The Week.

after some weeks absence . Great fires are reported to have taken place in the vast woods in the neighbourhood of the capital . The Ott murder case continues to he the prominent subject of discussion in the Paris journals , and several of them , imagining that it may lead to a war between France and Prussia , discuss the probabilities of the Emperor annexing the Rhenish provinces . The correspondent of a morning

contemporary considers that the murder is a serious affair for Prussia , and that if the Prussian Government does not satisfy the demands of the French Cabinet , it may ripen into an international storm . Somebody who signs himself " President of the Iron Bond , " has been writing a , threatening letter to Herr von Bismarck , announcing that if he does not

give back their rights to the Schleswig-Holsteiners , he shall die within a fortnight . The letter likewise threatens banishment or death to tyrannical German princes . Some attempt seems to be made to ascribe political siguificiance to this silly document , and no doubt Herr von Bismarck would be as vain as our own Harley was of the honour of attempted assassination . But it

seems clear that the Prussian Minister ' s mysterious warning is either the work of a maniac , or of a practical joker . Tho new Austrian Governor of Holstein , Field-Marshal von Gablentz ( who commanded the Austrian troops in the late campaign ) has arrived in Kiel , and inaugurated his duties hy a proclamation addressed ta the inhabitants of the Duchy ,

He appeals confidently for support to the patriotic feeling of the Holsteiners—an appeal which , were ho not a German and a field-marshal , one mignt suppose to be his fun . M . Drouyn de l'Huys has written to the Mayor of Strasburg announcing that he has received a promise from the Prussian Government that "no personal considerations" shall be allowed to interfere in the judicial proceedings called for by

the death of Ott . Spain really appears to be making progress . A telegram informs us that a rumour prevails in financial circles that the municipal exercise duties and octroi will shortly be abolished . That such a measure should even be talked of is a good sign . The Prussian Government has issued a Royal proclamation

announcing the assumption by the King of Prussia of the title of Duke of Lunenburg ancl the annexation of the Duch y to his dominions . The proclamation promises that the King will carry on the Government of the Duchy in conformity with the existing laws . From Lisbon comes a telegram which states that the King of Portugal has postponed his visit to foreign

countries in consequence of public opinion being opposed to his taking the Infante with him . The Oporto exhibition is a success . Cholera is saicl to have made its appearance in the neighbourhood of Seville , and tp have excited great alarm among the inhabitants . AA ' e trjist that a misapprehension exists as to tbe nature of the disease , and that the panic will prove to be

Avithout foundation . The Hungarian Diet is summoned to meet on the 10 th December . If tbe Austrian Government be not prepared to abandon the old grounds the meeting will be to little purpose . A pamphlet publised in reference to the Gastein Convention is creating some little sensation just now in Paris . It is believed or conjectured to have had its

origin in one of tho foreign embassies . It seems to be a "feeler" in favour of an alliance with Prussia—an idea little calculated , one would think to , find favour in France just now . AMERICA . —The Persia brings three days' later news from New York , to tbe Sth inst . A conflict had taken place between the military chief in Mississippi and the civil governor , as to the

means proposed to suppress guerilla and negro outrages . The President had been appealed to . The killing of negroes throughout the South by the whites is reported to be increasing ,

The Week.

and m East Tennessee loyalist ancl secession conflicts were rife . President Johnson had made a speech declaring the policy ofthe States to be the maintenance of Republicanism , and by peaceful means the establishment of free institutions throughout the American continent . It is denied that Mr . Bright has been invited by the President to visit America in a Federal frigate . The City of Washington has arrived with intelligence from

New York to the 9 th inst . As negro disturbances are said to be apprehended in districts where there are no agents of the Freedmen's Bureau , General Howard has recommended the formation of a police patrol system . President Johnson approves of the reorganisation of the State militia in Mississippi as an essential right of self government . Various conventions had

pronounced either for or against President Johnson ' s policy . The New York Chamber of Commerce had appointed a committee to invite Mr . Brig ht to America . According to a perhaps somewhat doubtful authority , the Mexican question has been fully discussed at a Cabinet Council , all the ministers save one on being in favour of maintaining the statu quo , while

President Johnson reserved his own judgment until the meeting of Congress . The Governor-General of Canada is now on his way to Europe . The Republicans achieved some slight successes in Mexico ; but the fact thut several Federal officers attended a ball which was given under Imperial auspices at Matamoras indicates that the present policy of the United States is not intended to be offensively hostile to Maximilian . INDIA , CHINA , & C . —By the Overland Mail we have

intelligence from India , China , Japan , and Australia . The India and Japan news is of little importance . As to China , the startling statement which receiveci currency some clays since of Pekin having been captured by the northern insurgents turns out to be false . The northern insurgents had been routed by a son of San-Ko-Lin-Sin , and had heen dispersed . The

Taepings rebels are represented as being completely cowed by tbe success of the foreign arms employed against them . In Victoria , Australia , a Ministerial crisis was impending , brought about by the Tariff Bill , which , although a dead failure , as might have been expected , the Ministry were determined to push through the Council . The Land Law was working fairly ,

ancl the goldfields yielding at the usual rates . The news from New Zealand is not of an exciting kind . One British soldier had heen killed in an operation by a body of troops to open communication between two stations in the territories of the natives . Against the death of this one soldier there aro to be set two pahs burnt ,

containing numerous huts , the huts containing numerous human beings , who shared the same fate . From the Cape of Good Hope we have news to the 14 th July , In the war between the Boers of the Free State and the Basutos , the former were acting on the aggressive and defeating the latter hand over hand . The Kaffirs remained quiet , and the bill to

annex Kaffraria to the Cape Colony had been carried , after dilatory opposition , in the Legislative Assembly . Trade was dull at the Cape , ancl commercial embarrassments prevailed .

To Correspondents.

TO CORRESPONDENTS .

* # * All communications to be addressed to 19 , Salisburystreet , Strand , London , AA ' . C . T . J . S . —The lines you will see have been used by us . R . F . G . —Referring to our notice to you in our issue of the 9 th inst ., you will doubtless have found , upon receipt of your number for last week , that we were prevented giving until then the report intended to have been given in our issue of the previous week .