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lodge now meets at Tangiers in Morocco . The more recent and more apposite case is that of the Canadian Royal Arch chapters in Melbourne . In the article , entitled " Proposed Grand Chapter of Victoria , " which appeared in our issue of the 23 rd ult ., it was mentioned that , on a proposal being made to form a Grand Chapter of Victoria , a letter was read

at the meeting convened for the purpose of taking the project into consideration , in which the said chapters expressed their willingness " to join in the formation of a Supreme Grand Chapter in the Colony , failing which it was injudiciously hinted that the alternative would be the immediate foundation cf a Supreme Grand Chapter of Victoria by the Canadian chapters . " This

naturally created a strong feeling of resentment among the members o f chapters holding from the Mother Country ; but wiser counsels prevailed , and the'Canadian companions who , as Craft Masons , were members of the then unrecognised Victorian Constitution , " undertook to return their warrants" to their Grand Chapter , and become members of the Irish

chapter meeting in Melbourne . Thus , while dissensions prevailed in the Colony between the English , Irish , and Scotch Constitutions on the one hand , and the Victorian Constitution on the' other , the latter tacitl y acquiesced in the acceptance by some of their members of such warrants from the Grand Chapter of Canada ; but the moment it appeared that those

dissensions were on the point of being healed , the Victorian chapters of Canadian origin disappeared from the scene of their lawless conduct , the warrants were unceremoniously returned to the aggressive power which had issued them , and a United Grand Chapter now exercises Supreme

authority over Royal Arch Masonry in the Colony , so far as the chapters already in possession may have been willing to acknowledge its supremacy . We imagine that Bro . GILLON will not obtain much encouragement in favour of his wild theory about jurisdictional rights from the cases we have cited ,

United Grand Lodge Of England.

UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND .

THE GRAND FESTIVAL . The annual meeting of Grand Lodge , at which the Grand Festival is held and the Grand Officers for the new year are appointed , took place on Wednesday , the 24 th inst ., at Freemasons' Hall . The Prince of Wales was not present , as he was entertaining the Queen at Sandringham ; the

liarl of Carnarvon was away on account of illness ; and the Earl of Lathom was likewise absent . There was no English Prov . Grand Master present with the exception of the presiding officer , Major Goldie Taubman , Prov . G . Master of the Isle of Man ( Speaker of the House of Keys ) , and there was by no means a large attendance of the brethren generally .

Grand Lodge having been formally opened , the minutes of the March meeting , so far as concerned the election of Grand Master and Grand Treasurer , were read and confirmed . The Prince of Wales was then

proclaimed Grand Master by Sir Albert W . Woods ( Garter ) , G . D . C , who afterwards proclaimed the Earl of Carnarvon , Pro Grand Master , and the Earl of Lathom , Deputy Grand Master . The other brethren then invested as officers for the new year were :

Bro . Right Hon . Lord George Hamilton , M . P . ... S . G . W . ,, Sir John Eldon Gorst , M . P . ... ... J . G . W . ,, Hon . and Rev . Francis Byng ... ... " ) n , . . „ Rev . Thomas Barton Spencer j Grand Chaplains . „ Edward O'Connor Terry ( elected ) ... ... Grand Treasurer . „ Frederick Adolphus Philbrick , Q . C ... ... Grand Registrar . „ Col . Shadweil H . Clerke ... ... ... Grand Secretary , „ Dr . Ernest Emii Wendt lG . Sec . for German J Correspondence . „ Sir Lionel Edward Darell , Bart . ... '" ] S C D „ Sir Polydore de Keyser ... ... ... j ' ' „ Col Addison Potter , C . B .... ... " •] T C D ,, Charles Cheston Cheston ... ... ... )• ' ' „ Col . Robert William Edis ... ... G . S . of W . „ Sir Albert W . Woods , C . B . ( Garter ) , P . G . W .... G . D . of C . „ Charles Belton ... ... ... Dep . G . D . of C . „ George Henry Haydon ... ... .., A . G . D . of C ,, Eugene Monteuuis ... ,.. ,,, Grand S . B . „ Thomas George Bullen ... ... ... ) ~ jc . j r > ., George Taylor ; j Grand Std . Brs . „ Michael Maybrick ... ... ... Grand Org . „ Alfred A . Pendlebury ... ... ... Asst . Grand Sec . „ Thomas Webb Whitmarsh ... ... Grand Purst . „ David Dixon Mercer ... ... Asst . G . Purst . „ Henry Sadler ... ... ... Grand Tyler .

The GRAND SECRETARY then read the following list of Grand Stewards for the ensuing year : Bros . Henry Homewood Crawford , 1 ; Edward John Vivian Husey , 2 ; John Arthur Hughes , 4 ; Arthur Ball , 5 ; Philip Charles Novelli , 6 ; Henry Pullman , 8 ; William Regester , 14 ; Joseph Warren Zambra , 21 ; Frederick Pinches , 23 ; Reid Taylor , 26 ; Frederick

Burgess , 29 ; Edward Wollaston Stanton , 46 ; Sheriff Edward James Gray , 5 8 ; Eliab Rogers , 60 ; Frederic Charles Watts , 91 ; Edward Humphreys , 99 ; Marcus Sharpe , 197 ; and Charles Percival Henty , 259 . Grand Lod ^ e was thereafter closed , and the brethren adjourned to Freemasons' Tavern , where a sumptuous banquet was provided by the

outgoing Grand Stewards , of whom the following is a list : Bros . A . G . Medwin . M . D . . Francis Tagart , H . Emaus Pollard , Alex . Finlay , John Johnas-on , James Harvey Brand , John Pullman , Gordon Smith , Sir Polydore de Keyser , Gtorge Simonds , A . E . Cutnberbatch , John Wm . Green , Huben Spencer Clutton , T . G . Robinson , A . J . Altman , Sydney Claris , C . H . Shoppee , and John L . A . Monckton , M . A . Major Goldie Taubman presided . The usual toasts followed the dinner .

