Masonic And General Tidings

MASONIC AND GENERAL TIDINGS

The annual meeting of the Province of Hampshire and Isle of Wight vvill be held under the presidency of Bro . XV . XV . B . Beach , M . P ., Prov . Grand Master , at Ryde , Isle of Wight , on Monday , the 2 Sth inst . Sunday last was the 22 nd anniversary of the birth of H . R . H . the Princess Victoria , second daughter of the Prince and Princess of Wales , who vvas born at Marlborough House , on the Cth July , iSCS .

Bro . the Duke and Duchess of Athole , Bro . the Earl of Listovvel and Lady M . Hare , Bro . the Earl of Clonmell , and Bro . Viscount Raincliffe , attended the ball given by the Countess of Londesborough at her residence in Grosvenor-square on Monday .

Bro . General Sir George H . S . Willis , K . C . B ., who is an honorary member of the Portsmouth Temperance Lodge , No . 206 S , has been accepted as the Conservative candidate for Portsmouth upon the retirement of Bro . Sir S . Wilson , M . P ., at the next election .

Bro . the Duke of Fife has consented to open the International Exhibition of Mining and Metallurgy at the Crystal Palace , the largest portion of the display being situated in the New South Wales Court , that and other colonies of Great Britain having taken a deep interest in the scheme .

The Princess Christian , accompanied by her husband , son , and daughters , visited Slough on Saturday last for the purpose of presenting the prizes won by the successful pupils of the British Orphan Asylum . A cordial vote of thanlcs vvas passed to her Royal Highness for presiding on the occasion .

A meeting vvas held at the Mansion House , on Thursday , the 3 rd inst ., at which the Lord Mayor , Bro . Sir H . A . Isaacs , presided , when it was resolved to hold an International Congress on Hygiene in London in 1 S 01 , and that a subscription list should be opened for the purpose of raising funds to defray the expenses .

The Duke of Edinburgh visited I'olkestone on the 3 rd instant , for the purpose of opening the Victoria Hospital , which has just been erected near Radnor Park , on a site given by the Earl of Radnor , at a cost of £ 70 , 000 . The town vvas en fete all day in honour of the occasion , and his Royal Highness met with a most hearty reception from the large crowds of people who thronged the streets in all directions .

To-morrow ( Saturday ) their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales will formally open the new ranges of the National Rifle Association at Bisley . On arriving the party vvill be received by the President ( the Duke of Cambridge ) and the Council of the Association , and an address having been presented by the former , the Princess will then fire the first shot , and will afterwards be presented vvith the gold medal of the N . R . A .

I he consecration of the Remigius Lodge of Royal Ark Mariners , No . 117 , will take place at the Masonic Rooms , Lincoln , at four o ' clock , on Wednesday , the ifith inst . The Consecrating Master will be Bro . C F . Matier , Grand Secretary , who will be assisted by Bros . Robert Berridge , P . G . W ., and other Grand Officers . The W . C . N , elect is Bro . Henry E . Cousans , P . P . G . W ., P . G . D . Eng ., and his principal officers will be Bro . Jos . A . Robinson , P . P . G . D ., I ., and Bro . R . Cotton Carline , P . P . G . Reg ., S .

Southampton vvill shortly be honoured wilh two Royal visits . The lirst will take place on Saturday , the 26 th inst ., when the Oueen vvill cross in her yacht from the Isle of Wight and open the new deepwater dock , which has been three years in course of construction , and cost

£ 250 , 000 . Her Majesty will not land , but arrangements are being made to give her as loyal a welcome as possible . The second visit will be that of the Duke of Edinburgh , who sometime next month vvill lay the foundation stone of the new Seamen ' s Institute .

In accordance with the wishes of Lady Carnarvon , a memorial service was held at the Chapel koyal , Savoy , on Thursday , the 3 rd inst ., at the same hour at which the funeral of the late Earl of Carnarvon took place at Highclere . His lordship attended the chapel for many years , and the

service vvas performed by Bro . the Rev . Henry White , Chaplain of the Savoy , and the Bishop of Derry , one of our late distinguished brother's o ' . dest friends . The Countess of Carnarvon , after a week or two , will visit her brother , Mr . H . C . Howard , athisseat , GreystokeCastle , Cumberland .

The Prince of Wales , accompanied by the Princess of Wales , the Princesses Victoria and Maud , the Duke of Edinburgh , and the Princess Louise , visited Vauxhall and opened the new park in the presence of a large concourse of spectators . The Royal Party were received by the

Archbishop of Canterbury . After hearing "God bless the Prince of Wales " sung by some 500 children , their Royal Highnesses were conducted round the park , and the Prince having first received an address , expressed his gratification at attending , and then declared the park open amid loud cheers .

