Turkey.

S . W . ; H . Wills , J . AA ' . ; Junor , Treas . ; Pulman , P . M . and Hon Sec . ; R . Warren , S . D . ; Easton , J . D . ; Ford , I . G . ; Knig ht * Steward ; and Cipriotti , Tyler . To each officer on investiture , the installing Master , Bro . Silly , gave the full charge of office , and afterwards recited to the AV . M ., AA ardens , ancl brethren , in , such a clear and appropriate manner as became the occasion , their respective duties , to the instruction and gratification of all present . Before closing the lodge , it was voted that the proceeds

of the charity box should be given to the Distress Fund in England , when the brethren present liberally responded to the " Call of Charity . " This makes the second donation , the lodge having voted at the previous meeting the sum of £ 20 , and it is expected a third handsome donation will be forthcoming , as the proceeds of the Masonic Ball to take place at the end of January , are also to be devoted to the Lancashire Relief Fund , thus proving the brethren of Constantinople practise that virtue all Masons

profess to admire . The banquet was held in the Saloon adjoining which was gaily docked with National flags , evergreens , & c . After thanks had been returned for the excellent dinner provided by the hose and enjoyed by forty-three brethren , the following toasts were eloquently proposed by the W . M ., and cordially responded to ; Our Sovereign Lady tho Queen ; the Sultan ; H . R . H . the Prince of AVales , and the rest of the Royal Family ; the M . W . the G . M . the Earl of Zetland ; the

, R . AV . the D . G . M ., and G . Officers of England ; the Prov . G . M ., His Excellency the RigtHon . Sir H . E . Bulwer ( who was unavoidably absent ); the Prov . D . G . M ., V . AV . Bro . Hyde Clarke , and members of the Provincial Grand . Lodge ; the AV . M . of 988 ( proposed by I . P . M . Silly ) , the Officers of 988 , the Visiting Brethren , tho respective lodges , viz ., L' Union d'Italia , Bulwer , 1193 , Leutcher Bund , 1121 , and the Charity Fund , to all Poor

and Distressed M asons . The evening passed off delightfully owing to the eloquence and enjoyment of all present , and great thanks are due to the vocal and instrumental assistance of those brethren who interspersed harmony amongst cordiality .

Presentation To Bro. Captain Ratcliff.

PRESENTATION TO BRO . CAPTAIN RATCLIFF .

Bro , Captain Charles Ratcliff was , on Monday last , presented by tbe officers , non-commissioned officers , and privates of his Company ( No . 7 ) of the Birmingham Rifle Volunteers , with a costly sword and an address , in token of the respect which they . entertain for him , and in recognition of his patriotic zeal for the promotion of the Volunteer movement during its early stages in this town , when the Company was organised and equipped at

his expense . They assembled at the Armoury , New-street , from whence , accompanied by the drum and fife band of the batallion , they marched to Aston Park , where they were met by Captain Ratcliff , Adjutant M'Innis , Sir John Ratcliff and other gentlemen . Under the command of the worthy Adjutant they executed a variety of manoeuvres , and were afterwards formed into a hollow square , in the court-yard adjacent to the hall . Mr . D . J . G'Neill then advanced and made the

presentationex-, plaining , in the first instance , that he had received from the Lieutenants and Ensign letters expressive of regret at thenunavoidable absence , and consequent inability to participate in rendering honour where honour is due . The object which had brought them together ( the speaker proceeded to explain ) had

been entertained for some months , but obstacles to its realisation bad intervened . They could all bear testimony to the perseverance , energy , liberality , courtesy , and punctuality which Captain Ratcliff had displayed from the first formation of the Company . At the outset , when very hard drills had to be gone through , he was one of the hardest workers amongst them , and he used to shoulder his rifle , and stimulate them by his good example . Since that time he had been foremost in doing his

duty as an officer , and studying the good discipline and comfort of the Company . Mr . O'Neill concluded by reading an address which had been beautifully written and illuminated by Mr . Newey , of New-street , formerly Quartermaster of the Company , ancl which bore the signatures ( about twenty in number ) of the Testimonial Committee . Captain Ratcliff , in acknowledging the kindness which had prompted the gift , observed

that if he had done his duty in connection with the corps in a manner to warrant its appreciation in so substantial a form , all he could say was that the compliment which he had just had the honour of reciving would be a stimulus to him on all future occasion ' s , not only to be present with them on the drill ground , but to do all he could by example and by work to encourage them to maintain their efficiency . He knew of no

