Masonic And General Tidings.

Masonic and General Tidings .

CHANGE IN TUB BANK RATE . —The directors of the Bank of England have increased the rate of discount from 3 per cent ., at which it was fixed on September 32 nd , to 4 per cent . TUB DUKE OF CONNAUGHT was for some time occupied on Monday with General Sir Redvers Buller at the Headquarter Office , Aldershot . THE PERCY LODGE OF INSTRUCTION , NO . 19 S , now meets at the Perseverance ( Bro . Hollinbury , proprietor ) , Southgate-road , Balls Pond-road .

His ROYAL HIGHNESS the Dukeof Cambridge will distribute the pn ? , ; s of the Middlesex Yeomanry Cavalry at the St . James ' s Hall , on the nth prox . THERE ' HAS BEEN an improvement during the last few days in the state of the Duke of Teck ' s health . His Highness is now able to take exercise in the grounds of White Lodge . A MARRIAGE HAS BEEN arranged between the Hon . Francis Gathorne-Hardy , son of Lord and Lady Medway , and the Lady Isobel Stanley , only daughter of Bro . the Earl and Countess of Derby .

BRO . LORD GLENESK has consented to preside at the 234 th Anniversary Festival in aid of the funds of the Royal Scottish Corporation , to be held in the King ' s Hall , Holborn Restaurant , on VVednesday , the 30 th prox . ( St . Andrew's Day ) .

THE OUEEN has granted her patronage to the Irish Industries Exhibition and Sale , to be held in St . George's Hall , Liverpool . Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein has kindly promised to open the exhibition on Tuesday , the ist prox . AMONG THE LATEST additions to the Prince of Wales's Hospital Fund is the sum of 4 . 212 12 s . id ., contributed during the present year by the Post Office staff in London

and in the Surveyors' Department , on the invitation of the Postmaster-General . THE EMPRESS EUGENIE entertained the Duke and Duchess of Connaught and Princess Margaret of Connaught , at Farnborough Hill , on Saturday evening last . The guests invited to meet their Royal Highnesses included the Duke of Huesca , the Duchess of Alba , and other friends .

THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF YORK , with the Hon . Derek Keppel in attendance , arrived at Euston by the West Coast express , oh Sunday , on their return from Mar Lodge . On Monday morning the Duke and his Equerry left Charing-cross for Dover , en route for Denmark , to attend the funeral of the late Oueen Louise . THE SUSSEX MASONIC CLUB is now thoroughly established at its commodious . premises in the Queen ' s-road , it numbers over 200 members , and its committee are determined to keep up the interest of the members . At the present time a billiard handicap with 32 competitors is proving of great interest . Bro . H . W . Butler , J . W . 1829 , is Hon . Sec , and will supply any further information .

IN THE PRESENCE of a considerable assemblage , Bro . Lord Mayor Davies , M . P ., who had walked across from thc Mansion House in a State procession , with the Sheriffs and the Sword and Mace Bearers , unveiled , shortly after noon on Monday the two latest additions to the series of panels decora'iag the ambulatory of the Royal Exchange .

ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON LAST , the Queen drove out with her Imperial Majesty the Empress Frederick and her Royal Highness Princess Henry of Battenberg , attended by the . Countess of Lytron , and honoured the Earl and Countess Carrington with a visit at Abergeldie Castle . The Earl and Countess of Minto , Bro . Lord Balfour of Burleigh , and the Rev . Archibald Fleming had the honour of being included in the Royal dinner party .

H . R . H . THE PRINCE OF WALES , who has been absent from London since the end of July , when he went to thc Solent for his lirst period of convalescence after his accident , is expected to leave Scotland to-morrow ( Saturday ) for Londoi , and to arrive in the Metropolis on Sunday morning . It is probable that his Royal Highness will be joined at Marlborough House by the Princess as early as possible after the funeral of the late Qu : en of Denmark .

ON THE OCCASION of the visit of Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstcin to Ripon , for the purpose of opening a bazaar in aid of the funds of the local elementary schools , her Royal Highness will be the guest of the Bishop of Ripon and Mrs . Boyd Carpenter at the Palace . The Princess is expected to arrive on Monday evening , the 17 th instan-, and will be met at the station by the Mayor and Corporation of the city , whj will present an address of welcome .

