Our Weekly Budget.

was present , for the purpose of congratulating him on having been raised to ambassadorial rank . Two masters of the ceremonies were present from the King ' s palace ,

and an officer of rank attended from the War office to present the chiefs of the army . The assemblage was a brilliant one , all the guests being in full dress as at a reception by the King .

At the Levee , on Monday last , Bro . Lieut .-Col . Creaton P . G . D . was presented by Bro . Lord Carrington . The Victoria Park Swimming Club will commence operations for the coming season on Whit Monday . Entries for the events , which consist of a 200 Yards Handicap , 80 Yards Race for Boys , and a 100 Yards Race for Members , should be sent to Bro . T . Hadley Prestage , the Hon . Sec , 531 Hackney Road , by 1 st June next .

We are requested to state that there is no truth in the rumour we recently copied from another journal , that the proprietors of the popular " Specialite Sherry , " are forming their business into a Joint Stock Company Limited . Messrs . Feltoe and Sons have no idea of doing so .

LOYALTY LODGE , NO . 1607 . —We are sorry the appointment of Bro . C . J . Perceval , as S . D . of this Lodge , was omitted in our report last week .

The Provincial Grand Lodge of Essex will assemble on Tuesday , the 30 th inst ., at Dovercourt . Grand Lodge will be opened at 1 . 80 , under the presidency of R . W . Bro . R . J . Bagshaw , Prov . G . M .

On Wednesday the Provincial Grand Lodge of Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire will assemble , under the banner of St . Peter ' s 442 , at St . Peter ' s College , Peterborough . Lodge will be opened at twelve o ' clock , by his Grace tho Duke of Manchester , Prov . G . M . After which

the brethren will proceed to the Cathedral , service commencing at two p . m ., when a sermon will be preached , and a collection made in aid of the Masonic charities ancl the

building fund of St . Mary's Church , Peterborough . At the conclusion of the service the brethren will proceed to the church of St . Mary ' s , where the first stone of a new aisle will be laid by the Prov . G . M .

The thirty-two female candidates at the election last week to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution form two groups of sixteen each , the first consisting of eleven who were applicants for the third , and five who were applicants a second time ; while the other sixteen had not previously been candidates . Ten of the former and eleven of tho

latter were elected ; and of these ten , six were successful at their third , and four at their second attempt . The highest on the poll was No . 16 , an applicant for the second time ; Nos . 2 and 3 were first applications , and No . 4 a third application . Of the eleven unsuccessful , five were third ,

one second , and four first applications , while one first , No . 18 , was withdrawn . Three of the older candidates scored less than ten additional votes , namely : No 5 , five ; No . 10 , nine ;

and No . 15 , two . No . 2 increased her total by only 33 , while No . 7 , who had brought forward only four votes , was within four of being elected . One candidate obtained nd support whatever .

A meeting of the members of the Most Puissant Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters of England , & c , will be held on Tuesday , the 80 th inst ., at four o ' clock in the afternoon . Business : —To receive such candidates as may be in attendance .

Captain Smith , in his " Use and Abuse of Freemasonry , " published in 1783 , states the number and distribution of Lodges throughout the world to be as follows : — Europe 1217 Lodges .

America ... 187 „ Asia ... 76 „ Africa 13 .,

Total ... ... 1523 Estimating " these , one with another , at thirty members in each , " he obtains as tl » - t ^ tal number of Masons at that time on the muster-rolls of the Order , 45 , 690 . Now there are just over 1 , 500 Lodges under Grand Lodge of England alone , while in New York State there are over 80 , 000 Masons .

Warrants Of Old Lodges.

WARRANTS OF OLD LODGES .

WE hope to succeed in publishing all tho important Warrants of Lodges holding originally under tho " Ancients , " and thus complete the information lacking in Bro . Ilnghan ' s "Memorials of tho Masonic Union of 1813 . " All who have been privileged to secure copies of this work will bo aware that tho dates of constitution of tho

" Ancient" Lodges aro left blank , just as in tho Calendar of the Grand Lodge of England , excepting No . 19 . It is onr intention to fill in all these blanks as far as possible , so that in a future edition of tho " Memorials " Bro . Hughan will be able to add ( with thoso he already has ) the dates of warrants of tho

