Masonic And General Tidings.

Masonic and General Tidings .

TO-DAY ( FRIDAY ) is St . Thomas ' s Day , and the voters of the 2 f > Wards of the City will elect their representatives on the Common Council . SIR GEORGE WI I . LI A MS entertained the aped poor of Holborn at a substantial tea at the Kingsgate-street Baptist Chapel Schools , Holborn , on the 17 th instant . GARDENERS' DINNER . —Bro . Lord Llangattock has consented to preside at the 62 nd anniversary festival dinner of the Girdeners' Royal Benevolent Institution on Wednesday , May 22 nd next .

THURSDAY WAS the anniversary of the formation of the City of London Imperial Volunteers , announced on December 20 th , 1899 . As the regiment was disbinied on the 31 st ultimo , it had an eventful existence of 20 days less than one year .

BRO . WILLIAM DREWETT , P . M . and Secretary Dobie Lodge , kingston-on-Thames , has been elected Chairman of the Surrey District of the Institute of Journalists . Bro . Drewett has been connected with journalism in Surrey for close on 40 years . THE INDIAN FAMINE FUND . —The Mansion House Fund for the relief of the sufferers by the famine in India will close on Monday , the 31 st instant . The amount received up to date is £ 390 , 100 . The box outside the Mansion House , which has been the source of much anonymous charity , has within the last few days yielded £ 4 5 s . id .

THE ELECTION OF OFFICE-BEARERS for Lodge Killwinning , No . go , for ensuing year is as follows : Bros . C . Brown , R . W . M . ; J . Brown , P . M . ; A . Bennie , S . M . ; W . Watt , sen ., D . M . ; W . Watt , jun ., S . W . ; T . Shiel , J . W . ; C . Robertson , Sec . ; P . Craik , Treas . ; Norman Craik , S . D . ; R . Jack , J . D . ; A . Duncan , Chap . ; Alex . Gordon , G . S . ; Wm . Johnston , A . G . S . ; Wm . Moir , I . G . ; D . Boath , O . G . ; W . Taylor , G . J . ; W . M'Lean , G . A . ; and D . Meldrum , B . B .

MR . S . E . SHIRLEY presided at the annual meeting of the Kennel Club , in the Hotel Cecil , on Wednesday evening , when about 150 members were present , includin r founders of the ladies' branch , the presence of the latter being quite an innovation . Among the gues s were the Hon . Frank Curzon , Baron de Bush , the Hon . Maurice Gifford , Major Candy , Bro . J . C . Cuming Macdona , MP ., Sir James bievwright ( president of the South African Kennel Club ) , Dr . George Hastings , Colonel Ward , and others .

ON THE IITH INSTANT , at St . Gabriels , Warwick-square , Count Dudley B Gurowski was married to Hyacinthe , daughter of Lady Mary von Essen . Viscount Doneraile was best man . Among those present at the wedding , or who sent presents , were her Royal Highness the Crown Princess M Denmark , the Marchioness of Bristo ' , Countess Cawdor and Miss Turner , the Countess of Cavan , the Countess of Guildford , the Countessof Abingdon , the officers ofthe Kent Artillery , Mr . Wentworth Beaumont , the Earl of Leven , and many others .

LADY MARY ARKWRIGHT ( sister of Bro . the Earl of Strafford and wile of Mr . Richard Arkwright , Bethune House , Farnham ) opened the Ivy House Rifle Club , at that place , on Wednesday . It is one . ot the first in the kingdom for the use of the service weapon , and promises to have a successful career . After Lady Mary Arkwright had fired the first shot the company present adjourned for tea , during which votes of ( hanks were accorded to Lady Mary , Mr . Arthur Hart , the honorary secretary ; Mr . Williams , the architect j and Major Richard Kingston , the inventor of the miniature ranges .

MR . G . PITT-LEWIS , Q . C , who has been acting as deputy judge to Mr . Commissioner-Kerr , writes a thoughtful letter to The Times on the dilatory manner in which the business of the House of Commons is conducted . I lis ' * seven years' hard labour " in the " l . nperial bakehouse" has taught him , he says , that with our present arrangements there it requires all that time to bake one small loaf into an Act of Parliament . One realises , he adds , how difficult it is to get even a little cake turned out as law , and how hopelessly impossible it is for anyone , save the Government itself , to ever get through " a large and nutritive batch . "—City Press .

THE QUEEN , accompanied by her Royal Highness Princess Henry of Battenberg and their Highnesses Princess Victoria Eugenie , the Princes Alexander , Leopold , and Maurice of Battenberg , and the ladies and gentlemen in attendance , arrived at Osborne on Tuesday afternoon at half-past three o'clock , crossing over from Gosport on board her Majesty ' s yacht Alberta , Vice-Admiral Sir John Fullerton , A . D . C . Her Majesty was received at Clarence Vaid by Admiral Sir Charles Hotlmm , K . C . B ., Commanderin-Chitf at Portsmouth , and Lieut .-General Sir Baker Russell , G . C . B ., Commanding the Southern District . The Australia , Captain G . N cville , dressed ship upon the approach of the Royal yacht .

