Masonic And General Tidings.

Masonic and General Tidings .

LADY BRASSEY has issued invitations for a concert at her residence in Park-lane on Wednesday evening , the Cth inst . THE DUKE and Duchess of Fife and their children arrived at East Sheen Lodge , near Richmond Park , on Saturday last . HER MAJESTY THE OUEEN , Patron of University College Hospital , has forwarded a donation of „ ioo in aid of its funds . TUESDAY WAS THE Goth anniversary of her Majesty ' s coronation . That auspicious event took place in Westminster Abbey on June 2 Sth , 1 S 3 S .

BRO . LORD AND LADY CONNEMARA entertained a distinguished party of friends to dinner on Moftday evening , to meet H . R . H , the Prince of Wales , at their residence in Grosvenor-street .

THE COUNTESS OF J ERSEY held her second garden party on Saturday last at Osterley Park , but owing to the uncertain weather the gathering was not so large as that of the previous week . THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF CONNAUGHT and Princesses Margaret and Victoria Patricia , attended by Bro . Colonel and the Hon . Mrs . Egerton , arrived at Windsor Castle on Saturday evening , on a visit to the Queen .

PRINCESS CHRISTIAN on Saturday last visited Clifden House Institute , Bow , to distribute prizes to a number of working girls belonging to the institute , chiefly mitch factory workers , of whom 1200 or 1300 are employed in the immediate vicinity . H . R . H . THE PRINCE OF WALES and a large party from Warwick Castle , including Bro . the Earl and Countess of Warwick , the Duchess of Marlborough , Lady Randolph Churchill , and Sir Edward Bradford , attended service at St . Mary ' s Church , Warwick , on Sunday morning last .

H . R . H . THE PRINCE OF WALES , who returned to town from Warwick Castle on Monday , attended by Bro . Major-General Sir Stanley Clarke , left again the following day for Newmarket . His Royal Highness will return in time for the second and final State Concert of the season , at Buckingham Palace , this ( Friday ) evening . AT THE MEETING of the Covent Garden Chapter , No , 1614 , held at the Criterion , Piccadilly , W ., on the 23 rd ult ., the following companions were unanimously elected to their respective offices : Comps . C . O . Burgess , M . E . Z . ; J . Graham , H . ; W . Hancock , J . ; F . Kedge , Treas . ; and G . Reynolds , S . E . VVe heartily wish the chapter continued success

BRO . LORD AND LADY PIRIIRIGHT S Saturday to Monday party at Pirbright included : Bro . Viscount Wolseley , Lord and Lady Terence Blackwood , Bro . the Hon . Schomberg McDonnell , Colonel and Mrs . Djuglas , Colonel and Mrs . Dick Cunyngham , General Kelly-Kenny , Mr . and Mrs . Winans , Mr . and Mrs . Henriques , Captain Victor Paget , Mr . Balmaine , and Mr . Campbell .

THE DUCHESS OF ALBANY , attended by Bro . Sir Robert Collins and Miss Heron Maxwell , paid a visit on Saturday last to Bramley , in Surrey , to distribute the prizes to the pupils of St . Catherine ' s Girls' School . Her Royal Highness was received by the members of the council ol the school , including Viscount Midleton ( Lord-Lieutenant of the county ) , Lord Ashcombe , the Ven . Archdeacon Sapte , the Rev . Canon Musgrave , Dr . Merriman , and the head mistress ( Mrs . Russell-Baker ) .

THE LORD MAYOR , Sheriffs , and Under-Sheriffs went in State to the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , Battersea Rise , on Monday , to witness the pupils' wellknown calisthenic display , and to hear an admirable performance of music and singing . The Lady Mayoress and her daughters were present , together with a number of distinguished visitors , all of whom were greatly gratified by what they saw , as the Lord Mayor kindly took occasion to say before his departure .

THE DUCHESS OF YORK , who was attended bv Lady Mary Lygon and Sir Francis de Winton , paid a private visit to the Paddington Green Children ' s Hospital on Monday afternoon , her Royal Highness being conducted over the institution by Colonel the Hon . F . C . Bridgeman and Mr . George Hanbury , the Treasurer . In passing through the wards the Duchess spoke to each little patient , and distributed some flowers , which she had very thoughtfully brought with her . Before leaving her Royal Highness named one of the wards the " Mary Adelaide . "

THE QUEEN on Saturday afternoon last conferred the decoration of the Victoria Cross upon the following officer and private for acts of bravery ; Lieut . Thomas Colclough Walson , Royal Engineers , and Private E . Lawson , Gordon Highlanders . The Oueen afterwards conferred the Order for distinguished service upon several officers for operations on the North-West Frontier of India , 1897 . Her Grand Ducal Highness the Princess of Lciningen , and their Highnesses Princess Victoria of Schleswig-Hjlstein , and Prince Maurice of Battenberg were present with her Majesty .

