The Savage Club Lodge, No. 2190, And The Royal Silver Wedding .

These resolutions were signed by Bros . Sir J . R . Somers Vine , W . M . ; John Maclean , I . P . M . ; Thomas Catling , S . W . ; VV . E . Chapman , J . W . ; Edward Terry , Treas . ; Thomas Burnside , S . D . ; W . J . Ebbetts , J . D . ; Philip Soman , Sec . ; W . J . Fisher , I . G . ; Harry Nicholls , Org . ; and about so other members . They were beautifully engrossed on vellum and bound in highly-gilt covers , and conveyed to

the M . W . G . M . by the W . M ., who was invited to the Levee . During the evening the Iodge business was very heavy , there being eight joining members balloted for , two initiates , and six brethren passed to the Second Degree ,

while several proposals for new members were received . Bro . J . Maclean performed the work in splendid style . VVe might add that the Savage Club itself also sent an address couched in felicitous terms to their Royal Highnesses on the auspicious celebration of their Silver Wedding day .

Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS .

A meeting of the Executive Committee of the Board of Stewards for the forthcoming Festival was held at Freemasons' Hall on Thursday last , when the following Sub-Committees were appointed : Hall Committee—Bros . Glutton , West , De Lande Long , Scurrah , and Hunt .

Dinner Committee—Bros . Roebuck , Spaull , Mather , Clipperton , and Edgar Bowyer . Wine Committee—Bros , Col . Shadwell H . Clerke , Hogard , Roberts , Kentish , and Dawson . MusicCommittee—Bros . Edward Terry , Belton , Gardner , Kenning and Knyvett . The Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Stewards are ex-officio members of all the above .

The Recent Royal Masonic Benevolent Festival.

THE RECENT ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT FESTIVAL .

The following additions to lists have been received since last week : LONDON . Lodge £ s . d . 259 Bro . J . C . Parkinson io 10 0 ( Raising his list to £ 42 . ) 813 Bro . L , C Haslip 5 5 0

( Raising his list to £ 65 2 s . ) Chapter 1604 Comp . James Gibson 5 5 o ( Raising his list to £ 52 ios . ) PROVINCE : * .. BERKS AND BUCKS . 945 Bro . John T . Morland 100 ( Raising his list to £ 63 . )

HANTS AND THE ISLE OF WIGHT . Lodge 487 Bro . J . M . Boughton 15 15 o ( Raising his list to £ 31 10 s . ) 2068 Bro . T . Tufnell 10 10 0 ( Raising his list to £ 31 ios . ) KENT . 709 F . Hughes Hallett , 1 1 0 ( Raising his list to £ 67 4 s . )

MIDDLESEX . 123 7 Bro . William Binnie 10 10 0 ( Raising his list to £ 63 . ) SOUTH WALES ( EAST DIVISION . ) 1578 Bro . Henry N . Davies 10 10 o

£ -7 ° 6 ° ( Raising the amount announced from the province from £ 854 ios . to £ 86 * 5 . ) , Thess additions raised the grand total to £ 15 , 188 4 s . 6 d . N . B . —The list of Bro . C . Truscott , who was Steward

for the Province of Cornwall , and against whose name was entered the sum of £ 10 103 ., will be completed when that brother returns from abroad , and is expected to be more in keeping vvith the lists which have been raised at previous Stewardships for this and the other Institutions .

Annual Ball Of The Chiswick Lodge, No. 2012.

ANNUAL BALL OF THE CHISWICK LODGE , No . 2012 .

The third annual ball of the Chiswick Lodge , No . 2012 , took place at the Star and Garter Hotel , Kew Bridge , on Friday , the 2 nd inst ., and proved a great success . Bro . Lawrance , W . M ., and his brother Stewards , did their utmost to promote the enjoyment of the guests , and with good music , an excellent programme of dances , and a

capital supper , furnished by Bro . Brill in his accustomed style , it is not surprising everything should have passed off well . There were nearly 100 brethren and ladies present , amongst whom were the following , viz .: Bros . F . Lawrance , W . M . ; J . Brown , J . W . ; G . Gardner , P . M ., Sec ; Miss Gardner , Miss Hanks , Bro . F . Walden , J . D . ; Mrs .

