Masonic And General Tidings.

Masonic and General Tidings .

DOWN TO THURSDAY night the Lord Mayor ' s Indian Famine Fund amounted to £ 516 , 400 . H . R . H . THE PRINCESS OF WALES AND THE LONDON POOR . —The following lodges have contributed to the above fund : Royal Jubilee Lodge , No . 72 , £ 2 7 s ., and at the banquet table of the Molesey Lodge , No . 2473 , £ 2 . THE ANNUAL MEETING of the Provincial Grand Lodge of East Lancashire will be held in the Baths Assembly Rooms , Lower Bridgman-street , Bolton , on the 19 th instant .

BRO . THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OK DEVONSHIRE visited the Queen at Windsor Castle on Monday , and had the honour ot being included in the Royal dinner party , remaining for the night at the Castle . THE KING OF SIAM arrived at Aden on Saturday morning last on his way to Europe , and was honoured with the customary salutes . His Majesty subsequently landed , and was received by a guard of honour of the ist Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers .

THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF CONNAUGHT , accompanied by the Princess Charlotta of Oldenburg , and attended by Bro . Col . and the Hon . Mrs . Egerton and Mr . Phipps , visited Her Majesty ' s Theatre on Monday evening , and witnessed the performance of " The Seats of the Mighty . " THE ARRANGEMENTS which are being made for the festivities at Brighton in connection with the Queen ' s Diamond Jubilee include a parade of Volunteers , a regatta , a cycling and foot-facing meeting in the Preston Park Cricket Ground , the illumination of the Royal Pavilion , and a display of fireworks on the water .

THE ANNUAL MEETING in connection with the Brixton Orphanage , whe ' re close on 300 fatherless girls are trained and educated , was held at the Brixton HaU on Saturday last . Lord Mayor Phillips , who was accompanied by the Lady Mayoress and Mr . Lionel Phillips , presided , and was well supported by the friends of the institution . THE PRINCESS MARY DUCHESS OF TECK was taken unwell last week and some London physicians were called in , but an improvement set in on Saturday , last and Sunday ' s and more recent bulletins have been favourable . H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , the Duke of Cambridge , and Prince and Princess Adolphus of Teck called and made inquiries at White Lodge .

T . R . H . THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES will visit the Duke and Duchess of "Westminster , at Eaton Hall , to-morrow ( Saturday ) , and will remain till Monday when they will pay a visit to Mr . and Mrs . Gladstone , at Hawarden , leaving for town immediately after luncheon . On Friday , the 28 th instant , the Prince will preside at the Bengal Cavalry Dinner , at Whitehall Rooms of the H 6 tel Metropole .

THE EMPEROR OF J APAN has bestowed on Alderman Sir Walter Wilkin the decoration of the Imperial Order of the Rising Sun , in token of his Majesty's appreciation of the important part taken by him while Lord Mayor last year jn connection with the raising of the fund for the relief ot the sufferers by the terrible seismic waves which devastated the north-east coast of Japan in June last .

THE DUKE OF CONNAUGHT completed his 47 th year on Saturday last , having been born on the ist May , 1 S 50 . His Royal Highness , accompanied by the Duchess of Connaught and their children , visited the Queen at Windsor Castle the same day , with Bro . Colonel and the Hon . Mrs . Egerton in attendance . The Windsor bells were rung and a Royal salute fired in the Long Walk in honour of the event .

THE HOUSE PARTY which the Duke and Duchess of Westminster have invited to Eaton Hall to . meet T . R . H . the Prince and Princess of Wales to-morrow ( Saturday ) , includes Bro . the Duke and Duchess of Abercorn , the Marquis and Marchioness of Ormonde and Lady Beatrice Butler , Bro . Earl and Countess Carrington , the Earl of Crewe , the Right Hon . H . Chaplin , M . P ., and Bro . and Mrs . Grenfell .

H . R . H . THE PRINCE OF WALES has made known his intention of inspecting the old soldiers and sailors who have taken part in the battles fought during the Queen ' s reign , while H . R . H . the Princess of Wales will receive purses at the Garden Fiite , which will be held in the grounds of the Royal Hospital , Chelsea , on the 5 th July , in aid of the " Houses " for Nurses of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Families' Association .

