Our Weekly Intelligence.

class are these enthusiastic admirers of the doctor ? Are they intelligent ? Is their enthusiasm worth heeding ? their judgment worth relying upon ? We doubt it . The racquet contest for the Public Schools' Challenge Cup came off at the court attached to Prince ' s Club , Hans

Place , Sloane Square , on the 2 nd and 3 rd inst . The players were C . W . Kemp and H . P . Bouverie ( Harrow ) , D . Lane and J . Oswald ( Eton ) , C . H . Sargeant and F . W . Heather ( Rugby ) , H . R . Webbe and H . b . Ellis ( Winchester ) , G . C . Snow and A . T . Allen ( Haileybury ) . The umpires

were Messrs . C . F . Buller and R . D . Walker ; Pairs , more commonly known as " Punch , " marking . The result was as follows : —First round Eton beat Harrow , Winchester beat Rugby , Haileybury a bye . Second round : —Winchester beat Haileybury , Eton a bye . Final : —Eton beat

Winchester and thus secured the cup for this year . On Saturday Lillie Bridge was the scene of a great bicycle contest , the competitors being Stanton , whose reputation , as a bicyclist stands high , and Caon , who had

two minutes start allowed , and the stake £ 50 . The distance to be travelled was thirty miles . Cann kept his start for the first five miles , and when 12 miles had been accomp lished Stanton had only gained 23 sees . In the thirteenth mile Cann had to dismount as one of his treadles had

shaken loose , thus enabling Stanton to gain a further 20 sees . This , in each succeeding lap , he contrived to increase , till in the 20 th mile he caught and passed him After lapping Cann in the first three miles , the latter gave up , and Stanton was ordered to stop at the 24 th mile . His time

was 88 min . 14 sec . On Monday St . Paul ' s School held its annual athletic meeting on the same ground . The band of the 1 st Middlesex Engineers was present , and there was a strong muster , especially of sisters , to witness the several contests . The events were divided into three classes ,

according to age . Jackson received nearly all the honours in the first class , Wall and Lemon in the second , and Menzies and Vickers in the third . Shearman , from scratch , won easily , in 55 f sec . the Old Pauline Quarter Mile Handicap , J . S . Luke , 30 yards , being second .

Saturday last being the first day on which the Tower of London was thrown open to the public , not far short of 4 , 000 persons , chiefly of the highly-respectable hard-working classes , for whose benefit the concession is made , availed themselves of the opportunity of inspecting the "lions" of tho

place . We do not , of course , mean " lions " to be taken literally , though , in former days , lions and bears and other formidable beasts were kept there , but the regalia , the armouries , the axe and block , the instruments of torture , and such like objects of interest . Mr . Hepvvorth Dixon ,

whose history of this ancient fortress is familiar to our readers , was present , and did his best to explain to those who accompanied him the structure of the buildings , their uses , and the associations connected with them . There will be two days set part every week for this free admission of the

public , namely , Monday and Saturday . The visit of the Emperor Francis Joseph to Venice , to meet bis Royal Brother of Italy , King Victor Emmanuel is now im fait accompli . Everything passed off most admirably . The weather was fine , the pageantry was

magnificent , the dinners , balls , receptions , visits , and the review of troops , each and every , was a grand success . The history oi Venice has been very varied within the last eighty years . It was governed by a Doge till 1798 , when it was handed over to Austria by the first Napoleon , and Austrian

it remained till 1866 , having , in 1848 , made a vain effort to achieve independence under the guiding influence of Manin . It is now an integral portion of the Italian kingdom , Italy being happily no longer what an eminent Austrian statesman described as " a geographical expression . " The

news from other parts of Europe is of little interest ; but , at the beginning of March , Buenos Ayres was the scene of a terrible riot , the Jesuit College having been assailed by a mob of from 10 , 000 to 30 , 000 persons , set on fire with

petroleum , and burnt to the ground . Some of the priests were killed , and others wounded . The Archbishop ' s Palace was also sacked . The Government have declared the province to be in a state of siege for the ensuing thirty days .

