Grand Festival Of The United Grand Lodge Of England.

those Grand Lodges of ihe United States and all the Republics of South America . liro . T . L WILKINSON , P . Dep . Giand Registrar : Most Worshipful Grand Master in the chair , and brethren . —I have been honoured by a request lo propose to you the toast of " The R . W . the Grand Wardens and other Grand Officers , Present and Past , " and I feel it a very great honour because I confess that as an Irishman I felt a rare thrill of pleasure when I witnessed j

the enthusiasm—the extremely appreciative enthusiasm—with which a distinguished member of Ireland was placed in the chair of Senior Grand Warden . ( Hear , hear , and cheers . ) It is a pleasure which will be seen all ihe world o \ er when they see some of their countrymen worthily honoured . In having our Bro . Lord Roberts Senior Grand Warden , we have given to us one of our newest peers , a man whose career has shown to Englishmen

the stock from which most English peers are originally created . ( Loud laughter . ) But in the brother that we have had placed in the Junior Grand Warden ' s chair , we have the repiesentativc of an ancient English peerage which , created just 147 years ago , has ever since been well known in the history of our country ; and I vtntuie to say that the lustre of that ancient tjpe will not be lessened by the holder of the Junior Grand Wardenship of Erg ' and . As lo the rest of the Grand Officers I

shall be almost silent , because being present , and Past , it seems rather as if 1 were proposing- " Our noble sehes . " They are all distinguished Masons , they are all well known , and I will not venture to single out one in particular unless I allude to my distinguished successor , Bro . Bucknill—a distinguished member of the bar and of Parliament , and an old and distinguished rrember amongall his friends and Masons , who is known by the name of Tommy . " ( Laughter . )

Lord BARNARD , J . G . W ., acknowledging the toast , said : Rig ht Worshipful Depuly Grand Master ar . d Brethren , — Under the circumstances I feel that it is most unfortunate that it should fall to my lot lo respond to this toast , more particularly so as the Senior Grand Warden of England , who cccupies a glorious position in the hearts not only of Masons but of the whole of his countrymen , should have done so . I think I should not be

going astray if I said the honour conferred upon ihe noble lord is an honour which will if possible add further to his lustre as an Englishman , as a man of honour , and ato \ e all , let me say , as a soldier . With regard to myself and the other Grand Officers , Past and Present , the task , if you will excuse me for sayirg so , positively and completely and utterly is beyend what I can attempt . Their number is great , and in an assembly like this it is

impossible for me to sum up their numerous and collective merits . For myself , I regret lhat ciicumsiances have not allowed me to te known among Masons in the South of England so well as I am in the north ; but what I well know is they themselves feel that Ihe honours conferred by his Royal Highness in creating Grand Officers are not considered to be extended to the personal recipients of those honours , but to the lodges and the provinces

of which those recipients are members . M y own province in the North of England I know feels very greatly the honour conferred upon them through my humble self . I beg to thank you on behalf of myself and all the numerous body of Past and Present Grand Officers most cordially for the very kind way in which this toast has

been proposed and received , and to assure you that I consider that the microcosm of Masonry with its step to honours is also an encouragement to all Englishmen to go and learn the art of self government which is the glory of the country at large . Long may Masonry flourish to set an example to all our fellow subjects and citizens ! ( Hear , hear ) .

The Rev . C . J . MARTYN , P . G . Chap ., proposed " The'Masonic Charities . " It was a subject very near to the hearts of all the brethren present , because they were really and truly Masons . The toast never had appealed , and never would appeal to the brethren in vain . He would remind them that the Festival of the Girls' School was very close at hand ; in two weeks time it would take place , and at that festival their Chairman of this evening , the

Deputy G . M ., the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe , would pteside . He wished for Lcrd Mount Edgcumbe , as they all wished , though they might not see the wish realised , that the result would be equal to what it was when he took the chair at the Jubilee of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . That was , perhaps , asking too much , but everything came to those who waited . They hoped the same sum would be reached

this year and he asked the brethren to remember this Charity of the Girls' School . If the brethren looked into the daily papers of two days ago they would see what it did ; 23 girls went up to thi Cambridge Local Examination—eight passed with honours and 11 with distinction ; all got through . That was a great deal more than could be said of people at Oxford in his day ; some did not get through ; although several passed with distinction , yet somehow or other , looking tnrough the Oxford Calendar , he

iailed to find any "distinction . " He knew he earned it and deserved it , but he did not find it . ( Laughter . ) He hoped and trusted that each one of ihe brethren in their own separate homes and lodges would always make a point of advocating the Charities as much as they could but also show them how to do it . It was all very well to preach ; he tried bolh to preach and practise as far as he could ; the giandest thing after all was not to preach only but to practise when and what they preached . He tried to do that with regard to the Masonic Charities .

