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Our Weekly Budget.

OUR WEEKLY BUDGET .

DURING a short sitting- on Thursday last , tlie House of Lords , at tho instance of the Bishop of Exeter , gave a second reading to the Truro Chapter Bill . On Friday , the Lord Chancellor , Avho had given notice of his intention tho previous day , obtained leave to introduce a Bill on Intermediate

Education in Ireland . The Bill Avas subsequently read a first time , and the second reading Avas iixed for yesterday ( Friday ) . On Monday , after an unsuccessful attempt on the part of Earl Fortcscuo to oppose it , their Lordships

Avenfc into Committee on the Poor LaAV Act ( 1 SM >) Amendment Bill , and the measure passed this stage without further hindrance . On Tuesday , the Public Health Act Amendment Bill Avas read a third time and passed .

In the House of Commons , last Thursday , a variety of questions Avere put to Ministers , among them one relating to tho appointment of Sir Charles Dn Cane to be Chairman of the Board of Customs , which was amply justified by tho Chancellor of the Exchequer . When these had been

disposed of , the House went into Committee on tho Roads and Bridges ( Scotland ) Bill , and satisfactory peogress Avas made Avith several clauses . On Monday a new writ for Middlesboroughj in the room of Mr . BOICICOAV deceased , Avas moved for by Mr . Adam . An attempt Avas made by

Mr . O'Clery to get Ireland relieved of her share of the charge paid annuall y for the Volunteers , on the ground that Volunteer regiments wero not allowed in Ireland , was defeated . The Chancellor of the Exchequer declined to see tho force of Mr . O'Clery ' s argument , Avhen the latter very

informally moved the adjournment of the debate for the purpose of calling attention to the subject , but his motion was defeated by 306 to 12 . Sir H . Selwin-Ibbetson then rose shortly after , and moved the second reading of the Contagious Diseases ( Animals ) Bill , Mr . W . E . Forstcr following

Avith an amendment directed against the proposal of the Government for the slaughter of cattle from the Continent at the port of landing . Several members , including Sir M . Hicks-Beach , took part in the debate , Avhich , on the motion of Mr . Rathbone , was adjourned shortly before one

o ' clock till Tuesday , Avhen it Avas resumed and again adjourned till Thursday . This Avas at the afternoon sitting on that clay ; in the evening-, when the House should have resumed at the usual hour , it Avas found that a sufficient number of members Avas not present , and the Honse

accordingly adjourned . On Wednesday Sir Wilfrid LaAvsou moved the second reading of the Permissive Bill , but he failed in impressing the House Avith a favourable opinion of its merits , and his motion was defeated by 278 to 84 votes , or by considerably more than three to one .

The Queen and Princess Beatrice returned to Windsor on Saturday , and on Monday the remains of the late King of Hanover Avere buried iu the Royal Vault in St . Creorge ' s Chapel , Avhere lie those of his grandfather George III ., Queen Charlotte , George IV ., William IV ., and Queen

Adelaide . The choir of the chapel was thronged with those Avhom duty or invitation had brought together to pay their last tribute of respect to a Prince of the English Blood Royal , but the ceremony Avasnot of that imposing character , nor , indeed , was it intended to be on that magnificent scale

Avhich people usuall y associate Avith Royal funerals . A large number of distinguished guests were brought doAvn by special train earl y in the morning , and shortly after the doors of tho chapel were thrown open , those Avho were to bo present began flocking in . The chief mourner was

Prince Ernest Augustus , Duke of Cumberland K . G ., Avho previous to the ceremony , had had an interview witli the Queen , for the purpose of delivering to Her Majesty tho insignia of tho Order of the Garter worn ^ by his late father ,

after which the Queen invested tho Prince Avith the insignia of the Order , and dubbed him Knig ht of the Gaiter . Pollowing his Royal Hi g hness were tho Prince of Wales and Prince Leopold , aud iu the course of the procea-

Our Weekly Budget.

