Our Weekly Budget.

conduct of Russia . Tho Duke of Somerset heartily endorsed the policy of the Foreign Office . Indeed , save in one or two directions , there seems to bo a very general desire to strengthen , as far as possible , tho hands of the Ministry . Other meetings havo taken place , notably one

at St . James ' s Hall , over which another ex-Liberal Minister , Mr . Stansfield , presided ; and another , on Monday , in Hyde Park , which appears to havo been a failure . On the other hand , several gatherings have been held , at which resolutions in support of the Government have been

carried either unanimously or by overwhelming majorities . Por ourselves , while expressing no opinion whatever respecting this or that particular line of policy , we think it wero far better if , at so tremendous a crisis , tho public

wero to exhibit no agitation whatever . Tho difficulties of tho Ministry are very formidable . They are doing their best to secure a peaceful solution of the most difficult question which has arisen this century , and at the same time to maintain intact tho honour and interests of this

country . Under these circumstances , we think it is the duty even of those who differ from the Government , to avoid any and everything that may possibly retard the desired settlement . This , we gather , is the general opinion now , whatever it may have been during the excitement of a

few weeks . The best evidence we have that Lord Derby is doing the right thing , is his powerfully-written despatch to our ambassador at Constantinople , than which , we imagine , a stronger was never written by the minister of one Sovereign to another .

The end of Lord Mayor Cotton ' s reign is at hand , yet his Lordship dispenses the hospitality of the Mansion House as liberally as ever . On Monday , he entertained the chief magistrates of various cities and towns in the three kingdoms , to the number of some 250 , at dinner , among

the guests being the Lord Mayors of Dublin and York , the Lord Provost of Glasgow , and the Mayors of Man-Chester , Liverpool , Cork , Birmingham , Wolverhampton , Brighton , Portsmouth , & c , & c , together with Aldermen Sidney , Sir R . W . Garden , Carter , Lawrence , Sir J . C .

Lawrence , Sir T . Dakin , and other civic functionaries . Most of the guests wore their official robes and chains of office , and these , of course , lent brilliancy to the occasion . The usual loyal and complimentary toasts were received with enthusiasm , and there was some excellent music , both

vocal and instrumental , to relieve the intervals between the different toasts . On Saturday , the ceremony of formally presenting to his Lordship ' s custody the Elcho Challenge Cup , won by the English at this year ' s Wimbledon meeting , took place in Guildhall . As it is three years

since the trophy was last intrusted to the Lord Mayor of London as its official guardian , great interest was evinced in the simple ceremony , and it is almost needless to add that the largest contingent of visitors was furnished by our Metropolitan Volunteer regiments . Captain Wells , as

Captain of the English right , acted as spokesman , and the Lord Mayor expressed the great gratification it afforded him to have had so important a trophy handed over to his charge . His Lordship was loudly cheered on retiring , and subsequently a number of past and present members of

English eights , and other distinguished riflemen , sat down to a banquet at the Mansion House Station Restaurant , under the presidency of Mr . Wells . Among the principal

speakers were Captain Pield , H . A . C ., Captain of the English twenty , Mr . Parsons , H . A . C ., Adjutant of the English eight , Mr . Martin Smith , of the Victorias , Mr . Wells , and others .

There has been considerable activity in the sporting world . This week has been held the Newmarket Second

October Meeting , and on Tuesday the first of the two great autumn handicaps was run , the winner turning up in Mr . G . Smith ' s Rosebery , who passed the post easily four lengths ahead of the favourite , Woodlands , Merry Duchess being only beaten by a neck for second place .

On Saturday a grand sculling match , between Boyd of the Tyne , and Sadler of the Thames , for £ 400 , took place , over the usual course from Putney to the Ship at Mortlake . Very soon after starting Boyd took tho lead , and maintained it throughout , in spite of the gallant efforts

of his opponent , ultimately passing the post a very easy winner by four lengths . It must be borne in mind , however , that Sadler had to- very serious disadvantage of being some fourteen years Boyd ' s senior in point of age . The same clay there was a very successful gathering at Lillie Bridge , the occasion being the Autumn meeting of the London Athletic Club . Several important events were contested ,

Our Weekly Budget.

but tho interest of tho clay centred in tho struggle for the half-mile challenge ci \ p , in which Elborough , Hill , and Slatlo wero entered . They passed the post in the order named , Elborough being about two yards ahead of Hill , and Hill about seven ahead of Slade . Time of tho winner 1 min .

