Grand Festival Of United Grand Lodge.

Major-Gen . J . WIMBURN LAURIE , M . P ., proposed "The Provincial and District Grand Masters . " and said he represented a character he had never yet heard of being represented in Grand Lodge—Moses the Prophet on the top of Pisgah looking at a country that at present he was not permitted to enter , although he had the advantage of Moses as far as prophecy was concerned , and would enter into that country . The brethren had heard from the Pro Grand Master the good work Masonry was doing , and

the great forward step it was taking , and the improvement in its tone ; the Charity it exercised both inside and outside its borders . If it were not soif those outside the Craft did not realise what the Craft was doing—if they only believed that the Craft were working within themselves , they would not come into it ; it was because Masons' work was shown outside that they were" anxious to join it . Of the Prov . Grand M asters he had little to say , except that they followed the example stt by the Grand Master and Pro

Grand Master in giving their time to Masonry . The result was that Masonry had prospered in the Metropolis and the provinces . But there were large numbers outside the land , and the brethren were deeply indebted to the District Grand Masters " ; they worked spiritedly for the mother country , and without them they would be situated disadva ntageously . He coupled with the toast the name of Bro . George Richards , Dist . G . M . of the Transvaal —( loud applause)—a country which , Masonically , was under the British jurisdiction .

Bro . GEORGE RICHARDS , in reply , said he felt proud that the response to this toast had been placed in his hands , because it gave him the opportunity of standing amid such a large assemblage of the brethren for the first time—face to face with the Pro Grand Master of England , wearing the badge of honour which had been entrusted to him b y his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales . The M . W . Pro Grand Master could convey to the

M . W . G . M . an assurance from him ( Bro . G . Richards ) that in no part of the dominions where his Royal Highness owned Masonic sway was the toast of " The Queen and the Craft" and of " H . R . H . the M . W . G . M . " more honoured and more loyally drunk than in the district of the Transvaal . ( Loud applause . ) Gen . Laurie had spoken in very kindly and feeling terms of the work of the District Grand Masters , and he was right ; they worked

under disadvantages ; lodges were scattered far apart from each other , and the cars that took the members from one lodge to another were not Pulman cars . The btethren , however , tried to maintain the tone of Masonry abroad , and when they admitted a brother they were very careful about him , and saw whether he was a man who would help to make the world better than

he found it . ( Cheers . ) He trusted that as years went on the Most Worshipful Grand Master would be able to echo the sentiments which were uttered by the Pro Grnd Master that evening that Masonry year by year was rapidly improving , raising itself in tone , and would year by year rise and be greater in this land and in Greater Britain outside .

Lord PORTARLINGTON , S . G . W ., responded to the toast of " The Grand Officers , " which was proposed by Bro . Rev . C . J . MARTYN , P . G . C Bro . Rev . C W . CHILDE , G . C , proposed " The Charities . " Bro . FRANCIS R . W . HEDGES , P . G . S . B ., Secretary Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , in reply , said he was glad to think at that hour the brethren only required a short speech . They were fairly in the

festival season . Ihe Benevolent Institution very recently celebrated a most successful festival , and he ventured to think it would be a red letter day in the calendar of that Institution , and its managers would gratefully remember the past . The Boys' School were in the throes of anxiety—wait " ing to know the verdict the brethren were going to give at the end of June . In the immediate future—that day fortnight the Girls' would have their festival , and he hoped that Institution would meet with a good result .

Bro . Sir AUGUSTUS WEBSTER proposed " The Stewards , " which toast was responded to by the President , Bro . S . BROWN . Bro . the Rev . H . R . COOPER SMITH , D . D ., P . G . Chaplain , proposed " The Ladies . "

Bro . BRANDON , Sec . of the Board of Grand Stewards , acknowledged . The brethren then joined the ladies in the Temple , where a splendid concert was given under Bro . Henry Robert Rose , F . R . A . M ., Past Grand Organist , by Madame Clara Samuel , Miss Marian Mackenzie , the Meister Glee Singers ( Bros . W . Sexton , W . Forington , Gregory Hast , and Webster Norcross ) , and Madame Anna Lang . The portraits of the new Grand Officers will form a Presentation Plate of our Diamond Jubilee Number .

H.R.H. The Prince Of Wales's Visit To Oxford.

H . R . H . THE PRINCE OF WALES'S VISIT TO OXFORD .

