Our Weekly Budget.

along at twice or thrice the rate she was going ; and common courtesy suggests that her wishes should be respected . As to the loss of the Vanguard , the Court-Martial on Captain Dawkins is still prosecuting its inquiries , while the

divers are still at work on the sunken vessel , parts of which , or rather its top-gear , have already been recovered . Whether the hull can he got up now , or some future time , is a doubtful question . Twelve thousand tons , or thereabouts , is a goodish weight to lift , even in these scientific

clays . However , " impossible " is a word which all Englishmen strive to keep out of their vocabulary , and it may be that the Vanguard will appear again in company with the Iron Duke , the "Warrior , and its sister ironclads . There is yet another accident , of which the results have been very

serious . An overladen boat capsized in Plymouth . Harbour , and some ten marines drowned . The usual inquiry was held , and the result is that Colonel Penrose , Commandant of the Plymouth Division of Eoyal Marines , and Staff-Sergeant George , as senior non-commissioned officer present at

the embarkation of the men , are charged with being the cause of their death , Corporal Fnraess being completely exonerated . This verdict the Coroner was specially requested by the jury to forward to the Admiralty . Three such accidents as these ; the collision of the Alberta and

Mistletoe , the loss of the Vanguard , and the upset of a boatful of "jollies" coming so closely together , will cause people to inquire if our Navy is as efficient as it should be , if our seamanship is what it was half-a-century since . But misadventures seldom come singly , and nothing has

happened that we wot of to shake our confidence in the Navy . A trial is about being made—by the time these remarks come under the notice of our readers , will have been madewith the largest thing in the way of Woolwich Infants . The 81-ton gun has been tried at the butts , with what result

our readers , no doubt , are already acquainted . A slight hitch occurred in getting it into position , bnt not from any of the causes the probability of which had been anticipated . The bridge stood the weight , the rails proved true , but the truck that bore the gun got off the rails , and a few

hours' hardlabourwerenecessary to get it back again . This , however , was safely accomplished , and the monstrous weapon reached its distination . This huge gun is expected to throw half a ton of metal a distance of eight miles , about from , say , Kensington to Poplar . What next ?

the Germans flatter themselves their Krupp Guns are the no plus ultra in cannon . Can they outdo this ? We fancy they will be a little puzzled to find us so much ahead of them in gunnery , especially as they are the military power , par excellence , of Europe—in their own estimation at least .

But we must look out , too , for our laurels , for guns of a hundred tons calibre are being manufactured for the Italian Government , so we presume a hundred and sixty tonner will be the next novelty . But where will it all

end ? If a ton weight be sent a distance of some ten miles in the course of a few seconds , what will become of us all in the next war ? The two opposing armies will kill each other without knowing it . It is seldom we have to record so terrible a crime as that

with which the man Wainwright is at present charged . We have no intention of discussing the evidence , or of saying a word that could prejudice the public against him , but there is nothing in the annals of crime so terrible since the clays of the notorious Greenacre , except , perhaps , it be

the murder of O'Connor by the Mannings . The man Stokes , to whom the discovery of the murder is clue , deserves great praise for the energy he showed in following the cab , and wo trust some proper recognition , in the shape of a handsome testimonial , will follow .

Ibo third great racing event came off on Wednesday . The St . Leger was run at Doncaster , there was a field of thirteen , and after a good race tho greater part of the way Mr . Crawfurd ' s Craig-Millar came in winner by some three lengths , Balfe and the Earl of Darlrey , with , half a length

between them , being second and third respectively . The winner was ridden by Chaloncr , and is by Blair Athol , out of Miss Eoland . His previous appearances in the field have been pretty successful , but as the winner of neither the Two Thousand nor the Derby -was present on this

occasion , there was Jess of interest than usually attaches in this event . The other principal event of the meeting , the Great Yorkshire Handicap , was won by the favourite , Mr . W . S . Mitchell Iimes ' s Saint Leger , Louise Victoria and Polonaise being second and third respectively . The usual

Our Weekly Budget.

sale of yearlings passed off very successfully , Central Fire , for whom 1500 guineas was given , heading the list , while of the others Chillanwallah fetched 800 guineas , Muta 500 , Waterloo 500 . There only remain now two events of

interest in tho racing world , the Cesarewitch and the Cambridgeshire . The other noteworthy event of the week was the Trotting Meeting at the Alexandra Park . There was a capital attendance both days , and some good sport .

