'Shannon jets finds favour in the House of Lords. The Duke of WELLINGTON sanctions it ; and Lord ELLENBOROCH, who

Protested that it was "the grossest job he ever heard of," submits to hi leader. There was an impression that the bill would be thrown back upon its respectable patron, the Lord of Mount Trenchant ; and it was probably with this understanding that the

Times and Standard both denounced the job, on the morning and evening of the second reading. How the change in the tactics of Tory Peers was wrought, we cannot pretend to guess ; but perhaps our contemporary the Standard may gain an insight into the secret 01/ application to the Right Honourable FREDERICK SHAW. The Postage Bill will pass the House of Lords without opposi- tion. The Duke of WELLINGTON Wills it. His Grace thinks the

present time unfavourable for relinquishing a large amount of re- venue; but he yields to the general desire. A very capital speech Was delivered on the second reading of the bill by Lord Amnia-

TON ; who fl.om the first has been the discerning, steady, and in- fluential supporter of' cheap postage. But Lord ASHBURTON did not confine himself to the Postage question ; he exposed the Whig management of the finances with searching severity. But the bill is safe! Now, Mr. SPRING RICE, sing " To tri- umphe ! " Deep and painful must have been your anxiety lest the

Lords should take unfriendly advantage of the pledge in the funny

preamble, which duty compelled you to require. PEEL'S opposition must have distressed and alarmed you, as indicating the Duke's probable course. But the Duke is a merciful man, and spared you the agony of' failure. Now we all breathe freely, and bless SPRING RICE. Is Mr. RICE himself quite satisfied. Lord lleouenem's long-menaced motion on the Marquis of Noes,' ANOY'S administration of justice in Ireland was carried, on Tuesday, by a vote of 86 to 52. We are glad the blow has been struck ; for it was really painful to witness, night after night, the crouching, shifting contortionseif him on whom it was destined to descend. There was no just cause of complaint against the man- ner in which Lord BROUGHAM performed his task. Lord MEL.. BOURNE W/IS pleased to characterize it as" bitter, inveterate, cri- minatory, and intemperate ;" but these epithets are not appli- cable to a weighty, earnest, eloquent, and skilfully, constructed argument, remarkably free from bitterness and personality. No doubt, it bore hard upon Lord NORMAN BY. But his conduct only was assailed. There was no ridicule or reviling of the man, and no invective ; though a fairer mark never was presented to a mas- ter of these weapons. And the debate was, on the whole, con- ducted in rather a friendly tone towards Lord NORMANIIY. The disposition to protect him was quite as visible on the Opposition as on the Ministerial benches. The Tory Peers could not avoid supporting Bitotiouem's motion, but they took little pains to muster their party strength, and even the perturbed spirit of BODES was calm. This accorded with other significant symptoms. First it was rumoured that Parliament would be vrorogued to prevent any motion upon the Report of Lord Rooms s Committee. Then the Report, of which considerable portions were known to be drawn up, was suppressed. Lord BROUGHAM'S proceeding was a half-measure, by which the late Viceroy escaped a direct vote of censure. In all this we discern the effect of personal influence and connexiens. Lord NORMANBY could not have been saved by his Whig friends, but he had powerfhl allies among the Tories. The MELBOURNE Whigs aver that the Lords ought not to have decided this question upon a partial acquaintance with the evidence taken by Lord Ronee's Committee. Lord NORMANDY himself re- iterated this plea for postponement. But to affirm or reject the resolutions, did not require a full or intimate acquaintance with the evidence. That portion of the ease which most nearly touched the principal party, rested upon a very few undisputed facts. It was not denied, that during a progress through the South of Ireland, Lord NOR MANBY had discharged between two and three hundred inmates of the gaols, without consulting either the Judges who sentenced the prisoners or the Law Officers of the Crown. He advised with gaolers or turnkeys. The Lords have censured this manner of exercising the Royal prerogative of mercy. But they waited for evidence before they pronounced judgment. If they have come to a wrong decision, they allowed the accused a fair opportunity of defence : the Committee was open to him from the beginning, and his Ministerial friends made a large use of its facilities. Faction may have prompted the Lords as commencing their inquiry, but they conducted it with decorum:" faction prompted the Commons in making that inquiry a Fe- tence for a blind vote of confidence—without investigation—with- out evidence before them—in ignorance of much if not all that the Lords carefully examined.

The Irish discussion was renewed on Thursday; but it was only a long talk about the Ribbon conspiracy, which is described by one party as extensive and formidable, by the other as insignifi- cant and almost harmless. Indeed its existence is questioned by not a few.