H . R . H . THE PRINCESS OF , WALES , Princess Victoria cf Wales , and Princess Christian headed the numerous and fashionable audience that assembled in the spacious hall of Staff jrd House on Monday , when tbe Duchess of Sutherland gave an afternoon concert in aid of a church in a pour district of the Staffordshire Potteries . Her Grace laid the foundation-stone of S . S . Mary and Chadd , situated on Sandford Hill , Longton , on Easter Tuesday , and the large sum realised by Monday ' s concert will be devoted to the building fund now being raise ! in order to finish and furnish the first portion of the sacred edifice , which is destined to become the centre of a new parish .

THE DUCHESS OF ALBANY has consented to open the Queen's Wood , Highgate , formerly known as Churchyard Bottom , which is Hornsey ' s memorial in .. celebration of the Record Reign , and Mr . Alderman Cory-Wright , as chairman of the Reception Committee , has arranged to receive her Royal Highness at luncheon in his house at Highgate at 1 . 30 on Saturday , the 23 rd instant . The Duchess will then proceed , " fui Hornsey-lane , Crouch-end-broadway , and Shepherd's-hill , to the wood , where the ceremony will be performed . The London County Council will be represented by its chairman , Mr . Mackinnon vVood , whilst Bro . the Earl and Countess of Jersey and the Bishop of London will also be present .

THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY COMPANY announce a number of additional excursions from Paddington for [ uly . On Wednesday's excursions will be run to Weston-Super-Mare , Taunton , Minehead , Gloucester , Cheltenham , Hereford , North and South VVales , Shrewsbury , Chester , Liverpool , Sic . ; on Thursdays to Newbury , Marlborough , Devizes , Trowbridge , Sic ; on Thursdays and Saturdays to the West of

England ; on Fridays to Yeovil , Weymouth , the West of England and the Scilly Isles ; on Fridays and Saturdays to the Isle of Man , and on Saturdays to Guernsey and jersey by special day and night services , via Weymouth , the shortest sea route ; periodical excursions will run to Ireland via Waterford , Cork , and Belfast . On Monday , the 4 th inst ., a cheap day excursion to Newbury , Winchester , and Southampton will leave Paddington at 7 . 0 a . m ., and tickets will be issued to include a steamboat trip round the Ule of Wight .

Masonic And General Tidings.

BRO . ALDERMAN SIR J . WHITTAKER ELLIS , Bart ., has subscribed 100 guineas to the Prince of Wales ' s Hospital Fund . THE DUCHESS OF YORK and "suite were present at the performance of " The Ambassador" at the St . James ' s Theatre on Thursday evening . H . R . H . THE PRINCESS OF WALES and suite witnessed the performance of "Sieg . fried" at the Royal Opera House , Covent Garden , on Thursday .

THE MASONIC TOWER , ROCHESTER CATHEDRAL . —The contributions paid and promised last Saturday at the Masonic service in Rochester Cathedral to start the fund for rebuilding the tower of the cathedral in accordance with the rest of the structure amounted to £ 730 . The amount required is £ 5000 . PRINCESS HENRY OF BATTENBERG has promised to unveil the new window which has been put in the Lodge Chapel at Winchester Cathedral , in commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee . The south window of the chapel is in memory ol Bishop Thorold , and the north is to be the Jane Austen commemoration window .

HER MAJESTY has made hands ome presents to the principals engaged in the performance of ' * Romeo and Juliet" at Windsor Castle on Monday , in acknowledgment of their services . Mr . Neil Forsyth , the organiser , was given a handsome scarfpin , with the monogram V . R . I ., set in pearls and turquoises , surmounted with a crown . THE INSTALLATION dinner of the Tin Plate Workers' Company wis held on Wed

n sday , the 23 rd ult ., at Ironmongers' Hall , Fenchurch-street , there being a large and distinguished attendance of the court and livery on the occasion . The newly-appointed Master ( Bro . Baron de Bush ) presided , having on his immediate right the Marquis of Lome ( a hon . liveryman of the company ) , and on his left Mr . G . H . Humphreys ( the Immediate Past Master ) .

BRO . BARON DE BUSH has presented the Company with a handsome loving cup , a replica of the old cup given in 1670 , but with the important difference that the new cup is a trueone in style , whereas the old cup had a bastard pedestal added to the original bowl quite 100 years later . THE MORRISON Collection of gems at Christie ' s astonished even hab ' tues . A

signet ring of Asanda , King of the Bosphorus , a marvellous intaglio by Apollonius , easily secured £ 4 60 ; a massive gold ring , set with an intagliated head of Pallas , _ 110 ; and the Sessa rine , a fine gold signet circlet of Italian work of the 14 th century , £ 145 . an antique Roman vase , of agate onyx , fetched , ( , 155 ; a fine bottle of purple glass , £ 100 ; and other examples of Oriental art also fetched large prices .

