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Stewards , followed at Freemasons' Tavern , and the usual toasts were afterwards proposed and honoured . The Earl of MOUNT EDGCUMBE , in proposing " The Queen and the Craft , " said the first toast he had to present to the brethren vvas the timehonoured toast which was given not only in the nearly 2500 lodges of England , but in all the other lodges of Scotland and Ireland , in India ,

Canada , and Australia , with the same loyal enthusiasm with which it was always received , in the hearts of her Majesty ' s Empire and in the headquarters of British Masonry . He gave them the toast of her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen and the Craft . The Earl of MOUNT EDGCUMBE , in giving " The Health of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , M . W . G . M ., " said the toast was almost always given next

to that of her Majesty , his Royal mother , and it was always received , as he was perfectly certain it would be received that night , with cordial unanimity . It was not only the toast of the first subject of the realm , not only of the heir of this great Empire , not only as the head of the Grand Lodge of England , but also as one who manifested in an eminent degree those

qualities which were essentially Masonic qualities , personal sympathy and regard hot alone for the welfare but for the feelings of others . These qualities he showed in a public and practical manner in such questions as those relating to the wants of the aged poor , on which he had been so long employed , and which had engaged his attention till a late hour that afternoon ; besides which there were his national kindnesses in social life .

The Earl of MOUNT EDGCUMBE next said that the following toast was one which he foundSt rather difficult to put words to , because it was so inclusive . It embraced such a large number of those who , if he were able to select them , each would deserve comment at his hands . It was " The M . W . the Pro Grand Master , the R . W . the Grand Wardens , and the other Grand Officers . Present and Past . " Dunne * the comparatively short time

he had attended the meetings of Grand Lodge he had seen enough to convince him of the affectionate regard which Masons one and all entertained towards their Pro Grand Master , Lord Lathom , and he only hoped Lord Lathom would live long to hold the high office which he now occupied . In regard to the others mentioned in that list , if he was to speak of the Past Grand Officers he would find it very difficult to make selections . Among those Past Grand Officers were men who had done most for the Craft o (

the country . With regard to the present Grand Officers their work was perhaps more in the future . It would be impossible for him to speak individually of any of them , but it was a great pleasure to him that two of his personal friends , the Earl of Yarborough and Bro . Akers Douglas , held the high offices of Senior and Junior Wardens . He was quite sure that all the Grand Officers who had been selected by H . R . H . this year would do their duty so as to show themselves worthy of the confidence placed in them .

The Earl of YARBOROUGH , S . G . W ., whose name was coupled with the toast , in reply , said he felt considerable difficulty in doing so in the presence of so many distinguished Masons who were his seniors in years and in Masonic work ; but the fact that the Prince of Wales M . W . G . M . had honoured him by placing him in the S . W . chair was , he presumed , the reason he was called upon to respond to that toast . He begged to return

on behalf of the Pro Grand Master and the Grand Officers , Present and Past , their cordial thanks for the kind way the brethren had . received the health , and the Dep . Grand Master for the genial terms in which hc had proposed it . It would be very presumptious of him to say anything of the Past Grand Officers , because it was well known how admirably they had performed their duties already . But he thought he might say the Present

Grand Officers desired to follow their example , and maintain the objects of Masonry in every way . Bro . H . D . SANDEMAN , P . D . G . M . Bengal , in proposing " The Chairman , " said it was his gain , but he feared it was very much to the brethren's loss that he had been selected for the duty . Their worthy Chairman , the D . G . M ., had ably proposed the preceding toasts , but in a manner that

would lead them to suppose that he himself was really nobody , and was merely acting as the mouthpiece of Grand Lodge . The Earl of Mount Edgcumbe had announced in Grand Lodge that it had pleased his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to nominate him as Deputy Grand Master for one more year . The universal feeling in the room would be that the noble earl might be nominated for many more years . It had often been said that in proposing royal toasts one should be very brief . As in the case of the Oueen , whom they all loved and adored , they could not

say anything that would add to thc praise and lustre which were her due , and if they were to dare to say anything that would detract from them , the man who did so would be very speedily kicked out of the room . He ventured to mention their Chairman in the category of royalty in this way—that he thought it was unnecessary to say anything in his praise . They all knew him well ; he had been an active Freemason Tor many years j his heart was

