Masonic And General Tidings.

MASONIC AND GENERAL TIDINGS .

The Emulation Lodge of Improvement will resume its meetings on Friday , the 7 th Oct ., at Freemasons' Hall , when the First Degree and Installation Ceremony will be worked . We call special attention to 1 his announcement because , for the first time in the history ( f the lodge there has been a summer vacation , and a reminder is , perhaps , not unnecessary .

Bro . Justice Straight and Mrs . Straig ht left Paris on their return to India on Saturday last . Bro . C . W . Hutton , of Newgate-street , has been elected a director of the Moldacott Royalties Trust . Bro . Lord and Lady Algernon Gordon-Lennox have returned to Gordon Castle , after visiting at Dunrobin ( astle and Langwell , Caiihness-shire .

H . R . H . the Duchess of Connaught visited tne I ' mperor William at Berlin on Friday , the 23 rd ult ., and 11 as invited to dine witn his Majesty the same afternoon . The Lord Mayor ' s Masonic dinner will be to meet the Karl of Lathom ( Deputy Grand Master ) and the Grand Officers of the year . The Board of Scotch Whisky Distillers'

Com-I any has been strengthened by the addition of Bro . Deputy Heard , who has long held a substantial interest in the undertaking . Bro . Thos . Sutherland , M . P . ( of the Peninsular and Oriental Steamship Company ) , has been elected a

ihrector of the City Bank , subject to confirmation at the text ordinary meeting . The thirty-second year of the Crystal Palace Concerts commences on the Sth of next month , a rather earlier date than usual . There are to be 21 concerts in all , tleven before and ten after Christmas .

Bro . Alderman Sir R . N . Fowler , Bart ., M . P ., has consented to lay the foundation-stone of Christ Church , Wood-green , this afternoon ( Friday ) , on which occasion tn address is to be delivered by the Bishop of Bedford . Mr . and Mrs . German Reed ' s entertainment

will re-open for the autumn season on Monday evening , October 3 rd , with "The Naturalist , " by J . Comyns Carr , and an entirely new holiday sketch by Mr . Corney Grain , entitled " So Quiet . " Bro . Charles Dickens will very shortl y leave our shores for his long-contemplated lecturing tour in the United States , where he is engaged to deliver a course of readings in various cities from his father's works . He is mre to receive a very hearty welcome from our American

cousins . The premises having been re-built , the Kennington Lodge , No . 13 S 1 , will resume its meetings at the Horns Tavern , Kennington Park , S . E ., the first Tuesday in January , February , March , October , November , and December . The Kennington Lodge of Instruction will resume its meetings at the same place every Friday

evening at 7 . 30 . By the Queen ' s desire the Exhibition of her Majesty's Jubilee Presents in St . James ' s Palace will be kept open so long as daylight allows . It was her Majesty's wish that the exhibition should be open after working hours in the evening , in order that the working classes might avail themselves ot it , but there arc no means of providing sufficient light for this purpose at St . James ' s Palace .

Ihe exhibition of the Queen ' s Jubilee presents at St . James ' s Palace has proved so attractive , that her Majesty has given orders for it to be kept open to view so long as there is daylight , and , if possible , lighting arrangements will be made , so as to enable them to be seen in the evening . Last week not short of 56 , 000 persons inspected the presents , being an increase over the previous week of nearly 17 , 500 .

A daring burglary was committed at the residence of Bro . Alderman Evans , at Ewell Grove , Surrey , earl y on Tuesday morning , the 20 th ult . The Alderman , Mrs . Evans , and their servants had retired to rest , nothing unusual being heard , but the next morning it was found that the house had been entered and some of the rooms ransacked . In the dining room a secretaire had been forced

open , and the contents extracted . The door of an artistic cabinet had also been opened , but without result . On the sideboard stood a silver epergne , worth at least £ 200 , but they did not removeit . The thieves took avaluable silver cup , however , and a brass-mounted work-box , and the latter was found smashed under a tree , and its contents scattered about . The b . lliard room window was forced , and an oak