Ancients , and wo hope tho information we shall thus publish will prove useful in tho compilation of Bro . Spencer ' s contemplated history of the Lodges under the Grand Lodgo of England . Transcripts of tho Warrants of old Lodges are valuable for many reasons , chiefly , however , because tho particulars of tho origin of

each Lodge so described , names of tho first Worshipful Master , Wardens , and so on aro noted . We shall not confine ourselves to the " Ancient" Warrants , for tho " Moderns , " especially from 1722 , shall receive duo attention ; but as for a time the " Seceders " will receive special notice it may bo well

to explain , for tho benefit of all concerned , that frequently tho places of meeting have been changed , and consequently tho town named on a warrant may not indicate where the Lodgo is now held . We make use of Brother Hughan ' s " Memorials " as far as possible to supply the alterations in the numbers , but wo cannot supply the

changes in tho places of meeting at all times , because of lack of information at present . We shall be glad to bo favoured with exact copies of any old

warrants and particulars for publication , and fraternally invite the assistance and co-operation of tho Graft to this end . AU communications in reference to this Department to be addressed JOHN CONSTABLE , 13 Sise-lane , Queen Victoria-street , E . C . 20 th May 1876 .

Old Warrants, No. 1.

Old Warrants , no . 1 .

No . 98 ( Ancients ); No . 123 , A . D . 1814 ( at tho Union ) ; 99 , A . D . 1832 ; and 84 from A . D . 1863 . Held at Guernsey from tho commencement to the present time .

ATHOL , GRAND MASTEK . JOHN B . ROACHE , S . G . W . Tiros . HARPER , D . G . M . RICHARD HUMPHREYS , J . G . W . So all fobom it mm » tonttrn , © It , the GRAND LODGE of the Most Ancient and Honourable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons

according to the old Constitutions , granted by his Koyal Highness Prince Edwin , at York , A . D , 926 , and in tho year of Masonry 4926 ; in ample form assembled , viz ., tho R . W . the Most Noble Prince John ( the 4 th ) Duke , Marquis , and Earl of Athol , Marquis ancl Earl of Tullibardine , Earl of Strathsay and Stratharde , Viscount Balquider ,

Glenalvon and Glenalmond , Lord Murray , Belveny , and Gask , heritable Constable of tho Castle of Kincleaveu , Lord of Man and Tho Isles , ancl Earl Strange and Baron Murray of Stanley , in the county of Gloucester , Grand Master of Masons ; the R . W . John Harper , Esq ., D . G . M ; the R . W . John Bryant Roacbe , Esq ., S . G . W . ; and the

R . W . Richard Humphreys , Esq ., J . G . W . ; with the approbation and consent of the Warranted Lodges held within the city and suburbs of London ancl Westminster , do hereby authorise and empower our trusty and well-beloved brethren , viz ., the W . Sir John Doyle , Bart ., one of our Master Masons , the W . David Watson , Esq ., his S . W ., and

the W . Thos . Le Lievre , Esq ., his J . W ., to form and hold a Lodgo of Free and Accepted Masons aforesaid , at tho Crown and Anchor Tavern , Guernsey , under tho name and title of Doylo ' s Lodgo of Fellowship , upon tho second Monday of overy month , and all seasonable times and lawful occasions , and in tho said Lodge ( when duly

congregated ) to admit and make Freemasons , according to the most ancient ancl honourable custom of tho Royal Craft in all ages and nations throughout the known world . And Wo hereby further authorise and empower our Mud trusty and well-beloved brethren , Sir John Doyle , Bart ., David Watson , and Thos . Lo Lievre ( with tho

consent ot tho members of their Lodge ) to nominate , choso , and instal their successors , to whom they shall deliver this Warrant , and iuvest them with tho dignities and powers of Free Masons , and such successors shall , in liko manner , nominate , chose , and instal their successors , such installations being held as near St . John ' s Day as

Possible , during the continuance of this Lodge for over . Provided the above-named brethren , aud all their successors , always pay duo respect to the R . W . GRAND LODGE , otherwise this Warrant to bo of no force or value .

Given under onr hand aud the seal of our GRAND LODGE in London this 14 th day of September , in tho year of our Lord 1807 , ancl in the year of Masonry 5 S 07 . ROBERT LESLIE , Grand Secretary .

NOTE . —This Warrant is rcsist-red in the Grand Lodge , Vol . 3 , Letters C and E , 17 th March J . 7 G 2 . The present title and number , & o ., are " Doyle ' s Lodge of Fellowship ) No . 84 , Oruernsey . " -- . CQNSTAMIEI