Masonic And General Tidings.

Masonic and General Tidings .

THE DUKE AND D UCHESS OF CONNAUGHT left Buckingham Palace on Tuesday evening for Dublin . BRO . THE MARQUIS AND M ARCHIONESS OF GRANBY left London on Tuesday night for Newport , Salop . ' ACCORDING to present arrangements , her Majesty the Queen will remain at Windsor Castle till about the middle of next month , when the Court proceeds to Osborne for the Christmas season .

A NEW and pleasant drive in Windsor Park , which , by command of her Majesty , has been named , the Queen Victoria Avenue , has been completed . It is about half-amile long , and situated in the vicinity of the Prince Consort Memorial , between Cumberland-gate and Virginia Water . , THE DUCHESS OF A LBANY , accompanied by her daughter , Princess Alice of Albany , arrived in London from Germany , and drove to Buckingham Palace . On

Wednesday her Royal Highness presided at the annual meeting of the Middlesex Guild , and afterwards went to Windsor on a visit to the Queen . THE EMPRESS FREDERICK ( PRINCESS ROYAL OF ENGLAND ) eldest dcughter of the Queen , attained her 6 oth year on Wednesday , having been born on November 21 , 1840 . Her Imperial Majesty became , on January 2 ^ , 1 S 5 S , the wife of the late Emperor Frederick MI ., who died in iSSS , and has had eight children , the eldest being the present German Emperor .

THE ANNUAL DINNER of the Commercial Travellers Schools , Pinner , will be held at the Hotel Metropole , Whitehall-place , S . W ., on Wednesday , 19 th prox ., when Bro . Jeremiah Colman , D . L ., J . P . ( of J . and J . Colman , Ltd ., London and Norwich ) , has kindly consented to preside , and will be supported by the Sheriffs of London ( Bros . Alderman W . Vaughan Morgan , P . G . T ., and Jos . Lawrence ) .

BRO . SIR EDWARD CLARKE , Q . C , presided at a lecture given on Wednesday night by Dr . Blake Odgers , Q . C , at the Bloomsbury Settlement , on " Changes in the Law Duiing the Present Century . " Bro . Sir Edward observed that he had all the more pleasure in meeting there Dr . Odgers , who was Recorder of Plymouth , a place with which he himself had been intimately associated , and which had given him opportunity of service in the House of Commons .

THE DEAN AND CHAPTER OF ST . PAUL ' S have presented the Rev . C . N . Kelly , M . A ., Minor Canon , to the rectory of St . Nicholas Cole Abbey , and he will no doubt continue the social work which was carried on in connection with the church by the late Bro . the Rev . Professor Shuttlewoith . Meanwhile , an influential committee , which includes the Bishop of London , Bro . Archdeacon Sinclair , and Mr . G . VV . E . Russell , proposes to place the Shuttleworth Club—founded for young people engaged in the City—on a permanent financial basis as the most appropriate memorial to Mr . Kelly's predecessor .

BRO . THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF MANCHESTER have gone to Tanderagee Castle , county Armagh , Ireland . This estate was once the property of an Irish chief named O'Hanlon , but has been in possession of the Montagu family for nearly three centuries . On Wednesday nig ht a brilliant display of fireworks vvas given , and bonfires were lighted on neighbouring hills . His Grace , on behilf of his bride , returned thanks to his tenants and friends for their cordial welcome . The Duke and Duchess leave for America to-morrow ( Saturday ) , and will afterwards visit India and Japan .

HER MAJESTY has appointed Bro . the Earl of Londesborough Vice-Admiral of the Yorkshire Coast , a position held by his lordship ' s father and grandfather . In his naval capacity , Lord Londesborough is responsible for the capture and due punishment of any pirates who may attempt maritime plunder in the nei g hbourhood of Scarborough Or adjoining seaports . Formerly , the Court over which he is supposed to preside saw that these buccaneers were properly hanged in chains , and were also entrusted with the duty of trying alleged felonies on board ships coming into Yorkshire harbours .

THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE of the Central Council for the Organisation of War Relief Funds met on Wednesday at the Mansion House , Bro . the Earl of Derby being in the chair . Among those present were Bro . the Earl of Darmouth , Bro . General the Hon . Herbert Eaton , ColonelC . E . Macaulay , Captain J . C Hobbs , Mr . Coles Child , Mr . C . Hampden Wigram , Lieat .-Colonel Tannahill , Mr . Cave-Brown-Cave , Mr . A . E . Spender , Colonel Gildea ; C . B ., Mr . C . S . Loch , the Mayor of Portsmouth , Mrs . E . F . Chapman , and others . The committee considered various proposals for the better organisation of war relief funds and the form of communication to be made to those in charge of them throughout the country .

GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS receive , as a rule , far more kicks than halfpence Their shortcomings are always being paraded , but of the great services they render we hear but little . The ratepayers of London are just now under an especially deep debt of gratitude to the Local Government Board . Through their persistent refusal to accept the plans of the Metropolitan Asylums Board for the Southern Hospital the

outlay has been very substantially reduced , the cost per bed being now only ^ 355 , as against ^ 395 . The actual saving , £ 30 , 000 , is perhaps of little moment in itself , but the principle is important , and London , it is safe to say , will in future be the gainers to no small extent through the evidence this action gives that the Local Govern-nent Board is determined to put down all undue expenditure with a firm hand . —City Press .

LORD HARRIS , in spite of a severe cold , from the effects of which he was visibly tuffeiing , presided over a great gathering of men of Kent and Kentish men at the third annual dinner of the Association at the Holborn Restaurant on the 14 th inst ., and was supported by Bro . J . Henniker Heaton , M . P ., Major-General E . Davidson Smith , the Mayor and ex-Mayor of Canterbury , Mr . Christopher Bennett , Mr . R . S . Jackson , L . C . C ., Mr . Alderman Hearn , Messrs . A . A . Banes , VV . Mudford , VV . Ellis , and others . After the usual toasts had been honoured , the Chairman gave the toast of the evening

— " The Association ot Men cf Kent and Kentish Men . " He said he thought associations of lhat kind hail opportunities of doing something to hold together the various elements of society in the county . He was glad to inform them that they had the good wishes of the highest official in the county—the Lord Lieutenant—who , unfortunately , was unable to be present ; another Kentish man , Col . Mackinnon , of the C . I . V . ' s , wis also unable lo atltnd . in proposing the toast of * ' The Honorary Members , " whic \ included Mr . J . Henniker Heaton , M . P ., Generals Biden Powell and French , his

lordship paid a high tnbute to the latter , while Mr . Henniker Heaton , who sailed for Australia on Thursday , was presented with an illuminated address , and a solid silver envelope to contain it , in recognition of his eminent services in effecting penny imperii ! postageand postal reform . The next fixture of the association is a Cinderella dance to be held at the Bridge House Hotel on the Sth prox ., tickets for which can be obtained from the Hon . Secretary , 11 , Fernholme-road , Nunhead , S . E ., to whom all enquiries should be made as to membership , & c .

Masonic And General Tidings.

WITH REGRET we learn that the condition of Bro . ex-Sheriff Sir Alfred Bevan is causing grave anxiety to his relatives and friends . THE BOROUGH COUNCILS . —Bro . Sir Henry Harben . the first Mayor , has promised to present a chain of office to ths Borough Council of Hampstead . BRO . THE LORD MAYOR has forwarded 10 guineas to Bro . Alderman Sir William Treloar on behalf of his fund for the provision of Christmas hampers for 5000 crippled children .

IN CONSEQUENCE of the number of candidates for next meeting of the Lion and Lamb Lodge , No . 192 , on the 6 th prox .. exceeding the limit allowed by Grand Lodge , it has been decided to summons a lodge of emergency for the following Tuesday , December nth , to initiate those not received at the regular lodge meeting . THE ROYM . SCOTTISH CORPORATION . —The 236 th anniversary festival in aid of the funds of the Corporation will be held in the King's Hall , Holborn Restaurant , London , W . C , on Friday , the 30 th instant ( St . Andrew ' s Day ) , under the presidency of the Rieht Hon . Lord Robertson . Tickets for the banquet one guinea each .

THE Freemason may be obtained from any newsagent or bookseller . When any difficulty is found , copies will be posted regularly direct from the Publishers , 16 and I 6 A , Great Queen-street , London , W . C , on the following terms : Twelve months ( home ) , 13 s . 6 dT ; six months , 6 s . gd . ; and for abroad , twelve months , 15 s . 6 d . ; six months , 7 s . gd ., post free . THE ROYAL NATIONAL LIFEBOAT INSTITUTION . —A concert in aid of the City

branch of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution will be held on January 30 th at t he Cannon-street Hotel , Bro . the Lord Mayor and the Sheriffs attending . Mr . _ E . Seaman , C . C , is the musical director , and it is hoped that he may be as successful in his selection of artistes as he was on a former occasion , when a similar concert was given at the Guildhall . Tickets may be obtained of Mr . Deputy Sayer , 4 , Lower Thames-street , and Mr . J . Barber , the Secretary , Fishmongers' Hall .

