The Masonic Mirror.

THE MASONIC MIRROR .

MASONIC MEMS . We beg to remind our brethren that the festival of the Royal Benevolent Institution for Aged Masons and their AVidows under tlie presidency of the Right-Hon . Earl de Grey and

Ripon , D . G . M ., takes place on AVednesday next , when we hope to- see a numerous muster , and a heavy list of subscriptions . At the Lodge of Benevolence on AVednesday twelve petitioners were relieved with various sums amounting to £ 146 . Bro . Elisha D . Cooke is at present in the States of New York , delivering lectures to lodges from his foreign notes of Masonry . Bro . Rob . Morris is about to commence a series of papers , in "The A oice" under the head of " Sixteen years a Freemason . "

The Boys' School.

THE BOYS' SCHOOL .

A Quarterly Court of the Boys School was held on Monday , 3 ro . Jno . Symonds V . P . in the chair . The minutes of the various Committees having been read , a sum of £ 600 was voted to enable the House Committee to carry out some necessary alterations in the lavatories , and other parts of the establishment .

It was resolved that all brethren subscribing 50 guineas to the school in sums of not less than five guineas should be Vice Presidents of the Institution , a similar resolution having heen previously carried in the Girls' School . It was also resolved that a child , otherwise eligible for the advantages of the Institution , might be presented by a

donation of 120 guineas , and that presentations for tho life of the donor might be had for 250 guineas . The proposition to create presentations in perpetuity was adjourned for further consideration .

The Girls' School.

THE GIRLS' SCHOOL .

A Special General Meeting - of the Governors and Subscribers of this School was also held on Monday , Bro . Udall , A . P ., presiding , when similar resolutions to those carried at the meeting of the Boys' School with regard to presentations were adopted . We regret to observe that so much apathy exists amongst the Governors and Subscribers , that on the consideration of such Important questions , there were scarcely a dozen brethren present .

Metropolitan.

METROPOLITAN .

ALBION LODGE ( No . 9 . )—The installation meeting of this lodge was held on Tuesday , January 7 , at the Freemasons ' Tavern . Bro . Young , AV . M ., presided . After some preliminary 'business had been disposed of , Bro . Perkins was passed to the second degree . The AV . M . then resigned the chair to Bro . Hackstraw , who proceeded in due form to install Bro . Abbott , the W . M . elect , as AV . M . for the ensuing year . The W . M .

then appointed his officers : —Bros . AVare , S . W . ; Considine , JiAV . ; Ponlton , S . D . ; Stevens , J . D . ; AYilley , I . G . ; Rackstraw , Secretary ; Lee , Treasurer ; ancl Smith , Tyler . Bro . Willey undertook to represent the lodge as Steward at the Festival for the Girl ' s School . Tlie lodge was then closed and the brethren adjourned for refreshment . After the cloth had been removed and the routine toasts given , Bro . Young , P . M ., proposed " The

Health of the W . M " ., " to whieh he responded in a short but pithy speech . "The health of the P . M . 's" was next given aud responded hy Bro . Young . Bro . Lee proposed " The Masonic Charities , " which was acknowledged by Bro . Smith , P . G . Pursuvant . There was some good singing by Bros . Banks , Cheeswright , Champion , and Cosfce , ancl the brethren adjourned after spending a very pleasant evening , at 11 o ' clock . GIOBE LODGE ( NO . 23 . )—This old established lodge met at

the Freemasons' Tavern on Thursday the 16 th of January . The members present were T . A . Adams , G . Purst . W . M . ; J . R . Haig , J . Bennett , AV . AA atson , G . S . Brandon , and M . T . Humphrey , P . M . ' s ; F . J . Hill , S . AV . ; R . M . Smith , J . W . ; A . H . Hewlett , P . M . and Treas . ; Matthew Cooke , Sec ; R . Gibbons . S . D . ; G . Smith , J . D . ; L . D . Phillips , I . G . ; Bros . Alley , States , Burton , Butler , Kirby , P . D . Collins , Page , King , Clements , and AV . Watkins . The visitors were Bros . AV " .

