The Week.

etatis voted against the proposal , which was carried by nine votes against six . The Prussian troops who have returned from the scene of the late war entered Berlin on Wednesday , with the King at their head , amid an immense and enthusiastic crowd . The King of Denmark has arrived at Holding , in Jutland . The Dagblad asserts that several thousand inhabitants

of Scbleswig wanted to go to Kolding to render homage to the King , but that the German authorities prevented them , and that several arrests were made in consequence . AMERICA . —Almost the only news of any interest brought by tbe Africa , from Boston ancl Halifax , is tbe intelligence tha * General Sherman's army , which was said to be 50 , 000 strong ,

had pursued its march from Atlanta towards Macon , and had arrived on tbe 19 th ult . within eighteen miles of that city . The announcement proceeded from the Richmond newspapers , as General Sherman had completely abandoned bis communication with Chattanooga . It was said that Macon was not very strongly fortified , ancl that the garrison was composed

entirely of militia . It ivas also reported that several members of tho Georgian Legislature had fallen into the hands of General Sherman , and that bis cavalry bad occupied Milledgeville , the capital of the state . Nothing was certainly known respecting the Confederate General Hood ' s movements ; but the latest rumours represented that be

was marching on Pulaski , in Tennessee , with the supposed intention of commencing operations in Kentucky and Middle and Eastern Tennessee . Tbe Federal General Gillem , after bis defeat by General Breckenridge , had retired to the neighbourhood of Knoxville ; ancl it was asserted that General Breckenridge would invade Kentucky . There had been some skirmishing , but no important engagement , in the neighbourhood of Richmond . General Grant had paid a very short visit to

New-York , and had returned to head-quarters . It was conjectured that he was making preparations for a fresh attack on the Confederate defences . New York despatches to the afternoon of the 26 th ult . have been brought by tbe Peruvian and City of London . The accounts of Sherman ' s progress through the heart of Georgia were very imperfect and uncertain ; but the

Southern journals reported that his march was attended with the greatest devastation to the country , and that his troops had burned Clinton , Griffin , Monticello , and several other Georgian towns . The rumour that he had captured and burned Macon and Milledgeville had not yet been confirmed ; but it was known that telegraphic communication between Macon ancl

Savannah was cut oft * . It was supposed by the Richmond journals that tbe Federal army was marching on Augusta ; but of course no certain knowledge of the Federal General ' s intentions was possessed either by the Northern or by the Southern press . General Beauregard had issued a proclamation , dated from Corinth on the 18 th ult ., in which he informed the people of

Georgia that he was hastening to their aid , and urged them to destroy everything which could aid General Sherman's forces . Everyone , able to bear arms had been summoned to the Confederate standard in Georgia and the adjoining states ; and it was asserted that General Lee was sending troops to tho South , ancl was replacing them at Richmond and Petersburg by draughts

from General Early ' s army in the Shenandoah Valley . General Hood ' s forces were said to be advancing on Pulaski , in Tennessee , whence the Federals had retired to Columbia , where it was supposed that a battle would be fought . Ah attempt was , we are told , made on the night of the 25 th ult . to set fire simultaneously to a aumber of the great hotels , theatres , and public

buildings of New York ; but it is added that little damage was done . Two of the . alleged incendiaries had been apprehended , and it was supposed that Confederate emissaries-were " con-

The Week.

nected with the plot . " Lord Russell's reply to the note and manifesto of the Confederate Congress , recently presented to him by the Southern Commissioners , has been published . His Lordship states that since the outbreak of tho war her Majesty ' s Government " have continued to entertain sentiments of friendship equally for the North and for the South , "

ancl "in the meantime they are convinced that they best consult the interests of peace and respect the rights of all parties byobserving a strict and impartial neutrality . " It is rather curious to note that in this despatch Lord Russell , whiledescribing the Confederate States as " so-called , " speaks of "the formerly United Republic of North America . "

INDIA . —By the Bombay mail ive learn that the Viceroy , Sir John Lawrence , returned to Calcutta on the 1 st of November from his successful and brilliant visit to tho capital of the Punjaub . The entrance of the British force into Bhootan will take place about tbe middle of this month . Tbe subscriptions in Bombay towards the cyclone relief fund at Calcutta had

reached the amount of £ 20 , 000 . There was another gale at Calcutta on the 21 st , but fortunately attended with slight damage . There has been a violent gale at Masulipatam , on the Madras coast , which has reduced the town to a complete wreck by an inundation ; thousands of lives are said to have been lost .

JAPAN . —A letter received at Paris states that by a decision of the Criminal Tribunal at Yeddo the two palaces of Prince Nagato were razed to the ground , and that this judgment was in consequence of his having refused to pay the stipulated war indemnity . The most astounding part of this judgment , however , is , that all his servants were sentenced to be put to death j .

ancl this sanguinary decree was actually carried into execution , the number of vicarious victims being 420 men ancl 215 women ancl children .

To Correspondents.

TO CORRESPONDENTS .

W . COOKE is thanked . Tho one suggestion has been long under consideration . Tbe other we have tried , ancl , though attended with considerable labour and expense , found it did not add Is . a year to our revenue . B . B . bad better apply to the Grand Secretary . ANTi-CliliiAX . —Bro . Portal will no doubt be happy to answer your question .

S . S—Bro . F . Binckes , 16 A , Great Queen-street , W . C . PROV . G . S . —You have nothing to do , and have only to look on your red apron as a prelude to something better if you are in favour with the authorities , as we presume you are ; the offices iu the provinces being in the gift of the Prov . G . Masters . XERXES . —Yes , the present Grand Master of Scotland is a commonerBro . White Melville . He is an accomplished Mason

, and a highly-respected gentleman . The Earl of Dalhousie , formerly D . G . Master for England , is the D . Grand Master , ancl Earl Loughborough Substitute Grand Master . T . R . —Do exercise a little prudence . The publication of your letter would subject us , ancl you , to an action for libel , and a probable expulsion from tbe Craft . Not being interested , we naturalllook upon the matter more dispassionatelthan

y y you can be expected to do . SOLUS . —We know nothing about the value of the sewing machines advertised in our columns , ancl do not sew on our own buttons . We , as married men , cannot sympathise with " Solus " in his dislike to having a living sewing machine in his house ; but we have no doubt the proprietors of the " lock stitch " will give him all the information he wishes . Does " Solus "

ever join in the chorus " What Masons can more , " & c . ? Perhaps that song is tabooed at the Temperance Lodge from which he dates . MEBCUTOR is altogether mistaken . He must have read it somewhere else—certainly not in our columns .