America.

greetings , it is evident that Royal Arch Alasonry continues to progress by a healthy growth , ancl that the interest of the institution were never more carefully guarded . It is indeed true , that in reference to the mere machinery of Alasonic government , our respected Companions have not all been able to see ' eye to eye , ' but so far as any Alasonic principle is involved , your committee have scarcely discovered that the least disagreement exists among the various members of our wide spread companionshi

p . " The position of tbe General Grand Chapter of the United Statesits supposed utility as a governing head of Royal Arch Masonry , —ancl the necessity and expediency of its continued existence ; these are questions on which a diversity of opinions are entertained among the most enlightened members of our Order . But so long us Companions are permitted to express their honest sentiments , and to reason together with calmness and candour on these ancl other topics of interest to the

true craftsman ; so long as each is disposed to accord to all others the same ri"bt which he claims for himself—that of entertaining and expressing independent opinions ; so long as each Companion is willing to believe that sincerity and honesty dwell in the hearts of those who differ with Mm in sentiment ; there can be little danger or barm resulting from these discrepancies . "

AMERICAN ITEMS . A VETERAN . —Oliver Rice , a soldier of the revolution , died in Alayfleld , Fulton Co . New York , last month . He was 92 years old . He ivas employed as an express rider in the revolution , and in that capacity executed commissions for AVashington . He belonged to the Freemasons over seventy years , and passed through twenty degrees . He had laid aside $ 200 to defray the expenses of his burial with Alasonic honours , with the request that a Alason should preach his funeral sermon , and his wishes were faithfully complied with .

A PLEASANT CONJUNCTION . —During the sessions of the Grand Lodge of Indiana , in May , a conjunction of live Grand Alasters was witnessed , which proved a most pleasing event to the parties interested . By our invitation Grand Alasters AVilson , of Canada , ancl Allen , of Alichigan , came down , and with Grand Alaster Buck , of Illinois—already there—Bayless , of Indiana , and the present writer , Rob Alorris , of Kentucky , they made up the cheerful quintette whose music yet rings in our ears . To add to the joyfuf occasion , we hacl Grand Secretary Reynolds , of

Illinois , aud Grancl Lecturer Blanchard , of Alichigan . It is an interesting thought that in the meeting of these Grancl Alasters of Illinois , Michigan , Canada , Indiana and Kentucky , considerably more than one-fourth the entire Masonic membership of North America was represented . Setting Illinois at 12 , 000 , Indiana 10 , 000 , Alichigan 7 , 000 , Kentucky 12 , 000 , and Canada 5 , 000 , wo have an aggregate of 46 , 000 craftsmen , whose rulers thus in a quiet way met , conversed , laid their plans of usefulnessand parted with a profound impression that it had been one

, ofthe happiest occasions of their lives . —Morris ' s Voice of Masonry . AAISCONSIN . —The Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Alasons of AAlsconsin , at their annual meeting in Milwaukee , re-elected all their officers of last year . Gen . Amas Cobb , of Alineral Point , was appointed D . Grand Alaster . There are now 107 Lodges in the jurisdiction— -105 made returns , showing the following result : —Alaster Alasons , 3 , 325 ; Fellow Crafts , ISO ; Entered Apprentices , 313 .

CONNECTICUT . —Hiram Lodge , No . 1 , of New Haven , has furnished seven Grand Alasters ofthe Grand Lodge of Connecticut . OHIO . —The number of affiliated Alasons in Ohio , is at the present time 15 , 000 .

The Week.

THE WEEK .

Tire CounT . —The stay of the Queen aucl her family at Osborne is drawing to a close , and their departure for her majesty ' s Highland residence is spoken of for the end of the present week . On AIonda 3 , the Queen and Prince Consort , with Prince Alfred , Princess Helena , aud Princess Louisa , left Osborne at half-past ten o ' clock for Aldershot camp , where they arrived at halt-past one o ' clock . At three the Queen drove to the neighbourhood of Cccsar ' s camp , to witness the operations which were carried on there by the division under Lieut .-Geueral

Knollys . Her majesty and her family remained on the ground till half-P'tst six , and inspected the works carried on , which consisted of the iotination of an intrenched camp , made by working parties in succession from the different brigades . Tbe principal officers at the camp bad the honour of dining with her majesty in the evening ; ancl on the following morning the Queen again visited the intrenched camp , and remained till near one o ' clock inspecting the defences thrown up , and was present 'luring the manoeuvres executed . The royal family left the Pavilion

? t half-past three o'clock , and returned to Osborne . The Duke of -Aetnours has arrived at Osborne on a visit to her majesty . FOUEKIK NEWS . —There is little news of importance from the capital of trance . The amnesty is much lauded iu the government prints , and is looked upon ivith great suspicion by some ofthe expatriated Frenchmen lor whose benefit it was professedly issued . Among these the most Ve " > ju * kable are Louis Blanc ancl the world-famed Victor Hugo who have published their reasons for not accepting " ' Louis Bonaparte ' s" offer ;

and their eloquent letters have been reprinted from the English into tho continental journals , all of which in consequence have been stopped in Paris . The Emperor and his wife ( who is said to be again pregnant ) are at St . Sauveur , seeking repose of whieh the former is said to stand greatly iu need . In Paris the . appointment of Marshal AlacMahon to command at Lille , on the Belgian frontier , coupled with the concentration of an army of G 0 , 000 men there , is considered as an answer to the vote of tbe Belgian Chambers for the fortification of Antwerp