There is nothing particular to chronicle in the way of Cricket . There have been one or two matcb . es , and Mr . W . G . Grace has made another brilliant score of 152 . Tho

excitement about Captain Webb ' s feat is not yet over . It must be somewhat trying for the hero himself to be feted , & c , & c , wherever he goes , but this , we presume , is inevitable . It is satisfactory , however , to learn that the testimonial to him has already reached a good round

sum , somewhere about thirteen hundred pounds having been acknowledged up to last Saturday . Tuesday at the Promenade Concerts was set apart as a Webb benefit , the proceeds being paid over to the general fund , and there have been other monies collected at the Alexandra Palace

and elsewhere , all which help to swell the total . Besides this , a chronometer and an aneroid barometer have been presented to him . In fact there is every chance of the testimonial being a most substantial one , and right glad are we it is so . Such an achievement deserves to be

recognised most handsomely . On Saturday was held a swimming fete in the Victoria ] Park ornamental water , by the London Swimming Club , Lord Henry Lennox having given his sanction . There were several competitions for prizes , presented by Bro . Sir John Bennett and others , after

the racing was over Miss Emily Parker , accompanied by her brother , gave a display of ornamental swimming , which was greatly applauded . We gladly note the encouragement so generally given to swimming , an art which ,

considering Ave are a maritime people , has been pretty generally neglected in this country . We trust the day is not far distant when the swimming master or mistress will bo looked upon as an essential member of every school staff in the kinorlom .

The Ex-Premier , Mr . Gladstone , has latterly been giving more than one speech on the necessity for mental cultivation , Mr . Gladstone himself being one of the most brilliant living illustrations of the advantages of such cultivation . It seems also the right honourable gentleman varies his

amusements by occasionally felling trees , truly a marvellous p leasure for such a man to indulge in . We wonder what other people must think of us as a nation . We have a score or two of eccentricities written down against us , and of these , felling timber by ex-premiers , we imagine is the

latest . Henceforth , instead of singing , " Oh Woodman spare that tree , " it will be , Oh " Gladstone , " which is synonymous with woodman . A strange world this , in which the same statesman brings down Vatican Decrees and British oaks with equal skill ! We naturally go back in

our minds to the early history of Rome , and think of Cincinnatus , in his retirement from , the cares of state , turning ploughman . We need never despair of our country , when we find our leading men voluntarily taking upon themselves laborious work , and exhibiting such skill in doing it . There must be good stuff in us somewhere .

We do some things very deliberately . It seems strange to be talking of Wellington monuments when the hero whom they are intended to honour has been dead some three-andtwenty years . Nevertheless , the monument a grateful country voted in 1852 to tho hero of Waterloo is only

just on the point of completion . It took the Iron Duke some seven years of hard fighting to drive the French out of the Peninsula , but more than thrice the length of timo has been required by the artist to erect a monument

to the hero ' s memory . However , as the gratitude we owe him is most profound , it is in keeping that we should extend our display of it over as large an extent of time as possible . It is satisfactory to know that the monument is worthy of the fame of our jjrcatesb soldier . But is it creditable that

rho Albert Memorial should have been finished first , lhe Prince Consort fulfilled his duties admirably , and in honouring his mcnv . ry we are doing honour to the Queen his widow , but good men arc happily not scarce among our people , while a great man turns up once only in tho course of half-a-dozyn centuries . We are improving

however . It took some forty years to get Nelson perched up m the clouds , whereas Wellington is done for in about three-: ind-twcnty , and the Prince Consort in about ten or a dozeu .