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given . We apprehend that if thc authorities , as in the Canada question of old , gave us figures to shosv svhat had been paid to the Fund of Benevolence by English lodges and Colonial lodges the result nosv as then svould be very startling indeed . That relief is constantly given to our brethren returning to Australia , many members svho regularly attend the Board of

Benevolence can at once certny , and sve cannot hel p thinking * that all such remarks deliberately made in lodge are derogatory to the dignity and truth of Freemasonry , and not a little ungrateful to the Grand Lodge of England . If in their present state of agitation and excitement the great bulk of the English lodges resolve to secede from their mother Grand Lodge ,

be it so . Thc Grand Lodge of England is never sveakened by the loss of dissatisfied or recalcitrant members ; it svill receis * c the resolution of its far off members in dignified composure and silence . We can onl y hope that they svill find themselves as svell off and well governed as an independent body as they have been under the mild and agreeable and tolerant rule of the Grand Lodge of England .

* # WE notice an attack on the Grand Lodge of England in reference to this very question , from a paper termed the Masonic Tablet . Were it not sad and humiliating even to the Masonic mind to peruse such an outburst of

Masonic petulance and injustice , sve might think it svorth svhile to reply to it But then sve should be giving currency to what is a most sinjust and undig nified attack on thc Grand Lodge of England simply for doing its duty adhering to ancient landmarks , and upholding the lasvs , prestige , and inter ests , as svell of its osvn great body as of cosmopolitan Freemasonry .

* » * THE agenda paper of the Quarterly Communication on Wednesday next is nosv before us . The election of GRAND MASTER svill take place , as also svill the election of GRAND TREASURER . A grant of £ 50 each to the bereaved families of the two of crcsv of thc ALBERT EDWARD lifeboat svho svere recentl y

drosvned will hc moved . The usual report of the Lodge of Benevolence svill be presented . Thc application of the self-styled Grand Lodge of Victoria for recognition svill be dealt svith , as also an appeal from thc Reunion Lodge , Nesv Zealand . Bro . Lieut .-Col . CREATON , Past Grand Treasurer , svill move the grant of a vote of £ jo to supply coals to thc inmates at Croydon . A large muster of thc brethren is expected .

••• WE print clsesvhcre an account of a Masonic gathering in Belgium . Wc should have been pleased to dilate upon it sverc it not for thc fact that the Belgian Masons have so sveakly and servilely imitated the example of thc

French Grand Orient , and taken out the belief in GOD from their Constitutions , just as they have banished thc Bible from their lodges . Und , cr those circumstances , as wc can say nothing pleasant or complimentary , wc think it thc truest svisdom to leave thc subject without note or comment , simply recording .

•• WE arc among those svho regret to sec thc Grand Lodgeof Holland follosving in thc wake of the Grand Orients of France and Belgium . Dutch

Freemasonry has a history o ! its osvn , and as its origin was English , so sve had hoped it svould keep close to thc good old landmarks which thc English Grand Lodge so faithfully upholds . For some time it has , unfortunately , been led by thc " movement" party .

United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

The follosving is thc Agenda for thc business to be transacted at thc Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge , to be held on Wednesday next , the 5 th inst . :- — 1 . —The Minutes of thc Quarterly Communication of thc 5 th December , 1883 , svill be read and put for confirmation . 2 . —Election of a M . W . Grand Master . 3 . —Election of a Grand Treasurer .

4 . —Thc M . W . Grand Master svill move : " That the sum of fifty guineas be granted to the family of thc late James Cross , and a similar sum of fifty guineas to the famil y of thc late Thomas Cattermolc , tsvo of the crcsv of the Albert Edsvard lifeboat , at Clacton-on-Sca , svhich boat svas presented to the National Lifeboat Institution by Grand Lodge in thc year 1 S 77 ; these tsvo men , after having assisted , the first in saving 116 and the second 33

lives , having lost their osvn in the discharge of their duty on the night of thc 23 rd January last , whilst in their boat , endeavouring to rescue the cresv of a vessel in distress , leaving their families , consisting respectively of a widosv and six children and a svidosv and three children , entirely destitute . " c . —Report of the Lodge of Benevolence for the last quarter , in svhich

arc recommendations for the follosving grants , viz .: — A Brother of the Enfield Lodge , No . 1237 , Enfield £ 50 o o A Brother of the Angel Lodge , No . 51 , Colchester 50 o o A Brother of the Percy Lodge , No . irjS , London 150 o o The Widow of a Brother of the Erederick Lodge ol Unity , No 452 ,

