Our Weekly Budget

Richmond Park , as the residence of tho Earl ' s widow for the remainder of her life . The chief sporting event of the Aveek has been the Ascot Races , but in great measure shorn of their usual bravery , as the Court is in mourning for the late King

of Hanover . An enumeration of tho principal events and their results will suffice . On Tuesday , Her Majest y ^ Gold Vase was won easily by Count F . de Lagrange ' s Vernenil , the only other competitor being Lord Falmouth's Lady Golightly . Tho Prince of Wales ' s Stakes ,

for which Sefton was the favourite , fell to Mr . Houldsworth ' s Glengarry , Childeric being second , and Sefton and Bonnie Scotland running a dead heat for third place . The Ascot Stakes was Avon by Chesterton , Avho beat Advance by a length and a half , Finis finishing third . On

Wednesday , Julius Ctes & v carried off the Royal Hunt Cup , Belphcebe and Rosy Cross being second and third respectively , while , Lord Falmouth secured the Coronation Stakes with Redwing , the Duke of Hamilton ' s Strathfleet , three lengths behind , taking second place , and third honours

being shared betAveen Baron A . de Rothschild ' s Brie and Lord Bradford's Blue Ridge , who passed the post together several lengths to the rear of Strathfleet . On Thursday , Verneuil Avas again victorious , and trotted in winner of the Gold Cup six lengths ahead of Silvio , St . Christophe being third .

As regards other events in the sporting world , the weather has been unfavourable for yachting , and , consequently , the Royal Cinque Ports Regatta has not excited as much interest as usual , but there has been great activity in cricket circles , and the Australians have been somewhat

heavily defeated by the Gentlemen of England , who came off victorious in one innings by a single run . This was a result Avhich had not been anticipated , as the visitors had scored 57 with five wickets still to fall , but these Avent

rapidly , and they only contrived to raise the score among them to 63 , Avhich , added to the total of their first innings , gave them 138 to the Gentlemen's 139 . The chief contributions on the side of the Australians Avere C

Bannerman 28 and 0 , MidAvinter 6 and 26 , A . Bannerman 13 and 0 , and Mr . T . Garrett 0 and 15 . For the Gentlemen Mr . W . G . Grace 25 , Mr . Gilbert 20 , Mr . G . F . Grace 11 , the Hon . A . Lyttelton 16 , Mr . G . Strachan not out 21 ,

and Mr . J . A . Bush 16 , Avere the double figures . On Thursday , the Australians play Middlesex , at Lords . In the match between Kent and Derbyshire the former , thanks to the fine batting of Lord Harris ( 106 ) , Avas victorious by 82 runs .

Of course all kinds of rumours are flying about as to the doings of the Congress , and it is very entertaining to read the dispatches of the different Special Commissioners and Correspondents . At best , however , much of what they communicate must be guessAvork . According to all

accounts , hoAvever , the Congress has entered on the Bulgarian question , and the admission of Greece has been mooted by our plenipotentiaries , though , as yet , no decision has been arrived at . We hear that Prince Gortschakoff , after a light repast of straAvberries , Avas enabled to take part in

the deliberations on Monday , and that on visiting Prince Bismarck , the latter ' s favourite dog made an attack on the Russian Chancellor , which , however , was prevented having any serious consequences as the German Chancellor effectually used his herculean strength and choked off the

immense brute . On Wednesday , Ave are told , the Avily Russian was carried in his chair into the hall of congress by a couple of stahvart footmen or chasseurs , while Avhen riding in his brougham he acknoAvledged Avith great empresseonent the rare salutations paid him by the bystanders .

Then Lord Beaconsfield lias one day the appearance of being in deep cogitation with himself , and his serious demeanour is much commented upon by the public , Avho consider his pre-occupied manner is a sign that the

Congross is not Avorking promisingly . As to the Plenipotentaries , their number is HOAV complete , for the Sultan ' s representatives have UOAV arrived , and it said they are Avell satisfied Avith all that has been done so far . As to

the effect caused by the premature publication of the Anglo-Russian agreement , the excitement is someAvhat toning doAA-n , and people are beginning to think that until the whole truth is knoAvn respecting this important document ,

it is hardly Avorth Avhile speculating about the value of partial truths . No doubt we shall hear in time Avhat has been done at these momentous assemblies of the European Areopagus , but for tbe present Ave must be content with amusing gossip .