The annual picnic of the members of St . Kew Lodge , No . 1222 , took place on Thursday , the 3 rd inst ., when over 30 brethren and ladies went by a saloon carriage attached to the S . 55 train to Chippenham . After luncheon the party drove to Badminton , and viewed the house , gardens , kennels , and stables , returning through Castle Coombe , —

vyhere is situated the charming residence of Ed . Lowndes , Esq ., the brother of Sir John Gorst , M . P . —to dinner at the Angel Hotel , Chippenham . The party was under the genial conduct of the W . M ., Bro . W . E . Perrett , whom the brethren were rejoiced to see restored to his former health and spirits . A most enjoyable day was snent .

THE UNEMPLOYED IN EAST LONDON . —At a time when much thought is being given to this matter , a practical suggestion may be of service . Last year more than £ 300 ) 000 worth of foreign matches were purchased by inconsiderate consumers in this country , to the great injury of our own working people , so true is it that " evil is wrought by want of thought , as well as want of heart . " If all consumers would purchase Bryant and May's Matches , that firm would be enabled to pay £ 1000 a week more in wages . ¦ —ADVT .

Masonic And General Tidings

The Queen has forwarded her annual contribution of £ 20 to the Incorporated Society for Improving the Labouring Classes , of which Her Majesty is the Patroness . Bros . Lord Halsbury ( Lord Chancellor ) , Lord George Hamilton , and Sir Michael E . Hicks-Beach , Bart ., attended the Cabinet Council held at the Foreign Office on Saturday last .

The Provincial Grand Lodge of Monmouthshire vvas held on Thursday , the 3 rd inst ., at Newport . There vvas a good muster of Prov . Grand Officers and a few visitors . We hope to give a report in our next . With the sanction of the Very Rev . the Dean of Peterborough the sexton ( Bro . Plowman , Tyler of St . Peter ' s Lodge , No . 442 ) tolled the big bell of the cathedral during the funeral hour of the late Earl of Carnarvon .

The Princess of Wales , accompanied by her daughters , the Princesses Victoria and Maud , drove to East Sheen Lodge on Sunday last , and paid a long visit to the Duchess of Fife , who is now convalescent and regaining strength daily .

As regards the recent Postal Jubilee movement it is satisfactory to know that the result of the Guildhall and South Kensington Conversazione last week has been the addition of a sum of £ 10 , 000 to the Rowland Hill Benevolent Fund in aid of decayed Post-office employes . ¦¦

Bro . H . Lovegrove was unable to attend the annual banquet of the Royal Order of Scotland in consequence of a serious accident to his son while playing with gunpowder . Bro . Dr . Walter Scott hopes that the injuries will not be of a serious nature , and the patient i . s rapidly recovering-.

Bro . Dixon-Hartland , M . P ., gave a dinner party at the Grand Hotel on Friday , the 4 th inst ., when , among others , Bros , the Earl of Jersey , Earl Amherst , Sir Morell Mackenzie , Sir Stafford Northcote , M . P ., Littler , Q . C , and Sir W . Marriott , M . P ., were invited to meet the Marquis of Salisbury .

The Queen left Windsor for London on the 4 th inst . in order to pay a first visit to the Military Exhibition at Chelsea . Her Majesty carefully inspected all the points of interest , and expressed herself delighted with all she saw . She likewise gladdened the hearts of two old Chelsea Pensioners , whom she questioned as to their services , and both of them proved to be old Crimean warriors .

Mdme . Madeline Schiller , the pianiste who on the occasion of her Orchestral Concert at Prince ' s Hall , May 7 th last , won such favourable Press notices , announces a Pianoforte Recital at St . James' Hall on the afternoon of the 14 th inst . The recital vvill be under the direction of Mr . N . Vert . The programme vvill consist of selections from Beethoven , Schumann , Chopin , Mendelssohn , Liszt , and Hummel .

A meeting was held at Marlborough House on the 4 th inst ., at which the Princess of Wales , vvith the Prince and their son and two younger daughters , were present , and at which the first thousand subscribers of the National Pension Fund for Nurses were heartily welcomed , and the nurses themselves were present in their picturesque costumes . The Princess distributed certificates of membership , and also received purses to the amount of about £ 2000 in aid of the fund .

