The Week.

British . The Begum has written to them not to be afraid , for help was coming to them soon . The Goorkha government has written to the rebels , telling them to clear out of their territory ; but as the letters were addressed to the rebel sirdars , it is probable that the mass of the rebels know nothing about it . The Begum is at Nyah Kote still , but without any troops . She is in the charge of Puhulwan Sing , a Goorkha general . The Nepaul Government will not coerce her . If she likes to

give herself up to tho British , she may ; or , if she prefers to remain , sho Jnay also . Some of the rebels had tried to advance northward to get into Thibet ; but the Goorkhas disarmed them and sent them back into the Terai . The seapoys have had no regular pay from their chiefs since they left Lucknow ; but , until Nana Rao ' s death , they woro regularly fed . A-few Christian drummers from the mutinous regiments aro said to be with tbe rebels , but they have turned Afahomodans aud live with the rebels . Somo reports state that there is a European sergeant with

them , who has also turned Jlussulman ; but this has not been corroborated . From further inquiries which have been made , there is no reason at present to believe that there is at present , 1113 * European man or woman now alivo in the rebels' hands , as some papers have stated .

GENERAL HOME NEWS . —Air . AVilliam Atherton , Q . C ., ALP ., has received the appointment of Solicitor General , rendered vacant by the appointment of Sir Henry Keating to the judicial bench . The learned gentlemen is the son of the late Rev . AVilliam Atherton , a distinguished YVesleyan minister , ancl some time president of the Conference , his mother being a daughter of the late Rev . AValter Alonson , a clergyman of the Established Church of Scotland . Ho was born in Glasgow in 1806 , and was married in 1843 to Agnes Alary , the second daughter of Air .

Hall , the chief magistrate of Bow-street . In 1839 bo w-as called to the bar by the Inner Temple , liaving during the previous seven years practised as a special pleader . Ho has represented tho city of Durham since 1852 , ancl is what may be considered a very advanced Liberal , being iu favour of the ballot , a large reform in law , the removal of all religious disabilities , and the extension of the suffrage . There was a slight falling off in the mortality of the metropolis last week . The deaths from small-pox wero 40 ; 82 from scarlatina , and 181 from bronchitis .

The total number of deaths was 1289 , whieh is little below the average . The births of last week amounted to 1838 . In the city the mortality returns have fallen from an average of 70 per week to 58 . On Alonday the December session of the Central Criminal Court was opened before the Lord Mayor , the Recorder , the alderman on the rota , the sheriffs , & c . The first edition of the calendar contained tho names of thirty-nine prisoners only . The learned Recorder having charged the grand jury , the court proceeded with the trial of the prisoners , but nothing of a

remarkable nature came before the court . Tho grand jury returned a true bill for murder against James Moore ; they also throw out the bill preferred against James Powers , committed , for a rape 011 Hannah Pereival . On the application of Mr . Poland , tho trial of Hughes , the solicitor , was again postponed till the January session . James Aloore has been tried for the murder of his wife Mary Ann Moore , on the 2 Sth of November . The prisoner had been confined in a lunatic asylum at Hoxton , where he continued several months , and from which he was only discharged on tho 23 rd of that month . The circumstances of the case have been before the public since the melancholy event first transpired . It was evident to all in court that tho prisoner was not iu

the possession of his right senses , and the evidence of Dr . Gibson , surgeon of Newgate , confirmed this opinion . The jury returned a verdict of not guilty ; on the ground of insanity . The trial occupied a very long time . In the New Court , Joseph Henry Jay was indicted for obtaining , by false pretences , various sums from different persons . It appeared from the evidence that the prisoner had been land tax , assessed tax , and income tax collector for tho parish of Shoreditch , ancl iu that capacity had committed tho frauds charged against him . At tho conclusion ol

the evidence for the prosecution , the counsel for tho prisoner said there was 110 evidence of a false pretence having been made , although strong suspicion attached to the prisoner . An acquittal was then taken . A letter-carrier in the eastern district was yesterday committed to prison for one month , in default of paying a line of 01 ., at the Thames Police-court , for being drunk and incapable of taking care of the letters he had for delivery . It was stated by the Post office authorities prosecuting that tho prisoner , besides , would lose his situation .

