Testimonial To Col. S. H. Clerke G.S.

TESTIMONIAL TO COL . S . H . CLERKE G . S .

A SPLENDID silver table service was presented to Hro . Col . Sltad--i-i- well H . Gierke , on Thursday afternoon , at 33 Golden-square . About seventy brethren were present on the , occasion . The presentation was made by Capt . N . G . Phillips , in the absence of tho Earl of Lathom , who had been called away to Hughendon to Lord Beaconsfield . Tho object and value of tho testimonial will bo gathered from the observations made in presenting it . Capt . Philips

said—Brethren , we are met here to-day for tho purpose of presenting a service of plate of about the value of £ 450 to onr Illustrious Brother Lieut .-Col . Shadwell Henry Gierke , and I have to express to that brother and to yon the great regret of the Sovereign Grand Commander , the Earl of Lathom , that pressing business in connection wifch the affairs of State prevent his attendance tn make the

presentation in person . Ho writes to me— " Dear Captain Philips , it is with extreme regret that I havo to give up the pleasnro of presiding at the presentation of the testimonial to Colonel Shadwell Gierke to-day . I had looked forward to being present on tho occasion , and it is a very great disappointment to mo not to bo ablo to do so . But Lord Beaconsfield has sent for me to Hughenden , and I am bound to

obey his wishes . Will you kindly express my regrets to Colonel Gierke and tho brethren , and toll them how much I should havo liked to have been with them on an occasion of such interest , if it was only to mark the deep sense I feel of the very great services Colonel Gierke has rendered to the A . and A . Rite . Though we ate the losers by his appointment to the Grand Secretaryship , I feel thafc Masonry in

general is the gainer , and thafc we must not repine at his loss . He is still one of us , and I feel sure that his future career will show that we , who have known him so long , have not placed too high a value on his services . Believe me , yours fraternally , LATHOM , 33 ° . " It has , therefore , fallen upon mo to perform this pleasant duty , which is the more pleasing to me , as I was the oue at whoso hands

our Brother Gierke firsfc saw Light , and he has been associated with me in Masonry for many years . Brother Gierke , it now devolves upon me to beg your acceptance of this Presentation in recognition of the valuable services rendered by you to the Order as Grand Secretarv-General , and as a small token of the affection and esteem in which you are held by your colleagues of the Supreme Council and tho

members of the A . and A . Rite of Freemasonry for England and Wales , and tho Dependencies of the British Crown , and may the Great Architect of the Universe have you in His holy keeping , and long spare you in health and happiness to come amongst us . Col . Shadwell Gierke in reply said , Very illustrious Lt .-Grand Commander , and you , Brethren and the A . and A . Rite , I really hardly know what to say on this

occasion , I feel so entirely overwhelmed by the magnificence of tho gift which yon are good enough to confer npon me , but still moro so by the kind feeling , tho fraternal friendship , and I hope I may say esteem , which ifc typifies . I assuro you thafc I was quite unprepared for snch a demonstration , and I therefore value it all the more . Of course I regret very much that our most popular chief , Lord Lathom ,

is nofc hero to-day to present this , as he was good enough to say ho would , to me , but I am peculiarly gratified thafc I receive it through the hands of my old and Illustrious colleague , Capt . Philips , who , as he said just now , was the firsfc to make me a Mason , and with whom I have worked for tho last twenty years . It is , therefore , a great pleasure to me that I should receive a gift through his hands .

Brethren , when I first came to settle in London , after returning from active service in tho army some years ago , it was a great pleasure to me to bo permitted to join the higher Orders of Masonry , and when you entrusted me with the duties of Grand Secretary-General , I assure you I entered into it with the full determination thafc I would act for . the prosperity of tho Order to the utmost of my power and ability . From

the very kind way in which yon havo received me to-day , and from this very handsome presentation , I hopo I may lay the flattering unction to my soul thafc I havo had some measure of success in carrying out my intentions ; but I assure you I could nofc have carried on those duties if ifc had nofc been for the kind co-operation of my colleagues of tho Order with whom I have been connected . Although

