Banquet To Bro. Alderman De Keyser.

paid to him ; but he could say it in another sense . Municipal institutions and Masonry had a great many sympathies , and it was to the municipal position he had attained , through their suffrages and confidence , that , they paid tho compliment and not to him individnally . However , ho hoped , if the Corporation lived long enough , to do something for that body , and also as a Mason to recognise what the

Masons had done for him . He should certainly not forget the great principles of charity , and those institutions so forcibly alluded to by the Grand Master of Nova Scotia . They would find him ever ready to assist them . It was perfectly true he had not been very active as a Mason , but this had not been his fault . He left them immediately after he took office as I . G ., because he was living in the country , and

had heavy responsibilities , and they knew a man conld not keep up a very important place of business , such as he had created , without great anxiety and great work . So he thought it his dnty , as he conld not attend to the work of his Lodge , to leave them and become an absent member . But the moment he returned , as he had done now , to within a reasonable distance from town , he was again with

them , and from that moment his ambition would be to hold the proud position of Master of this Lodge . He hoped , by attention to his duties , he might prove himself worthy of their confidence on the day of election . He begged them to accept once more his very sincere thanks for the hononr they had done him , and to excuse him if he waa unable to do justice to the sentiments which others might

perhaps have expressed in more eloquent language . He thanked the numerous and distinguished Visitors , and Officers of Grand Lodge , for the compliment they had paid him by thoir presence , and was deeply sensible of the honour , which he should never forget . The health of the Initiates was then proposed by Brother B . Baker P . G . J . D ., and suitablv acknowledged by Bros . Sheriff Savory and Tarbotton .

Bros . Aid . Fowler , M . P ., and Aid . Sir R . Hanson responded for the Visitors ; and in replying for the Past Masters and Treasurer , Bro . T . Taylor said the' P . M . 's were always anxious to do all they possibly could to preserve the harmony and prosperity of their Lodge . They had great virtues , one of which was that they did not interfere with the W . M . in the duties of his office , or dictate to him in any shape or

way ; but they were always willing , so long as he abided within Masonic rules , as laid down in the Book of . Constitutions , to let him have his own course in the appointment of his Officers , and everything else appertaining to his Lodge . At the same time they were always willing and anxions to aid in cases of difficulty , to give their advice with due respect to his position . As a proof of this , he might

say with regard to the details connected with this banquet , the P . M . s did not take upon themselves the duty , but a committee was appointed , upon which some of the P . M . 's were elected ex-offioio , and some by choice ; bnt the great burden had been borne by the junior Officers of the Lodge , and he left them to say whether all had not done their duty well . It was characteristic of this Lodge that

the P . M . 's constituted , within five or six , one-half of the numerical strength of the Lodge , but they did not interfere with or dictate to the other members . Another virtue of the P . M . 's was , although they did not hononr the Lodge with their presence , they paid their subscriptions regularly ; thus the funds of the Lodge were not depreciated , but rather exalted . He congratulated them upon the flourishing state of the funds , which allowed them to give this

banquet without any encroachment on their pockets . The health of the Officers and Secretary of the Lodge was given , and responded to by Bro . Arthur Hill Secretary , after which the business was closed with the Tyler ' s toast . The proceedings of the evening were enlivened with a capital selection of music , under the direction of Bro . Winn , assisted by Bros . A . J . Brown , T . W . Hanson , and Kenningham , and a most pleasant gathering was enjoyed . Bro . Harper officiated as toastmaster .

Wellington Lodge of Instruction , No . 548 . —We are requested to inform our readers that the Fifteen Sections will be worked at this Lodge of Instruction , to be held on Monday evening next , at the White Swan , High-street , Deptford . Bro . David Rose P . M ., one of the most eminent workers in the South of London , will take the chair at seven o'clock , and a large attendance of the brethren is expected .

West Middlesex Lodge of Instruction , Ho . 1812 . — Meeting held at the Institute , Ealing , on Tuesday , 20 th instant . Bros . Smith W . M ., Acworth S . W ., Seward J . W ., Burr P . M . S . D ., Bellerby J . D ., Wills I . G ., Tucker Treasurer and Preceptor , Wells Secretary ; also Bros . Kasner P . M ., Green P . M ., Dyer , Gasson , Hadley . Lodge was opened with the usual preliminaries , and the

minutes were read , confirmed , and signed . Bro . Gasson offered himself as candidate , and the ceremony of initiation was rehearsed . Bro . Hadley answered the questions leading to the second degree . A cordial vote of thanks was given to Bro . Acworth for books he printed and presented to the Lodge . Bro . Tucker brought before the Lodge

the case of a distressed brother , and £ 1 was nnanimously voted from the funds of the Lodge for the assistance of the applicant . The members present also supplemented the vote by individual contributions . Bro . Aoworth was elected W . M . for Tuesday , the 27 th inst ,, and the Lodge was closed and the meeting adjourned to that date .

