Masonic And General Tidings.

Masonic and General Tidings .

BANK RATE REDUCED . —The reduction of the Bank rate on Thursday from 3 i per cent , ( to which it was lowered only a week ago ) to 3 per cent , has come as a surprise to the City . THE ABERGELDIE shootings and fishings have been taken by his Majesty for the ensuing autumn season .

BRO . SHERIFF LAWRENCE , M . P ., will preside at . the summer festival of the Reedham Orphanage , Purley , on Wednesday , the 19 th inst . THE , JUDGES' ANNUAL WHITEBAIT DINNER at Greenwich will not tak place this year consequent on the death of Queen Victoria . THE JUNE NUMBER of the " Anglo-Catholic , " a magazine for Church people , contains an article by Bro . Canon McLarney on Clonfert Cathedral .

BRO . THOS . WM . OCKENDEN , P . M ., P . P . G . D . MIDDX ., was on Saturday last presented with a handsome silver tea and coffee service by the congregation of St . John's Church , Clapham Rise , in recognition of nine years' services as the people ' s warden .

A MEETING of the Executive Committee was held at Londonderry House on Saturday last with reference to the Naval and Military Concert to take place at the Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon , July nth , in aid of Service Charities . It was announced that his Majesty the King and Queen Alexandra have graciously given their patronage .

THE BELLE STEAMERS are now regularly making daily trips ( Fridays excepted ) to Southend , Walton and Clacton , Felixstowe , Harwich , Ipswich , Southwold and Yarmouth , leaving Fresh Wharf at 9 . 15 . To Margate and Ramsgate at 9 . 35 , in addition to which the husband ' s boat will leave each Saturday for Margate at two o ' clock , callinsr at Tilbury only .

A LIBRARY is to be formed in connection with the Bournemouth Lodge of Instruction , and doubtless it will be much appreciated by Masonic students . Some promises of books have already been made , and there must be many Masons in Bournemouth and the neighbourhood who would like to help ; they should communicate with the Preceptor or the Secretary .

THE PROVINCIAL GRAND CHAPTER OF SURREY . —The annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Chapter will be held at the County and Borough Halls , Guildford , on Friday , the 2 Sth instant , at 3 . 15 p . m . precisely . All Principals and Past Principals of the several chapters of the province are requested to attend , and all companions are invited to be present . The companions will appear in full Royal Arch clothing , and morning dress .

THE PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF SURREY will be held at the County and Borough Halls , Guildford , on Friday , the 28 th inst ., at 4 . 15 p . m ., precisely , when the attendance is required of Provincial Grand Ollicers , with the Worshipful Masters , Past Masters , and Wardens of the lodges in the province . AU Mister Masons of the province are invited to be present . The attendance of brethren of other provinces is cordially invited . Morning dress .

. THE GRAND LODGE OF NEW YORK is the wealthiest in the world . Its real estate free from all encumbrances is valued at 1 , 5 . 7 1 , 058 dols ., and it has a permanent fund of 103 , 690 . 90 dols . ; a home reserve fund of 215 , 022 . 43 dols . •a general home fund of 9 , 885 . 44 dols . ; and cash on hand 54 , 274 . 72 dols . Exclusive of the furniture in the Hall in New York city and the Home in Utica , the Grand Lodge of New York can realise 2 , 353 , 912 . 11 dols . at any time . The membership is now 106 , 235 .

PRESENTATION—One of the pillars of King Solomon Lodge , Toronto , is Bro . Daniel McDonald , P . M . To mark his wonderful record of not having missed a lodge meeting for the long period of 30 years , his brother members at the last meeting presented him with a handsome gold watch , upon which was inscribed "As a recognition of his services in attending every meeting of the lodge since his initiation , January 30 , 1 S 70 , to May 9 , igoi . " Bro . Walter S . Lee made the presentation , while bro . A'ibrcy White , P . D . D . G . M ., and other members spoke of Bro . McDonald ' s services to the ledge and to Masonry .