I have been called to other duties , which prevent my attendance hero as often as before , yet you may be sure that I have tho interests of the A . and A . Rite as much at heart as ever , and I feel the greatest interest in the welfare of the Order , and of its members individuall y , amongst whom I have the pleasure and gratification of numbering a great many personal friends . I thank you , as I said before , from the

very bottom of my heart for this gift , which I trust will be handed down to my children when I am no more amongst yon , and I hope it will be an heirloom to my family to show the very kind feeling that you have evinced to me . I thank yon very , very much . " The inscription on the salver was— "Presented to Lieut .-Col . Shadwell H . Gierke by his colleagues in tho Supreme Council , 33 ° , for England

and Wales and the Dependencies of the British Crown , in recognition of his valuable services as Grand Secretary-General . Jnly ' lSSO . " On the centre-piece was engraved— " This centre-piece , with many other articles of plate , is presented to Lieufc .-Col . Shadwell H . Gierke , 33 ° , by the members of the various degrees of the A . ancl A . Rite for

England and Wales and the Dependencies of the British Crown , as a mark of their appreciation of the valuable and honorary services rendered by him to the Order as its Grand Secretary-General for nearl y seven vears , and of the esteem in which he is personally held by them . July 1880 . "

Consecration Of The Stanmore Chapter, No. 1549.

CONSECRATION OF THE STANMORE CHAPTER , No . 1549 .

' ipII IS new Chapter , in connection with the three Lodges meeting -o- at Great Stanmore , was formally consecrated on Wednesday , the 30 th ult ., by Ex-Conips . II . C . Levander Prov . G . H ., H . G . Bus ,-. P . G . Standard-Bearer , James Terry Prov . G . D . C . Herts , and H . A . Dubois Prov . G , Scribe E . Tho Companions present were Comps .

Consecration Of The Stanmore Chapter, No. 1549.

G . Tideombe , T . J . Maidwell , 1 [ . Lovegrovo , J . B . King , J . E . Dawson I ' rov . G . Scribe E . Hens , C . Chall-n 315 . V . Wilson lies , M . D ., Prov . G . H . Herts , G . C . Xisseus 8 S' j , W . J . Green 101 , If . Sadhr Z . llil ) Graud Janitor , and F . Honeyw .-ll P . G . O . Surrey If . SS : ) . Tlio Chapter was opened by Ex-Comps . Levander as M . E . Z ., Buss as II ., Terry as J ., and Dubois as D . C . The petition and warrant wero

read , and the ceremony of consecration proceeded with , the oration being ably delivered by Comp . Terry . Comp . G . Tideombe was then dalv installed as M . E . Z . and Comp . II . Luvvgrovo ( Scribe X . 72 ) as J ., the II . designate Comp . W . Stephens , V . ' A . 8 G 2 , I 3 O 5 , and USD , being absent through domestic aftlietion . The Companions appointed to office were Comps . C . Veal Scribe E ., T . J . Maidwell I ' . S ., King

1 st Assist .-Soj ., and Middletou Janitor . Comp . IT . Lovegrovo proposed and tho M . E . Z . seconded , that a vote of thanks to tho installing Officers ( Comps . Levander , Bu-s , Terry and Dubois ) bo recorded on the minutes , and that they be elected honorary members of tho Chapter . Several names having been handed in for exaltation and joining , the Chapter was closed , and after a stroll in the beautiful

gardens attached to tho house , tho Companions assembled at the festive board , where everything had been provided in a first-class manner by Comp . Veal . Comp . Buss P . G . Standard-Bearer replied to the toast of the Grand Officers . Comp . II . C . Levander Prov . G . lf . replied to the toast of tho Prov . G . Officers . Tho M . E . Z ., in replying to tho toast of his health , proposed by Comp . Levander , gavo a

description of Stanmore and the objects of interest in tho neighbourhood . Comps . Lovegrovo and Buss ( acting II . ) replied for the second and third principals . The " Visitors" brought forth a response from Comp . Dr . Ilea , and tho " Charities" one from Comps . Terry and Dubois . Tho Janitor ' s toasfc brought a very successful meeting to a close .

