Next Wednesday's Festival: Its Chairman And His Province.

ton , 1772 , and "Ancient ; " Unity , No . 132 , Ringwood , 1764 , and of " Modern" creation ; Albany , No . 151 , Newport , Isle of Wight , 1777 , and "Ancient ; " East Medina , No . 175 , Ryde , 1785 , and "Ancient ; " Hengist , No . 195 , Bournemouth , 1770 , and "Modern ; " Phoenix , No . 257 , Portsmouth , 1786 , and "Modern ; " Harmony , No . 309 , Fareham , 1797 , and "Modern ; " and New Forest , No . 319 , Lymington , 1799 , and

" Modern . " All these came into existence before the Union , while centenary warrants have been granted to four , namely , Nos . 35 , 130 , 132 , and 195 . The following fourteen lodges were constituted between the years 1 S 14 and 1869 , to wit : Royal Sussex , No . 342 ; Peace and Harmony , 359 ; Southampton , 394 ; Poitsmouth , 4 S 7 ; Yarborough , 551 ; Oakley , 694 ; Ryde , 698 ; Panmure , 723 ; Twelve Brothers , 7 S 5 ; Carnarvon , 804 ;

Gosport , 903 ; Friendship , 928 ; United Brothers , 1069 ; Shirley , 1112 . Since 1 S 69 14 new lodges have been added to the roll , of which Aldershot Camp Lodge , 1331 ; St . Hubert , 1373 ; United Service , 1428 ; and Clausentum , 1461 , were warranted before the Grand Mastership of the Prince of Wales , while the following 10 have had their warrants granted by his Royal Highness , namely : Prince of Wales , No . 1705 ,

Gosport , in 18 77 ; Landport , No . 1776 , Landport , and Albert Edward , No . 17 S 0 , Southampton , in 187 S ; Dukeof Connaught , No . 1834 , Landport , in 1879 ; Sandown , No . 1869 . Sandown , I . of W . ; William of W ykeham , No . 1 SS 3 , Winchester ; and the Chine Lodge , No . 18 S 4 , Shanklin , I . of W . ; all in 1880 ; Prince Edward of Saxe Weimar , No . 1903 , Portsmouth , 1881 ; and the Hundred of Bosmere , No . 1958 , Havant and the Aldershot

Army and Navy Lodge , No . 1971 , Aldershot , in 1882 . It should be added that there are iS Royal Arch Chapters , while a reference to the " Cosmo " shows , there are 10 Mark lodges besides sundry Rose Croix chapters , Templar preceptories , Red Cross conclaves , & c . These statistics and the returns at former festivals—notably that of the Boy ' s School in 1877 ,

when the province supported their chief to the extent of over £ 620—shows that Bro . Beach is the chief of a district in which Freemasonry has established itself firmly and which is devoted to the best interests of the Craft . Again we say , this is ominous of nothing but good for the Girls' School and its indefatigable Secretary , Bro . Hedges .

Consecration Of The Henniker Mark Lodge, No. 315.

CONSECRATION OF THE HENNIKER MARK LODGE , No . 315 .

Lord Henniker , Grand Master of Mark Masons of England and Wales and the Colonies and Dependencies of the British Crown , on Saturday last consecrated anew Mark lodge , styled the Henniker Lodge , No . 315 , at the Hall of the Degree , Red Lion-square . Previous to the consecration a lodge was held , over which Bro . C . F . Malier presided , and at which Bros . Col . Radcliffe , Joshua Joyce Murray , and Sidney Tower were advanced to the

Mark Degree . At the consecration of the Henniker Lodge Lord Henniker took the Master's chair ; Capt . N . G . Philips the S . W . ; and Col . Shadwell H . Clerke the J . W . The other brethren present were Bros . F . Davison , G . Treasurer ; F . Binckes , G . S .: Donald M . Dewar , A . G . S . ; Robert Berridge , G . D . C . ; F . A . Philbrick , Q . C . ; Frank Richardson , Charles Hammerton , C . F . Matier , Thomas Cubitt , Edgar Bowyer , C . F . Hogard ,

