Masonic And General Tidings.

MASONIC AND GENERAL TIDINGS .

The Queen has forwarded , through Sir Henry Ponsonby , her annual subscription of £ 50 to the Royal Naval Lifeboat Institution of which she is . the patron . The Duke of Connaught has very graciously consented to preside _ at the 77 th anniversary festival of the Royal Caledonian Asylum , which will be held at Freemasons ' Tavern on Wednesday , the 25 th of May .

We are happy to be able to state that Bro . Sir Francis Burdett , P . G . M . Middx ., is making very fair progress towards recovery after his severe attack of bronchitis and pneumonia , but is not yet able to leave his room . Bro . Lord Mayor Evans presided at the annual festival , which was held at the Hotel Metropole on Monday , on behalf of the City of London General Pension Society , the Sheriffs also being among the principal guests . Subscriptions amounting to £ iSoo were announced .

I he Masonic Veterans' Association of the Grand Lodge of New Jersey held their second annual meetingat Trenton , New Jersey , on January 27 th . The qualifications for membership are 21 years a Mason and a member of the Grand Lodge of New Jersey .

Ihe 13 th annual exhibition of instruments designed for the study of the atmosphere , which is held by the Royal Meteorological Society , has been opened at the rooms of the Institution of Civil Engineers , 25 , Great George-street , Westminster , and will remain open till the 22 nd inst .

According to a Reuter's telegram from Chicago , the lady managers of the Exhibition , which will be held in that city in 1 S 93 , have received a notification to the effect that Princess Beatrice will send to the Women ' s Department of the Exhibition a marble bust of the Queen modelled by herself . ""

Bro . Lord Mayor Evans presided at the anniversary festival , which was held on the nth inst ., at the Hotel Metropole , in behalf of the Linen and Woollen Drapers' Benevolent Institution , and , in response to his lordship ' s appeal , a total ofdonationsand subscriptions was announcedamounting to close upon £ 4 * 100 .

In our record last week of the Masonic offices which the newly-appointed Grand Secretary had filled , we stated that he was a Past Grand Supreme Ruler of the Order ol the Secret Monitor—we should have said "Grand Officer . " The office ot Supreme Grand Ruler is filled by Bro . Dr . Zacharie , who has occupied that position since the constitution of the Order in this country .

The British Mediterranean Squadron , consisting of the Collingwcod , flagship of Rear-Admiral Lord Walter Kerr , IheAustralia , Undaunted , Agamemnon , Nile , Dreadnought , and Colossus , with the cruisers Scout an i Amphion , entered the harbour at Alexandria on Monday , in view of the arrival of Mar . 'hal Ahmed Kyoub Pacha , bearer of the Sultan ' s firman of investiture of the new Khedive of Egypt .

The profits arising from the sale of the sermon preached by the Rev . Canon Fleming , at Sandringham , on the 24 th of January , had reached £ 1000 up to the close of last month , and of this sum , by command of the Prince of Wales , £ 500 has been sent to the Gordon Boys' Home , and a further £ 500 to the British Home for Incurables at Clapham-rise .

The National Thrift Society have made a new departure recently , and have instituted a series of thrift concerts under the direction of Madame Gordon Bartlett and Bro . T . Bovvden Green . Thc third of these concerts , which combine amusement with instruction , takes place at the Waterloo-road Chapel Schools , Lambeth , to-morrow ( Saturday ) evening .

The personalty of the late Bro . Sir Oscar Clayton , who died on the 27 th January last , aged 75 years , has been sworn at £ 14 0 , 745 , thc executors of the will being llro . Sir Francis Knollysand Messrs . VV . Hickman and F . Hecht . Among the bequests is one of £ 5000 to Bro . Sir Francis Knollys , to whom are also left a Ireehold ground rent at Hayswater and a leasehold ground rent payable by the London and North-Western Railway Company .

Bro . Charles J . Harrison occupied the chair at the Early Closing Association Concert held at the Royal Park Hall , on Thursday , the 10 th inst ., and Madame Harrison , who is the fortunate possessor of a fine contralto voice , won vocal laurels by her artistic and dramatic rendering of " Angus Macdonald , " and delighted the audience by responding to an encore , vvith "The dear Homeland . "

The ancient regulations say that every Mason should belong tort lodge . Not a number of lodges , but a ( one ) lodge . This is the universal law in the United States , and we believe elsewhere except in Great Britain , where a Mason can belong to as many lodges as he pleases , and his means permit ; but if he loses his membership in any one of the lodges to which he belongs , it affects his standing in all . — Keystone .