The Mohawk Minstrels.

THE MOHAWK MINSTRELS .

rnilESE popular minstrels seem resolved that tho entertainment J - thoy have given at their homo at the Agricultural Hall , almost continuously for seven years , shall lack nothing cither in variety or excellence . No favourable opportunity for presenting a special programme is ever missed , and oven where thero ia no particular reason for departing from the regular order of things , ifc is always easy for people of resolution to find one . Thus , on each of the five

Wednesdays in June , they appeared on tho stage with white faces , and thereby proved , what most people havo hitherto doubted , that it is possible to make a darky white . But these Wednesdays were marked by something further in the way of novelty . On each occasion Parfc I . of tho Programme included a series of songs , & c , quite different from what aro usually heard afc this class of entertainment , while ou

tho last Wednesday of all thoy gavo an Operatic Concert , which , even if they had not furnished any previous testimony of their ability in this direction , must havo satisfied all who heard thorn that they were thorough artists , and capable of interpreting skilfully and with taste the higher as well as tho moro ordinary class of music . There were likewise other attractions—a favourite soprano in the person of

Miss Elene Webster , and a pianist , Herr Le . vinsohn , whose solos were received by tho audience , as they well deserved to be , with intense pleasure . Tho programme , which opened with tho overture to Masaniello hy tho Mohawk ' s band , included a string quartette by Messrs . Ottaway , Redmond , Smithyes and Forman , of which it is sufficient to say that ifc was one of tho special features of the

evening , and we trust ifc will uot bo the last occasion on which these gentlemen will furnish similar evidence of thoir ability . Messrs . Haydn Florence , and C . Garland sang , as they know well how to sing , the former , "Dear Isle , Farewell " ( the " Come o Gontil " of Don Pasijualc ) , and the latter "Ah love , how blest " ( "Ah si ben mio" of II Trovatore ) . Herr Levinsohn played "Erin "

( Benedict ) , and a grand Fantasia , of his own composition , on airs from Balfo's llohemian Girl . Miss Elene Webster ' s rendering of " Sweet Spirit , hear my prayer , " delighted every one and was most enthusiastically applauded , while Mr . J . Kavanagh , as usual , distinguished himself in his number— " Tho Happy Muleteer . " The second part consisted of Ethiopian varieties , which , beyond the fact of their

general excellence , call for no special comment . The Bros . Ray , Mr . Freeman , Little Thomas , Mr . James Francis , & c , & c , each contributed his share to the general entertainment . On Monday was given a Grand American Festival , in commemoration of the achievement of their independence by the United States of

America , the 4 th July this year , which fell on a Sunday , being the day which marks that interesting and important event . As a matter of course , among tho principal items were the well-kuown "Yankee Doodle , " "Hail ! Columbia , " the " Star-Spangled Banner , " & c , &(* This day ( Saturday ) another special programme will be " offered , and we doubt nofc , well received .

Tho Rmgsalo Rowing Ghib gave thoir first annual Concert , on Wednesday , tho 30 th ult ., afc the Wellington Hall , Upper-street . A very fair audience % vas present , and the programme , which was extremely well chosen , comprising , as it did , several good old songs and glees , went moat successfully . Tho chief success of tho evening was achieved by Miss Newton , a sister of the Vice-Captain , whose

rendering of Virginia Gabriel ' s song " Only , was so generally appreciated that it was found impossible to resist the demand for its repetition . The fair artist , however , substituted " Thady O'Flynn , " and was rapturously applauded for her second effort . She had previously sung " Ever of Thee , " and with Miss Atkins on . the piano ,

. Miss Coyto Turner ' s "I lovo my Love , Mr . J . A . Newton ' s "She woro a wreath of Roses" furnished the best of the Club progvAinnie . We hope wo shall have further opportunities of being present at the Concerts of this rising Club , whose fortunes deserve to ba , if they arc uot already , firmly established .