Craft: Metropolitan.

the Brethren of any Lodge wero eligible to acquire tickets , the Hon . Secretary Brother N . Goldman , or tho W . M ., being those to whom the Brethren might apply . The Brethren then adjourned to tho banqueting hall , where they sat down to dinner . Tho usual Loyal and Masonic toasts were tersely given by the W . M .

The toast of the Initiates mot with acclamation at the hands of the Brethren , and it must bo admitted that the Friars Lodge excels in the welcome thoy accord those who newly enter the Craft . The W . M . was particularly happy in proposing the succeeding toasts .

ST . DUNSTAN'S LODGE , No . 1589 . IT is a red-letter day in one's Masonic career to bo elected Worshipful Master , but to be installed at the early age of twenty-eight years is , indeed , a great honour . Yet this has fallen to tho very happy lot of Bro . Walter Henry Wellsman , the son of Bro . Wellsman , a respected member of

the 'Court of Common Council of the city of London , for the Ward of Farringdon Without , who was installed Worshipful * Master of the St . Dunstan's Lodge , held at Anderton ' s Hotol , Fleet Street , on Wednesday , the 27 th , when there were present Sir John Monckton Past Grand Warden , Captain T . C . Walls Grand Standard Bearer , Colonel Henry Radoliffe , and other distinguished Visitors .

The Lodge was opened by tho Worshipful Master Bro . J . F . Hunter , who was supported by tho following Officers and Brethren : H . L . Buck , W . H . Clomow Treas ., T . J . Robinson Sec , W . Farrington , T . Rendall , H . N . Sichol , T . R . Woolfe , W . R . Parkinson , F . K . Bull , F . Farrington , Robinson Innes , C Bugg , H . Robartes , and others .

The Minutes of tho previous meeting having been read , and the Auditors report adopted , Bro . Hunter raised Bros . Slade , Butler , and Henry Robartes to the third degree . Colonel Henry Radcliffe then presented Brother W . H . Wellsman the

Worshipful Master-elect , and he was installed into the chair of King Solomon by Bro . William Farrington , who performed the duty in a most exemplary manner . The Officers having been appointed and invested for the ensuing year , the Installing Master completed his duties with the usual addresses , for which he was warmly applauded .

The first duty of tho nowly installed Master was to present Brother J . F . Hunter tho Immediate Past Master with a jewel , which he did in a few appropriate words , remarking that the Immediate Past Master had carried out his duties in an excellent manner , which was appreciated by the members . Bro . Hunter in suitable terms acknowledged the honour bestowed upon him .

After other business and " Hearty good wishes " the Lodge was closed , and the Brethren adjourned to a recherche banquet . Ample justice having been done to this part of the proceedings , tho Master submitted the toast of the Queen and the Craft , observing that since the Queen had been on the throne over 2 , 000 Lodges had been consecrated .

In responding for tho Grand Officers , Present and Past , Sir John Monckton , whose name was coupled with the toast , stated that he regretted the absence that evening of his very old friend , Bro . Wellsman , the father of the new Master . Might he be allowed to say that their Master appeared to him to be quite a boy , and for him to have attained his exalted position as Worshipful Master redounded greatly to his credit .

He then proposed the health of tho Worshipful Master , which he did in eloquent terms , observing that he was blessed with a father who was a splendid Mason and friend , and he wished him ( the Master ) with all sincerity a prosperous and happy year of office .

The Worshipful Master , on rising to respond , had a great reception , and in a genial speech he tendered his best thanks to Sir John Monckton for his kind words and the reference to his father ; and to the members for the great honour they had paid him by placing him in the chair . He hoped that any work he might have to do would give them every satisfaction .

In eulogistic terms the Master gave the Visitors , and he joined with the toast the names of Captain Walls , Col . Radcliffe and Bro . Green . Captain Walls , in replying , said he had attended the Lodge on many occasions , but nevor in tho course of his Masonic career had he seen so young a Worshipful Master installed .

Col . Radcliffe also responded . He stated that the new Master ' s father was his oldest Masonic friend ; he saw him initiated and he installed him W . M . many years ago . He would have been pleased to have seen the father instal his son , but tho state of the former's health would not permit him to have that pleasure . He had no doubt that the Master would follow in the footsteps of his worthy father , and that the Lodge would continue to flourish under his able and genial presidency .