United Grand Lodge Of England.

The CHAIRMAN , amid much enthusiasm , proposed the first toast— " Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen " —and said it was one which was drunk all over the world with enthusiasm , and especially wherever Freemasons were gathered together . ( Cheers . )

The CHAIRMAN , in proposing " Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales and the other Members of the Royal Family , " said we had not yet arrived at having ladies in Masonry , but if they were , he was sure this toast was one in which they would most heartily join . ( Hear , hear . )

The CHAIRMAN , in giving the toast of " H . R . H . the M . W . G . M ., " said most of the brethren assembled were aware that his Royal Highness very much wished to be present , but that other duties called him away . The Prince of Wales had devoted a great deal of time to the good of Freemasonry , and during his connection with the Craft Freemasonry had extended a great deal . ( Hear , hear . )

The CHAIRMAN next gave "The Sister Grand Lodges , ' coupling with the toast the names of Bros . Dr . Tarrant , the Pro Grand Master of New South Wales , and Col . Lumsden , the Provincial Grand Master of Aberdeenshire .

Bro . Dr . TARRANT , responding on behalf of the Grand Lodge of New South Wales , conveyed the hearty good wishes which the members of that Grand Lodge entertained towards the Grand Lodge of England . Had it not been for the efforts of three distinguished members of the Grand Lodge of England the Grand Lodge of New South Wales would not have been

the Masonic success which it is at present . He referred to the action taken by the Past Grand Warden , the Earl of Carrington , who , when he arrived in New South Wales , seeing the condition of Freemasonry there , did all in his power to forward the views of the Masonic body towards obtaining self-government in that country . He also referred to the

assistance given by the distinguished Pro Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England , the Earl of Carnarvon , who , when he visited the colony , saw that it was necessary to cement the great brotherhood there by having a Grand Lodge , and gave his assistance in representing the views of the New South Wales Freemasons to the Grand Lodge of England .

He also wished to pay his mark of esteem and respect to the Secretary of Grand Lodge , who , when he saw the time was opportune for New South Wales Freemasons to rule themselves , lent all the fraternal aid in his power . The brethren gathered that night might take from him the assurance that although Freemasons in New South Wales were separated from

them simply in their form of government , they were not separated from them in the strong fraternal feeling of brotherhood which disseminated through the whoiebodyof Freemasons . ( Cheers . ) By their acknowledging the Freemasons in New South Wales they had not removed themselves one iota from that strong feeling of loyalty which attached to all the Australian

Colonies and the other British possessions of the Empire . As an Australian Mason , and as a representative one to some extent , he must say they would always look back with pride upon the mother Grand Lodges from

which they derived their Masonic birth , and the' Grand Lodge which they esteemed greatest of them all was that from which British Freemasonry arose , the Grand Lodge of which he had the honour to be the guest- on that occasion .

Col . LUMSDEN , the Prov . Grand Master of Aberdeenshire , said he had never before been present at a meeting of the Grand Lodge of England , and he had to thank the company for the way in which they had drunk the health of the Grand Lodge of Scotland . The Grand Lodge of Scotland desired the most thorough and cordial union with the Grand Lodge of England . ( Cheers . )

The CHAIRMAN proposed "The Grand Officers , " and coupled with the toast the names of Lord George Hamilton and Bro . H . D . Sandeman . Bro . SANDEMAN responded , and said there were no greater pillars of strength to Freemasonry in England , and possibly in any part of the world ,

than the Provincial Grand Masters . He could speak personally of the District Grand Masters , as he had had the honour of being a District Grand Master for 13 years in a country far distant from this—the Province of Bengal . ( Hear , hear . )

Lord GEORGE HAMILTON , who was received with cheers , said the Grand Officers were all proud that , owing to the selection of H . R . H . the Most Worshipful Grand Master , their names either that day or in the past had been selected for high office in the Grand Lodge , and they were proud to find that the selection on each occasion met with the sanction of the

brethren assembled together . They had selected as their Wardens two brethren whose functions were not exclusively confined to Freemasonry . Therefore , he feared it might not be from any want of regard to the hig h duties which had been imposed upon them , but from the simple fact that there were prior and more peremptory claims made upon them

elsewhere , that he and Sir John Gorst mig ht not be able to attend as assiduously and as frequently as they could wish ; but , after all , a time would come when , to use the w ords of a distinguished man , they would be in a position of greater freedom and less responsibility . ( Cries of " Never . " ) Whenever that time might come , he hoped they would be able

to make up for any lapse of duty during the present year , for there was only one feeling animating all Past as well as Present Grand Officers , and that was a desire to improve the organisation and administration of Grand Lodge , and to promote the growth and development of that great brotherhood whose spread in every part of the globe was synonymous with the encouragement of the instincts of Charity , hospitality , and benevolence . ( Cheers . ) Bro . HUGH D . SANDEMAN , Past District Grand Master of Bengal , proposed " The Masonic Charities . " In doing so , he said he approache the toast with fear and trembling , because there were so many who knev the Masonic Charities better than he did . Bros . Richardson and M atthews