Contents.

CONTENTS .

L EADERS •¦••••••-J * United Grand Lodge 243 | Th , Nevv Grand Officers 346 Svin / al Grand Lodgeof West Yorkshire 24 S ; « . Historv of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls from its Origin , 1 J 8 S , to " centenary , i 888- 'Coiitiiutiil ) 249 I

C Tlw Mellwti rr . e Masonic Club 2 ^ 1 Reviews ......-: ¦ 2 $ l Notes and Queries 23 2 Ripows or M ASONIC M KTINOSCraft Masonry 2 $ z Instruction 256 Royal Arch 257 Mark Masonry 257

REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGS ( Continued)—Knights Templar 257 Royal Ark Mariners—Consecration of the ligyptand Kintore Lodges 2-J 8 Jamaica 2 jS New Zealand 238 Board of Benevolence 2 JS An Interesting Masonic Celebration 259

Annual Supper uf the Hyde Park of Instruction 2 J 9 His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and the Red Cross of Constantine 2 ^ 9 A Day with the R . W . P . G . M . of East Lancashire—Col . Le Gendre N . Starkie 259 Obituarv 2 ^ 9 Masonic and General Tidings 260 Lodge Meetings for Next Week iv .

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THE Annual Festival of United Grand Lodge on Wednesday Tlie . , was , as usual , a great success . In the unavoidable absence frlftA 1 < VfitlV 3 . 1 of the Grand Master and Pro Grand Master—the latter of whom has not yet returned from his trip to the Antipodes—the chair vvas

taken by Bro . the Earl of LATHOM , Deputy G . M ., and from the generous reception accorded to the several brethren on whom the Prince of WALES had been pleased to confer the distinction of the purple of Grand Lodge , the selection made by his Royal Highness would appear to have given

very general satisfaction . At the banquet which followed , Bro . the Earl of EUSTON , Prov . Grand Master of Northants and Hunts , presided , and here again the Grand Feast , as it was wont to be called , passed off amid great rejoicing , and closed in perfect harmiony , the outgoing Grand Stewards , who had done their duty so admirably , being deservedly thanked for the

completeness and liberality of their arrangements , * * * . . THE lists of candidates for the Male and Widows' Funds of the

Elections of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution are always mournful R . M . B . I , reading - , as the brief particulars furnished in respect of the brethren or widows of brethren who offer themselves for election to the

benefits of the Charity disclose almost invariably reverses of fortune , which would be serious enough in any circumstances , but which , in the case of persons who are well advanced in years , and in most instances incapacitated from vvork as well as aged , are most deplorable . For the annual Election on the 18 th May next the lists are exceptionally heavy , notwithstanding the

successive augmentations which have been made during the past few years on both Funds , while the vacancies to be filled , including both the immediate and the deferred , are scanty in number , if not quite so scanty as they were last year . For the Male Fund , including the three deferred , there are 16 vacancies , and the number will be increased by the day of election owing

to the further deaths that have occurred and may occur since the February meeting of the Committee of Management . On the other hand , there are as many as 6 7 candidates , of whom 30 remain from last year , and 37 are wses that have been approved since . Of the old applicants , one has been ° n the list since November , 1881 , one since June , 18 S 2 , one since December

-88 3 . three since the year 1884 , 11 since 1885 , and the remaining 13 since looo . Several of these have many hundreds of votes already standing to their credit , No . 6 being thus fortunate to the extent of 571 votes •No . 9 having 18 44 votes ; No . 12 , 765 votes ; No . 13 , 560 votes ; No . 15 , 1153 votes ; No . 16 , 1462 votes ; No . 17 , 1876 votes ; No . 21 , 1 703 votes ; No .

2 > 943 votes ; No . 25 , 1374 votes ; No . 26 , 1012 votes ; and Nos . 29 and 30 , 12 and ( - ' 4 votes respectively . These , of course , will have a better chance success in proportion to their present strength , provided only their friends d supporters bestir themselves and are able to obtain a sufficient supply ne further help that is necessary . As regards the distribution of

candi-, s . we find that London has 26 candidates , of whom 12 were on the list n loo ? , and 14 are new candidates . North and East Yorkshire has five n mates , four of whom were on the list last year , while East Lancashire our candidates , who are all applicants for the first time . Devonshire , t i {^ ^ e Isle of Wight , and Kent , send up each three cases , one of Devonshire

and two of the Hants brethren being of old standing , shir h and BuCks ' Middlesex > Northumberland , Suffolk , and West Yorkth ^ r ? eacl * lwo candidates , all but three of them being applicants for vin ' ' ' '' t ^ e remaining 13 cases hail fro m the following 13 Pror . i ° ' -ely : Bedfordshire . Cheshire , Cornwall . Dorsetshire . Durham .

Eas " . , - h - * 'e , Lancashire West , Lincolnshire , Oxfordshire , South Wales 'nsta ' Vlsi 0 ri ) Surrey , Sussex , and Warwickshire . Onl y in a very few s ubsc ? ? e t ' brethren who are seeking election as annuitants been the oth '" ^ ° f a lodge or lodges for less than 10 years , while , on anrj u r " > there are several who have subscribed for 30 or even 40 years a "d s ar •' ^ ° * the ™ a'so have won fame in their lodges or provinces , ° InT 6 ' ' ¦ ^ C ^ a ^ S ° * t ^ le'r a ^ uence < supported or acted as Stewards for strong 10 " - Thelistof Widows is slightly less formidable , being 64 of canrrd againSt & 7 '" the case of the Male candidates » but the proportion 1 ates to vacancies is , unfortunately , more than double what it is for

