Our Weekly Budget.

audiences of Her Majesty . Sir Horace Rumbold , Bart ., ¦ was presented , and Lad tlie honour of kissing hands on appointment as Minister at Berne . Lord Kinnaird was also introduced and delivered to Her Majesty the insignia of the Order of the Thistle Avorn by his late brother , and

Mr . Stirling Crawford that by the late Sir Stirling Maxwell , after which the Duke of Hamilton and the Marquis of Lothian were successively presented and invested by Her Majesty with the Riband and Badge of tho Order of the Thistle . In the evening the Crown Prince of Austria

arrived at the Castle , accompanied by the Count de Bombelles . The Austro-Hungarian ambassador , Count Beust , and Sir Andrew and Lady Buchanan also arrived and were included in Her Majesty ' s dinner party . The Crown Prince walked and drove with the Queen in the morning

and returned to town after luncheon . Count Beust and Sir A . and Lady Buchanan returned in tho forenoon . On Monday , the Count Delia Rocca , Special Ambassador from the King of Italy , accompanied by his aide-dc-camps , Count

Morelli di Popolo , and Count Pr . di Hautecour arrived at the Castle and were introduced to Her Majesty , when Count Delia Rocca delivered to the Queen the insignia of tho Order of the Garter worn by his late Majesty King Victor Emmanuel . The Countess Delia Rocca was

afterwards presented , and all of them had the honour of being included in Her Majesty ' s dinner party . On "Wednesday , the Queen , accompanied by the Princess Beatrice , and headed by the ladies and gentlemen of the Court , arrived in London and drove under escort to Buckingham Palace .

On Thursday Her Majesty held a Court , which was numerously attended by the Diplomatic Corps ancl General Circle . The Prince of Wales and the Duke of Connaught are still in Germany at tho moment of writing . They were present at the grand ball given by our Ambassador in Berlin ,

Lord Odo Russell , in honour of the marriage of the Prussian Princesses . They attended divine service according to the Anglican rite on Sunday , and on Monday left for Darmstadt , being accompanied to the railway station by the Imperial Crown Prince and Princess of Germany . Darmstadt was

reached on Tuesday afternoon , and on their arrival at the station the English Princes were received by the Grand Ducal family . On Tuesday Prince Leopold took leave of

Her Majesty , ancl set out on his journey to the South of Prance , whither he has gone for the benefit of his health . The Prince is attended by Mr . Collins , C . B ., and travels incognito .

The meeting in Hyde Park on Sunday was significant of the present temper of the British public . An immense gathering under tbe auspices of the National Patriotic League was held near the Marble Arch about two o ' clock , when resolutions in support of the Government were carried with

acclamation . The peace party meeting was fixed for three o ' clock , and the spot chosen was in the direction of Apsloy House . Mr . C . Bradlaugh was the moving spirit , and had it been carried through , Mr . Auberon Herbert would have been the presiding genius ; but he had not occupied , his

position for long , when his presidency was abruptly terminated . The National party marched upon them in overwhelming numbers in order to oppose the contemplated resolutions , and finding Mr . Bradlaugh and his followers armed with bludgeons , a vieh ' e ensued , in which the peace

party speedily disappeared , leaving hardly a trace behind them . Other resolutions of a patriotic character were put ancl carried , ancl in clue time , but not tillalate hour , the park was cleared of its noisy visitors . It is needless to say the interests of tbe park itself , which is intended to be a place

of recreation for the public , and not a bear garden , sunered material damage , the grass being momentarily destroyed , and also the pretty flower beds , with their sprouting crocuses

and other bulbous plants . It should be added that when the meeting was over , a party of the Nationalists marched to Downing-street for the purpose of presenting tbe Prime Minister with the resolutions . Lord Barring-ton thanked

them on behalf of his Lordship , and promised that a clay should be appointed for the reception of a deputation . Another and rougher section of the mob marched to Mr . Gladstone ' s residence , and one of the blackguards broke a window ; and when a constable attempted to take him into

custody , ho behaved violently , and three policemen , each of whom he savagely assaulted , were required to take him to the station . On Monday , he was brought up at the

Marlborongh-strcet police-court , and sentenced by Liupresiding magistrate to throe months' imprisonment with hard labour for each assault , and a fino of ' 10 s , and £ 3 10 s for the day . { lire djiiu to tbe window , w \ th the aUen-ativc of

