Festival Of The Mark Benevolent Fund.

FESTIVAL OF THE MARK BENEVOLENT FUND .

We must congratulate Bro . Viscount DUNGARVAN , who presided at the 23 rd Anniversary Festival of the Mark Benevolent Fund on Wednesday , the Board of 149 Stewards who assisted him in his appeal for support , the donors and subscribers who so generously responded to that appearand our Mark brethren

as a body on the successful manner in which the event was celebrated . The arrangements for the meeting left nothing to be desired , and there was a goodly company of ladies and brethren present to render such help as it might be in their power to give in behalf of the Fund . True the Returns are

less than were announced last year , but having regard to the reduction in the number of Stewards and the energy displayed in connection with the recent Masonic Boys' School Festival , we consider the hope we expressed a week or two since , that the result of this Festival would compare

favourably with those of recent years , has been realised . We must also congratulate Bro . C . F . MATIER , Mark G . Secretary , and Honorary Secretary of the Board of Stewards , on a result for which he has laboured so strenuously . It is under his

auspices and chiefly through his endeavours that the Mark Benevolent Fund Festival has become so prominent an event in our Masonic year , and we trust that a like or even greater measure of success will attend all future anniversary celebrations of the Charity .

The District Grand Lodge Of Bombay.

THE DISTRICT GRAND LODGE OF BOMBAY .

The half-yearly Communication of the District Grand Lodge of Bombay , which was held at Freemasons' Hall , Byculla , on the 30 th March last , was more than ordinarily attractive , and the address delivered by Bro . H . W . BARROW , Deputy District

Grand Master , as District Grand Master , was specially interesting , not only from the progress he was able to record , but also because he was in a position to announce that honour had been done to their Dist . Grand Master , and to the memory of their late lamented District Grand Master , Bro . E . TYRRELL LEITH . The

announcement he made with reference to their D . G . Master—¦ that H . R . H . the Duke of CONN AUGHT had been honoured by Grand Lodge with the rank of Past Grand Master , and presented with his clothing as such , was received with every

demonstration of pleasure , and at the invitation of the Acting District Grand Master ^ District Grand Lodge gave his Royal Highness the salute appropriate to his more exalted office . As regards the late Bro . E . TYRRELL LEITH , the Acting District Grand Master had the satisfaction of

unveiling a portrait in oils of that lamented brother , which had been presented to it by Lodge Aryan , a lodge of Hindu brethren , which was chiefly indebted for its establishment to the exertions of Bro . LEITH , who had conceived and was thus successful in carrying out the idea of placing a Hindu lodge

side by side with those composed of English and Parsee brethren , thereb y illustrating in the most prominent manner possible the tmsectarian character of Freemasonry . The portrait was the work of Bro . PESTONJEE BOMANJEE , and was declared by those present who were familiar with the features of the late Bro .

LEITH to be a most admirable picture . The Dist . G . M . in the chairwas furtherprivilegedto announcethatinaccordancewith the recommendation of a former Dist . G . Lodge , the Board of General Purposes had had under their consideration the subject of

commemorating the virtues and labours in Masonry ofthe late Bro . HAROLD R . KING , Past Grand Deacon of England , and late deput y District Grand Master of Bombay , and had resolved on recommending to the Craft in Bombay that a fund should be lbea

* tor the purpose of placing his portrait in Freemasons Wall as a companion picture to that of Bro . LEITH . The course Proposed was most cordially adopted by the brethren , and there Will consequentl y be hung on the walls of their Hall at no very d istant date the " counterfeit presentment" of one who during his "etime had enjoyed the affection and respect of the whole

The District Grand Lodge Of Bombay.

Craft in the District , and the memory of whose virtues and services will always be cherished . As regards the position of the lodges in Bombay , and gen & rally throughout the Presidency , the report of the Acting District Grand Master and his

executive officers was eminently satisfactory . The new lodge—the Royal Connaught , at Ahmednagar—had already established itself firmly , while the lodges , without exception , were declared in a prosperous state financially . Moreover , it was stated that

great interest was being taken by the brethren in the lodges of instruction , and that , as a result , the duties were being performed with a greater approach to perfection . The various statements of account , both those relating to the District Funds

of General Purposes and Benevolence and those of the Bombay Masonic Association and the Hall Account , showed that our Bombay brethren are in the enjoyment of a very considerable measure of prosperity . The Joint Hall Committee for the

English and Scotch Constitutions , it is true , were unable to report favourably as to the steps they had been taking to obtain new premises or a new site on which to erect new premises ; but it is far better they should be deliberate in

what they advise on so important a matter . Lastly—and this was by no means the least gratifying among the many pleasant announcements that were made—the Acting D . G . Master referred in brief but eloquent terms to the complete harmony prevailing

between the members of the English and Scotch Constitutions . This is a point on which we have never failed to congratulate the brethren in this district of India , and we are delighted to hear that the kind and cordial relations which have invariably existed ...

between them continue to exist in as great force as ever at the present time . We sincerely trust that the two Constitutions will work side by side as amicably as ever , and that the day is far distant when anything may happen to disturb those relations .

History Of Freemasonry And Concordant Orders.*

HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY AND CONCORDANT ORDERS . *

FOURTH NOTICE . The Board of Editors of the " Fraternity Publishing Company ' s" "History of Freemasonry" comprises Craftsmen of the highest repute , and the names of Josiah H . Drummond , C . T . McClenachan , Chas . E . Meyer , J . Ross Robertson , with the lamented MacLeod Moore , are as familiar to our readers as

their writings are acceptable . The only English contributors are Bros . W . J . Hughan and Jno . Lane , but each is a doyen . Bro . Lane , the statist of the Craft , has compiled a succinct list of the English lodges chartered in America at various times , while his confrere has given us in a couple of pages a most

interesting review and comparison of the present position of the Grand Lodges of England , Scotland , and Ireland . Bro . Hughan , in addition to a monograph on Australia , also furnishes an exhaustive paper on the " Rpyal Order of Scotland , " and has the courage , as of yore , to speak out plainly with regard to its

mythical antiquity , careful research reducing its origin to about 150 years ago . So respectable a rite , as this undoubtedl y is , does not require fictitious age , and the present Provincial Grand Master of Glasgow , Bro . J . Dalrymple Duncan , when installed

last year , spoke out manfully in the same strain . But the cream of Bro . Hughan ' s support is to be found in the masterly" Introduction , " that presents us with a vidimus of the entire work , besides adding materially to the information contained between its covers .

In this tastefully got up and massive volume we have a long article from the pen of the erudite Grand Secretary of Washington ( D . C ) , who discourses in some 80 pages of the vast field embraced in his title , "Ancient Mysteries , " with an addendum

on " Occultism . Bro . W . R . Singleton may well mourn lack of space , for the entire work would hardly suffice to do bare justice to the series of questions that arise from a consideration of so enormous a subject .