devoted to Masonic work , and Masons' hearts were equally devoted to him . He would venture , however , to point out to the brethren who were not aware of the fact one instance out of the many of their Chairman ' s acts towards Freemasonry , and the power and prestige his name had brought into the Craft , that last year at the Festival of the Benevolent Institution he produced a sum of £ 67 , 000—a larger sum than had ever yet been gathered together

at a Masonic or any other public Charity dinner . One more word , and one word only . Their Chairman had alluded to Lord Lathom , to whom they were all most affectionately disposed , as one to whom they owed an affectionate regard . Let them show by the way they received the toast he then feebly proposed that they had an equally affectionate regard to their Deputy Grand Master , Lord Mount Edgcumbe . The Earl of MOUNT EDGCUMBE , in acknowleding the toast , said one

thing which he always tried to avoid more than anything else was the ordeal of making a speech , and this gave him a brilliant opportunity for saying nothing , because anything he would have to say was about himself , and that he could not say . All , therefore , he would say , replying to the kind speech from Bro . Sandeman , and the brethren ' s reception of it , was to express his great thanks , and to say that the words he used in Grand Lodge were not used inadvertently , for he felt that his element was far more in his narrow Province of Cornwall than here .

The Rev . Canon BULLOCK , in proposing " The Masonic Charities , " said he considered it a great privilege and honour to be allowed to propose this toast , because it was , after all , one of the dearest and most precious to Masons . He said so deliberately because he thought they ought to

emphasise the word clearly . They were in no sense whatsoever a benefit society . Their idea was not to enrol as members persons who were needy , and who , at the time of their enrolment , were necessitous and wanting help ; but to enrol members , and being their brethren , once they were enrolled , and fell into dangerous and difficult waters , to stretch out a loving hand to help them

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out of their difficulties . It was their rich privilege as Masons to do this with no niggard or grudging hand . When they looked at their Masonic Charities , it would be seen that they would do honour to any body of men anywhere and everywhere . When they knew how much money was subscribed—some . £ 40 , 000 or £ 50 , 000 a year—a responsibility which they never flinched from , and never fell short in carrying out , it would be seen they were

liberal and loyal . He supposed he ought to call their attention speciall y on behalf of that Festival which fell nearest to the present meeting—the Girls' Festival—and he hoped there would be Stewards and others read y to come forward and support it generously as they had in the past . Afterwards came the Boys' Charity . The girls traced a path of some 105 years , and the boys fell short by some 10 years . They knew that the Boys ' School had been thoroughly and well re-organised , and they could look at

that School with perfect satisfaction , and be gratified with the efficiency with which it was carried on . But it so happened that from time to time older Masons had to ask their help , and so had widows . For them there was the Benevolent Institution . They were not always able to meet the wants as they ought to be met . These people did not come to them as paupers for help . The widows came as having been the wives of brethren

who had fallen in the fray , and as a brother's wife they helped them . On occasions like the present he asked them to show their brotherly love in the coming year as they had in the past by stretching out a hand to help need y brothers , wherever they might be and whenever they might come across their path , and protect , as they were pledged to do , the honour and the virtue of their nearest relations . Let them also pledge themselves to help

those nearest relations whenever they stood in need of kindness and sympathy . Bro . J . MORRISON MCLEOD , in responding , congratulated Grand Lodge upon the addition to its Grand Officers in the person of Bro . Canon Bullock , whose eloquence he hoped would often be heard in those gatherings . He could not add anything to the forcible appeal which had been made to them on behalf our three great Institutions . It was rather for him to acknowledge

with gratitude on their behalf the continued generosity displayed by the Craft at large . It was quite true , as had been remarked , that the Institutions were in a prosperous condition financially , ' and also as regarded the results achieved by their work . So far as the Educational Institutions were concerned , that the work done was good had recently been proved by the published results of the Cambridge Local and otherjExaminations , which

not only spoke volumes for the teaching staff , but were most gratifying to the several Managing Committees . The younger Institution he ventured to say was doing the best work in dispensing larger sums to relieve the necessitous aged members of our Order and their widows . Allusion had been made to the interest taken by the M . W . G . M in the Commission for the Aged Poor of this country , but he ventured to think

that the noble brother in the chair deserved an equal measure of praise for the kind and great interest he had displayed when presiding over the Grand Jubilee Festival of that Masonic Benevolent Institution , of which they were all so proud . He had been called upon at very short notice to respond to that toast , but would venture to detain them a little longer whilst hc brought forward a claim on behalf of the two Schools .

