Colonial.

interesting occasion , AA-as in itself a most agreeable and delightful engagement . " The remembrance of its accompany ing associations will ever be treasured in my heart among the bright spots in the history of the past , to which my frequent retrospects AVIII most fondly recur . And the rich and elegant service of plate , so tastefully executed , which has accompanied your address , I shall value very highly so long as I live , not merely on account of its ivorth and beauty , but

chiefly as a memento of that genuine kindness and expansive sympathy , ivhich is so characteristic of your sacred order . " I have the honour to be , aentlemen , vour faithful servant , "G . KING . " The service , was manufactured for the occasion by Bros . AA'alkcr and Jones . The design is very chaste , -and made to combine utility and a handsome and appropriate ornament to the side-board ; the ease , lined ivith blue velvet , bore the emblems of JIasonry in silver , and had the following inscription : "Presented to the Rei ' . George King , Incumbent of St . Andrew's , by tho brethren of the Masonic body , as a token of their respect and esteem . "

Masonic Festivities.

MASONIC FESTIVITIES .

BEACKPOOX , LANCASHIRE . —NSAV Year's Day ivill be long remembered by hundreds , AVIIO were entertained in the Assembly-room of the Clifton Arms Hotel , Blackpool . The brethren of the Clifton Lodge , 1005 , have heretofore been accustomed , in the midst of ivinter , to subscribe and distribute amongst the aged poor a considerable sum ; but this ivinter the committee resolved to bring the recipients together , especially those AA-IIO could walk'or ride , and have a tea party and ball afc the Clifton Arms Hotel . At three

o ' clock on Tuesday last , therefore , the oldest and poorest inhabitants of Blackpool , Layton , and AA"arbrick might have been seen wending their way , or being conveyed in carriages , phaetons , See .., to the Clifton Arms Assembly-room , the use of which Bro . Birch , the proprietor , kindly and gratuitously allowed . The Rev . AA ' . Tbornber , and Bros . Metcalf , Eccleston , Birch , Banks , AA'hite , R . B . Lund , Brogden , Fisher , Bamber , and Catterall assisted at the several tables ; and the various trays were presided over by the

undermentioned ladies , who showed that they truly eared'for the poor . Bro . Birch had made provision for their comfort—as rich and as substantial a banquet as he could have provided for the noblest . Pleasure seemed fco animate the countenances of all , and when they had partaken of the repast to their satisfaction , the tables ivere removed for dancing . It was a pleasant sight to witness these aged people enjoying themselves , and chatting joyously over a cup of tea ; much more pleasant AVUS it to witness the agility they displayed in the dance . This part ofthe evening ' s entertainment afforded them extreme satisfaction ; and such a sight as that of beholding men and women of 70 , SO , and 90 years of age dancing

together with hilarity and joyousness , was never before ivitnessed in Blackpool . In the internal betiveen the dances , some enlivened the company by singing , and not only so , hut astonished the younger people by their extraordinary memory and ability . John AVilkinson , in his 90 th year , sang "Ye banks and braes o' Bonnie Doon , " and was enthusiastically cheered : John Harrison was greatly applauded for his agile displays in jigs , quadrilles , & c , proving that he had been all his life long a votary ot'Terpsychove .

The steivards ivere Bros . Jlctcalf , Eccleston , Bamber , and AA'hite ; and the following ladies presided at the trays : —Jlrs . Eccleston , Jlrs . Jletealf , Jtiss Jletcalf , Jlrs . T . Bamber , Miss Grindivood , Jlrs E . Banks , Jlrs . Robinson , Jliss Turner , Jlrs . AA ' ade , Miss AA ' ade , Jlrs . Brogden , Jliss . Jenkinson , Jliss Clarkson , Jliss Cookson , Jliss AA'hite , Jlrs . Simpkins , Jliss Salthonse , Misses Noblet , and Jliss Bell . Tlie amount of subscriptions , " ^! 1 , and the surplus after the treatupivards of £ 24 will be iven to the most needand the

, , g y most deserving . The persons ivho partook . of tea , & e ., ivere 273 , of all classes and denominations , and amongst those present ivere—Betty Banks , 75 ; her sister , 05 ; Hy . Catterall , 70 ; Jit . Hornby , 70 ; Betty Jliller , 77 ; Lawrence Bonny , 81 ; Betty Harrison , 08 ; Betty Rogerson , 79 ; Alary Craven , 70 ; AA ' m . . Parkinson , 0 . 0 ; Ity . Brown , 07 ; Jno . Porter , 72 ; Jno , Houseman , 73 ; Alice AVright , 78 ; AA'm . Hodgeson 70 . Jno . Cardwell 00 Jane Cardivell 70

, ; , ; , ; James Rogers , OS ; Josh . Harrison , 7 H ; Jno . AVilkinson , 90 ; Laivreiiee Fish , yl ; Jlrs . Nixon , SO ; 15 . Singleton , 70 ; N . AA'ignall , 07 ; Alary Barns , 70 ; Jlary Brown , 7 ti '; Grace Crookall , SI ; James Atkinson , 70 ; Mary linger :- ; , 70 ; Jane Atkinson , 70 . Average of all the above ages , 73 years .