AT A REGULAR MEETING of the Gosport Chapter , No . 903 , held at the India Aims , Gospott , on the 5 th inst ., Comp . E . Braham , M . E . Z ., at the request ot the Principals and companions of thc Royal Victoria Chapter , N 0 . 35 S , Bermuda , presented a r . andsome gold P . Z . ' s jewel to Ccmp . VV . F . World , P . Z . of the latter chapter . While in Bermuda- the recipient was an active worker in Masonic circles , and his depaiture for England was much regretted by all with whom he had come into contact . It was in appieciation of his many services to thc Craft , and as a mark of the esteem in which he was held , that the companions of the Bermuda chapter desired the presentation of the jewel to be made .

THE KING AND THE R . A . S . — By the King ' s command Sir Dighton Probyn has written to Sir Walter Gilbey enclosing a donation of 250 guineas from his Majesty for the fund which . is about to be raised by the Rojal Agricultural Society for the purchase of a site between Willesden and Ealing , for the purpose of the future permanent showyard of the society . He states that the King is hopeful that the £ 30 , 000 required will soon be forthcoming , and that although his Majesty is no longer able to continue to take the active part in the management of the society which he has hitherto done , having four times been President and for 22 years a trustee , still he will never cease to have the greatest interest in its welfare .

THE QUEEN VICTORIA MEMORIAL FUND . —The Mansion House Fund in support of the National Memorial of the late Queen Victoria has icceived one or two notable additions within the last lew days . TheTjnited Grand Lodge of Freemasons ol England has sent £ 500 , the Orient Steam Navigation Company ^ 2 IO and Mr . R . Gordon £ 105 . There have been received also tV . e following , among other sums , viz ., the employees of M . B . Foster and Sons , Limited , £ 1 . 0 4 s . 1 id . ; Mr . C . R . Rivington , £ 5 SS . 1 and Bishop Wilkinson , £ 10 . The Mayor of Holborn has started a borough lund for the purpose of raising contributions for the Queen Victoria Memorial .

A SMART CITY RECTOR . —As so many impostors have recently applied for relief al St . Mary-at-Hill , the Rector , the Rev . VV . Carlile , has decided to impose the usual labour test of chopping sticks on a Sunday as well as on week days , He previously consulted Bro . the Archdeacon of London , who had sent him several doubtful persons . Bro . the Archdeacon replied , " Your regulation is a wise one . " A man with halfstarved expression and dressed in rags recently applied for assistance , saying he had no work or food . When offered a job his face broadened out with a well-fed grin , and , as he quickly slipped out of the church , he said , " That aint wot I wants , guv ' nor , " On several occasions Mr . Carlile has had even the iron choppers stolen .

THE LADY MAYORESS will preside at " The City of London " stall at the great county sale to be held at Earl ' s Court on Thursday , Friday , and Saturday , 27 th , 28 th , and 29 th instant . The proceeds are to be given to the Soldiers' and Sailors' Families ' Association , which , in spite of the Princess of Wales's and other appeals , is now urgently in need of further funds . I ' pwards of £ Sco , ooo has already been spent

through the association—over £ 250 , 000 of which came to it through the Mansion House—in maintaining the wives and children of men at the front during the progress of the war . We are asked to intimate that the Lady Mayoress will be grateful if gifts of articles for sale at the City of London stall , or of money wherewith to puichase them , so that the City may be well and worthily represented in this charitable rivalry among the counties of the kingdom .

PRESENTATIONS AT WIMBORNE . —On Monday , the 3 rd instant , in the presence of an unusually large attendance at thc St . Cuthberga Lodge , No . 622 , Bro . VV . E . Brymer , D . P . G . M ,, on behalf of the members , presented Past Master ' s jewels to Bros , the Very Rev . VV . Mortimer Heath , P . G . Chap . Eng ., and R . G . Cave , P . P . G . D . C . Bro . Colonel Brymer , in making the piesentation to Bro . Heath , stated there was no Mason in thc province who had done so much for Masonry as liro . Heath , who

had attained the highest positions not only in the Craft , but in the other Degrees in Freemasonry . Bro . Luff supplemented the remarks of Bro . Col . Brymer , who then handed a jewel to Bro . K . G . Cave . In so doing hc alluded to Bro . Lieut . Cave ' s connection with the Dorset Yeomanry and his sei vices with the 26 th Company in South Africa . Bro . Lieut . Lave suitably acknowledged the gift . Ihe jewels were of handsome and costly design , and bore a figure of St . Cuthberga ,

Masonic And General Tidings.

