Our Weekly Budget

350 , 000 , Salford 141 , 200 , Hull 140 , 000 , Leeds 238 , 000 , Sheffield 282 , 200 . Ia fact , tho population of the above and other towns which are specified , which amounted in 18 GI to a little over 5 , 430 , 000 , is now reckoned at 0 , 945 , 000 ,

showing an increase of over a million and a-hali in these sixteen years . London alone has increased by only three or four hundred short of 730 , 000 , while in some of the Yorkshire and Lancashire towns tho increase has been even move

remarkable . At this rate , we may anticipate that the population of London at the next census in 1881 will be little short of four millions , or considerably more than some of the smaller States of Europe . And this increase , it must be remembered , is in spite of the heavy emigration to the United States and onr American and Australian colonies

which occurs annually . The stormy weather to which we referred in our last issue has continued almost uninterruptedly during the present week . Consequently , there is the same story still to tell of lands inundated in all parts of the country , of wrecks along

our coasts , and here and there of loss of life as well as of property . On Wednesday the Harriet Foxtearfch Lifeboat put out from Whitby , in order to render assistance to a coal brig which , in foolishly attempting to make for the harbour , drifted to the north piers , and shortly afterwards

struck on the beach . Unfortunately the Lifeboat capsized , and , in spite of every effort to save them , three of the crew were drowned , while more than one other had a narrow escape . Great sympathy is felt for the families of the three who

perished , who were most respectable and industrious men . At the same time , indignation runs high against the master of the brig , who , by persisting in making for the harbour , in spite of the signals made to caution him against doing so , must be set down , indirectly , as the cause of the loss .

All these inundations , of course , involve a serious destruction of property , and we are glad to see that the Lord Mayor , Sir Thomas White , is following in the footsteps of his predecessors , ancl organising a Belief Fund for the purpose of administering help in cases where it is most

needed . We gladly notice , likewise , that the Earl of Beaconsfield has directed a sum of £ 250 to be appropriated out of the Boyal Bounty Fund , ancl remitted to Lord Mayor White in aid of the fund that is being raised tinder his auspices . Throughout the country

generally , the most praiseworthy efforts are being made to alleviate the distress caused by the weather . Among others , the Queen has forwarded a cheque for £ 50 to the Local Windsor Fund . We doubt not these energetic efforts will be crowned with success . The damag-e done

is incalculable , but English charity will do much to make amends . There have been several political meetings during the week , at which different members of Parliament have been present , and expressed their views on the aspect of affairs .

Among the speakers have been Sir W . Harcourfc , Sir C . Dilke , and Professor Fawcett , two of whom have spoken very strongly against the conduct of the Ministry . We have already hinted at the unwisdom of such conduct at a time so critical , when before all things it is necessary that

the hands of the Government , no matter what its politics may be , requires to be strengthened . Sir C . Dilke ' s speech was remarkable chiefly for his tremendous onslaught on Mr . Gladstone ' s policy when a Minister of the Queen . But , doubtless , Mr . Gladstone is quite competent to defend his views , be they never so erratic .

The news that comes to us from the East is as conflicting as ever . One clay we are told the Conference is coming- to an end , and that war is imminent between Turkey and Russia . Then rumour speaks of a peaceful settlement between the contending interests . Now , it is Roumania

which is aggrieved by reason of the proposed Constitutional reforms iu Turkey . Then Austro-Hungary is getting more and more uneasy , and Germany is on the point of forcing Russia to show her last card , and will try and bring the Conference to a close at the first opportunity .

We can but wait patiently , amid all these conflicting rumours , and trust that all may turn out well . One thinf , indeed , appears tolerabl y clear , and that is , that Russia is by no moans as well prepared for war as she imagined , ancl this is certainly favourable to the maintenance of peace .

One other rumour has reached this country , to the effect that Servia will shortly expel the Jews from her territory , let this is the country whoso eau : ; c we are invited to support , either actively or with our deepest sympathies ! However , we shall doubtless learn something definite in the course of the next few days , and then we shall know

Our Weekly Budget

what precise value attaches to these different rumours . Meantime , we can only hope that all will go on smoothly , and that the local struggle of last year will nofc be renewed over a more extended area .

' Wo note with pleasure the frequent references made in tho Standard and other of the daily papers to the doings of the Craft . It speaks well for our Society when the outside world takes an interest in our proceedings . Ifc was quite natural , of course , that when the Prince of Wales was

formally installed as Grand Master , a fall and particular account should be given by the leading papers of the day . But that was an event of only passing interest to non-Masons , who were , doubtless , nofc a little puzzled to account for the enthusiasm so rare an event excited amongst us .

Since then , however , there have appeared , every now and then , sundry notices about our Charitable Institutions and the doings of tho Fraternity . We regard this as a favourable symptom of our growing popularity . There is this also to be said of the majority of these paragraphs , they are brief ,

but they are strictly accurate . The article which appeared in the Standard of Monday , on the " Growth of Freemasonry , " is a little shaky in some of its details , but it gives a fair general idea , to the outside world , of the progress we have made of late years , and the extremely flourishing

condition in which we fiud ourselves afc this present time . But the paragraphs , we repeat , are unusually accurate . We have so often resented the abuse which has been levelled afc us from different quarters , that it is only just we should call the attention of our readers to the kind things that are sometimes said of us by our leading contemporaries .

We see no immediate connection between truth and impertinence . Yet a new journal , which made its first appearance before the public on the 4 th instant , under the imposing title of Truth , has wantonly gone out of its way to utter an impertinence at the expense of Freemasonry

generally , and Prince Leopold in particular . The author of the paragraph in question is one who signs himself "Truthful Tommy . " He begins by connecting Prince Leopold ' s illness with his past appearance in public , which he tells us , " was at a Masonic gathering . " Evidently , he

remarks , " the practice of Freemasonry is proving too much for his delicate constitution . " We do not envy the writer whose taste , or want of taste rather , has prompted him to write thus flippantly of a person ' s feeble health , even though that person may be a Prince and a Freemason .

Having said thus much of Prince Leopold , " Truthful Tommy" utters a nasty commonplace thing or two about Freemasonry , and talks of our snobbery , because , as he suggests , we aro never so happy as when princes and nobles preside over us . In saying this , the writer only

betrays his ignorance . We do nofc invite the princes and nobles to enter our ranks ; it is they who seek admission , and if , when they are admitted , we invite them to preside

over us , we are only paying them a compliment which , in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred , they richly deserve . There is no snobbery in electing the Prince of Wales to be our Grand Master . His rank would entitle him to the

highest position in any society of which he became a member . Possibly " Truthful Tommy" is himself so intense a snob as to be incapable of appreciating the respect which Masons in common with most other Englishmen entertain towards the sons of her Majesty .

Bro . E . Baldwin , a subscribing member of Locige No . 213 , is making praiseworthy efforts for tho establishment of a Masonic Charities Association , after the manner of those which are so popular in the metropolis , by which

almost every brother will be enabled to obtain a life governorship in one or all three of the Masonic Charities . An Association , having a similar object , has also been established in Essex , and is working with marked success aud corresponding benefit to the Charities .

Ihe fifteen sections will be worked by tho brethren of tho Belgravc Lodge of Instruction , in the Royal Jubilee Locige of Instruction , No . 72 , held at v > vo . George Arnold ' s , the Freemasons' Arms , 81 Long-acre , W . C , on Wednesday evening , 31 sfc January , afc 7 . 3 Q .