The Theatres, &C.

THE THEATRES , & c .

ThO Strand . —Mr . W . S . Gilbert has given ns a tragic version of tbo animutod statue in "Pygmalion aud Galatea , " and Messrs . Harry aud Edward Paultou now show how tho sume subject may make a diverting story . In " Niobe—All Smiles" we havo a Grecian stntuo brought to lifo by means of a coil of electric wire carelessly left by some workmen installing the light at the house of

Mr . Peter Amos Dunn ; and that worthy gentleman is greatly astonished to find a beautiful but lightly clad woman advancing towards him with friendly , not to say amatory , gestures . Not caring to exp lain the miracle to his better half , he causes Niobe to array herself in modern costume from the wardrobe of Miss Madeline Miftou , a governess who ia expected to arrive , and in that capacity

she is presented to Dunn ' s family . This is all very well , until it is found that the " governess " is quite uneducated , and when the real Miss Mifton arrives the situation becomes lively . It can easily be imagined what fun is caused by Mr . Harry Paulton in the character of Peter Dunn , who is released from his quandary by his friend Jefferson Tomkins , an ardent collector of works of art , who takes the revivified statue for his wife . Miss Beatrice Lamb acts

splendidly as Niobe , and looks thojeharacter to the life . Her quaint manner of speaking of modern things by their anciont names is greeted with roars of laughter , and , her acting greatly couducSs to the success of tho piece . Mr . G . P . Hawtry is a droll copy of Chrysos in Mr . Gilbert ' s play , and adds to the general amusement . Miss C . Zerbini , Miss Goldsmith , Miss Esmond , Miss Elissen , together with Messrs . 'Herbert Ross , Forbes Dawson aud Mackenzie suitably sustain the minor characters .

Terry's . —Playgoers will not have forgotten the production of Mr . A . W . Pinero ' s most amusing farce of " The Magistrate , " at the Court Theatre , by Mrs . John Wood , some seven years since , and it is therefore not surprising that Mr . Edward Terry , being in want of a stop-gap until he presents his next novely , should have reproduced it . Our genial comedian ' s rendering of Mr . Posket is widely different to that of Mr . Arthur Cecil , but is nevertheless a very laughable

impersonation . Miss Fanny Brough Buffers by comparison to the former representative of Agatha , bnt gives a clever idea of the character . Miss Ethel Matthews is pretty as Charlotte ; Mr . Mackintosh is capitally placed as Col . Lukyn , and Mr . K . Maxwell is excellent as Horace Vale . Mr . Fred Cape and Mr . H . V . Esmond resume their original parts of Mr . Bellamy and Cis Farringdon ; and Miss Maitland , Mr . Gilbsrt Trent , Mr . H . De Lange , and Mr . Sims efficiently represent other small parts .

" The White Rose , " a new romantic drama , by Messrs . George R . Sims and Robert Buchanan , will be produced at the Adelphi this evening at eight o ' clock . The caste is as follows : —Messrs . Leonard Boyue , Charles Cartwright , J . D . Beveridgp , Lionel Rignold , Charles Daltou , Charles Collette , Fuller Mellish , W . Northcote , George Cookburu , Mathew Brodie , Howard Russell , Arthur Leigh , F . T . Lingham , Miss Clara Jecks , Miss Evelyn Millard , aud Mrs . Patrick Campbell .

This day ( Saturday ) and Monday thoro will be givou at the Princess ' s a new drama by Prentice Ingram entitled "Alone in the World . " Miss Louise Littn is giving the matinees , and she will be supported by Mrs . Frank Huntley , Miss Naomi Hope , Miss Ida Sala ; Messrs . Theo . Balfour , Fred . Wright jun ., Muithuid Marler , F . Weathersby , Hamilton , Revolle , & c .

The Court will re-opon on Wednesday next , 27 th inst ., with "Tho New Sub , " a play in one act , by Seymour Hicks ; " Roseucrautz and Guildensteru , " a tragic episode in three tableaux , by W . S . Gilbert ; aud " A Pantomime Rehearsal , " by Cecil Clay . Messrs . Braudou Thomas , W . Draycolt , W . Elliott , C . P . Little , W . Brauscouibe , and Weedon Grossmith ; Misses Decima Moore , Ellaliuo Terriss , and Gertrude Kingston will appear in these pieces .

In some countries the use of an adverse ballot is made the subject of inquiry ; or rather such au inquiry is suggested , aud if the proposition is not accepted the adverse vote is set aside . Under the laws of tho Dutch Constitution , as we havo seen the statement made , if a candidate is blackballed aftor having been duly recommended by tho committee of investigation , his case is kept

open for fourteen days , when another ballot is taken ; if the same result follows , there is again an adjournment , followed by a third ballot , and if this is still unfavourable , tbe Master iu open Lodge requests the brother who has an objection to the candidate to step into the room devoted to silence , and there state to him the nature of his objections . Should no brother respond to this

invitation , the Master requests that the brother will meet him at his private residence between this and the next meeting and give his reasons . At the next meeting tho Master announces that a brother or brothers ( no names are mentioned ) have stated the reason for tho adverse vote , but ho does not consider the reason a Masonic one , and declares the person elected , or tho other way . But should 110 brother call on tho Wor . Master within the 14 days allowed , then ho declares

the person elected , as it is considered the bounden duty ol all brethren who know the applicant to give the inquiry toniraitteo all information possible . A rule like this seems to come very near an infringement upon the sacredness of the ballot ; but there can he no question that it tends to lessen the exercise of prejudice aad strong personal feelings which sometimes direct the oaatmgof a black ballot . — Freemason * ' depository .

