Grand Festival Of The United Grand Lodge Of England.

I hat the M . W ' . G . M . has been pleased to re-appoint myself as Deputy . ( Applause . ) His lordship was then proclaimed and saluted . The Fail of Moi'NT EIHICI ' . MUK : It is my pleasing duty now lo announce to you the Grand Officers whom the Most Worshipful Grand Master has been pleased to appoint for the ensuing year , and then to invest them with the insignia of office . General Lord Roberts , of Candahar , is

Senior Grand Warden . ( Loud and continued applause . ) thirty-eight years ago or nearly so , Lord Roberts filled the chair of his lodge , and he was then , I believe , a lieutenant in the Royal Artillery . He has had very little to do in Masonry lately , but the world knows he has been busy in other ways . I hope , Lord Roberts , you will be long with us . Lord Roberts was then invested as S . G . W ., amidst general cheers , and as he was being conducted to his chair by Sir Albert Woods , all the brethren rose from their seats and cheered .

The following is a list of the other officers : — Bro . General Lord Roberts , V . C ., G . C . B ., & c . ... Senior G . Warden . ,, Lord Barnard ... ... ... ... Junior G . Warden . ,, I . ieut .-Gen . J . W . Laurie , rank of Past G . Warden . „ Rt . Rev . H . Wade , D . D ., Suffragan Bishop o £ ^ Barrow-in-Furness ... ... ... ( , ¦ „ Very Rev . H . Donald M . Spence , D . D ., Dean f < - P lains - of Gloucester ... ... ... J

„ William Mason Stiles ... ... ... G . Treasurer . „ F . A . Philbrick , O . C . ... ... ... G . Registrar .

„ T . T . Bucknill , Q . C ., M . P . ... ... Dep . G , Registrar . „ Edward Letchworth , F . S . A . ... ... G . Secretary . „ Rt . Hon . Sir W . T . Marriott , O . C . ,.. ~ \ " . c \ l iv 1 aXii Hunt ' Bart - ' " •* ... ;;; s . &»»«* ,. \ -i . . . . . . . . J . . . . . . ... ... ... .

,, ,. ,, Col . H . Studholrr . e Brownrigg ( Past Rank ) ... J „ Col . L . G . Dundas ... ... ... " ) „ Lieut .-Col . W . Newton ... ... > J . G . Deacons . ,, Alfred S . Tomkins ... ... ... j ,, Herbert T . Steward ... ... ... G . Sup . of Wks .

„ Sir Albert VV . Woods { Garter ) ... ... G . D . C . „ F . Ernest Pocock , M . D . ... ... Dep . G . D . C . „ Walter Hughes ... ... ... ¦ ) „ George E . Fairchild ... ... ... > A . G . D . Cs . . . „ . W . H . Rylands , F . S . A . ... ... )

„ Col . James Ward , C . B . ... ... G . S . B . ,, J . S . Cumberland ... ... ... Dep . G . S . B . ,, Howard H . Room ... ... •••)/ - c . i n i ¦ 'r i ; G . Std . Brs . .. „ - Joseph Todd ... ... ... ) ' „ H . F . Fiost ... ... ... ... G . Org .

- ,, William Lake ... ... ... A . G . Sec . ,, John Newton ... ... ... G . Purst . . „ Harry Tipper ... ... ... A . G . Purst . ,, Henry Sadler ... ... ... G . Tyler .

The Earl of MOUNT EDGCI ' MIIF , : Brethren , —I have now a very pleasant duty to perform . It has been usual when the President of the Board of General Purposes has served for some years for the M . W . Grand Master to g ive him past rank as a Senior Grand Warden . But Bro . Thomas Fenn expressed the hope that his name would not be submitted for that honour , saying he would rather be remembered by his brother Masons as Past President of the Board of General Purposes . But I have the pleasure of

presenting to him a jewel of that ofhee ( I suppose it may be considered a jewel of a Past President of the Board of General Purposes ) . Jt is a very beautiful jewel , and it bears this inscription : " Presented by the United Grand Lodge of England to Very Worshipful Brother Thomas Fenn , President of the Board of General Purposes from 18 , 8 4 to 1895 , in grateful recognition of his very able , zealous , and distinguished services . " The jewel was then presented , and Bro . LETCH WORTH read out the names ot the new Grand Stewards .

