Masonic And General Tidings.

Masonic and General Tidings .

THE KING OK SIAM has left Cairo for Suez , where he will embark on board his yacht for Bangkok . BRO . THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF LEEDS have returned to Hornby Castle , Bcdale , Yorkshire , for the winter . BRO . THE EARI . AND COUNTESS OF ERNE and Lady Evelyn Crichton have gone on a visit to Lord and Lady Wimborne at Canford Manor . BRO . CAPTAIN HANSON , son of Bro . Alderman Sir Reginald Hanson , Bart ., VI . P ., will be installed the Master of the Trained Bands Lodge to-day ( Friday ) .

BRO . LORD WOLSELEY has promised to preside at the annual dinner of the North London Rifle Club at the Holborn Restaurant on Thursday , January 20 th . THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF FIFE have arrived at their house in Portmaniquare from Sandringham , and will shortly make a move to Brighton for the winter . THE RIGHT HON . A . J . BALFOUR , First Lord of the Treasury , arrived on Saturday evening last at Stanway House , Winchcombe , Gloucestershire , on a visit to Bro . Lcrd Elr-hn .

THE PAINTERS' COMPANY . —Bro . T . Murray Janes , 101 , Aldersgate-street , has been unanimously elected on the court of this company in succession to the late Bro . John Larkin . BRO . THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF DEVONSHIRE have been entertaining a numerous and distinguished "party of guests at Chatsworth , during the present week for the Derby Races .

THE BOX-OFFICE for Bro . Oscar Barrett s pantomime , " Cinderella , was opened on Monday , the Sth inst ., since which time considerably over £ 4000 has been taken on advanced bookings . PRINCESS HENRY OF BATTENBERG , who was attired in deep mourning , travelled from . Windsor , to Mortlake on Monday afternoon , and drove to White Lodge , Kichmond , where she was received by the Duke and Duchess of York , and the Duke of Teck .

THE MARQUIS OF NORTHAMPTON , who has been on a visit to his brother-in-law and sister , Bro . Earl and Countess Cowper , at Panshanger , will shortly have audience of the Queen and deliver up to her Majesty the insignia of the Order of the Garter worn by his late father . THE QUEEN has sent a telegraphic message to the Viceroy of India expressive of "her Majesty ' s regret at the losses recently sustained by her troops in the severe figVing en Ihe Indian frontier and her admiration of the heroLm displayed both by the British and native troops .

MORE THAN 200 special sermons were preached in and about London on Sunday last in aid of the East London Church Fund , among the preachers bein r Bro . Archdeacon Sinclair , D . D ., at St . Paul ' s Cathedral , and Canon Winnington Ingram , Bishop designate of Stepney , at Westminster Abbey . ACCORDING to the latest returns , 2974 stray dogs were seized by the police during the month ot October under the muzzling order in London and the adjoining counties and boroughs , and of these 1 709 were removed to the Dog ' s Home at Battersea , the number of persons bitten being 73 .

THE ANNUAL SALE OF WORK of the Ladies' Work Association will be held , by the kind permission of the Duke and Duchess cf Sutherland , at Stafford House , St . James' ? , on the ist and 2 nd prox . All tbe work that will be then exhibited for sale will have been done by ladies in reduced circumstances . THE DIPLOME D' HONNEUR , which is ore grade higher than the gold medal , has been awarded to Vinolia Soap for toilet purposesat the International Exhibition at Brussels . It will be recollected that it was to Vinolia Scan that the Sanitary Institute awaided their medal , which is prcbably the highest scientific award in the world ever given to soaps .

BRO . SIR SOUIRE BANCROFT has offered to Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal , unlil recently known as Sir Donald Smith , and now High Commissioner for Canada , to give seven readings in Canada of the ' * ¦ Christmas Carol , " in aid of the hospitals in the Dominion next February . The offer has been accepted , and Bro . Bancroft is assured an enthusiastic greeting in the Dominion .

THE ANNUAL National Poultry , Pigeon , and Rabbit Show , which was opened at the Crystal Palace , on Monday , is the most successful ever yet held , the entries b-iing more numerous , and the prizes more valuable than at any previous exhibition . The entries were 7030 , and in addition to close on 300 cups and medals , ranging in value from £ 1 is . to 25 guineas , money awards were made to the amount of £ 250 : * .