THE INNER TEMPLE GARDENS .-For the benefit of poor children thess gardens will be open every Tuesday , Wednesday , Thursday , and Friday eveninc from now up to the end of August . m THE 275 TH PERFORMANCE of "Sweet Nell of Old Drury" will be given at the Globe Theatre on Tuesday next , and Miss Julia Neilson ' s season will temporarily conclude on Friday , the 28 th instant . y

THE KING has intimated to the trustees of the Alexandra Palace , Muswell-hill his intention to send for exhibition there the Jubilee presents of the late Oueen , -which have already been shown at the Imperial Institute . ~" THE VICAR OF ST . JUDE'S , Bethnal Green , appeals for funds to give several hundred poor children of the locality a day in Epping Forest , and their mothers a dav at Southend . For the sick he would be most grateful for any free convalescent home letters .

GENERAL BOOTH Is not so seriously ill as reported . He is simply sufferine from the effects of a chill caught a little time since , but was sufficiently well two days ' ago to transact important business at his house in connection with the Salvation Armv work . AN EXHIBIT by the Belgian Government of heavy ordnance , projectiles , small arms , Src , illustrating step by step the progress made in manufacture since the days of the old muzzle-loaders , is among recent additions to the Earl ' s Court Military Exhibition .

THE BATTLESHIP FORMIDABLE returned to Spithead on Thursday night and reported that her full-power trial had resulted satisfactorily . She will now be taken into the dockyard and completed for sea . The Formidable is a very fine ship , having a dis . placement of 15 , 000 tons . She is 400 ft . long , and carries about 50 guns of various siz » s .

THE GREAT WESTERN RA ILWAY on Thursday inaugurated a summer series of day trips from London to Leamington , Warwick Castle , Guy ' s Cl iff , Stoneleigh Park , Stratford-on-Avon , and Shottery . The cost of the trip , including fare , carriage drive , ' and luncheon , is one guinea . COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS' SCHOOLS . —The annual speech day and distribution of prizes will take place , at Pinner , on Saturday , the 22 nd instant , at 1 . 30 o ' clock . Bro . W . W . Thompson , Chairman of the Board of Management , will preside , and Mrs . W . W . Thompson has kindly consented to distribute the prizes .

SIR EDWARD BRADFORD , the Commissioner of Metropolitan Police , who was thrown from his horse in Portman-square , while out riding on Thursday , is going on very well , and is in no danger . He is suffering from injuries to his head , but , fortunately , they are not of a serious nature , and he expects to be out of doors again in a few days .

INTERNATIONAL YACHTING . —After a series of trials Mr . Lome Currie ' s yacht Greyfriars has been selected to represent England in the internatio nal contest for the Seawanhaka Cup . The vessel is now being cased , and will be conv eyed across the Atlantic by the liner Australasian at the end of the month . The races take place on the 24 th prox .

PRINCE OF WALES'S HOSPITAL FUND . —The honorary Secretaries of the Prince of Wales ' s Hospital Fund for London have received at the Bank of England a cheque for £ 2650 from Messrs . J . S . Morgan and Co ., which they have paid , at the request of Mr . Foxhall P . Keene , " as a donation from that gentleman to the Prince of Wales ' s Hospital Fund , being one-half of the Oaks Stakes won by Mr . Keene ' s hoise , Cap and Bells , at Epsom , last week . "

NEW MASONIC HALLS FOR MOTHERWELL .-On Saturdav afternoon , the Sth instant , in beautiful weather , Bro . Colonel R . R . Stewart , the Provincial Grand Master of the Middle Ward of Lanarkshire , laid the memorial stone of the new Masonic Halls which are being erected jointly by the two local lodges , viz .. Lodge St . John , Dalziel , No . 406 , and Lodge Livingston , St . Andrews , No . 573 . There was a large gatheiing of the Masonic brethren from the town and district , the procession being the largest yet seen in Motherwell in connection with a Masonic ' ceremony .