The summer meeting of the Priory Lodge of Acton , No . 1936 , vvas held on Monday , the 7 th instant , in their old and historic building , the Berrymead Priory , Acton , and after despatch of business , the brethren journeyed to Hampton Court , where a very enjoyable banquet had been prepared by Bro . C Sadler , of the Mitre Hotel , and was found very refreshing after the cold drive down . Owing , however , to the unpropitious weather , the brethren did not muster in such force as is their wont .

The band of the Garde Republicaine , whose visit to London in connection vvith the French Exhibition at West Brompton was prolonged for a few days , was conducted to Marlborough House by the military attache of the French embassy , and had the honour of playing * a selection of pieces before the Prince and Princess of Wales . Owing to the heavy rain the performance took place in the diningroom , but their Royal Highnesses expressed themselves as much gratified .

The good people of Paddington were greatly disappointed at the unavoidable postponement of the great meeting , which had been arranged to take place on the Paddington Recreation Ground on Saturday last , in aid of the North-VVest London Polytechnic . The Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge were ready enough to be present , but the weather proved so unfavourable that the

Committee solicited their Royal Highnesses to postpone their visit to Wednesday , a request to which they readily consented , and it was postponed accordingly . However , the Venetian masts and the bunting proved as well the purposes for which they had been erected and distributed so profusely , and the welcome to the Royal visitors was as cordial as it would have been had the original arrangements been carried out .

The 39 th annual meeting of the Birkbeck Building Society was held recently at the Offices , 29 and 30 , Southampton-buildings , Chancery-lane . The report adopted states that the receipts during the year ended 31 st March last , reached £ 11 , 415 , 607 , making a total from the commencement of the Society of more than one hundred and thirty millions ( £ 132 , 247 , 107 ) . The deposits were

-f 7 ) 937 > 7 » and the subscriptions , £ 209 , 125 , and the gross profits amounted to _ £ 203 , 671 . The surplus funds have been augmented by £ 37 6 , 399 , and now stand at £ 4 , 854 , 340 , of which £ 1 , 645 , 180 is in Consols and other securities guaranteed by the British Government . The balance in the hands of the bankers is £ ' 4 63 , 6 93 . The Permanent Guarantee Fund , £ 125000 , and the Temporary Reserve .

, £ 138 , 671 ( invested in Consols ) , represent more than a quarter of a million ( £ 263 , 671 ) in excess of the liabilities of the Society . The subscriptions and deposits withdrawable on demand amount to £ 5 , 024 , 760 . The Surplus Funds , invested in convertible securities , are sufficient to pay the Depositors 111 " per cent . The new accounts

opened during the year are 9230 , and there are 5 6 , 318 Shareholders and Depositors on the boos . Since its establishment the Society has returned to its shareholders upwards of one million and a quarter sterling ( £ 1 , 292 , 000 ) , and to its Depositors more than one hundred millions ( £ ¦ 07 , 762 , 288 ) , the whole having been repaid upon demand without requiring a day's notice .

Masonic And General Tidings

Canon Liddon is reported to be slightly better , though still suffering severely from neuralgic pains . Bro . Lieut .-Col . T . D . Sewell has been appointed Lieut .-Colonel of the 4 th Battalion Essex Rifle Volunteers , vice Silver retired . The usual summer entertainment to the residents at the

Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution will take place on Wednesday next . A misprint occurred in our report of the Provincial Grand Mark Lodge of Middlesex and Surrey last week . One of the Granddaplains was the Rev . W . F . Oliver , not II . F . Collier , as stated .

The Police Committee of the Corporation have decided to recommend the Court of Common Council that the salary of the new Commissioner of the City Police should commence at £ 1200 per annum . The Baroness and Bro . Burdett-Coutts have left town for Foremark Hall , Repton ( the Derbyshire seat of Colonel Sir Francis Burdett , Bart . ) , to attend the celebration of the coming of age of Mr . Burdett , Sir Francis Burdett'sonly son .

The Court of the Lonners Company have passed a resolution congratulating their colleague , Bro . Augustus Harris , on his election as one of the Sheriffs . Bro . Harris , we are informed , has announced his intention of presenting to the Company a banner of his arms .

By command of the Provincial Grand Master of Cumberland and Westmorland the annual Prov . Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons will be held at Whitehaven tinder the banner of the Fletcher Mark Lodge , No . 213 , on Wednesday next .

Among the candidates for the Chief Commissionership of the City Police—vacant by the resignation of Colonel Fraser—is Bro . L . G . Dundas , P . M . Abbey Lodge , No . 2021 , and Past Prov . J . G . W . Surrey . He is also P . Z . and Treas . of No . 370 .