Walden , Mr . Mathews , Mrs . Mathews , Miss Mathews , Bro . J . T . Wood , Mrs . Wood and six friends , Bro . B . Kenyon , Stwd . ; Mrs . Kenyon , L . Hollingsworth , Miss Patershall , W . Clowes , Mrs . Clowes , Mr . Kemp , Miss King , E . H . Nuld , W . H . Wilson , Mrs . Wilson , Mr . Skinner , Mrs . Shinner , Bro . J . Brill and party of 13 , W . C . Dickey , Mrs .

Dickey , Mr . and Mrs . Westfield , G . Sales , Mrs . and Miss Eales , W . Ritchie , Bro . T . Edwards , P . M ., Mrs . Edwards , J . Ashby , F . Lee , P , Bevan , Mr . and Mrs . Plumbe , Bro . and Mrs . Hudson , H . Falken , G . Invin , W . Williams , Bro . Bird and party of five , C Parker , Mr . and Mrs . Sherman , W . Harmer , Miss Harmer , John Hoar , T . A . Holland , Bro . P . Pilditch , and others .

Bro . Lord and Lady Balfour of Burlei gh and Bro . the Hon . D . Plunket , M . P ., arrived at Windsor Castle on Wednesday evening , and had the honour of dining with the Queen and Royal Family . Bro . Lord Mayor De Keyser gave a banquet at the Mansion House on Wednesday to the Chancellor of

the Exchequer and a numerous and distinguished company of bankers and merchants of the City of London . Bros . Lord Cheylesmore , Sir B . Samuelson , M . P ., Sir John Pender , M . P ., Dr . Dixcn-Hartland , M . P ., Alderman Sir R . N . Fowler , Bart ., M . P ., and T . Sutherland , M . P ., being among the guests . The Lady Mayoress and many other ladies were also present .

The Theatres.

THE THEATRES .

At the Peckham Public Hall , Bro . G . H . Snazelle is delighting audiences wi : h choice items selected from his varied and extensive repertoire of recitals , humorous and pathetic , songs and operatic selections , all illustrated by scenoscopic views ot great beauty . The entertainer possesses the advantages of a good appearance , admirable voice , a fluent , pleasing , and distinct delivery ;

his humour is rich , never forced or extravagant , yet can he firmly rebuke and repress any attempt at rudeness on the part of any unruly member of his audience . One of the most comical stories Bro . Snazelle delivers relates to an awful experience with a whistler , a man who makes expressive whistling supply the sense commonly conveyed by words . Sometimes a temporary whistling mania infects

the junior masculines present , many blowing off their surplus exhilaration in a babel of sibilant sound , but a few firm , not ill-tempered words from the warranted whistler speedily restores order . " How Bill Adams won the Battle of Waterloo" is a splendid specimen of the yarn of drollery as spun by Bro . Snazelle ; the sublime contempt for an ignoramus who confesses the fame of Bill Adams is

all unknown to him , as expressed by a bucolic worshipper of , and believer in , the rustic hero of Waterloo , is irresistably funny—the narrative of " Me , and the Dook , and Sir Garnet Woolsey , " what they did and what they did ' nt , should suffice to warn away dyspepsia from the system of

an afflicted listener . Effective in the comedy portion , and impressive in the serious vein , illustrated by the views manipulated by Professor Huddlestone , and beautified by the brilliant pianolorte playing of Miss Marie Brooke , this unique entertainment may be pronounced worthy of unqualified suppoit and distinct success .

Mr . Willie Edouin has succeeded Miss L ydia Thompson in the management of the Strand Theatre , but we are afraid he will meet with even less success than did that popular lady if he cannot put before the public something more amusing than his inauguration piece—we cannot call it a play— " Katti . " It is a pity the excellent talents of Mr . Edouin and Miss Alice Atherton should be so wasted

as they now are . Were it not for them , even vvith the rest of their efficient company , "Katti" vvould be intolerable . Miss Atherton throws her whole energy into the title r 61 e , and Mr . Edouin is scarcely ever off the stage , but as " Katti " has not the nucleus of a clever or amusing play in it . the brilliant artistes who are in the cast cannot make it draw . We are afraid it could not , like " Frankenstein " at the

Gaiety , be re-written and worked up . Miss Atherton , as Katti , is a " help , " who is believed to have come into a fortune , and whose master and mistress encourage their son to break off an engagement so as to marry the " help " and get her money . OS course , as usual , when the maidof-all-work has been treated as one of the family , it turns out the fortune is not hers at all , but belongs to the young

lady who was jilted , and who has now married some one else . The broken German , a la Hans Breitmann , of Miss Atherton is splendidly rendered , and this popular actress was received with rounds of applause on her re-appearance before the public after her long illness . Miss Susie Vaughan gives an excellent rendering of a middle-aged married lady , but she has no opportunity of even doing justice to herself .