THE QUATUOR CORONATI LODGE , No . 2076 , at its meeting on Midsummer Day will have to mourn the loss of another of its founders in the person of Bro . Sir Walter Besant , who remained its Treasurer to the end , and who has soon followed his co-founder , Bro . G . VV . Speth , its indefatigable Secretary . Suitable recognition of Sir Walter Besant ' s services to the antiquarian and historical side of Masonry is certain to be rendered at the meeting ; and it may be interesting to mention that a movement has already been started for the erection of a monument to the late Bro . Speth , in commemoration of what he did for the Craft .

THE QUEEN , the Duke and Duchess of Connaught , and the Dukeof Cambridge have given their patronage to a military and dramatic fete which is to be given , by permission of Sir Redvers and Lady Audley Buller , in the grounds of Government House , Aldershot , on the 25 th and 26 th instant , in aid of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Families ' Association . A capital programmee has been arranged . Bro . Charles Wyndham , Miss

Mary Moore , Miss Irene Vanbrugh , and others are to supply the dramatic entertainment , music will be p lentiful , and on the second day a military tattoo is to be played by 10 massed bands . Sports of almost all kinds are included in the programme , also a musical ride and a Balaclava meVue . In fuct , the fete will make Aldershot a centre of attraction on the two days mentioned , and the South-Western Railway Company have , in view of the fact , arranged to issue cheap return tickets .

BRO . CHARLES E . KEYSER , J . P . of Reading , has undertaken to preside at the 143 rd Anniversary Festival of the Orphan Working School on Friday , 28 th instant , advertised in another column . This excellent charity provides a home and education to 500 fatherless children , and requires at least £ 13 , 000 a year to maintain and educate its large family . The income from regular contributions only reaches £ 6000 annually , leaving £ 7000 to be raised by donations in response to the annual festival appeal . The

school was founded in London on May ioth , 175 S , and was carried on at Hoxton till 1773 , then in the City-road till 1847 , when the present building at Haverstock Hill wis erected . The Alexandra Orphanage for Infants , the junior branch nf the institution , was started at Hornsey in 1 SC 4 , and amalgamated with the Orphan Working School in 1 S 77 . In 1 S 75 the Convalescent Home , at Margate , for the accommodation of 25 children needing change of air , was opened . Altogether 5500 children have heen trained and cared for in the institution .

INTEREST in the sale of the overstock of sherries from the Royal cellars increases as the date of the auction draws near , and there can hardly be a doubt that an active competition will take place on the part alike of the trade and of private purchasers . The 5000 dozens are drawn from 105 different bins , the largest proportion from a single one being 2 S 4 dozen , and the smallest 13 . With regard to the age of portions of the ) wine it is impossible to speak with certainty , and the nearest clue in these instances is the date of bottling , which in many cases took place as far back as the sixties . But

sherry does not depreciate in value by keeping , and for years to come a high esteem is likely to be rightly placed on the contents of these bottles , each of them labelled with the initials " V . R . " or " P . W . " In modern days this wine is mainly used for dessert purposes , a circumslance which may quite possibly have accentuated the desirability of reducing the large stock accumulated at the five Royal residences concerned . Of a total of 11 S 3 lots , St . James ' s Palace contributes 451 , Buckingham Palace 391 , Marlborough House 194 , Windsor Castle too , and Sandringham 47 .

ANGLO-INDIANS AND OTHERS seeking genuine Indian-manufactured condiments , currie stuffs , chutnees , preserves , poppidums , Bombay ducks , Nepaul pepper , & c , send to the original firm . C . Stembridge and Co ., iS , Green-street , Leicester-square , London ; and Calcutta . Established 1 S 21 . Write for price list , Removed from 33 , Leicester-square ) .

Deaths.

DEATHS .

BHSANT . —On the 9 th instant , at Frognal End , Hampstead , N . W ., Bro Sir Walter Besant , aged 64 . W ANTAGI :. —On the ioth inst ., at Locking House , Berks , Bro . Robert James , Baron Wantage , V . C , K . C . B ., aged 69 ,