Public Amusements.

ously fatal . Three men , named Knowlden , Oxford , and Dron , were on AVednesday each sentenced , at the Central Criminal Court , to eighteen months' hard labour , for an offence which merits signal punishment . AVith . tbe assistance of a fourth person , who has managed to keep out of the way , they got up a sham Life Assurance Association , and by a system of specious puffing induced a number of poor people to insure in the " office . " It is not difficult to guess what became of the money paid as

premiums . The "Association" was advertised as having a paid-up capital of £ 5000 , but a claim for £ 24 , for a death , brought the whole affair to a standstill . ¦ Sarah Emily Mitchell has been tried for the murder of her child . It may be remembered that she was living as the mistress of a Mr . Chappell in apartments in Marylebone . She was jealous of Mr . Chappell , and on the 31 st of July , being left

alone with her child , she stabbed it—so severely that it afterwards died—and cut her own throat . The defence was insanity , and the jury , believing it , returned a verdict of not guilty . To rob a judge in open day in the public streets is surely the height of thievish impudence . Such an offence was , however , committed on AVednesday . Mr . Judge Payne was passing along Fleet-street , when at the corner of Fetter-lane two young fellows

set upon him andstole his watch . Therobberywas seen by numbers of people , and the thieves were chased , but they got clear off . FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE . —The semi-official journals of Paris seem to have been instructed to continue their complaints of

English and Austrian hesitation respecting the Polish question , and their vaunts of the efficaciousness of the measures—of whose nature they do not give us the least inkling—which the French government has recommended to the Cabinets of London and Vienna . The Italian Chambers are summoned to meet on the 17 th of November . From Bucharest we learn that the Chambers of the Danubian Principalities are summoned to meet on the 15 th proximo , and that a new Cabinet

has been formed . — - —The Conference of Ministers of the German Sovereigns who approved the Emperor Francis Joseph ' s proposals of federal reform , terminated on Saturday at Nuremberg ; and the result of their deliberations is " said to be satisfactory to tbe participators . " The Journal de St . Peterslourg denies that there is any truth in the statement that the Russian Ambassador had threatened the Turkish Government with war in case it should recognise the Polish insurgents as belligerents ;

and adds that there is nothing in the situation of Russia and Turkey to justify such a report . The Breslau Gazette says that the fire at the Hotel de Ville at AVarsaw has destroyed all the archives of the secret police since 1831 . The insurgents have captured a Russian convoy at Palawy , on the A'istnla . Intelligence from AA arsaw states that General Berg has ordered that no passport for abroad shall be henceforth delivered . Forty

members of the municipality of Warsaw have been arrested , and a secret printing establishment of tha National Government discovered . New bands of insurgents are reported to have entered the country .

AMERICA . —Interesting advices have . been brought by the Europe from Boston and Halifax . Previous accounts had informed us that General Lee was endeavouring to turn the flank of the Federal army , and we now learn that he crossed the Rapidan on the 8 th inst . A sharp cavalry engagement , in which the Federals were defeated , occurred on the 10 th inst . near Robertson's river ; , and subsequently General Meade retired to the north bank of the Rappahannockwhence on or about tbe

, 13 th inst . he continued his retreat by way of Manassas to Fairfax Court House , where he seems to have established his headquarters on tbe 15 th inst . During these movements his right flank appears to have been constantly menaced by the Confederates , and his rear was entangled in frequent engagements of a more or less serious kind . In these engagements the Federal cavalry is admitted to have suffered severely but it is asserted

; . that the retreat was effected in good order , that the Confederates also sustained heavy losses , and that General Meade ' s second corps , which formed the rear-guard of his army , not only repulsed an attack of the pursuing Confederates on the 14 th inst . atBristow ' s Station , but captured five gnns , two colours , and 450 prisoners . Up to the date of the latest New York telegram , the 17 th inst . there had been no " general engagement" in

