Our Weekly Budget.

Tho weather has been about as unfavourable as it could be , and each succeeding week has its sad tale to tell of loss oi life and property at sea . Numerous wrecks , and still more numerous casualties , have occurred along our coast , and there has been pleuty of hard and venturesome work for our life boats .

The strike of Masons still continues , and efforts are being made by tho masters to import foreign labour into this country . This week the plan has been attended with greater success than usual , a large number of German Masons having arrived via Flushing . On their arrival at

the Victoria Station , omnibuses which had been awaiting them carried them off to the New Law Courts , and though the pickets of the English masons on strike endeavoured to seduce them from their employment , their efforts were fruitless . The Germans were driven into the works ,

where they will be comfortably and well looked after . It seems to us that these constant disputes between capital and labour will end some fine day in the loss of our manufacturing supremacy . Jewel robberies on an extensive scale appear to be of

very frequent occurrence just now . This is not to be wondered at , as the present is the most convenient season for burglaries . The other day the newly-married Countess of Aberdeen was relieved of valuable property to the value of some £ 5 , 000 . The robbers entered Ashstead House ,

where her ladyship and her husband were spending the honeymoon , and managed to get away . However , in this instance , the police bave succeeded in arresting one of the party , and there is therefore a chance that the others may

be taken also , and perhaps that some of tbe stolen jewellery may be recovered . At Wimbledon , two other and similar robberies have been committed , one being at the house of Mr . Bazalgette , the well-known engineer .

The Monday Popular Concerts at the St . James s Hall draw as large and as enthusiastic audiences as ever . Among the leading artists , vocal and instrumental , who have been charming successive audiences , must be mentioned Miss Agnes Zimmermann , Madame Norman-Neruda , and

Messrs . L . Ries , Zerbini , and Piatti . The theatrical world is in full activity , but Old Drury will be closed after Saturday next , in order that the needful preparations may be made for the Christmas pantomime , in which the Yokes family will prove the chief attraction .

The successors of the De Broglie ministry have been summarily defeated in tbe Legislative Assembly , and by as crashing a majority , and the public mind is necessarily agitated as to what will next happen . We can hardly

imagine that the party of M . Gambetta has greatly strengthened itself by its onslaught on ministers when they had not had time enough even to present a programme of their measures . It would have been in better taste to

have waited for a proper opportunity to try conclusions with General Rochebouefc and his colleagues . However , it may be in this , as in other matters , that they manage things better in France than they do in other countries . There is a talk that the Assembly will vote the direct taxes , and then that there will be another dissolution .

Meanwhile , however , the trade and commerce of the country are suffering terribly from this dead-lock , and there is naturally much anxiety as to the future course which France will pursue . The news from the Danube is to tbe effect that there is

almost continuous fighting going on between the opposing armies , and in all directions—on the Lom , in the Chipka Pass , and around Orchanie and Plevna . In the engagements on the Lom , which , however , have been rather intended as reconnaissances than battles on a large scale ,

Suleiman Pasha is evidently feeling his enemy with a view to discovering his weak points , and possibly with the resolution to make a desperate attack either on the Russian left near the Danube , or in the direction of Osman Bazar on his right . Mehemet Ali Pasha has reached

Orchanie with a force of 15 , 000 men , and doubtless farther forces are being sent on to him , as these with the former garrison are certainly not sufficient to enable him to operate effectively for the relief of Osman , who still presents a bold front in his stronghold at Plevna . How long he will be

able to hold out there it is impossible to say . Now we hear of his contemplated surrender , now that he has provisions and ammunition to last him many weeks , but at the same i ,

time there arc some 9 , 000 sick in Plevna . The Russians , meanwhile , remain on the alert , and General Ghourko is operating vigorously against the enemy . Etropol is taken , and so is a place named Provotz , which must seriousl y con- 1 , ,

Our Weekly Budget.

cern Mehemet Ah for the safety of his communications with Sofia . There is this , however , to be said , and it may seriously alter the aspect of the war , the weather is reported to havo changed for the worse , both in Bulgaria and

in Asia . If so , the Russians will have their work cut out for them . Their advance towards Erzeroum is already stopped , according to Mukhtar Pasha . As for Servia , she is not yet in the field , and we think she will do well to put off her attack on Turkey till the present struggle is concluded .

