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The Annual THE splendid Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Insti-Meeting tution in February last has already y ielded good fruit , the R ? M . B 1 I . Committee of Management , owing to the unprecedented total of subscriptions announced at it , having been enabled to increase their

investments by the purchase of a further £ s ° stock 5 and t 0 day ( Friday ) , when the annual meeting will take place in the great hall of Freemasons ' Tavern , an extension of the benefits of the Institution will be proposed , and no doubt carried , which , as it will effect a substantial reduction in the number of worthy candidates now seeking for admission , will be the most

telling , because the most practical , commentary on the merits of the latest Benevolent Anniversary . In February , the Committee , with a full sense of the responsibility they were assuming , declared the number of annuitants to be elected in May should be 28 , including the three deferred on the Widows' Fund , and o , including also the three deferred on the Male Fund ,

the number of candidates in the former case being 77 , and in the latter , 51 . At the usual monthly meeting on the nth instant , the Committee having regard to all the circumstances , but especially to the fact of the Festival having yielded upwards of £ 19 , 000 with the certainty of additional contributions from West Yorkshire , East Lancashire , and elsewhere , being

received in the course of the present year of Jubilee , wisely determined to recommend to the general body of Governors and subscribers in annual meeting assembled , that 40 widows should be elected instead of 28 , and 16 men instead of 9 . In the case of both Funds , the proposed additions since February include the vacancies that have arisen in the interim ,

so that the net addition to the established strength of the annuitants in each case will be commensurately less . On the other hand , the lists of candidates have been likewise reduced by death or withdrawal , and the proportion of appointments to candidates will be far greater than even the most sanguine friends of the Institution could have

hoped for or believed possible six months ago . And when we bear in mind that in February there were only 9 vacancies—6 immediate and 3 deferred on the Male Fund , and only the 3 deferred on the Widows' Fund , to be filled this year , the full measure of the benefits we are deriving from the

Anniversary in February will be still more apparent . Verily , the Chairman on that memorable occasion , his Board of Stewards , the contributors , and Bro . Secretary Terry must be now reaping the reward of their brilliantly successful efforts to enlarge the benefits of this useful Charity !

* # * THE brethren of East Lancashire have done a graceful act in East Lancashire . .,, . ,,,, _ - . * r IT and presenting an illuminated address to Bro . J . LANCASTER HINE , Bro . J . L . Hme . on y ^ ret ; rement after a 21 years' tenure of the office from the

Chairmanship of the Charity Committee of the province . The address will be found elsewhere in the report of the Meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of East Lancashire , on the nth instant . But we cannot let slip the opportunity it affords us of contributing our humble testimony to the value of the services which Bro . HINE—" Time-honoured Lancaster , " as vve

have seen him described—has rendered to Freemasonry , not only during his 21 years' service in the chair of the Charity Committee of his province , but during the whole of his long and brilliant career , extending over somewhere about 40 years . Bro . HINE has won distinction in every branch of the Royal art , but he is known , and will always

be remembered by the splendid and protracted services he has rendered to his Province in the cause of benevolence . It is mainly at his instigation that East Lancashire has contributed so largely to our Central Institutions , and so generously supports a Masonic Association of its own , while as manager for the Province of the elections in London in

which it was interested , he has had the chief hand in securing the admission of 50 Boys and 27 Girls into their respective Schools , and has won election into the Benevolent Institution for 63 brethren and 25 widows of brethren . How much labour and anxiety such continuous and trying work as this must involve can be known only by brethren who have been

engaged in duties similar to those which Bro . HIKE is now resigning } and it is , as vve have said , a graceful act on the part of his East Lancashire brethren , as well as a subject of deep gratification to him personally , that , on his retirement from so onerous a post , Bro . HINE should have been presented with so cordial an address .

* # * Grand Lodge WE are very Sorry to have to report a serious difference of between the members of the Hiram Lod ge , Connecticut , and Connecticut . the Grand Lodge of tha ( . g ^^ Hjfam ^ . g ^ ^^

on the roll , but , unfortunately , has had its charter withdrawn by the Grand Lodge , and its members are suspended for insubordination . For the senior Iodge to disobey the authorities is a very sad offence indeed , and though we are assured that the feeling in No . 1 "is as strong as ever , and there is no disposition to concede anything to the demands of

the Grand Lodge , we trust that during the period allowed the members for reflection , that wise councils will prevail , and that before the warrant is finally revoked , they will again fall into line , acknowledge their wrong , and obtain forgiveness from their brethren . On April 28 th a meeting of the lodge was held , when it was expected that resolutions were to be

submitted , indicative not only of protests from the members , but expressive of defiance . Happily these were not proposed . The members , it is said , in the event of their expulsion or separation from the Grand Lodge , ' would not look upon themselves as connected with a clandestine lodge , but would simply regard themselves as " non-affiliated Masons . " Well '

if this would be any consolation to them , we cannot say it would be so to usj for , to belong to a so-called Masonic Organisation—which would be scouted by all regular Masons in Connecticut , by every other Grand Lodge in the United States , and by all regular foreign Grand Lodges—could not satisf y us under any circumstances . We are much mis-

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taken in our estimate of the natural and Masonic feelings of a majority 0 f the members of the Hiram Lodge , if in a little while they do not rebel against their mistaken leaders in the rebellion , and petition as individuals to be re-instated , even if the chief members continue recalcitrant A lodge , which has existed since the year 1 750 , cannot afford to become

careless of its character at the present time , for to continue disobedient will mean the forfeiture of its ancient position on the roll . For the sake of the eventful past we still hope that the members generally will soon see the error of their ways . At all events , a sufficient number will doubtless remain standfast to the Grand Lodge to secure the perpetuity of their warrant .