Bro . Green likewise roplied , remarking that the Installing Master had carried out the beautiful ceremony with perfection . Tho Master proposed the Installing Master . He said that his and the members best thanks were due to Bro . William Farrington for his splendid services that ovening . He had , at very short notice , performed the installing ceremony , because his ( tho Master ) father was too ill . The toast was drunk with great enthusiasm .

Bro . Farrington responded . He regretted very much tho reason why he had been called upon to act , but ho hoped they would look over any shortcomings in the ceremony . The Past Masters , the Treasurer and Secretary , and the Officers of the Lodge were each in turn honoured , and responded to in some good speeches from Bros . Innes , Hunter , W . H . Clemow Treas ., T . J . Robinson Sec , H . L .

Buck , T . Rendell , H . N . Sichel , T . R . Woolfe , and W . R . Parkinson . The Tyler's toast brought to a close a night of nights . The Master had provided a good vocal entertainment , which was contributed by Mr . G . S . Martin , Miss Maud Wellsman , Miss Martin , Miss Cook , and Miss Eva Wellsman , but special mention should be made of Miss Maud Wellsman for her great efforts , for which she received a well deserved encore .

ALL SAINTS LODGE , No . 1716 . THE members of this Lodge met for the first time since the annual festival last October , on the 21 st February , at the Lodge Room , High Street , Poplar , when Bro . Francis H . Hagon was raised to the sublime degree and Bros . Georgo Mudge and John G . Gibson were passed to the degree of Fellow Craft . Messrs . William Luscombe Bagnald and Frank Ernest With

having been balloted for and approved , were regularly initiated into the mysteries and privileges of thc Craft . The raising was worked by Brother Leonard Potts P . M . and the two latter ceremonies were very creditably rendered by the new W . M . Bro . F . J . Waterson assisted by Bros . C R . Allen S . W ., J . C . Carpenter J . W ., Ernest Jones S . D ., and William Bland J . D .

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Bro . C . W . Raymond P . M . announced that the fifth All Saints Charitable Association was being started , and urged tho Brethren to join , so as to qualify as Life Governors of the Masonic Institutions by easy payments . The sum of twenty guineas was voted by the Lodge to head the list oi tho W . M . who was going up as a Steward for the Benevolent Institution Festival . The Bye-Laws were read by the Secretary , Bro . J . Y . Mosey , and the Lodgo being closed the Brethren adjourned to supper .

DRURY LANE LODGE , No . 2127 .

THE installation meeting of this Lodge was held on Tuesday , 12 th ult ., at Mark Masons' Hall , Great Queen Street , under the presidency of Bro . Thomas Catling W . M . It had been necessary to procure a dispensation for the holding of the Lodge away from its regular home—the historic salon of Drury Lane Theatre—and despite the comfort and general adaptability of the

Mark Temple the change seemed to rob the meeting of the charm which is usually associated with tho installation of the Drury Lane Lodge . However this may be the annual gathering was very satisfactory , and would have been regarded as an unqualified success if it had not been proceeded by other gatherings even more successful .

The Worshipful Master installed Bro . Oscar Barrett as his successor , and that Brother appointed the following as his assistant Officers , those present being invested with the usual insignia of power : Henry Neville S . W ., George Alexander J . W ., Rev . 0 . J . Martyn P . G . C . Chaplain , J . S . Fleming P-M . Treas ., J . H . Matthews P . M . P . D . G . D . C . Secretary , L . Lablache S . D ., G . M . Maxwell J . D ., F . B . Rendle I . G ., R . W . Goddard P . M . Tyler .

Previous to the closing of the Lodge the new W . M . presented a Past Master's jewel to his predecessor , expressing the great pleasure he felt in making the presentation , thanking Bro . Catling for all he had done for the Lodge , and expressing the hope he might long live to be among them in his new capacity of Past Master .