H . R . H . THE PRINCESS OF WALES , accompanied by her daughter , the Princess Victoria , left Marlborough House for Sandringham on Saturday last , Miss Knollys and General Sir Dighton Probyn being in attendance . Her Royal Highness visited York Cottage and found both the Duchess ot York and her infant daughter making satisfactory progress . H . R . H . the Prince of Wales joined her Royal Highness in the course of Monday .

THE DUKE OF YORK opened the New Centenary Hall and also the two wings which have been added to the Jews' Hospital and Orphan Asylum , at West Norwood , on Monday . His Royal Highness was assisted by the Lord Mayor and the Lady Mayoress , and the Chief Rabbi took part in the ceremony . Purses containing sums amounting to £ 650 in aid of the building fund were received by the Lady Mayoress , the proceedings from first to last being most successful .

THE TOTAL SUM collected in behalf of the sufferers by the wreck of the Drummond Castle is announced as £ 25 , 408 , the cases relieved comprising Ci widows , 83 children , and 6 9 other relatives , about £ 9000 being devoted to temporary relief . As to the manner in which the other relief has been provided , annuities , costing £ 12 , 336 , have been purchased for 62 persons , and £ 2997 spent in buying annuities of £ 5 each for 80 boys and girls , terminable in the case of boys at 14 and in that of girls at 16 years of age .

H . R . H . THE PRINCESS OF WALES ' S scheme to raise a fund for the provision of a substantial dinner for the extreme poor and the outcast during Jubilee week has been received with a considerable amount of favour . Her Royal Highness herself headed the list with a donation ot £ 100 , and the Lord Mayor has given a like sum . Bro . Lord and Lady Pirbright contribute £ 100 , and Col . Waldo-Silthorp 50 guineas , the amount received up to Wednesday evening , being about £ 2000 .

THE ANNUAL MEETING of the Fellows of the Imperial Institute , was held on Saturday last , under the presidency of H . R . H , the Princeof Wales , who moved that the report be received . Bro . Lord Herschell seconded the motion at the request of his Royal Highness , and after a long explanatory speech from his lordship , the motion was accepted . The Executive Council and Committees were chosen for the ensuing year , and on the motion of the Prince , Bro . Lord Herschell was re-appointed Chairman of the Governing Body .

THE DUKE OF NORTHUMBERLAND , one of the most venerable members of the House of Peers , completed his 87 th year on Sunday last , having been born on the 2 nd May , 1810 , Bro . the Earl of Mansfield being his senior in point of years . His grace was a member of the Unreformed House of Commons in 1831 , and has served with success as a Lord of the Admiralty , Vice-President of the Board of Trade , and Lord Privy Seal . On the ist inst . he was re-elected President of the Royal Institution . His son , Bro . Earl Percy , was Provincial Grand Master of Northumberland for many years .

THE NAVAL REVIEW off Spithead will take place on Saturday , the 26 th June , and the arrangements for mooring the immense fleet—which will be supplemented by a number of foieign war vessels—are already engaging the attention of the authorities . Members of the two Houses of Parliament will be conveyed by train to Portsmouth on the morning of the review , and will be accommodated on vessels prepared for their reception . Admiral Sir N . Salmon , Commander-in-Chief , will be in supreme command , and the fleet will include the Channel Squadron and as many as possible of the recently built battleships and cruisers . The programme will be submitted , as soon as it has been arranged , for her Majesty ' s approval .

THE MARQUIS OF SALISBURY , Colonel John Hay , thc new American Ambassador , and Mrs . Hay , M . de Several , the new Portuguese Minister , and Lo Heng Fuh , the Chinese Ambassador , travelled by special train to Windsor on Monday , when his lordship had audience of the Queen , and presented Colonel Hay , who handed his credentials to her Majesty , Mrs . Hay being presented by the Countess of Erroll , Lady-in-Waiting . The Portuguese and Chinese Ministers were also introduced , and presented their respective credentials . Subsequently the Queen held a Council , at which there were present Bro . the Duke of Devonshire , the Lord President j Viscount Cross , Lord Privy Seal ; and Bro . Lord Arthur Hill , M . P ., Comptroller of the Household ,

Masonic And General Tidings.

THE COMMITTEE OF M ANAGEMENT of the Royal Masonic Benevolent will hold their regular monthly meeting at Freemasons'Hall on Wednesday , the 12 th instant , at 4 p . m . LADY SUFFIELD , in the unavoidable absence through illness of the Princess Mary Duchess of Teck , presided at the 20 th anniversary of the Association of German Governesses on Wednesday .