Sir Knight II . R . Hogg , who , it was announced at the recent annual assembly of the Grand Imperial Conclave of the Order of Rome and Conslantine , had been honoured with the rank of Past Grand Prefect , is M . P . S . of Melbourne Conclave , No . 143 , Victoria . Sir Knight VV . R . N . Virgoe has also been appointed Intendant-Cereral of the District of Victoria , comprising the conclave just named , as also Metropolitan Conclave , No . 145 , both meeting in Melbourne .

Wednesday being the anniversary of the death of the Queen ' s mother , the Duchess of Kent , her Majesty , with Princess Louise ( Marchioness of Lome ) , Princess Beatrice , and the Marquess of Lome , went in the morning to her Royal Highness ' s Mausoleum at I'Vogmore , which was afterwards , by her Majesty ' s command , opened between the hours of one and five o ' clock for the members of the household and others to visit it .

INFLUENZA TONIC—Nothing is more effective in keeping up nerve and strength during the prevalence of influenza than Grant ' s Morella Cherry Brandy . In cases ol debility its marvellous restorative powers , derived from the peculiar properties of the Kent Morella , render it of great value in regaining strength after illness . Sold everywhere

Masonic And General Tidings.

The new Masonic Temple at Buffalo , U . S . A ., was dedicated and formally opened on the 20 th of January by Bro . Christopher G . Fox , P . G . M . Bro . Sir H . Drummond Wolff , the new British Ambassador to Spain , arrived at the frontier on Sunday , and has since taken up his post at Madrid .

Bro . the Right Hon . the Earl of Lathom , Pro Grand Master , will , we understand , lay the foundation-stone of a new Masonic Hall at Cambridge on May 6 th . The Rev . G . S . Bayne , Vicar of Bishop Stortford , has been presented by his parishioners with a purse containing £ 210 , as a farewell gift on his resigning the living . The Duchess of Albany concluded her visit to the Queen at Windsor Castle on Saturday last , and proceeded by South-Western train to Esher on her return to Claremont .

The Queen has given orders for the Court to go into mourning for six weeks from Monday for his late Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Hesse , son-in-law of her Majesty . A collection of valuable paintings has been lent by the Earl of Dudley , and will be on view at the Fine Art Gallery , Peckham - road , Camberwell , on Sunday and following days .

A new stained glass window , representing incidents in the life of St . Joseph , interwoven with the genealogy of our Lord according to St . Matthew , will be unveiled in the Church of the Sacred Heart , Holloway , on Sunday . Mr . Gladstone dined on Wednesday evening with Lord Sandhurst in St . James ' s-place , a number of guests being invited to meet him . Mrs . Gladstone has felt town for Hawarden , but is expected back to-morrow ( Saturday ) .

At the Criterion Theatre " Brighton will be played on Monday next for a limited number of nights . It willl be followed very shortly by the production of a new comed y now in rehearsal . The Duke of Cambridge was present at the annual prize distribution of the Artists' Volunteer Corps on Saturday last , and paid the regiment a very high compliment on its state of efficiency , in the unavoidable absence of Bro . Sir Frederick Leighton , Bro . Col . Edis presided at the meeting .

The 74 th anniversary festival of the German Society of Benevolence was held at the Hotel Metropole on Monday . The Duke of Connaught was to have presided , but in consequence of the death of his brother-in-law , the Grand Duke of Hesse , his Royal Highness was unable to fulfil his engagement , and the chair was taken by Herr Oscar von Ernsthausen . The subscriptions amounted to about £ 1400 .

"The Times" will be withdrawn from Terry ' s Theatre after Saturday evening , the 2 Gth inst ., to make way for a revival of Mr . Pinero ' s farce , " The Magistrate . " Mr . W . T . Lovell , whose rendering of the part of Lord Lurgishal was such a conspicuous feature , has at length recovered from the influenza , and is now nightly appearing in his original part .

The annual prize distribution of the 24 th Middlesex ( Post Oflice ) Volunteers was held in the Guildhall on Saturday evening last under the presidency of Bro . Lord Mayor Evans , while the prizes were very kindly distributed by the Lady Mayoress . Bro . Sir James Fergusson , Bart ., M . P ., her Majesty ' s Postmaster-General , was also present , and congratulated the corps on its numbers and efliciency .

It js said that Glasgow Charities will benefit to the extent of £ 500 , 000 by the death , in Edinburgh , on Tuesday , of Miss Elizabeth Steven , of Bellahouston , Glasgow . She died at the age of S 9 , and was the last survivor of a wellknown Glasgow family . The conditions of the will , made many years ago , are that the estate shall be disposed of amongst Glasgow Charities .

