Masonic And General Tidings.

Masonic and General Tidings .

PRINCE LOBANOFF , the Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs , expired suddenly on his way from Vienna to Kiel ! , on Sunday last , in the 73 rd year of his age . THE 50 TH performance of " The Little Genius" took place at the Shaftesbury Theatre on Thursday evening last , when Miss Florence St . John assumed the title role . THE BRITISH NAVAL SQUADRON which is about to visit the Bay of Phabrum will consist of 22 ships of various sizes , and King George of Greece will hold a State reception in honour of the Admiral in command .

ACCORDING to a statement by a Bolton correspondent of the Daily Telegraph , the Very Rev . Dean Grisdale , who has just been ordained Bishop of Winnipeg , Dominion of Canada , is the son of a Bolton working man , and was formerly an errand boy in that town . As THE passenger steamer Koh-i-noor was leaving her mooiings to go alongside the Old Swan Pier , London Bridge , on Saturday last , some barges that were being towed down river came across her stern and twisted her rudder post , so that her passengers had to be landed .

THE WESTBOURNE PARK INSTITUTE will hold its sixth industrial exhibition on Monday , thc 21 st instant , and four following days , the object of this annual gathering being to encourage artistic and mechanical talents , either in the nature of business or in the pursuit of a more recreative hobby . QUEEN WILHELMINA of the Netherlands completed her 16 th year on Monday , the 31 st ult ., when she took her first communion . The event was celebrated quietly in the Royal Family , but the usual salutes were fired in honour of the occasion . Her Majesty will become legally of age on the 31 st August , 1 S 9 S .

ABOUT 100 heavy draught horses from Canada were disposed of by public auction at the Lamb's Conduit-street Repository on Monday . The bidding was'keen , and some good prices were realised , an average of £ 36 per horse being given for the lot of jiS horses and £ 22 for that of another lot of the same number . THE Q UEEN , accompanied by the Princess Henry of Bittenberg and her children , the children of the Duke and Duchess of York , and Princess Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein , and attended by the ladies and gentlemen of her Court , left Osborne House on Monday evening for Balmoral , arriving at her destination the aftern » n of the following day .

LORD RUSSELL OF KILLOWEN , Lord Chief Justice of England , with Bro . Sir Frank Lockwood and party , was entertained at dinner by the Rodean Club in Ottawa on Monday evening . On Tuesday they visited Montreal , from which city they will make their way , vie ! Quebec , Saguenay , and Boston , to New York , returning thence to England .

BRO . THE DUKE OF PORTLAND has , we regret to hear , been bitten by one of his sporting dogs at Langwell Castle , Caithness , where he was residing at the time . His Grace was going to relieve the animal , which had got entangled in a deer fence , when it snapped at him before he could effect its release , but no serious consequences are anticipated .

COUNTESS CADOGAN , accompanied by the Earl and Countess of Lucan and Mr . Algernon Peel , arrived at Foxford , County Mayo , on Saturday last , and opened the Industrial Exhibition . Her Excellency was received on her arrival at the station by Bro . the Earl and Countess of Arran , whose guest she remained at Castle Gore , Ballina , until Monday .

AMONG THE GUESTS at her Majesty ' s dinner party at Osborne on the 2 Sth ultimo were the Ptince and Princess Charles of Denmark and Princess Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein , Lord Colville of Culross , Admiral Sir W . Salmon , K . C . B ., V . C , and Captain Roland . On Saturday morning last Prince and Princess Charles left Osborne , crossing over to Portsmouth on the Royal Yacht Alberta .

THE CZAR AND CZARINA left Vienna at the conclusion of their visit to the Emperor and Empress of Austria on Saturday last . Their departure was comparatively free from ceremony , but the farewells between the two Imperial families were of the most cordial character . The Czar and his illustrious consort reached Kieff on Monday , and left for Breslau on the 3 rd inst .

THE COMMITTEE of the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Scciety have forwarded to Loid Salisbury a statement of their views respecting slavery in the East Africa Protectorate , and more especially in the Islands of Zarzibar and Pemba , and the methods by which Ihey think it might be put an end to with the least amount of distuibance to the Arab and slave populations .