James Terry , Meek , Controller ; S . G . Bake , Col . Radcliffe , Joyce Murray , Sidney Tower , F . H . Cozens , H . De Lacy , and H . Massey ( Freemason ) . The musical arrangements were under the direction of Bro . Sidney Tower , and were performed by Bros . F . H . Cozens and De Lacy . In opening the proceedings Lord HENNIKER said : I have come here to-day to entrust to you one of the most important duties Mark Masons can

possibly perform—I mean , to entrust to you the care of a new lodge . This is no small matter , for the good management of the lodges under the care of the Grand Lodge of England means the bone and sinew of Mark Masonry . If your lodge is well managed—and let me say if it is strictly managed—you will add power to the Order ; but if your lodge is loosely managed it will have the reverse effect upon the high position which I am

glad to say Mark Masonry has attained at the present time . I am glad to say that every one oi our lodges , speaking as a whole , are well managed , and I think there is such a spirit abroad among Mark Masons , not only in this country but throughout the world , that it would be almost impossible for it to be otherwise . You will allow me to say that my ambition is—and I think you will admit that my ambition is a natural one—that Mark Masonry

should flourish under my rule , and that my name should be handed down to those who follow me as that of one who takes a great and a very deep interest in the Order , however great ; and I can assure you that it is so—my failings may be—that they may say that I am not one among the Past Grand Masters when I have ceased to rule the Order who has taken the least interest in its welfare . You have asked me to allow you to call this lodge after my name . I am glad to give my name to this lodge because I

believe that the founders are such that they will not fail in the work that we all have before us : I mean this—not only to make Mark Masonry a success in the eyes of those outside our Order , but to make it really acceptable to those who are earnest in the work that we have before us—to make it what it is and what it always should continue to be—an Order to which every upright , honorable , and straightforward man should be proud to belong . His lordship then called upon Bro . Binckes to deliver the oration .

Bro . BINCKES said he was taken by surprise and he should be sorry to make an attempt which might prove a failure . His lordship had so well addressed the brethren on the object of the meeting that he ( Bro . Binckes could not hope to excel the address . If he had only had an hour's notice he might have made some sort of preparation . They were met as admirers of Mark Masonry and zealous supporters of it in every phase and way ,

and he would ask his lordship to let him escape from the duty imposed on him , concluding with the wish that the Henniker Lodge might hand down to posterity for a long time not only the history and traditions of the Order , but its tenets , principles and practices . The ceremony of consecration was afterwards proceeded with , and at the conclusion of the formula , Bro . Binckes , by request of Lord Henniker , installed Bro . Edgar Bowyer as First Master of the lodge . The officers

invested were : Bros . Chas . Fredk . Hogard , S . W . ; James Terry , J . W . ; Controller S . G . Bake , M . O . ; Col . Radcliffe , S . O . ; J oyce Murray , J . O . ; and Sidney Tower , Secretary . A vote of thanks for consecrating the lodge was passed to Lord Henniker , together with the honorary membership of the lodge , on the proposition of the S . W ., seconded by the J . W . Lord HENNIKER in acknowledging the compliment said he had already told the brethren that he considered it a great honour to have the lodge named after him , and he was again pleased to be an honorary member of it .

Consecration Of The Henniker Mark Lodge, No. 315.

He was delighted to accept the honour , and he hoped to have the pleasure to visit it on some future occasion . Although the term of his office had nearly expired , he hoped he should not cease to take an interest in Mark Masonry , and to show that he fully appreciated its great importance . He wished the lodge every success , and though he heard the lodge would not be a large one ,

it was better to have a small lodge of excellent men than a numerous lodge of indifferent men . He believed he knew enough of the work of the brethren who were associated with the W . M . to feel sure that in wishing the W . M . every success and prosperity in his year ol office he might predict that the lodge would be an honour to the Grand Mark Lodge of " England .

Bros . Capt . Philips , Col . Shadwell H . Clerke , C . F . Matier , F . Binckes , Robert Berridge , and Donald M . Dewar were also elected honorary members of the lodge , for which compliment Bro . Capt . N . G . PHILIPS returned thanks .

The Worshipful Master undertook the Stewardship of the lodge for the next festival of the Mark Benevolent Fund , after which the lodge was closed in due form . An adjournment was then made to the Holborn Restaurant , where a most elegant banquet was provided in the Prince's Room . The W . M . of the lodge presided , and was supported on his right by Lord Henniker , and on

his left by Bro . Binckes . The brethren who attended lodge also attended the banquet . Before the toasts were proposed Lord Henniker , however , was called away by a previous engagement , and consequently did not respond to the toast of the M . W . G . M . M . M . Bro . C . F . MATIER was the first to respond to the toast of " The Grand

Officers , and in doing so said he wished the lodge every success . It had been consecrated under most auspicious circumstances , having been honoured by the Grand Master himself in " propria persona . " There had been a large attendance of brethren , every one of whom wished the lodge success and prosperity . The W . M . 's reign would be an extraordinarily happy one , and every Grand Officer would wish him God speed .