? ox , containing money , and some cigars , taken away . It js believed that the thieves were not old and experienced hands , but as yet no arrests have been made . The Great City Lodge of Instruction , [\ o . 1426 , * 'H resume its meetings at Masons' Hall , Masons ' -avenue , Loleman-street , E . C , at 6 . 30 p . m ., on Thursday next , the oin instant . The arrangements for the ensuing quarter

nave been made with a view to provide work , and a social nu ° eac ' 1 occa s ' of meeting ; and visiting brethren Will be heartil y welcomed both at and after labour . Bro . James Stevens , P . M ., P . Z ., has consented to continue the ^ receptorship , and Bro . J . K . Pitt , P . M ., will officiate as ssistant Preceptor . The second Charitable Association n connection witn this lodge of instruction has been formed , "a members can be enrolled next 1 hursday , or at any

osequent meeting . A synopsis of the Masonic work for 'e next three months will be forwarded to any brother on If ? , , tlon t 0 the Hon - Sec , Bro . W . J . Ball , " Ctohels ™ ie , , > Uarenth-road , Stamford-hill , N . b « i L 0 WAV ' S P'l- ' -s . —Watch the Weather . —This is perhaps the foliow C ? u , 115 l : 1 tllat collld be circulated at this season . Will all varies 5 TI , Will evenone change his raiment as the temperature 'owiv ' - li-1 llext 1 > e " ' d ' ' lce 1 S t 0 hi" ' m readiness a bo * of Hol-, u ' ¦ S 1 1 'IS . and Willi Ik . in In nrnrn .. thf fircr infrncln . i nr cr .. n — — •¦ - fu » iiuuiuu ) u <

* ' 0 . I , i v" ' -- » > ....,. ... . .......... . . . . . . '"• oiild h " i ? i >' P 10 ms of disease . No cold , catarrh , or cough .. u „ , | elc l 0 ikel £ ; ei her may liy the foundation to danger , if Way ' s f rmin < : < 1 b . v suitahle me * ns , and none can surpass Hollo' ¦ 'herenrr . 1 cy ' Hay fcver ' Asth '" a . Diarrhoea , and a bust of is hot with ' > > B 'he weak and delicate , when the day "" ¦ 'dicine ~ A ° "' rnornin U s ancl evsnings , are cured hy Holloway's

Masonic And General Tidings.

Bro . Dresser Rogers , C . C ., we are glad to hear , is progressing favourably . Bro . John Lobb , M . L . S . B ., has removed to Carlton House , 75 , Victoria Park-road . The number of steamers existing in the world last year was estimated at 9069 , of an aggregate burthen

of 10 , 531 , 843 tons . Bro . Robert H . Crowden has been appointed a churchwarden of Holy Ttinity , Lennard-road , Penge , in the room of Mr . Watson Osmond , resigned . Bro . Wilson Barrett has taken the lease of the

Globe Theatre from Lord Kilmorey for seven years , and will enter into possession at Christmas . The Langton Lodge of Instruction will resume regular woik on Thursday , the 13 th inst ., at the White Hart Tavern , Abchurch-lane , E . C , at 5 . 30 p . m .

Bro . Lord Robert Cecil has left town in order to join the family party now staying wifh the Marquis | and Marchioness of Salisbury at the Chalet Cecil , near Dieppe . The public are cautioned against approaching too near to the red deer in Windsor Great Park during the present month , as the animals are dangerous at this season .

borne burglars attempted an entry at the residence of Bro . John Lobb , M . L . S . B ., in South Hackney this week , but failing so to do they removed two rugs and other articles which had been left out by the servants . Water-colour drawings representing the progress in shipbuilding during her Majesty ' s reign are now on

exhibition at the Peninsular and Oriental Steamship Company's offices , Leadenhall-stieet . Bro . Alderman Sir J . W . Ellis , Bart ., M . P ., sold the Plymouth Promenade Pier , by auction , on Thursday , the 22 nd ult ., the property being knocked down , after some spirted bidding , to Mr . W . H . Kay , of Plymouth , for

£ 12 , 000 . Bro . Lord George Hamilton , M . P ., arrived at Mulgrave Castle on the 23 rd ult ., on a visit to Lord and Lady Hillington ; and Bro . the Earl and Countess of Rosslyn have returned to Lady Anne ' s House , near Stamford .

The Prince of Wales arrived at Ballater on Monday afternoon . A guard of honour was at the station and received his Royal Highness with the customary salute , and the Prince at once drove off to Balmoia ) on a visit to her Majesty . A handsome memorial has recently been placed in Brompton Cemetery over the tomb of the late Bro . J . P .

