Contents.

CONTENTS .

L EADERS— . Grand Festival ... ... . - - ' 91 The Approaching Benevolent Elections ... ... ... „ •¦• 199 Grand Festival - - - - - •¦• = 00 Supreme Grand Chapter ' of England ( Agenda Paper ) ... ... ... 203 Consecration of the Eyre Lodge , No . 2742 ... ... ... ... 204

Consecration of the Silver River Chapter , No . 2329 ... ... ... 204 Provincial Grand Mark Lodge of South Wales ... ... ... 205 Masonic Service in the City ... . ... ... •••- 2 ° 5 Dinner of the Loyalty Lodge of Instruction , No . 1607 ... ... ... 205 M ASONIC N OTES— . Proceedings at Grand Lodge Festival ... ... ... ... 207 Supreme Grand Chapter Agenda Paper ... ... ... ... 207 Statement of Accounts of Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution ... 207

Ouatuor Coronati Lodge , No . 2076 ... ... ... ... 207 Annual Meeting of Prov . Grand Lodge of Staffordshire ... ... 207 Correspondence ... ... ••••••¦•••••2 ° 8 Reviews ... ••* * " *••** - *** * - ' ^ Masonic Service in St . Saviour ' s , Southwark ... ... .. ... 20 S East Lancashire Systematic Masonic Educational and Benevolent Institution ... 20 S Annual Festival and Supper of La Tolerance Lodge of Instruction , No . 53 8 ... 208 Craft Masonry ... ••••••— — — 20 s

Royal Arch ... ... ... - ... - - Our Portrait Gallery ... ... ... ... — — 212 Ancient and Accepted Rite ... ... ... ••••••212 Allied Masonic Degrees ... ... ... ... •••— 212 Knignts Templar ... ... - ... - ¦••212 Instruction ... ... ... ••••¦•••••••212 Expenses of Freemasonry ... ... ... ... •¦• 213 Obituary ... ... ... •••... •••- 213 Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... — •••214

Grand Festival.

GRAND FESTIVAL .

In accordance with long-established usage , United Grand Lodge held hig h Festival on the 26 th instant , being the lirst Wednesday after the day consecrated to the memory of ST . GEORGE , the Patron Saint of England . M . W . Bro . Earl

AMHERST , Pro Grand Master , presided , and was supported , as is customary on this occasion , by a strong muster of brethren , both on thc dais and in the body of thc llall . The chief business was the investiture of those whom the M . W . Grand

Master had been p leased to appoint his Grand Officers for thc ensuing year , and as the several recipients of the purple of Grand Lodge advanced to the pedestal and received at thc hands of the presiding oflicer the insignia of their respective

oilices , and were afterwards conducted to their appointed places in Grand Lodge , they were one and all most heartily acclaimed by the brethren . When this part of the proceedings was over , the Pro Grand Master announced that , in

consideration of its being the 25 th occasion on which he had been elected and proclaimed Grand Master , his Royal Highness had been graciously p leased to confer Past Rank as Grand Officers "ii 25 brethren of eminence , and such of the brethren thus honoured as were able to bc in attendance were likewise

invested with their respective insignia . The other business having been concluded , the brethren adjourned to thc neighbouring Freemasons' Tavern , ancl there held their Grand Festival under the genial presidency of Earl AMHERST . The

whole of the arrangements reflected thc greatest credit on the out-going Board of Grand Stewards , ancl the customary toast m recognition of their services was as justly honoured as it was k acefull y responded to . A full report of the gathering will be •omul elsewhere .

The Approaching Benevolent Elections.

THE APPROACHING BENEVOLENT ELECTIONS .

Ihe elections to the Male ancl Widows' Funds of the Royal "Usonic Benevolent Institution will take place at the annual general meeting of the Governors and Subscribers which will be

'' eld at Freemasons' Tavern , on Friday , the 19 th May . The chair will be taken precisely at the hour of 12 noon , and at 1 P"i-, or as soon as the general business has been disposed of , u 'e poll will be opened for the election of annuitants , For the

The Approaching Benevolent Elections.

