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Our readers will be rejoiced to hear that at the monthly meeting of the Committee of Management , on Wednesday , Bro . Terry was in a position to announce that H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught , Past G . M ., Prov . G . M . of Sussex , and District G . M . of Bombay , has graciously expressed his intention of presiding at the

Anniversary which will-be held in behalf of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution in February , 1897 . This is , indeed , welcome news , and as it has been possible to publish it so long in advance , there is small reason to doubt that Bro . Terry will be able to enlist the services of a very large number of brethren as Stewards in support of his Royal Highness ' s Chairmanship .

In the meantime , it is a satisfaction to know that the arrangements for the forthcoming Festival , which will take place in February , 1896 , under the presidency of Bro . the Right Hon . Lord George Hamilton , M . P ., Secretary of State for India , Prov . G . M . of Middlesex , are progressing favourably . Over 220 brethren have already enrolled themselves as Stewards , and though , as we remarked in our

article on the subject a fortnight since , this is in great measure due to the early activity of his lordship ' s province in organising its contingent of Stewards , it is clear that apart from this , the Board is more numerously constituted than is usual at the corresponding period in past years . In short , the glass points towards fair , and we hope that the present indications of a satisfactory result will be realised .

The half-yearly meeting of the National Great Priory of the Order of the Temple will be held at Mark Masons' Hall , Great Queen-street , W . C , to-day ( Friday ) at 5 p . m . precisely . The usual banquet will follow at the Freemasons ' Tavern adjoining at 7 p . m . ******* We have much pleasure in announcing that we have received from Bro .

McLeod , Secretary of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , a second list of subscriptions to the proposed Scholarship Fund amounting to 127 J guineas ( £ 133 17 s - Sd . ) . This , with the . £ 250 or thereabouts previously announctd in our advertisement columns and the £ 210 voted by Grand Lodge at its Quarterly Communication on the 4 th instant , gives a total received or promised

to the 5 th instant—the date on which we received the additional list—of close on £ 600 . Among the latest amounts are £ 21 by Bro . A . H . Bevan , Prov . G . Reg . Bucks ; ^ 10 ios . each by Bros . Thos Fenn , P . Pres . Bd . of Gen . Parps ., G . H . Parke , Patron , and H . S . Welcome , Vice-President ; £$ Ss . each by the Asaph Lodge , No . 1319 , the Logic Club , and Bros , the Rev . C . J . Martyn , P . G . Chap .,

J . W . Woodall , Past G . Treas ., Col . Bindley , Dep . Prov . G . M . Staffordshire , Smith-Ryland , Prov . G . W . Warwickshire , Fritz Reiss , Past Prov . G . W . East Lancashire , W . J . Mason , Past Prov . G . D . Surrey , W . Klingenstein , Vice-President , Wharton P . Hood , Honorary Medical Officer to the Institution , and Alderman Vaughan Morgan , Vice-Patron j and smaller contributions by other brethren .

We heartily congratulate our Scarborough brethren on the very promising addition which was made to their lodges on the 2 nd inst ., when the St . Nicholas Lodge , No . 2586 , was consecrated by Bro . the Marquis of Zetland . There are now four meeting in this favoured town , namely , the Old Globe Lodge , No . 200 , which dates from the year 1791 , and has been granted a centenary warrant ; the

Dsnison , No . 1246 , bearing the family name of Bro . the Earl of Londesborough , P . G . W ., which was warranted in 1868 ; the Leopold , No . 1760 , warran ' ed in 1878 : and the recently-consecrated No . 2586 . We must also congratulate the

Prov . Grand Master of North and East Yorkshire on this latest increase in the numberof lodges on the roll of his Province , more especially as it is the 12 th — out of a total of 33—that has been consecrated since his accession to office in

1874-In noting , in our " Occurrences of the Year from ist December , 1894 , to the 30 th November , 1895 , " owing to an unfortunate slip of the pen , we described the late Bro . Horatio St . John Clarke as a Past Grand Warden of the "Victorian , ' instead of "English , " Constitution . Bro . Clarke had the brevet rank of P . G . W

conferred upon him in 1887—the year of the Queen ' s Jubilee—when he was Dep . District Grand Master of the District Grand Lodge of Vjctoria ( E . C . ) . We have also to thank Bro . W . F . Lamonby for reminding us that our late brother ranked in the Victorian Grand Lodge as Past Grand Master .