. The new decree on the press must be considered rather as a promise than a boon . Tho law is not altered , but its retrospective operation merely temporarily suspended . It is evident that the old repressive spirit survives , for there have again been razzias made upon English papers . _ Paris correspondents , alluding to the fact that France appears to be disarming , caution us against this movement as deceptive , and point to the significant circumstance that ifc was with the

an army on peace establishment that France gained all her great battles in Italy . The Moniteur , in announcing the various nominations of the chief military commands , states that the augmentation in the number of these commands is in order to form a more equal division of the militaiy forces of tbe empire . The rumour that the Grand Duke of Tuscany hacl left Paris is unfounded . He will remain here for some time yet . On Monday he was the guest of the Count AA alewski at dinner . A from Alenna

telegram gives a decree for the reorganization of iho Austrian cabinet , according to which Count Rechberg , foreign minister at present , is to continue to hold thafc post , as well as that of president of tho Cabinet . Baron Hubner is appointed minister of police . Councillor Golochowski , minister of the interior . Councillor Kempen von Fichtenstamm , chief ofthe police , is dismissed . Baron Bach , formerly minister of the interiorh .-islieen appointed ambassador to RomeThe

, . non-official portion of the Wiener Zeitmig contains an article stating that there is a general feeling iff anxiety in the public mind concerning the subjects which have been till now under serious deliberation by the imperial council , and which / are—regulation of the control of the finances ; free exercise of the Protestant religion ; the regulation of Jewish affairs ; the regulation of tho municipalities . The representation of the provinces . will later come under deliberation . The article

eoneludes thus : — " Too great caution in advancing is as much to be avoided as too great haste . " -The negotiations at the Zurich conference are slowly proceeding . A letter from Brussels , in the Nm-d , says there has only been one . real sitting of the conference at Zurich , viz ., that on tho Sth . There appear to be many obstacles in the way of a settlement of the points to be discussed at tho conference . Prince Gortschakoff has replied to a proposition of the Prussian government for uniting Russia , landancl Prussiain

Eng , , a joint attempt at a settlement of existing complications in the south of Europe . The prince states that the Emperor of Russia has received the proposition most cordially . - AVith regard to the fortifications of Antwerp , we Uarn thafc in Saturday ' s sitting of the Belgian Chamber of Deputies , the project of law ou t ! , e fortifications was agreed to . There were one hundred and six members present , of whom fifty-seven voted for , and forty-two against the project . members abstained

Seven from giving their votes . The strength ofthe King of Prussia is becoming gradually exhausted ; his majesty has almost entirely lost his intellectual faculties , aud his death would be a happy release both to himself ancl the queen . He is not considered to be in immediate clanger , and the Prince Regent left Berlin on Alonday eveningfor Ostend . Prussia has concluded a league with the Hanseatic Towns for the fortification of the seaboard of Northern GermanyAA '

. e may also mention the attitude assumed by the press in Germany , where public feeling is in favour of the formation of a real Germanic power under the leadership of Prussia , At Milan it appears that , notwithstanding all the talk of peace , things wear a suspicious aspect , and the constant movements of troops and storing up provisions for the army

give much reason to fear that there is no real confidence among the people that peace will long continue . The Austrians are said to be clonic all in their power to oppress and injure the inhabitants of Lombardy . Statements appear in the journals to the effect that the dynasty of Lorraine , in Tuscany , is to be succeeded by that of a foreign prince—meaning thereby , Prince Napoleon . A defensive league has been concluded between the states of Central Italy . Prince Hercolani , the delegate ofthe of the has the act of accession to the

government Legations , signed league . The National Assembly , after having proclaimed the forfeiture of Francis V . to the dueal throne of Modena , passed the following resolution , ' ' The Assembly decrees the annexation of the AIodenese ° state to tbe monarchical , constitutional , ancl glorious kingdom of the dynasty of Savoy , under the magnanimous sceptre of KingA ictor Emmanuel ; " and further adopted the proposal to confirm the dictatorship of Signor Farini . AI . Rieasolipresident ofthe Tuscan council of ministershas addressed

, , a proclamation to the army , which shows that the idea of a resumption of hostilities still occupies tho minds ofthe Tuscan people . It appears that Alaclame Alario ( Miss Aleriton AVhite ) who was compromised in the Alazzinian attempt on Genoa , has beeu arrested at Bologna Madrid journals contain a paragraph to the effect that the Aloderado party in Spain had sought the moral support ofthe En-p- 'ror Napoleon , in opposition to the O'Domicll cabinet ; but his majc-sty hid advised them to

apply to the Emperor of Austria , for whom they bad manifested great sympathy during the war in Italy . The Emperor of Alorocco is seriously ill , and tho English physician has been summoned in great haste . Fears are entertained of disturbances taking place in case of his death .- ¦ - The Europa has arrived at Liverpool , y ; ith dates from the