Our Weekly Budget.

of the City . The event was celebrated with the customary honours , and the freedom was handed to His Royal Highness in a beautiful casket . When the more formal part of the ceremony , which , by the way , took place in the

magnificent Library at Guildhall , was over , the party adjourned to banquet , the Lord Mayor presiding , with his wonted geniality . The usual toasts wero given and responded to , that of the new Royal Citizen being greeted with great enthusiasm .

While referring to an event of no small interest in the City , it may not be out of place to state that , owing to the nature of tho Report of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Loans , the Ministers of some small Central American States will not receive the usual invitation to be present

at the Lord Mayor ' s banquet . It were as well , perhaps , if the Ministers in question took this hint and cleared out altogether from this country . We do not imagine John Bull would be seriously disconcerted if Honduras , Costa Rica , & c , were never again represented at the Court of St . James ' s .

The event of the week has been the celebration at the Alexandra Palace of the Anniversary of Balaklava . The whole of the survivors of the famous Charge of the Light Brigade were invited to a banquet in honour of this magnificent blunder . Most of the warriors responded in person to

the invitation , aud as the weather was fine for once in a way , Ave must note down this celebration as one of the most successful events of the whole year . There was a Balaklava trophy in the Great Central Hall , which was formally unveiled at 1 p . m . Here also was to be seen the charger of

Colonel Kent , 77 th Foot , which had carried that officer through the Crimea and the Indian Mutiny , and bore him only a few days since at Woolwich , when the regiment was inspected by the Duke of Cambridge . The horse , in spite of its seven-and-twenty years , looked well , and able to go

through even half-a-dozen more campaigns . Miss Thompson ' s picture of the " Roll Call " was also on view , and attracted crowds of spectators , and the lady herself , we believe , was j > resent at the banquet , though how her picture of the "Roll Call , " of the guards , in any way

connects her with the Charge of the Light Brigade is to us a mystery . However , whether for advertising or other purposes , the picture and the painter were both there , and so were the Russian drums , captured by the 77 th Regiment at the battle of the Alma , lent for the occasion by Colonel

Kent , and the head of Lord Cardigan ' s charger , also lent by the Countess of Cardigan . In honour of the clay the programme was considerably enlarged , and the visitors thronged the Palace and grounds in thousands . In fact , locomotion in the Great Hall was a matter of considerable

difficulty . The military were in strong force , red coats and blue coats being uoticeablo everywhere among- the crowd . The last display of fireworks during the season brought a most enjoyable day to a close . Sir Charles Reed , at a recent distribution of prizes , laid

considerable stress on the ignorance so generally displayed by people as to spelling . People now-a-days are in such a hurry to learn everything , that so elementary a matter as spelling receives far less than its due share of attention . We admit that the English language is not the easiest in

the world to spell , but it is our native language , and we ought at least to write it accurately . One of the difficulties cited by Sir Charles had reference to the great variety of sounds , which are conveyed by the same combination of letters as in though , through , & c . We offer the following

as specially illustrating this particular difficulty : " Though the tough cough and hiccough plough me through . " But if Englishmen themselves are behindhand in writing their own language , how must it fare with foreigners when they try to speak it ? Imagine a Frenchmen or a German tackling the above varieties of ouqh for the first time .

New Zealand is a large and rising colony , but we knew not till the other day it was so considerable . Glancing over the pages of the Standard , a few days since , we saw it announced that the British Empire was in New Zealand . It ; must be an extensive country that will hold British India ,

British North America , the United Kingdom , and all our other possessions . It is , moreover , the first time wo ever heard of the well known rule being reversed , namely , that the Avliole contains the part . Here it is the part which contains the whole . Well , we live and learn .

