The Masonic Banquet At The Mansion House.

THE MASONIC BANQUET AT THE MANSION HOUSE .

THE meeting at the Mansion House on Monday , when His Eoyal Highness the Prince of Wales , Grand Master of Masons in England , accompanied by his brother , the Dnke of Connanght , Past Grand Senior Warden , and Prince John of Glucksburg , was right royally entertained at dinner by the Right Hon . Sir F . Wyatt Trnscott , Grand

Junior Warden for the present year , will be an ever memorable event in the annals , not only of that Civic hospitality for -which London from the earliest times has been renowned , but also of English Freemasonry , which was so munificently honoured on the occasion . We are

not going to be so silly as to affirm that this particular gathering is ever likely to take precedence , in the minds of Craftsmen , of other grand gatherings . The installation as Grand Master of George Prince of Wales—afterwards George IV . —was a grand Masonic display , and evoked

loud manifestations of joy from the Craft generally . Tho meeting in December 1813 , at which the Union of the Ancient and Modern Grand Lodges was consummated , with His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex as Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England , was an

event , the inestimable benefits of which it would be a task of supreme difficulty to determine , if only we regard it as terminating a schism which for somo three quarters of a century had split Freemasonry into two rival , or , rather , be it said , two hostile camps . The installation of His

Royal Highness the Prince of Wales as Grand Master on that brightest of red-letter days , in April 1875 , when all the most distinguished members of the Craft were assembled in the Royal Albert Hall , South Kensington , to witness and take part in the glorious ceremony ,

can never be surpassed , though in the ages to come it may perhaps be equalled in pomp and circumstance aud general feelings of rejoicing . But though we very properly refrain from giving undue importance to the reception and entertainment on Monday at the Mansion

House of the Grand Master by his able and popular Grand Junior Warden , we shall make no secret of our opinion that , of its kind , it is not only one of the most successful , but likewise one of the most brilliant gatherings of the Craft—and unique withal—it has ever been the good

fortune of the Masonic journalist or historian to record . There have been ere now Lord Mayors of London who also took a prominent part in Freemasonry— Alderman Stone is a case in point ; and we believe we are right in saying that Monday was not the first occasion on which

Grand Lodge has been entertained by the chief magistrate of the City of London . But having due regard , and giving all due prominence , to Masonic celebrations of a somewhat similar character which have been held in past days , we still hold that that of Monday will ever stand out

from them as singular in its way . Lord Mayor Trnscott , for instance , during his term of office , has shown himself to be a worthy representative of our leading Civic magnates . He has not only been the chief guardian of the rights and privileges of his fellow-citizens , —those rights

and privileges which have been , so to speak , handed down from time immemorial , and excited the admiration , as they have enlisted the warm sympathy ancl support , of all loyal

Englishmen . He has also , in a modest yet munificent manner , upheld its ancient reputation for hospitality , and has dispensed a hearty welcome to representatives of all classes , whether Civic officials , distinguished foreigners , or

The Masonic Banquet At The Mansion House.

tho highest and ablest in the land . With such a roll of achievements to point to , his lordship might well havo contented himself with HO admirable a fulfilment of his many and arduous , though , on occasions , most agreeable duties . But , albeit , in these prosaic days , even a Lord

Mayor may be forgiven for not inventing or discovering something new , Sir b . Trnscott had the good fortune to suggest to himself that tho entertainment by him as Grand Junior Warden of England , in his official residence as Lord Mayor of London , of the Prince of Wales as Grand Master

of Masons , would form a glorious climax to his other achievements . Tho result was the banquet of Monday , of which wo give particulars elsewhere , when , in addition to the royal brethren wo havo enumerated , woro present well nigh all tho most distinguished members of the Masonic

brotherhood . Among thorn wore tho Earl of Lathom , Deputy Graud Master of England and Prov . Grand Master of W . Lancashire , Lord Leigh Prov . G . Master of Warwick , the Earl of Hardwicko Prov . Grand Master of Cambridgeshire , Sir E . A . H . Lechmore Bart ., M . P ., Prov .

Grand Master of Worcestershire , It . W . Bro . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., Provincial Grand Master of Hants and the Isle of Wight , Lord Suffield Prov . Grand Master of Norfolk , the Marquess of Londonderry , K . P ., Prov . Grand Master of Durham , together with other brethren , moro or

less distinguished , to the number of some three hundred . The Lord Mayor ' s own Lodge , Grand Master ' s No . 1 , was , of course , strongly represented , while , as regards the banquet , tho appointments , and , indeed , the accessories generally , no effort had been spared to make it what it

proved and deserved to be , a most brilliant and unique success—a success among successes oven in the role of London hospitalities . Ten days hence , and the present occupant of tho Civic throne will take rank among tho honoured Past Masters of Civic administration ; but though

sticcessors to him may bo found in every way as worth y as himself of being appointed to so high a position , and as well calculated to fulfil these duties with the same feelings of loyalty and generosity , we imagine thoy will experience somo difficulty in surpassing him . At all

events , as the repetition of a celebration cannot possibly be brought within tho category of novelties , with the respected name of Lord Mayor Trnscott , Grand Junior Warden of England , will ever be associated the honour of having conceived and carried out the idea of entertaining at the Mansion House tho Prince of Wales as Grand Master of

the United Grand Lodge of England . We must now bring our few remarks to an end , and , in doing so , we most heartily congratulate his lordship on his reception of the Grand Master and his brethren at his official residence on the evening of Monday .

Grand Lodge Of Massachusetts.

GRAND LODGE OF MASSACHUSETTS .

THE regular Quarterly Communication of this Grand Lodge was held at tho Masonic Temple , Boston , on Wednesday , 8 th September , on which occasion tho M . W . the Grand Master , Bro . Charles Alfred Welch , occupied the

throne ; he v ,-ds supported by a numerous assemblage of Grand Officdvs , D . D . Grand Masters , & e ., together with the representatives of eighty-three ot tho Lodges under his jurisdiction . After tho formal proceedings as to opening

the Grand Lodge had been complied with , the Grand Master addressed the brethren in relation to the capitation , tax , congratulating them upon the spirit and zeal of the