Folkestone was the scene of an important function on Wednesday , the nth instant , when the Radnor Lodge , No . 2587 , was consecrated by Bro . the Right Hon . Earl Amherst , Prov . Grand Master of Kent , assisted by his officers . The

ceremony was held at the Masonic Hall , and when it was concluded Bro . the Earl of Radnor , Prov . Grand Master of Wiltshire , was installed by the Grand Secretary as the first W . M . of the new lodge . The banquet followed at the Royal Pavilion Hotel . A full report of the proceedings will appear next week .

VVe have also to announce that a meetingof the Prov . Grand Mark Lodge of Surrey was held at Surbiton on the same day for the purpose of installing Bro . the Earl of Onslow as Prov . Grand Master . The ceremony was to have been performed by Bro . the Earl of Euston , Pro Grand Master , but in his lordship ' s unavoidable absence , his place was taken by Bro . Viscount Dungarvan , Deputy Grand Master .

We regret to announce the death of Bro . Morrison , Past Prov . S . G . W . Sussex . It will be in the recollection of our leaders that at the annual meeting of the Prov . Grand Lodge , his Royal Highness the Prov . Grand Masli-r expressed

regret at theabsence , through illness of our late brother , and expressed the hope that he might be restored to health . Th ; it hope has , unfortunately , not been realised , and Bro . Morrison , who was universally respected , has succumbed to the il ! ne :-s I rom which he was suffering .

THE ANNUAL DINNER of the Norwegian Club was held on Monday evening , about no ladies and gentlemen being present . The chair was occupied by Mr . Edward RawlirLs-, in Ihe unavoidable absence of Bro . Sir Gainsfi id Hiuce , who was engaged on his duties as an Election Judge .

Correspondence.

Correspondence .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion .

THE PROV . GRAND LODGE OF HERTFORDSHIRE . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , 1 have read with much interest tbe report of the proceedings at the recent annual meeting of the Prov . Grand Lodge of Hertfordshire , which appeared in your issue of last week . But I must confess to being not a little

surprised that no reference was made , or any indication afforded , that the Hertfordshire brethren had any intention of referring in any public manner , to the fact that our Prov . Grand Master has presided over Freemasonry in the County for upwards of 21 years . Bro . Halsey was installed in office in the Shire Hall , Hertford , on the 22 nd April , 1 S 74 , and I need hardly remind you that under his able , kind , and courteous guidance Freemasonry has progressed at a rate that is

almost beyond belief . When he was installed Prov . Grand Master , there were eight lodges on the roll , now there are 22 . Then there were . only two R . A . Chapters , now there is a Prov . Grand Chapter , with seven private chapters on its roll , and an eighth for which a warrant has been granted , and which will no doubt be consecrated at an early date . Then there was not a sign of Mark Masonry from one end of the County to the other , now there is a Prov . Grand Mark Lodge ,

with five constituent lodges , and Bro . Halsey is at the head of all these three branches of our Society . Again , under his auspices , and influenced no doubt in great measure by his example , the province is a regular , and , for its size , one of the most generous supporters of our Institutions . A short while ago—I think it was towards the end of October—Bro . Halsey was presented with an address , and entertained at a banquet held in his honour to commemorate the very valuable

services he had rendered to the County as one of its representatives in the House of Commons for upwards of 21 years . Bro . Halsey was first returned in February , 18 74 , just two months before he was installed Prov . Grand Master . But if his political services have been thus and so recently commemorated , why do not the Freemasons ot Hertfordshire make a move in the same direction , and take steps to commemorate , in a manner that shall reflect honour both upon him and them , the

undoubted services which he has rendered to them during the 21 years he has presided over their destinies , and that , too , in a manner so honourable to himself and so manifestly beneficial to the welfare of the Craft ? What he has done is recorded in the annals of the Prov . Grand Lodge , nor is there the slightest reason to doubt the accuracy of my statement , when I say that he is deservedly one of the most popular , as he is , at the same time , one ot the ablest of our Prov . Grand

Masters . I trust it will not be Jong before I hear of steps being taken to organise and present to Bro . Halsey a testimonial that shall be worthy of his acceptance , and of the province that presents it . It matters little what form it may ultimately take , the kindly testimony of fraternal respect and esteem to one who has done so much , of which it will be the outward and visible sign , is the one thing to be considered . ^—I remain , faithfully and fraternally ,

A HERTFORDSHIRE P . Ivl London , ioth December .

