The Approaching Benevolent Elections.

these respectively to their credit next month . No . 37 ( Durham ) , No . 41 ( North and East Yorkshire ) , No . 44 ( Hampshire and the Isle of Wight ) , No . 48 ( Essex ) , No . 50 ( West Lancashire ) , and No . 54 ( Hong Kong and South China ) are new to

the ballot . Only in a few instances have these old brethren been subscribing members of lodges for less than 10 years , while quite 30 of them have seen service for periods ranging from 20 years to 40 years and upwards . On

THE WIDOWS' FUND there are , as wc have said , only 12 vacancies to be filled , of which nine are immediate ancl three deferred ; but , as we havc already remarked in connection with the Male Fund , in the event

of any deaths having occurred among the annuitants on the Fund between the second Wednesday in February and the day of election , no doubt the rule which has been in force for several years will be followed , and all such vacancies will also be filled .

But , while the number of available annuities is small , the list of candidates is a particularly formidable one , comprising , as it does , as many as 67 , of whom 45 were unsuccessful at the election in May , 1898 , ancl 22 have had their names

approved since . London furnishes 27 , the Provinces 38 , ancl Stations Abroad two . The London widows include Nos . 14 , 15 , ancl 17 , who are competing for the third time , and bring forward 1005 , 2747 , with 20 added , and 3 . 8 49 votes

respectively , and Nos . 19 , 20 , 22 , 25 , 26 , 30 , 31 , 34 , 35 , 3 6 , 40 , 41 , 42 , and 43 , who were all candidates for the first time last year . No . 19 starts with 1144 votes in hand , and No . 20 with KO '; No . 22 with 477 votes , No . 25 with 46 , and No . 26

with 384 . Nos . 30 and 31 bring forward 406 ancl 749 votes respectively ; ancl Nos . 34 , 35 , and 36 , 2207 , 4043 , and 9 votes , while'Nos . 40 , 41 , 42 , and 43 have to thc good 772 , 1857 , 1356 , and 1354 votes . The candidates at Nos . 47 , 49 , 51 , 53 , 55 , 57 ,

58 , 60 , 62 , and 67 will appear before the Electors next month for thc first time . Of the 3 8 Provincial candidates Suffolk furnishes three at No . 37—with 53 votes to her credit—and Nos . 54 and 62 ; and Warwickshire the same number , who are placed

at Nos . 8 , 11 , and 13 , and bring forward 523 , 34 , ancl 4065 votes respectively . The two applicants from Cumberland and Westmoreland are No . j , who will make her 16 th attempt to secure an annuity with 8 30 votes to her credit , and No . 6 , who has had seven tries and scored 28 votes towards next

month's ballot . East Lancashire furnishes two , of whom No . 2 has obtained 492 votes in 15 years , and No . 28 who was a candidate last year , but obtained no support . Th .-n * are two applicants from Lincolnshire , of whom No . 7 has do

votes from the previous six years , and No . 24 four from 18 9 8 ; while of the two from West Lancashire , No . 9 will make her sixth attempt with 526 votes in hand , ancl No . 45 , her second attempt , with a start of four votes . North Wales sends two

candidates , of whom No . 10 brings forward 48 votes from foin elections , and No . 5 6 is a new case . Essex has two candidates at Nos . 27 and 32 , the former of whom has 2724 votes to her credit , ancl the latter 1277 votes ; while of the two from Kent

No . 33 brings forward 157 votes , and No . 68 is a new case ; and Gloucestershire is responsible for No . 39 . who obtained no support last year , ancl No . 64 . The other applicants are distributed as follows : No . 3 ( Durham ) with 107 votes towards her

14 th application ; No . 4 ( Bristol ) , who has stood 11 elections , and secured only 30 votes ; No . 5 ( Staffordshire ) with 138 votes from her 10 attempts ; and No . 12 ( Cheshire ) , who has in hand 14 votes , from the last three elections . No . 16 has eight votes to the

good towards her third application , and No . iS ( Bedfordshire ) 416 towards hers . Neither No . 23 ( N . and E . Yorkshire ) nor No . 38 ( Hants and the Isle of Wight ) brings forward any votes from last year , and No . 44 ( Devonshire ) received one . Nos . 4 6