Masonic Instruction.

MASONIC INSTRUCTION .

IN Pennsylvania , the only authority on Masonio work is tha Right AVorshipful Grand Master . While he is the only authority , yet it is his prerogative , and he does frequently com . mission others , who in his judgment are competent to teach the work as authorised by him . This has become a necessity , for with over four hundred Lodges in tha jurisdiction nnder his general

supervision , sixty-four of whioh are in the city of Philadelphia , and under his immediate and special supervision , it is impossible for him to devote time sufficient to personally instruct the Officers and members who are desirous of accuracy in the authorised Work j hence the endorsement of the Temple Sohool of Instrnction , where

the Work as authorised by the Grand Master is correctly tanght . in the conntry it is somewhat different , for tha three hundred and thirty . seven Lodges there are located in thirty . six Districts , each presided over by a D . D . G . M ., who is the immediate representative of the Grand Master , and whose doty it is to visit the Lodges in their

respective Districts , inspect the Work , coireot errors and impart instruction in the Work as authorised by the Grand Master , if circumstances require it . In consequence of some of tho Districts covering so much territory , and tbe D . D . G . M . ' s being unable to devote time enough from their business , & c , to give the proper

instruction in the Work , the Grand Master directs and commissions Bro . Wm . A . Sinn , Inspector of the Work , and Bros . Richard M . Johnson , Principal , and Wm . B . Joslyn , Instructor in the Temple School , to go into the different Districts to instruct Officers and members who are desirous of becoming proficient in the correct

Work . By this judicious system the Work is rapidly approaching uniformity throughout the entire jurisdiction . Years ago this was not so , for Lodges receiving their instruction from the same school ( unauthorised and now extinct ) , the same Grand Master , or some self-constituted instructor , and all claiming to render the Work

correctly as they received it , yet no t * vo performing it alike , led the Grand Officers a number of years ago to determine npon a uniformity of the Work . Their first effort was to determine what was the original and trne work , and weed out all innovations and attempted embellishments by individual Brethren . Their next effort was to

have the Work , thus purged from all excrescences , tanght and performed in each and every Lodge in the jurisdiction of Pennsylvania . This was a stupendous and laudable undertaking , bat thoy have engaged in it hand in hand , and with snch unanimity that in a

comparatively short time almost universal success has crowned their efforts . Masonio instrnction , as some suppose , is not a new thing , nor of recent date , but has been given by the R . W . Grand Master in person , as will be seen from the following from Grand Lodge Proceedings :

" Quarterly Grand Communication , Gth March 1837 . "Bro . John M . Read R . W . Grand Master in the ohair . The R . W . G . M . was pleased to annonnce that on Monday , the 20 th of the present month , he wonld open a Lodge of Instrnction , and the Grand Secretary was desired to notify the members of the Grand Lodge accordingly .

" Lodge of Instruction , Philadelphia , Monday , 20 lh March 1837 . " Pursuant to notice given by order of the R . W . G . M ., the members of the Grand Lodge met , when tho R . W . G . M . opened a Lodge of Instruction and delivered a Lecture upon the Opening and Closing , and also on tho Entered Apprentice degree . The Lodge of Instruction adjourned to meet thia night two weeks .

Lodge of Instruction , Philadelphia , 3 rd April 1837 . " Pursuant to adjournment from the 20 th of March , the members of the Grand Lodge met , when the R . W . G . M . delivered a Lectnre

on the Fellow Craft degree . The Lodge of Instruction adjourned to meet this night two weeks . " Lodges of Instruction at which the R . W . G . M . presided , were held 17 th April ; 1 st , 15 th and 29 th May 1837 .

" Quarterly Communication , Philadelphia , Monday , 5 th March 1 S 38 "TheR . W . G . M . gave an interesting and instructive Lecture on the Opening and Closing a Lodge . " Lodge of Instruction . —TheR . W . G . M . held a Lodge of Instruction and delivered a Lecture on the Opening and Closing , and also on the

E . A . degree , Monday , 19 th March 1838 ; on the F . C . degree , 16 th April 1838 ; on the M . M . degree , 7 th May 1838 , when Bro . William B . Schuider , a F . C . and member of Lodge No . 71 was raised to tha sublime degree of a M . M ., and on the 23 rd of May 1838 the R . W . G . M .

announced that as this was the last ni ght of the Lodge of Instruction it was his intention , by virtue of the power and authority in him vested , to enter , pass and raise to the sublime degree of a M . M . Signor Fiorelli , which was accordingly so done . —Keystone .

SHOULD KNOW Tins . —Many Lodges seem not to know what to do when Officers remove from their jurisdictions , or aro temporarily absent , or cannot bo present because of continued illness , or will nob act because of indifference to duty , and hence ask Grand Masters how to proceed , or request of them dispensations to elect successors . They should know that in the absence of the Master of a Lodge , it is

the right of the Senior Warden to preside , or that in the absence of too Master and Senior Warden , it is the right of tho Junior Warden to preside , aud to fill the other stations by pro tempore appointments . They should also know that in the absence of any other Officer his place must be filled pro tempore by a brother appointed by tho Master , or Acting Master . They should further know that in the

absence of the Worshipful Masters and Wardens their Lodges cannot be opened unless the Grand Master or his Deputy is present to preside . Past Masters have no right to preside unless so requested by tho Master , or Acting Master , after the Lodsre has been con . gregated , or unless deputised by the Grand Master . —Voice of Masonry ,