The floods this year are very serious . We suggested last week that possibly we sbuuld be obliged to swim instead of walk , or paddle our own canoe instead of ride , when we paid a visit to some neighbour , and iu some parts

Our Weekly Budget.

of the country locomotion , except by means of boats , appears to be out of the question . This is especially so in the valley of the Thames , where the country for miles and miles on both sides of the river is inundated . Round

about Eton and Windsor the whole country pretty well is under water . Matters are as bad in the Mjrllands , and the results are generally very disastrous iu respect both to life and property . We trust we shall not be washed away , at all events this side of Christmas . What would our

readers do without a Chronicle and Christmas pudding . About the last great racing event of the year came off on Friday when Mr . Mannington ' s Sutton , 4 years , and carrying 5 st . 131 b ., Avon the Cambridgeshire easily , by about a length and a half , Mr . T . V . Morgan ' s Lord Gowran being

second , and Sir G . Chetwynd's , the Grey Palmer , third . Henceforth we must turn our thoughts to the Two Thousand and Derby of 1876 . In the aquatic world there is a race on for the championship , in which the veteran Sadler will donbless prove that he has lost little , if any , of his ancient

form , and Stanton in the arena of bicycles is doing something considerable , in the "way of riding , at Lillie-bridge . Coursing meetings are being held in various parts of the country , and foot-ball flourishes , and Avill flourish , weather permitting , for some months to come .

Among the extra-Parliamentary utterances , so common at this season of the year , must be mentioned those of Sir Henry James , Attorney-General during the late ministry , and Mr . Sclater Booth and Sir Stafford Northcpte , both , members of the present ministry . The subjects to which

they severally directed their attention were , in the case of the ex-Attorney-General , the Admiralty Circular respecting Fugitive Slaves , now , hoAvever , withdrawn , and in the case of the Chancellor of the Exchequer the new law of Friendly Societies . Mr . Sclater-Booth , as a county member , dealt

chiefly with the laAv of settlement . Among other members Avho have spoken publicly during the last few days must be mentioned the name of Mr . Fawcett , who has been expressing himself with bis wonted ability on the subject of Art Education .

The Wainwright trial will not come off till the November Sessions of the Central Criminal Court , the defendant's counsel having applied for a postponement of the case , and Justice Grove having acceded to the request . By the way , there appears to be what is described as an Italian

Wain-Avright case , the body of a murdered Avoman haAring been discovered at the Railway Station at Rome , and identified , the supposed murderer having also been arrested by the police . A Greek merchant , M . Mavrocordato , has been sentenced to five years' penal servitude for embezzlement .

The visit of the Emperor of Germany to Milan appears , by all accounts , to have afforded the Imperial visitor the most intense satisfaction , Avhile Victor Emmanuel is equally gratified Avith the visit . The Emperor quitted Milan on Saturday last , and reached his capital in time for the

unveiling of the Stein memorial , but , unfortunately , indisposition prevented his taking part in the ceremonial . However , the Crown Prince took his father ' s place , and there lvere present also the Crown Princess and several other members

of the Imperial family , to do honour to one of the leading men of his day , one to Avhom , more than almost any other man , Prussia is indebted for her present high position in Europe .

The neAvs from Paris is somewhat tame . M . Rouhei aud M . Gambetta have issued manifestoes , the one Bonapartisfc , the other Republic , and both have caused a considerable amount of excitement . People are also beginning to look forward to the approaching session of the

Legislative Assembly . From Spain , Ave are assured that a decisive campaign is about to be undertaken against the Carlists . We are no lovers of Avar , but in this case AVC cannot but rejoice at anything indicative of an approaching close of

this unhappy contest . We care not a fig for Carlism or Alphonsism . Our sole wish is , that the Spaniards may once more enj' -r the blessings of peace . There is nothing neAV n * to the Insurrection in the

HerzegOA'ina , Avhich , from a fighting point of view , may be considered at an end , though , probably , AVC shall hear , for some time to come , of occasional plundering of Turkish houses , and the decapitation of inoffensive Turks .

The German Parliament has been opened by commission the Emperor being too indisposed to attend in person . The expressions in the speech referring to a belief in the continued maintenance of peace have given general satisfaction . This is about the sum of our foreign news .