( W . Yorkshire ) 4 8 ( Worcestershire ) , 50 ( Sussex ) , 52 ( Herts ) , ( 11 ( Leicestershire ancl Rutland ) , 6 5 ( Berkshire ) , and 66 ( Norfolk ) , are new candidates . The applicants at Nos . 21 and 29 hail

from Antigua and New South Wales respectively . Both were on last year ' s list , but only the latter obtained support to the extent of 616 votes . Be il added that the husbands of more

than one half of these old ladies were subscribing members foi over 20 years , while in only a few cases did they die before completing a membership of 10 years .

Grand Festival.

GRAND FESTIVAL .

On Wednesday last Ihe annual Grand Festival of English Freemasons was held at Freemasons' Tavern , London . Grand Lodge was first held at Freemasons'Hall for the installation of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales as Most Worshipful Grand Master , and for the appointment and investiture of Ihe Grand Officers for the year , which is the 25 th of his Royal Highness ' s Grand Mastership . The Prince was not present , and his place

on the Masonic Throne was occupied by Bro . Earl Amherst , M . W . Pro Grand Master . Bro . Admiral Albert Hastings Markham , R . W . Past Dist . Grand Master for Malta , acted as Past Grand Master ; Bro . Major-Gen . J . Wimburn Laurie , M . P ., Past Grand Master of Nova Scotia , P . G . W ., R . W . Prov . Grand Master for South Wales ( W . D . ) , as Dep . Grand Master ; Bro . Sir John B . Monckton . P . G . W ., as S . G . W .,- and Bro . the Rev . C . J . Martyn , P . G . C ., as J . G . W .

The Temple was crowded , and many brethren had to resort to the gallery . Amongst the brethren present were Bros . General Corson Smith , Past G . Master of Illinois ( visitor ) ; Allan , S . VV ., G . Lodge of Scotland ( visitor ); John Strachan , O . C . ; R . Loveland Loveland , Q . C ; Ralph Clutton ; H . Lovegrove ; Ex-Sheriff C . W . 0 . Hutton , C . E .

Keyser ; E . Letchworth ; Charles Barry ; George Everett , P . G . T . ; Richard Eve , P . G . T . ; Sir J . C . Dimsdale , P . G . T . ; J . H . Matthews , W . Lake , C . Kupferschmidt , A . C . Spaull , R . Clowes , E . M . Lott , Mus . Doc . ; J . C . Malcolm ( Leeds ) , Lennox Browne , Luxmoore Marshall , Baron de Ferrieres , Peter de L . Long , Robert Grey , R . Turtle Pigott , D . C . L . ; Dr . Lawrence , Herbert Room , Thos . J . Ralling , C . F . Matier , J . M . McLeod , Sec . R . M . I . B . ; Major Woodall , P . G . T . ; and J . D . Langton .

After the formal opening of Grand Lodge , the minutes of the March Quarterly Convocation , so far as they related to the election of M . W . G . M . and Grand Treasurer , were read and confirmed , and Bro . THOMAS FENN , P . G . W ., acting as G . D . C ., in the absence of Sir Albert Woods , proclaimed H . R . H . the Prince of Wales installed as M . W Grand Master .

Earl AMHERST , rising , said : Brethren , I have to announce to Grand Lodge that his Royal Highness the Grand Master has been pleased to reappoint me as Pro Grand Master . ( Loud applause . ) Bro . THOMAS FENN then proclaimed the noble Earl as M . VV . Pro Grand Master , and to his lead the brethren saluted the Pro Grand Master . Earl AMHERST : Brethren , I greet you well . ( Applause . )

Earl AMHERST , again rising , said : I have further to announce , brethren , that his Royal Highness has been pleased to re-appoint the Earl of Warwick as Deputy Grand Master . ( Applause . ) Bro . Thomas Fenn then proclaimed thc Earl of Warwick as Deputy Grand Master . Earl AMHERST : Brethren , I will now proceed to invest the Grand Ofiicers for the ensuing year .