Croydon 75 o o A Brother of the Great City Lodge , No . 142 G , London 50 o o The Widow of a Brother of the Lodge of Perseverance , No . 345 , Blackburn So o o

6 . —REPORT OF THE BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES . "To thc United Grand Lodgeof Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England . " The Board of General Purposes beg to submit a Statement of thc Grand Lodge Accounts , at the meeting of the Finance Committee , held on Friday , the 15 th day of February instant , shesvinga Balance in the Bank of England

of £ 545 8 13 s . iod ,, and in the hands of the Grand . secretary ior retty <_ asn /' loo , and for Servants' Wages £ 100 , and Balance of Annual Allosvance for Library 13 s . 8 d . " ( Signed ) JOHN B . MONCKTON , President . " Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C , 19 th February , 1884 . " 7 . —Report of Brother R . P . Harding , Auditor of Grand Lodge Accounts , of Receipts and Disbursements during the year 1883 . 8 . —Application from a body styling itself "The Grand Lodge of Victoria , " Australia , requesting their recognition by the United Grand Lodgeof England

United Grand Lodge.

as a regular Grand Lodge . ( Deferred from last Grand Lodge in consequence of ss-ant of time . ) 9 . —Appeal from the Reunion Lodge , No . 195 6 , Blenheim , Nesv Zealand , against certain comments made by the Colonial Board svhen cancelling the exclusion of Brother William Benjamin Earll from that

Lodge , relative to the conduct of Bro . Christopher J . W . Griffiths , of the same Lodge , in the matter . ( Deferred from last Grand Lodge in consequence of svant of time . ) N . B . —The papers relating to Ibis appeal svill be in the Grand Secretary ' s ofiice till the meeting of Grand Lodge , and open for the inspection of the Brethren during ofiice hours .

10 . — -Notice of Motion b y V . W . Brother Lieut .-Col . J CREATON , Past Grand Treasurer : " That thc sum of £ 70 be voted from the Fund of General Purposes ; and that the same bo placed in the hands of the Secretary of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widoss's of Freemasons , to supply the residents of the Institution svith coals during thc svinter season . "

LIST OF LODGES FOR WHICH WARRANTS HAVE EEEN GRANTED BY THE M . W . G . M . SINCE THE LAST Q UARTERLY COMMUNICATION OF GRAND LODGE . No . 2023 . —The Royal Albert Lodge , Eskbank , Sydney , Nesv South Wales . „ 2024 . —The Raymond Thrupp Lodge , Hampton Court , Middlesex . „ 2025 . —Thc Lodgeof St . George , Stonehousc , Devon . „ 2026 . —The Ry lstone Prince of Wales Lodge , Rylstonc , Nesv South VVales .

,, 2027 . —The Orient Lodge , Nesvtosvn , Sydney , Nesv South Wales . ,, 2028 . —The Granite Lodge , Narborough , Leicestershire . ,, 2029 . —The Lodge of King Solomon , Golden Square . „ 2030 . —The Abbey Lodge , Westminster . „ 2031 . —The Carnatic Lodge , Madras . ,, 2032 . —The Richmond Lodge , Richmond , Surrey . ,, 2033 . —The L nis * ersity of London Lodge , Freemasons' Hall . ,, 2034 . —The Masefiekl Lodge , Balsall Heath , Worcestershire . ,, 2035 . —The Beaumont Lodge , Kirkburton , Yorks .