Going back to their foundation—a time anterior to the formation of United Grand Lodge—these Institutions were fostered to a very great extent by the two Grand Lodges . Even after the Union , a great portion of their incomes was derived by means of a capitation grant , which was ultimately ( in 1838 ) commuted to a fixed payment by Grand Lodge of £ 150 per annum . Noting the enormous increase in the Craft since that time—the

lodges being at least quadrupled—and as a consequence , thc proportionate increase in the demands on the two Institutions , he thought the time had arrived when Grand Lodge from its enlarged income might give further annual assistance to them . He knew he would be met with the fact that since that period the Benevolent Institution had come into existence , and was receiving large annual grants from the funds of Grand Lodge . On no account would hc take from those grants , so deservedly given , and so

faithfully applied ; but he hoped there was enough left to give the other Institutions a substantial increase . Hc made this appeal to the distinguished brethren on the dais , many of whom of the highest rank were actively engaged in the work of these Institutions , devoting their valuable time , and giving of their means most ungrudgingly , and he felt sure that in so doing he would receive thc cordial co-operation of his brethren below the dais . He thanked them most cordially for the kind manner in which they had received the toast and his remarks in response .

Bro . Major-Gen . GADSDEN , Grand Master ' s Lodge , No . 1 , President of the Board of Grand Stewards , in responding to the toast of " The Grand Stewards , " which was proposed by the Earl of MOUNT EDGCUMBE , said : R . W . Deputy Grand Master in the chair , R . W . Brethren , and Brethren , — In the name of myself as President of the Board of Grand Stewards , and on behalf of my colleagues on the Board , I rise to return you our best

thanks for the kind manner in which this toast has been proposed , and lor the very cordial manner in which it has been received . I am sure I express the sentiments of my brother Stewards when I state that at our first meeting to make arrangements for this the Grand Masonic Festival of the year , it was our fixed determination to leave no stone unturned to render it a complete success , and if our endeavours have been successful , and have met with the approval of yourself and the brethren present ; then , R . W . Deputy best

Grand Master , we are amply rewarded . I again tender to you our thanks for the way in which this toast has been proposed and received . Bro . LITTLER proposed "The Ladies , " and ' Bro . J SMITHERS 5 ' responded , after which the brethren joined thc ladies in the Temple , where a grand musical treat was provided for them by Bro . E . Cutler , Q ;~ ' ' P . G . Org ., assisted by Bro . Wilhelm Ganz , P . G . O ., the Horse Shoe Olcc Singers ( Messrs . Percy Coward , Arthur S . Coward , Randulp h L . Coward * and W . Bell Kempton ) , Mr . Hirwen Jones , Miss Mabel G . Berrey , » I , SS Florence Henderson , Miss Edith Hands , Mr . Andrew Black , M . - * Ortmans ( violin ) , Miss Teresa Blamy , and Mr . J . M . Coward .

The New Grand Officers.

THE NEW GRAND OFFICERS .

SENIOR GRAND WARDEN . Bro . the EARL OV YARBOROUGH , who has been appointed Senior Grand War ^ was initiated as recently as the year 1891 in the Studholme Lodge , No . 159 ' , November of the same year be was elected a joining member of the Ermine LO Bj No . 2351 , Lincoln , of which he is a present Warden , and in the chair of ¦ vl j ^ | 1 will be installed W . M . on the iCth prox . He was exalted to the Royal ^ Degree in the Studholme Chapter on the 17 th February of the current y ca . '« jar ]< is also a Mark Master Mason , and was last year installed Prov . Grand ^ Master of Lincolnshire , in succession to Bro . Jack Sutcliffe . But , thoug