* # * WE were not a little surprised the other day to read in the "L ck ' MS" "Architect , " under the attractive heading of "B ygones , "

an article on the noted " Locke MS ., " in which the writer evidently accepts that apocryphal document as genuine and authentic . We are gravely told that notwithstanding "the statute passed in 142 c enacted that it shall be felony to plot confederacies amongst Masons and such as shall assemble upon such confederacies shall suffer im .

prisonment and make fine and ransom at the King ' s will . Vet some three or four years afterwards King Henry became a Mason . " (!) We are further told that " it is supposed to have been written in the time of HENRY VI ., and by the King ' s own hand . " Brethren who desire light on the subject should consult the latest examination of the MS ., which

will be found in Bro . GOULD ' S history , chapter xi . That well known brother proves conclusively , as indeed some had done previously , that the document cannot be traced before 1753 , in which year it was printed in the " Gentleman ' s Magazine , " the small pamphlet of 1748 published at Frankfort , having so far escaped detection . The objections to

the genuineness of the " Leland-Locke MS ., founded on internal evidence are numerous and weighty . Halliwell declares that " the orthography is most grotesque and too gross even to have been perused either by HENRY the SIXTH or L ELAND , or both combined , " and he hesitates not to describe it as " a clumsy attempt at deception . " The wonder is that so singular a

composition should have been so generally accepted by our Masonic Historians of the last century , though we are bound to confess the wonder diminishes , as vve find that even now there are still some who cling tenaciously to the document . Bro . GOULD has arrived at the conclusion that the catechism in question was drawn up at some period subsequent to the

publication of Dr . ANDERSON ' S Constitutions of 1738 , and he thinks it probable that the memoir of ASHMOLE , in the " Biographia Britannica " ( 1747 ) may have suggested "the idea of practising on the credulity of the Freemasons . " Any way there was scarcely a Masonic work issued during the latter half of the last century that did not contain a reproduction of this

apocryphal MS ., and for long it was generally considered to be one of the most trustworthy evidences relating to the Craft in the fifteenth century . Time has served , however , to dispel the illusion , and it only now remains for brethren to carefully examine the criticisms of competent Masonic students to refuse their faith in the MS . in question .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of East Lancashire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF EAST LANCASHIRE .

The Provincial Grand Lodge of East Lancashire held its annual meeting on VVednesday afternoon , the nth inst ., in the Free-trade Hall , Peter-street , Manchester . There vvas a large attendance of officers and brethren . Bro . Col . Le Gendre N . Starkie , R . W . P . G . W . of England , Right Worshipful Prov . Grand Master , occupied his official chair , supported

by Bro . G . Mellor , the W . D . Prov . G . M . Bro . H . Smith , W . D . Prov . G . M . of West Yorkshire ; Bro . G . P . Brockbank , P . G . Std . Br . ; and Bro . Capt . Garnett , Prov . S . G . W . of West Lancashire , were present . The following officers of this province answered to their names : — Bros . W . 0 . Walker , Prov . S . G . W . ; J . R . Beard , Prov . J . G . W . ; Rev . E . J . Reeve , Prov . G . Chaplain ; Rev . Jno . Watson , Prov . G . Chaplain ; Peter Radcliffe , Prov . G .

treasurer ; J . Lees Aspland , Prov . G . Registrar ; John Chadwick , Prov . G . Secretary ; J . W . Taylor , Prov . S . G . D . ; W . J . Cunliffe , Prov . S . G . D . ; J . M . Sinclair , Prov . J . G . D . ; John Buckley , Prov . J . G . D . ; J . W . Abbott , Prov . G . D . of C . ; Wm . Hardcastle , Prov . G . Dir . of C . ; Wm . Balmer , Prov . Asst . G . Dir . of C . ; Wm . Hutchinson , Prov . G . Swd . Br . ; Warwick Wood , Prov . G . Std . Br . ; William Bolstock , Prov . G . Std . Br . ; J . M . Bentley , Prov . G . Organist ; John Troop , Prov . G . Purst . ; and John T . Redfern , Prov . G . A . Purst .

Of Past Provincial Officers who have served under Col . Starkie there vvas a very numerous contingent . The Grand Officers having been saluted , God save the Queen was sung in honour of the Jubilee of her Majesty ' s reign , Bro , Seymour

Jackson giving the solo part of the music , and Bro . Pettit accompanying up on the organ . On the roll being called it was found that representatives vvere present from each of the 97 lodges now included within the province . l " last lodge consecrated in East Lancashire is the Queen ' s Jubilee Lodge , at Nelson , No . 2193 on the roll of Grand Lodge .

Letters apologising for the inability of the writers to be present were announced to have been received from the Earl of Carnarvon , Pro Grand Master of England , the Earl of Lathom , Prov . Grand Master of West Lancashire , the Marquis of Hartington , Prov . Grand Master of

Derbyshire , and other provincial ( jrand Officers or neighbouring provinces . The accounts of the Prov . Grand Treasurer , which were taken a ^ read , showed that £ 900 9 s . 4 d . had been received , and that after mee ' ° f expenditure there remained a balance in hand of £ 90 9 s . 4 d . A rep ° . the Auditors was also taken as read , and was accepted with an expressio of thanks to the Auditors for their services . . .

For the office of Prov . Grand Treasurer there were four nomination . viz ., Bros . W . Nicholl , 317 ; H . H . Warburton , 163 ; Evan Wil " ' £ ; 325 ; and S . Warburton , 1052 . The last-named nomination was v drawn , and on a poll being taken for the three remaining candidates , Nicholl was elected by 261 votes against 91 tor Bro . Warburton , and 5 Bro . Williams .