China.

CHINA .

SHANGHAI . A correspondent writing as the English mail of the 21 st . ult . closed , forwards us some interesting news respecting a newlyformed lodge of English Masons . He says , —The Tuscan Lodge , lately formed under the auspices of some worthy and interested brethren of the Northern Lodge of China ( No . 570 ) ,

having rece ' -ved a dispensation from the Provincial Grand Master of British Masons in China , the Hon . AVilliam Thomas Mercer , prior to the receipt of their charter from the Grand Lodge of England , had their inauguration meeting at the Masonic Hall , at 9 p . m ., Saturday , 18 th June , which was very well attended . Amongst the brethren present were Bros .

Rawson , P . Prov . G . M . ; the AV . Masters of the Northern Lodge of China ( No . 570 ) , and the Royal Sussex ( No . 501 ) , the former acting as Installing Master ; Dunlop , Underwood , Donaldson , Birdseye , P . M . ' s ; aud a numerous attendance of other brether . The large room looked in all respects well furnished , the chairs all occupied by Past Masters , and a very handsome and

powerful organ lent its tones to the solemnities of the evening . The ceremonies being proceeded with , Bro . A . R . Tilby , P . S . AV . of the Northern Lodge of China , was installed first "W . M ., and Bros . Henry A . Lidford and Rob . A . Jamieson as first AVardens , J . Jacques Sec . and Treas , & c . ; t . nd there is no doubt hut that , under the able management of its worthy Master and his officers , the career of this new lodge will be equally successful aad benevolent as that of its sister lodges iu China .

The chief mover in its formation , Bro . Connelius Thorno , P . M ., late of the Northern Lodge of China , and now in England , was unanimously chosen as its first honorary member , and Bros . Rawson , P . Prov . G . M ., and Gould , AV . M ., were also placed on that list .

This new lodge is the fourth now working in Shanghai , and a charter is on its way out from the Grand Lodge of Scotland for a Scotch lodge , to be called the Cosmopolitan , now only awaiting the charter to commence . This speaks well for Masonry in China , and if it increases thus much longer , a Deputy Provincial Grand Lodge will be required for Northern China .

Public Amusements.

PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS .

THE OXFORD MUSIC HALL . Among the minor classes of amusements in the metropolis may be mentioned the Music Halls , which have of late years become quite an "institution , " competing successfully for the public patronage with the smaller theatres . They have been somewhat appropriately termed " opera houses for the million , " on account of musical entertainments forming the principal

portion of the business . Of these , the Oxford has decidedly taken and . maintained tlie lead , so Jar as its purely musical , quality may be considered . Mr . Morton , the proprietor , always provides one or more " selections" from the popular operas of the day , which are rendered on the stage by a company of some thirty performers . In no other place can such productions he heard nightly with such gratification as at the Oxford . Of course , the special lyric establishments are always considered

excepted . The musical director , Mr . Jonghmans , is a gentleman of acknowledged ability in such matters , and the careful training shown by his chorus on the stage , seem to fully justify the encomiums awarded him . It may not , perhaps , be . generally known , that the " rehearsals" bestowed upon these " selections " are second only in importance and exactitude to those of the Royal Opera itself . VVe have been assured that from three to five weeks are not unfrequently consumed in preparing a "

selection " for public representation , and that at eacAi rehearsal " everybody , " to use a theatrical expression , is bound to be in attendance under the fear of the usual pains and penalties . At present the principal piece of tbe programme is a " selection " of Sir Henry Bishop's music to Shakespeare's comedy of " The Two Gentlemen of Verona , " which is listened to with great pleasure by a most appreciative audience , who ate comfortably seated on broad , well-cushioned chairs , and seem

perfectly at their ease . There is also a large comic element in ample provision . Mr . AA . Randall , who in natural voice and gesture , so resembles the late Mr . Robson when that actor was the genius of the Olympic , is called " Robson ' s double . " He adopts the " patter style " of comic vocalisation , and is always received with the heartiest and homeliest applause ; he seems to fall ever fresh upon his hearers . The next in the order of the evening is that wonderful combination of fundrolleryand

, , satire , Mr . Unsworth , who in his celebrated stump speech , criticizes men , manners , and things , from the highest to the lowest—political , ° social , and moral—in a manner that calls forth unbounded admiration . There is one paragraph in the stump speech which the audience cheer most lustily whenever it is heard . After giving a burlesque history of the late debate on the recent Conference , the speaker exclaims , " Go it Pani , go it Dizzy . But they'll have to go it a long time before they'll

make old Pam dizzy \ " This expression calls forth reiterated cheering from all parts of the building . Mr . Unsworth's successor is Mr . Eugene , who dresses up in the greatest dramatic nicety , first , as a negress " star" of the opera , and afterwards as a leading danseuse—so blends the burlesque with the sentimental that the greatest doubts , generally accompanied by small wagers , are made respecting both the sex and the ethnological character of the artiste . There is also , in the

comic department an infantile performer , under the name of " Miss Nelly Power , " whose character singing commands the praise and sympathy of the public in a remarkable degree . This child , for she can scarcely be more than twelve or thirteen years of age , has already acquired a large amount of stage practice known as " by-play , " and sings and acts Irish lovesongs , and so forth , in a way that provokes a large amount of laughterwhich is greatly increased hy the oddity of the

con-, trast between the years of the singer and the character she is portraying-. Dancing is added to her other attractions , and she is rapidly making a reputation for future years . A great many other varieties fill up the evening , and the very superior quality of both artists and audience conjoin to make a a night at the Oxford , for highly respectable people , one of the most agreeable diversities of unexceptionable London amusements .

ANNIVERSARY OF THE PRINCE CONSORT'S BIRTHDAY . By command of her Majesty the Council of the Royal Horticultural Society have directed that their gardens shall he opened freely to the public on August 26 , 1-64 , the anniversary of the birthday of his Royal Highness the Prince Consort , the founder of the gardens . The council have issued the following

statement for the guidance of the public : — " There will be entrances to the gardens at the east in Exhibition-road , west in Prince Albert's-road , and south in the Exhibition-road . The entrances will be opened at ten and closed at six o'clock . There are about thirty-six acres of ground and ample space for all visitors . So tickets will be issued . The police will instruct visitors as to the several exits from the ground . The conservatory , orchard houses , the arcades , and the maze , will all be opened . The cascades and

Million ' s fountain will play . The Old Hundredth Psalm , a hymn composed hy the Prince Consort , and ' God save the Queen , ' will be sung by the visitors . The singing will take place on the north or upper terrace in front of the conservatory . ' God save the Queen' will be sung at six o'clock . Bands will be stationed in several parts of the gardens , and will perform at intervals during the day . Omnibuses pass the gardens . Steamers laud passengers at Cadogan-pierChelseaand there is a railway

, , station in the Fulham-voad , both places being about a mile from the gardens . Clubs , schools , & c ., may be accompanied by their banners and bands . Refreshments will be sold at moderate rates , or visitors may bring their own . The south arcades at the lower end of the garden , as in the Exhibition of 1862 , and either of the annexes , may be used for the refreshments ; but visitors are requested not to use the flower garden as a place for refreshments . "