Weekly Summary.

WEEKLY SUMMARY .

Her Majesty is still at Osborne . The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have been at Moscow , but have now returned to St . Petersburg , and are about to proceed to Zarskoe Selo , for a little quiet , after their public receptions , which have been most brilliant and enthusiastic .

The marriage party is breaking up , the Crown Prince and Princess of Germany have left for Berlin , together with the Duke of Saxe-Coburg Gotha , and we shall very soon be expecting to see amongst us again their Royal Hig hnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales . The general elections have proceeded , 557

members have been already returned , and the elections will be over probably by the end of this week . Ney t week we shall be able to clearly estimate the result of the dissolution . As a fact , it is remarkable that the Lord Mayor of London , the Lord Mayor of Dublin , and the Lord Provost of Edinburgh have all three been returned to serve in the new Parliament .

Otherwise we have not much home news to record except another somewhat serious accident at West Drayton . The Castro trial , and the Lord Chief Justice ' s summing-up still continues . We shall next week , we trust , be able to report the conclusion of this " cause celebre , " and the verdict of the

very patient jury . On Saturday his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge , accompanied by General Sir Richard Airey , G . C . B ., Adjutant-General ofthe Forces ; Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Ellice , K . C . B ., Quartermaster-General to the Forces ;

Major-General Sir Thomas M Mahon , C . B ., commanding the Cavalry Brigade , Aldershot , Inspecting-General of Cavalry ; Colonel Middleton , C . B ., Deputy-Adjutant-General ( Royal Artillery ); Colonel Clifford , V . C ., C . B ., Assistant-Adjutant General ; Colonel Oakes , C . B . ( late commanding

12 th Lancers ) , Inspecting Officer of Auxiliary Cavalry ; Colonel Fraser , V . C ., C . B ., late nth Hussars , Aide-de-Camp to his Royal Highness ; and Captain Fenn , Inspector of Saddlery , Royal Arsenal , Woolwich , paid an official visit to the Saddlers' Company , in the City of London , to

inspect a fine exhibition of military saddlery now on view there , and in relation to which the company had offered a series of prizes , with the view to encourage technical education in the branch of art and industry , with which they are especially identified . They are one of the oldest

guilds in the City , being coeval in existence with the famous steel-yard merchants who were settled in Upper Thames-street on what is now called Dowgate-hill , and who , according to Herbert ' s " History of the Twelve Livery Companies , " were a branch of , if thev did not give

rise to , the famous Hanseatic League . The distinguished visitors on Saturday were received at the hall of the company , situate in Cheapside , by Mr . Deputy Harris , the Master , and the rest of the governing body , among whom was Mr . Alderman Cotton , one of the newly-elected

members for the City of London . 1 he competition for the prizes , which were from 50 guineas downwards , had been open to army and regiments ! saddlers and the trade generally . The exhibition was tastefully arranged in the principal hall of the company on Saturday , and

his Royal Hi ghness the Duke of Cambridge , with the rest of the military authorities present , went carefully and critically over it , bringing their practical experience to bear upon the specimens shown . The hall of the company is adorned b y a fine portrait in oil of Frederick , Prince of Wales

son of George IL , to whom the freedom of the guild was conferred in November , 1736 , and also one of Queen Anne . It likewise contains a portrait of the late Sir Peter Laurie , long a noted member , and at one time Master of the Company . During the visit the Duke of Cambridge and the whole of the military authorities

accompanying his Royal Highness were entertained by the Master and Wardens at a statel y dejeiiner , which was served in the court-room , a lofty and finely-proportioned chamber . The Company is rich in ancient drinking cups and tankards in solid silver , many of them massive and highly artistic in design , one being a cup nearl y 200 years old , and another a very curious

Weekly Summary.

tankard—much admired—of the time of Queen Elizabeth , and many of them were used at the entertainment . The news from the Gold Coast , seems dtcisive of this , that the King of the Ashantees

has agreed to " cave in , " unless it be a " ruse de guerre" of that wily old gentleman " Amanquartia . " Probably next week will bring us official tidings . Some doubt has been thrown however on the telegram .

The famine has we fea :- begun in India , though much rain has also happily fallen , and under Providence , let us hope , that by administrative energy , the disastrous consequences of previous famines in that densely populated country , may be happily averted from the suffering inhabitants .

Abroad the news is very unimportant , lhe " Prefet de la Seine" has given a successful fete at the Palace of the Luxembourg , and France is generally tranquil . In Germany Archbishop Ledochowski is in prison , and the Swiss authorities have expelled the Abbe Collet , a French

clergyman , from Switzerland . The Dutch seem to be progressing in the Achinese war , and the Carlists appear to be on the eve of taking Bilbao . We have to record the deaths of Earl Howth , K . P ., of Baron Meyer de Rothschild , of Mr .

Ireland Blackburne , one of the oldest ex-Members of Parliament , of Mr . Herman Merivale , under-Secretary , at the India Office , of that good officer General Gaspard le Marchant , of two old soldiers , Major Morgan and L ) on , and two Admirals who had seen much service , E . Gill and Balfour Maxwell .

Red Cross Ball.

RED CROSS BALL .

