The Theatres, &C.

THE THEATRES , & c .

COVENT GAEDEN—At 7 . 0 , THE VIVANDIKRK . At 7 . 15 , TIIK BAKES IN THE WOOD . DKUBY IiANE .-At 7 . 0 , TEX OF 'KM . At 7 . 30 , ALADDIN . HAYMARKET .-At 7 . 30 . OUK AMERICAN COUSIN and THE LOAN

OP A LOVER . ADELPHI . —At 7 . 0 , THE DREAM AT SEA and THE CHILDREN IN THE WOOD . PRINCESS'S .-At 7 . 0 , LOST IN LONDON and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST .

LYCEUM—At 6 . 50 , FISH OUT OF WATER . At 7 . 15 , HAMLET . OLYMPIC—At 7 . 0 . TWENTY MINUTES WITH A TIGER . AT 7 . 30 , THE TWO ORPHANS . STRAND .-At 7 . 0 , INTRIGUB . At 7 . 20 , OLD SAILORS . At 9 . 15 , LOO AND THE PARTY WHO TOOK MISS . PBINCE OF WALES'S .-At 7 , 15 , SWEETHEARTS and SOCIETY . GAIETY . —AT 7 . 0 , BENGAL TIGER . At 8 . 15 , MERRY WIVES OF

WINDSOR . GLOBE . —At 7 . 0 , A PRETTY PIECE OF BUSINESS . At ft . O , BLUE BEARD . VAUDEVILLE .-At 7 . n , LEGACY LOVE . At 7 . 45 , TWO ROSES . At 10 , ROMULUS AND REMUS . CHARING CROSS .-DRAWINa THE LINE and THE NEW MAGDALEN .

OPEBA COMIQUE .-At 7 . 0 , WAR TO THE KNIFE . At 8 . 15 , IXION RE-WHEELED . COURT—At 7 . - . 10 , PEACOCK'S HOLIDAY . AtS . 30 , BRIGHTON . ALHAMBBA—At 7 . 0 , THE TWO BONNYCASTLES . At 7 , 15 , WHITTJNGTON .

CEITEEION .-LES PRES SAINT GKRVAIS , & c . AMPHITHEATBE , IIOLBOBN .-At 7 . 0 , THE WATERMAN . At 8 . 15 , MADAME ANGOT . SURREY—At 7 . 0 , FORTY THIEVES . PHILHABMONIC .-At , 7 . 30 , THE WATERMAN . At 8 . 20 , LA FILLE DE MADAME ANGOT and tho GREAT DORSTS .

HENGLER'S CIRQUE .-At 2 . 30 and 7 . 30 , LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD . BANGER'S AMPHITHEATRE .-Afc 2 . 0 and 7 . 0 . ALADDIN AND THE WONDERFUL LAMP . CRYSTAL PALACE .-Opcn Daily , TANTOMIMS ,

AQUARIUMPIC-, TURE GALLERY , & c . POLYTECHNIC . — STAR WATCHING AND THE TRANSIT OF VENUS ; THE MYSTIC SCROLL ; CHYMIOAL MARVELS ; THE ISLE OF WIGHT AND ITS LEGENDS , CONJURING , & c . Open at 12 . 0 mid 7 . 0 .

EGYPTIAN ( LARGE ) HALL .-Dr . LYNN , at 3 . 0 and 3 . 0 . EGYPTIAN HALL—MASKKLYKE AND COOKE , nfc 3 . <> iiri . lS . rt . "WESTBOURNE EALL , Bayswater . —MRS . HOWARD TAUL AND MR . WALTER PELHAJI at S . Saturrtnyft at 3 only . ST . GEORGE'S HALL , Langham Place . —Mr . and Mrs . GERMAN REED at 8 . 0 . Thursday and Saturday at 3 only .

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NOTICE . rpiIE PUUEMASOX'S CUKONICLK can be ordered of any - * - Pioksellcr in Town or Country , but should any difficulty be experienced , it will be forwarded direct from the Office , on receipt of Post Oflice Order for the amount . Intending Subscribers should forward their full Addresses to prevent mistakes . Post Office Orders to be mode payable to \ V . W . MORGAN , at Barbican Oflice . Cheques crossed " London and Count y . " The Terms of Subscription ( payable iu advance ) to THE FREEMASON ' Cinioxicr . K are—Twelve Months , Post Free £ 0 13 ( 5 Six Months ditto 0 7 0 Three Mouths ditto 0 3 6 ' To tho United States and France , 43 3 d per quarter , and to Germany , 4 s l ) d per quarter . Agents , from whom Copies can always be had : — Messrs . COTK'K and Co ., 12 Catherine Street , Strand . Mr . T . Diiiscof . r ,, 87 Farringdon Street . Mr . G . W . JoiiDAN , IU !) Stiand . Messrs . MARSHAL ! , and SONS , 125 Fleet Street , E . C . Mr . II . SIMPSON , 7 lied Lion Court , E . G . Messrs . SMITH and SONS , 183 Strand . Messrs . Si'KNCT . K and Co ., 2 ( 5 Great , Queen Street , W . C . Messrs . STT . EL and JUNKS , 4 Spring Gardens , Chasing Cross . Mr . G . YICKKIIS , An ^ el Court , 172 Strand . Mr . If . VICKKILS , 317 Strand .

