The Press.
London, England, 1856-02-23 00:00:00

THE WEEK.

THE opening of the Conference appears to be definitively fixed for
Monday next. The Plenipotentiaries appointed to attend have, we
may assume, by this time arrived in Paris. Count ORLOFF reached the
French capital on Thursday night at ten p.m. His Excellency left St.
Petersburg on the 12th inst., and arrived ut Berlin on the lath, where
he remained two days. He is reported to have had long interviews
with the King at Charlottenburg On the morning of the 20th he left
for Cologne and Paris. AALI PACHA reached Marseilles from Constan-
tinople on Thursday morning, and started the same evening direct for
Paris. The matter of precedence at the Conference has been settled
by the Representatives taking their seats according to the alphabetical
order of the country they represent, the two representatives of France,
M. WALEWSKI and Baron BOURQUENEY, taking the head and bottom of
the table. The fifth point, reserving to the Allies the right of bringing
forward conditions not expressed, will, it. is generally anticipated, be
taken first.

The Government sustained a double defeat last night in the
House of Lords on the Life Peerage question. Lord GLENELG first
moved that the opinion of the judges should be taken on the power of
the Prerogative ; but he was forcibly answered that the House itself
was the fittest tribunal to decide on its own privileges. His motion,
though supported by the whole strength of the Government, was nega-
tived by a majority, including proxies, of 111 to 142. Lord Lysnnunsr,
in counnittee, then moved his resolution negativing the right of BARON
PARKE to vote or sit in that House. The venerable Peer, who has
throughout conducted his case with rare ability and discretion, spoke
with a noble consciousness that he had established the principle for
which he had contended, and that the decision of the House could not
be doubtful. The Government met his motion with a direct nega-
tive ; but, on a division, could muster only 52 votes to 97. This
settles the question for the present. The position of the Government
is most awkward. What will be its next step? There is a rumour
that the CHANCELLOR will resign. But it is doubtful whether
the ship will be much lightened by this Jonas being
cast overboard. The Administration is in this dilemma.
It must confess that this measure, involving a most impol•
tant constitutional question, was sanctioned by it without due
thought or care for consequences ; or it must submit to the
humiliation of withdrawing from a position it had distinctly
taken up. It has, we imagine, no resource but either to drop the
contest to which it has committed the Crown, or to bring the principle
f drly before Parliament by means of a bill. It will probably prefer
the former alternative.

The small amount of the new loan, taken up yesterday, is appli-
cable only on the ground that the Government anticipate the amount
will be sufficient to supply the wants of the Exchequer until peace is
concluded, and that a further amount may then be obtained on easier
terms. To the same cause must be attributed the liberal terms con-
ceded by the contractors, as the whole amount to be funded was taken
up at a price equivalent to 90.
The total amount required by the Government for the service of
the year must, under any circumstances, be very considerable. The
Army Estimates (published this week) for the year 1856, amount to
84,998,5041, being an increase over the amount of last year of
6,328.0091. The total Navy Estimates for the year, including
the Transport Service, &c, amount to 20,081,647/., being an increase
upon last year of 497,6521. The whole Military and Naval Estimates,
therefore, will come to 55,070,1511., and the whole increase upon the
last year will be 6,815,6591 The revenue for 1853 amounted to
63,364,6051., and the expenditure to 84,305,7881., leaving a deficit of
21,141,1831. If to this deficit we add the increase on the estimates, it
gives the sum of 27,956,8421. as the deficiency for the current year, to
be made up either by loans or additional taxation. But estimates
usually fall short of the actual expenditure. The CHANCELLOR of the
EXCHEQUER stated last night that while the year's revenue had fallen
below his estimate, the expenditure had risen above it, creating toge-
th2r a balance on the wrong side of 3,560,0001. The like result will
probably occur again, so that, if the present rate of expenditure is to
continue, we may calculate that a sum of not less than 30,000,0001. will
be required. Even should peace be speedily concluded, it is doubtful
whether the expenditure, considering the engagements which the
Government has contracted, could be materially reduced. Under no
circumstances do we imagine that a less sum than twenty millions
extra will he required for the service of the year, and probably fresh
loans will have to he raised in our market for both Sardinia and
Turkey.

The Parliamentary debates of this week have been of considerable
interest. On Monday last, in the House of Commons, the Irish Court
of Chancery Bill came on for dit•cussion. Mr. S. FITZGERALD, Mr
ELLICE, Mr WHITEiIDE, and Mr. NAPIER, opposed the bill, principally
upon two grounds :—First, that it was a wanton interference with an
institution which had worked so well as the Encumbered Estates
Court, and would also throw at most itnprac6t able amount of labour
upon the Court of Chancery: and, soc,oidiv, that the proposed nomi-
nation of its officers by the Crown, instead of by the Irish Chancery
Judges, was an insult to the litter and an unwarrantable innovation