Our Weekly Budget.

" Nunc est bibendum , anno pede libero Pulsata tellus , " especially the imbibing part of the injunction . In fact , so steady , so persistent is he in tho consumption of liquor , be it beer and gin and water , or ginger beer aud slops , that

an excursionist might almost be defined as " an animal that drinks . " It has been said that men will never be made sober b y Act of Parliament . It is evident , however , that a good many more folk get drunk now than formerly , owing to tho Act of Parliament which sanctioned Bank Holidays .

Canterbury has had its annual cricket festival . The first match of the week was between Kent and Gloucestershire combined and England , the result being a draw , rather in favour of the latter , the Counties having two wickets

to fall and thirty-one runs to make . There was a large attendance each day , and among the players were Messrs . W . G . and G . P . Grace , Yardley , Gilbert , A . J . and H . R . Webbe , Lord Harris , Shaw , Hill , Lockwood and Ulyett . Several large scores were made .

On Monday the first of the South . Coast Regattas was held at Dover , and since then there has been a second held at Worthing . The sport was of the usual character , Dover

being specially favoured in the matter of visitors , owing to its falling on the Bank Holiday . Unfortunately , three accidents occurred by the capsizing of pleasure boats , and in the case of one of them a man lost his life .

The yachting season is at its height , and the Isle of Wight is thoroughly enjoying itself . The Royal Victoria Tacht Club has been conducting a long series of contests , and with the usual success . On Monday His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales was elected a member by

acclamation . By the way , lovers of this sport will find a recently published account of the Gruise of the Widgeon , by Mr . Robinson , a B . A . of Trinity College , Cambridge , a most agreeable book to read . Mr . Robinson made a journey of seven hundred miles between Swanage and

Hamburgh in his 10-ton yawl , the Widgeon , and he narrates the particulars of his cruise in a very pleasant volume , which has been ushered into the world of letters under the auspices of Messrs . Chapman and Hall , of Piccadilly .

To-day another muscular Christian , styling himself Professor Cavill , will undertake the feat of swimming the Channel . Cavill has already shown his powers in the Solent a few days since ; but for the turn of the tide at an unlucky moment , he would have completed the task of swimming from Dover to Ramsgate . We wish him

success . There has been another terrible railway accident in the South West of England , no less than sixteen persons having lost their lives . Considering the number of travellers the per centage of loss is comparatively small ;

but somehow it seems as though , during the last few years , the frequency of these calamities has greatly increased . In Ireland , also , the well known Madame Lulu has had a narrow escape . She missed catching a trapeze , and in falling struck against a gallery , injuring

and shaking herself somewhat severely . At first , indeed , it was represented that her injuries were likely to prove fatal ; now it seems there is a talk of her resuming her performances . We quite agree with the Daily Telegraph

that an end should be put to such exhibitions . No one should be allowed to risk his life in such a manner , and , least of all , a woman , whose performance on tho trapeze is simply an act of indecency .

We trust before these lines appear we shall have heard the last of the second Bravo Inquest . All the witnesses had been examined b y Wednesday , and yesterday the Coroner was to sum up , and there wonld then remain only the verdict of the jury to complete the inquiry . A dull

season for journalism is approaching , but we are inclined to prefer nothing at all in the daily papers to the objectionable matter which this inquiry has been eliciting for about the last three weeks . The interests of justice should of course be satisfied , but the publication of nasty details is by no means an essential .

Woolwich and its neighbourhood had , it seems , a narrow escape from annihilation on Wednesday . By some means or other the grass on the marshes caught fire , and fears were entertained for the safety of a large powder magazine , known as No . 2 , in which an immense quantity of powder , both in barrels and as ammunition was stored . There being plenty of water available , and two fine engines at tht magazine , the efforts of the police in extinguishing the fire

were successful , but not till five acres of grass had been burnt . It is , of course , idle to speculate what would have been the result had the progress of the flames not been arrested in time . A most terrible catastrophe must have

followed , and no doubt Woolwich would have been blown away . It must create , however , a most uncomfortable feeling in the public mind , to know that so terrible an explosive force is only a few miles from London .

It is becoming tolerably clear from the different accounts that reach this country , that Turkey , as we expected , is getting the better of Servia . The troops of the former have gained more than one substantial victory , the result being that the complete overthrow of the latter appears at the

moment to be simply a question of days . Already , indeed , there are rumours of mediation on the part of certain of the Great Powers , and Prince Milan , it is said , has announced a desire for intervention , and a willingness to resign his position , if by so doing it will promote in any way the

cause of peace . On the other hand , we are told that Turkey resents the idea of intervention altogether . She will not press her rebellious vassal to extremity , but she strongly objects to being meddled with just now , when she is in a fair

way to crush out the rebellion . We are very anxious for the restoration of peace , but Servia was manifestly the aggressor . It appears to us that she did her best to promote a general conflagration , and we owe it not to her , but to the action of the British Government and the

forbearance of the other Great Powers , that the war has been , thus far , completely localised . As to the Montenegrin successes , we hear now , that the Turks are by no means so hard beset as they were said to be , and if the latter have troops to spare , so as to face the Montenegrins on more equal terms

as regards numbers , we do not think this petty principality will be able to inflict very serious damage on its more powerful enemy . The stories of the atrocities committed by the Turkish irregular soldiery , are , to a certain extent , confirmed . However , the Turkish Government is said to

be doing its best to prevent them , and , moreover , we have not yet a complete and trustworthy account . We remember , at the time of the Jamaica disturbances , a morning paper , since defunct , spoke freely and unhesitatingly of there being some eight miles of dead bodies , whereas we believe

only a very few fell victims to the repressive measures of the Governor . In the present case , we do not doubt that some atrocities have been committed . We think they have been greatly exaggerated , and , moreover , that all the cruelties perpetrated must not be laid at the door of the Turks .

The result of the Belknap impeachment is most unsatisfactory . Only thirty-five senators found a verdict of guilty , while twenty-five returned him as not guilty . But a mere majority of voices is not enough ; we believe there must be

a two-thirds vote for the decision to be in any way opera * tive . Thus General Belknap escapes any penal consequences , while he is really convicted of the crimes laid to his charge . Morally , the ex-Secretary for War is " done for " as a public man .

A meeting of the General Committee of the Royal Masonio Institution for Boys was held on Saturday , 5 th August 1876 . Bro . B . Head in the chair . Present : —Bros . Hyde Pullen , Major S . H . Gierke , G . M . Snow , S . B . Ellis , C . E , Matier , Jesse Turner , H . Browse , W . F . C . Moutrie , P .

Adlard , J . M . P . Montagu , G . P . Palmer , J . Symons , G . W . Dosell , and others . Minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed . Report of Audit Committee received aud adopted , aud the Chairman was authorised to sign cheques . The recommendation of the Audit Committee ,

that the sum of £ 3 , 000 be invested , was unanimously adopted . One petition was received and accepted , and referred to the House Committee in the usual way . An outfit was granted to a boy who is leaving the Institution .

A notice of motion was given by Bro . C . E . Matier : That fin increase of £ 100 per annum be made to the salary of the Secretary . A hearty vote of thanks was given to the Chairman , and the meeting broke up .

The Committee of tho Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution met on Wednesday last , at Freemason ' s Hall . Wor . Bro . Lieut .-Col . J . Creaton P . G . D . presided ; there were ilso present Bros . Benjamin Head , Samuel Rawson , Raynham W . Stewart , Hycle Pullen , J . A . Farnfield , Erasmus Wilson , H , Browse , Thomas W . "White , John G . Stevens ,