Our Weekly Budget.

our Weekly Budget , that West Yorkshire had becomingly supported its Grand Master , Sir Henry Edwards , who so kindly presided on the occasion ; but by an inadvertence , which we sincerely regret , the list of the Stewards and the amount of the contribution were not stated . We hasten at once to rectify the omission : —

WEST YORKSHIRE . No . ofLodse . £ s . d . Sir Honry Edwards , Bart ., Chairman ... 52 10 0 Prov . G . Lodge , Bro . H . Smith 105 0 0 Bentloy Shaw , P . G . D 10 10 0

T . W . Tow , J . P ., D . P . G . M . 275 J . Lowentlial J . Batley 275 Wright Mollor Henry Day . J . P . ... 275 Thos . Ruddock ... Thomas Hill ... 290 Wm . Harrop Rev . E . B . Chalmer 296 John Ridal W . H . B . Tomlinson 302 Hanson Farrar ... Henry Smith ... 301 Robert Craig

T . Collinson ... 337 John Hirst jnn . ... J . Wordsworth ... 837 Charles Pegler Rev . E . Sewell ... 974 Wm . Firth 139 J . A . A . Andrews ... 1102 John Barker 139 Charles Dixon jun . ... 1221 Wm . Glover 139 Dr . F . Griffiths ... 1221 T . H . Good

139 Wm . Jervis ... 1542 Thos . J . Kassell ... 139 J . C . Shaw 1542 W . W . Macvay ... 154 J . C . Cadman ... 1542 John Simpson 275 G . F . C . Hoerle ... Total ... £ 707 16 0

Mdlle . Van der Meersch , better known in Paris as the " Bird-fairy , " has just returned to London . This lady has made a life ' s study of the education of birds , and the wonderful intelligence which her little feathered troupe are made to exhibit is a marvel to all who have witnessed the

entertainment . B y means of an immense number of cards , from which the little artistes make their selection , they are able to answer questions which would puzzle many bipeds of a larger growth . They can tell the day of the week , the

state of the weather , and answer profound psychological queries . Mdlle . Van der Meersch only accepts engagements for private parties , which we are inclined to regret , for every one ought to have the opportunity of seeing this wonderful performance .

The following has been forwarded to us for insertion , and we have great pleasure in complying with the request : — Helston , 15 th May 1876 DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —We , the W . M ., Wardens and Members of the " True and Faithful Lodge , " No . 318 , Helston , fraternally solicit

the votes of your Lodge and the members thereof , for an Educational Grant of £ 10 per anuuni , for five years , on behalf of Richard Henry Cade , aged 11 years , the son of the late Bro . R . H . Cade , our lamented W . M . ( of 1875 . ) The VV . Bro . William James Hugban , of Trnro ( P . S . G . D . ( jf England , & c ., & c , & c ) , owing to the lad being too old ,

was unable to procure his admission into tho Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , and joins with ns in supporting this application for aid from the "Cornwall Masonic Anuuity and Benevolent Fund . " We shall be pleased to answer any enquiries re-pecting the

applicant , and on behalf of Mrs . Cade ( his mother ) , we beg to strongly recommend your Lodge to grant the favour we seek for tho child of our deceased Brother , and to kindly till in the voting papers ( which will be sent ) accordingly . Tours fraternally ,

HUMPHREY TREMBATH P . M . W . M . 318 . T . N . CURRY P . M . 318 , P . Prov . S . G . D . P . GRENFELL HILL P . M . 318 , P . Prov . G . Reg . THOMAS TAYLOR P . M . 318 , P . Prov . S . G . D . THOMAS DAVEY P . M . 318 . JOHNSON Q . JAMES P . M . 318 . W . H . BI . OXSOME P . M . 318 , P . Prov . G . Chap . A . T . GRANT P . M . 318 , Prov . G . Steward .

Masonic Ceremony At Edinburgh.

MASONIC CEREMONY AT EDINBURGH .

ON Monday , the Foundation Stone of the New Royal Blind Asylum , at Edinburgh , will be laid , with the usual Masonic ceremonies , by M . VV . Bro . Sir Michael R . Shaw Stowart , Bart ., Grand Master of Scotland . Grand Lodge will meet and be opened in ample form by the G . M ..

at freemasons' Hall , 98 George-street , at 1 . 30 p . m . ; tht other brethren will assemble in Charlotte-sqnare , half-anhour earlier . Grand Lodge having been adjourned , tht

members will place themselves under the direction of tht Grand Master of the Ceremonies , while the other brethren will be arranged by the Grand Marshals according to seniority of Lodges , and under the superintendence of their

several W . M . ' s and Office-bearers . At a given signal the procession will move off in the following order : —Detachment of Cavalry , Band of Music , Guard of Honour , the Members of Subordinate Lodges , three abreast , Junior

Lodge in front ; Band of Mnsic , Members of the Grand Lodge , viz .: Masters or Proxies and their Wardens , in the like order ; the Office-bearers of the Grand Lodge , accompanied by their proper Officers ; the carnage of the M . W . the Grand Master ; Rear Guard of Cavalry . When the Junior Lodge reaches the entrance to the

site , it will halt , take open order and the whole Lodges in the rear shall follow the like example , so that the Grand Lodge may pass through the ranks to the platform .

