Content.

CONTENT .

L SADER— PAGE . Festival of the R . M . B . I . ... ... ... ... ... S 3 Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution—Annual Festival ... ... ... S 3 Masonic Ball at Bedlington ... ... ... ... « - ... Sg Fifth Annual Supper of the Citadel Lodge of Instruction , No . 1 S 97 ... ... Sg

MASONIC NOTESAgenda Paper of United Grand Lodge Lodge ... ... ... 91 Agenda Paper of Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons ... ... gt Quatuor Coronati Lodge , No . 207 G ... ... ... ... gi Quarterly Communication of District Grand Lodge of Queensland ... gr Correspondence ... ... ... ... ... ... 92

United Grand Lodge ( Agenda Paper ) ... ... ... ... 92 Grand Lodgeof Mark Master Masons ( Agenda Paper ) ... ... ... 93 Annual Festival of the Enfield Lodgeof Instruction , N ,. 1237 ... ... 93 Second Ball of the Noel Money Lodge , No . 2521 ... ... ... 93 Consecration of the Army and Navy Lodge , No . 273 S ... ... ... 93 An Initiation in King Solomon's Quarries ... ... ... ... n |

Old Masonians' Athletic Clubs ... ... ... ... ... 95 Recent Wills ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 95 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 95 Royal Arch ... ... ... ... ... ... ..- . __ , _ Ancient and Accepted Kite ... ... ... ... ... 100 Masonic and General Tidings ' ... ... ... ... ... 100

The Festival Of The R.M.B.I.

THE FESTIVAL OF THE R . M . B . I .

When we expressed ourselves in terms more hopeful than wc usually adopt as to the result of the Festival which was held at Freemasons' Tavern , on Wednesday evening , under the presidency of Bro . Lord LLANGATTOCK , Prov . G . Master of the Eastern Division of South Wales , we must confess that we did

not anticipate a return so generous . Wc modestly suggested that if , under the circumstances , such a total was realised as would about suffice to make good the deficiency standing over from last year and the normal deficiency for the current year ,

which it is the object of these anniversary gatherings to supply , it would be as much as could be expected . But the brethren in town and country have gone still further and provided a comfortable little margin of about £ 1500 to meet any unforeseen

contingency that may arise , or should there be none to meet , to add to the capital invested . Hence it is that we experience so much pleasure in tendering our sincere congratulations on such a splendid result , firstly to his lordship who presided so ably and

pleaded tlie cause of the aged brother and the widow so earnestl y , and thc Board of Stewards which supported him , and by whose ¦ ¦ fforts the large total of nearly £ 18 , 300 was obtained ; and secondly to the Institution which is thus freed from all anxiety

upon thc question of ways and means during the current year . N ' or must we omit to express our satisfaction and the gratitude of our readers and thc Craft generally , for thc zeal and energy exhibited by Bro . JAMES TERRY , the Secretary of the Institution ,

and his small but able staff , ft is , undoubtedly to his and their fforts that the preparations for thc Festival were made so successfully , and to the success of those preparations wc are primarily indebted for the great result which it is our privilege to record this week in our columns . We trust ( hat future Festivals

will result as satisfactorily . ¦¦ » A TERRIBLE TALE of the sea has been told by the four survivors of the ill-fated Bulgaria , who were luckily picked up by the Vittoria . They say that the vessel was

sinking when their boat was accidentally loosed , and drifted off , and that it could scarcely have weathered the storm . When they were saved by the Vittoria , an effort was made to reach the Bulgaria in another boat by six of the crew , but they were obliged ta return .

Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

ANNUAL FESTIVAL .

Thc Festival in celebration of the 57 th anniversary of the foundation of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widows of Freemasons was held on Wednesday at Freemasons' Tavern , Great Queen-street , W . C , when the Right Hon . Lord Llangattock , Provincial Grand Master for South Wales ( Eastern Division ) , presided . About 500

brethren assisted at the festival , and among those who were on the dais supporting the Chairman were Bros , the Earl of Dartmouth , Prov . G . M . Staffordshire ; C E . Keyser , P . G . D . ; E . Letchworth , G . Src ; Baron de Ferrieres ; Lennox Browne , P . D . G . D . C ; E . M . Money , P . A . G . D . C ;

J . Lewis Thomas , P . A . G . D . C . ; J . A . Farnfield , P . G . S . B ., Treasurer of the Institution ; R . Eve , P . G . T . ; Dr . Strorg , P . G . Std . Br . ; Marmaduke Tennant , P . A . G . D . C , Dtp . Prov . G . M . South Wales ( E . D . ) ; Col . Lyne , Dep . Prov . G . M . Monmoulh ; Wm . Like , A . G . Sec ; F . R . W . Hedges , P . G . S . B ., Sec . R . M . I . G . ; and J . M . McLeod , P . G . S . B ., Sec . R . M . I . B .

A large number of ladies were entertained at a separate dinner . " Bro . Lord LLANGATTOCK , in proposing the toast of " The Queen , " said the first toast he had to offer for the brethren ' s acceptance was one that was dear to the heart of every Englishman and dear to every English home . It

was a toast that was often given and always well received in every quarter of the globe , and yet Englishmen were never tired of doing it honour . ( Che ers . ) It was always a delight to them to have an opportunity cf testifying their love to the Queen and tlv . ir respect for the Sovereign who ruled

THE CHAIRMAN . so well and so graciously over this vast empire . H < would ask them all to join him , all hearts united in one , and drink with all love and frespect " The Health of our Glorious Oueen and our sinctre withes that she may live for many years to rule over a happy and prosperous people . " ( Applauses . ) The toast having been duly honoured ,

Lord LLANGATTOCK , in proposing " The M . W . G . M ., ' ' said the Prince of Wales , the first subject of the realm and nearest to the Throne , had been the first to learn that lesson of unselfish devotion to duty which had been so splendidly taught him by his Royal mother . No man in the

kingdom worked harder than the Prince of Wales and no one worked with more genuineness . By his courteousness cf manner and his sympathy with all classes , he had made himself an abiding home in the hearts of the people . Freemasons were bound to his Royal Hi ghness by special ties not of Royalty or the Throne—he was our bro her M ison . ( Cheers . )

Bro . RICHARD EVE , P . G . T ., responding to the toast of " The M . W . Pro G . M ., the R . W . Dep . G . M ., and the rest of the Grand Ollicers , Present and Past , " said Lord Amherst was a brother full of enthusiasm for Masonry , who would do his utmost to promote its great principles and

uphold the prestige of the Order . The Earl of Warwick was also full of Masonry , whose heart was in it and would be good and true to the Order . In that he would be supported by all the Grand Officers . The Grand Lodge of England was the mother Grand Lodgeof the world and as such it was the duty of the Grand Officers to uphold her dignity .

Bro . C . h . KEVSKR , P . G . D ., at the loud calf of the brethren , also responded , and said he thoroughly concurred in everything said by Bro . Eve . Bro . Lord LLANGATTOCK next proposed " Succesp , Long Life , and Prosperity to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Instituiion for Aged Freemasons and Widows of Freemasons . " He said he hardly knew how to begin : he only wished he was an orator that he might do greater justice to