The deaths of two Members were announced , the resignation of others was recorded , but on the other side came a proposition for a Joining Member , while two other names wore submitted as candidates for Initiation . The

Lodge was then closed and the Brethren adjourned to the Freemasons Tavern , where the annual banquet was admirably served by Messrs . Spiers and Pond , in the large Hall . In submitting the toast of the ProG . M ., the D . G . M ., and the other Grand Officers , Bro . Barrett said ho approached his task with a certain amount of diffidence , for however good he might be in his own profession he

felt he did not shine as a speech-maker , and in this particular case he felt he could not do justice to its magnificence . He considered Masonry owed much to its Grand Officers , and further that the Drury Lane Lodge had been very much favoured in the past by the number of Grand Officers who had been present at its meetings—on that occasion he took it as a personal compliment that the Grand Officers were not less conspicuous than usual .

Viscount Dungarvan responded . That was not the first time he had had the pleasure of attending that Lodge . He did not think it necessary to say much in regard to the Grand Officers , as the Brethren knew them so well . He came there with the hope of listening to talented Brethren whose voices would be much more appreciated than his , but he must say that nothing was more pleasing to him than to partake of the hospitality of their Lodge .

The toast of the Past Masters was next given , the Master expressing hia sorrow that two of the members , who had worked so assiduously in the Drury Lane Lodge , were not present ;—he referred to Past Masters Fernandez and Nicholls , and all must regret their absence through ill health . He was pleased to say , however , they had Bro . Catling among them . Personally he felt he already owed a great deal to his I . F . M ., but he feared he would be much more indebted to him ere his term of office was concluded—as he felt

that every Master must rely to & great extent on his predecessor . The members of the Lodge would only be doing their duty in drinking to Bro . Catling's health with all heartiness . Bro . Catling acknowledged the toast . He felt the Master might rely on

the kindness , generosity , and good feeling of the members of the Lodge , and particularly on any help the Past Masters could give . He especially desired , before passing on to the retired list , to thank the Secretary of the Lodge , Bro . Matthews , for his generous assistance in their work and in the work of Freemasonry in general .

Bro . Catling then proposed the toast of the Worshipful Master . Doing this was an especial pleasure , as Bro . Oscar Barrett was a fellow initiate with him in the Drury Lane Lodge , and besides that was an old friend of a quarter of a century ' s standing . The I . P . M . spoke of the Master's care for

the correct rendering of the ritual , his musical abilities , and his capacity for entertaining the public—in many houses was he well known as a special provider of entertainments for children . He would certainly bring credit to their Lodge , in the management of which they wished him every success , good health and fortune .

Bro . Barrett responded . However difficult his task had been before , he recognised he had now arrived at the most serious point . He fully appreciated the great honour that had been conferred upon him , and trusted he might carry out his duties with credit both to himself and the Lodge . Bro . Catling had referred to him as a dark horse . Well , he was not a racing man ; he had never made a bet in his life on a horse or a race ; but he had heard that

sometimes there were such things as dark horses , and that sometimes they won . He trusted he should win . He confessed he had not , through circumstances over which he had no control , felt himself on some occasions that ho had done his duty ; but he assured the Brethren that he had always been loyal in his desire to do that duty well . It had always been his earnest wish that he should perform as well as he possibly could everything

throughout life that he had undertaken , and it was on that account , having undertaken so many duties outside Freemasonry , it had been rather difficult to devote the time that was necessary to become perfect in all the ceremonies of the Craft . This last Christmas perhaps it had been more trying than on other occasions , for he had produced three very big entertainments for the

amusement of children , and those , together with certain domestic troubleswhich he need not moro refer to —had really precluded him from attending more to the ceremonies . He was pleased , however , to say he now saw a chance of easing himself somewhat from his professional labours , and giving himself more assiduously to his Masonic duties .

Bro . Parkinson P . G . D . submitted the Visitors , prefacing his remarks with references to what the I . P . M . and the W . M . had said in connection with other toasts . The Lodge was indeed indebted to those Visitors who had contributed to their enjoyment . They were particularly favoured by the presence of some Brethren distinguished in tho Musical world , and tendered especial thanks to them .

Bro . Macklin W . M . of the Asaph Lodge responded , speaking in high praise of the ability and special qualifications of tho Master , for whom he predicted a successful year of office .