Our Weekly Budget

As to the state of things at Constantinople , matters are certainly critical , and the slightest accident might bring about a renewal of hostilities . Indeed , it Avas rumoured a few days since that the Turks had sent an ultimatum to General Todleben , to the effect that certain temporary

watch towers from which the movements in the Turkish lines Avere visible by the Russians , must be removed , and troops Avere linrried up by the latter , the result being that there was a very considerable scare . Then the Mussulman rising in Roumelia still continues , and the Turks , though

pressed by their enemies to surrender Shumla , Varna , and Batoum , resolutely decline to do so . Servia , too , is arming and appropriating territory , and the Roumanian and Russian forces might at any moment be brought into collision . All which shoAvs that Ave are a long Avay off yet from a peaceful settlement of the Eastern difficulty .

Mr . George Magrath ' s Matinee Musicale will take place on Friday next , at 3 o ' clock , in St . George's Hall , Langham-place , Avhen he -will perform selections from Mendelssohn , Beethoven , Chopin , and Liszt .

We have received several letters—one Avritten withm the last feAv days—from Bro . James Stevens , in which he requests us to mention that he is the " onginator , and more than four-fifths designer , " of the picture recently noticed in these columns , and entitled "Freemasonry and

Civilization . " We have seen that a controversy has been raging on this point elsewhere , and as it is a question which in no way concerns us , we must respectfully , but firmly , decline expressing any opinion whatever on the matter . That Bro . Stevens might well have evolved such a sketch as

this out of his inner consciousness is not unlikely , but whether he evolved this particular sketch or not is , as we have said , a matter Avith Avhich we have no concern whatever , and Ave cheerfully relegate to others the task of settling the point in dispute .

JAPANESQUE STATIONERY . —Although , for several centuries , the nations of the West have possessed a dim , aud so to speak , semi , mythical knoAvledgo of tho Japanese , the Avonderful people Avho have been aptly styled the English of Asia , it is only since the troubles that ended in the opening of the Treaty Ports to all the Avorld , and destroyed the Dutch monoply , that Ave have become really familiar Avith

them , their manners and customs , and their manufactures . Now the intercourse between the tvro nations is very great , and although they have become very good customers of ours , they have also taught ns very many things good for us to knoAr . Japanese art is full of a strange and unique beauty of its own ; thoir work in several fabrics is matchless . Thoy have taught our colonrists strange

secrets . Their carvings in soft Avoods never cease to be a source of Avonder . Their pottery and so-called Japan-ware arc unrivalled . But , perhaps , in no fabric have their achievements been more remarkable than in paper . For centuries the Japanese have mado from paper nearly everything — ships , drinking vessels , fortifications , packing-cases and other strong and heavy articles , on the one side ,

and on the opposite , the most delicate fans , lace , embroidery , & c . But they have also used paper as Ave have done for the purposes of letter Avriting ; they never use si pen , a brush takes its place ; but have not rested content Avith the plain material . Their love of symbols and signs has shown itself so strongly here , that when a Japanese receives a letter he knows at once the rank , sex , aud condition in

life of the sender , and can form a very good guess at the contents , — the nature of them there is no doubt about , —even before he opeus and begins to read the missive . Thus there is a certain symbol for every rank , from prince to peasant , anSAvering to a certain extent to our coronets , but descending much lower , Avhich . forms the basis of tho ornamentation of the paper . Then comes

the personal sign , responding to our crest , and finally tho special ornamentation , telling the nature of the Avriter ' s business . In such variety are theso last symbols employed , that a tradesman has one sot of paper for applications for orders , and another for demands for payment . But the moat beantiful of them arc naturally enough thoso applied to social subjects , to times of merry making , or of mourning ;

in fact , to births , marriages , or deaths ; and these certainly should be eagerly Avelcomed among ourselves ; so Ave notice with pleasure that Messrs . Goodall and Son , the eminent and Avorld famous stationers , of Camden Works , aro extending , in many directions , their beautiful introductions of " Japanesque stationery . " In all these , the paper is of tho best possible tone and texture , and the purchaser mar , if he

choose , employ the symbols Avhich , in Japan , are sacred to royalty , or send out his invitations to a dinner party , a ball , or a wedding , ornamented ivith the " Kiro , " the " Mume , " the " Kiku , " orange bloom , and many others , or a delicate spray of mistletoe , which we doubt not , will have its own particular nse among onr young folk , especially at Christmas . More affecting , and equally nppropiate , is

the symbolism as applied to death . Instead of the ugly , cumbrous , black-edged paper , with which Ave have been too long familiar , Messrs . Goodall show us the stem of tbe bamboo-tree ( the emblem of death and of mourning ) , running up one side of the paper , with the graceful tendrils and branches drooping over at the top , as though in tears , and these are so printed , in silver or black , as to be suitable for what is called complimentary , for half , or for deep mourning ,