Bro . Alexander Ridgway , the notary , of Change Alley , Cornhill , and Lombard-street , who is a Vice-President of the Masonic Boys' School and Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , has been appointed Commissioner in England for the State of New York .

The annual Provincial Grand Lodge of Kent vvas held at Ashford yesterday ( Thursday ) . There vvas a good attendance and an unusually full agenda of business disposed of . A banquet afterwards took place . We hope to give a full report in our next .

Brethren will be grieved to hear that continued ill-health has forced Bro . C . R . Brighten to dispose of his interest in Blanchard ' s Restaurant . The rest ordered for him by his physician vvill , we hope , soon restore him , so that his catering capabilities may again rejoice the gourmets of the Masonic world .

A new lodge , named the Bloomsbury , No . 2362 , vvas consecrated at the headquarters of the Bloomsbury Rifles ( 19 th Middlesex ) . The ceremony vvas performed by the Grand Secretary , assisted by Bros . Lord Euston , Sir Lionel Darell , the Dean of Battle , and Frank Richardson . We shall give a full report next week .

The annual Provincial Grand Lodge of Somerset will be held at Clevedon , on Wednesday , the 20 th August , but a Special Provincial Grand Lodge has been fixed by the Deputy Grand Master , Bro . R . E . Else , for Tuesday next , at the Town Hall , Highbridge , for the purpose of moving resolutions of regret at the death of the M . W . Pro G . Master , the Earl of Carnarvon , and sympathy vvith the Countess of Carnarvon and family in their affliction .

The annual meeting of the Provincial Priory of Kent and Surrey of the Order of the Temple vvill be held on Friday , the 25 th inst ., at the Greyhound Hotel , Richmond , Surrey , under the banner of the Harcourt Preceptory , and the presidency of the Provincial Prior , Sir Knight Lieut .-Col . George H . J . Haldane . Members of the Order desirous to attend can obtain full particulars of the Provincial Registrar , Sir Knight A . H . Bateman , The Woodlands , Belvidere , Kent .

Notwithstanding the great success of "New Lamps for Old , " it will now only be played a few nights longer , owing to an arrangement entered into by Miss Grahame to produce Mr . Arthur Law ' s new play during her tenancy of Terry ' s Theatre . The play is in three acts , and entitled " The Judge , " funny little Mr . Henley playing the title role , supported by Messrs . Mark Kinghorne , W . Lestocq ,

VV . Herbert , F . H . Fenton , George Belmore , Mesdames Emily Thorne , Helen Leyton , Elsie Chester , and Miss Grahame . The date of-production is not yet definitel y decided on . " New Lamps for Old " commences a longtour of the provinces on August Bank Holiday , under the supervision of Bro . H . T . tirickwell , and the personal management of Mr . S . H . Austin , Mr . Jerome having made arrangements vvith these gentlemen to look after his interests .

The consecration of the Ubique Mark Lodge , No . 411 , vvill take place at Mark Masons' Hall , Great Queen-street , W . C , on Friday , the iSth inst ., at 5 p . m . The ceremony vvill be performed by Bro . C . F . Matier , P . G . W ., Grand Secretary , assisted by Bro . Capt . W . G . Brighten , Hon . Artillery Company , P . G . Sec . Middlesex and Surrey , & c , and several other distinguished brethren . Bro . Major I . T .

Ritchie , Royal Artillery , is the W . M . designate ; Bro . Capt . W . A . Weston the S . VV . designate ; and Bro . VV . R . Arnold the J . W . designate . Bro . VV . R . Arnold , 5 , Foskett road , Fulham , will gladly furnish any brethren with information respecting this new lodge , and also regarding

the Ubique Royal Arch Chapter , which will be consecrated at the Cafe Royal , Regent-street , on Monday , the 21 st inst ., by the G . S . E . The Master and Wardens designate of the Ubique Mark Lodge are also to be the First , Second , and Third Principals respectively of the Ubique Royal Arch Chapter .

HOLLOWAY S PILLS . —Changes of temperature and weather frequently upset persons who are most careful of their health , and paiticular in their diet . These corrective , piirifvin-r , and gentle aperient Pills are the best remedy for all defective action of the digestive organs . They augment the appetite , strengthen the stomach , correct biliousness , and cairy oil " all that is noxious from

the *> ystem . Holloway s Pills are composed of rare bais mis , unmixed vvith baser matter , and on that account are peculiarly well adapted for the young , delicate , and aged . Asthis peerless medicine lias gained fame in the past , so will it preserve it in the future by its renovating and invigorating qualities , and the impossibility of its doing harm .