THE DUKE OF YORK , accompanied by the Hon . H . Stonor , proceeded to Invermatk ShootingLodge on Monday , and was loudly cheered at various stations en route . His Royal Highness , who is the guest of Lord Hindlip , was later joined by the Earl of Rosebery and the Hon . Derek Keppel , Equerry-in-Waiting to the Duke , while Colonel Oliphant and Mr . Macdonnell are also members of the party .

ON WEDNESDAY , the 2 Cth ult ., a large company , assembled at the parish church , Kingston-on-Thames , to witness the marriage of Bro . Geo . H . Drewett , third son of Bro . William Drewett , P . M ., SEC , & C , 889 , with Miss Katie Nuthall , younger daughter of Mr . Edward Nuthall , of the same town . The bridegroom received many handsome presents from friends , and over 40 employes employed by W . Drewett and Sons , joined together to make one gift , with which was sent a nicely-written congratulatory address , under it being appended the names of the donors . This token of goodwill was very highly appreciated .

THE CONTEST for the Sixth Annual Volunteer Infantry Long-Distance Challenge Cup took place on Saturday , the start and finish of each route being the White Hart Hotel , Blaekwater , near Aldershot , and the distance covered being about 100 miles . No actual racing took place , and pace-makers were not allowed . The Duke of Connaught , commanding the Aldershot Division , offered every facility for the competition , the

w . nners being the 1 st V . B . Royal Fusiliers team , which won last year , the time they occupied in covetirg the distance being 6 hours 32 mins . 2 sees ., while the first team of the Galloway Rides did it in 6 hours 34 mins . 27 stcs . Medals to each member of the winning and second teams were given , while the commanding officer of the former holds the cup for the year .

OF THE MATCHES played during the latter half of last week and brought to a conclusion on Saturday last , that between the Australians and Lancashire terminated n a big victory ftr the former by 217 tuns . The Colonials scored 124 and 1 S 3 and Lancashire 62 and 28 , McLaren being the only member of the defeated team who got into double figures , scoring 20 in his first innings . At Nottingham Notts beat Sussex by 1 S 8 runs , the scores of the Midland County being 2 , 3 and 2 S 0 , and of the Southern

County 184 and 161 . The principal scorer in the No . ts was Flowers , who made 24 and 107 , while C . B . Fry made S 9 and C 7 and Ranjitsinhji 43 and 41 for Sussex . At Portsmouth Hampshire beat Leicestershire by six wickets , the scores being Leicestershire 144 and 22 G and Hampshire 240 and 131 for four wickets , Burton contributing 57 and 75 ( not out ) to the latter . Yorkshire beat a South of England Eleven at Scarborough ; scores , South of England 161 and 7 6 5 Yorkshire 135 and 103 for five wickets .

THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE inspected the 2 nd Durham ( Seaham Harbour ) Volunteer Artillery Brigade , at Seaham Hall , the residence of the Marquis and Marchioness of Londonderry , en Saturday last . The corps to the number of Soo , was under the command of the Marquis , and the inspection was witnessed by a large gathering of spectators from the countryside fcr miles around , and at the conclusion , his Royal Highness , after paying a tribute of respect to the Marquis of Londonderrydistributed the prizes

, won at Shoeburyness and elsewhere during the past year . On Sunday the Duke attended a cyclists' church parade in the Seaham Hall grounds , at which quite 1000 riders from clubs in Newcastle , Sundrrland , Duiham , Stockton , Hartlepool , Gateshead , & c , were present . A collection was taken en behalf of the Seaham Harbour Infirmary and the Sunderland Eye Hospital . When the service was over , the cyclists were entertained with meat pies and bottled ale .

V . BENOIST , 3 G , Piccadilly , W . —Barqucts , Dinners , Suppeis , and Receptions served in the most unique st > le . Menus and estimates on application . Also French Comestibles of every description . Sole Caterer to the celebrated Grafton Galleries . The best locale in the West End for holding Private Patties , Balls , & c . Telephone , No . 3 , 919 . Telegrams , Gourmet , London . —I ADVT . 11

Masonic And General Tidings.

