Our Weekly Budget.

Fortunately no injury occurred to any of the passengers or servants of the company . At an inquest on the body of a domestic servant -who

died suddenly in the House of Detention , while under remand on a charge of theft , the jury returned a verdict that death had been accelerated by the insufficiency of the prison diet .

An explosion of blasting powder occurred in the St . Gothard Tunnel , on "Wednesday , by which ten workmen were killed and a large number terribly injured . Mount Vesuvius was in a state of eruption on Saturday night . The crater is reported to be nearly full of lava , and the activity of the eruption continues to increase .

The Austrians , who are beginning to realise the cost of their expedition in Bosnia—over which it is estimated they are spending no less than half a million of florins dailyare expected to issue a new credit of forty millions of florins . On Monday news was sent from Vienna of the capture of

Livno , the last remaining stronghold of "Western Bosnia , which by this step has at last been completely subjugated by the Austrians . Their troops have also been most successful in other parts , completely routing the insurgents , who were stationed at Senkovics , and occupying various

positions in the line of march . The Hungarians are strongly protesting against the occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina , which they consider as fatal for the Hungarian nation . A meeting is to be held on Sunday , when various resolutions will be submitted , condemning the

policy of the Government . It is officially stated that the Austrians have now completed the pacification of Herzegovina , and that authorities have been appointed throughout the country . A telegram from Cyprus describes the health of the troops as unsatisfactory .

At Dali , out of a force of 2622 men , four hundred are in hospital , or at light duty , or convalescent . A grand military parade took place at Cassel , on Friday , the Emperor "William being among those present . At midnight , on Monday , the Emperor of Russia embarked

on board the royal yacht " Livadia , ' and proceeded to Sebastopol , where he reviewed the Russian troops who have returned from Turkey . From the United States no

Very encouraging news is received with regard to the yellow fever epidemic . The disease continues its ravages unabated in some of the towns , but in others a slight diminution in the number of cases is reported .

A medal has been adiudared to the Religions Tract Society at the Paris Exhibition . The terms of the award have not yet been made public , but it is understood to be for the excellence , cheapness , and beneficial tendency of that Society ' s publications .

The Provincial Grand Lodge for North and East Yorkshire will be held , under the banner of the Constitutional Lodge , No . 294 , at Beverley , on Thursday , the 10 th of October .

The installation meeting of the Royal Alfred Lodge , No . 780 , will take place this day ( Friday ) at the Star and Garter Hotel , Kew Bridge ; full report in our next .

City Of London Orchestral Union.

CITY OF LONDON ORCHESTRAL UNION .

THE First Evening Concert of the season was given in the Albion Hall , London Wall , E . C , on Wednesday , 25 th September The programme comprised the following pieces for instrumentalists , and the excellent manner in which they were rendered by the band evidenced that a wise selection had been made :-1 . Overtnre— " Zanberflote , " Mnzart ; 2 . Ave Maria , for orchestra ,

Schubert ; 3 . Liehesliedchen— " The Tempest , Tanbert ; 4 . Symphony in 0 ( No 7)— "Adagio—Jlinuetto—Trio , " Haydn ; 5 . Waltz — " Traiime auf dem Ocean , " Gungl ; 6 . Overtnre — " Nabnco , " Verdi ; 7 . Grand Dno— " Antony and Cleopatra , " Riviere ; 8 . "Ugo , Conte di Parigi , " Donizetti ; 9 . War March of the Priests" Athalie , " Mendelssohn . We hardly know , whero everythinjr passed

off so mnoh to the satisfaction of the andience , how to particularise any piece specially for praise ; still we cannot refrain from noting our n 'qnaHfied admiration of the way Nos . 2 , 4 , G and 8 wore rendered , the Solo for Clarionet — Mr . Hobbs—being especially deserving of Dotice . Bro . G . T . H . Seddon , who is the conductor , must be congratulated on the ability displayed by the artistes under

his control . We thank him—as we believe will all who attendedfir introducing us to so talented a vocalist as Miss Helen Heath , who during the evening s « tng , with great feeling , four songs—viz ., " Man-u rite , " " Jenny of the Mill , " " She wore a wreath of roses , " and "Once upon a time , " tho two latter of whioh she was indaced to repeat . Miy Simmons also sang two buffo songs ,

Sir Michael Shaw Stewart And The Grand Mastership Of Scotland.

SIR MICHAEL SHAW STEWART AND THE GRAND MASTERSHIP OF SCOTLAND .

"We extract the following correspondence from the Scotsman : — LETTERS TO THE EDITOR . Ardgowan , 19 th September 1878 .