The Half-yearly Communication of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales , and the Colonies and Dependencies of the British Crown , will be held on Tuesday , the 4 th December , at Freemasons ' Tavern , Great Queen Street , Lincoln ' s Inn Fields , London .

Grand Lodge will be opened at five o ' clock in the afternoon . The dinner will take place at the Holborn Restaurant , at seven o ' clock . Those desirous of attending are requested to intimate their intention to the Grand Secretary , at the Office , 2 Red Lion Square , Holborn , W . C , not later than Monday , the 3 rd December .

W . R . Parker , a pupil in the Royal Masonic Boys ' School , gained the 9 th place out of a large number of candidates seeking to be educated as naval engineers in Her Maiesty ' s Dockyards . Parker bad no special

preparation . The subjects were English , French , Mathematics ( including the XI . Book of Euclid ) .

Emulation Lodge Of Improvement.

EMULATION LODGE OF IMPROVEMENT .

THE Annual Festival was hold on Friday , the 23 rd instant , at Freemason's Hall , VV . O . Lodge was opened at six o ' clock , by Bro . O . A . Murton P . G . D ., and after some formal business , tbe Sections of the Second Degree were worked . The sapper wa 3 presided over by the the Sight Hon . the Earl of Donoughmore P . S . G . W ., and being finished , the Chairman proposed tho toast of the Qneen and the Craft , followod by that of H . R . H . the Prince of

Wales M . W . G . M . It had been his good fortune to be iu such a position with regard to the Pro Grand Master that a great deal of the work of the Craft passed through hi 3 hands ; he was thereby able to judge of the interest the Grand Master took in the Craft . This toa 3 t having been enthusiastically received , was followed by tho 3 e of the Pro G . M ., the D . G . M ., and the rest of the Grand Officers , all of which

were duly honoured . Bco . Tomkius , Grand Treasurer , rose and proposed the health of the Chairman . All were obliged to him for presiding . Tho Earl of Donoughmore thanked the brethren for the flattering way in which the toast had been received . He was personally indebted to the Emulation Lodge for instruction given ; last year he founded a Lodge , and was enabled to

carry out tho ceremonies satisfactorily , and this because he had received instruction from the Emulation Lodge . He referred to the Festival of last year , on which occasion Bro . John Hervey had presided in the Lodge . On that occasion Earl Carnarvon spoke of the very great services rendered to the Lodge by the Grand Secretary . He should therefore have great pleasure in proposing

Prosperity to the Emulation Lodge of Improvement , coupling with the toast the name of Bro . J . Hervey . The toast having met a mo 3 b hearty reception , was acknowledged by Bro . Hervey , who was gratified at the reception always accorded hi 3 name . He was happy to vacate the chair of the Lodge in favour of snch brethren as had presided that evening . Last year the work was performed by

Grand Officers , on this occasion they had seen what younger brethren could do . As he had often said , it was his opinion that the first impression a candidate received of Masonry often had great influence j on his future dealings with the Craft . He was sure that the working I of the Emulation Lodge would conduce to perfection in the Ritnal . The chairman next proposod the health of the W . M . and officers who

presided during the evening . He was sure the young members ¦ would ever remember Bro . Hervey ' s promise , and should they ever bo at a loss how to act they would go to him for advice . Bro . Murton acknowledged the toast on behalf of himself and other 1 officers of the evening . He was proud to say that Bro . Hervey waa ¦ his father in Masonry . He then gave " Prosperity to the Lodge of

Unions , " under whoso licence they worked , and to whom they should be grateful . With this toast ho coupled the name of Bro . Farnfield , ' who replied ; he considered that , iu this instance , tho child shed ; lustre on its parent . The toast of the Visitors , the Masonic Charities , aud the Stewards of the Evening , wero severally given and acknowledgcd , after which the Tyler was summoned , aud concluded the

proocedings . Among those snpporting tho chairman were Bros . Colonel Somerville Burney , Lieut .-Colonel Shadwell Clerke , J . M . P . Montagu , Hyde Pullen , Peter de Laude Long , T . Fenn , J . A . Rucker , Capt . Philips , J . Hervey , S . Tomkins , W . Smallpeice , C . A . Murton , A . J . Filer , Rev . Dr , Robbins , J . M . Case , A . B . Cooke , H , J , "P , Dumas , & c .