Contents.

CONTENTS .

PAGB

LEADERThe Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution ... ... 99 Grand Masonic Banquet of the Duke of York Lodge , No . 25 , Dublin ... ... 99 Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution .. T ... ... 99 Ladies'Night at the Scots'Lodge , No . 2319 ... ... ... ... 105 MASONIC

NOTESAgenda Paper of Grand Lodge of England ... ... ... 107 Agenda Paper of Grand Mark Lodge ... ... ... ... 107 Quatuor Coronati Lodge , No . 2076 ... ... ... ... 107 Masonic Vagrancy ... ... ... ... ... ... 107 Correspondence ... ... ... ... ... ... 10 S Masonic Notes and Queries ... ... ... ... ... 10 S Reviews ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 108

Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 109 Royal Arch ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 111 United Grand Lodge ( Agenda Paper ) ... ... ... ... 112 Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons ( Agenda Paper ) ... ... ... 113 Consecration of the Marcians Lodge , No . 264 S ... ... ... 113 The Royal Masonic Institution for Girls and the Lady Mayoress ' s Hospital Fund . 114 Red Cross of Rome and Constantine ... ... ... ... ... 114 Obituary ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 114 Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 114

The Festival Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

THE FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

The result of the Anniversary Festival which was held at Freemasons' Tavern , on Wednesday , the 24 th instant , under the presidency of H . R . H the Duke of CONNAUGhT ancl STRATHEAKN , K . G ., Past G . Master , Prov . G . Master of Sussex , and Dist . G .

Master of Bombay , cannot be otherwise than most gratifying to all who took part in the proceedings , and especially to the general body of English Masons , who never weary of showing their interest in the success of our Central Masonic Institutions .

Though the Indian Famine Relief Fund and thc Prince of WALES ' Hospital Fund for London are of necessity claiming , and we may add , receiving a ver )* generous amount of support from the British public , and though there are many schemes afoot besides the Prince ' s Fund for commemorating the Diamond

Jubilee of her Majesty ' s reign , to which people in all parts of the country are being invited to contribute , the claims of our aged poor brethren and their widows have not been thrown into the background . On the contrary , Bro . TERRY had the satisfaction and privilege

of announcing a grand total of Donations and Subscriptions amounting to £ 18 , 197 193 . 3 d ., towards which London , represented by 196 Stewards , contributed . £ 10 , 083 4 - 6 d ., and the Provinces with 226 Stewards , £ 8 , 114 14 s . gd ., there being 16 lists still to be accounted for . This is the third highest result ever

obtained at a Benevolent Festival—excepting , of course , the memorable Jubilee in 1892—and we tender our respectful congratulations to his Royal Highness the Chairman on the success of his earnest advocacy ; the Board of Stewards , Bro . TERRY and his stall , on the result of their arduous labours ; and ( he

Institution on the material benefit it will derive from this handsome provision for the requirements of the current year . We trust that the success thus achieved on-Wednesday may prove an encouraging augury for the Festivals of the Schools in May and June respectively .

Grand Masonic Banquet Of The Duke Of York Lodge, No. 25, Dublin.

GRAND MASONIC BANQUET OF THE DUKE OF YORK LODGE , No . 25 , DUBLIN .

On the ' iCtli instant a banquet on an unusually large scale was given by the above lodge in Dublin ; it was on the occasion of the installation of officers . The Worshi pful Master was Bro . Henry Arthur Blyth and the Wardens were Bros . Sir James Bl ) t ! i and Henry Hardy . For the first time in Ireland , the Grand I . od ge Room itself was granted to the lodge for the purpose of a banquet . The

dining-room in the Freemasons' Hall only accommodates 140 persons , but the 'jrand Lodge erabled 192 to be seated . More than go members were present , * md though the members were most anxious to have their Masonic friends freely invited , it was found necessary to restrict the privilege of invitation to a single guest for each .

flie Grand Lodge room is a very handsome apartment , and is provided with a dais . Upon Ihis dais 17 of the principal guests were seated with the Worship-Jul Master , but many right worshipful and very worshipful brethren were seated '" > e bod y of the hall . On the right of Bro . Sir James Blyth , the Junior Grand Chaplain was seated , and Bro . Sir George Moyers , Past Senior Grand Deacon , ¦**« placed . Amongst the wearers of Grand collars were the Deputy Grand "laster , the Grand Deacons , the Grand Treasurer , the Grand Sword Bearer , the " ^ presentatives of nearly a dozen Grand Lodges , and many Past and Provincial GrandOflicers , 6 . 7

Grand Masonic Banquet Of The Duke Of York Lodge, No. 25, Dublin.

There were many leading citizens and sojourners in Dublin present , including Major-General Viscount Frankfort , Sir Robert Forster , Mr . Justice Ross , Sir William Stokes , Sir Robert Sexton , Sir Charles Cameron , Capt . Hon . W . L . Vane , Colonels Pratt-Saunders , Neville , McCammon , Wyon , Gorges , Surgeon-General P reston , and many other officers of the Army , the lodge being largely composed of military men .

