The Jubilee Commemoration.

THE JUBILEE COMMEMORATION .

WITH the utmost possible promptitude , dependent upon the convenience of' the Most Worshipful Grand Master , we have been placed in possession of the date fixed for the great Masonic Jubilee Commemoration at the Albert Hall , namely , Monday , 13 th June . This

announcement has been conveyed to Masters or Lodges officially by the Grand Secretary , with the request that they will notify the fact to the brethren who intend to be present as soon as possible . As a consequence , there has

naturally been a large amount of agitation in the various Lodges , almost amounting to rivalry , as to who shall be the privileged ones to meet His Roj'al Highness on that memorable occasion ; and in some instances slight

difficulties have arisen as to the apportionment of the tickets . Of conrso Ave cannot put more into a quart pot than it will hold , and the Albert Hall , as was proved on the occasion of the Prince of Wales ' s installation , twelve vears

ago , can at the utmost accommodate some eight or nine thousand , even when packed as closely as figs in a drum . Care has , therefore , had to be exercised by those who have had to make the arrangements for this gathering to

provide against anything like a plethora of applications for tickets of admisssion , which would have been the inevitable result had no limit been placed on the number of representatives from each of the Lodges . Even now , considering the extent of the roll since the accession of

our present Most Worshipful Grand Master , a serious obstacle would be presented if every Lodge within the jurisdiction of United Grand Lodge wero to send up its minimum of five ; bnt it maybe reasonably assumed that

some of our more distant Lodges may not require the number of tickets stipulated—for reasons that are obvious . In order to meet the case as far as possible , and to reduce the feeling of disappointment that might otherwise be

caused by members of Lodges wishful to be present on an occasion so momentous in the history of English Freemasonry , the Grand Secretary points out in his circular that " as a large number of Lodges have expressed a desire

to be furnished with more than five tickets , it would be advisable if Lodges were to state any extra number they may wish for , so that in case there should be any left they may be distributed pro rata . " The almost invariable rule adopted at Lodges we have attended is that the Master .

one of the Wardens , ancl one of the P . M . ' s are selected as the representatives on the occasion ; the two ticket ? " remaining being allotted by ballot . Of course there are many who look askarce at the affair , and would

rejoice at even the slightest chance of being included m the favoured company . Bearing in mind tbe deep disappointment felt by brethren who were unable to S ^ in admission at the Albert Hall on the occasion of His

Iw > yal Highness ' s installation , we could have wished that ft building of more adequate dimensions had been afc the dispr ^ al ,, { the executive for Hie Jubilee Festival ; still

' •¦"¦ '• re ecu ; br-liiHr-dnubt * . that all the :- " * 7 naftors have been al \ c ; i ! .,..-, .. sidr ?' , 'itin ! i . and . tho best "orr-vision made / hist i *; j * . 's * -ib . i , ' ui . hi ;* the cii ' instances . An ei-rouoons ¦ "npi'ossir ... is ¦¦ onve'V'i ) -,, - n T ) n . r ; ir .-L-: Vn that h : ; S found its

Vily into some of ihe newspaper .- ' ., to the eiiecfc that tlie feathering on lGtli June is a " sp . cial meeting of Grand Lod ge , " but this , of course , is so absurd that ifc may be dismisse d without comment . The real and ostensible

The Jubilee Commemoration.

object of the meeting is to formulate and present an address of congratulation to Her Most Gracious Majesty on fche completion of the Fiftieth Year of her benign aud Prosperous Reign , and by that means to testify to the lovalty and devotion of fche thousands of her subjects

owing allegiance to English Freemasonry . That the assemblage will be one of the most brilliant and imposing ever witnessed in this or any other country , from a Masonic point of view , goes without saying , and we can only offer our congratulations to those who are already ,

or who may become , the foi'tunate possessors of tickets they will admit them to one of the most splendid Masonic demonstrations the world has over seen . The following is the full text of the circular : — PKEKMASON' HALL , GT . QUEEN STREET , LONDON , W . C , 5 f ? i May 1887 .

DEAR SIU AND BROTHER , —I have the pleasure to inform you that His Koyal Highness the M . W . Grand Master has been pleased to fix Fonr o'Clock p . m . on Monday , the 13 th June next , for the Masonio Meeting at the Royal Albert Hall . May I reqnesfc that you will be good enough fco notify this to the

brethren who intend to be present , as soon as possible . As a large number of Lodges havo expressed a desiro fco be furnished with more than Five Tickets , it would be advisable if Lodgea wero to state any extra number thoy may wish for , so that in case there should be any over for disposal , they may be distributed pro rata .

Yours fraternally , SHAD-WELL H . CLERKE . G . Sec .

The Candidates For The Benevolent Institution.

THE CANDIDATES FOR THE BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

THE annual general meeting of the two branches of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution will be held on Friday , the 20 th inst ., when a proposition will be submitted to tho Subscribers that a Committee be

appointed to consider the desirability of altering the day of election ; such Committee to confer wifch those appointed by fche two other Institutions , and to report on the matter . There is no doubt this Committee will be

regularly appointed , and in due course will consult with the representatives of the other Institutions , with , vve hope , satisfactory results . There is another proposition o / i the agenda of a somewhat similar character , but that

we may expect to see withdrawn , if the Committee of Inquiry is appointed . The next business to be transacted will be fche annual election of Annuitants , which promises fco produce as severe a struggle as any which have preceded it .

We learn from the balloting papers that altogether there are one hundred and twenty-eight candidates , of whom thirty-one onlv are to be elected to immediate

annuities , and six others to deferred annuities , so that there will remain at the close of the poll no less than ninety-one old people for whom the Benevolent Institution can do nothinp' for at loasfc another twelve months .

'Tlio number of candidates to be elected will be increased before the election , so as to allow of the filling of all vacancies which may have beeu caused by death between

the time of issuing the ballot papers and the opening of the poll , thus the number of the unsuccessful will be correspondingly diminished , but we cannot look for any great