& IR , —I observe m the Scotsman to-day a statement that Mr . Inglis declines to be nominated for the Grand Mastership , "in consequence of tho expressed desire of the present Grand Master , SirM . R . Shaw Stewart , to retain office for another year . " I have not been consulted in any way by Mr . Ingli 3 or his friends ,

nor have I expressed any desire to be re-elected . I have been made aware lately that there 13 a very strong wish on the part of a largo number of Freemasons , amongst whom are those most influential in the G : 'aft , that I should retain for the present the office of Grand Master , and this for reasons which , I believe , are as well known to

Mr . Inglis as they are to me . You have been authorised to make a statement on a public matter in which my position is incorrectly described , and unwilling as I am to write about myself , I must request you will have the goodness to correct the statement . I am , & c . M . R . SHAW STEWART .

Torsonce , Stow , 20 th September 1873 . SIR , —I observe with regret a letter in yonr impression of to-day from Sir Michael Shaw Stewart , in which he statos that ho has noc expressed any desire to be re-elected Grand Master , adding , " I have been made aware lately that there is a very strong wish on the part

of a large number of Freemasons , amongst whom aro thoso most influential in the Graft , that I should retain for the present the office of Grand Master , and this for reasons which , I believe , are as well known to Mr . Inglis as they are to myself . " These reasons Sir Michael does not mention , and they are unknown

to me . I declined the requisition of nearly 500 members of tbe Craft from all quarters of Scotland to be put in nomination for the ohair solely from a desire to avoid unpleasant and nnseemly discussion in Grand Lodge ; but if Sir Michael believes that his re-election is

desired by " those most influential in the Craft , " I am quite willing to abide the result of a scrutiny of our respective requisitions . This public controversy I would have deprecated , but it has been forced upon me . I am , & c . HENRY INGLIS .

SIR , —Since Sir Michael Shaw Stewart deems it necessary—and , it is to be presumed , proper—to disclaim any desire on his part to con . tinue in ihe position of Grand Master Mason after next election , there can be no impropriety , Masonio or otherwise , in thus publicly considering the issues raised by his letter in your paper of Friday

last . With all deference , it may not be out of place to point out to Sir Michael that the simplest and only real way to give effect to his very creditable avowal would be to decline to stand . That he " expressed" his intention to retire from an office which he has already held for five years ( although as a rule its occupants have

never held it for more than two , or at most three , years ) , and did so in a communication published at his own request last month , is an undispnted fact ; and had he not done so the candidature of Bro . Henry Inglis would never have been undertaken . No sooner was the requisition to Mr . Incrlis circulated , however , than a

counter-requisition was started to Sir Michael by a committee who , along with it , issued a circular in which they express a "hope" that he " may be induced to remain in his exalted position , " and call a meeting in Glasgow , mainly for the purpose of promoting his re-election . In a second circular , previous to the meeting , this committee say , in

regard to Sir Michael— " We are enabled to state that , not from personal motives , but for the good of the cause , he is prepared to hold office for another term . " At the meeting it was stated by one of the committee ( according to a daily newspaper ) that " members of the Order had been erroneously led to believe that the present Grand

Master , Sir Michael Shaw Stewart , intended to retire from office , " and much more was said to the same purpose . If Sir Michael was aware that that meeting was to be held—and that he was there can be no manner of doubt—why did he not then announce that he waa not desirous to be re-elected ? and , unless he is unknowingly a tool

in the hands of an unauthorised committee , or virtually a participator in their proceedings , why has he not repudiated their action and con . tradicted their statements as above specified ? In his letter , Sir Michael says , that he has " not been consulted in « ny wav bv M " . Ins-lis or his friends , " but it may be asked if Mr .

Tn _ 1 is and his friends wonld have properly recognised what was duo m themselves had they consulted even Sir Michael Shaw Stewart , Bart ., after tho groundless aspersions and base imputations whioh were nnspnringly and most indecently cast upon Brother Inglis at tl . o meeting which was held in Sir Michael ' s interest , as reported in tho

pnbliV press ? It does not . appear that , Sir Michael has in any wi . y reproved those who at that mepting most nnjnstly traduced a distiiswished brother , of whose good offices he has repeatedly so far availed himself as to depute him to preside upon the Throne of Grand Lod >; o when ho hims « plf c"nld not attend in his place ; and it is certain that

he has not exhibited the same refine ! scrupulousness in seizing the first or nnv opportunity of vindicating tho character of that brother when nssnilo'l in his absence that he has displayed in phielding him'elf from being snpposed to " desire" an office which he seems

resolved to hold , or at least has expressed his " willingness to accept , f the . statement ef his committee is to be accepted . Sir Michael fnrther says , in bis letter , that he has " been made aware lately that there is a very strong wish anwn _ Freemasons that he Bhould . retain for tho present the office of Grand Maater . " Qf course .