Masonic And General Tidings

MASONIC AND GENERAL TIDINGS

Bro . the Lord Mayor has opened at the Mansion House a fund for the relief of the sufferers by the recent calamitous earthquake in Ischia . At the installation meeting- of the Duke of Edinburgh Lodge , No . 1182 , Liverpool , on the gth inst ., Bro . J . O . Rea was installed in the Master ' s chair of the lodge for the ensuing year .

We furnish elsewhere a report of the annual meeting of the Grand Council for England and Wales of the Allied Masonic Degrees , which took place on the nth inst ., at Hampton Court . VVe have been requested particularly to state that it was Bro . Gould , P . G . D ., not Bro . Raymond Thrupp , D . Prov . G . M . Middx ., who addressed Grand I . odge , and

that his remarks were directed against the proposition to alter the long-standing " status " of Past Masters . The annual Provincial Grand Lodge of Hants and the Isle of Wight was held at Petersfield , on Friday , the 10 th inst . Bro . VV . W . B . Beach , M . P ., R . W . Prov . G . M ., presided . A full report will be found on another page . According * to present arrangements the Earl of

Carnarvon , M . W . Pro G . M ., will said for Canada about a week hence , accompanied by the Countess cf Carnarvon and Lord Porchester . Their stay in Canada will extend over a month or six weeks , Bro . F . H . Wilson lies , D . Prov . G . M . Herts , oa the ist inst . performed the ceremony of installation on behalf of Bro . T . J . Villiers , the S . W . and W . M . elect , at the annual meeting of the Abercorn Lodge , No . 1549 , Great Sianmore .

The remains of Bro . John Saffery , whose sudden and lamented death we announced in our last , were interred in the Isle of Sheppy Cemetery on Monday . A large number of the brethren of the De Shurland and Adam's lodges , and also several of the neighbouring lodges took part in the Itinera ! procession .

Mis . g Edith Pechey , M . D ., has been selected for the post of senior lady -doctor in Bombay under the scheme of the ' Medical Worn- n for India Fund . " Miss Pechey is to se ' ec a junior lady-docior to work with her , and the two are exptcttd to arrive at the scene of their labours in November next .

The Wanderers Lodge of Instruction , No . 1604 ( Bro . F . J . Wray , P . M . 1604 , S . W . 1257 , Preceptor ) , has rr moved Irom its present home ( the Ulack Horse , York-stie < -t , S . W . ) , to the Adam and Kve Tavern , Palmerstreet , Wesiminster , near the new Town Hall , where a most convenient 100 m has been si-cured for its meetings , the first ot which took place on Wednesday last , at 7 . 30 p . m .

The Rev . Dr . Robert Moffat , the celebrated African missionary and traveller , died on Thursday evening , the gih inst ., in his 80 th year , 50 of which had been spent in his missionary efforts in the interior of Africa . The funeral took place on Thursday last in Upper Norwood Cemetery , where Mrs . Moffat was buried a few years ago .

Bro . M . Richard Muckle , of the Public Ledger , sailed for Europe yesterday in the Red Star steamship Zeeland . He was accompaied down the river as far as Deepwater Point by a large delegation of personal and professional friends , who , a * ter bidding him adieu , returned to the city in the police tug Stokley , arriving at Walnutstreet Wharf about 10 p . m . —Philadelphia Public Ledger , July 26 th .

The Prince and Princess of Wales , accompanied by the Princesses Louise , Victoria , and Maud , the Princess of Saxe-Meiningen , the Duke of Cambridge , and Prince Louis of Battenburg , attende 1 by the suite , left London on Tuesday evening for the Continent . The party left Charingcross at 8 . 7 p . m ., travelling via South Eastern Railway to the Dover Admiralty Pier , which was reached at 9 . 45 p . m ., and whence they crossed the Straits on the Invicta steamer to Calais .

Bro . G . B . Ashburner was installed W . M . of the Baldwin Lo ' ge . No . 1398 , at Dalton-in-Fur ness , on the Sth inst ., Bro . VV . Whiteside , P . M . 1398 and P . G . S . B ., performing the ceremony in the presence of a large number of biethien , amoRL'st whom were many present and past

Provincial Grand Officers ot West Lancashire and neighbouring provinci s . Henry Nicholl , Esq . ( steward to Bro . his grace the Duke of tucchuch ) , and E . Wadham , Esq ., J P ., visit e d the lodge room after the conclusion of thc Masonic business , lt is owing to the kindness of these gentlemen that the lodge is enabled to meet in the caslle .

