Masonic And General Tidings.

Masonic and General Tidings .

AT THE MOMENT of foing to press we learn there will be a Special Meeting of Grand Lodge at Langham Place , on the 15 th inst ., of which brethren will receive notification by usual circular . BRO . ARCHDEACON SINCLAIR preached in Canterbury Cathedral on the 27 th ult . BRO . ALDERMAN SIR J . WHITTAKER ELLIS , Bart ., entered , on the 25 th ult .,

upon his 73 rd year , BRO . ALDERMAN SIR J OSEPH DIMSDALE , M . P ., has accepted the presidency of the Widows' Friend Society . BRO . FIELD-MARSHAL EARL ROBERTS has consented to become a vice-president Of lhe Bethnal Green Free Library .

'BRO . F . j . HORNIMAN , M . P ., is prolonging his tour in Egypt , and does not intend to return to England until the second week in February . BRO . ARCHDEACON SINCLAIR will preside at the Holborn Restaurant to-morrow ( Saturday ) , over the iSth annual dinner of the Sanitary Inspectors' Association . BRO . W . S . PENLEV , who has been suffering from pneumonia , following upon an attack of influenza , is now considered by his medical attendants to be out of daneer .

LORD WILLIAM B ERESFORD . —Her Grace Lily , Duchess of Marlborough , has made a gift of £ 1000 to Dorking Cottage Hospital , in memory of her husband , the late Lord William Beresford . THE Cth annual ladies' banquet and 'dance ( under the . auspices of the Wellington Lodge , No . 54 S ) , arranged to be held at Cannon-street Hotel on Wednesday , the Gth inst ., has been postponed indefinitely .

BRO . COLONEL T . DAVIES SEWELL , who has seen nearly 55 years service at the Guildhall , retired on a pension of the 25 th ult ., much to the regret of those employed in the Chamberlain ' s department .

BRO . ARCHDEACON SINCLAIR and Dr . Joseph Parker are among the signatories of a letter suggesting that children's national memorial services should be held throughout Great Britain and the Colonies on the afternoon of Sunday , the 3 rd prox ., at three o ' clock . UNDER the chairmanship of Bro . Thomas Catling , the Urban Club held their first dinner of the century at Anderton ' s Hotel , Fleet-street , recently . The guests included Bro . Archdeacon Sinclair , Bro . Alderman Sir William Treloar , and the Rev . E . C . Hawkins .

CORPORATION OF THE CITY OF LONDON . —Chairmen of Committees . —The Chief Commoner , which position has fallen to Bro . T . Hastings Miller ; Bro . T . H . Brooke Hitching , J . P ., the General Purposes Committee ; and Bro . Deputy Walford , the West Ham Park Committee . THE CITY SHRIEVALTY . —At the approaching election of Sheriffs of the City of London , Bro . Alderman J . C . jiell , who is next in rotation among the Aldermen for tne office , will come forward as a candidate . Bro . Alderman Bell has been a member of the Corporation since 1 S 82 , and was formerly chairman of the City Commission of Sewers .

IN CONSEQUENCE of the lamented death of her Majesty Queen Victoria , the Cinderella arranged to be held by the St . James ' s Union Lodge on the 15 th prox . at the Freemasons' Hall in aid of the Masonic Charities has been abandoned . The Bohemian concert for the same object will take place as originally announced on March 22 nd at seven o ' clock , in the large hall .

THE ILLUMINATION OK THE HAGUE , in honour of the approaching marriage of Queen Wilhelmina , has been postponed from to-morrow ( Saturday ) to Monday , the 4 th instant , on account of the funeral of Queen Victoria . The Duchess of Albany and the Princess Alice will not be present at the wedding festivities , owing to being in mourning for the late Queen Victoria .

AT A MEETING of the Ball Committee of the Burdett-Coutts' Lodge , No . 127 S , en Tuesday evening , it was decided to abandon the ba \ I and banquet arranged to be held atthe Cannon-street Hotel on the 13 th instant . In order that the Masonic Charities may not suffer , and so that the ladies will not be disappointed , it was arranged lo have a summer outing towards the end of June .