sion were representatives of other members of the English Royal Family . Officers of State of the late King carried tho orders that he Avore , his cocked hat and SAVord , and the CrOAvn of Hanover , while the pall-barers , ten iu number , were chosen from anion '' his late ministers and

officers of state . I ho service Avas choral , tho officiating clergyman being the Venerable tho Dean of Windsor . The Queen witnessed the ceremony from the royal pew , while the Princess of Wales with tho Princesses Frederica and Marie of Hanover occupied scats near the chancel . Tho

pall having been removed , the coffin , almost hidden b y tho wreaths of flowers which had been placed on it by tho Queen and members of the Royal Family , was loAverecl into tho vault , whither the Queen and others descended to take a last A'I CAV of their relative ' s remains , Avhile the

congregation sloAvl y dispersed to the solemn strains of the Dead March in Saul . Tho Duke of Cumberland , the Ex-Queen of Hanover , and her daughters havo since left the Castle for Paris . Tho only evidence outside that anything- unusual was going on was a guard of honour , with the band

of tho Scots Guards , drawn up in the courtyard . Hardl y a day had elapsed after the mournful ceremony was over , Avhen the Duke of Connaught with his affianced bride , the

Princess Margaret Louise of Germany , and her father , Prince Frederick Charles , arrived at the Castle , where they will continue to reside for some time , till the auspicious day arrives for tho marriage of the youthful couple .

The storm of Sunday , which burst about midday over London , was one of the severest we havo known for some time , and caused a considerable amount of damage to property , many Avails and parts of houses being struck by lightning , while not far from King ' s Cross , the main sewer burst

into the Midland line at St . Paul ' s Junction , and rushing down into the cutting at King ' s Cross , by Avhich the Great Northern and Midland trains travel citywards , completely stopped the traffic all Sunday and Monday , several fireengines being engaged in the work of pumping out the

water , and for a long time without seeming to make any impression . In the region of the Caledonian Road , the basement of many houses Avas inundated by the water , and not a few had their Sunday dinners interfered with , while in the

HolloAA'ay Road , the ground was under water in parts , and tho tram and omnibus traffic had to be suspended for s © me time . The storm does not appear to have made the atmosphere much lighter ; at all events , the heat has been as great since , and may fairly be described as SAveltering .

In the late Charles Mathews , who died after a brief illness , on Monday afternoon , the British stage has lost one of its brightest ornaments . The deceased actor was

going a tour of the Provinces , and had taken cold at Stalybridge Avhen en , route for Manchester . This Avas followed by an attack of acute bronchitis , and though no one anticipated it Avould have terminated fatally , owing to

the great vigour of the veteran ' s constitution , yet they evident ! } ' exaggerated his poAver of resistance , for he succumbed , as Ave have said , on Monday afternoon , his Avife and son being present at the time of his demise . Numerous inquiries were made by his friends and admirers

during the progress of his illness , and among those who did so were the Queen and the Prince of Wales . The late Charles James MathoAvs Avas born in 1803 , being the son of Mr . Charles Mathews the elder by his Avife , nee De Camp—Avho was the daughter of an actor of that name , of

some repute , and sister to Mrs . Charles Kemble . Ifc was intended that young Charles should be educated for tho Church , and he Avas sent to Merchant Taylors' School , where his father had been before him . On reaching years of discretion , however , ho determined on folloAving the profession

of an architect , and was accordingly articled to the lato Mr . Pngin for four years . With him he visited Paris , and subsequentl y went to Italy to pursue his studies , being made a member of the Academies of Milan aud Venice . In 1830 he Avas laid prostrate , a helnless cripple , by fever

supervening on an attack of malaria , and when removed to England his life Avas despaired of , but he recovered and was shortly afterwards appointed Surveyor of the Parish of Bow . On the death of his father ho became part proprietor of the Adelphi , and resolved on abandoning his' former

pursuits and adopting the stage as his profession . Ho had , indeed , ahvays SIIOAVII a taste for dramatic impersonation . Accordingly ho accepted an engagement under Madame

Vestris , then manager of the Olympic Theatre , and his first appearance was a great success . This was iu December 1835 . In 1838 he married Madame Vestris , aud sho dying iu 1857 , he was married a second time to Mvs ,