Ihe following is the list of the Grand Officers invested : Bro . Earl of Stradbroke ... ... ... S . G . W . „ Viscount Milton , M . P .... ... ... J . G . W . „ Rev . W . Gardiner , B . D . ... ***) G Chaos ,, F . BethuneN . Norman-Lee , Chap . totheForcesj ' v ' ,, Alfred H . Bevan ... ... ... G . Treas .

,, John Strachan , Q . C . .., ... ... G . Reg . ,, Sir Forrest Fulton , O . C . ... ... Dep . G . Reg . „ Capt . R . G . VV . Chaloner , M . P . ... ... ¦ ) ,, Rear-Admiral \ V . H . C . St . Clair ... ... [ S . G . Ds . ,, P . Colville Smith ... ... ... J ,, Hubert Spencer Clutton ... ... " )

Ivirl AMHERST , at this point rose , and slid * . Bxthren , his Royal Highness , tlie Grand Master , has , at the express desire of Sir Albert Woods , appointed Bro . Frank Richardson to wear the clothing and fully to discharge all the duties of Grand Director of Ceremonies in Sir Albert Woods ' s absence during the ensuing year . Bro . Frank Richardson was then invested , and from this point took Bro . Thomas Fenn's duties of G . D . C .

, T . Poultney Griffin ... ... .. AJ . G . Ds . J . H . Salter ... ... ... J HomvL . Florence ... ... ... G . S . of Wks . „ Sir Albert VV . Woods , K . C . B ., K . C . M . G . ... G . D . C .

i . ro . Elmund Arthur Smith ... ... ... D . G . D . C . - ,, G . VV . G . Barnard ... ... ... * ) ,, T . P . 13-ptie ... ... ... CA . G . D . Cs . ,, Henry Clarke ... ... ... ) ,, Lieut .-Col . George F . Parkyn ... ... G . S . B . ¦ » ,-.,, Edward Roberts \ ... ... ... Dep . G . S . B . „ John Kenyon ... ... - "I G . Std . Br .

,, jonn vveiiora ... ... ... ) 1 , VV . H . Cummings ... ... ,., G . Org . ,, VV . Lake ... ... ... ... Asst . G . Src . „ C . Kupferschmidt ... ... ... A . G . Sec . Ger . Cor _„ W . Wright ... ... ... ... G . Purst . „ VV . Fisher ... ... ... ... A . G . Purst . ,, Henry Sadler ... ... ... G . Tyler .

Earl AMHERST * . Brethren , I have to announce lhat the Grand Master has been pleased to confer Past Grand Rank upon certain brethren of whom the Grand Secretary will now read ihe names . The following is the list of the brethren referred to by Earl Amherst : Bros . Hon . Mr . Justice Bigham , Hon . Mr . Justice Bucknill , and Sir John Edge , Q . C . ( late Chief Justice N . W . Provinces ) , P . G . Ws . ; Hon . and Very l < ev . the Dean cf Here-ford , Rev . R . Peek , M . A ., and Rev . E . H-

Pair , M . A ., P . G . Cs . ; George Pitt Lewis , O . C , Edmund Owen , F . R . C . S ., Capt . Charles H . Garnett , VV . J . Walsham , F . R . C . S ., C . A . Bathurs Bignold , and J . Hepburn Handyside , P . G . Ds . ; F . 13 . Westlake , P . D . G . D . C ; \ V . F . Lnmonby , C F . Matier , Imre Kiralfy , James Fernandiz and Thomas Catling , P . AiG . D . Cs . ; R . Gresley Hall , C H . Hobbyn , and James Newton , P . G . S . B * - . ; V . C L . Crump and II . A . Tobias , P . G . Std . Bis . ; and Lionel Monckton and Hermann KleinP . G . Orgs .

, Eirl AMHERST : Brethren , I have to announce that one reason the Grand Master has conferred these honours , 25 in number , is to mark the 25111 year tf his Grand Mastership .