BKO . THE EARL OF YARBOROUGH and Bro . Viscount Wolselev , attended by his aide-de-camp , dined with Lord Belper and the Honourable Corps of Gantlemen-at-Arms at their mess in St . James ' s Palace . Lv OUR recent report of the meeting-, on the ioth ult , ol the Lewisham Lodge . No . 2519 , Bro . P . G . Hartley , who was present as a visitor , is only a member , not W . M ., as was stated , of the Whittington Lodge , No . S 62 .

THE NUMBER of troops who will be required in London on Jubilee Day , and will either form the bulk of the procession or line the streets , will be about 42 , 000 , exclusive of sailors , marines , & c . The troops in the procession will be cavalry and horse artillery . BRO . THE EARL OF WARWICK has been salmon-fishing in Ireland , but has now returned to Warwick Castle . During the r . ext few weeks his lordship will be engaged

in making the necessary arrangements for the Jubilee celebration in Warwick , of which he is the Mayor . BRO . LORD AND LADY LLANGATTOCK gave a dinner-party on Wednesday night , at South Lodge , Rutland-gate , and afterwards held a reception , at which 600 sruests , including several Ministers and a number of Metropolitan Unionist Members of Parliament , were present .

BROS . SIR THOS . SUTHERLAND , M . P ., Lord Claud Hamilton , Lord Roberts , and M . Biddulph , M . P ., and Sir Donald Currie , the Earl Kerry , and Sir Havelock-AUan , M . P ., were among the guests at the dinner given by the Marquis of Lansdowne at Lansdowne House , Berkeley-square , on Wednesday evening . BRO . FIELD-MARSHAL Lord Roberts was the principal speaker of a deputation from the National Artillery Association that waited upon the Marquis of Lansdowne , Secretary of State for War , to urge upon his lordship the desirability of dealing more liberally with the Volunteer Artillery in the matter of allowances .

BRO . THE DUKE OF FIFE presided at the annual meeting of the Church Army , which was held in St . James ' s Hall on Wednesday atternoon . According to the statement made by Mr . Edward Clifford , the Hon . Secretary , there are nearly 100 more workers now than formerly , while the income has increased to £ 77 , , and the society is free of debt .

THE DUCHESS OF ALBANY , attended by Bro . Sir Robert and Lady Collins , dined with Sir Charles Scotter at Surbiton Hill on Tuesday evening and afterwards attended an amateur performance of " The Gondoliers , " which was held at the Assembly Rooms in aid of the London and South-Western Railway Servants Orphanage and Widows ' and Orphans' Society .

THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE will attend the Crystal Palace Fete of the Church of England Temperance Society and witness the march past of 15 , 000 children , while the Archbishop of Canterbury and Mrs . Temple will present the prizes . A guard of honour of 600 boys of the Church Lads' Brigade will be present at the reception of his Royal Highness by the Committee .

BRO . EDWARD TERRY , Past G . Treas ., who lives at Barnes , has suggested to his fellow parishioners that by way of commemorating the Queen ' s Jubilee live bells should be purchased , which , with the three already existing , will provide a complete peal of bells for Barnes Parish Church . Bro . Terry has further promised to give one bell and three others have been promised .

H . R . H . THE PRINCE OF WALES will visit Canterbury on Saturday , the 29 th inst ., for the purpose of re-opening the Chapter-House , which has recently been restored . The Mayor and Corporation will receive his Royal Highness at the railway station and present an address . Luncheon will be served at the Deanery , after which it is expected that the Prince will make a private inspection of the Cathedral .

A MEETING of the Royal Commission of the Patriotic Fund was held in the Levee Room of the Horse Guards on Tuesdav , among the members present being the Duke of Cambridge , Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar , the Duke of Norfolk , Earl Nelson , Earl of Clanwilliam , Earl of Cranbrook , Bros . Lord Wantage and Lord Herschell , the Right Hon . William Lidderdale , Bro . the Hon . E . F . Leveson Gower , and Sir W . Dowell .

CAPTAIN PRINCE LOUIS OF BATTENBERG has been appointed to the command of her Majesty's ship Majestic , flagship of Vice-Admiral Lord Walte . r Kerr , commanding the Channel Squadron . The Majestic is a first class twin-screw armoured battleship of 14900 tons and 12 , 000 horse power , and was commissioned at Portsmouth on 12 th December , 1 S 95 . Prince Louis served as lieutenant on the Inconstant in the Egyptian war of 1 S 82 , was promoted captain in 1 S 92 , and early in the present year was appointed an honorary Naval Aide-de-Camp to her Majesty .