Miss Vaughan is such a clever actress in various lines of business that she ought never to be out of an engagement . VVe think her talents have never been properly appreciated , though we do not remember reading an uncomplimentary notice of her ; rather the reverse , for the press have always been kind to her ; but managers do not seem to have utilised Miss Susie Vaughan as frequently as they well might . She

is always quite original . Perhaps she has been left out somewhat by the fact of her younger sister , Miss Kate Vaughan , being so well known . Bro . H . H . Morell gives in "Katti" an unique portrayal of a stupid swell . His dress and manner ot speech stand out from the rest of the characters , yet vve vvould not say he in any way overdoes his part . This is the first time we have seen Bro . Morell

in a character giving him scope for originality . It may be interesting to note—for no other papers seem to be aware of the fact—that Bro . Morell is a son of Bro . Sir Morell Mackenzie , and , like his father , is a member of Drury Lane Ledge , of which he is an initiate . We suggested to Miss Lydia Thompson that she should go back to pure old fashioned burlesque . We offer the same advice to Mr , Edouin . On the same stage some 30 years ago Mr . Edouin made his name in the burlesque "Blue Beard" as

, the Heathen Chinee . His talented wife , Miss Atherton , is well suited to burlesque , and we believe there is room in London at the present time for a theatre devoted to real burlesque , as distinguished from extravaganza and spectacular displays costing large sums of money to produce . We would like Mr . Edouin to make the experiment , for we cannot hold out any hopes of his making money out of " Katti . "

The book upon which the drama of " The Mystery of a Hansom Cab " is founded has had such a large sale , and been so much talked about , that it is little wonder the play at the Princess ' s should be a heavy draw . But the drama differs from Mr . Fergus Hume ' s book in one great matter . In the latter the mystery is withheld from the reader until the end . In the drama there is no

mystery , for the audience know in the first act perfectly well who it is commits the murder , and therefore only witness the means the dramatist takes to track the villain and bring him to justice , and place the innocent in their right position . It would not do—from previous stage experience—to allow the plot to be followed on a false scent . No play has ever—we believe—succeeded where the audience have been deceived . They must be let into

the secret all along . Nevertheless , Messrs . Fergus Hume and Arthur Law have put so many sensational effects into their piece that there is plenty to interest their patrons without a mystery . We are not prepared to say that the play is as good as the book , but it possesses all the elements of a strong drama , and may easily turn out a financial success . As in the book , the scene is laid in Melbourne , and we are at first introduced to Mark Frettlby , He is a

The Theatres.

rich commercial man , and is supposed to be a widower with one child , a daughter , named Madge . A youn <* - Irishman , Brian Fitzgerald , is a great friend of theirs , and a frequent visitor at Frettlby ' s house . He falls in l 0 Ve with Madge , and she with him . But there appears upon the scene a man named Whyte , who has some hold over Frettlby . This consists in the fact that some twenty years

before the play begins Frettlby married a woman who presently eloped with another man . Some time after Frettlby reads that his wife is dead , but this turns out to be ' false , for she is living with Whyte , to whom she confides the fact of her marriage . These two proceed to Melbourne to levy blackmail on Frettlby . Whyte tells Frettlby that he holds the certificate of marriage , and offers to keep hie

tongue silent for the sum of £ 5000 and the hand of Mad ge in marriage . Frettlby falls into the trap and consents . Whyte has a so-called friend , one Moreland , who really hates him . Whilst in a hansom cab Moreland administers chloroform to Whyte , who is in a state of inebriation and kills him . Moreland of course is not accused of the foul deed , but Fitzgerald is arrested for the crime , though

in the end the latter is proved innocent and marries Madge whilst Moreland is arrested , but manages to commit suicide ! From the brief epitome it will be seen that there is plenty of ground vvork for a strong melodrama . Bro . Fernandez appears as Frettlby , and gives a good rendering to the part . Mr . W . L . Abingdon and Mr . Bassett Roe make capital villains , and Mr . J . H . Barnes is the handsom e