The inquiry into the late frauds on the City of London Union has been resumed before Air . Fai-nell , the assistant poor-law commissioner , at tho City of London Union Office , in St . Alary-axe , for the purpose of hearing the claims preferred against the union by tradesmen , treasurers of parishes , & c . Several legal gentlemen appeared 011 behalf of the different parties . Evidence was given respecting claims and accounts , after which the court was closed , and the inspector announced that he would forthwith make lus report to the Poor-law Board . At the Central Criminal

Court , Robert Hastings , letter-carrier ,. pleaded guilty to two indictments charging liim with stealing letters containing money . It appears that he hacl carried on this practice to a groat extent , aud he was sentenced to four years' penal servitude . Air . Sleigh applied to the court to remit the fine of a gentleman for non-attendance as a juror last session , 011 the ground of his being a dentist , and consequently a member of the medical profession , and ou the further ground of his having been in the country at the time the summons was delivered , and knew nothing of it . The

recorder remitted the fine , but directed the gentleman to be re-summoned for the January session . There was nothing more worthy of notice , The funds , yesterday , suffered a decline through the rumour

The Week.

associated with the probable raising of £ 10 , 000 , 000 for the national defences , and tho nature of the advices from Constantinople in relation to the Suez Canal . At one moment consols were quoted 95 a , but towards the end of the afternoon they recovered ancl stood at 951 . There was little variation iu foreign stocks ancl railway shares , but the tendency of the latter was to improvement , through the satisfactory progress of the settlement , and tho moderate terms charged for

continuation . COMMEUCIAL ; ASH PuBi . io CoMi'AMES— -During the past week there has been a moderate amount of activity exhibited in the general trade of the port of London . The number of vessels announced at tho Custom House as liaving arrived from foreign ports amounted to 209 : there were three from Ireland and 402 colliers . The entries outwards were 119 , and those cleaved 115 , besides 28 in ballast . The departures

for the Australian colonies have been 6 vessels , viz ., 4 to Port Philip , of 4489 tons ; 1 to Sydney of 1002 tons ; aud 1 to New Zealand , of 623 tons ; making a total of 6114 tons . A meeting of a section of the shareholders of the Great Ship Company , called by Mr . Guedalla , one of their body , was held at thc London Tavern , on Tuesday , for the purpose of consulting as to what course should be adopted with regard to future proceedings . The discussion was of a very diffuse character , and the only fact which transpired was that in confirmation oftlie success of

the directors in raising a loan of £ 40 , 000 upon the mortgage of tho vessel at the low rate of interest , so it is asserted , of S per cent . It appeared to be thought that a new company will have to be constituted for the purpose of raising the £ 60 , 000 or £ 80 , 000 that will be necessary to complete the vessel , and the circumstances of the £ 7000 of call in arrear on 11 . shares ivas considered to require explanation . The conduct of the directors and the management was severely condemned ; ancl although the views of Air . Guedella were not supported , a lengthened

debate took place , after which it was agreed , without passing any substantive motion to adjourn until the early part of January Tho affairs of the Crystal Palace Company appear at length to have been brought into a sound condition , aud the dividend proposed to be paid has , it is stated , not been determined without full ancl proper regard to the various interests involved . The auditors ( Messrs . Qiiilter , Ball , and Co . ) in their report specially and unequivocally allude to the situation ofthe accountsendorsing them as follows : — "At the same timewe

, , desire to state expressly in reference to that important part of our duty which consists in taking care that a due distinction is maintained in the accounts as between capital and revenue , and especially that no expenses that ought to be borne by the latter are charged to the former , that the result of our audit is entirely satisfactory .

To Correspondents.

TO CORRESPONDENTS .

' - ' YV . D . P . "—The Alaster named in the warrant cannot retire until after the Lodge is consecrated . It is not absolutely necessary that the AY ' orshipful Muster should servo twelve months if he has passed a chair before ; and the brother who is to succeed him is a Past Alaster—or a Past AVarden having filled the AVardon ' s chair fully twelve months . If the AVorshipful Alaster has not filled a chair before , he must hold it twelve months , or ho will not be entitled to the privileges of a Past

Alaster . " AN 01 . 11 P . Z ., AIELIIOUII . NI :. "—\\' o cannot tell you why there is an undue delay in answering communications addressed to Grand Chapter , unless thc Committee failed to make a quorum at one or two of its meetings—no uncommon thing for a body ivhich has next to nothing to do . The communication in question . should have been addressed to the

M . E . C ! . Z ., the Earl of Zetland , and not to the Grand Chapter . " AUSTI . AIJI . I . "—AVe received a large budget of Australian news just as we were going to press , which shall appear next week . AVe also received a list of nine subscribers , all in Alelboume , whieh we thank our Bro . Lowry for ; he having taken the matter warmly up in Australia , in consequence ofthe alteration in our form , which we are happy to find i *

meeting the approbation of our Colonial brethren . ' - ' T . H . B . "—A gentleman was initiated , passed , and raised in a Lod ge thirty years ago ; the Lodge has never supplied the ALAL certificate—can it now be made to do sol—Yes , if the raising can be proved . Let the brother ascertain if he was ever registered in the Grand Loclge books . ¦ ' E . A . " writes—Suppose a person is proposed as a serving brother

black balled , and when the minutes are read at the next regular meeting , tho part relating to the blackballing of the proposed serving member should not be confirmed , can the same party ( say after a short time ) be proposed again as a candidate!—If our brother will send us the by-laws of the Lodge we will answer tho question ,