NEWS OF TILE WEEK.

THE Royal reception on Saturday passed off well. True, the arrangements made by the City Police broke down, and the crush east of Temple Bar was terrific, while west of that point the procession lost its character as a State pageant, and looked meagre to meanness. The Royal carriages were wretched affairs, the servants wore crape on their arms, and the Princess's carriage was drawn by only four horses, when the multitude looked for six. The thousands of people col- lected had, however, been brought together by a desire to see the Princess, and not upholstery ; and they saw her, and were content. The popular verdict is:unmistakeable. The Princess does not need the conventional courtesy extended to all Royal personages. She is a genuinely beautiful girl, of the true Saxon type, with a face far more expressive than the best photo- ,graphs, and a manner which, already winning though imma- ture, will one day be royally gracious. The immense multi- :tilde who in the City so thronged the streets as to render the progress dangerous, carried away with them an impression which, for years to come, will sweeten loyalty into personal admiration and regard. Both the Princess and her future husband were received throughout the route with a heartily cordial welcome.

The Royal Wedding passed off pretty much like any other wed-ling, except for the rank of the party present, which in- cluded two reigning sovereigns, all the members of the English royal family except Prince Alfred, and the King of Hanover, all the Danish family except its head, and most English personages of first-class official or aristocratic distinction. The bridesmaids were all daughters of Marquesses and Earls, and Mr. Russell in the Times sings a hymn to their beauty. A touch of dignified sadness was given to the scene by the pre- sence of the Queen in deep widow's mourning, and by the deep emotion Her Majesty could not restrain. The Arch- bishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Oxford performed the ceremony, and it is carefully noted that the responses were almost inaudible. The Prince and his bride spend their honeymoon at Osborne.

The London illuminations were, on the whole, exceedingly magnificent,—for London. How far short we fall of the true theory of illumination, the impressive spectacle of the Quadrant in Regent Street, with its sweeping curves of flame, brought out most clearly. We illuminate, as we do almost all other things, on individualistic and competitive principles, instead of combining for unity of design and continuity of effect. One house writes a sentiment in coloured lamps, another puts up a gas star, a third a transparency of the Prince and Princess, and all is spotty and irregular. A continuous stream of light, however thin, sweeping down each face of the great thoroughfares, would have threaded together all the single illuminations into an effect of infinitely greater gran- deur. The only real failure, however, was the electric light, which entirely disappointed the confiding hopes of its scien- tific friends. People thronged. to St. Paul's, at great peril to their lives, to see a dome of fire, such as the burning house in Paternoster Row lit up a year and a half ago, and beheld what the class-books on optics call "an oblique pencil of rays," and a very faint one too, wandering in a desolate and dejected way about the dome in the hope of effecting something. A single beam of moonlight would have produced a finer effect. St. Paul's cannot be lighted up by a magic lanthorn. The coloured Admi- ralty lamps round the ball had the advantage of being seen from the howling wilderness of Smithfield—the nearest point reached by many a cabful of patient explorers,—and certainly gave a striking impression of enor- mous height, but also of great poverty of effect at that height, looking something as a coloured glass-bead necklace round a majestic beauty might seem to infancy. The eleetric light on the National Gallery did little better, except that when turned on the top of the Nelson Column, the whole height of which remained in darkness, it gave the effect of a sheeted ghost in mid-air. Next to the Quadrant, St. James's Street, Cheapside, Fleet Street, Bond Street, and Pall Mall, were the most brilliant and continuously lighted streets, the Strand, except near Temple Bar, being rather a failure. An eccentric and ingenious mind in the Haymarket produced dissolving views of the various members of the Royal Family, which excited great interest in the crowd, the Princess of Hesse (whom they called the Princess Bessy) developing out of the Princess of Prussia with a rapidity that even Mr. Darwin's newest species never rivalled.