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the Male election , there being only 7 annuities available , including the three deferred , though , as in the case of the Male Fund , the number will be increased , no doubt , before the day appointed for the ballot comes round . Of these 64 Widows , two have been on the list since 1880 , and unless their friends exert themselves more than they have done in the past , there would seem to be a very fair chance of their remaining on the list for some years

longer , No . 1 , hailing from Sleaford , in Lincolnshire , having only 49 votes to her credit , and No . 2 , whose husband was a member of a London lodge , having only 29 votes . The next five in order have been candidates since 1882 , and , with the exception of No . 6 , whose husband was an East Lancashire brother , and who has only 37 votes brought forward , have each a fair tale of votes to their credit . The

next five widows have been candidates since 1883 , but only one—No . 11—stands at all well , the others having each less than 100 votes to the good . Of the seven vvho follow , and have been on the list since 1884 , No . 13 has 554 votes to the good ; No . 14 , 791 votes ; and No . 16 , 395 votes . Of the six whose petitions were accepted in 1885 , No . 24 has 792 votes to her credit j while of the remaining eight who were candidates last year , only one

—No . 27 , vvith 659 votes—has over 300 votes to count towards the approaching contest . The above make up a list of 33 candidates , and the remaining 31 are applicants forthe first time . London furnishes 19 towards the general total , and the Provinces 45 , the latter being thus distributed , namely : Devonshire , six candidates ; Hants and the Isle of Wight , Kent , and West Yorkshire , five each ; Cumberland and Westmorland , Durham , Lancashire

East , Lancashire West , and Lincolnshire , each two ; and the remaining 14 from 13 provinces , with the widow of a brother who belonged to both London and Provincial lodges , the 13 provinces being Berks and Bucks , Bristol , Cornwall , Essex , Middlesex , Norths and Hunts , Somersetshire , South Wales ( East Division ) , Staffordshire , Sussex , Warwickshire , Worcestershire , and North and East Yorkshire . Here , also , we find that in

many cases the husbands of these old ladies did their duty successfully in their lodges and provinces , while several did excellent service as contributors to , or Stewards for , our Charities ; and if we note that some were subscribing brethren for . only a few years , there were others who subscribed for 30 and even 40 years and upwards . However , the claims of all the candidates ,

both men and widows , have been narrowly inquired into and approved by the Committee of Management , and , as all have been found worthy after passing this ordeal , it now rests with the electors to determine by their votes on the day of election who shall be the fortunate men and women chosen to fill the available vacancies on the respective Funds ,

United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

THE GRAND FESTIVAL . The annual Grand Festival of English Freemasons was held on Wednesday , at Freemasons' Hall . A Grand Lodge was held an hour previously for the installation of the Most Worshipful the Grand Master and the investiture of Grand Officers for the year . At the Grand Lodge the Earl of Lathom , R . W . Deputy Grand Master , presided , and he was supported by Lord Kensington , acting as Deputy Grand Master ; the Earl of Euston , as Past Grand Master ; Bros . Hugh D . Sandeman , as S . G . W . * , and Sir Reginald Hanson , as J . G . W . A large number of Grand Officers and other brethren were also present .

Grand Lodge having been opened , and the minutes , so far as related to the election of Grand Master and Grand Treasurer , of the March meeting read , H . R . H . the Prince of Wales was declared by Sir Albert W . Woods , C . B . ( Garter ) , P . G . W ., G . D . C , to be installed M . W . G . M . for the year ensuing , and he was proclaimed in the usual way . The Earl of Carnarvon was similarly declared and proclaimed as M . W . Pro Grand Master . The Earl of Lathom vvas re-appointed R . W . Deputy Grand Master , and proclaimed and saluted .

The remaining Grand Offices were filled as follows , and the brethren appointed were invested—Bro . Lord Halsbury ( Lord Chancellor ) ... ,,, S . G . W . „ Gen . Lord John Taylour ... ... ,,, J . G . W . „ Rev . Richard Williams Massy Pope .,, ,.. ") r ru , ¦ „ Rev . John Augustus Lloyd ... _ J < J . Chaplains . „ Edmund N . Asher Barfield ,,, .,, G , Treasurer .

„ F . A . Philbrick , Q . C . ... ... . ... G . Registrar . „ Thomas Fenn ,.. ... ... ... Pres . B . of G . P . ,, Col . Shadwell H . Clerke ,., ... ... G . Secretary . „ Dr . E . E . Wendt ... ... ... G . Sec . for G . Cor . „ Robert Grey ... ... ,., ... Pres . B . of Ben . „ Gabriel Prior Goldney ... ,,. ... S . G . D . ,. Edmund Ashworth ... ... ,.. S . G . D .

„ Sir Richard Howard ... ... ... J . G . D . „ Robert Berridge ... ... ... J . G . D . „ Lieut .-Col . Robert William Edis ... ... G . Supt . of Wrks . „ Sir Albert W . Woods , C . B . ( Garter ) ... G . D . of C . „ Col . John Davis ... ... ... D . G . D . of C . „ William Henry Spaull ... ... ... A . G . D . of C . „ Herbert Jordan Adams ... ... .,, G . Swd . Br .

„ John L . Stothert ... ... .,. G . Std . Br . „ Michael C . Peck ... ... ... G . Std . Br . „ W . A . Barrett ,.. ... ... ... G . Organist . „ A . A . Pendlebury ,,, ,., ... A . G . Secretary . „ Walter Hopekirk ... ... ... G . Purst . „ T . W . Whitmarsh ... ... ... A . G . Purst . „ Henry Sadler ,., ,-, , „ , „ G . Tyler .