THE PRINCESS OF WALES ' S APPEAL . —A pressing application having been received fiom the Cape Colony Branch of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Families ' Assrciation , a further sum of £ 1000 ( making together £ 5000 since the commencement of the war ) has been remitted by wire by Colonel Gildea . Nearly £ 2000 of this sum has been given in relief to the wives and families of Colonial troops .

IN ADDITION tothe memorial service at Westminster Abbey to-morrow t Saturday ) , at which seats will be allotted to members of the House nf Lords , a special service for members of the House of Commons is to be held at St . Margaret's , Westminster . At St . Paul ' s Cathedral only one service will be held instead of two , and will commence at 12 o ' clock . A special service is also to be held at Lincoln ' s Inn Chapel .

AMONGST THE latest contributions received at the Bank of England for H . R . H . the Prince of Wales ' s Hospital Fund for London is one of £ 2 ** o from the Prudential Assurance Company ( Limited ); Viscount Boyne , £ 100 ; Seaton Delaval Coal Company , £ 52105 . ; Mr . Robert A . Druce , £ 30 ; Mr . John Young , 3 rd Battalion Scots Guards , and " In gratitude for great kindness , " £ 25 each ; " An Irishwoman , " £ 23 5 s . ; " An Edinburgh Citizen , " Hon . Mr . Justice Kennedy , and " B , " £ 20 each .

AN INKUENTIAL DEPUTATION waitea on Bro . the Lord Mayor on Friday last , at the Mansion House , to request him to nominate Bro . Horace Brooks Marshall , . M . A ., J . P ., for the office ot Sheriff for the year ensuing . The Lord Mayor stated that hiwould have pleasure in acquiescing with the req uest . Bro . Horace Brooks Marshall is the senior partner in the firm of Messrs . Horace Marshall and Son , publishers , of Temple House , Temple-avenue , E C , and 125 , Fleet-street , E . C . He is a member of the Court of Common Council for the City of London .

SALE OF MEDALS . —An interesting collection of medals was dispersed at high rates by Debenham , Storr , and Sons , in Covent Garden , last week . A naval medal with three bars realised £ 25 ; another with bar for boat service £ 17 105 . ; the Peninsula medal with lobars awarded to Captain Sewell ( A . D . C . to Lord Beresford during the campaign ) , £ 24 ; a similar medal with five bars , Waterloo medil , and Netherlands medal awarded to Sir VV . Whymper ( surgeon to the Coldstreams ) , £ 25 ; another group with bars , Vittoria and Sahagun , and Benevente , £ 25 ; and a gold Derry artillery volunteer medal , £ 23 .

THE PKOV . G RAND SECRETARY OF DEVON . —The numerous friends of Bro . John Stocker , Prov . Grand Secretary of Devon , has been appointed a Justice iff the Place for the ancient city of Exeter . Not only as Prov . Grand Secretary , but also as Prov . Giand Scribe E . ( P . A . G . D . C . of England ) , Bro . Stocker has done , and is doing , splendid work for the P . ovince of Devon . Though the duties of both offices are of a

very onerous character , so far he has declined any vote of money for clerical assistance , the whole of his valuable services not costing the Province anything , so that all the receipts go in full for the purposes of Charity . With Co lodges and 30 chapter , in Devon , it is not dilticult to understand that the honorary Secretary of the Prov . Grand Lodge and Chapter has his work cut out to attend to the duties of such a large province .

AT A SPECIAL MEETING of the Board of Delegates of the Hospital Saturday Fund , held at the central olliees , Gray's-inn-road , on Saturday evening ( Mr . II . N . llamiltoiiltoare , the Treasurer , presiding ) , it was unanimously resolved , on the recommendation ot the Distribution Committee , that a sum of £ 17 , 700 be awarded to the 16 7 participating institutions , viz .: 2 S general hospitals , £ 6392 3 s . j eight cottage hospitals , f 165 ;

57 special hospitals . £ 4 * 31 12 s . ; 31 dispensaries , £ 909 12 s . ; 17 convalescent homes , £ 141 / 1 ; and 20 miscellaneous ( including ambulance , distribution , and surgical appliance committees , also institutions for the gratuitous nursing of the sick poor in their own homes ) £ 3 ^ 05 13 s . The awards were £ 0 S 0 6 s . 4 d , more than in 1 X 99 . The total receipts reached £ 20 , 222 , being a slight increase upon the previous year .