The European commotion caused by the insurrection in. Poland has not yet subsided. It is understood that the British Government has addressed a circular to the Powers which signed the treaty of June 9, 1815, which guaranteed to Poland a separate administration, and to Cracow freedom. This despatch must be barren, for France will not quote the treaties of 1815, and Austria will not surrender Cracow, ex- cept to a free Poland. The Emperor of the French, on the other hand, has addressed a letter to the Czar demanding a constitution for Poland, to which Alexander the Second has replied, promising many concessions when the insurrection shall have been subdued. This reply has been considered in Paris, but Napoleon seems still irresolute. He is averse, apparently, to a second war with Russia, yet unwilling to irritate his people by abstaining from active interference. For the hour, therefore, the cue of the French press is to abuse England for selfishness in not advancing at once by the side of France.

The Conscription Bill sent down from the Senate of the United States has now passed the House of Representatives by a large majority (115 against 49), with a few amendments, which must be submitted to the Senate before the bill can become law. The feeling in its favour out of doors was strong, its Republican supporters being cheered from the gallery in their attack on Mr. Vallandigham and the so-called peace party. The most important of the Lower House amendments provides that all persons arrested by Provost-Marshals for alleged trea- sonable practices shall be immediately surrendered to the civil authorities for trial.

The arrangements in the City on Saturday were paralyzed by want of force, the City authorities in a silly spirit of self- sufficiency refusing all aid. They say the crush of the crowd was owing to the unpunetuality of the volunteers, who ought to have kept one line ; but no official in his senses would have run the risk of a collision between the volunteers and the people, and we do not therefore believe that any such orders were issued. On the Tuesday night also the police were far too few, the " roughs " linked themselves into bands, and, charging the crowd, caused the deaths of six women, and injuries by the score. As a rule, the police did their work with exceeding tonper and patience ; but the population of London is becoming so large that on occasions like this they require a little assistance. But for the extreme good temper of Englishmen when there is anything to be seen, the papers would have had to report a serious list of casual- ties. An English crowd, while sober, can be relied on for discretion • but at night there is always a proportion of men half drunk whom nothing but force can restrain.

Very exaggerated statements are circulated as to the crowd in the streets on the 7th March, calculations ranging from a million and a half to three millions. The distance traversed was about 10,000 yards, and to bring the spectators up to a million each yard must have held fifty people on each side of the street. Streets have two sides, and each man takes about two feet of room. To make a million, therefore, the crowd must have stood about thirty deep on each side. They did not stand twelve, and the total number, allowing for three stories of windows house-tops, &c., cannot have exceeded, as a maximum, three-quarters of a million.

• The Italian loan of 28,000,0001. has been arranged for. It seems that Messrs. Rothschild have taken the greater portion only 4,000,0001. being left for private subscriptions. It is to be issued in ten instalments spread over an entire year, and the price to the public will be 71. It is unusual for the Italian Government to resort to the great loanmongers, as they prefer what is called the "open" system of loans. On this occasion they wished, however, to interest all the Bourses in Europe, and so applied to Messrs. Rothschild.

The Polish revolt has assumed a new phase. General Langiewicz, having eluded the Russians, and raised his force into a small army, has been invested with the power of Dic- tator, and will control all military operations. He has appointed a man not known out of Poland to conduct the civil government, i.e., to manage the secret organization and assessment, and seems to have made terms with the nobles, who are at last taking part in the movement. They had held aloof, fearing, it seems, lest it should take a socialist turn ; but they have been re-assured, and the " Whites " have acceded to the programme of the "Reds." Langiewicz, in his first proclamation, confirmed the order authorizing all pea- sants to retain their holdings rent-free for ever, and it has been held necessary to announce that this resolution is not based on the "fantastic theories which elsewhere threaten to upset European society." Mieroslawski, a revolutionist rather than a Pole pure and simple has for the moment retired from a prominent part in the affair.

"Au incident," says our courtly contemporary the Morn- ing Post, "strongly indicative of the reverence entertained by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales for the Holy Scrip- tures took place on the day of his wedding." The Rev. C. F. Tarver and the Rev. H. M. Birch were admonished that, "on retiring to a certain room in the castle," they would each find a memorial from the Prince. On effecting the re- treat thus indicated they came upon two handsomely bound Bibles, bearing "autograph inscriptions from His Royal Highness." "The gifts have proved most gratifying to both the reverend gentlemen," says our courtly contemporary, for whom the inspired writers have evidently acquired a new sig- nificance. From Moses to St. John they may, in a certain sense, be now regarded as presented at Court.