Previous to the banquet the officers were installed , and Major Streatfield , Grenadier Guards , was initiated , the musical portion of the ceremony being conducted by Bro . Lieut .-Col . Wyon , Organist to the lodge , and a choir of about one dozen brethren . Degree was given by Bro . Sir Charles A . Cameron , Secretary of the Iodge , and the Master was installed by the Grand Treasurer and Bro . Sir C . Cameron . As the brethren filed into lhe dining-room Bro . Col . Wyon played in good style "The roast beef of Old England . "

The caterer , Bro . Murphy , supplied a most excellent dinner , served in the best manner . It leaked out that the choice wines used were the gift of the W . M . They comprised Ayala ( 1 S 84 ) and Pommery ( 1 SS 9 ) , a hock of very line vintage , and extremely old claret and port . " Non Nobis" was sung by a goodly number of musical brethren , and during the evening there were songs , concerted pieces , and instrumental music performed . The lists of toasts was , for a Masonic dinner , of very moderate length . The W . M . was very happy in proposing the toasts which fell , when he referred in

most felicitous terms to her Majesty , concluding a brilliant peroration by quoting from Shakespere's " Henry VIII . " the following appropriate lines : " She shall be to the happines of England , an af-ed princess : many days shall see her , and yet no day without a deed to crown it . " V \ hilst proposing the toast of " The Grand Officers , " he read amongst other telegrams one from the Duke jf Abercorn , M . W . G . M . of Ireland , expressing great regret at not being present as he had intended to be , saying he was with ihem in spirit , and was sure they were having a pleasant evening .

The Deputy G . M ., Bro . W . W . SHEKLETON , Q . C , proposed "The Master ' s Health " in a happily-worded speech . In reply , the MASTER expressed the pleasure which he felt in occupying the chair of the mother lodge of which he had been a member for 22 years , and passed through all the offices from Junior Deacon to Master . He announced , * amidst thunders of applause , that he would , on behalf of the lodge , present to each of the Masonic Orphan Schools 100 guineas .

The toast of "The Visitors" was admirably given by the GRAND MASTER , and responded to in a telling speech by Bro . the Hon . Justice Ross . " The Entered Apprentices' " toast was proposed by the senior Past Master , Bro . I . FOROOODMAN , and responded to by Bros . F . HEWETT , R . MANII-OLD , ERNEST S . CAMERON , Rev . Professor MURI-HY , Surg .-Maj . BKKVOK , and Maj . SIIKVKFRIMI . The last toast , "The Immediate Past Master , Bro Webb , " conclude 1 the proceedings .

Festival Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

The 55 th Anniversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Instittition for Aged Freemasons and Widows of Freemasons was held on Wednesday evening * , at Freemasons' Tavern , where some 700 brethren and ladies supported the Chairman , H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught and Strathearn , K . G ., M . W . P . G . M ., District Grand Master of Bombay , and R . W . Provincial Grand Master of Sussex . On his right was Bro . Sir J . B . Monckton , P . G . W ., and on his left Bro . I . B . ilfour Cockburn , Provincial

Grand Master of Guernsey and Alderney ; and among the other brethren present were Bros . E . Letchworth , G . Sec . ; C . K . Keyser , P . G I" ) , j Jas . Speller ; F . Mead ; Layton Richardson , P . M . 1 s ? ; ( . Passmore Edwards ; W . Lake . Asst . G . Sec . ; J . M . McLeod , P . G . S . B .. Secretary R . M . I . B . ; F . R . W . Hedges , P . G . S . B ., Secretary R . M . I . G . ; Hugh Cotter , P . M ., Treas . 554 ; Ktnest St . Clair ; J . J . Stevens ; Rev . Dr . Currie ( Dean of Battle ); James Terry , P . G . S . B . ( Secretary of the Institution ) ; and others .

At the conclusion of the dinner , grace having besn sung , the toists were honoured . The Dukeof CoNNAucniT , in proposing " Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen , " said : Brethren , I rise to propose the health of her Most Gracious Majesty the Oueen . In the auspicious year in which we are I think you would wish me on this occasion to give expression to our

sentiments of loyalty and devotion to one who has graced our Throne for the last fio years . As you know , not one of our Sovereigns has reigned over 115 for so long a lime , and v / e all share her feelings of gratitude that the Almighty has enabled her to live all this time ; and in drinking her health 1 feel that I am only expressing the feelings of every one of the brethren present . In saying that and drinking her health , we wish her long life and happiness . The toast was mc st enthusiastically received .

' 1 he Duke of CONNAUOIIT next said : Biefhren , —i now give you " The Health of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , M . W . G . Master , President of this Institution ; the Princess of Wales ; and the other members of the Royal Family . " His Royal Highness has now reigned over us as Masons for the last 2 » years , and I am sure it is largely due to his interest and example , surrounded

as he is by other Masons , an able body of Grand Officers , he has been able to further Freemasonry in thc manner he has , and I know he rejoices to think how , year by year , Masonry extends , how new lodges spring up , and how brethren increase , not onl y in the United Kingdom , but in different parts of the Kmpire . With regard to the Princess of Wales , and the other members of the Royal Family , they are always before you , and