NEWS OF THE WEEK.

Born Houses of Parliament have been engaged in pursuing the process of winding-up with a view to a release for the season,

and they have promoted that object in the main by leaving as many questions as possible unsettled. There is not one excep- tion,—there is only half an exception. The question of the Jews indeed is entirely settled with regard to itself, but with regard to the half of Parliament it is still unsolved. The House of Commons has passed those two bills which the House of Lords sent down,—the one embodying a refusal to admit Jews into Parliament, the second embodying the assent to that measure. The final debate in the House of Commons was one in which Members of various grades and positions improved the oppor- tunity for making solemn fun. Mr. Roebuck, who just now exercises the privilege of having a say on almost every subject, standing in his place in. Parliament, took the wide-open oppor- tunity of calling the House of Lords " an ass " ! This appears to us to be a decided breach of privilege ; and we have only been surprised to observe that the Peers have not in turn called upon the House of Commons to account for the statement of their Member, or upon Mr. Roebuck himself, to make good his words. Mr. Spooner and Mi. Warren joined in a duet of doleful croak- ing, on the " degradation" which the House of Lords had so ingeniously contrived for itself ; Mr. Thomas Duncombe de- fended the Peers from " acrimonious. expressions " ; Mr. Newde- gate, in tlke heat of debate, reminded the House that Mr. Dis- raeli was " of Jewish extraction " ; and Admiral Walcott de- clared that in passing the bill we had " slighted the ground of our hope hereafter " ! Still the bill was passed and read a third time, amid loud cheers ; and then Lord John Russell completed his arrangement, declaring in very simple words that the House would not examine the reasons offered by the Lords for mutilating the Oaths Bills, since they had pro- vided in a separate measure for the admission of Jews to Par- liament.

We cannot consider the India Bill as settling any question, and the manner of its treatment in Committee of the Lords has been such as to uniettle some of the most important items. An- ticipating the opposition of Lord Ellenborough, Lord Derby had announced an amendment for omitting the competition clause introduced into the Bill by. Lord Stanley. The measure is thus made by Ministers to suit the atmosphere of either House ; and it goes back to the Commons accompanied by a promise from Lord Derby that 'be will effect the object of the clause by the authority of the Crown. This certainly is a most novel mode of legislation—one perhaps in harmony with the position of a Minister who obtained his standing on Tory principles and enters office to carry on Liberal administration and legislation. Of course it is open for such a MiniAer to take a leaf out of either book, to fire a shot from either battery, to speak in any lan- guage and to do anything. So again Mr. Buxton with his question touohing the promised amnesty in India has drawn from Lord Stanley an explanation which explains nothing. Will it be an amnesty only for the Peaceable inhabitants of the revolted provinces, or for the rebels ; and if for the rebels, for the Sepoys as well as the misguided Populations ? Either way perchance the policy might be sup- ported

edby some reason ; -but, as it stands, the question is left

unetttl. , ' The novelty of the week has been the debate on the Hudson's Bay Company, its territory and claims. The question was raised by the inevitable Mr. Roebuck, who moved resolutions putting a negative upon the claims of the Company to hold the territory or to close it against appropriation. The Colonial Secretary explains that the rights of the Company under their charter will be gravely considered by the Law Officers of the Crown ; that he is not disposed to renew the twenty-one years' licence for exclusive trading which will expire next year, at least with reference to those parts that may be useful for colo- nizing ; and that next year he hopes to lay before Parliament a better arrangement. The subject has meanwhile been sub- mitted to Canada, who will be allowed to extend her jurisdic- tion over the territory if she undertakes certain duties for the purpose of throwing it open ; but it is reasonably expected that Canada will decline. Many Members had a comment or so to make, but the great balance of opinion went in support of Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton's arrangement, which leaves the subject unsettled until next year.

So it is with the Thames. There has been a debate upon the Ministerial bill for handing over the subject to Thwaites and Co. ; a plan which may be said to incorporate unsettlement. Meanwhile, however, a great concession has been made to " the million " : the new Suspension Bridge at Chelsea is to be open to- the public gratuitously on Sundays, Whit Monday, and Whit Tuesday. Even on minor subjects in the hands of private Members there is a general deference for this constituted power of unsettlement.