Knight , who was at the time ot his death , and had been for many years , Manager of the London , Brighton , and South Coast Railway . Bro . Vice-Admiral Sir W . Hewett , V . C ., K . C . B ., commanding the Channel Squadron , has telegraphed to the Admiralty stating that the announcement in the press that a gun had burst on board H . M . S . Curlew and injured four men has no truth in it whatever .

Lady Ellis , wife of Bro . Alderman Sir J . Whittaker Ellis , Bart ., M . P ., P . G . W ., visited Uungeness , on Saturday last , for the purpose of christening the new lifeboat " R . A . O . B ., " which has been presented by the Ancient Order of Buffaloes , and was launched on that day .

Bro . M . de Heredia , Minister of Public Works in France , has been on a visit to this countiy during the presti . t week , hio object being to see London , Liverpoul , Glasguw , and Edinburgh , and inspect the Docks on tne Thames and the UndtrgrounJ Railway .

Pheasant shooting begins to-morrow ( Saturday ) , and , from all accounts , the prospects in West Norfolk and elsewhere are very piomising , while in Yorkshire they are said to be exceptionally good , the birds on B-. o . the Earl of Londesborough's and other estates being in fine condition , Ground game is also plentiful .

Bro . Lord Randolph Churchill , M . P ., attended and addressed a large political meeting at Whitby , on the 23 rd ult ., among the principal personages on the platform being Bros . Sir George Elliot , Bart ., M . P ., G . W . Elliot , M . P ., Christopher Sykes , M . P ., and Sir Geo . Wombwell , Bart .

The remains of the Maharanee , wife of Bro . Maharajah Dhuleep Singh , were interred in Elvedon Churchyard , near Thetford , on Friday , the 23 rd ult . Bro , Lord Henniker was present as the representative of hei Majesty , who , with the Princess of Wales and others , sent magnificent wreaths " in memoriam . "

The Prince of Wales arrived at Queensborough from Flushing on Friday , the 23 rd ult ., and left at once for London . On Saturday last his Koyal Highness visited Aldershot for the purpose of presenting new colours to the First Norfolk Regiment . Bro . Geo . R . Langley , VV . M . Lodge of Unity , No . 183 , will work the ceremony of installation in its

entirety at the Brixton Lodge of Instruction , No . 1949 ( of which he is Secretary ) , on Tuesday , the 4 th inst ., when it anticipated there will be a goodly assemblage of the brethren , and a Board of Installed Masters will be formed . The Brixton Lodge of Instruction meets at the Prince Regent , Dulwich-road , Herne-hill , S . E ., every Tuesday evening , at 8 p . m . precisely .

The hrst of the America Cup Races between the Scotch yacht , Thistle , and the Amencan sloop , Volunteer , was sailed on Tuesday , and ended in favour of the latter , which succeeded in obtaining a long lead m the earlier part of the contest , by some iS minutes . Both vessels were well handled , and the enthusiasm of the

Americans over the success of their champion was very great . The course was about 38 miles . We are pleased to announce that the Metropolitan Chapter of Improvement will commence its next session on Tuesday , the 4 th inst ., at the White Hart , corner of Abchurch-lane and Cannon-street , and will continue to

meet every Tuesday , at 6 . 30 , until the end of May next . Ihe respected Preceptor , Bro . F . Brown , requests us to call the attention ot the companions to the fact that no notices are sent to individual members , and he respectfully requests that they will circulate the notice among their friends . .

Bro . Polydore De Keyser has been elected Lord Mayor of London for the ensuing year . Bro . Earl Granville presided at a meeting , held on Saturday last , of the Governors of the Royal Holloway College . The Barrow Shipbuilding Yard will shortl y be

taken over by an influential company , with the Marquis of Hartington at its head . Chatham will miss Bro . Sir John Gorst for some time to come , as he has just gone to Switzerland for the benefit of his health , and contemplates a voyage round the world .

The Temperance Lodge of Instruction will resume its weekly meetings—after the summer recess—at the Duke of York Tavern , Evelyn-st ., Deptford , on Friday , the 7 th inst ., at 8 p . m . Bro . Baron Henry de Worms , M . P ., Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade , will open the new Conservative Club at Dover on Wednesday , the 12 th instant .

It is announced that Bro . the Marquis of Hartington , M . P ., will address a political meeting at Nottingham on the 24 th inst ., when his Iordsnip will be accompanied by several members of his party . The proprietor of the Station Hotel , Margate , has hit upon a new idea for inducing visitors to patronize his hotel during the winter . From October to Easter no charge will be made for bed-rooms , and there will be a fixed tariff for all meals , with no extras or fees .