MALE FUND there arc 15 vacancies to be filled , namely , 12 immediate and three deferred . This is the number as declared at the regular meeting of the Committee of Management in February ; but

doubtless , , as has been the practice for many years past , any annuities that may have fallen vacant between then and the annual meeting will also be filled . The list of approved candidates comprises the names of 55 aged and indigent brethren , of whom

35 have offered themselves for thc suffrages of the electors on at least one andin several cases on more than one previous occasion , while the remaining 20 havc had their cases investigated and their claims approved since . Towards the array of applicants London

furnishes 13 and the Provinces 41 , while the remaining brother hails from the District of Hong Kong and South China . Ofthe 13 London candidates the following nine have been unsuccessful at at least one ballot , namely , No . 4 , who brings forward from

live years efforts 2559 votes , and will have 40 additional recorded in his behalf . No . 9 makes his fourth venture with 2209 brought forward and 40 recorded to the good . Then follow Nos . 12 and 13 , the former of whom will start with 291 * 5 from two

previous applications , plus 20 recorded , and the latter with 1979 votes . No . 16 has 2203 votes to his credit from the same ballots , and No . 18 , 2172 votes , with 40 added , while . No . 21 , who failed in 1 S 97 and 18 9 8 , will make his third trial with 1920 ,

plus 40 votes , in hand ; Nos . 25 and 34 , who failed last year , having , the former 28 97 votes , plus 20 , and the latter 2008 , plus 20 , to help them . The remaining four are new candidates , and are placed at Nos . 47 , 49 , 53 , ancl 55 respectively on the list . Of

thc 41 Provincial applicants , Kent is responsible for live , of whom No . 7 brings forward 1273 votes from the last four polls ; No . lo has 2297 votes from 1 S 97 and 1898 , with 20 recorded to help him on this occasion ; No . 14 having

295 votes in hand from the same ballots , while Nos . 38 ancl 52 are new candidates . Devonshire furnishes four , viz ., No . 2 , who has polled only 158 votes at his nine previous attempts ; No . 5 , who has only 14 votes from the last live years ; and

No . 27 with 624 votes , and No . 29 with 144 votes—and 20 to be added—from 1 S 9 S . West Yorkshire also sends up four , of whom No . 31 received 40 votes last year , and will have 40 added ; and Nos . 39 , 40 , ancl 43 , who arc new candidates . Nos ; . 6 ancl 17

hail from Cheshire , and have 31 and 37 votes respectively to their credit , the former having been a candidate alread y four times , , and the latter twice . Suffolk contributes No . 8 , with 27 votes to his credit from thrce attempts , and a new * candidate at

No . 3 6 . Somersetshire sends up two brethren—Nos . 23 and 24—who polled 3514 and two votes respectivel y in 18 9 8 . Sussex is responsible for Nos . 28 and 30 , thc former having 117 votes in hand , and the latter seven ; and there are two East Lancashire

brethren at Nos . 33 and 35 , the former wilh seven and the latter with 90 plus 60 , or 150 votes to start with . Nos . 42 and 46 hail from Hertfordshire , and Nos . 45 and 51 from Middlesex , all four of them bcine * new to the

ballot . The remaining 14 brethren are distributed as follows * . No . 1 , who has compiled 617 towards his i 6 lh application , and No . 3 , who enters upon his seventh attempt with 90 votes ; Nos *

11 , 15 , 19 , ancl 20 , who were candidates for the second lime last year , ancl have in hand—No . n ( Western Division of South Wales ) , 24 votes ; No . 15 ( Norfolk ) , 3424 votes ; No . 19 (

Lincolnshire ) , 34 voles ; and No . 20 ( Warwickshire ) , nine votes . No . 22 ( Oxfordshire ) polled 194 votes last year ; No . 26 ( Surrey 3449 votes ; and No . 32 ( Dorsetshire ) , 70 votes , ancl will have