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CONTENTS . PAG ? . LF \ DERThe Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution ... ... m Annual Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution ... ... in Masonic Ball at Stratford Town Hall ... ... ... ... 117 Mark Masonry ... ... ... ... ... 117 Masonic Notes ... ... ... ... ... — " 0

Correspondence ... ... ... ••• ••• > zn Reviews ••¦ ••• ¦•• ¦•• ¦•• ¦¦¦ I 30 United Grand Lodge of England ( agenda paper ) ... ... ... i ? o Consecration of Hus ; h Owen Lodge , No . 2593 ... ... 120 Dinner to Bro . Willum Jaffrey ... ... ... ... ¦¦¦ 121 Annml Ladies'Night of the Gallery Lodge , No . 192 S ... ... ... 1 ;; Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 122 Misonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 12 G

The Festival Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

THE FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

Wc arc gratified beyond measure at finding that our anticipations have been realised and that the Festival held on Wednesday under the presidency of Bro . the Right Hon . Lord GEORGE HAMILTON , M . P ., Secretary of State for India , Prov . G . Master of Middlesex , lias proved successful even beyond our most

sanguine expectations . The Festivals since 1892 in behalf of die Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution have been less productive than usual . The Jubilee which took place in that year was attended with such splendid results that a diminution in the average returns was to be expected for a few years . But the

influence ' of that Jubilee has near ) } ' passed away , and the total , which it was Bro . TERRY ' S privilege to announce in the Great Hall of the Freemasons' Tavern on Wednesday evening , exceeds ihe hig hest ever raised at a Benevolent Anniversary . We most heartily congratulate the Chairman , whose

advocacy has produced such results ; the Board of Stewards , but more particularly those of his own Province of Middlesex , who supported him with such unfailing loyalty ; the donors who contributed so generously , and the Institution , which derives such benefit from the efforts of Chairman , Stewards , and donors . Nor must wc overlook the claims which Bro . TERRY and his staff

have upon our gratitude . They have known but little rest for months past in their endeavours to obtain the requisite support for the Institution , and they now have their reward in the splendid list of Returns which will be found hi another part of our columns . May the similar efforts it will be their duty to make in future years be crowned with similar success !

Annual Festival Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

Ihe Annual Festival to celebrate the fifty-fourth anniversary "f the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widows of Freemasons , was held on Wednesday ' -vening , at Freemasons' Tavern . London . Bro . Lord George

Hamilton , M . P ., Secretary of State for India , Provincial Grand Waster for Middlesex , presided , and he was supported by some I brethren , including several Grand and Prov . Grand Officers . At the close of dinner , grace was sung , and the usual toasts were proposed .

Bro . Lord GEORGE HAMILTON , in proposing that of "The Jiiecn , " said the brethren would doubtless have *' anticipated the "si toast it was his duty to propose to them , the health of her Most gracious Majesty the Queen , and it was offered to them under " " ctimstances of exceptional consideration , because , as they all

i ! 'e \ v , allliction and sorrow had recently laid a heavy hand upon ^ Majesty and the Royal Family ; but the letter in which her ' n ° f ' ac k ' ' ' te ccl t ! , c universal exhibition of sympathy ' " "er and her famil y in their sorrow was truly characteristic : showed all that dignity , that sincerity , that sympathy which

s . ' . . P'"cssed on any distressful occasion , whether the w !" - ° n ' . . cctcc l herself , or her family , or her subjects ; and it ens ' ' r 1 ' ' ' ty ° f interests , this ' interlacing of sympathy in Pi'o ' " 1 ° 1 vcrs'ty anc' prosperity between the Sovereign and her the had ^ made the Queen the best beloved Sovereign in '"' verse . Their onl y wishes , as loyal Freemasons , were that

Annual Festival Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

( hey might for many years be able to personall y tender her their homage of loyalty and veneration . The toast having been duly honoured , Bro . Lord GEORGE HAMILTON proposed "The Prince of Wales , Grand Patron and President of the Institution , the Princess

of Wales , and the other Members of the Royal Family . '' The . v drank ^ lhe health of the Grand Master in every Masonic assembl y with enthusiasm and veneration ; but II . R . II . the Prince of Wales had special claims upon their consideration ; the mere fact that the Heir to the Throne assumed the position he did with

reference to Freemasonry had been an enormous advantage to the Craft . They must recollect that ( here were certain attributes and characteristics of the Craft—kindl y feeling , benevolence , and a tendency towards settling disputes and differences between

others . There was no human being that developed in his own person those higher attributes , more than the Most Worshi pful Grand Master , and , therefore , they were grateful to the Prince of Wales for assuming the high function he had with reference ! ( o the Craft .

Bro . Admiral A . HASTINGS MARKHAAI , Dist . G . M . Malta , proposed the next toast . He said that sailors were , as probably the brethren were aware , particularly bad speakers , and he was no exception to that rule ; they rather prided themselves upon the motto facta 11011 verba as being more peculiarly and special !}'

adapted to that grand profession to which he had the honour to belong . The toast he had to submit to the . brethren was that of "The " Right Hon . the Earl of Lathom , M . W . Pro G . M . ; the Right Hon . the Karl of Mount Kdgcumbe , R . W . Deputy G . M . ; and the other Officers of Grand Lodge . " ( Cheers . ) They had

received those names so cordially , that it was unnecessary for him to say ( hat they must , at any rate , think ( hat ( heir Pro Grand Master , their Deputy Grand Master , and the other officers of Grand Lodge did their duty to the best interests of the Craft and to the . brethren ' s satisfaction . He would like to say that one of

the . Grand Officers whom they were toasting was their noble Chairman . That was the first time that he ( Bro . Admiral Markham ) had had the honour of meeting their Chairman in the Masonic world , but he had had the honour of knowing and serving under him when Lord George Hamilton presided , with

so much credit to himself and with so much interest to the navy and to ( he nation at large , as head of the Admiralty—as First Lord . ( Cheers . ) He could only say that if the Chairman ruled his province in half the same able way ( hat he ruled the Admiralty , the Province of Middlesex was to be congratulated on havinar him as its Grand Master .

Bro . the Rev . C . J . MARTVN , P . G . Chap ., in reply , said it was at all times rather a task of responsibility to have to return thanks for so large and influential a body as the Grand Officers of England , but inasmuch as Bro . Admiral Markham , in that speech to which they had all listened with so much pleasure ,

prefaced the ( oast by asking the brethren to drink the health of ( he Pro Grand Master and the Deputy Grand Master , he took a great deal of responsibility off his shoulders , because the names of those two noblemen were a great guarantee for the character of Freemasonry . He supposed he had been selected to respond

to that toast because he happened to be the senior Grand Officer probably present on that occasion . To be the senior of any assembly of persons was not , perhaps , always a very desirable position to occupy , but it was one as being the senior Grand Officer ( hen , and he held it with great pleasure and

gratification . They must aH very greatly rejoice at the grand gathering then assembled to support the Provincial Grand Master for Middlesex ; the very fact of his name being announced as Chairman would do a great deal to secure a large gathering , but ( he object for which they were assembled would do even more

than that , for it was one which they all had at heart . He was old enough as a Mason when , many , many years ago , he attended the first Festival of the Masonic Benevolent Institution

and the Chairman , amidst immense cheering , announced the large sum of , £ 1300 . He ( Bro . Martyn ) did not profess to he a prophet , but he thought ( hey could go rather beyond £ 1300 that nielii .