Masonic And General Tidings.

I BRO . G . BALFOUR IS now convalescent , 'and was able to return to London on J Thursday . I THE DRAPERY TRADE are more than satisfied with the King's action in limiting I the period of mourning . I BRO . WELLSMAN , C . C , VV . M . 1745 , S . W . 2 S 34 , P . A . G . D . C , has been elected J chairman of the City of London Schools Committee . I THE KING has been graciously pleased to offer Mrs . Creighton , wife of the late S Bishop of London , a set of apartments in the Palace at Hampton Court .

1 THE news from Cronberg about the Empress Frederick is much better . Her J Majesty has been free from pain for some time , and her drives in the open air have done J her good . 1 THE BURIAL of the late Mr . Basil Woodd Smith , J . P ., D . L ., formerly chairman I of the Hampstead bench of magistrates , took place on the 31 st ult ., in the family I vault in Hampstead parish churchyard .

A MAGNIFICENT WREATH was sent-. in Thursday to Windsor bearing the inscrip . ! tion : " From the United Grand Lodge of Freemasonsof England ; a tokei of heartfelt I grief and of devoted loyalty . " » I THE INSTALLATION of His Excellency Lord Northote as Grand Master of All I Scottish Freemasonry in India took place on the 24 th December , 1 9 00 , at the Freej masons' Hall , Colombo .

THE HON . SECRETARIES of the Prince of Wales's Hospital Fund for London a have been informed that a legacy of £ 1000 ( free of legacy duty ) wis bequeathed to the 3 fund by the late Mrs . M . E . Pate .

« BRO . FRANK NEWTON , 1209 , and of the Phvgoers Lodge , No . 2075 , has lately I acquired the Imperial Hotel , Richmond , Surrey . He is wsll-known to us , and we wish 0 him every success in his new undertaking . 1 THE LORD MAYOR ( Bro . Alderman Green ) and the Lady Mayoress are to preside S at the annual meeting of the London Saciety for Teaching the Blind and at the distribu-J tion of prizes on Saturday , 27 th April .

fj BRO . LORD GEORGE HAMILTON , M . P ., Sacretaryof State for Indii , wisto have 8 presided on Saturday last at the annual meeting of the Ealing Cottage Hospital , of which he is president , but the engagement was postponed . BRO . ARCHDEACON SINCLAIR approves in a qualified way of the suggestion that the chief of the London diocese should be given the rank of Archbishop , and that a Bishop should be appointed for each of the boroughs .

I ' DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE arrived at Portsmouth on Saturday evening last , and was the guest of Sir Charles and Lady Hotham , at Admiralty House , until Monday morning , when he crossed the Solent in the Alberta for Osborne . AT THE Court of Common Council on the 31 st ult . a vacancy was declared in the office of Secretary to the Guildhall School of Music , vacant by the appointment ot Mr . Hilton Carter to a better position . The salary is from £ 300 to £ 350 a year .

THE annual meeting of the Committee of Petitions of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Devonshire was held on the 2 Sth ult ., at the Freemasons' Hill , Exeter , being presided over by Bro . G . C . Davie , P . M ., P . G . D . Eng ., D . P . G . M . Devon , and acting Prov .

G . M . BRO . LORD EGERTON OF TATTON , under medical advice , has been compelled , in consequence of ill-health , to resign the Chairmvnship of the Royal Commission on the Port of London , as he is ordered to take complete rest from further work for som ; S time . TO-MORROW ( Saturday ) the ordinary train service in and out of Victoria Station will be entirely suspended between 9 a . m . and 11 a . m ., and the station will be closed to the public Additional facilities will be given to enable passengers to arrive at Victoria up to 9 a . m .