Grand Lodge was then closed in due form , and the brethren adjourned to Freemasons' Tavern and partook of a sumptuous banquet , provided by the Grand Stewards , of whom the following is a list : Bros . Arthur Adams , 4 ; Wm . P . Fuller , 8 ; the Rev . F . A . Beaumont , M . A ., 26 ; R . Creed , 1 ; Fred . R . E . Propeit , 2 ; Aubrey B . Raymond Barker , 5 ; R . A . Gibbons , M . D ., ( 1 ; A . E . Young , 14 ; R . Hovenden , 21 ; F . M . Brandon , 23 ; David De Lara Cohen , 29 ; H . M . Cockerell ,

46 ; R . W . Wallace , 58 ; William H . Kempster , jun ., 60 ; John D . Williams , 91 ; E . Forbes l . ankester , 99 ; Stephenson R . Clarke , 197 ; and Oliver T . Hodges , 259 . The usual toasts followed the banquet . The Eirl of Moi'NT KIH ; CI'MHF . , in giving the toast of " Her Most Gracious ATajesty the Oueen , " said he knew the brethren did not wish to

waste any time , but he did not by that mean that theirtime had been wasted up to the present , lie did not wish to waste any time , and therefore he should try to avoid unnecessary speeches ; certainly no word ') were needed from him to induce the brethren to drink with unabated loyally the health of her Most Gracious Majesly , the Queen . The loast havirg received the usual honours ,

The V . tt \ of MOI - NT KDCICUMHK said the next toa < . t was the health of those nearest and dearest to the Queen—The Royal Family—who , in our generation at least , he thought had ) without one single exception , performed their duties in such a manner as di servedly lo win the esteem and regard of the people of England , whether in the military or naval services of the country or in those social dulies which they knew so well and so gracefully to perform . The highest name was excluded from the toast , he supposed , on

account of general custom , because it was more especially connected with them and with that Ftsiivalin the toast which followed , and therefore the first was given to one who was second to none in the hold which he had acquired and maintaind upon the affections of the British people , and who it was dillicult when they looked at her to associate with the grandson , who they should not forget in drinking I his loast was the heir in the fourth generation to the throne of this empire— " H . R . H . the Princess of Wales , and the rest of the Royal Family . "

The Karl of Mm NT FIIOCIMHK next said that the toast he was about to propose was one which combined the brethren loyall y as Englishmen and their loyalty as Masons- " The Ilnalth of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , the Grand Master ol Hnuhind . " He rwed say nothing about his Royal H'ghness . On O ' . 'it day he completed the 2 () ih year of his occupation of the office of Grand Master of ihe Freemasons of England . During those 20 years how much had Freemasonry advanced , and how much was tnat due to his Royal Highness bung at the head of it ? The next year was the 2 ist , and he hoped that he ( Lord Mount Edgcumbe ) or Lord Lathom , to whom

Grand Festival Of The United Grand Lodge Of England.

he looked as his superkr in the Craft , would be able to lay a special request before his Royal Highness that he would meet them on his next installation c ' .-tv . ( Applause . ) He gave them tie health of H . R H . the Grand Master of England . The toast having been drunk ,

Bro . Sir CHAS . VV ' AKREN , District G . Master of the Eastern Archipelago , rose and said a toast had been placed in bis hands which he was sure the brethren would all receive with tic gicatett enthusiasm ; it was that of "The Pro Grand Master and the R . W . the Deputy Grand Master . " These noblemen , they were all aware , held important functions connected with the Slate , and jet they could find time to cccupy themselves with various

other duties , ar . d among them not the least important were the duties connected with the Grand Lodge of England . These noblemen were not mere figureheads , but they did their Masonic duties in the most conscientious and thorough manner , and he was only stating what all the brethten knew , that if it were possible the Earl of Lathom would have been there that evening . The Pio Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master performed their duties ,

as he had said , in the most sacrificing manner ; they devoted their time to all kinds ot duties to this country , and whether it was with regard to the volunteer service , to training ships , or to the matters connected with the education and welfare of the country , thev did all their duties to the country and the Craft , and they did them well . He was omitting to mention that the

Deputy Grand Master was acting as chairman for the evening , but he would mention that now , and begged to propose , therefore , the health of the Earl of Lathom , M . W . Pro Grand Master , and the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe , the R . W . Deputy Grand Master . The toast having been drunk with the greatest enthusiasm ,