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SCALE OF CHARGES FOR ADVERTISEMENTS . Advertisers v . i'l find TIIK FI ; : MASON ' CIIISONICLK an exceptionall y good medium for Advertisements of every class . Per Page ¦ , CS 0 0 Back Pago | £ 10 0 0 General Advertisements , Trade Announcements , Ac . single column , us per inch . Double Column Advertisements Is per line . Special Terms for u Series of insertions on application . BixihS i Man-luges aud Duatks , ( id per liue ,

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EESgggiWWW ' . gfJAMAAMAV-Wj a ^^^^^ P ^^ a l ^ w ^^ AW ^ pmgftWWA ^ 07 BARBICAN , E . C .

Home Questions.

HOME QUESTIONS .

LAST week we congratulated our readers on the prospect of a quiet Parliamentary Session . There are , happily , no burning questions of a political character to agitate the public mind . But though , as regards la haute politUpie , we may take to heart and act upon the advice of a certain venerable "Whiff statesman , to " rest

and be thankful , " it by no means follows that the coming Session need be altogether barren of results . Now , of all others , is the time for sonnd practical legislation , such as will tend to promote the social well-being of the community . For instance , the sanitary condition of our large cities and

towns leaves much to be desired . We are , or at least , we boast that we are , essentially a practical people . Yet we hardly act up to the character we claim for ourselves , or the need for better sanitary arrangements throughout the country would be far less urgent . To select one

instance out of the many that have latterly been the subject of public comment—the condition of Oxford , one of our two university towns , is the reverse of creditable to the local sanitary authorities , if the report be true that sundry undergraduates have died , and H . R . H . Prince Leopold is

still suffering from the effects of typhoid fever . This huge metropolis of ours , again , is by no means as well cared for in the matter of health as is desirable . There arc no end of fever-dens within what are known as the " Bills of Mortality , " a very ominous name indeed , if we

bear in mind how densely populated are the poorer districts of London . It seems to us that local authorities generally follow the example of the man who shut the stable door when the steed had gone . They are clever enough in tracing to its source the outbreak of

any disease , when its ravages have been stayed , but slow to prevent such outbreaks . We havo a Central Authority at Whitehall , whose duty it is to look after the health of the country . Let this Central Authority bo made

more real , and local boards of health may then be energetic before , instead of after , the need for energy has arisen . Here , at least , is one question which may occupy the attention of Parliament this year , with advantage to the public .

Another subject for discussion at St . Stephen ' s , is whether sterner repressive measures shall not be taken to put down a certain form of ruffianism , which has attracted much notice within the last few months . We mean the

cruel practice of wife-beating . Scarcely a day passes but wc read of some poor unfortunate Avoman being half beaten to a jelly by her brutal husband . Many there are who

think the " Cat may prove an effectual remedy against this particular class of crime , while others are entirely opposed to such mode of punishment . It is not our province to discuss the merits of either side of this momentous

question . One remark , however , wc may safely venture to make , no amount or kind of pmiishment that can be administered will have abrutalising effect upon these ruffianl y fellows . It is not possibly for a man , who half kills her , whom , of . all others , he is bound to cherish and protect , to

descend to a lower depth of brutality . It may or may not be expedient to administer the Cat in such cases , but if it be administered the culprit will sustain no injury to his morals . However , wo shall soon learn the intentions of Government in dealing with this question . We believe

the Home Secretary has instituted certain inquiries as to the elt ' ect of flogging in connection with garotte robberies . No doubt he will be influenced iu any measures he may propose to take by the tenour of the report he receives in

reply to such inquiries . All we hope for is , that this particular kind of ruffianism may be successfully repressed ; we leave it to the wisdom of Parliament to select the likeliest means to secure this object . Yetnnothcrqnestion commends itself seriousl y tothenotice of Parliament—the seaworthiness of our uusrdittut sskips ,