Annual Festival Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

The annual festival of this Institution svas held at Freemasons' Tavern on Tuesday last , when about 350 brethren sat dosvn to table , there being also a large attendance of ladies in thc gallery . Sir John B . Monckton , P . G . D . and President of the Board of General Purposes , presided , in the absence of Bro . John Derby Allcroft , Grand Treasurer , svho svas absent from indisposition . Among those present sverc thc follosving :

Bros . Sir J . B . Monckton , President Board of General Purposes ; T . IL Devonshire , J . G . D . ; Col . Shadsvcll II . Clerke , G . Sec ; Col . Peters , G . S . B . ; Edgar Bosvyer , G . Std . Br . ; H . G . Buss , Asst . G . Sec . ; R . C . Else , P . G . D ., D . P . G . M . Somerset j Sir Chas . T . Bright , P . D . P . G . M . Middx . ; Horace Brooks Marshall , Vice Patron , President Board of Stesvards ; Lt .-Col . Haldane , P . D . D . G . M . Malta ; George Kenning , P . G . D . Middx ., Vice Patron j l \ Binckes , Sec . R . M . I . Hoys j E . R . VV . Hedges , Sec .

R . M . I . Girls ; Bond , P . P . G . W . Somerset ; II . R . Cooper Smith , M . A ., Vice Patron , P . P . G . S . W . Oxon ; R . Percy Middlemist , Hon . Surgeon to Institution ; Dr . IL J . Strong ; J . Terry , Sec ; E . Lctchsvorth , Rymer , T . P . Shipp , J . R . Boor , Vice Patron ; VV . Harrop , Vice Patron ; Hugh E . Dcamond . Vice Patron ; R . J . Emmerson , Vice Patron ; R . V . Vassar-Smith , The Mayor of Bolton , G . P . Brockbank , C . S . Lane , D . P . Cama , Vice Patron , and Lionel Monckton .

In proposing the first toast , thc CHAIRMAN said loyalty and charity svere the walchsvords of English Freemasons , and they svere met that night to give effect to thc sentiments that were conveyed by those tsvo simple but eloquent svords ; hc therefore called on them to rise as one man and heartil y drink " Thc Health of Her Most Gracious Majesty the Ouecn . "

In proposing "Thc Health of the Grand Master , " thc CHAIRMAN said he nosv called on thc brethren to give expression to their loyalty to thc head —the Royal chief of their Craft— - ( hear , hear)—one svho had done more for English Freemasonry in its truest and best sense than any living man . He proposed to them to drink " 1 'hc Health of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , the Patron of thc Institution ; Her Royal Highness thc Princess of Wales , and the other Members of thc Royal Family . "

Thc CHAIRMAN said in proposing to them that they should drink to " The Health of the M . W . Pro Grand Master , thc Right Hon . the Earl of Carnarvon , " hc could not forget , nor could they fail to remember , thc services rendered by that most estimable nobleman . None of them who had had tho privilege of sitting in Grand Lodge could fail to bear in mind thc manner in svhich the proceedings of Grand Lodge sverc conducted by the Pro Grand Master . He therefore asked them to rise and drink the health of the Ri ght Hon . the Earl of Carnarvon .

In proposing thc next toast , Sir JOHN MONCKTON said he nosv proposed to the brethren present " The Health of the Right Hon . the Earl of Lathom , thc Ri g ht Worshipiul Deputy Grand Master , and thc other Grand Officers , Present and Past . " Of those svho had been placed over them by thc M . W . Grand Master , no one svas more esteemed and appreciated than Lord Lathom , the Deputy Grand Master . A more courteous , a more

popular , a more true exponent of all belonging to Freemasonry svas not to be found in this country . For the other Grand Officers , among whom hc ( Bro . Monckton ) had for many years been enrolled , hc must not say much , but he svas sure that those present svould accord a cordial reception of that toast . He coupled svith the toast the name of the present Grand Deacon , Bro . Devonshire .

Bro . DEVONSHIRE , in reply , said he svas sorry that on lhat occasion there svas not some senior Grand Officer present svho could respond to them for the toast j but it fell to him to do it ; he svas told that it svas his duty to do it , and he begged to add that he had very great pleasure in doing it . He was very sure that all the Grand Officers past as svell as present , svere delighted to see or hear of such a gathering as this . It svas part of the greatness of their Order to see the outcome of thc svork of others reproduced or produced at such meetings as the present , and it svas not only