FOR NEARLY 30 years the funds of the Metropolitan and City Police Orphanage have substantially benefited by the proceeds of a grai . d fete annually held at the Crystal Palace . The fund has so strong a claim on ( he public , who perhaps do not always realise their indebtedness to a fine body of public servants , that the fete which is to be held on Thursday next should easily attract a gathering of thousands . But , apart from that consideration , a gigantic programme of amusements has been prepared , calculated to satisfy the most exacting of sightseers , and the concluding display of fireworks is expected to rival some of the more startling pyrotechnic effects for which the Palace is famous .

ALWAYS A PLEASANT occasion to old pupils of the City of Londoi School and many more is the annual conversazione of that useful educational establishment , and it ; popularity was proved on Thursday night , when nearlv 2000 guests accepted the cordial invitation . The Chairman ( Mr . A . Ritchie , J . P . Vthe Headmaster ( Mr . A . T . Pollard ) , and the Secretary ( Mr . A . J . Austin ) welcomed this enormous assemblage , for whose oleasure a very varied programme was provided . The professional students of the Guildhall School of Music gave a concert , with the assistance of Miss Ethel Hyem to recite an ! Mr . George Robins in humorous sketches .

IT IS NOW officially published in the District Orders at Aldershot that " her Majesty the Queen has signified her intention of visiting Aldershot on July Gth . Her Majesty will present colours to the 3 rd Battalion Coldstream Guards at five p . m . 011 that day , on the Queen ' s Parade , and on July 7 th will review the troops on Laffan ' s Plain at 11 . 45 a . m . " On the occasion of the presentation of colours by her . Majesty to the 3 rd Battalion Coldstream Guards there will be two reserved enclosures for spectators on foot —one for oflicers of the Brigade of Guards and their friends , and the other for officers of the Aldershot District and their friends . Space will also be available for the general public .

THE EARL OF DUNRAVEN opened a new branch in connection with the Streatham Libraries , which has been erected in Ramsden-road , Balham , mainly through the munificence of Sir Henry Tate , who , with Lady Tate , attended the ceremony . Lord Dunraven commented on the large circulation of works nf fiction over books of a more serious character , and said the novel must not be underestimated on that account .

The greatest test of the novel was the rapidity of lis circulation , but the same rule did not apply to philosophic works . Many books which came under the character of romances contained an enormous amount of solid information , and he was not quite sure that if volumes were arranged automatically , some of the historical works would not come under the same category as fiction .

GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY COMPANY ' S GOODS DEPOT , DBANSG \ TE , MAN - CHESTER . —The Great Northern Company announce the opening to-day ( Friday ) of the first portion of their new Dean ^ gate Goods Depot in the City of Manchester . The Depot occupies a most central and commanding site in the heart of the City facing Deansgate , and adjoining the Central passenger station of the Cheshire Lines Committee , of which the Great Northern are also Joint Owners . Pending the completion cf the extensive Warehouses now in course of erection , convenient warehouse

accommodation will be provided in close proximity to the new Depot . The Company will trom the ist prox . run their own thjoueh goods trains to and from the new Depot and will also collect and deliver goods in Manchester by their own teams . All information as to rates and facilities by the Great Northern route may be obtained from Mr . Pollington , Goods Agent , or Mr . Brightman , District Goods Manager , Deansgate Station , Manchester , or on application to Mr . R . H . Twelvetrees , Chief Goods Manager , King's Cross Station , London , N .

THE DUKE OF CONNAUGHT presided on Thursday afternoon at a largely-attended meeting of military officers at the Royal United Service Institution , when Major-Gen . R . A . j . Talbot , commanding cavalry brigade at Aldershot , read an important pape r dealing with cavalry marn-uvres of a special character in France . His Royal Highness said that from a military point of view the feature of cavalry regiments was a question of the greatest importance . It was a matter for congratulation that even infantry oflicers were deeply interested in cavalry movements , and it was absolutely

necessary they should know each other a little and recognise the importance of each other ' s mutual support . When infantry were on the march it was quite easy for them to be caught at a great disadvantage bv a body of dashing cavalry , and it was essential , therefore , that they should have some fiinkin ; support composed of all three branches of arms . Personally , he should rejoice to see an additional squadron of cavalry , for as matters stood at present ours , as compared with that of foreign armies , was at a great disadvantage . Our cavalry brigade was smart , well equipped and commanded , but the universal remark was what a pity they were so weak .

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