The Grand Lodge of Mississippi met at Vicksburg on February 11 th , 1 S 92 . A law was enacted prohibiting all Masons in Mississippi from becoming saloon keepers , and commanding the lodges to expel , on January ist next , all Masons , whether in membership or non-affiliated , who are saloon keepers . Bros . VV . A . Roane was elected Grand Master , and J . L . Power Grand Secretary . —Keystone .

April 12 th is the bi-centenary of the birth of Tartini , and Manchester proposes that there should be some sort of celebration of the occasion . Tartini was reputed one of our greatest violinists , and he was self-taught . Several of his compositions are still played , the most popular , perhaps , being the "Trillo del Diavolo , " composed after a dream that he had sold himself to the Evil One , who had played him the finest sonata he had ever heard .

Bro . James Stevens , P . M ., P . Z ., is about to publish by private subscription a new Masonic work under the title of "The Evolution of Symbolic Masonry . " The first edition will be limited to 1000 copies , to be issued to subscribers only at one shilling per copy . We learn that the subscription list is nearly complete . The terms of issue of further editions are not yet decided upon . Bro . Stevens' address is , Evelyn , Catford , S . E .

Among those who attended the funeral of Lieut .-Gcn . Sir George B . Ilarman , for many years Military Secretary to the Commander-in-Chief , were the Duke of Cambridge , Prince Edward of Saxe-Wcimar , G .-neral Sir D . Probyn , V . C , representing the Prince of Wales ; Col . Bicher , representing the Duke of Connaught ; and Bros . Generals Sir Redvers Buller and Sir George Willis . Thc remains

were interred in Brompton Cemetery on Monday . A meeting of the Committee of the West Lancashire Masonic Educational Institution , entrustedwith theallocation of the candidates recently elected on the foundation of the Charity , washeldon the 12 th inst ., at the Masonic Hall , Hopestreet , Liierpool , under the presidency of Bro . Ilottomley . Each case was carefully considered , and the Committee

made provision for the proper education of all the children , stiictly observing the wishes of their surviving parents or guardians . It may be of interest to the Fraternity to know that in the recent Cambridge Local Examinations two boys attending the schoul conducted by Mr . J . Brown , Blundellsands ( educated through the " West Lancashire " scheme ) ,

gained honourable places on the list . On the afternoon of the same day a meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge Benevolence and Charity Committee was held at Preston , where several cases were considered . Bro . R . VV ylie was elected Chairman for the ensuing year ; Bro . Johnston , Vice-Chairman ; and several substantial grants were given in aid of aged and distressed brethren ,

Masonic And General Tidings.

Miss Phyllis Broughton has been engaged b y Mr . C . J Abud to take the place of Miss Grace Pedley as Doli » Mayflower in " Blue-eyed Susan " at the Prince of Wales ' Theatre . The Royal yacht Victoria and Albert had a successful t hours' trial of her machinery at Portsmouth on Thursday

and was then berthed in readiness for the embarkation of the Queen to-morrow ( Saturday ) . Bro . Lord Halsbury ( Lord Chancellor ) , Bro . Lord Ash . bourne ( Lord Chancellor of Ireland ) , and Bros . Lord George Hamilton , Sir M . E . Hicks-Beach , Bart ., and \ V . L . Jackson attended the Cabinet Council held at the Forei gn Office on Saturday last .

The prizes won last season for shooting and drill b y the members of the Honourable Artillery Company were distributed on Thursday evening at the headquarters , Finsbury . the ceremony being performed by Lord Colville of Culross ' a former commanding officer of the corps .

Her Majesty the Queen held a council at Windsor on Wednesday afternoon ! A special train left _ Paddington at 10 minutes past one , conveying the Marquis of Salisbury , the Duke of Rutland , Lord Cranbrook , the Earl of Lathom , and Sir Charles Lennox Peel , Clerk of the Council .

Mr . William J . G . Booty , for so many years the adver . tising manager at Covent Garden and Drury Lane Theatres , was the recipient on Wednesday night , at the Tavistock Hotel , of a gold chronometer , a purse containing 50 sovereigns , and an illuminated address on vellum .

On Thursday morning a party of 300 trained boys from Dr . Barnardo ' s Homes left Euston , en route for Canada . About 100 of the older lads will be placed out in Manitoba on the industrial farm being developed by settlers from the Homes , and the remainder in Ontario in previously selected farm situations .