Blackburn , 1044 ; Cronin , 281 ; Abraham , W . M , and R . P . Noah , of 223 ; Gladwin , 25 ; Wingham , 390 ; Exall , 169 ; G . T . Carter , 536 ; G . T . Clarke , AV . M . 1136 ; and R . B . AVilliams , 1 S 3 . The lodge met in the Temple , and the AV . M . proceeded to pass one brother , and raised another . Mr . Karn and Mr . Baker , two gentlemen of his own proposing , were then initiated , after which Bro . T . A . Adams installed the S . W ., Bro . F . J . Hill , as AV . M ., and the new Master initiated Messrs . Lejeune

and Jonathan Brandon . The oflicers appointed for the ensuing year were : R . M . Smith , S . AV . ; Gibbons , J . AV . ; Hewlett , Treas . re-invested ; Matthew Cooke , Sec . re-invested ; Geo . Smith , S . D . ; Phillips , J . D . ; Page , I . G . ; P . D . Collins , Dir . of Cers . ; AVatson , Steward ; and Crawley , Tyler , re-invested . Five guineas were voted to the AVatson Testimonial Fund , two guineas for Bro . Dancock , and a subscription made for an American petitioner for relief ; after which the lodge was

adjourned , and the brethren proceeded to a banquet , at which everyone Avas pleased , and the prosperity of the lodge undeniably established . ST . JAMES ' S UNION LODGE ( No . 211 ) . —This lodge met on the 11-th of January at the Freemasons' Tavern , where a very largo number of its members assembled . The visitors were Bros . AVatson , Barnsbaw , Binckes , Joseph Taylor , Queely , Gladwin , Allen , McEntire , Macdona No . 100 I . C ., and Bro .

Kiihn . After two gentlemen had been initiated , Bro . Jackson , the retiring W . M ., most ably installed his successor , Bro . Simpson , Avho invested his officers as follows : Bros . Francis , S . AV . ; Sedgwick , J . AV . ; John Gurton , re-invested Treas . ; Sfcacey , Sec . ; Robinson , S . D . ; Miles , J . D . ; Scott , I . G . ; Davis , Steward ,- Hartley , D . C . ; and Crawley , re-invested Tyler . The charges to the Master were very neatly given by Bro . Jackson , those to the AVardens by Bro . Stacey , and that to the brethren

by Bro . John Gurton . Tlie AV . M ., addressing Bro . Jackson , saicl— At the previous meeting a sum of eight guineas was votecl for a P . M . ' s jewel ; that jewel ivas in the lodge then , ancl he wished Bro . Jackson many years of health and happiness to wear it . —Bro . JACKSON tendered his very sincere thanks for the handsome compliment the lodge had paid him in awarding him that jewel . —The S . W ., Bro . FRANCIS , rose and said he had a present before him which he hoped the lodge would accept .

He was sure that every member Avould endorse his statementthat to Bro . John Gurton they owed the stability and respectability of the lodge . ( Cheers . ) During his Mastership the lodge had prospered wonderfully , and all Bro . Gurton's advantages , and he had many , had been brought to bear for the benefit of the lodge . He coulcl not speak of his own work , nor did he conceive he had done him such justice as he could have wished , but if the lodge would clo him the favour to accept the

portrait he had painted of their excellent Treasurer , it Avould be a gratifying memorial to them all , and afford a great deal of pleasure to himself . ( Cheers . ) [ The portrait , which is an excellent full-length likeness of Bro . John Gurton , was then uncovered , and elicited universal commendation for its faithfulness to the original and as a work of art . The St . James's Union Lodge may he congratulated on having such a gift which may be treated as the nucleus for a regular series of

those P . M . s who have done service to the lodge , and which could not have been more appropriately begun , Bro . John Gurton being so universally respected and esteemed . ]—The AV . M . said that Bro . Francis had presented them with a picture of Bro . John Gurton , and no doubt the lodge would accept it with pleasure . —Bro . JACKSON proposed a vote of thanks to the donor , to be entered on the minutes , in a very flattering and highly , judicious manner . The lodge was afterwards closed , and the hrethren adjourned to the banquet .