Notes On Music And The Drama.

NOTES ON MUSIC AND THE DRAMA .

AA ' e { Literary Gazelle ) havo great pleasure in informiii" - our musical readers that Jtr . Henry Smart has jnsfc finished his- ' new grand opera in four acts , The Siege of Calais , The same composer has nearly completed an oratorio .

Notes On Music And The Drama.

The Jialiliu ' s of the opera afc Sfc . Petersburgh seem quite as enchanted with Meyerbeer ' s last operatic work as ivith his previouscompositions . Dinoralt has been played to crowded bouses and applauding audiences by Mademoiselle Fioretti , Madame Nantier-Didiee , and Signers Dehassini and Calzolari . AA ' e understand that three distinct concerts ivill be given afc no ' distant period in aid ofthe fund raising for Jfr . Hullah : one in the-Royal Italian Opera House , by the Covent Garden Orchestra ,

conducted by Jlr . Mellon ; one by the A ' ocal Association , under Afiv Benedict's direction ; and one by Jlr . H . Leslie's choir . There is a chance , ifc is said , of three concerts devoted to Gluck ' s . music , —after the fashion ofthe remarkable meetings at Manchester ,, being given in London during the spring to come . Herr Jlarshner has removed himself to Paris for a time , with : tho view , it is said , of producing some of his works on the French operatic stage .

JI . Halevy , says the Journal des FSbats , is engaged on a new " four-act opera , to be entitled " A ' aiima d'Ornano . " To the list of composers now trying their hands at opera-writing may be added the name of that estimable professor aud excellent pianoforte-player , Herr Pauer ; who , Ave learn , is far advanced in a musical drama , Avhich is to be produced at Mannheim . The neiv Grand Opera House in Paris , according to details

translated from the Moniteur , "is to contain from 1 , 800 to 2 , 000 persons ; tho length from the back of the boxes to the proscenium to be about sixty feet . The stage is to be capable of holding about four hundred persons , its width forty-five feet , and its depth one hundred and four feet . The total length of the building , —ivhich is to include not only the theatre , but all its accessories , —is to be four hundred and ninety feet by tivo hundred and twenty eight . " —Hard by the theatre ivill be built a monster hotelon a scale to rival that

ofthe-, Hotel de Louvre . Jlr . Charles Dickens writes— " I shall feel greatly obliged to you : if you will allow me to make known to theatrical managers ,, through your colums , that I believe it is in the power of any English Avriter of fiction legally to prevent any ivork of his from being dramatised or adapted for the stage Avithout his consent , and that I have taken measures for the assertion of this right in my

own case and intend to try it ivith Avhomsoever may violate it . It happened but yesterday that Iliad , in conjunction ivith Jlr AA'ilkie Collins , very unwillingly to assert this principle in defence of a joint production of ours against the proprietor of the Britannia Theatre . In a most frank and honest manner he immediately withdrew an announced piece on the night of its intended first representation , and ivhen his audience were assenbled . I had no earlier opportunity of giving him notice ofiny intention to uphold the rights of authors . "

Public Amusements.

PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS .

DR . JIARK AND HIS LITTLE MEN AT ST . JAMES'S HALL , PICCADILLY . AA ' e had occasion some time since to notice favourably this institution , founded by Dr . JIark , for the promotion of music , and by means of music , of education generally , among the less educated classes . Dr . JIark has , however , never performed in London till nowexcepting on one occasionwhen he had fche honour of receiving :

, , a command from her JIajesty to bring his juvenile band of musician * to Buckingham Palace . A Northern paper lately noticed our worthy Bro . Dr . AIark as " a man of mark ; " shall ive carry on the joke , and pay him the soinewhat dubious compliment ( as the subject is open to so much dispute ) of calling- him " a JIark JIason ? " Hoivever , ive have now heard the performance of tbe little men at the St . James ' s . Hall ,

and can confidently speak well of all that AVO heard . Some of them came before the public as finished musicians , but some as beginners , others as musicians somewhat more advanced , to shoiv to what account our own native talent can be turned , and to present to the public a musical performance , which , as touching a great national question , no less as regards education generally than music , is really no less interesting- than pleasing . Herold ' s Overture to "Zampa" AA-as executed with a precision

as to time and a general spirit , and aplomb from which , others , might Avell take a . lesson . The principal solo performers , E . andO . Sturge , Beard , and Donovan , AA-IIO are on the average about seventeen years of age , SIIOAV no small amount of taste on the cornopean , the violin , and the bass sax horn , AA-hile the tivo juvenile " corporals , " Arnold and Bob Smith , gave their short rendering of popular air with a steadiness and a gravitwhich is not onl

y y business-like ns to themselves , but highly amusing to the audience . Martin ' s laughing chorus , " A ' adusi qua" ( an English version ) , is decidedl y infectious . Jlr . Frank Reid ' s tenor voice is most effectively and tastefully exhibited in Braham ' s ivell-knoivn song , " The Anchor's AA ' eighed , " and in " Maegrcgor ' s Gathering , " while