The Festival Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

THE FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

The Anniversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , which was held at Freemasons' Tavern , on Wednesday , under the presidency of Bro . Earl AMHERST , Provincial Grand Master of Kent , proved in every way a magnificent

success . There were present a goodly company of guests , the arrangements reflected the greatest credit on the staff of the Institution , the speeches were in good taste and worth listening to , and , above all , there was announced , in the course of the

after-dinner proceedings , a total of subscriptions and donations , on which all who had part in raising them and the Institution itself are to be congratulated . The Chairman , in particular , must have been delighted with a result so gratifying , and the

more so that his own Province of Kent contributed so largely towards its success . The usual full report of the celebration , together with an Analysis of the Returns , will be found

elsewhere , and , therefore , we shall add nothing further here than our own hearty congratulations on a success which we believe is greater than was anticipated even by the most sanguine wellwishers of the Institution .

The Isle Of Man.

THE ISLE OF MAN .

There are not many Provinces in England which issue such elaborate Reports of their proceedings and of the state of their several lodges as the Isle of Man . It is little more than five years since the lodges in the island were constituted as a

Provincial Grand Lodge by his Royal Highness the GRAND MASTER , but it is amazing to find what progress in organisation and efficiency has been made during that brief period . The last

annual meeting was held on the 18 th December , 1890 , and the various Reports he then presented , but especially that of Bro . THOMAS H . NESBITT , Prov . Grand Secretary , fully bears out this statement . The minute details collected and marshalled in

his Report by that able brother , show at a glance how each of the lodges in the Province is circumstanced , and to jud ge from these particulars our Manx brethren are to be congratulated on the zeal and energy and strict attention to duty

they have displayed . One of the lodges—the St . Maughold , No . 1075—is returned as having a Charity Fund of close on £ 180 , a large sum seeing that the lodge has only 28 members on its

roll , while the amount standing to the credit of the Provincial wand Lodge Benevolent Fund at the close of last year was upwards of £ 260 . When we remember that during the brief period of its existence , the Provincial Grand Lodge has had to defray the expenses of its organisation , the flourishinj ? condition

01 its funds is to be the more highly commended , nor do we "ink such a degree of prosperity would have been possible of attainment had not the lodges and brethren devoted themselves \ J'ith such exemplary zeal and ability to the discharge of their

"ties . Much of this success is due to the care exhibited J the Provincial Grand Master , Bro . GOLDIE-TAUBMAN , in ^ ministering the aff airs of his Province , and much also to the xecutive work accomplished so steadily by Bro . NESBITT , who ,

th H & the P ositi ° n of Provincial Grand Secretary from b e day the Provincial Grand Lodge was constituted , has now een appointed to the still more responsible post of Deputy Pronciai Grand Master . In this position his duties will be less

the p - perhapS ' but his facilitieb for advancing the interests of them f VmCC WiI 1 be ? reater ' and we have n ° doubt he will turn cial r ° beSt P osslble account . We congratulate the Province !/ Master ' officers , and the lodges and brethren tfipv 0 Dedience on the excellent work they have done since c 7 were organised into a Province ,

United Grand Lodge Of England.

UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND .

The following is the business to be transacted on Wednesday next : — 1 . The minutes of the Quarterly Communication of the 3 rd December , 18 90 , will be read and put for confirmation . 2 . Communication from the Most Worshipful Grand Master :

The Most Worshipful Grand Master regrets to have to inform Grand Lodge that in the month of August last he received a report from the District Grand Lodge of Wellington , New Zealand , that Brother Sir Robert Stout , K . C . M . G ., Past Asst . Grand Director of Ceremonies , and Deputy District Grand Master of Otago and Southland , had obtained a warrant from the Grand Orient of France to establish a lodge under it in New Zealand , and had , under that authority , recently opened a lodge in the town of Wellington in that Colony ,- of which lodge he is the Master .

On receipt of this information , the Grand Master directed the Grand Secretary to address Brother Sir Robert Stout on the subject , and to call on him for an explanation of the grounds on which he felt himself justified in thus taking part in an invasion of British territory by a foreign Masonic body , and especially by one , many of whose members had been declared by a solemn resolution of the Grand Lodge of England on the 6 th March , 18 7 8 , not to be true and genuine brethren .

A reply has now been received from Brother Sir Robert Stout on the subject , in which he admits the facts alleged , and seeks to justify his action . Under these circumstances , the Grand Master , with much regret , feels that he has no alternative but to make a complaint of the conduct of Brother Sir Robert Stout , and to submit the matter , with the correspondence relating thereto , to Grand Lodge for its consideration and decision .

3 . Election of a M . W . Grand Master . 4 . Election of a Grand Treasurer . Brother George Everett , P . M ., No . 177 , London , the only nomination ! 5 . Report of the Board of Benevolence for the last quarter , in which are recommendations for the following grants , viz .:

The widow of a brother of the Lodge of Peace and Harmony , No . 199 , Dover £ 50 00 The widow of a brother of the Commercial Lodge ,. No . 411 , Nottingham .: 50 o C A brother of Upper Norwood Lodge , No . 15 86 , Upper Norwood ..: 50 00 The orphan children of a brother of ths Granite Lodge ,

No . 2028 , Narborough 100 o o A brother of the St . Andrew's Lodge , No . 222 , London ... 150 o o A brother of the Wanderers Lodge , No . 1604 , London ... 50 o o A brother of the Leigh Lodge , No . 957 , London 50 o o The widow of a brother of the Grey Friars Lodge , No . 1101 , Reading 100 o o

6 . R EPORT OF THE B OARD OF G ENERAL P URPOSES . To the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England . The Board of General Purposes beg to submit a statement of the Grand Lodge accounts at the last meeting or the Finance Committee , held on Friday , the 13 th day of February instant , showing a balance in the Bank of England ( Western Branch ) of £ 5308 7 s . 4 d ., and in the hands of the Grand Secretary for petty cash . £ 100 , and for servants' wages . £ 100 , and balance of annual allowance for library ^ 54 4 s . lid . ( Signed ) THOMAS FEN . V , President . Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C .

17 th February , 1891 . 7 . Report of Bro . J SMITH , Auditor of the Grand Lodge accounts , of receipts and disbursements during the year 1890 . 8 . Appeal—By Lodge Rewa of Viti , No . 2238 , Nausori , Rewa Viti Leva Fiji , against the ruling of the Colonial Board on the complaints of Brother James Harding of the said Lodge—and against the decision ot the Bjird cin ^ ellin ^ his exclusion from the lodge and ordering him to be reinstated therein .

List of lodges for which warrants have been granted by the M . W . Grand Master since the last Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge . No . 23 86 , The Clarence Lodge , Chester . „ 238 7 , The Manchester Dramatic Lodge , Manchester . „ 2388 , The Lodge of Harmony , Stutterheim , South Africa ( E . D . ) . „ 2389 , The Avondale Lodge , Middlewick , Cheshire . „ 2390 , The Exmoor Lodge , Minehead , Somersetshire . „ 2391 , The Orde-Powlett Lodge , Middlesburough , Yorks ( N . and E . ) .

„ 2392 , The Victoria Lodge , Accra , West Coast ut Africa . n 2 393 : The Charleville Lodge , Charleville , Queensland . ,, 2394 , The Galen Lodge , Great Queen-street , London . 11 2 395 i The Avondale Lodge , Brixton , London . „ 239 6 , The Bishopsg-ite Lodge , Bishopsgate Without , London .

„ 2397 , The Columbia Lodge , Regent-street , London . „ 239 8 , The Holborn Lodge , High Holborn , London .