It wi 1 be remembered that a vote of condolence with Mrs . Simps'tn , in connection vvith the death of her husband , Kro . Wm . Simpson , was recently conveyed to her by the membf rs of the H-verton L ) d ge , No . 823 , Liverpool , 01 which deceased was a member ; and within the last few days Mrs . Simpson has s- nt a fine cabinet photograph of Bro . Simpson tothe following members of the lodge : Bros .

VV . Brassey , W . M . ; J . Holding , P . P . G . R . ; W . J . Lunt , P . G . Treas . ; J . Beesley , I . P . M . ; J . M . King , S . W . ; R . H . Webster . J . W . ; | . Gau ly , Sec . ; R . W . Goiv , S . D . ; W . Maddox . J O . * , R . S . Milne , I . G . ; C . H . Ashton , Stwd . ; and J . Mantle , Stwd . Our contemporary the Keystone is responsible for the following : —Bro . Sir Aichibald Allison , who is an

enthusiastic Mason , and has held the office of Provincial Grand Master ol the Glasgow Province , relates the following story . In the Crimean war , during the assault on the Redan , an English officer led a small party of soldiers up to one of the guns placed in a recess of the Redan , and most of the men fell before the tremendous fire with which

they were received . The others were attacked by a body of Russians , an ( the English officer was about to be bayoneted , when he chanced to catch the hand of a Russian officer , and give it a mystic pressure . The Russian in a moment struck up the bayonet of the soldier , led his newfound brother to the rear , and treated him with all the kindness of a Mason .

Masonic And General Tidings

During the last six years Bro . Lord Yarborough has at the audits made returns which have reduced the rental of his estate by nearly £ 10 , 000 per annum . The hig hest award lor pianos , the Diploma of Honour , has been accorded atthe Am-terdam Exhibition to Messrs . John Brinsmead and Sons , of London .

At the installation meeting of the St . John and St . Paul Lodge , No . 615 , at the Public Hall , Erith , on thc nth inst ., Bro . VV . Hills was placed in the chair of K . S . for the ensuing year . Ali ascent of Mont Blanc was made last week by a girl name Queunessen , aged 16 , the youngest of her sex , it is said , who has yet reached the summit of the

mountain . Bro . John T . Reeves was installed into the chair of K . S . in theGraystone Lodge , No . 1915 , Whitstable , on the gth inst . Bro . R . Boughton Smith , P . M . 511 , 540 , 1007 , 1560 , P . P . G . S . B . Leicester and Rutland , performed the ceremony . The sale of reply post-cards has fallen short of reasonable expectation . The public do not seem to * be

aware of their existence , or do not find them convenient . On the contrary , postal orders continue to increase in popular favour . The Stanmore Chapter , No . 1549 , held its installation meeting on the nth inst ., at the Abercorn Hotel , Great Stanmore , when temps . T . J . Maidwell , C . H . Webb , and J . § . Frazer were placed in the chairs of Z ., H ., and J . respectively .

The Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours has taken studios in Great Ormond-street for the purpose of the schools they ire about to establish . The instruction in these schools will be wholly gratuitous , but it is not intended for any but those who have , to begin with , a fair proficiency in draughtsmanship .

A proposal to hold in London , during 1885 or 18 S 6 , a thoroughly representative Colonial Exhibition is being mooted , and the Canadian Cassette considers that were the scheme placed on a satisfactory footing the British colonies and dependences would be able to send to London exhibits far surpassing in importance those now on view in the commercial capital of Holland . —City Press .

We print elsewhere a discourse delivered on St . John's Day , June 2- }» h , 1757 , one hundred and twenty-six years ago , in Trinity Church , Newport . Rhode Island , U . S . A ., before St . John ' s Lodge , No . 1 , A . F . & A . M . We call our readers' attention to this as bring probabl y one of the oldest pieces of Masonic literature in omneclion with that district now extant . Some other items of interest will

be found to precede the sermon itself . As an illustration of how our colonies are teaching themselves to become independent of the mother country , we hear that one of the Urgest foundries in Australia has just completed an extensive order for goldmining machinery , nut for use in that colony , but for India . The value of the plant is / , ' i 3 , « oo , and it is said to form

almost the whole cargo of the ship by which it is being conveyed to its destination . We are rejoiced to read , in the " Voice of Masonry " for August , that lhe androgynous " Order of the rastern Star" purposes to erect a home for itself . We

sincerely trust it will be a large one . large enough , in fact , to hold the entire sisterhood , and that they may all be persuaded to enter this home and to assume a vow never again to enter the world . We proffer our condolence to the Grand Patrons when they shall be deprived of the society of the Grand Matrons . —Keystone .

