NEWS OF THE WEEK.
PARLIAMENT is now regularly summoned to meet for business on the 18th instant—Thursday week. It is meant to be under- stood that this extraordinary session will be short—limited to the work of indemnifying the Government and the Bank of England for any breach of the Bank Charter Act consequent on the re- cent measure intended for commercial relief. There are two diffi- culties in the way of following out the scheme laid down. The indemnity, for which the session is supposed to be summoned, seems not likely to be wanted : the Bank does not as yet appear to have taken advantage of the official hint that it might repeal the Act of 1844 slid count upon indemnity. And the Irish Meth- hers are conspiring to force upon Parliament during its autumnal sitting the interminable subject of Irish grievances and wants. Unless some singularly felicitous means be found of gagging the blatant Members, it does seem impossible to keep silence on the subject ; and one Irish debate would alone suffice for a short ses- sion. Besides, although Ministers may not have to ask for an indemnity, Mr. Muntz and other Currency gentlemen may think fit to ask for an impeachment of Ministers, because they did not provide good store of paper "pounds," "taxation money," and what not ; so that there will be Currency debates as well as Irish debates. Other matters—Poor-law revision, Sanatory Reform, Colonization—may be postponed; but assuredly the fervid ora- tors on Ireland and Currency will deprive all the political world of its Christmas holydays, unless Ministers are very firm in their allegiance to the ancient and Druidical misletoe.
