United Grand Lodge Of England—The Grand Festival.

United Grand Lodge of England—The Grand Festival .

THE Annual Grand Festival of Grand Lodge for the appointment and investiture of Grand Officers which is fixed by the Constitutions to be held " on the Wednesday next following St . George ' s Day" took place at Freemasons'Hall on April 2 = ; th , the M . W . Pro Grand Master ,

Earl Amherst , presiding , supported on his right and left by R . W . Bros . Col . Townley Caldwell , Prov . G . M . Cambs ., and Lieut .-Gen . T . Wimburn Laurie , C . B ., Prov . G . M . South Wales ( W . D . ) . The Wardens' chairs were occupied by Bros , the Bishop of Barking , P . G . Chap ., and the Rev . H . W . Turner , P . G . Chap . After the confirmation of the minutes relating to the election of Grand Master and Grand Treasurer , H . R . H . the

Duke of Connaught was proclaimed as Most . Worshipful Grand Master , b y V . W . Bro . Frank Richardson , with his full title and dignities . Earl Amherst then said that he had the pleasure to announce that the M . W . G . M . had been pleased to re-appoint him as Pro Grand Master , whereupon he was proclaimed

and saluted , and acknowledged the compliment . Bro . Halsey having been proclaimed as Deputy Grand Master , the Grand Officers were appointed and invested . Bro . Lord Lilford , the Senior Grand Warden was unexpectedly detained in Cornwall , and Bro . Lord Desborough

was , as announced by the Pro Grand Master , engaged in upholding the athletic honour of England in the Olympian games at Athens . Bros . Sir G . H . Philipson , M . D ., S . G . D ., and Eaton Failing , Mus . Doc , Grand Organist , were also absent , the latter being in Japan . The following Grand Officers were then appointed and invested : —

S . G . Warden Bro . Lord Lilford . J . G . Warden ... ... ,, Lord Desborough . [ ¦ „ Rev . CanonJ . W . Hoisley , M . A G . Chaplains ... ... ¦ : ,, Rev . Prebendary Arthur L Ingram , M . A . G . Treasurer ... ... ,, Louis S . Winsloe .

G . Registrar ,, John . Strachan , K . C . ~ n ,, . , { „ Robert A . McCall , K . C , M . A ., Dep . G . Registrar .... " . T , ^ . 1 & { LL . D . „ ,, ( „ Sir Edward Letchworth , G . Secretary - ' T .,, , ( KS . A .

I ,, Sir R . Biddulph Martin , Bart . , j M . A . ,, Sir George H . Philipson , M . D .. D . C . L ., LL . D ., F . R . C . P . Senior G . Deacons ... : „ Sir James W . Szlumper .

„ Fritz Reiss . ,, Robert A . Gibbons , M . D ., F . R . C . S .

,, Henry Payton . ,, A . St . G . M . A . Laurie . ! „ Arthur E . Stearns . T . „ . _ , ; ,, Francis William Pi . \ Iey , F . S . A . Junior G . Deacons ... " T , „ ~ ,, John E . Dunn . ,, W . Pick Raynor .

„ George W . Jones . ,, Rev . A . G . G rise wood , M . A . Asst . G . Chaplains ... : „ Rev . \ . Farrington Downes , M . A . , , r . ,, . . | ,, Ernest Ebblewhite , F . S . A . AsstGRegistrars " '

. . ... I ,, Charles K Monckton . G . Supt . of Works ... ,, A . Burnett Brown . Asst . G . Supt . of Works ,, Walter Lawrance . G . Dir . of Cers . ... ,, Frank Richardson . P . D . G . R . Dep . G . Dir . of Cers , Arthur D . Hansell .

,, George P . Parker . ,, Alexander Ritchie . A L - T ^ - r ^ i . ' A- J- Howell . Asst . G . Dir . of Cers . ... ' TT T TT ,, Henry J . Homer . ,, Edward Holmes . ( ,, Alfred Cockerill .