Some one has written to the daily press suggesting to do away vyith " Mister' ' and " Esq . " A contemporary moving in the hiuher cir'es says anent this proposal : —VVe could do without the latter better than the former , for a man may be called Mr . when you don ' t know his initials , whereas if you write " Jones , Esq ., " he mav think , as a guileless rustic did , that you are using had

language about him , and mean to degrade him in the eyes of the postman . One suicide is always followed by others . I see that a man name Behril says he is going to swim the Niagara Rapids , and now another pers -n is going to pass

them in a swimming suit of some kind that he believes will buoy him up . In fact , for the next few months the Niagara Rapids will be the favourite locality for suicide , and not until two or three mure foolhardy men have perished like poor Captain Webb , shall we fee the end ot the present mania . — " Flaneur" in the Court Circular .

On Tuesday afternoon General William Gordon died very suddenly while our jrrouse-shooting on the Hill of Corrcen , Aberdeenshire . The medical gentleman whose assistance had been procured was of opinion that the cause of death was heari cramp . Deceased , who was 60 years

of age , bad his residence at southsea , Portsmouth . He was twice promoted for gallant conduct , had the Crimean medal and clasps and the Turkish medal . His surviving brothers are Major-General John Gordon , C . B ., late of the Indian Army , and Vice-Admiral Alex . Gordon .

Rev . Bro . John Brown , D . D ., of Hiram Lodge , No . 13 , Newburg , N . Y ., was made a Mason in that lodge on June 16 , 1817 , and can claim 66 years a continuous lodge membership . He has bien for many years , and is still Chaplain of Hudson River Lodge , No . 607 , Newburg , and on his 02 nd birthday , on May 19 th last , was presented by his lodge with a magnificent bisket of flowers . Bro . Dr . continuousl

Brown has also served y as rector of St . George's Episcopal Church , Newburg , for 63 years—since 1878 a rector-emeritus . He is venerated and loved by all his associates . — Liberal Freemason . Bro . R . J . Finnemore , Dist . G . M . Natal , has been raised to the Colonial Bench in South Africa . The Natal Mercury , in commenting upon the honour thus paid to our distinguished brother , says : Mr . Finnemore ' s will cost Durban the services of

translation to the Kench an able and popular magistrate ; and while we must all rejoice at the well-earned eleyation of so old and faithful an officer of the Govetnm-nt , the local community will sincerely regret his retirement from the town magistracy . If it be true , however , that Mr . Finne / nore ' s tenure of the higher office can only be provisional , owing to technical difficulties , Durban may hope to have him once more instilled in the seat of justice .

Masonic And General Tidings

The Pure Literature Society have published their annual report , which affords very gratifying proofs of the progress of the good work of the society . The latest intelligence as to the health of Bro the Bishop of Peterborough is to the effect that his lordship is progressing very satisfactorily . Mr . G . E . Wood , C . C , has been entertaining a

part y of fiiends on board his yacht , the Laterna , which is cruising off Cowes , I . W . Bro . A . J . Altman , C . C , and Bro , Pannell , C . C , were amongst thepartyduring the week . Ninety-one persons of the age of 100 years and upwards died in England in 18 S 1 . Twenty-five were men , their age ; ranging from 100 to 112 , and 66 were women , from 100 to 107 .

On Wednesday , Bro . General Lord Wolseley was engaged for several hours in inspecting the School of Military Engineering . At night his lordship was the guest of the Royal Engineers . On Tuesday next , the 21 st inst ., Lord Weymouth , the eldest son and heir of Bro . the Marquis of Bath , will attain his majority , and the auspicious event will

be made much of in thc counties of Wilts and Somerset . It is the intention of the Wilts Yeomanry to present his lordship with a sword of honour . The Provincial Grand Lod ge of South Wales ( Western Division ) was held at Milford Haven on Wednesday last , R . W . Bro . Colonel Llo > d-Phibpps , Prov . Grand Master , in the chair . Previous to the proceedings

of the Provincial Grand I odge a new Masonic Hall was consecrated by Uro . Colonel L / oyd-Phi / ipps . A liny boat formed ol a single pearl , which shape it assumes in swell and concavity , is said to have been made by a Turin jeweller . Its sail is of beaten gold , studded with diamonds , and the binnacle light at its prow is a perfect ruby . An emerald serves as its rudder , and its stand

isa slab of ivory . It weighs less than half an ounce ; its price is £ 1000 . It is said the Cunard Steamshi p Company have contracted with Messrs . John Elder and Co ., of Glasgow , for the building of t . vo steamers which will be more powerful than any yet constructed for the Atlantic service . They will be of Sooo tons burden eich , and 1 t . ooo-horse power .