, Virginia , and the hostile armies confronted each other ; but on the 16 th inst . General Hill ' s Confederate corps was reported to have marched from General Meade ' s front in the direction of Leesburg—thus seemingly continuing the endeavour to turn the right flank of the Federal army . There was a rumour that

Public Amusements.

during these operations General Lee had been reinforced by General Longstreet's corps , re-called from tbe south-west after it had contributed to win the battle of Chicamauga . That rumour may probably enough have been unfounded ; but at all events there was no evidence whatever that General Bragg was suspending or relaxing his endeavours to compel General Rosecraus to attack him in his intrenched position or retreat on Nashville . His cavalry had been actively operating in General

Rosocrans ' s rear on the railways by which he communicated with Nashville and Memphis ; and it was even asserted that , in consequence of their activity , none of the reinforcements from the AVest had yet reached Chattanooga . It was likewise rumoured that General Burnside ' s communications were

intercepted , and that General Bragg had completely isolated him from General Rosecrans . It was , however , also stated that General Burnside had been successful in a sharp action with a considerable body of Confederates at Blue Spring . It was affirmed that on the 11 th inst . all was ready for a general attack on the defences of Charleston ; but at the date of the latest telegrams none was known to have been made , and it was even said that Charleston harbour was " effectually closed against the

entrance of the iron-clads . " The attack on the Federal frigate Ironsides , of which we have already had some intelligence , had been made by a torpedo vessel , and had inflicted more or less damage on her . A New York telegram dated the evening of the 17 th inst ., a few hours later than the latest despatch conveyed to us by the JEurqpa , has been brought by the NoHh American from Quebec . There was no fresh news from Virginia ; but it bad been officially announced that the Confederate army had not crossed the Potomac . President Lincoln had called for 300 , 000 volunteers .

INDIA , CHINA , & C . —There is nothing of much importance in the Calcutta news brought by the overland mail . The Hong Kong papers supply us with full details of the attack of the British fleet on Kagosima . The Japanese practised their usual cunning to delay the attack and to make their preparations against it . In this they were foiled , and though they fought well they were signally defeated . Besides the loss of the two gallant officersCaptain Josling and Commander AVilmot , we

, had 11 killed and 50 wounded . The Prince of Chosew has taken possession of the forts on the south side of the Straits of Shimonsaki , thereby holding the key to the inland sea . There is no news of importance from Pekin . Major Gordon was manoeuvring against the rebels . It is rumoured that Burgevine ' s force was to be led against Ningpo , the prospect of looting that city being move favourable than fighting Major

Gordon at Shanghae . The European consuls have remonstrated with the military mandarin at Shanghae against his proclamation offering a reward of £ 1000 for the person of Burgevine , " dead or alive , " as against treaty stipulations . The mandarin replied at some length to the protest , and concluded by refusing to withdraw the proclamation .

To Correspondents.

TO CORRESPONDENTS .

M . M . ( LANCASHIRE ) . —Underthe circumstances mentioned , there being no English P . M's . in the lodge , and the W . M . and his two Wardens being forced to leave in discharge of their military duties , the Irish P . M ., being a member of the lodge , may discharge the duties of Master . You cannot , however , elect him to that office , he having served the office of Warden in an English lodge without a dispensation , which we have no

doubt would be readily granted . B . B . —The will of the Master in his appointments is omnipotent . If he wishes to set aside a Secretary , and no other brother will perform the duties , whilst the AV . M . is determined not to make the reappointment , he has no alternative but to perform the duties himself , there being no doubt that his successor will reinstate the brother thus temporarily set

aside . Under the circumstances , we don't augur for the W . M . a very happy year of office . J . J . —Bro . , Esq . is simply ridiculous , the same as Mr . , Esq . LODGE 600 . —AN OLD MASOH . —Received too late for our present number . BRO . RICHE GORDON ' S kind communication has been received , and shall be attended to .