A Select Committee had been sitting on the transport of troops to India ; in that Committee, General Evans, as chairman, pro- duced a draft report to which several Members took exception ; and ultimately those leading Members, of whom Lord Goderich is one, supported by others, formed a majority which affirmed a different and milder report. 13eneral Evans charges those Mem- bers with adopting statements to the House counter to the evi- dence which was brought before them, and he imputes to them the motive of an amiable desire to favour their political friends.

But, instead of contenting himself with the combat in Commit- tee, or with appealing to the House, Sir De Lacy circulated a printed statement, resembling a Parliamentary paper, impugning the conduct of those Members. And now, through Lord Gode- rich, they appealed to the House. We hope, however, that as is promised, there will be a full discussion in proper form, of the charges which Sir De Lacy has advanced.

The " innocents" massacred already include, amongst other measures, the Superannuation Bill, a Bill for modifying the Dublin police which created some odium, and Mr. Ward Hunt's Bill to abolish Members' exemption from arrest. The last was intended as a counterpoise to the abolition of the property quali- fication, of which it affected logically to be the complement ; but the property qualification is abolished for the public good, not for private benefit, and the freedom from arrest is a privilege retained, not for the private advantage of the Member, but also for the public good. Mr. Ward Hunt's Parlidmentaiy logic is, unsound, and it is probable that his bill will not, like some in- nocents, be revived after hybernation.

The late Ministers have been very clever in making oppor- tunities for their successors, and one of the happiest strokes of this kind was accomplished by Sir George Cornewall Lewis on Thursday. The business before the House was the Committee on the Appropriation Bill. In his proper duty as Chancellor of the Exchequer and financial detective for the Opposition, Sir George Lewis discovered the momentous fact, that in the Appropriation Bill, authorizing the appropriation of moneys for the public service, there is an excess of expenditure over the estimates, in- somuch that instead of a surplus of estimated revenue over the outlay to the amount of 300,0001., there is a deficiency of 535,000/. ; whereupon he sternly called the Chancellor of the Exchequer to account. Mr. Disraeli scarcely defended the " irregularity " as Mr. Wilson called it ; he simply observed that estimates are seldom exactly accurate. But if the expenditure has gone slightly beyond the mark, the revenue is growing to much larger proportions. On the first quarter, which he did not expect to be very prosperous, since it came im-

mediately after the depression if not edmvulsion of 1857, there is an excess of insome oNAIr td expelligitlyek oar a feNir pounds short of 224,0007. But the- very earliest days of tie next quarter show a still more rapid od.vaneen as oompared with the corresponding 18 days of 1857, the first 18 days of the present quarter show an increase on the four grand sources of revenue, Customs, Excise, Stamps, and Post Office, of not less than 364,0001. ; the other sources of course not being available for comparison, since the revenue is collected at larger intervals of time. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has only been obliged . to raise one instead of two millions to pay off Exchequer Bonds. In fact the public revenue is in a flourishing state, and the country in a much more flourishing state than " the City " at all suspects.

The Select Committee on the Bank Charter Acts has presented a report of no great length disposing of the question judiciously, for the present, with an historical review of the antecedents that led to the crisis of 1857. The Committee gives a somewhat ela- borate exposure of the system of " open credits " which was de- veloped into the gigantic system of fictitious credits, such as we saw exemplified especially in the Liverpool Borough Bank, the Western Bank of Scotland, the Northumberland and Durham Bank, and two London Bill-broking Houses. In these respects the principal facts, and the view of the Committee, have been anticipated in our own pages. The report suggests that the law should. be left as it is. The Committee would not introduce any special provision sanctioning the suspension adopted in 1847 by Lord John Russell, and in 1857 by Lord Palmerston's Govern- ment. They quote the words of Sir Robert Peel when the act was under preparation in 1844—" If it be necessary to assume a grave responsibility, I dare say men will be found to assume such a responsibility." But they suggest that a smaller Committee should be appointed. to consider a question, in many respects se- parate from that of the currency—the relations between the Bank of England and the State. This, indeed, is a distinct ques- tion, though in some points of detail it is mixed up with the other. It is not, strictly speaking, " subordinate," but it is not the question which created so much anxiety during the late crisis. The Committee, it will be observed, recommend that the law be left in state quo.