The Annual meeting and distribution of prizes to the pupils of the Masonic Female Orphan School will take place , under the presidency of the M . W . G . M . of Ireland , His Grace the Duko . of Abercorn K . G ., on Monday evening , the 19 th inst .. at the Exhibition Palace . Admission will be

Our Weekly Intelligence.

by tickets , which are obtainable onl y by the governors of the Institution . The band of the Coldstream Guards , under the direction of Bro . Fred . Godfrey , will perform during the evening .

A grand Masonic ball , in honour of the installation of His Grace the Duke of Abercorn K . G ., as M . W . G . M . of Ireland , is announced to take place on Friday next at the Exhibition Palace , Dublin , under the patronage of Grand Lodge of Ireland .

The fifth annual ball in aid of the City and Metropolitan Police Orphanage was held on Thursday evening , 1 st April , at the Terminus Hotel , Cannon Street , City . The ball was under the patronage of the Right Hon . the Lord Mayor , Bro . D . H . Stone , Col . Henderson , C . B ., Col .

Fraser , C . B ., and a very numerous and influential committee . Bro . Alderman and Sheriff Ellis , Mrs . Ellis , Bro . Sheriff Shaw , Mrs . Shaw and Miss Shaw , Bro . Capt . Sewell , Capt . Skey , Eccles , Edis , Moore , Lieut . Kent , CO ., Bro . Walford , Major Bowman , Mr . Supt . Foster , and above 500

friends were present . In the large room the band , under the direction of Mr . Dickenson , of the A division , discoursed sweet music , and in the smaller room Mr . Cohen ' s band also did good service . The company then adjourned to supper , under the able presidency of Bro .

Alderman and Sheriff Ellis , who gave the usual loyal toasts , regretting the absence of the Lord Mayor , who had been chairman of the Police Committee for eleven years . Bro , Sheriff Shaw , in a very eloquent speech , responded for the " Corporation of the City of London . " Bro . F . Kent , CO .,

acknowledged the toast of the evening , the " City and Metropolitan Orphanage . " Bro . Capt . Sewell , in brief , but appropriate terms , responded to the toast of the ladies . Dancing was then resumed , under the able direction of the honorary M . C . ' s , Bros . T . Butler , J . Meekham and

Foulger . The company separated at an early hour . It was remarked that this ball was a great success , the Sheriffs and the company liberally subscribing to the Charity . Great credit is due to Mr . Supt . Foster and Inspectors Bailey , Tillcock , Harrison , Everett and Carter for their exertions to secure the comfort of the visitors .

Bro . Jas . Terry P . G . S . B . ( Herts ) , Secretary Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , will work the ceremonies of Consecration and Installation at the New Concord Lodge of Instruction , Rosemary Branch Tavern , Hoxton , on the 21 st instant , when it is expected a numerous attendance of the brethren will be present on that occasion .

The Right Hon . the Lord Mayor , Bro . D . H . Stone , the Lady Mayoress , and Bro . Alderman and Sheriff Ellis wero present on Saturday evening at tho Gaiety Theatre to witness the drama of " Rose Michel . "

From the Western Weelclg News we learn that warrants , under the signature of the Prince of Wales , as Grand Master of England , have been issued for the formation of two new Masonic Lodges in Cornwall , one at Newquay and the other at St . Colomb . Tho Newquay Lodge , numbered

1528 , will be called the " Fort Lodge , " and Mr . William E . Mitchell , of The Fort , will be the first W . M . The St . Colomb Lodge will bear the title of " Duke of Cornwall , " and is numbered 1529 ; Mr . Thomas Hawken , S . W . of Lodge " One and All , " Bodmin , will be the first W . M .

Application has been made for a warrant to establish a new Lodge , at Dunmow , in the Province of Essex , to be named " The Kosslyn Lodge , " after the Ri ght Hon . tho Earl of Rosslyn , Past Grand Master of Scotland , who

resides in the neighbourhood . It is proposed to hold the meetings of the Lodge in the Town Hall , Dunmow . This will increase the number of the Lodges in Essex to 16 , aud will be the fifth which has been constituted during the last four years .

We understand that a very Sue portrait of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales as M . W . Grand Master in full Masonic costume , seated upon the throne in which his installation will take place , is in courae of preparation . No expense is