Bro . J AMES TERRY , P . G . S . B ., Sec . R . M . B . I ., responded . He sincerely desired that the hope expressed by Bro . Martvn was a foreshadowing of the event—that the success of the Deputy Grand Master in 18 92 might be achieved on May 8 th . If it should not be so it would not be the fault of die Executive or the Secretary , for they had done the very best to make [ he Festival a grand success . He hoped that during the next fortnight more

brethren would make up their minds to be Stewards . The next following festival would be that of the Boys' School , when the Provincial Grand Master of Cheshire would preside . It was impossible to prophesy what would then occur ; he , at least , was not going to prophesy ; but he hoped lhat greater success would then be achieved than had yet taken place in the

history of that Institution , His ( Bro . Terry ' s ) own Festival for 1895 was alread y a matter of history , and he had to relurn his own thanks and those of his Committte to all who were contributors to the success of that Festival . So long as English Masonry existed there would be in the hearts of all Masons an earnest desire ancl fervent wish that all the three Charitable

Intuitions of the Order might flourish . The Earl of MOUNT EIXJCUMJU ; proposed "The Board of Grand Stewards , " whom the brethren had to thank , as they had thanked their predecessors , for making this Festival a great success . Bro . ARTHUR ADAMS , President , replied . Bro . Sir W . T . MARRIOTT proposed "The Ladies , " and Bro . H . W . '' OCKKKEI . L , P . M . . | 6 , replied , alter which the brethren adjourned to the

Grand Festival Of The United Grand Lodge Of England.

Temple , where , tinder the presidency of the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe , the following ladies and gentlemen gave a musical and variety entertainment : Miss Thudicum , Miss Margaret Hoare , Mr . Hector McBryde . ihe Celia Quartette ( Messrs Miles Smith , D . James , J . L . Haddon , Galey , and Frederick Upton ) . Mr . Gordon Tanner played violin selections , and Mr . W . S . Hoyte performed on the pianoforte , which was supplied by Messrs , Collard and Collard .

The Grand Officers.

THE GRAND OFFICERS .

THE GRAND WARDENS . Bro . General Lord ROBERTS , G . C . B ., G . C . I . E ., V . C ., D . C . L ., LL . D ., upon whom his Royal Highness the M . W . Grand Master has been pleased to confer the collar of Senior Grand Warden , has been a member of our Order for upwards of 40 years , but it will be readily understood that so distinguished a soldier , who has been on active service during nearly the whole of his long career , can have had but little leisure to devote to the duties of Masonry . His lordship was initiated in the Kyber Lodge , No . 582 , Peshawur , in 1853 , and a few years later was elected

and installed its W . M ., while in 1855 he was exalted to the Royal Arch Degree in the Border Chapter attached to his mother lodge , and meeting in the same city , But though the facts in connection with his Masonic career are so few , there is no brother who will not applaud the selection of his lordship for this important office , or who will not consider it an honour to the Craft that one who has attained such eminence in his profession and rendered such brilliant services to his Queen and country , will henceforth take rank amongst the highest dignitaries of Grand Lodge .

Bro . John de Vere Vane , Baron BARNARD , of Raby Castle , in the County of Durham , who on the death of his kinsman , the late Duke of Cleveland , succeeded to the Barony of Barnard , was initiated into Freemasonry in 18 74 , during his academic career at Oxford , in the Apollo University Lodge , No . 357 , and subsequently became a joining member of the Lodge of Friendship , No . 6 . Shortly after his accession to the peerage his lordship joined the Raby Castle Lodge , No , 1650 , Staindrop , and at the present time is its W . M . and rj rov . S . G . W . of Durham . His lordship has taken a deep interest in the Craft and has on one . if not more than one occasion , entertained the members of his lodge at his country residence .

Bro . Lieut .-Gen . J . WIMBURN LAURIE , upon whom , in consideration of his having been appointed to represent the Grand Lodge of New York , U . S . A ., at the United Grand Lodge of England , has conferred the rank of a Past Grand Warden is the senior Past Master of St . John ' s Lodge , No , 2 , Halifax , N . Z . — formerly No . 161 on the Register of the Grand Lodge

of England—and a member of the Royal Union Royal Arch Chapter , No . 1 , Halifax , and was M . W . G . Master of the Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia for the six years from 18 74 to r 8 79 , and for a second term of four years , from 18 S 2 to 18 S 5 . For some time past he has been a familiar figure in Masonic circles in the Metropolis , haying been present as a visitor at most of the important functions of the Craft which have taken place during his residence in this country .

