The Week.

a prey to the prevailing fashion . AVe must at least presume so , for her dress caught the flame from a fire-place in her room ; and a beautiful girl of 19 , who had just returned from a ball , was burnt to death . The National Council of Berne , has ratified the treaty with the French Government relative to the Dappes Valley . The Swedish Government has laid before the

Diet , at Stockholm , a sweeping project of parliamentary reform , which is said to have met with a favourable reception . The Parliament of Sweden consists at present of four branches—the Ncbles , Clergy , Peasants , and Burghers—and it is now prox : > osed to consolidate these into two Chambers , —the one to be elected by the Provincial Assemblies , and the other by the popular

voice . The reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg arrived at Brussels on Saturday , on a visit to to the King of the Belgians . The object of the Royal Duke's visit is generally believed to be to consult with his Majesty about his candidature for the throne of Greece . The Death of Said Pacha , Alceroy of Egypt , is announced . His Highness died on Sunday , after a nine days '

illness . Tais intelligence will be received in England with deep regret . The deceased Prince was a man of AVestern rather than Oriental ideas , and his premature death will be deplored by all who have watched the tendenoy of his policy . His public life was not without its blemishes , and chief among them was his extravagance , mildly described by Sir Henry Buliver at

Alexandria , the other day , as " excessive good nature . But , on the whole , he was a well-meaning and liberal-minded ruler , and he had accomplished enough in the right direction to satisfy those who were best able to form an opinion on the subject , that Egypt had a deep interest in the prolongation of his life . Ismail Pasha , the new Viceroy of Egypt , has formally entered upon his rule , and has received the authorities , the Turkish officials , and the foreign consuls .

AMERICA . —The Great Eastern arrived at Liverpool on Saturday , having left New York on the 5 th inst ., to which date she brings us Now York journals ; but the Enropa , which reached Queenstown on Saturdaj-, brings intelligence to the 8 th . The fighting at Murfreesboro was continued till the evening of the 3 rd inst ., when the Confederates evacuated the town . Gen . Rosencranz in his dispatch says they fled with great

precipitation , hut it appears that he did not think it prudent to pursue them , and the Confederate General Bwell says the Confederates retired in perfect order with all their stores , besides having taken 4000 Federal prisoners and captured 5000 stand of arms and 24 pieces of cannon . General Bragg had fallen back to Shelbyville . The New York Tribune says it remains to be seen

whether the Confederate retreat is a bona fide movement , or merely a change of operations . There are Federal accounts in the New York papers of the 4 th , claiming great success over the Confederates at Vicksburg , but the latest news brought by the Europa says that after the Federals had fought their way within two miles of the city , the enemy encountered them in

overwhelming force and drove them back ; and the Southern dispatches add that the Federals , finding all their efforts ineffectual , had given up the attempt and re-embarked . The fighting lasted five days , and tlie Federal loss was between G 000 and 4000 . The Confederates are said to have been defeated at Lexington , Tennessee , with great loss . No movement of any importance

had been made by the armies on the Rappahannock . The wellknown iron-clad Monitor had ventured into blue water , and , as was predicted would be the consequence , foundered on the 31 st ult . when off Cape Hatteras . Two officers and 38 men went down in her , but there were hopes that s 6 me of the crew had been saved . A fleet of iron-clad gunboats and transports had left Fortress Monroe , but , as usual , its destination was kept a secret by the Federal Government . President Lincoln's eman-

The Week.

cipation proclamation had given great dissatisfaction in Kentuck y , and several prominent officers had resigned , and the army was greatly demoralised . A bill had been introduced into Congress for the issue of 300 , 000 , 000 dols . in Treasury notes , and two further issues each of 300 , 000 , 000 dols . in Six per Cents . , extending over various periods . Gold was at < 36 i prem . INDIA AND CHINA . —The amount of news brought by the

Bombay mail is not very large . Affairs in Rajpootana were again unsettled , and Sir Hugh Rose had thought it prudent to X > lace a field force at the disposal of the political agent there . According to the last advices Dost Mohamed had resolved on investing Herat throughout the winter , and had rejected the overtures of peace made to him by Sultan Jan . Herat is

provisioned for a year . A commercial treaty has been concluded with the King of Ava by the Indian Government for the free passage through his territory of all merchandise to or from British Burma or China . We have telegraphic news from China to the 6 th of December . At that date the rebels had withdrawn from the neighbourhood of Shanghae , and

tranquility was restored in the city . The Imperial troops were concentrating near Nankin , and were preparing to attack it . It was reported that the Russian fleet had arrived in order to co-operate with them . Two thousand Russians were also expected at Ningpo . The Imperialists had recaptured Shangyn from the rebels , and their cause was progressing .

Grand Lodge Property.

GRAND LODGE PROPERTY .

AVe have been requested to again publish the following : — » The committee on Grand Lodge Property , with the desire to give every Brother an opportunity of expressing his views on the important subject entrusted to them , will be perfectly ready to consider suggestions from any Brethren , whether in London or tho Provinces , who ma } - have interested themselves in the subject of the appropriation of Grand Loclge Property mid are desirous of expressing their

opinion thereon . It will , of course , be understood that the Committee do not , by tliis , invite suggestions as to details of plans or designs , because these will hereafter come legitimately within the province of architects , but suggestions as to the general principles to be borne in mind in considering the whole subject : and especially—First . Tlie nature and form of the buildings which shall include the accommodation requisite .

a . For the Grand Lodge , tlie Grand 3 I : ister , and tlie Executive generally . b . For Private Lodges ancl Chapters . c . For individual Members of the Craft ; e . g . Library , Reading Rooms , Coffee Room , & c . d . For the Tavern purposes . Second . The maximum amount of cost which it would be prudent

ancl justfiablc to incur , To these may , with advantage , be added airy suggestions as to the best means of making the Maosnic and the Tavern portions as separate and distinct as possible , and as to the returns for outlay which may rersonably be expected for the increased accomodation provided under the heads b , c , and d . All communications should be made in writing and addressed to

the Grand Secretary , and as the work of tlie Committee is now actively progressing , it is most desirable that they should bo sent in on or before the 7 th February .

To Correspondents.

TO CORRESPONDENTS .

DEVIZES . —Our report of tlie Lodge of Fidelity is unavoidably postponed until next week . J . S . S . —Never . P . M . —Must have assumed a wrong signature to ask such a question , or most undeservedly passed the chair . R . R . —Wc shall have something to saj- iqion the subject in due time . L . L . L . —The nair . es of lodges arc principally dictated by pure fancy .