Presentation To Bro. Captain Ratcliff.

company in the battalion which had shown a greater desire to perfect themselves in drill than No . 7 , and he did not wish to flatter them when he said he regarded them as equal to anyotber in the 1 st AVarwickshire Corps . After noticing with satisfaction that the company had taken some of the first prizes at the regimental shooting at Bournbrook , Captain Ratcliff expressed a hope that this would induce them to acquire still greater

efficiency , ancl again tendered his thanks for the gift presented to him . He said he should ever prize it and look upon it with pride , and if it should ever happen that his active exertions in the field should be required in defence of his country , he hoped they would all stand by him , and that would be the sword he should use to lead them . Three cheers were then given for Captain Ratcliff , and on his proposition three more for the Adjutant . After partaking of the refreshments provided by Sir

John Ratcliff , the company marched back to the armoury , and were then dismissed . AA ' e may add that the sword , which is one of the value of fifty guineas , was manufactured by Messrs . Aston , of the Town Hall AVorks , Edmund-street , from a design furnished by Mr . J . J . Allen , of Vittoria-street . The hilt guard is elaborately wrought in dead and burnished steel , the regulation ornamentation of the rose , shamrock , and thistle , the royal monogram , & c , being introduced in a novel and elegant manner ,

and being "tooled" into relief instead of being merely " chased . " At the back of the iiilt are the captain's . crest and monogram , also in relief . The blade is richly damascened . —Midland Counties Herald , January Sth .

Notes On Music And The Drama.

NOTES ON MUSIC AND THE DRAMA .

A Mademoiselle Mary Trautmann has just created v . furore at Munich by her splendid pianoforte playing . She is only 15 years , old . She is naturally coming to London . Richard Wagner has gone to Vienna to superintend the production of his new opera , Tristan and Isolde . Verdi is at work upon a new opera , called Esmeralda . Victor Hugo writes the libretto . There have been five great theatrical successes in Paris during

the past year : —Le Fits de Giboyer , at the Frangais ; Lalla Bouh / c , at the Opera Comique ; Les Ganaches , at the Gj-mnase ; Le Bossu , at the Porte St . Martin ; and Botltomago , at the Cirque . Each of these pieces has yielded to its authors something like 100 , 000 francs ( £ 4000 ) . Four out of the five works are still being played .

M . E . Legouvd has just remonstrated in the Siecle against the exclusion to which comedians are subject in the nominations to the Legion of Honour . The remarks of M . Legouve are made in favour of M . Samson , the actor and professor . Of all the characters in which Madile Patti has yet sung in Paris , that of Lucia is ( says Galignani ) accounted by many the

finest . Madile . Trebelli , fresh from her triumphs in London and Vienna , made her debut in Lucrezia , at the Italian Opera , on Saturday , for the first time this season . It is reported that the first named lady is about to bo married . The rehearsals of La Mitelte de Porlici , at tho Grand Opera , Paris , interrupted by the sad accident to Madile . Livry , have

been resumed , the part of the Muette being transferred to Madile . Vernon . It is expected to be brought forward before tho close of January . Auber's Hayd-ie , and a new operetta , La Deesse et le Berger are iu active operation at the Opera Comique , Poris . M . E . Angler ' s new comedy , Le Fits de Giboyer , continues to

be the vogue at the Franeais , Paris . On the first of the month no places were to be procured to see it before the beginning of February . " In the mean time , " says Galignani , " critical opinion , with all fair allowances for the merits of the piece , is really at a loss to discover the cause of its extraordinary success . The charge of its being a libel on the clerical party has been of vast service to its popularity , and the author ought to be i m mensely obliged to those who brought it against him . "