* THE DUNOTTAR CASTLE . —Messrs . Donald Currie and Company ' s Royal Mail steamer Dunottar Castle arrived at Plymouth at 2 a . m . on Friday , the 12 th inst ., having made the passage from Cape Town in 14 days 23 hours 2 C minutes net steaming time , This is the fi / st voyage of ihe Dunottar Castle since her recent alterations in Glasgow , and is an improvement of about eight hours on her previous fastest homeward passage .

BROS , Right Hon . A . Akers-Douglas , Lord Balfour of Burleigh , Lord Halsbury ( Lord Chancellor ) , Lord Ashbourne ( Lord Chancellor of Ireland ) , Sir M . Hicks-Beach , Bart . ( Chancellor of the Exchequer ) , the Duke of Devonshire , Lord George Hamilton , the Right Hon ; W . H . Long , and Sir M . White Ridley , Bart ., were among the ministers present at the Cabinet Council held at the Foreign Ollice on Saturday last .

T . R . H . THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALKS and their daughter the Princess Victoria , with the guests staying at Sandringham and the ladies and gentlemen of the household , all attended divine service at Sandringham Church on Sunday last , when a special . collection was made for the sufferers at Lvnn . The day previous the Duke of Saxe-Coburg Gotha concluded his visit to the Prince and Princess and returned to Clarence House , St . James's .

THE GREAT DOG SHOW , which is being organised by the Ladies' Kennel Association and will be held at Earl ' s Court-on the 15 th prox . on behalf of H . R . H . the Prince cf Wales ' s Hospital Fund , promises to attain enormous proportions . There will be no less than S 70 classes , and the number of entries already made are such as to justify the Committee in offering prizes to the value . of £ Cooi > . All the clubs devoted to special breeds of dogs and many ladies and gentlemen are , in addition , offering special prizes .

BRO . THE BISHOP OF PERTH , upon whom the M . W . G . M . conferred the rank of P . G .. Chaplain at the Jubilee meeting at the Albeit Hall , the day before he sailed for his diocese , added his autograph to the book of Bro . Henry Wright . Mr . J . G . Jackson , I ' . K . G . S ., ' the renowned Arctic explorer , at whose meeting to-day ( Friday ) , at the Impeiial Institute , H . R . H . the Prince of Wales will preside , is one of the latest signatories . Miss M . E . Braddon ( Mrs . Maxwell ) , says " It is the finest book she lias ever seen . " Bro . Lord Roberts said "He felt it an honour to be asked to sign in such a celebrated book . "

URO . LOUD LEIGH AND THK INDIAN WAR . —Bro . Lord Leigh distributed the piizes at the annual speech day at Leamington College on Tuesday . The headmaster , thc Kev . Arnold Edgell , presided , and referred to the great success of the college , enumerating the achievements of the past and present students . liro . Lord Leigh mged every boy to do his dutv in whatever walk of life God placed him . He mentioned that he had a son engaged in the Indian Frontier Campaign , He hoped to goodness that Ihis wretched war would soon come to an end . It was one which had cost a great number of lives we could ill spare . His son was only doing his duty , and he hoped that God would spare him to come home .

I HE DURE OF BEAUFORT presided at the Colston Commemoration Dinner held by Ihe Dolphin Society , at the Victoria Rooms , Clifton , on Saturday evening last , among Ihe principal quests being Bro . Sir M . 1 licks-Beach , Bart ., M . P . ( Chancellor of the Exchequer ); the Earl ol Ducie , the Marquis of Worcester , Bro . Walter II . Long , M . P . ( President of the Hoard of Agriculture ) j Lord Hardinge , Bro . Col . Sir IC . Hill ,

M . P . ; Mr . Edward Colston , M . P . j Mr . Ltwis Fry , M . P . ; and Bro . Col . Chester Master , M . P . The Anchor Society held their annual dinner in honour of the same benefactor , on the same evening , under the presidency of Mr . J . Weston Stevens , among the leading guests present being Lord Reay , Bro . Sir W . H . Wills , Bart ., M . P ., and Mr . Joseph Walton , M . P .

Masonic And General Tidings.