GRAND CHAPLAINS . The Right Rev . HENRY WARE , D . D ., Suffragan Bishop of Barrow-in-Furness , was initiated as far back as the 12 th December , 1865 , in the Underley Lodge , No . 1074 , Kirkby Lonsdale . In due course he was elected and installed Worshipful Master in 18 72 , and , in 1 S 88 , the members of the lodge did him the honour to elect him for a second term of service in the same capacity . He is also

a Royal Arch Mason , having been exalted to that Degree in the Kendal Castle Chapter , No . 129 , Kendal , on the 19 th October , r 869 . He has been twice selected for appointment in the Prov . G . Lodge of Cumberland and Westmoreland , the first occasion having been in 18 G 9 , when he was made Prov . G . Chaplain , and the second in 1873 , when he had conferred upon him the collar of Prov . J . G . Warden . He is a Life Subscriber to the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys .

The Very Reverend H . DONALD M . SPENCE , D . D ., Dean of Gloucester , was initiated in the Royal Gloucestershire Lodge , No . 839 , Gloucester , in 1888 , since when he has been elected a joining member of the Studholme Lodge , No . 1591 , and of the St . Andrew ' s , No . 222 , and is the present VV . M . of the latter . He was exalted to the Royal Arch Degree in the Royal Gloucestershire Chapter , No . 839 , in 188 9 , in which year he was appointed Prov . G . Chaplain of Gloucestershire .

GRAND TREASURER . Bro . W . MASON STILES , who was elected by a substantial majority at the March Quarterly Communication to fill the office of Grand Treasurer for the year 18 95-6 , was initiated in the Metropolitan Lodge , No . r 507 , in October , 1874 , and was installed W . M , in October , 1881 . In the interim , however , he had taken part in the foundation of two lodges , which have thus far had a most successful career , namely , the King ' s Cross Lodge , No . 1732 , of which he was the first

S . W ., and which he has twice presided over as W . M . —in 18 79 and 1888—and of which he is the present Treasurer ; and the Royal Savoy Lodge , No . 1 744 , of which he was the first Secretary and which he was chosen to presideover as W . M . in 1884 , since when he has held uninterruptedly the post of its Treasurer . In 1882 he took part in the formation of the Strand Lodge , No . 1987 , and having done it great service as Secretary , was elected to the chair in t 889 , and at the close of his year of office was re-appointed to his former post , which he still continues to fill

to the great advantage of the lodge and to his own credit . In 188 7 he was founder and was elected Treasurer of the Hendon Lodge , No . 2206 , while last year he was installed in the chair of the Henry Levander Lodge , No . 2048 , Harrow . But , perhaps , his greatest services have been rendered in the character of Preceptor , in the duties of which office , as well as in the knowledge and experience which are requisite to their proper fulfilment , he has shown himself a proficient during the 15 years he has acted as Preceptor of the Metropolitan

Lodge of Instruction , No . 1507 . He was exalted as a Royal Arch Mason in Mount Sinai Chapter , No . 19 , in the year 18 7 6 . Two years later he was a founder and first S . E . of the Metropolitan Chapter , No . 1507 , and in 1881 was elected its M . E . Z . In 1886 we find him taking the chief part in the foundation of the Henry Levander Chapter , No . 2048 , Harrow , of which he was the first M . E . Z ., and the services he thus rendered to the Province of Middlesex were recognised by his appointment to the post of Prov . G . Principal Sojourner . In 1889 he was installed M . E . Z . of

his mother chapter , No . 19 , and , to crown all , he was last year elected Grand Treasurer of Supreme Grand Chapter , the Craft Grand Treasurer ( Bio . Sir J . C . Dimsdale ) not being a Royal Arch Mason . In Mark Masonry Bro . Stiles is a founder and Past Master and Treasurer of the Royal Savoy Lodge , No . 355 , W . M . of the Old Kent Time Immemorial Lodge , P . P . G . Overseer of Middlesex and

Surrey , and a Past G . Standard Bearer of the Mark Grand Lodge . He is also a Royal Ark Mariner and an officer of the Shadwell Clerke Rose Croix Chapter , No . 107 , under the Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Rite . Lastly , Bro . Stiles has rendered very valuable services to the great Masonic Institutions , having qualified as a Vice-P . itron of each , and having served in the capacity of Festival Steward for one or other of them on no less than 16 " different o ; casions .

DEPUTY GRAND REGISTRAR .-Bro . T . T . BUCKNILL , O . C , M . P ., was initiated a quarter of a century since in the Lodge of Good Report , No . 136 , and in 18 73 was elected to the chair or W . M . He has since joined the Lodge of Friendship , No , 6 , and the Lodge QI