Selwyn Lodge of Instruction , No . 1901 . —The inauguration of the new Masonic room provided for this Lodge of Instruction , at the East Dulwich Hotel , East Dulwich-green , is fixed for Friday , the 30 fch proximo , when a large gathering of tho brethren of the district is anticipated . The ceremony of installation will be

rehearsed by Bro . R . Allison P . M . 186 , after which the annual supper of the brethren will take place . The room has been admirably fitted up for the purposes of this Lodge of Instruction , and is appropriately embellished with the emblems of the Craft . When completed , this will form quite an acquisition to

Banquet To Bro. Alderman De Keyser.

the Masonio assembly rooms of the South of London , and the proprietor of the hotel , Bro . Gurney , appears to have studied in the minutest detail everything that can add to tbe comfort and accom . modation of the brethren at their periodical meetings . The Lodge of Instruction assembles every Friday evening , at seven o ' clock , and visitors are assured of a hearty and fraternal welcome . This hotel ia near Champion-hill Station , and most convenient of access to brethren desirous of paying a visit , either for the purposes of amenity or instrnction .

The Burdett Coutts Lodge of Instrnction , No , 1278 , will in future hold its meetings at Bro . James Clayton ' s , the Duke ' s Head , 79 Whitechapel-road , E ., every Wednesday evening , at 8 p . m . Bro . W . Musto P . M . 1349 is the Preceptor , and Brother Alfred Hand 1178 the Secretary .

Honorary membership of the Rosslyn Lodge , No . 1543 , at Dunraow , Essex , was conferred by the members of that Lodge on Brother James Stevens P . M . P . Z ., on Tuesday , the 20 th instant , in acknowledgment of delivery by him , in open Lodge , of his lecture explanatory of the Ritual and Ceremonies of the First Degree .

THE PARLUMENTART SESSION . —Commencing with the issue for 17 th February , a series of Political Coloured Portraits , similar to tha War Series , which was so highly appreciated , will appear weekly in The Pictorial World . A Conservative and Liberal Member of the Upper or Lower House will alternate each week , and a page in each

number will be devoted to Views and Letterpress descriptive of the Constituency to which the Member belongs , and , where it is possible , Views of their Country Seats will be given . With the same number will be presented a magnificent plate " The House of Lords " ( size 26 by 36 ) , being a companion picture to the " Ministerial Benches " which was published with The Pictorial World last November .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of ow Correspondents . THE ATHELSTAN LEGEND .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON s CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —In yonr review of Bro . Gould ' s " History of Freemasonry , " you remark that that able brother considers it not improbable that the story , as related in the Chartulary of St . Leonard ' s Hospital , at Tork , and quoted by him and you from Dug .

dale s " Monasticon , of Athelstan having made a certain grant to the " Qolidei" of St . Peter's Church in that city , in celebration of his victory over tbe Scots in 936 , " gave rise to tho legend about the York Charter granted by Athelstan in 926 . " I dare say Bro . Gould ' s

suggestion will admit of explanation , but I should like to know how an event which happened in 936 can have given rise to a legend which is , I believe , universally associated with the year 926 , that is , ten years earlier . Fraternally yonrs ,

ALPHA . [ We have referred "ALPHA ' S" letter to our reviewer , who explains , in reply , that Bro . Gould , in the footnote referred to , remarks that " the form of the legend , as given by Dr . Anderson in the Constitutions of 1723 , varies

slightly from that in the edition of 1738 . In the former he places the date of the occurrence "—that is , the grant of the Charter to the Masons— " at about 930 ; in the latter at 926 . " We have nothing to guide us in determining the reasons which induced Dr . Anderson to alter his mind

between 1723 and 1738 , and , having given the date of the date vaguely in the former year " at about 930 , " to assign it definitely to " 926 " in the latter . But the year 936 sufficiently answers to " about 930 " to justify Bro . Gould ' s

suggestion of the probability that the Athelstan incident as described in the St . Leonard ' s Hospital Chartulary may have had something to do with the origin of the Athelstan Masonic legend generally assigned to the year 926 . — ED . P . O . ]

The Fifteen Sections

THE FIFTEEN SECTIONS .

WII / L BE WORKED By the members of the Metropolitan Lodge of Instruction , No . 1507 , at the New Concord Lodge of Instrnction , No . 813 , tha Jolly Farmers ' , Southgate Road , N ., on Wednesday , the 28 th inst .

Bros . J . C . Smith A . M . C . 1744 W . M ., James Hemming M . C . 1287 S . W ., F . W . Siliis M . C . 1744 J . W . First Lecture—Knight , Perl , Solomon , Edwards , Siliis , Larohin , Ager . Second Lecture—Fraser , Hemming , Gush , Martin , Snelling . Third Lecture—Pierdon , Storr , Emhlin .