H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught presided a short time since at a meeting held in Calcutta for the purpose of considering a proposal for perpetuating the memory of Sir Charles Gregory . I he Duke paid a handsome tribute to the services of Sir Charles , and a Committee was at once formed to carry out the desired object .

There are 36 chapters , with an aggregate membership of 4297 companions , under the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Connecticut , of which Comp . Reuben H . Tucker is present G . H . P ., and Comp . Joseph K . Wheeler , G . Secretary . The Inman steamer Atlas arrived at Queenstown from New York on Friday , the 23 rd ult ., and proceeded to Liverpool . She has on board the six weavers

belonging to Coventry who were sent back by the American Government in virtue of the Labour Contract Law . Bro . Col . and Sheriff Sir A . Kirb y is to be congratulated on his corps ( Tower Hamlet Engineers ) , as at the recent camp at Upnorthey were successful in the tug of war with no less than six out of the eight pulls . Amongst the men who pulled against them were sturdy Scotchmen hailing from Lanarkshire and Aberdeenshire .

The Grand Royai Arch Chapter of Kansas has on its roll 67 chapters , with 3155 members , while financially it is making rapid progress , its receipts during the past year having been 2557 dollars , the total of its General Fund , 6940 dollars , and its expenditure only 1337 dollars . Comp . W . D . Thompson is G . H . P ., and Comp . John H . Brown , G . Secretary ,

Ihe new Hahnemann Hospital at Liverpool , which has been erected by Mr . Henry Tate , J . P ., sugarrefiner , of Liverpool , and Norwood , Surrey , at a cost of £ 20 , 000 , was opened on the 23 rd ult . by Sir James Poole , Mayor of Liverpool . The Hospital is a handsome building , anJ will contain 50 beds . Nearly £ 5000 has been subscribed to an endowment fund .

Bro . Lord Leigh , Lord Lieutenant and P . G . M . of Warwickshire , presided at a special meeting , held at Warwick on Saturday last , when it was decided that , oving to the losses sustained by the Warwickshire Agricultural Society through a recent bank failure , an appeal should be made to the principal residents in the county in order to prevent the Society from being extinguished .

Nearly £ 150 was subscribed towards making good the deficiency of £ 600 , before the meeting separated . Specimen pictures ( five sizes ) of the Royal Masonic picture commemorative of the installation of H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught and Strathearn , Earl of Sussex , K . G ., Sic , Sic , as R . W . Provincial Grand Master of Sussex , by H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , K . G ., M . W .

Grand Master of England , at the Dome , Brighton , June 22 nd , 18 S 6 , are now on view at George Kenning's Masonic Show Rooms , Little Britain and Aldersgate-street , London . It seems that there are some dozen Grand Commanderies of Coloured Knights Templar in the United States , with an aggregate membership estimated at about

2500 . The largest is that of Ohio , which has 17 subordinate commanderies , with a membership of 3 S 7 , the jurisdiction extending over the states of Ohio , Kentucky , Tennessee , and Indiana . The other Grand Commanderies are in California , District of Columbia , Illinois , Kentucky , Michigan , Missouri , Maryland , New York , Pennsylvania , Rhode island and Massachusetts , and Virginia .

The Princess of Wales has become the Patroness of the Ladies Department of King ' s College . 1 his department was set on loot about eight years ago at the instance of the Bishop of Sydney , the then principal of the college . An Act of Parliament was passed in 1882 to authorise this extension of the work of the college to women , and the department has since been fully

incorporated with the college and estahshed in freehold premises at 13 , Kensington-square . Lectures and classes are now attended by about 400 ladies . Among the other innovations which have recommended themselves to M . Bees , the designer of the new blemish Theatre at Brussels , is the ra her startling one of the abolition ot the footlights . He maintains that the

present system ol lighting the stage is altogether a mistake from the acoustical puint ot view ; the thick stratum of heated air through which the voice of the actor has to pass before it teaches the audience neccessarily tending to diminish its sonority . He has substituted tor the familiar row of lights in front of the stage a triple range of gas-jets immediately

behind the orchestra . lhey too will , of course , create a retraction of the atmosphere in their immediate vicinity ; but its effects will be much less sensible than those of a single row of lights in the more limited cadre of the stage . The new system of stage-lighting was tested last week in the presence of a number ot competent judges , and they pronounce it a decided improvement on that now in use .