LORD AND LADY LEIGH TESTIMONIAL . —It isannounced that Lord Leigh has been ordered to the seaside after his recent indisposition , and will not be able to attend the proposed presentation of the county testimonial at the County Hall , Warwick , on the day appointed . It has therefore been decided , after ascertaining the wishes of Lady Leigh , that the presentation to her which , together with the presentation of the adJress , was to have taken p ' acc on the 17 th inst ., shall be postponed until the portrait is completed , lt is hoped that the portrait will be finished by the end of the year .

ON SATURDAY morning last the Queen went out with her Royal Highness Princess Adolphe of Schaumburg-Lippe . Her Imperial Majesty the Empress Frederick drove out with her Royal Highness Princess Henry of Battenberg , attended by Countess Peiponcher and Count Seckendorff , and visited the old Castle of Craigievar . Thsir Roval Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of York , with his Serene Hi'hness Prince

Fiancis of Teck , visited the Queen and remained to luncheon . In the afternion their Royal Highnesses and Prince Francis of Teck took leave of her Majesty , and left Balmoral lor the South , attended by the Hon . Derek Keppel . Bro . the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe and Bro . Lord Balfour of Burleigh had the honour of bting included in the Royal dinner party .

THE CRESCENT LODGE OF INSTRUCTION , the oldest in the Province of Middlesex , commenced the winter session on the Gth inst ., at the Masonic Hall . Twickenham . Amongst those present were Bros . Raymond Thrupp , Deputy Prov . Grand Master ; R . W . Fi rge , P . G . D . C . ; F . C . Austin , P . A . G . D . C . ; J . P . Hoddinott , P . M . j F . Ruffell , P . M . ; W . Pittman , P . M . ; J . Pain , R . Wood , and J . W . D .-acon . Regret

was expressed at the absence , enforced by illness , of the Preceptor , Bro . Warner . _ It is understood that the meetings will be held every Thursday evening , at half-past eight , in order to give younger Masons an opportunity of qialifying them reives for more onerc us positions . It was incidentally stated that the next Provincial Grand Lodge meeting will be held in the district . The Chapter of Improvement for Royal Arch Masons was re-opened last week .

Masonic And General Tidings.

THE LORD MAYOR ' West indies Fund reached the sum of £ 30 , 700 at ' noon on Thursday . BRO . SIR WALTER BESANT will preside at the annual meeting of the Farningham and Swanley Homes for Little Boys , at Queen's Hall , on the ist prox . THE DUCHESS OF MANCHESTER and Lady Alice Montagu have left the West Cliff Hotel , Folkestone , for Paris , en route to St . Moritz . BRO . THE EARL OF WARWICK , Provincial Grand Master of Essex , will consecrate a new lodge , to be named the Albert Lucking , at Southend-on-Sea , on the 20 th inst .

THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE arrived at Copenhagen on Thursday night , in order to attend the funeral of the Queen of Denmark . His Royal Highness was received at the station by the Crown Pri nee and Princess of Denmark , with their children . THE DIRECTORS of the London and South-Western Railway Company have unanimously elected Mr . Frederic J . Macaulay to be a director , in the place Mr . Arthur K . Guest . Mr . Macaulay has , during the last 19 years , filled the oflice of secretary to the company .

_ ALLIANCE LODGE , No . 1 S 27 . —^ ro . the Lord Mayor elect has accepted a fraternal invitation from Bro . Baron de Bush , W . M . elect of the above lodge , to be present at the installation meeting , which will probably take place on the 15 th prox ., and most likely be held at the Hotel Cecil . BRO . THE LORD MAYOR , who was accompanied by the Lady Mayoress , presided on Thursday last at thc Mansion House over a meeting in support of the Seaside Home Branch of the Stockweil Orphanage , when numerous promises of assistance were given by a large number of those present .

