The Week.

Several of the massive iron girders fell , carrying ivith them a large quantity of brickwork . Unfortunately several workmen Avere seriously injured . One of the New River water pipes in the neighbourhood of the Caledonian-road burst on Tuesday morning . A great deal of earth Avas displaced ; but , fortunately , owing to the early hour at Avhieh the accident took placo , no one sustained personal injury . A fatal accident

took place at the works of the Thames Embankment , near Westminster Bridge , on Wednesday morning . Seven men were pushing a loaded truck across a wooden stage , when the supports gave way , ancl truck and men were precipitated into the semi liquid mud beneath . It was with the utmost difficulty that six of the party ivere got out alive by tho exertions of

their companions . The seventh could not be recovered till several hours afterwards , when he ivas quite dead . Other parts of England , as well as London , were visited by a fearful thunderstorm on Monday . At Preston , the storm raged with such fury as to terrify the inhabitants , and the town ivas flooded in many places . Similar reports have been received

from other towns . In Scotland severe damage was done to the Caledonian Railway , two bridges being swept away . FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE . —On account of tho importance attached to the recent American news by the French Government , at the close of a Cabinet Council last Aveek a special dispatch was sent off to the Emperor , requesting him to hasten

his return to Paris . The packet for America carried out a dispatch from the French Minister , in which tho hope is expressed that the Federal authorities will not disgrace their victory by carrying out the vindictive policy enunciated in several of the recently published manifestoes . The French Government has evidently made up its mind to discourage as far as possible the alarmist reports about Mexico . The Conslilulionnel remind the

public of the many pacific declarations mado by the Federal Government , and points to other facts tending to show that the uneasiness occasioned by the recent news from America had no real foundation . It is stated in Paris that this is the result of a special Ministerial Council held under the presidency of the Empress Regent , and at Avhich it ivas considered of high importance to allay all alarms ou the

subject of the relations between America and France . —The Emperor appears to be going through an amount of business in Algeria that speaks Avell for the state of Iiis health . The officials at Toulon have been informed that his Majesty will land there about the end of the month . Tho Emperor of the French has received the Embassy from Morocco sent to welcome

him to Algeria . It is stated that the Emperor of Austria will certainly visit Pesth early next month . The Palrie states that the Turkish Government has announced to the Empress of the French its readiness to accept the decision of the Emperor as arbitrator in the Suez Canal question . 'Telegrams from Constantinople report that Sir Henry Buhvor has returned to

that city , and has had several interviews with the Ottoman Government on tho subject of the Suez Canal . The commercial treaty between Belgium and the Zollvcrein was signed at Berlin on Monday . The Patriarch of Constantinople lately despatched a bishop to Bucharest to make a declaration that the law of civil marriage , the secularisation of convent

property , and the institution of a national Roman Church , as decreed by Prince Couza , are contrary to the doctrines of the Greek Church , and liable to the penalty of excommunication . Prince Couza , however , is evidently determined to be master in Iiis own house . He ordered the bishop ' -barged with this mission to be conducted back to the frontier by gendarmes . AMERICA . —The Africa , with New York advices via Halifax , to the evening of the 11 th instant , has arrived at Queeiistown .

The Week.

The trial of the persons accused of participating in the plot to assassinate Mr . Lincoln bad commenced before a military tribunal at Washington , but as ehe . investigation was being conducted with closed doors , nothing AV-. IS known of the proceedings beyond the fact that the prisoner had pleaded not guilty . It is asserted that "the evidence implicating Mr , Davis and the Confederates in Canada is so conclusive that foreign

governments cannot hesitate to surrender them . " Tho Confederate General Dick Taylor ivas still at tho head of . an army , and the people of Houston , in Texas , had passed resolutions declaring that " the trans-Missisippi department Avas sufficiently A * ast and full of resources to repel invasion , to ensure independence , aud to sustain Mr . Davis . " President Johnson has notified that

"if foreign nations claiming to have been neutral continue to extend hospitality in their ports to such cruisers , the Government will refuse hospitality in Federal ports to the public A'essels of those nations , and adopt measures towards vindicating the national authority . " Federal troops ivere being- distributed throughout North Carolina "to secure the interests of the

Government , and to protect the people until the civil government is re-established , " and persons found in arms in that state and in Virginia after the 20 th instant Avore to be dealt ivith as " outlaws and robbers . " By the Peruvian we have two days' later intelligence from Now York . General Dick Taylor definitively surrendered on the -1 th , to General Canby . Kirby Smith refuses to surrender , ancl has issued au appeal to the soldiers , exhorting them to stand

firm to their colours , and assuring them that he has resources to protract tho struggle till they can secure terms worthy of a proud people . The trial of the Booth conspirators was being still conducted in secret , to the great dissatisfaction of the New York press . Nothing furtheir is known of Jefferson Davis ' s movements . It is reported from Mexico that a fight had taken place between the Liberals and Imperialists , near Monterey ,

that tho latter Avere defeated , and that the Liberals had occupied Monterey . A " Mexican emigration scheme " Avas exciting much attention iu the Northern States . According to the advices brought by the Africa , a large number of " military emigrants " had accepted the tempting offers held out to them . All this it is affirmed , ivas being done " under the

authority of a special invitation " from Juarez , the Mexican Repub lican leader , who is said to have actually issued letters of marque against the French . The Republican press generally is said to view this movement with disfavour , and a Washington despatch in the French organ at Neiv York states that "if the scheme assumes larger proportions President Johnson Avill warn the

the people against the violation of the neutrality laws , and that regardless of his personal views on the Monroe doctrine , he will not depart from Mr . Lincoln ' s policy of neutrality . " The new French Minister , M . De Monfcholon , had arrived at Washington—only just in time to do Avhat he could to induce the Federal Government to adopt measures against a movement so full of danger . It is also reported that preparations wero being made by the French to meet the threatened blow against the Mexican empire .

To Correspondents.

TO CORRESPONDENTS .

S . L . —The Point , tho Deity ; the Circle , Eternity . Webb ' s , is the American teaching . It is Preston spoiled . J . S . S . —Wo will endeavour to ascertain . P . M . —Never in our columns . AV . S . —Any day but Thursday . T . S . —The by-laws of a lodge cannot override the "Book oi Constitutions . "