The Earl of MOUNT EDGCUMBE rose and said : Brethren , —I very much regret being called upon to respond to this toast in the absence of my friend and your M . W . Pro Grand Master , Lord Lathom , because he is absent on account of having his health affected I believe by that terrible malady which has brought down the strorg of so many of our friends and our great men of this country , and although he is on his homeward journey from the West

Indies , where he has been to shake off the grip of this disease , he will not arrive for some lime yet . For myself , I feel it a very great honour that the Grand Master has appointed me for another year , but at the end of this year I shall ask his Royal Highness not to forget that I have had my term of office , and that the Craft has many a worthier son than me . ( Cries of " No , no . " ) Before I sit down I should like to

propose another toast , although the authority of the Grand Lodge of England extends over a large portion of Ihe surface of the globe , yet we cannot forget that the ties of Masonry bind us to all the other Grand Lodges which exist in the world , of which there are many throughout the globe—at least it binds us to all those who retain unsullied the old faith and landrrarks of our Order , and I am happy to say that with one sad exception

I believe they all do so ; and if our English brethren , if they have visited in those parts , which are under the jurisdiction of these Grand Lodges , I feel sure that they would find they are recognised as well as members from those countries would be if they were to visit England , by receiving a fraternal welcome from all of us . In fact , this toast , I think , recognises the universality of Masonry . It includes our nei ghbouring Grand Lodges of Stotland

and Ireland , it includes almost all the countries of Europe , and I think I may venture to say it includes the one country that I have spoken of as an exception , because we hope the time will come when they will join us in the universal brotherhood , and under the old faith , the only faith under which it can exist . This toast also includes besides them the Grand Lodges of our great Colonies , those

offshoots from the Grand Lodge of Eigland—offshoot- ) which hive separated not by violerce or conflict , but suckers , if I may say so , of tt-e parent tree , laid in fresh soil , where they have taken root and developed into lull grown plants , of which free existence is the necessity . I know there ate some who look with some amount of jealousy on separation as if it were a

breach of allegiance or rebellion ; but this is not so , it is a necessity . It is the result of a stale of things which is seen by our constitution ; it is a development unprecedented in the history of the world , and if any brethren feel that , let them remember that these Grand Lodges when they meet tcgether drink tiie Queen and the Craft the same as we do . and in all the recent cases our Grand Master stands at the head of their officers

as Patron of their Grand Lodges . I know that a great deal of tact and diplomatic wisdom is necessary among those who control these movements — these separations — and it is very inadvisable that they should take place until the time is ripe for their development as independent Grand Lodges , but on the other hand I think it very desirable that we in England should never do anything which would

create friction in the friendly relations between those Grand Lodges and England , or create any . difficulty which would encourage any breach of allegiance towatds those Grand Lodges . ( Hear , hear . ) I do not ventutito enter on contestable ground , but l venture to think Grand Lodge , by its recent vote , agrees with me in that sentiment . " The Sister Grand

Lodges '"—there are t * o representatives of the sister Grand Lodges heie there is liro . General Laurie , Past Grand Master of Novia Scotia , but hi is now a member of our own Grand Lodge ; and therefore I would cdl upon Bro . Thomas , Grand Lecturer—a title which we do not quite know in England—of New South Wales , to respond to this toast . The toast having been most cordially receivid ,

Bro . THOMAS , in reply , said : Right Worshipful Deputy Grand Master , as representing the daughter Grand Lodge ol England—ihe Grand Ledge ol South Australia—rather than the sister Grand Lodge , —I desire to offer my very hearty and fraternal thanks for the extremely courteous manner in which you have spoken of the sister Grand Lodges of the world , and thtt more than fraternal manner in which you have spoken of colonial Grand

Lodges . It is not the rule that I should at this moment attempt to give any resume ot the formation of these Grand Lodges : that formation , and mote than that , are well known to every one present ; but I desire most emp hatically to assure you that there is more than a reverential feeling by the Colonial Grand Lodges towards the mother Grand Lodge of Eng land . Personallyif I have anything in connection with Masonry—of which I

, have everything—to be proud of , it is that I am myself an Eng lish Mason made in Australia , and the whole of the traditions of this molher Grand Lodge are , I assure you , most nobly cherished by the brethren a ' the Antipodes . Whh those few remarks I do desire to thank you for the way the toast has been given by you and the more than sincere manner in which it has been received by the brethren .

The Earl of Moi'NT EIH ; CUMHI ; : Allow me to supply an omission I made in my remarks just now , that is , after referring to the Grand Lodges of Europe , and then coming to the Grand Lodges of the Colonies , I omitted