OVERSEA DOMINIONS NEGLECTED.

, The fact that the oversea States are not recognised by the City Fathers at the Lord Mayor's Banquet calls forth the following protest from "M.C' in The Times : "The Guildhall banquet has come by tradition to bo regarded as the^ most important public and civic gathering of the year, on which the interests of the Empire at large might be said to centre. The Government, the Army and Navy, the Bar, the

Chnrch, the Civil Service, are all represented. I read that, as usual, the Corps Diplomatique was well represented, but where were the representatives of the four great Dominions of the Empire — Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa — whose absence from such a gathering is certainly remarkable in these daye when wo talk bo much about bonds of Empire?" -NEW FREEMASONRY LODGE. ¦The Grand Lodge of England has approved the Royal Colonial Institute forming a new lodge, which will be consecrated by Lord AmpthiU in the Temple of Freemason's Hall on 10th January. The title of the lodge is to be the Royal Colonial Institute, and the number 3556 on the register. The Duke of Connaught, Grand Master, who is President of the Institute, has consented to be first Master, and Sir John j Cockburn will be appointed as DeputyMaster. The Senior-Warden-Designate is the Chairman of the Council o? the Institute, Lieutenant-General Sir John Bevan Edwards; the J.W.-designate is Sir Frederick Hodgson, Governor-Gen-eral of British Guiana* while the other officers are representatives of Canada, India, Queensland, Griqualand, New Zealand, and South Africa.