ON SATURDAY , the sOth ult ., Bro . Lieutenant-Colonel G . Walton Walker , Deputy Provincial Grand Master of Staffordshire , was installed Worshipful Master of the Foster Gough Lodge , No . 270 G , by Bro . Pepper , assisted by Bro . Lord Dartmouth , the Provincial Grand Master . THE gold medal of the Royal Astronomical Society has this year been awarded til Professor Edward Charles Pickering , of Harvard College Astronomical Observatory . The medal will be presented at the annual general meeting of the Society on Friday , the Sth inst ., at Burlington House .

MAORI CHIEF ' GIFT TO LORD ROBERTS . —Bro . Lord Roberts on Wednesday received through the Agent-General for New Zealand a valuable Miori mere , or tomahawk , of greenstone , sent as " a token of great admiration " by Tuta Nihoniho , an infiuential Maori chief , and his people . AT ITS WEEKLY MEETING the London School Board unanimously decided to appeal 'gainst the judgment of Mr . Justice Wills and Mr . Justice Kennedy in the case of Recina v . Cockerton , in which it was decided that the Board could not apply the rates to the maintenance of science and art classes .

IN THE EARLY HOURS of the 31 st ult . Buckie Burn Bridge ( M . B . ) collapsed . It was only on Tuesday last formally christened by the Buckie Town Council the " Oueen Victoria Bridge , " in memory of our late Sovereign . The three arches , two of 25 feet and one of 34 feet , went bodily into the valley 40 ft . below . BY THK DEATH OF THE QUKKN , the Church Army has lost a good friend , as for years her Majesty deeply appreciated the work of the society amongst the criminal , the outcast , and the destitute classes . All meetings in connection with the society ' s work have , wherever possible , been postponed until after the funeral .

LOOSENED , no doubt , by the recent gale , the large flagstaff on the top of the historic church of Bray , near Maidenhead , has fallen and wrought considerable havoc The Union Jack was at half-mast out of respect for the late Queen , and this came down with the pole , which brought with it a huge portion of the battlements and coping of the tower , the whole crashing into a large stone vault and conpl- * t * : lv destroying it . The vault was that of the late Mr . James Coombes , banker , of Windsor , who died early in the last century .

SIGNOR VERDI , the great composer , after several days of resistance , which proved his great strength , passed away about three o ' clock on Sunday morning , at the age of S 7 . On Saturday evening last the aged composer was much better , and recovered consciousness . He smiled at those about his bed , and , although he could nit speak , soon made them understand that he wished to have his hinds washed . After this he seemed very satislied , and sank again into unconsciousness . Eirly on Suudiy mirnin ? he began to grow rapidly worse . He opened his eyes and made an evident effort to speak . He raised one arm as though in farewell , gave a sigh , and pissed peacefully away .

THE HOUSK OI * COMMONS will miss Bro . Sir J . W . Maclure , the bluff , hearty , effervescent member who figured some years back in Vanity Fairs . * "the Whitehead Torpedo . " Sir John , no doubt , was at times highly explosive ; but he wis armed with nothing more than a blank charge . It was impossible , indeed , to take him very seriously . Even Speaker Peel—who in his authoritative moods , as someone said , was enough to

sour all the beer in the Kitchen Committee's cellars—found difficulty in keeping his countenance that day when he had to 'reprehend " Sir John "in his place in the House " for something he had done as a director of the Cambrian Railway . Yet Maclure , despite his free-and-easy style and his sometimes embarrassing ' * asides " during debates , was an earnest anil resolute man in the grain .

AN INTERESTING RELIC of the South African campaign ( says the Liverpool Mercury ) has just come into the possession of thc present chief of a Mark Master Masons' lodge whose meetings are held in Liverpool . It is a beautifully designed and very heavy sterling silver snuff-box , whose Mall mark shows it to have been manufactured in Eneland when William IV . was King . In the four corners of the lid , whose elaborate chasing is in parts worn smooth by long use , are engraved emblems of the

sun , the crescent moon encircled by stars , the square and compasses , and the level . Then there is an inscription in the quiint right-angled characters of the Mark Masons ' alphabet , and which when deciphered reads : " Presented to J . Calf as a token ot affection by his wife . " An inscription on the bottom reads : "J . A . Elton to J . J . Raaff , Friendship , 1—1—95 . " Raaff was a Boer who , it is believed , fell at Paardeberg , where the box was picked up by a British soldier .