Mr. Adderley raised, on Monday, a debate concerning the penal system of Sir George Grey, which brought out the Home Secretary's sympathy with released convicts in a more direct, but also more imbecile form than usual. He could not - see, he said, how the relapses of ticket-of-leave men could be discovered unless they committed a fresh crime,—which is rather like Sam Weller's not being able to see his father in court when he was gazing straight up into the lanthorn at the top. Of course' if they are not to be watched, they will not be seen till they force themselves on public notice. Next, he was very unwilling that any ticket-of-leave should be withdrawn without a judicial investigation of the ground of withdrawing it, a scruple doing great credit to Sir George Grey's delicacy of feeling towards the licentiates, but perhaps a little over-refined, considering that their liberty is absolutely conditional on their abstaining even from all appearance of evil. The House discussed the matter in a confused way, as if they felt browbeaten by the pertinacity of the official mind, and Mr. Henley, who is on the Royal Commission, gave us a preliminary hint that the Commission is likely enough to back up Sir Joshua jebb,—which was probably its final cause.

The quasi-Republic established in Greece does not scent to work quite smoothly. he superior officers of the army are not quite content with the revolution, and, aided by some Palikari chiefs, entered into a conspiracy for the restoration of Otho. The Bavarian Consul supplied funds, and the move- ment was in a forward state, itizeutes being arranged in the provinces, when the Assembly discovered the plot, cancelled the Consul's exequatur, and bade the officers implicated retire to the islands. Troops were sent to the menaced districts, Messene, Sparta, and Lamle, and the danger seems over. The Assembly, however, wants money, and Greece obviously re- quires a King. Lord Palmerston is to answer questions upon the subject on Monday, and the London Greeks suggest in the Times the choice of a Danish Prince. They had much better take an English Peer.

Her Majesty, through Sir G. Grey, has thanked the Metro- polis, and pointedly the City authorities, for their share in the reception offered to the Princess. • We regret to record the death of Sir Tames Outram, which took place on the 11th inst., in Paris. Sir James arrived in Bombay in 1819, and in the next ten years gained for himself the title of the Indian Bayard, fought in 1838 in Afghanistan with the highest distinction, and assisted in the conquest of Scinde, though he thought the invasion an iniquity, and would not accept the prize-money. Despite the consequent quarrel with the Napiers, and another with Lord Falkland, in which the soldier was at once right and rash,. making accusations right and left which most people believed and none could prove, he obtained the confidence of the Home Government—especially, it is said, by a masterly paper on Egypt,—and in 1856 was appointed to command the army in Persia. His subsequent career is too well known to need repetition. Sir James, though he could not speak and wrote very diffusely, was a man of remarkable ability as a planner ;. but his hold upon Indian opinion was derived from his courage—a quality he possessed to a degree rarely given even to brave men—and his singular freedom from every form of self-seeking. He never wished, it is said, for anything in life except the Victoria Cross, which was voted him by two regi- ments, but refused, because as a general he had no business to be exposing his life so freely. He is a loss to the empire.

A meeting of all the leading Orleanists in Paris has been held at the house of the Bite de Broglie. M. Thiers, H. Gnizot, General Changarnier, M. Rivet, If:Bar- thelemy-Hilaire, M. Dafaure, and many ether Orleanists of distinction were present. The point to be debated was, whether the party should continue to abstain from public life, or should enter the arena, take the oath, and appear as candi- dates at the forthcoming elections. The words of the oath are, "I swear obedience to the Constitution and fidelity to the Emperor." All present seemed inclined to abandon their passive resistance, and all but two agreed that this oath might be taken. The two were M. Dufaure and another not named, and H. Guizot hesitated. The decision has alarmed the Government, which, in the Constitutionnel, hints at the neces- sity for imposing new oaths and demanding categorical explanations. It is thought that several Orleauists may be returned.