THE WILL bears date January 23 rd , 1 S 93 , with a coilicil of 2 nd August . 1900 , of Colonel Lionel George Henry Seymour , fifth Ear ! of Portarlington , of Emo Park , Portarlington , Queen ' s County , who died on the 31 st August last , aged 42 years , leaving personafestate of the net value of £ 35 . 265 55 . id ., and the gross value of the whole of whose estate is £ 90 , 976 15 s . After certain legacies Lord _ Portarlington settled the lands and hereditaments , of which he had power of disposition , upon trust in favour of his elder son in tail male , and he left the residue of his property in trust

for investment in the purchase of real estate , as if it were money arising , under the Settled Lands Acts , from the sale of the settled real estate . WEDNESDAY was the anniversary of the birth of her Imperial Majesty the Empress Frederick , whose health , it is satisfactory to learn , has so much improved that she was able to have around her in the Schloss Friederichshof , Cronberg , a large family gathering . The German Emperor arrived at one o'clock , and took luncheon with his august mother , the other guests being the Hereditary Prince and Princess of Saxe-M einingen , Prince and Princess Henry of Prussia , the Prince and Princess of

Schaumburg-Lippe , and Piince Friedrich Cart of Hesse . The Emperor drank to the health of the Empress Frederick . Many bouquets and messages of congratulation were sent , and the inhabitants of the district presented her Majesty with a richly-illuminated address . All the Berlin newspapers note the auspicious anniversary in highly sympathetic terms . At Windsor and in London the anniversary was celebrated with much rejoicing . At St . Paul's Cathedral , Westminster Abbey , andother churches the bells were rung-, and flags floated from several of the Government offices and many public buildings . Joyous peals were given at St . George's Chapel , Windsor , and a Royal salute was fired in the Long Walk .

Frederick The Great As A Freemason.

FREDERICK THE GREAT AS A FREEMASON .

The opening of the new grand residence of the National Lodge of Prussian Freemas ' ons in Berlin on the lHth instant , and at which several distinguished Englishmen were present , reminds me of a fact not very generally known . Frederick the Great , long before he ascended the throne , was admitted to the Craft , and subsequently founded a lodge at the Castle of Rheinsberg , where during his youth he spent so many happy days . His initiation took place during the night of August 14-15 , 17 * 18 , at Brunswick . The step he took was unknown

to his father . The latter was not favourably inclined to the brotherhood , whose first lodge was only opened at Hamburg eight months before the Prince Royal became one of its members . It was at the pfeasaunce of " Het Loo , " in Gelderland , . vhere Queen Wilhelmina is to spend her approaching honeymoon , that the idea first took possession of Frederick ' s mind , after having heard a very outspoken speech by Count Schaumburg-Lippe in favour of the brotherhood . He confided his intention to the Count , but Frederick was travelling with his father , whose itinerary had been mapped out beforehand , and their road did not lie by

Hamburg , the only city in which at that period there was a lodge . Schaumburg-Lippe communicated with Baron von Albedyll at Hanover , who in his turn apprised the Hamburg lodge of Frederick ' s project , and of the obstacles in consequence of his inability to leave the King . Father and son were , however , timed to arrive at Brunswick on August 12 , and the day before Master vom Stehl vom Oberg reached that city with the members of the Hanseatic city ' s lodge . The next night was fixed for the ceremony , which took place at the hostelry Zum Schloss Salzdahlum , and up to the present day the anniversary is kept by all the Grand Lodges of Berlin .

It has often been asserted that as the years went on Frederick s relations with the Freemasons became strained , lt has been even stated that Frederick , when Regent , resigned his membership , persuaded , as he was supposed to be , that some of the military secrets of the comparatively new kingdom had been divulged to Austria by a Freemason . The tale has been embellished in various ways . There is not a particle of truth in it . It had its foundation in a curious fact . After the loss of the Battle of Kollin , a letter in an unknown handwriting

reached the general headquarters . It contained an offer of assistance of the Freemasons , and bore the signature of some eminent members of the Craft . Frederick was sufficiently subtle to detect a manoeuvre , not of the Freemasons , but of the Jesuits . Not the slightest notice was taken of the epistle , which was sent to the archives . There are many proofs of Frederick ' s unwavering friendship tothe brotherhood , and notably a letter in French , written in 17 S 1 , to the lodge in Berlin , which , curiously enough , was called " The Royal York of Friendship . "

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