ELECTION OF SENIOR VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF BENEVOLENCE . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , Owing to extreme pressure of business I take this the first opportunity of publicly returning my sincere thanks to the members oi the Craft for having placed me in the honourable position of Senior Vice-President of the Board of Benevolence .

It will be my earnest endeavour to carry out the duties pertaining to the office with the strictest impartiality , and I trust I may be able to emulate the kindly spirit always shown by our worthy President to every deserving petitioner that comes before the Board . —Yours faithfull y and fraternally , DAVID D . MERCER , P . G . P . Roselea , Thrale-road , Streatham Park , S . W .

Reviews.

Reviews .

"THE MILITARY AND NAVAL MEDAL MAGAZINE . "—Forest Hill : Victoria Works , 11 S , Stanstead-road , and 15 , Kirkdal Sydenham . —The second numberof this magazine contains a number of short articles , tabular statements , & c , referring to the actionsand campaigns for which medals have been granted ; list of officers ( continued ) who received the gold medal for naval services from 1794 to 1 S 15 ; British losses at various battles during the Peninsular War ; accounts of sales of medals , & c The articles and tablet are short , but they will be found to contain matter , chielly statistical , that is both interesting and valuable .

"THE LAND OV ARTHUR , ITS HEROES AND HEROINES . " By Marie Trevelyan , author of " Glimpses of Welsh Life and Character , " " From Snowdon to the Sea , " K ' " - "PLUCKY REX ; OR , THE SECRET OK THE MINE . " A Tale of Pengarvan Bay-By F . VV . Holmes . With six illustrations by VV . Ramsey . "THE LAD KROM LONDON . " By Ascott R . Hope . With illustrations by Harold Copping .

"THE HOUSEYVII-E ' HANDY-BOOK . " By C J . S . Thompson . "DRINKS OV ALL KINDS . " By Frederick Davies and Seymour Davies . London : John Hogg , 13 , Paternoster-row . "HAND READING . " The Science of Chirology . By an Adept . With S ; illustrations . London : A . Lewis , 13 , I ' aternoster-row . The first of the above books— " The Land of Arthur , its Heroes and Heroines — is the third of what is anoroDnatelv called " A Triloirv of Books about Wales , " by the

talented author , Miss Marie Trevelyan ; the previous two , which were reviewed in the ^ columns about the time of their publication , being " Glimpses of Welsh Life ttna Character " and " From Snowdon to the Sea . " 1 hose who have read these vf > ' " •_ will have no difficulty in understanding that "The Land of Arthur" * rightly had a place assigned to it in a series of works ab . ut Wales , though a consul" ' able part of South Western England was included in the land ot which Arthur v " ' King . But Arthur , vas the great national hero of the Ancient Britons , and led them ag 3 '" and again to victory against the forces of the Anglo-Saxon invader . There is , thereto' ¦ , nothing strange in associating Arthur with the Principality , in which live the descendants '

the people he formerly reigned over . However , the point is not a very material " Miss Trevelyan having lirst of all described in her preface the purpose and character < her book , and having furnished a list of the authorities she has consulted , takes u ! ( J , / . away trom the beginning down to the days of Henry VIII ., ivhen England and W " _ ' . became a really united kingdom . Thus , in some of the earlier chapters we t > a ^ accounts of Lludd , to whom the building of London is ascribed , of Cassisclaurius , « 1 ^ resisted the invasion of Julius Cu : sar , of Caractacus , who for some long time held 01 ^ against the Romans , but was ultimately defeated and taken prisoner to Rome . 1 and v