A meeting of the Governors of Wellington College was held on Wednesday in the Fine Arts Commission Room , Palace of Westminster . The Governors present were Col . Talbot , Vice-President , the Duke of Cambridge , the Archbishop of Canterbury , the Duke of Wellington , the Earl of Morley , the Bishop of Rochester , and Sir Henry Ponsonb y , and Mr . J . F . Chance , Secretary .

Colonel C . A . Cobbe , of Leamington , who has retired from the position of Inspector-General of Constabulary for the Midland District of England , which he had held twenty , two years , has been presented by the Chief Constable of Fssex ( Captain Showers ) and the men of the Essex Constabulary with a handsome silver salver , weighing fortyseven ounces .

Mr . William Salmon , of Penllyne Court , Glamorganshire , who was born in the parish of Wickham Market , Suffolk , on March iCth , 1790 , completes his 102 nd year today . He is supposed ( says the Daily Telegraph ) to be the oldest living Freemason , and the oldest member of the Royal College of Surgeons . — Pall Mall Gazette , March iGth .

A fine comet has been discovered at Rochester , in America , by Dr . Swift , and at Boston it has been visible to the naked eye . Its advent has been telegraphed to all the observatories in the Southern Hemisphere , and it has already been studied at the Cape . It is increasing in brilliancy , and is travelling eastward . It ought to be visible beneath the constellation of Capricorn , and its appearand above our horizon must be imminent .

A capital photograph by Messrs . Guy , of Cork , of the Honourable Elizabeth Aldworth , the lady Freemason , has just been published for the benefit of the forthcoming Centenary bazaar at Dublin . The original miniature portrait is in the possession of the first lodge in Ireland , hic is of the best

Cork , and this photograp re-production one we have yet seen . It is cabinet size , and on the back is printed an account of the incident that led to the installation of Lord Doneraile's daughter as a member of the Craft . A copy of the jewel which she wore , and a facsimile of her signature , add to the value of this photograph .

On Thursday morning , simultaneously vvith the interment of the Grand Duke of Hesse at Darmstadt , a memorial service was held in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle . The service was attended by the Queen , the Duke of Cambridge , the Duchess of Edinburgh and Princesses Marie and Victoria of Edinburgh , Princess Christian and her daughter , Princess Beatrice , thc Marquis and Marchioness

of Lome , and the Duchess of Albany . The service was conducted by the Bishop of Rochester , assisted by the Dean of Windsor . The musical portion of thc service was rendered by the choir of St . Gjorge ' s , under the d'rc *"" of Bro . Pariatt , organist , and comprised the anthem " All ye who weep , " by Gounod , and two hymns . After the service the Duke of Cambridge and the Duchess of

Edinburgh and her daughter returned to London . Thursday being St . Patrick ' s Day ( Patron Saint of Ireland ) , sprigs ot shamrock or green ribbon were extensively worn by the Irish residents in Westminster , Chelsea , and other pirts of London . In some cases , vy here real shamrocks were not obtainable , an artificial substitute , witn 1 imld leaf at the hickwas wornThe dav was observer

, . as a holiday in some firms where Irishmen were largely employed , tut the greatest order prevailed , as most of tne men had , in accordance with the wishes of the late Cardma Manning , signed the Truce of St . Patrick , and p lcdgeu themselves to abstain from intoxicating liquors for the da ) Special services were held in the morning in the variou Roman Catholic churches , and were mostly well attendeo .

The band of the Foot Guards which did duty with | M detachment of the Brigade of Guards which mounted W " Oueen's Guard" and the other public duties at the neaend for the day , played a selection of Irish music in w courtyard of St . James ' s Palace in the morning , in hono of St . Patrick's Day , during the ceremony of mountint , and changing the guard . l-lu-.-. ow / w ' a PILLS . —Hale Constitutions . —When Ihe l >""" liviiikunni o 1 ibiini nniv -w «» i *¦«¦*»¦• *¦ . % »*¦¦» " »•»» .... — .- njiirCt

frame has become debilitated from the ctlects of « l" ))( ... excesses , or neglect , these fills will repair the mischief . ' j , be taken according to the lucid directions wrapped r-iun *! ' box , llolloway ' s fills exert the most exemplary tonic 'l uanl ' 1 te all cases of nervous depression , whereby the vital J " m' jy , weakened , and Ihe circulation is rendered languid and llI , M ' late They improve the appetite , strengthen the digestion , rci . ^ the fivei , and act asgentle aperients . The Pills arc ''" ,.., ) ucd ages and all habits . A patient writes— " Vour Pills to lit * ' . ^ jy require only to lie known . During many years I soiight a ] K . in vain , was daily becoming weaker , when yo ' ur Pills ¦ stored me . '