Our Weekly Budget.

a " horsey " man or a " doggy " man is—well not over nice in his dealings with his fellow-men . Were there any doubt on the subject , any who were at Barnet Fair , and paid a visit to the field in which the horse fair was held , must soon have had it set at rest . The noise , the blasphemy ,

the flagrant cruelty shown to these animals , made the scene hideously disgusting . No doubt somebody benefits by it , but it is not the poor four-footed brutes , and still less the worthy people of Barnet , who must be thankful the fair , like Christmas , comes once a vear only .

The energy of Bro . Mapleson , of Her Majesty ' s Theatre , Drury Lane , is such as to require little comment from us . There are few men who wonld take upon themselves the burden of such an enterprise as the building of a New National Opera House . All the more credit is due ,

therefore , to our respected brother for inaugurating so laudable an undertaking . Bro . Mapleson has been many years before the public in connection with the Italian Opera , and we note with pleasure that , on Tuesday afternoon , the first step was taken towards erecting the new building on the

Victoria Embankment . The ceremony was very simple and unpretending . There was only a limited number of friends present to witness it , the principal actor being Mdlle . Titiens , whose name alone has been a tower of strength to the artistic company which acts under Bro .

Mapleson ' s auspices . This ceremony was nothing more than that of laying the first brick of the new lyric temple , and it is superfluous to add that the fair lad y already named performed her task both easily and gracefully . Mr . Fowler , the architect , Lord Alfred Paget , and Bro .

Mapleson then , each in turn , went through the business of placing and mortaring bricks . Hearty cheers were given by those assembled , and the company then adjourned to refreshment and mutual congratulations . We wish the enterprise every success .

The week has not been unfruitful of interest at the Alexandra Palace . The chief event was on Thursday , which was set apart for the delectation of the youngsters ,

admission to the various amusements within the grounds being for the occasion reduced one-half . The day was a great success , and the weather being magnificent there was a capital attendance .

As usual , at this season of the year , the various agricultural societies throughout the United Kingdom have been holding their annual meetings . The exhibitions have been quite up to the high standard of excellence , for which the British Agriculturist is so renowned , but the prevalence in

some parts of the country of foot-and-mouth disease has been a serious drawback in respect of the cattle . There have also been sundry sales of short-horn cattle , and in the case

of one animal , only three months old , lately the property of our R . W . Bro . Lord Skelmersdale , tbe sum of 2 , 000 guineas was realised . In another case , a cow was sold to R . W . Bro . the Earl of Bective for 520 o-uiueas .

1 he result of the inquiry into the Kildwick collision on the Midland Railway is that the jury have returned a verdict of manslaughter against Harrison Palfreyman , the driver of the express . They also censure Jonathan Baldwin , the signalman at Cononley Station for altering the

signal from red to green one minute too soon . They add a rider to this verdict in the shape of a recommendation to the Railway Company to remove the passenger station and signal apparatus to a point at or near the railway bridge , so that tho clanger of similar accidents , of which there have already been several , may be reduced to a

. Captain Webb ' s splendid swimming feat is still the theme of general admiration , nor of this only , for a very substantial sum has been collected , and this in due course will be presented to him , or at least invested for

him in the manner most agreeable to his wishes . Miss Beckwith ' s swim from London Brid ge to Greenwich has been followed by another performance , in which a youn" girl swimmer , Miss Emily Parker , sister to the London Champion , has shown her powers of endurance b y

swimming from London Bridge to Blnckwall , a distance of seven miles , in a little over au hour aud a half . Of course the attendance on her of wherries was very great , and there were demonstrations of encouragement , as she swam along , pistols , guns , and small cannon being fired at

frequent intervals . We admire swimming , and we trust that the _ rising generation of Britons will make a point of trying their skill in the natatory art , but we trust these exhibitions wiil not become too frequent . They smack a littlf too strongly of the advertising " dodge . " What made

Our Weekly Budget.

Webb's performance so generally admired was that it was a genuine attempt to accomplish an unexampled feat of skill and endurance . We hope swimming and swimming professors will be generally encouraged , but it is too manly an art to be mixed up with advertising schemes .

In the Dramatic World we note the opening , for the season , of Drury Lane , the piece chosen being written by Mr . Dion Boucicault , and entitled Shaughraun , to which we briefly refer in another part of our columns . At Covent

Garden the Promenade Concerts still continue to attract large audiences , but we regret to see that some disturbances are alleged to have taken place , and have been thought serious enough to call for investigation before a police magistrate .

The news from abroad contains no new element of interest . The insurgents seem to be getting the worst of it , and we fancy the verdict of all order-loving people will be " Serve them right . " The victories we have beard so much about their having gained , turn out to have been

all moonshine , the only success that may fairly be placed to their credit , having been gained by fire and brutality over houses and help less women and children . The Carlists are not yet annihilated , in spite of the heavy pounding to which they have been recently subjected . Paris has been thrown

into a certain state of excitement by the publication of a letter written by Vice Admiral de la Ronciere le Noury in command of the French Mediterranean Fleet . In this letter the gallant sailor announced his intention of supporting the existing order of things only so long as it

continued to exhibit its present conservative tendencies , avowing his strong dislike for the promoters of the revolutionary movement of the 25 th September 1870 . The result of this ill-advised publication is that the Admiral has been removed from his * command . It is always well for both

naval and military men , when on active service , to fight shy of politics . They should sink the politician in the officer , and confine themselves wholly to the discharge of their official duties . We do not see how the government of President MacMahon , could have acted otherwise than

it has done , if it were earnest in its attempts to make the law observed . Of course , the Bonapartists are not over pleased . Russia is again engaged in Central Asia , General Kauffman being en route for Khokland , and having inflicted

heavy losses on the Khokanas . The Emperor of Germany is visiting Breslau , where his reception was most enthusiastic , this being the first visit since the conclusion of the war . The Crown Prince and Princess and the Duke of Connaught were of the party , the object of the journey being to witness the Autumn Manoeuvres .

We have been favoured with an illustration of the jewel commemorative of the Installation of our M . W . G . M . It was designed by Sir Albert Woods , Garter , G . D . C ., approved by the M . W . G . M .. and is to be worn suspended by a ribbon of the Swedish National colours , yellow

and blue . ONLY those are entitled to wear it who officiated as STEWARDS at the ceremony of the Installation . Tho artist to whom was entrusted the duty of providing these jewels is Bro . Lamb of St . John ' s-square , Clerkenwell , who appears to have fulfilled his task with his usual skill .

When the 334 jewels had been made and supplied to Grand Lodge , the dies were destroyed . The jewel is a double star , five-pointed , surmounted by the coronet and the ostrich feathers of H . R . H . On the face is a medallion likeness of the Prince , with "Installed MDCCCLXXV , " on a blue enamel ground , encircling it .

A Conclave of the the Ancient Ebor Preceptory of the Royal Exalted Religions and Military Order of the Temple will be held at the Masonic Hall , Duncombe-street , York , on Tuesday , the 14 th of September next , at 7 o ' clock in the evening . Two Companions belonging to the Zetland Chapter , No . 236 , will be installed .

At a meeting held at the Metropolitan Club , 269 Pento : iville Road , it was resolved to present the Metropolitan Lodge , No . 1507 , with an oil portrait of Bro . Jas . Willing iun ., as a memento of the services reuderedby that esteemed Brother as the first W . M . of this flourishing Lodge . The

presentation will take place at the next regular meeting of rhe Lodge , in October , and the necessary arrangements have been entrusted to the following brethren , who have formed themselves into a committee , with power to add to their number : —Bros . Williams , Side , Rapkiu , Shand , Bern ' , Yeate ,