DOWN TO WEDNESDAY EVENING the fund now being raised at the Mansion House for the relief of the sufferers by the war amounted to i > ~ i , 035 , 400 . Of that sum £ 438 , 185 had been contributed specially for the widows and orphans , £ 9 * 5 , 832 for the sick and wounded at the front , £ iio , rco for permanently disabled soldiers and sailors , L 103 , 880 for the Soldiers' and Sailors' Families Association , and £ i < fno () to a

discretionary fund administered by Bro . Sir Alfred Newton , the late Lord Mayor , of which sum £ 104 , 800 has already been disbursed among charities and objects connected with the war , including a special grant of £ 50 , 000 to the Soldiers' and Sailors' Families Association . Recent donations include a second and final instalment of £ 5278 2 s . from Tasmania , ot which £ 3003 has been given to the Widows and Orphans , and £ 2278 2 s . to the Soldiers' and Sailors' Families Association .

MAJOR LORD EDWARD CECIL , D . S . O ., of the Grenadier Guards , who has returned from South Africa , after rendering notable service during the memorable siege of Mafeking , arrived at his Hatfield home on Wednesday afternoon , and received a hearty and enthusiastic welcome . When Lord Edward , who was accompanied tfy his wife , arrived at the station , cheers met them on every side , and the gallant officer was greeted most cordially by the leading people of the town and neighbourhood . Air . A . L . Stride presented him with an address of welcome on behalf of the inhabitants , which he warmly

acknowledged . Then the horses were taken from the carriage , and Lord and Lady Edward were drawn in triumph to the portals of Hat / ield , where on the steps to welcome his son was the Prime Minister , several members of his family , and the Marquis and Marchioness of Lansdowne , the Earl and Countess nf Dudley , Bro . the Right lion . Gerald and Lady Balfour , Countess Grosvenor , and the Right I Ion . George Wyndham , the Earl of Hardwicke , and others . Subsequently Lord Edward addressed the townspeople from the steps of Hatfield House , expressing thc gratitude which he felt at the

reception they had accorded him , but taking their cheers , not as due to him only , but as a tribute to the whole of her Majesty's troops in South Africa , lhe Marquis of Salisbury also thanked the people of Hatfield for their welcome and for the kindness they had shown his son , who had gone through many tribulations and trials in South Africa . Later in lhe evening a bonfire was lighted in the park by Master George , son of Lord and Lady Edward Cecil , and subsequently the Marquis of Salisbury entertained the reception committee at supper .

Masonic And General Tidings.

WE HAVE very great pleasure in announcing that Bro . W . J . Batho has been nominated Worshipful Master of tbe Paviors' Company , of which his family have been members since 1730 . WE REGRET TO ANNOUNCE that Bro . Sir Charles Warren was seized with a sudden illness while distributing the prizes at Wem Grammar School , Salop , of which he is an " old boy , " on Wednesday . He had hardly given away more than half a dozen of the awards when he was seized with a fainting fit , and had to be carried from Ihe platform . Medical aid was quickly summoned , after which Sir Charles rallied . The incident naturally caused some sensation in the hall .

SHIPWRECK AND LIFE-IIOAT RESCUE . —The life-boat Albert Edward , stationed at Clacton-on-Sea , rescued tbe crew of six men from the Brigantine Nina , of Tynemouth , which was totally wrecked on the Gunfleet Sands , about three and half miles from the lighthouse . This life-boat is one of two life-boats presented to the Royal National Life-boat Institution by the United Grand Lodge of Freemasons of Eneland , in commemoration of the safe return from India of the M . W . G . Master , H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , now President of the Institution .

ON WEDNESDAY , the 12 th instant , Bro . the Rev . Reginald W . Williams , Ph . D ., Vicar of Minsterley , was unanimously elected VV . M . of Salopian Lodgeof Charity , No . 117 , and of which lodge he is Chaplain . Our reverend brother is a distinguished and enthusiastic Mason , having passed the chair in several lodges , and holding also several provincial honours—Craft and Mirk—and was just recently appointed Prov . G . Chap . for Shropshire . He is not only the first Chaplain of this ancient lodge ( an office he has held for the past three years ) , of which he may be justly proud , but he is the first clergyman that has ever filled the Master ' s chair in that lodge . " Floreat 117 . "

