The Craft Abroad.

Comp . Beresford G . Campbell , iS ° , in his usual careful manner . The M . E . Z . then completed the work by exalting the candidate . The chapter was then closed , and the companions adjourned for refreshments . Scottish Royal Arch Masonry has gone ahead lately in New South Wales . An impetus has been given that has tended greatly to benefit the Degrees worked by Scotland in the Colony . The Depute Grand Superintendent , being I . P . M . of Cambrian Lodge of Australia , No . 656 ( E . G . ) , has brought all the members of that lodge to the Scottish chapters , as there is no English chapter in New South Wales , and having

profited by the lessons learnt by the amalgamation of the " Blue" lodges in iSSS , they have determined to remain firm to the Supreme Grand Chapter of Scotland . The Scottish chapters have a lodge of Royal Ark Mariners as well as a Council of Red Cross Knights attached to them , meeting quarterly , and having really good attendances . The chapters never were in a better condition , socially and financially , than they have been for some years past . Two new Mark lodges have been opened lately , both of which are decidedly an acquisition , and altogether the prospects generally of Scottish Chapter Masonry are more encouraging than they ever were .

Masonic And General Tidings.

flfoasonfc anb General THbings ,

THE QUEEN ' S BIRTHDAY . —The Queen ' s Birthday will be observed by the closing of the Guildhall offices on Thursday , 24 th instant . THE RANK of Lady of Grace in the Order of the Hospital of St . John of Jerusalem has been conferred on Mrs . Lucy Gofton-Salmond . H . R . H . the PRINCE OF WALES will distribute the prizes at the Royal Naval School Eltham , at the annual prize-giving on Saturday , June iCth . TUESDAY ' Gazette contains the test of an order establishing a new decoration , to be called the Kaisar-i-Hind , for services rendered in India .

THE J UDGES AT ST . PAUL ' S . —Her Majesty's Judges will attend St . Paul's Cathedral in State on Sunday afternoon , the 17 th prox . NATAL VOLUNTEERS' WAR FUND . —Bro . Sir Walter Peace , the Agent-General of Natal , announces that the subscriptions for the fund now amount to £ 18 , 484 3 s . gd ., which has been remitted to Natal . H . R . H . THE PRINCB OF WALES will be the guest of the officers of the Prince of Wales ' s Own Norfolk Artillery , at the regimental dinner , which will take place at the Carlton Hotel on the 31 st instant .

SCOTTISH HOME INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION . —The Duchess of Sutherland has consented to allow this Association to hold an exhibition of Scottish Home Industries at Stafford House on July the 5 th next . BRO . RUPERT SMYTH , I . P . M . 1 C 57 , and Mrs . Smyth will be entertaining at a complimentary dinner to be given by the members of the Aldersgate Lodge , on Friday , the 22 nd prox ., at the Hotel Cecil , Strand .

THE ANNUAL INSTALLATION MEETING of the Prince of Wales Mark Lodge , No . 4 , will be held at Mark Masons' Hall , on Monday , the 28 th instant , when Bro . J . Campbell Johnstone will be installed in succession to Bro . J . Robertson Reep . ROYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY OF LONDON . —At a meeting of this society on Saturday , Mr . G . W . Bell in the chair , a plant of dendrobium thyrsiflorum , grown in the gardens and bearing eight spikes of bloom , was shown .

CRYSTAL PALACE ORCHESTRA . —H . R . H . the Princess of Wales has graciously given her patronage to the concert for the benefit of the members of the Crystal Palace Orchestra , which will take place at the Crystal Palace next Saturday , the 19 th instant , at 3 . 30 , by permission of the directors . A VILLAGE HAMPDEN . —Bro . Earl Carrington has promised to unveil at the end of this month a tablet to be erected in Hampton Wick to the memory of Timothy Bennet ,

the village shoemaker , who many years ago successfully contested the right of the Crown to close Bushey Park to the public . IN THE GOTHIC , which is due early in June , two prominent New Zealand brethren have taken their passage , with the intention of settling in England . They are Bros . Dr . L . G . Boor , P . D . G . M . and H . O . Fenton , P . G . O ., who for some years has been Assistant to the G . Secretary of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand .

COLONEL MORTIMER HANCOCK , commanding the 3 rd London Rifles , has forwarded to Colonel Mends , commanding the rille depot , a cheque for £ 230 7 s . id ., subscribed by all ranks of the 3 rd London , past and present , in aid of the families of soldiers of the King ' s Royal Rifles killed or disabled in South Africa . THE PRINCESS AND WELSH INDUSTRIES . —H . R . H . the Princess of Wales has graciously notified her intention of visiting the inspection and sale of the Welsh Industries Association , to be held at the residence of Lord and Lady Aberdare , S 3 , Eatonsquare , S . W ., during the afternoon cf the opening day , the 31 st instant .

WE REFERRED in last week ' s issue to the grand patriotic carnival which is being organised to paiade the streets of the borough of St . Pancras on Thursday and Friday , the 24 th and 25 th instant . In doing so , we mentioned the District Chairman ' s name as Bro . J . Baring . This should have read Bro . Joseph Bangs , a well-known and esteemed P . M . of No . 2202 .

THE LORD MAYOR AND THE CROWN PRINCE OF GERMANY . —Bro . the Lord Mayor sent a message of congratulation to the Crown Prince of Germany upon the occasion of his Royal Higbness's coming of age . The following telegram has been received by the Lord Mayor in reply : " It is with heartiest thanks that I acknowledge the receipt of your congratulations on behalf of the City of London . Be sure that I feel sincerely obliged for this kind attention . —WILLIAM , Crown Prince . "

BRO . PASSMORE E DWARDS GIVES A PALACE . —According to Bro . the Lord Mayor , it was a happy coincidence that the annual meeting of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society should be held at the Mansion House just » s the Naval Brigade from the Powerful arrived to receive the welcome of the City . Possibly some of those who had to light their way through a dense crowd to get to the meeting , and some of the speakers who never gave their addresses thought otherwise . However , long before the time of beginning , the Egyptian Hall was well filled , and the interval passed pleasantly

in listening to selections of music by the boys of the Stockwell Orphanage , and a five minutes' testimony from a fisherman of Gtismby . Punctually at three o ' clock a bugle call announced Bro . the Lord Mayor and the Lady Mayoress , who made their way to the platform , followed by the Reception Comtrittee . A guard of honour from the Shaftesbury training-ship brought up the rear , and drew up in double line in front of the platform . After a prayer by Dr . Newman Hall , Bro . the Lorrl Mayor read a teleeram that had been received from Bro . Lord Roberts on the eve of his starting for

Pretoria , accepting the oflice of Vice-President . Rev . Edward Matthews , having read brief extracts from the report , Madame Annie Layton sang the first verse of " God save the Oueen , " the audience joining in the second verse . Then Mr . Alexander Scrutton lead the balance-sheet , which showed that £ 23 , 921 had been received , and £ 25 , 770 expended . Bro . the Lord Mayor , in a short speech , bore testimony to the very important work done by the Society without any subsidy from the State , and acknowledged the debt owed by bankers and merchants to the merchant service . Sailors

required some shepherding . They were children of nature to some extent , and when not engaged in their profession especially liable to temptation . He also announced that a gentleman well known for his catholicity and generosity—Bro . Passmore Edwardshad promised to give the Society a building that should be both head-quarters and sailors' palace , and which was to be specially associated with the name of the late Duke of Clarence . This announcement was received with great applause , and a telegram was

sent from the meeting to the Queen acquainting her with the gift . Bro . the Lord Mayor now left to fulfil his engagement with the Naval Brigade , and Bro . Archdeacon Sinclair took the chair , and moved the adoption of the report . This was seconded at some length by Rev . VV . F . Faulding , of the Las Palmas branch . After another solo by Madame Layton , the proceedings were brought to a close with the rest of the programme unfinished , and those who were left made their way out to witness the stirring scene below . We understand that this means a gift of at least £ 5000 . A magnificent site has already been secured and paid for .

Masonic And General Tidings.

LAST YEAR 29 , 000 people paid for admission to Shakespeare ' s birthplace , represen ting 41 nationalities . THE BAPTISM of the Infant Prince Henrv William Frederick Albert , son of their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of York , was solemnised at Windsor Castle , on the iSth instant , at one o'clock . MR . H . J . PALMER , of the Yorkshire Post , and Sir John Long , M . P ., of the Dundee Advertiser , have been elected the President and Vice-President ( respectively of the Newspaper Society . Mr . Leonard Collingridge , of the City Press , was elected JOB the Committee .

