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at Victoria City , and defeated them ivith heavy loss , was marching to defend Matamoras , whore another battle was expected . iJfuiA , CHIXA , ASD AUSTRALIA . —The Calcutta and China mail has arrived , but brings no news of any political importance from India , China , or Australia . Some details of tbe defeat of the Maoris in New Zealand are given . From them

it appears that a Maori chief , encouraged by the repulse of the English at the Gate Pah , had the assurance to send a cballange to Colonel Greer , who commanded tho troops at Tauranga . That challenge was not long left unanswered , for on the 21 st June Colonel Greer inarched out with GOO men and a gun , and found the Maoris intrenching themselves behind a

single line of rifle pits . After some skirmishing tho reserves arrived , and then the English soldiers—who appear to have been inflamed by the reproaches cast upon them in consequence of their disaster at the Gate Pah—rushed into the rifle pits , and engaged in a hand-to-hand fight , which ended in the flight of the Maoris , 107 being killed on the spot , while as many

more are supposed to have been wounded . The English loss amounted to nine killed and 30 wounded , including six officers . The accounts from India are favourable . There was no disturbance of the general tranquillity , the rains were seasonable and the crops promising . The Viceroy was to leave Simla at the' end of September , and be in Lahore the 1 st of October ,

when it is understood that Sir R . Montgomery will resign , and Sir Herbert Edwardes succeed him as ruler of the Pmijaub . Various and conflicting rumours prevailed as to the affairs of Afghanistan , the latest being that the Ameer , notwithstanding the submission of his brothers , had made them prisoners and sent them to Cabool . The Shah of Persia has sent an ultimatum

regarding Herat to the Ameer , the rejection of which he threatens to follow with the advance of an army on Herat . There were great differences among the Bhootan chiefs as to tho answer to be returned to the Governor-General's letter , but the peace party appear to have prevailed , and an apology is to be forwarded . The communication by the Persian Gulf Telegraph was interrupted and suspended .

AMERICA . —The China , from New York , brought official confirmation of the statement that the city of Atlanta had been occupied by the Federals . General Sherman ' s and General Slocum ' s official despatches announcing the capture of Atlanta estimated that during the preceding operations the Federals lost 1 , 200 men , while the losses of the Confederates amounted to 3 , 000 men . Before evacuating Atlanta General Hood destroyed

a number of locomotives and railway carriages , and a large quantity of ammunition and arms ; but he was compelled to abandon fourteen guns . "Everything was quiet" at Petersburg ; and no important events had occurred in the Shenandoah A alley , though Generals Sherman and Early were confronting each other , and a battle was expected . General Morgan , the active and

well-known leader of Confederate guerrillas , had been killed , and the cavalry which he had led on a " raid" into Tennessee had been dispersed by the Federals . President Lincoln had deemed it expedient to abandon , or at least postpone his resolution to enforce a levy of 500 , 000 men ; for we ore told that , " no draft takes place . " The Jura , from Quebec , has brought news that

General M'C'iell . 'in had accepted his nomination as the Presidential candidate by tbe Democratic Convention . In his acceptance he " declared for the Union at all hazards , " and said " the spirit of conciliation and compromise must be exercised ; hut the Union is the one condition . " General Grant had written a letter affirming that tiie Confederates could obtain no more

recruits for their army , anil that "the end of the war was not far distant" if the North should continue united . It was rumoured in New York that Alobile had surrendered to

The Week.

Admiral Farragut , and that the Confederate garrison had withdrawn into the interior ; but the rumour seems to have proceeded from Confederate deserters who had come over to General Grant ' s army , and must be received with much circumspection . It was , however , known in New York that Admiral Farragut had succeeded in blowing up the steamer

Nashville , which the Confederates had sunk in the channel over Dog River bar . General Sherman had reported , on the 7 th inst ., that be had pursued General Hood ' s army to the rear of Lovejoy's station , thirty miles south of Atlanta , and had there found the Confedertes intrenched . He had consequently withdrawn to Atlanta , as the great object of his

campaign , the capture of that city , had been attained . The fruits of his successful operations , during which he had lost only 1 , 500 men , were 27 guns and 3 , 000 prisoners . General Lee was said to have drawn large reinforcements from the Shenandoah Valley , and to have concentrated a great force for the purpose of attacking General Grant ' s left .

To Correspondents.

TO CORRESPONDENTS .

LODGE GOO . —We are informed that there is no foundation for the statement in the letter signed "Veritas " ( which appeared in our paper last week ) , that Bro . AA ard , the treasurer of this lodge , is indirectly connected with the stage beyond the fact that his sister many years since married Bro . John Knowles , the respected proprietor of the Alanchester Theatre .

WILTSHIRE . —We have received the last portion of the proceedings of the Prov . Grand Lodge , but not the first . E . A .- —We should hold that a P . AI . of an English lodge is not eligible for election as a Alaster of an Irish lodge until he has held a Warden ' s chair six months . Is IT A SIGN FROM HEAVEN ?—We have received the first part of an address on this subject ( lithographed ) bC . H . Jones

y , late of St . John ' s College , Cambridge , & c , which , so far as it goes , is to us perfectly incomprehensible . F . AV . —1 . In order to alter the rule which provides for the election and installation of the W . AI . from June to December , it will be absolutely necessary that tbe present W . AI . should bold his office for eighteen months . You cannot elect and instal two Masters within the year . 2 . A Alaster of a lodge

must be installed at the next regular meeting after his election . There can be no objection to his being installed on the day named , but no regular lodge should be held in the meantime . Make , by your by-laws , tbe 21 th of June one of your regular meeting days , and elect your Alaster on the second Tuesday of that month , or forego that meeting entirely , adjourning from the second Tuesday in May until the 21 th June .

P . AI . —We are not quite sure we understand your question . We should say , however , that a P . M . of an English lodge would not be considered eligible to fill the chair in an Irish lodge without first having served as Warden in an Irish lodge for six months . Should we be in error , perhaps some of our Irish brethren will correct us . We know that having served the office of Alaster in an Irish lodge would not render the brother eligible to take the same office in an English lodge until he had been twelve months a Warden .

SECRETARY . —1 . A P . AI ., though he has ceased to subscribe to a lodge , would be eligible , on rejoining , for re-election to the chair , without again serving as Warden , the only privileges he has lost being his seat in Grand Lodge and Provincial Grand Lodge . 2 . It is not absolutely necessary that Grand Lodge certificates should be signed in open lodge , though , where convenient , it is desirable that they should be . 3 . A private loclge can make a by-law to the effect that a

candidate shall not be initiated the same night that he is balloted for , and we regard it as a very wholesome regulation . It would , however , be better to add to the rule , " excepting in cases of emergency ; " of which the Master must be the judge .