A very amusing discussion took place in the House of Com- mons last night, on the motion of Sir De Lacy Evans, "to bring under consideration the question or expediency of amalgamating the Metropolitan and City of London Police establishments." The motion arose out of the disorder and confusion which took place last Saturday in the City, parti- cularly near the Mansion House, during the Royal procession, and the asserted inefficiency of the City police on that occa- sion. In the ensuing discussion, the Lord Mayor, us in dut y bound, defended the civic "establishment," and was backed by Alderman Sidney, who, in Somewhat too pompous a. manner, amid roars of laughter, dwelt on the "immense importance" of the territory between Temple Bar and the Monument. Lord Alfred Paget illustrated the question in a very humorous manner, saying he felt last Saturday, while in the City, like a mariner in the Arctic Seas, espying, from the midst of icebergs, clear water in the distance—west of Temple Bar. There is no doubt, judging by the feeling of the House last night, that Government will soon have to undertake a solution of Sir De Lacy Evans's motion.

A. telegram has been received from America announcing the capture of Guaymas, in Sonora, by the French, and the march of 8,000 men upon Hermouosilla, the capital of the State. The story must be at all events an exaggeration, for Guaymas is on the Pacific, and even if Napoleon could collect that number of men in New Caledonia and St. Francisco, he could not transport them. We presume the French squadron in the Pacific has landed some hundreds of marines, and perhaps some adventurers, with the view of securing the pro- vin' co which Napoleon would best like to keep. Sonora, Chihuahua, and Baja California, would make a splendid possession on the Pacific, and render the extension of the Con- federacy southwards exceedingly dangerous. The "Age of .Conquest," it would seem, is not quite "past."

Sir G. C. Lewis moved the Army Estimates on Monday. We have previously given the figures which show a reduction of a million, chiefly in guns and buildings ; but the debate brought out a new point. The Secretary at War defended the number of men, 148,242, by the necessity of reliefs. Both for the sake of health and of discipline it was necessary that the troops should, out of fifteen years' service, pass five at home. Consequently, for every two regiments abroad, we must have one at home. "Then," said Mr. Forster, of Brad- ford, " every increase of two regiments in India means an increase of one at home. If the army in India had been increased by 30,000 men, that would involve increasing the army at home by 15,000 (the report says 10,000, but one in three is one to two), representing 1,500,000/. upon the votes." How, then, is it alleged that the Indian army costs this country nothing? The point is an important and novel one, and will be beard of again, and influence heavily all future discussions on the Indian army. So, too, was General Peel's. He objected to pay 38,000/. for two regiments of Indian troops employed in China, and only lost his amend- ment by 64 to 58. Clearly a Minister having the support of the Indian Secretary might, on this system, send 100,000 nien to China, pay them ad interim from the Indian Treasury, conquer China, and then ask Parliament to pay for the whole proceeding. That is what is being done on a small scale, and will yet be tried on a large one, if our policy in China is allowed to escape from the hands' of the House of Commons.

The friends of the South observe with disgust that the North is again becoming a "unit for war." The European public has treatcd the Democratic party as if it were one, whereas it comprises two widely different divisions. The more numerous, or War Democrat section, whether stun°.b by the conduct of the South, or unable to bear the idea ofdis- union, or afraid of the increased power of the Central Go- vernment, has agreed, apparently, to go on with the war, and assented to the Conscription Bill. With their consent that Bill can be carried out, and the North is, therefore, sure of an army. On the other hand, the South is dispirited by the visible determination of its foes, and harassed, appa- rently, by the resistance made in the more moun- tainous districts to the conscription. Congress has passed a Bill authorizing Mr. Chase to borrow 180,000,000/. in currency and loans, and as this Act cannot be repealed without the President's sanction, Mr. Lincoln has ample funds for at least one more year of war. General Hooker's army is reported to be improving, and the bombardment of Vicks- burg has been commenced, though not as yet with much effect.