THE ANNUAL FESTIVAL of the Newsvendors' Benevolent and Provident Institution will be held at the Whitehall Rooms on Tuesday next . Mr . C . Arthur Pearson will preside , and the Chinese Minister and the Commander-in Chief will be among those present . THE ANNUAL MEETING of the National Anti-Vivisection Society will be held at Queen ' s ( Large ) Hall , Langham-place , VV ., on Tuesday , the 22 nd inst . Bro . the Right Hon . Lord Llangattock will take the chair at S . 30 p . m . An organ recital will be given at eight o ' clock .

THE ANNUAL DINNER in connection with the City Dispensary will be held at the Albion Tavern , Aldersgate-street , E . C , on Tuesday , the igth prox . Bro . the Right Hon . Sir Alfred J . Newton , Bart . ( Lord Mayor ) , will preside , assisted by the Sheriffs of the City of London , the Under Sheriffs , and others . THE BISHOP OF SOUTHWARK asks us to state that Lady Barbara Yeatman-Bi ggs hopes to be able to resume her usual duties at the beginning of next week . The Bishop trusts that this intimation may be taken as a reply , for the present , to the very large number of letters and telegrams which he is receiving .

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS . —The annual athletic sports of the boys of this Institution will be held at Wood Green on Saturday , the 26 th instant , at 2 . 30 p . m ., on the same lines as in former years . The Board of Guardians for the Strand District have kindly granted permission for their boys' band to attend and play a selection of music during the afternoon . Tickets of admission may be had on application to Bro . J . M . McLeod , Sec . )

THE DONATIONS to the Transvaal War Fund at the Mansion House amounted on the 17 th instant to £ 907 , 570 . Of that sum £ 392 , 785 had been subscribed for the widows and orphans , £ 89 , 354 for the sick and wounded , £ 9 * 5 , 337 forthe disabled soldiers and sailors , and , 1 , 171 , 452 for the wives and families of the troops . A sum of £ 142 , 359 has been placed at the Lord Mayor ' s discretion for distribution among these four branches or other kindred objects connected with the war . The destination of £ 15 , 283 received from the Colonies has not yet been indicated .

LONDON AND MANCHESTER INDUSTRIAL ASSURANCE CO . ( LTD . ) . —The annua , general meeting of this company was held on the 16 th inst . at the Hop Exchange Borough , when there was a good attendance . Mr . J . Mason , M . D ., the chairman , presided , and was supported by Mr . VV . F . Woodward , Mr . J . VV . Woodward , and Mr . H . Speed ( directors ) , and Mr . VV . Dawes ( managing director ) . The report and statement of accounts , which were taken as read , were of a very satisfactory nature . It stated that the number of new policies granted during the year was 178 , 542 , which issue

was above that of any preceding year . The year ' s income from life premiums was £ 107 , 824 ? s . 4 i-d ., exceeding that of the previous year by £ 13 , 721 is . 6 d . Claims ( including , ( , 453 Gs . 2 * , d . for surrenders and annuities ) during the year under policies in the life department amounted to £ 44 , 198 is . 4 * jd . Premiums amounting to £ 126755 . 8-1 . were received in the course of the year upon assurances to provide weekly allowances in sickness , and £ 36 , 184 2 s . for medical , aid assurances—added together a sum of £ 37 i 45 i ? s- Sd . Sickness and medical aid claims amounted to £ 24033 3 s . 3 d . for the

, year . Only 919 of the policies providing a weekly allowance to the assured in sickness remained on the company's books at the close of the past year . This part of the business slili went on working itself out beneficially to the company . The directors had deemed it expedient not to accept any more assurances for medical aid . The total premium income for the past year from the two departments—life , and sickness and medical aid—combined was £ 145 , 275 16 s . o 5 d ., which was £ 10 , 543 ns . nd . in excessof the previous year ' s income of £ 134 , 732 4 s . 1 id . under this head . Another substantial