G . Swd . Bearer ... Bro . Col . W . ] . Bosworth , R . E . ^ _ _ . „ ( „ Lieut .-Col . W . H . Bull Dep . G . Swd . Bearer ... . " ' ( F . R . C . S . Edin . ,, . „ , | „ Lieut .-Col . T . W . Heath . Asst . G . Swd . Bearers ... - " ., „ .. I ,, John Smith . „ „ , T , | ,, E . Collens . G . Std . Bearers - ' T , , ( ,, S . R . Anness .

. _ « --. o _ . -n ( > . Charles C . Cruikshanks . Asst . G . Std . Bearers ... _ -,,.-,,. ^ , , , ( ,, William Belchamber . „ _ . , i ,, Eaton Failing , Mus . Doc , ( T Or"amsf ul *' misl ( F . R . A . M . Dep . G . Organist ... „ W . J . Kipps , F . R . C . O . Asst . G . Secretary ... ,, William Lake

Asst . G . Sec . for G . C ... „ G . Greiner , P . A . G . D . C . Grand Pursuivant ... ,, R . Stimpson . , ,, John Worth Asst . G . Pursuivants .... ,, John H . Cureton . . „ G . M . E . Hamilton . Grand Tyler ,, Henry Sadler .

The above list does not include the President of the Board of General Purposes or the President of the Board of Benevolence whose appointment takes place at the Quarterly Communication in June and December respectively . The Grand Secretary then read the list of Grand Stewards for the ensuing year , and Grand Lodge was closed .

A banquet was subsequently held at the Hotel Cecil , where the M . W . Pro Grand Master presided over about 300 brethren . The arrangements made by the Board of Grand Stewards , of which Bro . Dr . R . J . Reece was President , and Bro . R . Percy F . W . Simpson was Secretary , and Bro .

Burnett G . Gardner , Treasurer , gave great satisfaction , and praise was bestowed upon them from all quarters for the success attending their efforts . " The King " having been honoured , The M . W . Pro Grand Alaster proposed the toast of " The M . W . Grand Master , H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught , " and

said that very few words were needed to recommend it . They till knew the benefit the Craft had derived during his Royal Highness ' s tenure of office , and last year they were able to recognise it b y a wedding present to his daughter . Bro . Col . R . Townley Caldwell , Prov . G . M . Cambs ., said the proud privilege that attached to the office he had the

honour to hold was that it carried with it the right to propose a toast which would give pleasure to them all— " The Health of the M . W . Pro Grand Master , " in the chair . They knew that Freemasonry flourished , and that H . R . H . the M . W . Grand Master did a great deal for it , particularl y in appointing

an excellent set of Grand Officers , and , to the satisfaction of every member of the Craft , re-appointed the M . W . the Pro Grand Master . A subject upon which all the members looked with great satisfaction did not need eloquence from anyone . He knew the enthusiasm with which they would till receive the toast , and therefore asked them to drink to the health , happiness , and prosperity of the M . W . Pro Grand Master .

M . W . Bro . Earl Amherst , Pro Grand Master , remarked that what the R . W . Prov . Grand Master of Cambridgeshire had said was quite true . This was not the occasion nor the hall for long speeches , and , therefore , he hoped the brethren would not measure his gratitude for their hearty reception by the brevity of his response . He was proud indeed that

during the years he had been P 10 Grand Master he had won , he hoped he might say , the affection of the Craft . By their kindness he hoped to go on as long as His Royal Highness appointed him , and returned them his hearty thanks . Bro . F . Freke Palmer , Grand Steward , said that at short

notice the next toast had been entrusted to him—that of " The Deputy Grand Master and Grand Officers . " The Deputy Grand Master ' s services to the Craft were well known , and Bro . Halsey was , moreover , frequently attending private lodges . In the presence of so many who knew the excellent work of the Grand Officers , no introduction was