THE COMMITTEE OF THE BETHNAL GREEN FREE LIBRARY appeal at this season on behalf of the institution , which has now been in existence about 25 years . Situated in a densely-populated East End parish of 130 , 000 inhabitants , Bethnal Green is the seat of many industries , but one-room homes and extreme poverty prevail to a great extent . The main library consists of a fine collection of books , and in the general reading room these are made use of by large numbers who enjoy no facilities whatever for reading at home . As manufactures abound , care is taken to afford opportunities for the acquisition of technical knowledge , which would otherwise be quite

inaccessible to such readers . A lending section has been added to the main library , and this attracts a large and evergrowing number of readers . Free lectures and concerts , courses of which are given every season , are also much appreciated by thousands of hearers . Evening classes , for learning languages , music , shorthand , first aid , SEC , are growingly popular . The institution is supported entirely by voluntary contributions , whicli are most urgently needed , and majr be sent to F . A . Bevan , Esq ., treasurer , 54 , Lombard . street , E . C . ; to the bankers , Messrs . Barclay and Co ., Ltd .. same address , or to the Librarian at the Bethnal Green Free Library , London . E .

Instruction.

Instruction .

KIRBY LODGE , No . 2 C 3 . The annual business meeting of this flourishing lodge was held at the Midland Grand Hotel , on Tuesday , the nth instant , when a most satisfactory statement of accounts was presented by the Secretary , Bro . F . W . VVard . The lodge has held 51 meetings during thc year and neatly 200 members have attended the meetings . The gross attendance is close upon 1200 , which gives an average attendance of over 20 for every meeting , though in July and August the numbers

fell below 20 . Seventy-eight new members have joined the lodge during the year , and afler paying working expenses the funds will allow of 20 guineas being paid into the Masonic Charities . I'he programme of work gone through under the Preceptorship of Bro . George Rankin is full and comprehensive . Each of the three lectures has been worked through in itsentiretyat leastthree times in the course of the year ; the three ceremonies have been rehearsed each iG times ; and the installation ceremony six times . The statement of accounts was received , adopted , and entered

on the minutes . The election of Committee then followed . Two of the old Committee withdrew their names from nomination—Bro . W . Baker , who his bsen Secretary from the foundation of the lodge , 11 years ago , and Bro . Chas . Lewis , who was formerly Preceptorof thelodge . Both explained that their interest in the lodge was unabated , but that they found it dillicult to attend the meetings regularly , and they considered that the members of Committee should be in close and constant touch with the work of the lodge . Bro . VV . H . Oldham . I . W . 2818 , was nominated to serve , with Bro . F . W .

Waid , S . W . 250 S , as joint Secretary , and Bro . J . H . Jenks , P . M . S , P . G . Stwd ., was nominated to take the place of Bro . C . L ?\ vis . With these two alterations the Committee was re-elected . The detailed programme of work for the new year his been issued , and it will be found to be of the same comprehensive character as that of last year . The regular meetings of the lodge are held at the . Midland Grand Hotel , St . Pancras , on Tuesday evenings at 7 . 30 , nnd copies of the programme of work may be obtained on application to either of the Secretaries or from any menibsr of the lodge .

HYDE PARK LODGE , No . 1425 . A meeting was held on the 17 th instant , at the Prince of Wales' Hotel , Eastbourneterrace , Bishop's-road , Paddington , W . Present : Bros . F . Spink , W . M . ; A . Toop , P . G . O . Surrey , S . W . ; H . C . Mirten , J . W . ; H . Dehane , P . M . 1 543 , P . P . S . G . D , Essex , Sec ; A . R . Taylor , S . D . ; W . Smith-Rose , J . D . ; H . II . Bagnall , I . G . ; IC . Spink , Stwd .: H . Foskett , P . M . 1 G . 12 , D . Preceptor : VV . H . Handover , P . M .

1 O 42 ; L . J . Powell , VV . M . 224 O ; VV . Hallett , P . M . 733 ; W . Daniell , F . J . Middleton , J . P . Hindley , and A . J . Taplin . The lodge was opened . The minutes were read and conlirmed . The lodge was opened in the Second and Third Degrees . Thc ceremonies of raising and passing were rehearsed after the usual preliminaries , Bros . Powell and Middleton being candidates respectively . I'he ludge was called off and on . Bro . Toop was elected W . M . for the next lodge meeting . After " Hearty good wishes" the lodge was closed .

Marriage.

Marriage .

AI . I . CROI-T—RrssKi . i .. —On tho 15 th instant ,.-it St . Stephen ' s , Rochester-row , by Bro . the Ven . Archdeacon Sinclair , assisted by Rev . VV . Twining , vicar of St . Stephen ' s , and Rev . J . Allin , rector of Oulbury , Salop , Bro . Herbert J . Allcroft , of Stnkesay Court , Salop , to Margaret Jane ( Cissy ) , only daughter of the late General Sir W . Russell , Bart ., C . B ., ol ? ., Ashley-place , S . W .

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