H . R . H . THE PRINCE OF WALES has forwarded a gift of 30 pheasants to Guy ' s Hospital . THE EARI . OF ROSEBERY has arrived at Drumlanrig Castle on a visit to the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch . BRO . EARL EGERTON OF TATTON and the Duchess of Buckingham and Chandos have come to London for a few days . BRO . THE EARL AND COUNTESS OF LATHOM have arrived in town for a few days from Lathom House , Ormskirk .

BRO . THE ARCHDEACON OF LONDON has been elected on the Court of Assistants of the Corporation of the Sons of the Clergy . THE MARQUIS AND MARCHIONESS OF L ONDONDERRY have gone on a v ' sit to Bro . the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire at Chatsworth . HER MAJESTY has forwarded her 60 th annual subscription of 100 guineas to the Royal Scottish Hospital , Crane-court , Fleet-street . THE SCHOLARSHIP founded at the Royal Academy of Music to commemorate the late Bro . Sir Michael Costa , has been awarded to R . Neville Flux , of Bromley , Kent .

BRO . PASSMORE EDWARDS has offered £ 4000 to Acton to build a Free Public Library and Reading Room , on condition that a site is provided and the Free Public Libraries Act is adopted . BRO . THE DUKB OF ST . ALBANS is at Bestwood Lodge , and the Duchess of St . Albans and Lady Alexandra Beauclerk have gone on a visit to Lord and Lady Wimborne at Canford Manor .

BRO . SIR ALBERT ALTMAN has kindly consented to take the chair at the 43 rd annual dinner of the City of London Masters and Foreme . i Tailors' Society . It will be held at the Holborn Restaurant on Saturday , the nth prox . BRO . H . J . ALLCROFT will preside at the Cannon-street Hotel , on the 26 th inst ., at the 43 id annual meeting and autumnal election of the Royal Hospital for Incurables . Thiity candidates are to be elected to vacancies in the hospital .

THE QUEEN , accompanied by Princess Henry of Battenberg and her children , arrived at "Windsor Castle about 9 a . m . on Saturday morning last , among the suite in attendance being the Countess of Antrim and Bro . Col . the Hon . Sir Henry Byng .

THE COUNTESS OF W ARWICK has edited a work entitled " Progress in Women ' s Education in the British Empire , " which Messrs . Longmans will publish shortly . It consists of a report of the educational conferences lately held at the Victorian Era Exhibition . MR . STODDART ' team appears to have been very successful in the matches they have played as yet in Australia . At Adelaide , the match was unli . iished , but at Melbourne , they defeated the Victorians by two wickets , and tha N * , v South Wiles team at Sydney , by eight wickets .

BRO . ALDERMAN SIR J . HENRY KNIGHT , in nominating Bro . Alderman Sir J . Whittaker Ellis , Bart ., to a vacancy among the almoners at Christ ' s Hospital , said he had great pleasure in doing so , as Sir Whittaker ' s business experience would be tf great service to the almoners .

THE J CARPENTER C LUB have , at the instance of Bro . Colonel T . Davies-Sewell , a Vice-President and former President , unanimously resolved to offer the sum of 10 guineas per annum to the City of London School for Girls , to be competed for each year during iSyS , 1 S 99 , and 1900 . LORINBRS COMPANY . —Bro . Alfred Salmon ( director of Salmon and Gluckstein ) , and Mr . W . H . Hart ( Stock Broker ) , of 26 , Old Broad-street , were admitted on Wednesday last to the strength of this Company , at a special meeting of the Master and Wardens called for that purpose .

MR . ARTHUR BSLTON M ACARTNEY , thesecond son of Col . Macartney , R . A ., of Salterns , Great Torrington , was married , on Friday , at Cape Town , to Miss Ethel Errington Loveland , the second daughter of Bro . Richard Loveland-Loveland , deputychairman of the County of London Sessions . THE QUEEN ' J UBILEE P RESENTS—The sum of £ 500 has been paid over to the Treasurer of the Prince of Wales ' s Hospital Fur . d as an instalment of the contribution to that Fund resulting ftom the visits of the public to the Queen ' s Diamond JuDilee presents , which are now being exhibited at the Imperial Institute .