The Wood versus Iron controversy came on again in the House of Commons on Thursday night, Mr. Lindsay moving a resolution "that it is not expedient to commence at the pre- sent time building wooden ships which are to be cased with iron armour-plates." Mr. Lindsay, however, seemed to be much more interested in the controversy of the Admiralty versus Private Contractors than even in that of Wood versus Iron, labouring to prove that the Admiralty are much more expensive, and much less business-like shipbuilders, than private persons. Mr. Lindsay, who is not a ship- builder, but only a shipowner, was supported by Mr. Laird, who built the Alabama and is proud of her success, both in advocating iron against wood, and private contractors against the Admiralty. Neither controversy was much advanced, the only new feature being the quotation of the Moniteur de la Flotte to prove that we are behind France in armour- plat ed ships,—she either has builtor is building twenty- seven such ships, and we twenty-one, Lord Palmerston tells us, —and Viet many eminent authorities in the French navy prefer wood to iron. As France certainly cannot command as good iron as England, and much depends on its quality, this is, perhaps, not very wonderful. The difference in ex- pense between plated wood and solid iron was shown to be comparatively trifling, somewhere about ten per cent. on the larger cost, and the balance of argument is certainly, on the whole, in favour of iron. On the other hand, the House very properly refused to sanction a resolution which would encroach largely on the respon- sibility of the executive, and evidently preferred keep- ing up the Government dockyards to throwing themselves too completely into the hands of private contractors. Mr. Lindsay's motion was lost by a majority of 83,-164 to 81.

The Trades' Union Societies of London seem disposed to give up the attitude of somewhat jealous reserve which they have hitherto maintained towards the other classes of the com- munity. This improved spirit was shown the other day in a conference between the leading members of the London Trade Societies and the Council of the Working Men's Club and Institute Union,—a society miginated by benevolent members of the middle class, to aid them in the formation of institutes for evening classes and amusement. Mr. George Potter and his colleagues met in a very cordial spirit the officers of the Insti- tute Union, and agreed to recommend to the Trade Societies throughout the kingdom to assist the Council in their efforts for their good. Co-operation of this kind will do more to re- concile the Trades' Unions to their "natural enemies" than any special efforts at the time of a strike.

Sir I. Trelawny carried a respectable minority (96) with him into the lobby on Wednesday in support of his Affirmations Bill, the principle of which -is to admit quantum valeat the evidence of those who profess that they do not believe in a retributive God, and whose evidence is at present inadmissible, as neither oath nor affirmation is sup- posed to have any moral weight in their eyes. The Attorney-General who moved its rejection, and was supported by 142 members, persisted in the old argument that persons without a belief in the future punishment of perjurers or liars, are not generally trustworthy witnesses, and should be rejected as a class. Ile did not say why he would believe their affirmation that they had no belief, or why, if he believed that, he would believe nothing more from their mouths. The liar, therefore, who does not wish to give- evidence will not scruple to say he has no belief in God, even though he has ; the liar who does wish to give evidence will not scruple to say that be does believe in God, even though he does not ; and both will attain their end; while the only ease in which the present law can answer a good purpose is the extraordinarily exceptional one of a man who feels a scruple in lying about his own faithlessness, but none in lying about anything else. Such is the wisdom of our legal Con- servatism.

The Laureate has very cleverly avoided the painful necessity of a nuptial ode by the annexed lines of welcome, not, perhaps, one of his greatest performances, but still as spirited as courtly poetry can be expected to be :-- Sea-kings' daughter from over the sea, Alexandra!

Saxon and Norman and Dane are we,

But all of us Danes in our welcome of thee, Alexandra!

Welcome her, thunders oi fort and of fleet! Welcome her, thundering cheer of the street ! Welcome her, all things youthful and sweet, Scatter the biossom under her feet!

Break, happy land, into earlier flowers ! Make music, 0 bird, in the new-budded bowers ! Welcome her, welcome her, all that is ours ! Warble, 0 bugle, and trumpet, blare ! Flags, flutter out upon turrets and towers ! Flames, on the windy headland flare ! Utter your jubilee, steeple and spire Clash, ye bells, in the merry March air ! Flash, ye cities, in rivers of fire !

Welcome her, welcome the land's desire,

Alexandra !

Sea-kings' daughter as happy as fair, Blissful bride of a blissful heir, Bride of the heir of the kings of the sea, 0 joy to the people and joy to the throne, Come to us, love us, and make us your own : For Saxon or Dane or Norman we, Teuton or Celt, or whatever we be, We are each all Dane in our welcome of thee, Alexandza !