A grand ball took place , under the auspices of the Grand Council of England , of the Knights of the Red Cross of Constantine , at the Cannonstreet Hotel , on Wednesday last , on which occasion there was a large attendance of the Knights of the Order , and their friends . Although the

ball was under the special patronage of the Earl of Bective , Grand Commander , and the Grand Council , the privilege of attending was not exclusively limited to members of the Order , who were entitled to introduce friends , whether members or not , Masons or non-Masons , the

only condition required being that the tickets should be signed by one of the Stewards . The natural consequence of this requirement was to make the ball a very select , and at the same time a very enjoyable one . Dancing commenced at nine o ' clock , to the

music of an excellent band , provided by Bro . Weaver , and was kept up to a late , or rather early , hour . The elegant apparel of the Grand Council and Knights of the Red Cross , toned down in a measure by the presence of a few gentlemen

in the simpler evening dress , combined with the elegant toilettes of the ladies , and the tasteful decorations of the fine Ball-room of the Hotel , produced a mis-en-scene which can better be imagined than described . At twelve o ' clock , the company adjourned to

supper . Bro . Col . Burdett , occupied the chair . The first toast proposed was that of "The Queen . " The next toast was , " The memory of Constantine the Great , the founder , not only of the Constantinian Order of St . George , but also of the Masonic Order of the Red Cross , " coupled

with the name of H . I . H . Prince Rhodocanakis . His Imperial Highness replied as follows : — " It is with sincere gratification that 1 rise to acknowledge the very high compliment which you have just paid me , and I feel assured , that under the circumstances , you will judge of my

zeal in . the cause of our orders of chivalry , rather by my acts , than by my words . I can conscientiously affirm , that in advancing the interests of our illustrious confraternity in general , and particularly in my native land , I have striven to carry out those wise cosmopolitan

principles , which at the dawn of modern civilization , raised to such a p itch of grandeur , those renewed orders of chivalry which , even in modern times , we see , may be restored , if not with equal pageantry , at any rate with even more practical advantages . Fully alive to the importance in

Red Cross Ball.

every state , of a social organization , divested of the disturbing influence of politics , and relying rather on my honesty of purpose , than on my own qualifications for the task , I accepted the mission of conveying to the Greeks a fuller knowledge of those noble principles which had so

impressed themselves upon me in this great and enlightened country , and in finally establishing the Grand Orient and S . G . C . of the Hellenic kingdom , I also prepared a way for the establishment there , sooner or later , of the Red Cross Masonic Order , which here I , have found dignified

by the noblest of principles , and with an organisation the excellence of which is best attested , by the rapid extension of the order in the remotest countries . As regards my purely personal feelings , I acknowledge with the greatest respect the courtesy and hospitality extended to myself ,

but which after all , was but to have been expected at the hands of a body of gentlemen of social distinction and personal accomplishments , true Knights , as I believe , sans peur et sans reproche . " "The Ladies , " wasresoonded to by Bro . Col .

Peters , in a humorous speech . The management of the whole affair reflectsthe greatest credit on the Stewards , which comprised the following : — EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE . —Colonel Francis-Burdett , Chairman ; Robert Wentworth Little ,

Wm . Robert Woodman , M . D . ; Henry Charles Levander , M . A . GENERAL COMMITTEE . —James Lewis Thomas , Raynham W . Stewart , Angelo J . Lewis , M . A . ; John Boyd , Thomas Cubitt , Thomas W .

White , Joseph Charles Parkinson , William Roebuck , George Kenning , Charles H . Rogers-Harrison , Sigismund Rosenthal , J ohn T . Moss , T . Burdett Yeoman . STEWARDS . —The Members of the Grand

Council and Senate , and the following Knights : —Sir Gilbert E . Campbell , Bart . ; Victor Cerexhe , Benjamin Cook , Antonio J . Codner , Henry A . Dubois , William Forster , Hon . Judge Gibbs , Isidore S . Gordon , Charles Hammerton , Charles F . Hogard , Charles Horsley , Frederick

Keily , William Kelly , F . S . A . ; Thomas Kingston , James Percy Leith , John George Marsh , Thomas Massa , Alfred Moore , Alpheus C . Morton , Edward S . Norris , Alfred Albert Pendlebury , Colonel James Peters , Henry Phythian , Frederick W . H . Ramsay , M . D . ;

Ebenezer Roberts , Edwin Sillifant , David R . Still , Eugene H . Thiellay . Frederick Walters , James Weaver . Bro . Ebenezer Roberts discharged the duties of Master of the Ceremonies to the satisfaction

of all present . Great praise is due to the spirited host , Bro . Spencer , for the excellent repast and the choice wines and other refreshments that were provided with no sparing hand during the course of the evening .

Grand Lodge Of Scotland.

GRAND LODGE OF SCOTLAND .

The Grand Lodge of Scotland met again om Monday , the and inst ., in the Great Hall ,. George-street , Edinburgh . The Most Worshipful Grand Master , Sir Michael R . Shaw Stewart , Bart ., occupied the throne , supported by the Right Hon . Lord James C . Plantaganet Murray ,

R . W . Deputy G . Master , and Scottish representative at the Grand Lodge of England ; W . Mann , Esq ., P . G . W ., as S . G . W . ; Major Hamilton Ramsay , J . G . W . ; H . Inglis , Esq ., P . S . G . M . and P . G . M . Peebles and Selkirk ; Major Hope , P . M . East Lothian ; Lauderdale

Maitland , Esq ., P . G . M . Dumfrieshire ; Captain G . R . Harnott , P . M ., Wigtonshire ; J . Laurie , Esq ., G . S . ; F . A . Barron , Esq ., R . W . S . G . Deacon ; W . Hay , Esq ., J . G . D . ; A . Hay , Esq ., Grand Jeweller ; Captain G . F . R . Colt , G . Swordbearer ; C . W . Muller , Esq ., Director of Music ; R . Davidson , Esq ., G . Organist ; A . T .

Apthorpe , Esq ., Acting Chief Grand Marshal ; . W . M . Bryce , G . Tyler ; and many past grand officers . The usual preliminary business having been diposed of , Bro . Inglis , Past Substitute Grand Master , announced his presence as representative of one of the three great masonic bodies of Germany , the " Grand Countries" Lodge , to