Grand Lodge Meeting On Wednesday Next.

GRAND LODGE MEETING ON WEDNESDAY NEXT .

THE metnbers of Grand Lodge who will assemble on Wednesday next may look forward to a spirit of unanimity tbat is almost sure to prevail over their deliberations . In the first place the minutes of the Quarterly Communication of December last will be

put , and these will receive confirmation without opposition . The next business will be the consideration of a notice of motion from the Most Worshipful the Grand Master to vote a sum of - £ 210 to help to alleviate the distress our brethren of Newfoundland

have experienced by the disastrous fire that lately occurred there . For this grant we have precedents that will make the proposition almost a foregone conclusion . The same may be said as to the proposition from the Grand Master to vote one hundred guineas in aid of the sufferers

from the recent earthquake in the Island of Zante . Next we come to the election of a Most Worshipful Grand Master , and this will assuredly pass without question . The same remarks will apply to the Grand Treasurership ; we have but one candidate nominated , and Bro . Cochrane will be returned . The Eeport of the Board of Benevolence comprises

recommendations for four grants , one of £ 60 , and three of - £ 50 each ; these grants we do not expect to see challenged . There is nothing special in the Beport of the Board of General Purposes . The accounts are in a satisfactory condition , and a substantial balance in hand is shown . One feature "we

must not omit to reler to is , the recognition given to those brethren who have made presentations to the Library and Museum during the year 1892 . Thia undoubtedly will have a beneficial effect , and we anticipate that now such recognition is officially made that many fresh donors will enter the lists ,

ana that our Grand Lodge Library and Museum will materially strengthen its sphere of operation ! . Since the last meeting of United Grand Lodge no less than 16 warrants have been granted for new Lodges . .

The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

THE principal Masonic event of the week is undoubtedl y the annual Festival of this the oldest of our Masonic Charities , which , in spite of many fears of its financial success , was joyously brought to a satisfactory issue lasfc Wednesday evening , afc the Freemasons' HallGreat

, Queen Street , W . C . After tho triumphant accomplishment of last year when every Lodgo and every Province seemed to vio with each other to mako the Jubilee of the

Institution a memorable event in the annals of Free-¦™» sonry , the amount collected falling littlo short of ¦ fc ? 0 , 000 , ifc was only reasonable to expect thafc tho sub-

The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

scriptions would show a considerable diminution . Indeed , this though !; . appears to have influenced the minds of several eminent Masons , for Bro . James Terry , tho indefatigable Secretary , had uo littlo trouble , to obtain a Chairman of sufficient importance for so high an occasion , and ifc was

only almost afc fche lasfc moment that , Bro . Ohm-les E , Keyser J . G . D . generously came forward and placed his services at the disposal of the Committee ., And it wasnofc , only in his person that Bro . Keyser assisted , for , he headedtho list of his Province—Hertfordshire—with what

Bro . Terry justly described as " the princely donation - .. of five hundred guineas . It is also just to state that thia amount is in addition to a similar sum given lasfc year by Bro . Keyser to tho Jubilee Fnnd . We wero glad to notice that the brethren rallied round so worthy a

Chairman , and among those present wero Lord AmpthiH P . G . M . Bedfordshire , Lord Dungarvan P . G . M ; Somerset , Bro . G . A . Grimwood P . P . G . S . W . Suffolk , ex-Mayor ., oj Sudbury ; Dr . Lennox Browne P . P . G . W ' . Essex , ever to ^ tha fore in all charitable undertakings ; Bro . Thomas F . HalseyJ

M . P ., P . G . M . Herts ., and Bros . H . B . Marshall RG , T „ Edward Letchworth Grand Secretary , John A . Farnfield P . A . G . D . C ., F . S . Knyvett P . G . D . P . G . T . Herts ., Lieut .-Col . George Lambert P . G . S . B ., Richard Eve P . G . T ., Wm . Shnrmur P . G . T . Essex , George Everett P . G . T ., R . J . Kerr

P . G . S . P . P . G . W . Gloucester , Wm . Rege 3 ter P . G . S ., Major Carroll , G . E . Lake D . P . G . M . Herts ., C . E . Prior D . P . G . M . Beds ., Thomas Harrhy P . P . G . W . Mon ., G . J ; Tilling P . G . T . Hants ., Herbert Kidson P . P . G . R . West Lane , Charles Bullock Prov . Grand Secretary Hertfordshire ,

C . D . Cheetham P . G . D . East Lane , W . W . Morgan jun ., Dr . H . W . Kiallmark , Fred . Cleeves P . G . D . West Yorks ., Charles Dearing P . P . G . S . W . 'Berks ., H . J . Lardner P . P . G . D . Surrey , E . 0 . Mulvey P . P . G . S . B . Surrey , Thos . Glass P . P . G . S . B . Jersey , Captain Charles Powell P . G . S .

Mon ., T . B . Daniell , W . Stiles , S . J . Attenborough , James Stephens W . M . 1608 , J . G . Stevens W . M . 554 , S . Richardson P . M . 183 , Chas . Sheppard P . M . 1366 , Henry Mason P . M . 913 , Rev . Augustus Jackson W . M . 77 , Orlton Cooper P . M . 211 , and a distinguished company , numbering nearly

four hundred , including a large number of ladies , among whom were Mrs . C . E . Keyser ,. Mrs . James Stephens , as Steward for the Kilburn Lodge , No . 1608 , Mrs . and . Miss Lambert , Mrs . Masters , Mrs . Clara Bulley , Mrs . Smithson . At the conclusion of the banquet , the Chairman ,

infelicitous terms , proposed tbe Queen and the Craft . He next gavo H . R . H . the Prince of Wales Most Worshipfnl Master the Grand Patron and President of the Institution , the Princess of Wales , and tho other members of the | Royal Family . He referred to the enormous strides Freemasonry had

made since His Royal Highness was installed as Grand Master in 1875 , having been elected the previous year . In 1874 there were 1 , 526 Lodges on the roll , there were now nearly 2 , 500 , which showed how thc Craft had prospered under his rule . The Duko of Connaught was Pro Grand

Master of Sussex and last year presided at the Girls' School Festival . The late Duke of Albany had also been an enthusiastic Mason , as well as other members of the Royal House . The toast was drnnk amidst loud applause . Viscount Dnngarvan Prov . Grand Master for Somerset responded for

the Grand Officers , and remarked that as his Province depended upon agriculture , which at the present time was in a state of depression , he was not able to bring up a large amount of subscriptions , but it must not be forgotten that they had done well last year . It would nofc do to ride tho