Another Committee has also presented its report—that on the purification of the Thames ; and little has this Committee con- tributed to determine any question. Its greatest strength has been devoted to rejecting the plan of Mr. Goldsworthy Gurney— nought beyond it. The Committee alludes to the evidence which it has collected, but does not absolutely condemn the plan which Government is understood to have adopted, does not suggest any other proposal—does not attempt to handle the question between desiccation and dilution : in fact, according to the invariable plan of the moment leaves everything just where it was.

A new Institution is introduced to the public—the Dramatic College ; which, already, before its formal birth, is possessed of landed property, has 7001. in money, the means of constructing four out of its twenty buildings, and is conditionally promised the good offices of the Queen as its Godmother. The first object is, to erect twenty buildings—ten for actors and ten for actresses with annuities for the occupants. The idea springs from the land of Mr. Henry Dodd, " a kind and benevolent gentleman in Berkshire," who has given land and money for the purpose ; and Mr. Charles Kean mustered an imposing array of brother actors, dramatic authors, artists, and friends of the drama, to inau- gurate the public appeal. Actors have hitherto been somewhat hardly used. If they are so singularly and individually success- ful that they become "stars," they may make fortunes out of their earnings ; less than that success yields commonly little more than enough to provide for the wants of the day. Besides, there is a cir- cumstance which is not enough taken into account in estimating the conduct of professional men. The actor is led by his avocations into an habitual frame of mind most congenial to enjoyment, to kindness, to generosity towards those whose living exigencies call out impulsive sympathy, but uncongenial to prudential calcula- tion. And how can we expect to get foresight out of a man whose very frame of mind must be in some degree incompatible with foresight ? We might as well try to keep guineas in a violin, and then expect to get music out of the instrument.

The news from India is what is called " cheering," and the two Houses cheered accordingly, when it was announced to them on Thursday night. Sir Hugh Rose has taken Gwalior after a hard struggle, but with small loss to the British. These set successes, as our readers know, are down in the programme—the natives cannot cope with us there ; but the telegraph fails to report anything which can correct the general impression con- veyed last week, that other provinces besides those hitherto con- sidere* " disturbed," are in a very unsettregt state, waiting for the Now which is so fevearab]b4) native. mutoeuvres. Mean- whir... %mover, any signal eucesostachieweit by the British tends to couagicaut the growth,ni uati* aonfiastnee), From China the news is decidedly an improvement. The joint squadron has broken through its unaccountable inactivity. the forts at the mouth of the Pei-Ho have been taken ; and the rebels, who are gaining ground, must be virtually aiding the " outside barbarians " in the pressure on the Central Govern- ment.

A change has come over the spirit of the Admiralty's dream. The Emperor of the French is displaying his usual perseverance in the developement of his grand demonstration at Cherbourg, which is to be more significant than ever. According to a current report, when the curtain which shrouds the statue of the great Emperor is removed, the pedestal will exhibit an scription taken from Napoleon's meditations at St. Helena, the first sentence of a passage which begins by recording his inten- tion to " renew at Cherbourg the marvels of Egypt," followed up by explaining that he intended the great naval station as a standing point from which he might " strike a blow " at " the enemy " ; meaning England. Queen Victoria is to assist at this fulfilment of the first Napoleon's dream ; but she is not to assist in fulfilling the dream of our Admiralty : she is not to take the squadron which had been ascribed to her in the semi-official " Naval and Military Intelligence " of the Times. The reason for the change has not transpired. It is indeed said that se great a retinue was never intended. We might almost fear, however, that our own remarks upon the magnificent repartee which that attendance would have given to the bad taste of the invitation may have attracted attention in Paris, and have led to remonstrances. At all events, the lady Jupiter of England waives her thunder, and appears at Cherbourg without display- ing to the sensitive French the means by which " the enemy " might meet any future " blow." We discuss the subject in another place.