UP TO THURSDAY EVENING , the Lord Mayor ' s West Indies Relief Fund had amounted to £ 31 , 000 . Among the donors on Thursday were Messrs . Andrew Usher and Company , Edinburgh , £ 105 ; the North British and Mercantile Insurance Company , £ 105 j Messrs . Hawkes , Somerville , and Company , £ 50 ; and Captain Cundy , £ 21 . MR . J MURRAY announces a monograph on Mr . Gladstone , by Sir Edward W . Hamilton , who was private secretary to the great statesman from 1 SS 0 to iSy . * r . The work was originally intended for private circulation only , but having been subiiitted to the family , it was so highly aproved by them that it is now to be published with their full sanction . '

THE ENGLISH REPRESENTATIVES attending the Royal Society ' s conference at Burlington House on the projected international catalogue of science , entertained their foreign colleagues at dinner on Thursday night , at the Reform Club . Am-ing the hosts were Sir Norman Lockyer , Sir R . Strachey , Dr . Ludwig Mond , and Professor H . E . Armstrong , F . R . S .

THE COMMITTEE of the Cancer Hospital ( Free ) , Fulham-road , S . W ., desire to inform their subscribers and the general public of the loss they hive sustained by the death of their Secretary , Mr . W . H . Hughes , who had been connected with the hospital for many years . Until the oflice of- Secretary is filled up , all communications should be addressed to Mr . C . Jarman .

THE MAROUIS OF SALISBURY has recently presented to the Queen a descriptive memoir of the celebration of her Majesty ' s Jubilee in foreign countries . The work , which is tastefully bound in the Jubilee colours , forms a valuable and interesting record of an historical event , and has been specially prepared from official reports by Mr . Willoughby Maycock , of the Foreign Oflice .

A BOGUS FREEMASON AT ASHTON . —At the Ashton Borough Police-court , on the 10 th inst ., an elderly man , named George Scott , was charged with obtaining relief by false pretences from the local lodge of Freemasons . On the 2 Sth ultimo , the defendant called on the Treasurer , and , representing himself as James Puree !! , of the Royal Standard Lodge , Halifax , obtained relief out of the Sojourner ' s Fund . It was afterwards ascertained that he had had relief several times before under false names . Defendant was committed to prison for one month .

MESSRS . HODGSON , at their rooms in Chancery-lane , on Thursday last concluded a three-days' sale of valuable and interesting books from various private sources . A number of volumes from "The Badminton Library of Sports and Pastime" realised good prices , among which " Hunting , " by the Duke of Beaufort ami Miwbray M irris , sold for £ 29 ; " Fishing , " by II . Cholmondeley Pennell , and * ' Shooting . " bv Lord

Walsingham and Sir R . Payne-Gallwey , realised £ 10 and £ 9 103 . respectively . Three originals MSS . poems by the late Lord Tennyson of about fjur pages in a small album , presented by the author to a fellow undergraduate when at Cambridge , and containing the original MS . of "St . Agnes Eve , " and two other poems in thc poet ' s own handwriting , were fold for £ 32 .

PRESENTATION TO BRO . ALDERMAN AND SHERIFF ALLISTON . —Bro . Alderman ' and Sheriff Alliston was on Tuesday last presented by his employes , at 45 and 4 6 , Fridav-street , with a massive silver epergnc , as a memento of his election as one of the Sheriffs . On the base was the following inscription : " Mr . Alderman Frederick Pratt Alliston , Sheriff of the City of London , iSoS-iSoij ; presented bv the entire staff of Messrs . Alliston and Co ., London . " In a few well-chosen words , Mr . F . U . Smith congratulated the Alderman on his accession to oflice , and expressed the happiness of the

staff to find that he possessed the good health he needed for carrying out the many onerous duties which had been allotted to him . They wished him , he added , every possible success in his year of office . In response , the Alderman thanked the subscribers very heartily for the honour they had done him . Three years ago , when the ward of Bread-street elected him as Alderman , they made him a most gratifying presentation in the shape of a handsome address , in which they conveyed to him the good wishes , and expressed their desire that his health might be goad , and that he would live to enjoy the oflice of Alderman for many years . He was glad to know that the wishes expressed in

that address had been gratified , and that after three years he could say that he had had a most pleasurable time , and had enjoyed good health for a man of advanced years . The Alderman then alluded briefly to the various changes which had occurred in the cotton goods trade since he went to Friday-street in 1 S 4 S , and in conclusion thanked them very heartily for the presentation they had made to him , which was , he said , but another evidence of the good feeling which existed between the partners and the employes of the firm . ( Applause . ) Cheers were given for the Alderman and Mrs . Alliston , and the proceedings then terminated .

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