Our Weekly Budget.

two months' hard labour in addition . Had the fellow had six months' hard labour for each assault , the public verdict would have been " served him right . " Government are losing no timo in pressing forward with their Naval and Military preparations . A second ironclad

still more powerful than the first , has been added to our Navy . The vessel has been re-named the Superb , ancl carries an armament of twelve 18-ton guns , in a battery a hundred feet long . Her tonnage is about 9 , 000 , and she can be sent to sea forthwith if it should bo necessary , but

the Admiralty aro having her interior fittings altered . Tho First Lord , Mr . Smith , with Admiral Wellesley , First Naval Lord , and the Comptroller of tho Navy visited Chatham on Monday , and inspected tho vessels there in progress . The Dreadnought has had her complement of

38-ton guns placed on board , and the Nelson armour-clad has made efficient trials of her machinery , a high rate of speed having been obtained . In the House of Commons , Mr . Hardy , in reply to Sir H . Havelock , said that Transport ancl Commissariat were ready for one army corps , and very

nearly so for a second ; but the most significant fact of all is the official -announcement that Lord . Napier of Magdala has been appointed Commander-in-Chief of any expeditionary force it may be thought necessary to employ , ancl thafc Sir Garnet Wolseley will be his Chief of tbe Staff ,

These appointments havo given general satisfaction , as Lorcl Napier , though of ripe age , having been born in 1810 , is full of energy and ability , and is one of our most experienced generals ; while Sir Garnet Wolseley , who first saw service in 1852 , in Burmah , is younger , and , at the

same time , equally energetic with his Chief . The Channel Squadron is at Malta , being now attached to the Mediterranean Fleet , ancl constitutes an addition of four powerful ironclads—the Minotaur , Black Prince , Defence ,

and Resistance—under Lorcl John Hay . In a very short timo wo shall be able to double our ironclad fleet . Lastly , orders on a large scale are being given for war material of every kind , and the Arsenal at Woolwich is fully as active as it was at the time of the Crimean War .

The clergyman , the Rev . Henry John Dodwell , who , on Friday morning last , attempted to shoot Sir George Jessel , the Master of the Rolls , was brought up the same day before Mr . Flowers , at Bow Street , on the charge of attempting to murder or do grievous bodily harm . He

was formally remanded till Saturday , ancl then committed for trial , the witnesses being bound over to appear . On entering tho Court , a short time after the occurrence , Sir George Jessel was congratulated by Mr . Roxburgh , Q . C , on behalf of tho Bar , on his narrow but providential escape

from peril , ancl the Master of the Rolls feelingly acknowledged the kindly congratulation , and also expressed his sense of thankfulness to Providence for having spared him from such imminent danger . Another clergyman , the Rev . Ogle Russel Lafonf , Rector of Hincksworfch , Baklock ,

Herts , was brought before Mr . Vaughan on Wednesday , and charged with being a wandering lunatic . Evidence was given that Mr . Lafont had presented himself at the Government offices , in Downing Street , and declared

himself " the Prime Minister to be . " A certificate of Dr . Boyd , divisional surgeon , showed thafc he was insane , ancl he was remanded to the Workhouse pending further inquiries as to his state of mind .

Rachel Levison , alias Madame Rachel , who , some years since , was tried and convicted of attempting to obtain money by false pretences , has been committed for trial on a charge of obtaining £ 200 from Mrs . Pearce , wife of a

stockbroker , by fraudulent representations . In answer to application for the release of tho prisoner on lower bail , the magistrate fixed ifc at , Madame Rachel in £ 2 , 000 , and two securities in £ 1 , 000 each—the same as ou the

previous . It is formally announced that Pope Leo . XIIL will he crowned in the Sisfcino Chapel to-morrow ( Sunday ) , and will bo afterwards proclaimed in the interior balcony of St . Peter ' s . Cardinal Simconi is confirmed in his office

as Papal Secretary of State . The aspect of tho Eastern Question becomes graver every hour . We have already alluded to the active preparations of our Government far war , if war should be inevitable , and there can be no doubt about the dangerous

feeling in this country Avhich tho terms of peace have evoked . Whether or not , before these linos arpc ir in print , peace will have beeu concluded , is comparatively of little moment , if the terrible terms which , whether authentic or luuuUlieutic , have leaked out , arc insisted upon , VA > uccd ,