H . R . H . THE PRINCE OF WALES will arrive at Dover from Calais by special boat to-morrow ( Saturday ) , about mid-day , and proceed to London . PRINCESS CHARI . ES OF DENMARK has appointed Colonel Henry Knollys , R , /\ to be Comptroller and Private Secretary to her Royal Highness . " THE COUNTESS OF WARWICK has quite recovered from her long illnsss , and has gone to join Bro . Lord Warwick at Dunrobin Castle , on a visit to the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland .

LI HUNG CHANG met with a slight accident through the sudden closing of a carriage upon his hand , and was consequently unable to attend the Chinese banquet in New York , on Tuesday . On Thursday he was entertained at the Union League Club ' at Brooklyn . ' BIG BEN has been under repairs for some time past owing to the hammer connec . tions in the belfry having suffered from exposure to the weather . It has told the time ' however , though unable to strike thc hours and quarters , but it will shortly resume its duties in this respect .

THE DUCHESS OF YORK , who has been spending the past few weeks on the Continent , has arranged to return to town on Monday next . Her Royal Highness will cross from Calais to Dover , and travel thence to Victoria by the London , Chatham , and Dover Company's boat train , to which a special saloon will be attached . A MOVEMENT is on foot amongst the Dutch lodges in the Transvaal to secure their affiliation with the English Constitution . This has arisen through no want of loyalty to the parent Constitution , but is solely due to the inconvenience caused by the adherence to the rule that three Degrees cannot be taken within less than 12 months .

IT HAS BEEN arranged that a number of the orphans connected with the . Stockwell Orphanage , which was founded by the late Rev . C . H . Spurgeon , shall leave Engand for America towards the end of this month for the purpose of bringing the institution before the American Churches , and or obtaining pecuniary help with which to purchase a sea . side home for the orphanage .

LIBRARIANS are to muster in force in London next year . It was resolved at the international conference of the Library Association , held at Buxton , that the meeting in July , 1 S 97 , should be held in the Metropolis , when it is expected that close upon 300 members of kindred societies in America will attend , and the council pledged themselves to make the gathering a success .

THE FIRST CLASS BATTLESHIP C .-csar , 14 , 900 tons , was floated out of No . 12 dock Portsmouth , on VVednesday , the ceremony of christening the vessel being performed b y Lady Salmon , wife of Admiral Sir N . Salmon , V . C , K . C . B ., Commander-in-Chief . The dimensions of the huge warship are length 390 feet between the perpendiculars , extreme breadth 75 feet , and mean draught of water 27 feet six inches .

A MOVEMENT IS ON FOOT , under the auspices of the City of London Swimming and Life Saving Association for a proposed swim ming bath to be moored in the Thames , close to Blackfriars Bridge . Some 30 of the i mportant City houses have promised subscriptions to the amount of £ 5000 , and should the Thames Conservancy grant the site the Corporation will be asked to take the matter up and provide more money .

THE MARRIAGE of Bro . the Hon . George Hylton Jolliffe , M . P ., only son of Lord Hylton and the Lady Alice Hervey , second daughter of the Marquis and Marchioness of Bristol , was solemnised at St . George ' s Church , Piccadilly , on Saturday last . The Bishop of Bath and Wells officiated , and after the ceremony the Marquis and Marchioness of Bristol entertained the wedding party at their residence in St . James'srquare .

A SHORT TIME SINCE , when Bro . Lord Wolseley was presiding at the annual meeting of the Soldiers' Daughters' Home , at Hampstead , he was publicly appealed to to endeavour to get a grant for the home from the profits of the Military Tournament . The Secretary has just been informed that it has been decided to grant L 200 to this Institu . ijn . Hitherto only the Royal Cambridge Fund has benefited from the tournament , but this year the profits are to be divided amongst 13 military charities .

MARLEY HOUSE , TOTNES , DEVON , the residence of the Misses Carew , a picturesque mansion which contains many valuable works of art , narrowly escaped destruction by fire . A painter , using a blow-pipe , accidentally ignited the woodwork , and the flames extended rapidly to the bed-rooms above and appeared likely to assume setious proportions . Engines from South Brent , Totnes , and Buckfastleigh were promptly on the spot , but their services were not required , as the tenantry on the estate , assisted by a plentiful supply of water from a neighbouring pond , succeeded in extinguishing the fire .

THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE opened the 15 th Congress of the Sanitary Institute of which he is President , at Newcastle-on-Tyne , on Wednesday . His Royal Highness arrived early in the day from Wynyard , where he had been staying as the guest of the Marquis of Londonderry , and was driven firstly to the Mansion House and thence to the College of Medicine , where he was received by the Mayor , Sheriffs , and members of the City and College Councils , and presented with an address of welcome . The Duke was subsequently entertained at luncheon in the Grand Assembly Rooms , and later in the day opened the Health Institute .

THE AUSTRALIANS were handsomely beaten by Mr . C . I . Thornton ' s Eleven during the early half of this week , the match terminating in a victory for the latter in one innings with 38 runs . Scores : The Eleven—294 , towards which Mr . F . S . Jackson contributed 67 , Mr . L . C . H . Palairet 71 , and Sir T . C . O'Brien G 5 ; Australians—n ( i and 140 , Iredale scoring G and 42 , Darling 0 and 24 , Trott 33 and 7 , Kelly 21 and S , and Jones 10 and 20 . In the match at Brighton between Surrey and Sussex , the former won by 10 wickets , Brockwell f jr Surrey scoring 107 .

THE LORD LIEUTENANT OF IRELAND , accompanied by the Countess Cadogan , and attended by his suite , visited the City of Cork on Wednesday , atriving by special train from Fota , where he had b ; en . the guest of Bro . A . H . Smith-Barry , M . P ., and was received on his anival by Bro . the Earl of Bourden , Lord Lieutenant of the County , the Sheriffs of the City and County , and a Urge number of the citizens . The Viceregal party were at once driven , under escort of the 12 th Lancers , to the reconstructed Court Houses , which , after he had received an address , he declared open . Having lunched with the Mayor of the city his lordship opened a monster bazaar in aid of a local hospital .

THE ANNUAL MEETING of the Prov . Grand Lcdgeof Cornwall is fixed for Tuesday , the 22 nd inst ., at Penzance . It is feared lhat Bro . the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe , the esteemed Prov . Grand Master , will not return from the Continent in lime , in which event Bro . Sir Charles B . Graves-Sawle , Bart ., P . G . W ., will preside . The Prov . G . Albas presided over all the provincial meetings held since his lordship ' s appointment in 1873 , and has long taken a most active interest in all that concerns the welfare of the Cornish Craft , 'lhe Mount Sinai Lodge , No . 121 , is next to the senior lodge on the in

local register , and has often entertained the Prov . Grand Lodge , the Lst time being 1884 . But the assembly on the 22 nd inst . will only be the second during the genial u » e of Bro . Lord Mount Edgcumbe . There are now 30 lodges in Cornwall having 1 S 0 J subscribing members , 13 Royal Arch chapters , 12 Mark lodges , a Knight Temp lar preceptory , and one Rose Croix chapter . The Cornwall Masonic Annuity and Benevolent Fund is in a very healthy state , and the progress of the province in all respects is most satisfactory . The Prov . Grand Secretary is Bro . E . D . Anderton , the present Junior Grand Deacon of England .

THERE ARE MEN who , in a modest , unobtrusive way render more valuable service to the world than many whose works make their names famous . Such a public servan . was Mr . Horace Marshall , head of the firm of Horace Marshall and Sons , wholesale newsagents and publishers , who , we regret to say , died at his residence in Streatlian 1 on Tuesday morning . The business of Mr . Marshall was the important one of * ' tributing the newspapers of ( the day to their countless readers , and it was conducted on a scale of magnitude only surpassed by that of W . H . Smith and Son . The firm was founded considerably more than half a century ago by Mr . William Marshall , father 01

the gentleman who expiicd on Tuesday , and was established successively in dijta en parts of the City until it fixed its headquarters in its present commodious premises on the Thames Embankment . Here , as elsewhere , Mr . Marshall laboured assiduously . and it is stated that for 35 years he opened his warehouse at 1 , 30 a . m . and never lainto attend to its affairs in person . He was a worthy citizen and a good master , as w a most able man of business , and his death will be widely and sincerely regretted . " . ' Horace Marshall is succeeded by a son of the same name , a gentleman of suP ' j education and ability , who promises to tread worthily in the footsteps of his lame" 11 father . —Daily Telegraph .