The route will be from Gharlotte-square , along Georgestreet , Frederick-street , Princes-street , Mound , Bank-street , Parliament-square , where it will join the Civil Procession , and proceed thence to the site of the stone .

The ceremony over , Grand Lodge will be closed in the Hall of the Blind Asylum , and the brethren will then dismiss . Full Masonic costume to be worn . Bands

of music must consist of not less than eight performers , and will be under the absolute control of the Director of Music . We subjoin copy of circular letter issued by Bro . Laurie , Grand Secretary : —

FREEMASONS' HALL , EDINBURGH , 11 th May 1876 . R . W . Sin AND BROTHER , —I am directed to inform you that the Foundation or Memorial Stone of tho New Royal Blind Asylum at Edinburgh , will be laid , with full Masonic honours , by the Most

Worshipful the Grand Master Mason of Scotland , Sir Michael Robert Shaw Stewart , Bart ., & c , & c , and the Grand Lodge of Scotland , on Monday , the 22 nd current , at Two o ' clock p . m ., when it is expected that a very numerous assemblage of the Craft will attend to support the Grand Master and I havo to request that you will make an effort

to be present on the occasion . Every possible attention will be given to the arrangements being made convenient for those attending , and it is specially hoped the gathering will be a great one . A Programme , containing full particulars of tho entire proceedings , is enclosed herowith . I remain , yours fraternally , JOHN LAURIE , Grand Sec .

Reviews.

REVIEWS .

All Books intended for Review should be addressed to the Editor of The Freemason ' s Chronicle , 67 Barbican , E . C . — : o : — TJic Country House Library of Standard Authors . London : Ward , Lock and Tyler . Vol . I ., " The Mad Willoughbys , " by Mrs . Lynn Lynton . Vol . II ., " False Beasts and True , " by Frances Power

Cobbe . Vol . III ., " The Blossoming of an Aloe , " by Mrs . Cashel Hoey . Vol . IV ., " Country House Essays , " by John Latonche . THE first four volumes issued by Messrs . Ward , Lock , and Tyler in the above series may be said to do equal credit to their business enterprise and to their good taste . Not only are they all excellent

works , by standard living authors , but they are original works , or practically so , none of them certainly having appeared in a popular form before . In a circular issued with the first volume , the editor states that it is the intention to publish about twenty volumes every year , the price to be one shilliug per volume . The volumes will

consist partly of entirely new works , partly of works that have appeared in recent periodical literature . We trust the enterprise will pr vo as successful as it deserves to be . Of the four volumes issued up to the present time , the titles of which appear at the head of this notice , " The Mad Willoughbys , " by the brilliant and popular Mrs .

Lynn Lynton , is a most delightful story . " False Beasts and True , " a series of admirable papers upon the fauna of fancy , the consciousness of dogs , and other kindred subjects ; whilst Mrs . Cashel Hoey ' s uovel , and Mr . Latouche ' s volume of essays are both of a high order of excellence . We cordiallv commend the series to our readers .

The Prince and the Crnfl . — Words by G . BLIZARD ABBOTT , Mnsio by Michael Watson . Also , by the same Authors , The Apron Blue . London : \ V . W . MORGAN , FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE Office , 67 Barbican . IN the desert of bathos presented by our so-called Masonic songs , from the " Master ' s" which , according to Dermott , was o ! ' too great a

¦ engtlt to bo sung at one time , to the " Entered Apprentice ' s , " which is -omething likea Te Deum on a tin whistle , these two little ballads come upon us with a refreshing surprise . The Apron Blue embodies a pleasing sentiment , expressed in simple terms , and Mr . Watson ' s melody is so aptly fitted to Bro . Abbott ' s unimpeachable verse that it should becomo a prime favourite in Masouic households .

The want of au appropriate song for Masonic festivals has been so ong felt by the brotherhood that we congratulate Bro . Abbott upon . he relief he has olfered us iu The I ' rince and the Craft , the genuine . u nonr and flowing melody of which will , we predict , secure for it a . ioe-spreuii populaiity at the social board . Iu both songs the symphonies are simple in character , bat they uossess in a marked degree the merit of originality , a rare quality in | ( hose days of mechanical adaptation .