57 j sec , so that the pace must have been tremendous throughout , eclipsing any previous achievement among amateurs . The Oval was the scene of a grand meeting of bicyclists , under the auspices of tho Surrey Bicycle Club , the same afternoon . A series of races wero very keenly

contested , and the performance of the band of L Division of Police added groafcly to tho p leasure of the meeting . On Monday the second bycycle contest between Keen and Stanton , over a fifty mile course , took place at Lillie Bridge , the former ultimately proving an easy winner , covering the

distance in 3 hours 6 min . 45 sec . Stanton gave up on finding his task hopeless , after going a little over 48 miles in 3 hrs . 1 min . 42 sec . On Monday , the last polo meeting of the season was held at Preston , near Brighton , by the International Gun and Polo Club . The first match was

between two teams of the 20 th Hussars , being English and Scotch against Irish . The latter proved victorious , by three goals to none . A second match between two other teams

resulted in a tie . There "were a number of other military athletic contests , among them being tent-pegging and tilting at the ring . The attendance was numerous and fashionable .

Two distingiushed military officers have gone to their last rest . Lieufc .-Gen . Sir Percy E . Herbert , who had seen considerable service in the Crimea , died on Saturday , in his 57 th year . On Tuesday , one of the veterans of the long war passed away , at the ripe age of 90 . This latter is

none other than the venerable Field Marshal the Marquis of Tweeddale , who was an aide-de-camp of the great Duke during the Peninsular war . He served in the retreat to the lines of Torres Vedras , and was wounded at the battle of Buraco . In 1842 he was appointed Governor and

Commander-in-Chief of the Madras Presidency , but his tenure of this high office was uneventful . The noble Marquis was also a very prominent agriculturist . His eldest daughter is the wife of the present Duke of "Wellington , and his youngest , of Sir Robert Peel . His grandson , Viscount Walden , succeeds him in the title .

The clouds that overhang the Eastern Question seem to be almost as threatening as they were last week . Tho news that reaches this country is of a most conflicting character . According to the latest advices the Turks have offered a five or six months' armistice , instead of tho

six weeks demanded by the Great Powers . The reasons offered are that the longer time will enable the Porte to calm the excitement of its Mussulman subjects and take the needful measures for the introduction of the promised reforms , while , in the event of peace not being arranged ,

the Turks will not be in a worse position for the conduct of military operations than they are now ; whereas a six weeks' armistice would render it well nig h impossible to act , owing to the coldness of the climate . Attached ,

however , to this proposal of Turkey are certain conditions , the principal of which are , that she -will treat for peace with the Great Powers only , and not with a vassal state , and that Russia shall stop the further influx into Servia of Russian officers and soldiers . This latter condition

seems especially reasonable . As Servia is said to have expressed her willingness to accept an armistice , there ought not to be much difficulty in arranging the necessary preliminaries ; and yet doubt everywhere seems to prevail . Russia is reported to be despatching large

bodies of troops to the south . Prom Vienna , it is reported that Russia will regard this counter proposal of the Porte as equivalent to a rejection of the propositions of the Great Powers , and that Servia will reject the longer , though she is ready to accept the shorter , armistice . ' As

between Turkey and Montenegro , the relations appear to becoming more friendly . Truo , ' we read of occasional engagement ; - ' , but an armistice of twenty days is said to have been agreed upon , if not concluded . The Prince of Montenegro is by no means pleased with the assumption of Prince Milan

of Servia , and it is believed he will readily come to terms with Turkey . Wc heartily welcome any thing which holds out a promise of peace , and we wish we could say there was the same inclination evinced by Servia as by Montenegro . We confess , indeed , the prospect is far from reassuring .