Bro . Capt . PHILIPS said he had performed only a small part in the ceremony of the day , being only the bearer of the symbol of joy and happiness round the lodge . He hoped that symbol was a prelude of the happiness in store for the lodge . The Grand Master was very soiry to be unable to stay till the evening was ended and respond to the toast proposed in his honour . As an honorary member of the lodge , he ( Capt . Philips ) hoped to

have an opportunity of visiting the lodge at a future time . Bro . Col . SHADWELL H . CLERKE also responded , and expressed the great pleasure he had had in assisting , although only in a small way , at the consecration of the lodge , most of the founders of which he had the pleasure of knowing . From what he knew of Bro . Edgar Bowyer in the Mark and

in the other Degrees he knew he would carry out the duties of his office to the utmost of his power and place the Henniker Lodge in the highest rank . Bro . F . DAVISON , G . T . Middlesex and Surrey , returned thanks for the toast of "The Prov . G . M . M . M . of Middlesex and Surrey . " Bro . C . HAMMERTON also responded .

Bro . F . BINCKES , G . S ., proposed "The Health of the Worshipful Master . " The task was somewhat difficult , because he might be tempted , from a lengthened knowledge and experience of the many merits and deserts of Bro . Bowyer , to speak in complimentary terms of him , which would be much better done in his absence than in his presence . But he felt he could legitimately speak of him in complimentary terms in his presence , especially

when he was encouiaged and supported by the personal presence of so many of his most valued and intimate friends . If he might slightly vary the words of one of our greatest poets , he might say that there were some who were born to honours , some who achieved honours , and some on whom honours were thrust . To him it appeared that the first involved perhaps either one of the latter two , as any individual born to

honours it was always a foregone conclusion that he would either achieve honours or have honours thrust upon him , and it possibly might be he would be so exceptionally fortunate an individual as to be situated in both positions . That he would not analyse too closely . But to speak of Bro . Bowyer he would say that from along experience of him he had found him show an earnest desire to devote himself in every way to the promotion of the best interests of

Freemasonry . That had been done from a single-mindedness of purpose which should actuate every one who entered Masonry . Bro . Bowyer had signally succeeded . He had rendered himself most agreeable to all by a geniality of manner and kindliness of disposition that ought to be the aim ol every one to attain . He had shown himself a kind personal friend , which was no small merit of itself . The brethren were all very glad that he had been so

successful in achieving honours , and he must be very happy to feel that he had availed himself of every opportunity of dispensing happiness amongst the brethren . It was a great subject of pride that in addition to obtaining Grand Lodge honours he had been first Master of a new Craft Lodge , and first Master of a new Mark Lodge , and it seemed extraordinary that the mastership of a new Mark Lodge should have fallen to him on the eve of

his being advanced to high honours in United Grand Lodge of England . He hoped to see him attain similar honours in Grand Mark Lodge . The WoRsmri'UL MASTER in reply said he did not feel that he was entitled to all the complimentary remarks of Bro . Binckes but he could say he had always tried to deserve the good opinion of those among whom his

lot was cast , and if he had succeeded in doing that he was sufficiently gratified . Bros . F . A . PHILBRICK , Q . C , and FRANK RICHARDSON replied for " The Visitors , " and Bro . Col . RADCLIFI- ' E for "The Newly-Advanced Brethren . "

Bro . 1 ' . BINCKES responded to the toast of "The Installing Master , " and was gratified to find himself once more able to take an active participation in the ceremonies of the degree in which he felt so great an interest and with which he had been so long associated . Although he had been for some time in indifferent health , it had been to him a great pleasure to be again sufficiently well to perform those duties he had never been one to shirk .

There was always this consolation that any honest worker in Freemasonry could lay this to his heart , that he would be met with a large amount of indulgent and kind consideration even though his duties were imperfectly performed . His spirit was still as good as ever it had been , and he trusted that the wish of the brethren that his health might be completely restored would be speedily realised . But whether that should be so or not , he had been

delighted to be able once more to take an active part in Masonry as he had that day , and he hoped he might be spared a few years to be among the brethren , and not the least among his happy reminiscences would be the pleasure he had had in installing Bro . Edgar Bowyer as Master of the Henniker Mark Lodge . Bro . HOGARD , S . W ., and Bro . J AMES TERRY , J . W ., responded for " The Officers , " and the Tyler ' s toast having been given the company separated ,