BRO . SIR ROBT . H ARGREAVES ROGERS has promised to preside at the meeting to be held on Thursday , the 25 th inst ., by way of formally inaugurating the "Society of the Livery , " which has been formed to define and defend the " rights and privileges of the Livery , " and promote and advance such measures as may best tend to the prosperity of the same .

BRO . LORD CARRINGTON , when he was Governor of New South Wales , rarely missed a fire in Sydney , took part in shirt and trousers with the numbers of thi lire brigades , and next morning sent cheques for the relief of the sufferers when they needed such assistance . He afterwards served as chairman of the Fire Brigade Committee of the London County Council .

THE DUKB OF CONNAUGHT , who was accompanied by Colonel Talbot Coke , Deputy-Adjutant-General , and Captain M . McNeill , was present in the morning to witness the departure from Aldershot of the ist Manchester Regiment for Gibraltar . The battalion , under the command of Lieut .-Colonel Anstruthtr , was played to the station by the regimental bands of the ist Infantry Brigade . His Royal Highness saw that the arrangements for the comforts of the troops were s ttisf actory , and at his o * n

expense provided papers for the men to read during their jjurney to bouthimpton , where they embarked on the transport Nubia . A draft of one corporal and 40 men of the Northamptonshire Regiment , under the command of Lieutentant Walsh , to reinforce the battalion engaged in the operations on the north-west frontier of India , proceeded with the Manchester Regiment . As the special train steamed out of the Government siding station loud cheers were given , whilst the bands played "Auld lang syne . "

THE DUCHESS OF ALBANY , President of the Middlesex Needlework Guild opened the annual display of garments , prepared by members and associates , for distribution amonjf the poor . Her Royal Highness has been engaged for over a week in classifying and arranging these , assisted by a willing band of helpers . The result is such perfection of order and neatness as does great credit to the powers of organisation business capacity , and erergy of lady-workers . The sum total of garments sent in reaches the imposing number of 19 521 . These are sub-divided into groups , for children , G 450 ; women , 2910 ; men , 12 O 0 ; girls , 2090 ; boys , 735 ; babies , 2150 ; and

various , 392 G . The garments are classified and neatly tied up . I hose for babies , which are divided into two sections , and comprise 2150 separate garments , were done entirely by the Duchess of Albany , who was anxious that each infant should have , as far as possible , a complete set of clothes and not a repetition of similar garments . A fu ^ l outfit of strong , useful , practical articles was also personally selected by her Royal Highness as an example of what is suitable for a girl going into service for the first time . Among those present were the Countess of Lucan , Lady Edith Drummond , and the Hon . Mrs . Holford * .

THE NF . W SHERIFFS . —The High Sheriffs who have just been nominated include the following , viz .: Berkshire , Bro . Charles Edward Keyser , of Aldermaston Court , second on the list . Buckinghamshire , Sir Philip Frederick Rose , Bart ., of Kayn ; rs , Penn , Amersham , first on the list ; Mr . Arthur Lazenby Liberty , of Lse Minor , G eat Missenden , third on the list . Cambridge and Huntingdon shires ( Isle of Ely nam ss ) , Mr . Fred Crisp , of White House , New Southgate , Middlesex , and Dry Drayton , Cambridgeshire , lirst on the list . Kent , Mr . Norman Watney , of Valance , Westerhm , lirst on the list ; Mr . William Marshall Cazalet , of Fairlawn , Shipbourne , Tonbridge ,

third on the list . County of London , Mr . Samuel Henry Faudel-Pnillips , of 17 , Grosvenor-strcet ; Sir Robert George Wyndham Herbert , of 42 , Eaton-terrace ; Mr . John Verity , 31 , King-street , Covent Garden , and Sindndie Bjry , St . Albans , Middlesex , Mr . Francis Augustus Bevan , of Trent Part , Enfield , second on the list . Monmouthshire , Mr . Samuel Courthope Bosanquet , of Dingestow Court , near Monmouth , first on the list . Norfolk , Mr . James Jeremiah Col-nan , of Carrov , second on the list . Surrey , Mr . Lawrence James Bak « r , of O . tershaw Park , Chertsey , lirst on the list ; Alderman Sir John Whittaker Ellis , of Buccleuch Hiuse , Richmond , second on tha the list . Sussex , Bro . Sir Henry Harben , of Warnham Lodge , Warnham .