I he contract price is to be £ 6 , to , ooo , and the two vessels are tu make a speed of 19 knots per hour , that is to say , to cross the Atlantic in less than six days . During the long vacation the central hall and such of the courts of the Royal Courts of Justice as can conveniently be shown will be open from eleven till three daily , Saturdays excepted . On Mondays ant ) Thursdays

admission will be by ticket , which can be obtained on application at the superintendent ' s office , Room 466 , Strand entrance ; and on Tuesda \ s , Wednesdays , and Fridays the public will be admitted without tickets . Bro . Sir Sidney H-dley Waterlow , M . P ., has resigned his office of aldetm in of Langbourn Ward in the City of London , to which he was eleUtd in 18 & 1 . Bro . Sir

Sidney has been connected with the Corporation for a period of 27 years . The reasons which mainly induced him to take this step are the multifarious nature of his duties and the prolonged absence from England necessitated by his proposed voyage round the world . He served the office of Sheriff of London in 1 S 66-7 , and was Lord Mayor in 1872-3 . The Duke and Duchess of Connaught vvill arrive

at Grimsby about noon to-day ( Friday ) from Hainton Hall , and thc ceremony of opening the People's Park , the gift of Mr . E . Heneage , M . P ., will be performed by his Royal Highness soon aiter * ards . A grand banquet in the Guildhall will follow , after which the Royal visitors will return to the seat of Mr . Heneage . Bro . Lord Yarborough ' s regiment of light horse will form an escort to their Royal Highnesses during their visit to the borough .

Mr . Gladstone has paid a visit to the British Museum for the purpose of inspecting the Shapira manuscript of the B OOK of Deuteronomy . He was met there by Mr Shapira , Dr . Guishurg , and Mr . Bond . Mr . Shapira having repeated the whole history of the discovery of the manuscript , was closely qu stioned by Mr . Gladstone , who carefully examined thc ro'Is . It may be interesting to

those who have not been able to inspect the black leather rolls and faintly inscrib . d characters of this n-jw famous manuscript to know that the possessor is making arrangements for its publication in a series of auto * ype plates . At a meeting of the House Committee of the Liverpool Masonic Hall , held at head-quarters in Hopestreet on Friday evening , the loth inst .. under the

presidency of Bro . Dr . J . Kellett Smith , P . P . G . Keg ., it vvas unanimously resolved to hold a conversazione in October to celebrate the completion of the decorations of the hall . Bro . H . A . Tobias vvas appointed chairman of the committee ; Bro . R . Brown , vice-chairman ; Bro . H . H . Smith and J . Foote , joint secretaries ; Bro . Dr . Bailey , tr asurer ; and a strong committee vvas appointed to cany out the

preliminary arrangements . Advices from Halifax , N . S ., contain details of the voyage oi H . M . S . Canada , with Prince George of Walcson board , which reached Halifax on the ist inst ., 29 days from Madeira and 43 days from England . Beautiful weather was experienced until the 24 th ultimo , when a succession of heavy squalls was met with . One squall si ruck the ship

with such force as to carry away the jib and the foretopgallantmast . This weather continued for nearly a wee k , and gave the Canada an opportunity of proving her stability , which was in every respect satisfactory . The Canada will make a brief stay at Halifax , and then proceed up the St . Lawrence to Montreal and Quebec . A correspondent having raised the question in a

morning contemporary as to the precedence of the navy and army , priority having been given to the former at the recent Ministerial banquet at the Mansion House , the editor says the question is nut one of the relative va ' ^ f thc two forces , of first or second lines of defence , but 01 antiquity ; for , owing to the early development ^ our ¦ neec .

and the late origin of a standing army in llngianu , »• navy is the senior servce , and is recognised as sucn . Although the Secretary of State for War takes p recedence of the First Lord of the . Admhalty it is because tlie laK ' official is simply a Commissioner for executing the olhce Lord High Admiral , whose precedence , if the o'tae *" called out of commission , would be over that of the Seer tary for War .