addition was made to the company ' s funds during the year by the saving of the sum ot £ 15 , 142 12 s . 4 jd . With this addition they amounted to £ 185 , 690 gs . ioi at the end of the year . And but for the exceptionally heavy death rate which prevaifed in so many places from December , ur til the end of the company ' s financial year a much larger amount would have been saved than even the very satisfactory sum of £ 15 , 142 12 s . 4 ' , 'd . To the deep and lasting regret of his colleagues , and that of all to whom he was known , Mr . Woodward , sen ., died in July last . By his death the company had lost one who

ever took the deepest interest in all that concerned its welfare . The directors recommended the declaration of a dividend of five per cent , and a bonus of 2 ^ per cent , for the year on the paid-up capital of the company , free of income-tax . Sincere thanks were given by the directors to the company ' s staff and all who had in any way contributed to the past ' year ' s achievements . The Chairman , in moving the reception and adoption of the financial statement and report , said : Gentlemen , signs of increasing prosperity are seen on every hand . Take

, in the first instance , the number of policies issued during the past year . It rose to 178 , 542 . ( Arplause . ) Next , I would like you to particularly observe that a remarkably satisfactory increase of £ 13 , 721 is . 6 d . has taken place in the life premium income—( hear , hear)—bringing up the amount for the year to £ 107 , 824 Ss . 4 * , d . —( loud applause)—from £ 94 , 103 6 s . ioSd . collected in the previous year . Another point deserving attention is that of income derived by way of interest , dividends , and rents upon investments . It amounts to the substantial sum of £ 5 , 743 4 s . si . ( Hear , hear . )

1 hen there is an item of £ 230 15 s . id . for premium receipt books , duplicate policies , and assignmeet fees . The various amounts I have mentioned make up a total income of £ 113 , 7 'j S 75 . pid . in the life department for the year . ( Applause ) . I would now invite your attention to the outgo in the same department to meet claims which have arisen during the year . The sum so paid away , including £ 453 6 s . 2 . Vd . for surrenders and annuities , was £ 44 , 198 is . 4 J-1 I . Allowing for the anticipated increase in this direction-upon the higher premium income , the deaths have been above expectation ,

bus this will be no matter of supnse to you , gentlemen , who know what high death rates have prevailed in so many parts of the country between December and the close of our year on March 24 th . There is only one other point in the life account that I think I need say anything to you upon , and that is the sum expended for new business . It is in excess of the previous yearly outlay , but your directors are thoroughly convinced that the i : icn » y has been expended to the very best advantage ; indeed , it partakes of the nature of an investment by which the company will derive substantial future benefit .

You will have seen that the premium income in the sickness and medical aid department for the year was £ 37 , 451 7 s . Sd . This , added to the life premiums— £ 107 , 82 + Ss . 4 ! d . —gives the grand total of £ i 45 > 275 'fa . old . for the year in premiums . ( Applause . ) Respecting the medical aid branch , I would like to make it abundantly clear that although we have stopped taking new members into it , it is kept on for the advantage of those who are already in it . For a moment , gentlemen , I am going to invite your attention to the statement of

assets set out in the balance-sheet , and which now stand out at £ 185 , 690 9 s . io ' , d . You will agree with me when I say that they are of the best possible description , and may be truly termed of the gilt-edged type . ( Hear , hear . ) Yet , although in every investment made extreme care is taken that this high order shall be maintained , the average yield by way of interest over the whole of the company ' s assets exceeds three per cent , per annum . This will , doubtless , afford you very genuine satisfaction . ( Applause . ) Last year's savings amounted to over £ 15 , 000 , and but for the exceedingly

high rates of mortality to which I have alluded would certainly have exceeded those of any previous year . ( Hear , hear . ) The financial position of the company is so sound , however , that it can at any time meet periods of high death rates without the slightest embarassment , and this is a thing I am very proud to know and to saj . ( Applause . ) Speaking of death claims , I am reminded to say , for the benefit of those who may not know it , that immediately on the breakihg out of hostilities in South Africa the directors

decided to pay claims on deaths out there without charging any extra premium or reducing the amounts payable . ( Applause . ) Gentlemen , I beg to propose that the reports and accounts for the past year be received and adopted . Before resuming my seat I desire to give expression to our feelings of deep regret at the loss of Mr . Woodward , sen ., our late managing director . At the meeting last year he was too ill to be with us , and he succumbed to his illness in ( July last . Mr . W . Dawes seconded . The resolution was unanimously carried .