THE ASTOR ESTATES OFFICES recently erected on the Thames Embankment were inaugurated on Wednesday afternoon , when Mr . Astor entertained a number of friends at tea , among them being the Duchess of Albany , the Duchess of Buckingham and Chandos , and Bro . Lord Egerton of Tatton , Bro . the Earl and Countess of Jersey , and Lady Margaret Villiers , the Countess of Yarborough , Lord Ernest Hamilton , Vicountess and the Hon . Frances Wolesley , Bro . the Earl of Wharncliffe , and the Earl of Cork , Viscount Peel and the Hon . Agnes Peel , Bro . and Mrs . W . H . Grenfell , Bro . Sir Douglas Straight , Lord Iveagh , and Colonel Saunderson .

THE DEATH WAS announced in Leicester on Monday of Bro . J . Vaughan , the editor of the Leicester Advertiser , at the age of 63 . He had been associated with newspaper work for 50 years , and had been engaged on the Liverpool Mercury , the Salisbury and Winchester Journal , the Liverpool Leader , and the Birmingham Gazette . In 1877 he went to Leicester as editor of the Conservative organ . He was one of the founders and vice-presidents of the Institute of Journalists , and twice chairman of the East Midlands District . He was also a Past Master of the oldest lodge in W . Lancashire , Loyalty , No . 86 , held at Prescot . For some time he had been in failing health .

A TERRIBLE catastrophe occurred in Paris on Tuesday afternoon , when the buildin which a fancy bazaar , attended by the leading ladie > of the French aristocracy , caught fire , and in about a quarter of an hour the whole structure , which was composed of the lightest materials , was consumed , while the number of ladies and others who perished in the conflagration has been estimated at over 100 , to say nothing of the number of those

who were more or less seriously injured . The most gallant efforts were made by the police and others to rescue the people in the bazaar and many were extricated , but ths scenes described in the telegrams from Paris were most heartrending , and all Paris is in mourning . The Queen at once telegraphed her sympathy , and so did the Einpjror of Germany , and the King of the Belgians .

THE ARRANGEMENTS for the reception of their Royal Highnesses thi Prince and Princess of Wales on Saturday , the 22 nd instant , on the occasion of their visit to the east of London to open , as the representative of the Queen , the Blackwall Tunnel , are virtually settled . The Royal procession will consist of five semi-State carriages , accompanied by a field officer ' s travelling escort of Life Guards , and will leave Marlborough

House at 2 . 15 p . m . The route will be vid Pall Mall , the Embankment , Queen Victoria-st ., Leadenhall-street , Whitechapel , Commercial-road , East India Dock-road , through tunnel to Blackwall-lane , and back by the Greenwich and New Cross-roads , Old and New Kent-roads , Westminster Bridge , Whitehall , & c . A guard of honour will be furnished by the Honourable Artillery Company .

THE ANNUAL BANQUET of the Roval Academy , with which the year's Exhibition is inaugurated , was held at Burlington House on Saturday last . The chair wis occupied by Sir E . J . Poynter , the President , among the most notable guest- ! b ; ing H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , the Dukeof Cambridge , Prince Christian , Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar , the Russian , French , and Spanish Ambassadors , the Belgian Minister , the Archbishop of Canterbury , the Lord Chancellor ( Bro . Lord Halsbury ) , the Muquisof Salisbury , Bros . Lord Ashbourne and Lord Balfour of Burlsigh , the Right Hon . G . J .

Goschen , M . P ., Bro . the Earl of Derby , Bro . Sir M . Hicks-Beach , Birt ., M . P ., Bro . Earl Cowper , the Lord Mayor , lito . Lord Methuen , Bro . Lnrd George Hamilton , M . P ., Bro . Sir J . Blundell Maple , M . P ., Bro . Lord Wolseley , Bro . the Earl of Yarborough , Bro . Sir Henry Irving , Bro . the Earl ot Lathom , Bro . Sir M . White Ridley , Bart ., M . P ., Bro . Viscount Powerscourt , Bro . the Earl of Durham , Bro . John Aird , M . P ., the Bishop of London , Bro . Sir Redvers Buller , the Earl of Cranbrook , the Attorney General , the Solicitor General , and Bro . Lord Glenesk .