Irishman who makes love to Madge in true manl y fashion . Miss Eva Southern is Madge , the young lady of his affections , a part she plays very nicely , though there is little scope for ingenuity . Miss Grace Hawthorne , the lessee of the theatre , comes out strongly as Sally Rawlins , a waif , who contributes to tracking the murderer to justice , and who gains freedom for the innocent . VVe think this

is the best piece ot acting we have yet seen of Miss Hawthorne ' s . Mrs . Frank Huntley gives a fearfully realistic picture of an old hag , such as are to be found in cellars and garrets in the lowest parts of great cities , who are very seldom in daylight , but who live from the sight of humanity , ruining themselves with gin drinking . We have not our playbills at hand , but we fancy Mrs . Huntley must have

played a very similar character at this theatre a few years ago in one of Bro . Wilson Barrett ' s melodramas—was it in " The Silver King ? " Miss Cicely Richards—not a slut of a servant this time—and Mr . Forbes Dawson contribute the comic element , vvhich is very welcome amidst all the horrors , and are really very droll . We think "The Mystery

of a Hansom Cab , " although no mystery at the Princess's , is the best piece produced there under Miss Hawthorne ' s management . It is sure to attract patrons for some time to come . But when are we to have the long-promised "Theodora ? " Perhaps the idea of producing it is abandoned . We would like to know .

Obituary.

Obituary .

BRO . A . J . SIMMONS . About ft-je o ' clock on Friday morning , the 24 th ulumo , Bro . A . J . Simmons , formerly of the Freemasons' Tavern , proprietor of the Sandown Hotel , died at the hotel , after a short illness . Bro . Simmons went to Sandown a few years ago as the successor to Bro . Walter Mew , and during the time he has lived in the town he has made many friends by his cordiality of spirit and the warm interest he had taken in matters promoted for the benefit of the town . He

had not enjoyed good health long together since he has lived at Sandown . He died at the comparatively early age of 52 years . The body was conveyed from the Sandown Hotel , at mid-day , on Monday , to the railway station , en route for Norwood Cemetery , on an open catafalque , followed by many of the members of the Sandown Lodge , No . 1 S 69 , the employes from the hotel , and several personal friends . The interment took place on Wednesday , 29 th ult ., at the Norwood Cemetery .

BRO . ALEXANDER HAY . We greatly regret to announce the death of Bro . Alexander Hay , af t ' rince ' s-street , Edinburgh , which sad event took place on'I hursday week , the ist inst . The remains were interred on Monday afternoon in the Dean Cemetery . The attendance of the public at the funeral was large , and included a considerable number of Freemasons , in which

Order Bro . Hay took a deep interest , lhe city lodges also showed their respect for the deceased by sending beautiful wreaths of flowers , in the midst of which the coffin , driven to the cemetery in an open car , lay almost hidden . It may be mentioned that Bro . Hay ' s connection with Freemasonry extended over a period of some forty years . Since the year 1856 he had been a member of the

Grand Committee of the Order . He vvas a Past Master of the Lodge Celtic , Edinburgh , Past Grand Jeweller , Proxy Provincial Grand Master of Jamaica , and representative of the Grand Lodge of New Brunswick , and was besides chairman of several important committees . He was one of the most influential members of the Grand Lodge of Scotland , and had few equals in his knowledge of the laws , usages , and ceremonials of the Craft and hig h-grade

Masonry . He vvas widely knovvn and appreciated by Craftsmen in ail countries , and his death will be sincerely mourned . Since his retirement from business a few months ago , Bro . Hay had , in conjunction with others , been engaged in drawing up a constitution in connection with a comprehensive extention of the Fund of Scottish Masonic Benevolence—a scheme which might be said to have been the leading object of his Masonic life .

Bro . Admiral Lord Alcester , G . C . B ., is expected to leave England in the course of next month on a visi : to Malta . , Bro . the Marquis of Hartington , M . P ., attended and addressed a large political meeting at Ipswich on Wednesday , Bro . Sir Charles Dalrymple , M . P ., and Lord Elcho , M . P ., being among the distinguished personages

present . Bro . the Earl of Londesborough presided at a meeting in the Saloon of the Lyceum Theatre on the 211 inst . ot the subscribers to the Grand Theatre Relief t ""^ when a report was presented showing the total amou received was £ 3134 , of which £ 1809 had been dislribut in relief . As regards the balance , it was resolved to , nT . it on a declaration of trust as a Metropolitan fund wr relief of sufferers by fires in places of public entertainm