The arrangements for the forthcoming visit of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales On the _ occasion of the opening of the new Municipal Buildings on the 12 th inst . are being completed on an elaborate scale . Beside the above function , the Prince will inspect the Queen ' s Own Oxfordshire Hussars in the morning on Port Meadow , the University Volunteers furnishing a guard of honour at the Great Western Railway Station . Atter the inspection the Prince will lunch at the Randolph Hotel with Bro . Col . Viscount Valentia , M . P ., and the officers of the

Hussars , and at half-past three a procession will leave the hotel for the Municipal Buildings , in the carriages of which there will be Lord and Lad y Valentia , the High Steward and Lady Jersey , the Mayor ( Alderman Buckell ) and Mayoress , the Vice-Chancellor of the University , the Recorder ( the Hon . Alfred Lyttleton , M . P . ) , and others . The Mayor will present his Royal Highness with a gold key from a casket of beaten silver , on which will be the Royal arms and those of the Prince , the city , and the University in enamel , and a special choir of a hundred voices , under the direction of air

John btainer , who will preside at the organ , will sing the National Anthem in the Town Hall . An address from the Corporation will be read by the Recorder , to which the Prince will reply , and the Mayor will , in the name ' of the citizens , thank his Royal Highness for the honour done to the city by his visit . A guard of honour of the city companies of the 2 nd Oxfordshire Volunteer Battalion , with the headquirters band , will be mounted at the new buildings , and the remainder

of the men of the companies , the University Volunteers , the Fire Brigade , and police belonging to the city and the county and from London will line the route of the procession . It has also been arranged that the Prince shall open the completed part of the buildings of the new Sarah Acland Home for f rse 1 f . on tne Banbury-road , so that altogether he will discharge a large amount or public duty during the day . He will be the euest of the Dean of Christ

* -nurch and Mrs . Paget , and will stay at the Deanery for the night . In the evening the Mayor will give a grand reception , at which the Prince will be present ; receptions will be given on four evenings to the burgesses of the wards of he city , and the festivities will be wound up by a banquet given by the Mayor on he 20 th inst . ' ' 7

Grand Officers.

GRAND OFFICERS .

SENIOR GRAND WARDEN . Bro . the Earl of PORTAKLINGTON , an Irish representative peer , who succeeded to the title in 18 92 , though he has not been a member of our Order for more than 10 years has exhibited a deep interest in its welfare and taken a more than usuall y active part in its proceedings . He was initiated in Faith and Unanimity Lodge , No . 417 , Dorchester , on the 1 st September , 1886 , joined All Souls' Lodge , No . 170 ,

Weymouth , in June , 1 S 88 , and the Studholme and Pegasus Lodges , Nos . 1591 and 2205 respectively in 18 95 , and last year became a founder of the Household Brigade Lodge , No . 2614 , and of the Military Lodge , No . 2621 , as well as W . M . of the Pegasus Lodge , No . 2205 . He was exalted a Royal Arch Mason in the Chapter , No . 417 , Dorsetshire , in April , 18 94 , and not long since became founder of the Military Chapter , No . 2621 , and but that illness compelled him to be absent from the

consecration and installation ceremonies , would have been installed as its First Principal Z . In the Mark Degree he is a member of the All Souls' Lodge , No . 126 , Weymouth , and the Euston Lodge , No . 399 , and in 18 95 was appointed S . G . W . of Mark Grand Lodge . He is the present G . P . C . of W . in the Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters , an officer of the All Souls Preceptory , Weymouth ,

and Past Prov . Officer of Dorsetshire in the Order of the Temple , and a member of the Weymouth Chapter , No . 4 , of Rose Croix , i 8 , under the Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Rite . He is likewise a Life Governor of , and last year served , as Steward for the Mark Benevolent Fund . His lordship was formerly lieutenant in the Scots Guards and High Sheriff of Queen ' s County .

JUNIOR GRAND WARDEN . Bro . Lord STANLEY , M . P ,, son of Bro . the Earl of Derby , P . G . W ., Past Dep P . G . M . West Lancashire , and grandson of the 14 th Earl of Derby , who was known for his impassioned eloquence as the " Rupert of Debate , " and thrice held the office of Prime Minister to her Majesty the Queen , was initiated in the Studholme Lodge , No . IS 9 1 . on the 15 th June , 1891 , is a joining member of Anchor and Hope Lodge , No . 37 , Bolton , and last year was one of the founders of the

Household Brigade Lodge , No . 2614 . He is also a Mark Mason , and at the pre - sent time occupies the office of Senior Grand Warden of Mark Grand Lodge . His lordship was formerly Lieutenant Grenadier Guards , and served as Aide-de-C . imp to his father when Governor-General of Canada . He is a Junior Lord of the Treasury , and one of the Government Whips , and married the Lady Alice , daughter of W . Drogo , seventh Duke of Manchester , who for many years , was Prov . G . Master of Northants and Hunts .

GRAND CHAPLAINS . Bro . the Very Rev . S . REYNOLDS HOLE , D . D .. Dean of Rochester , is a Mason of very many years' standing , having been initiated in the Alfred Lodge , No . 340 , Oxford , on the 22 nd February , 1842 , in the days when the late Duke of Sussex , grand uncle of his Royal Highness the . Prince of Wales , was still on the throne of United Grand Lodge . On the 21 st February of the following year , our

Very Rev . brother joined the Apollo University Lodge , No . 357 , having for his contemporaries the late John , seventh Duke of Marlborough , K . G ., sometime Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland , and the late Marquis or Londonderry , Prov . Grand Master of Durham , 1880-4 . In December , 1847 , he joined the Royal Sussex Lodge , No . 402 , Nottingham . He has also taken other Degrees up to and inclusive of that of Rose Croix , t 8 ° , in the system of the Ancient and Accepted

Rite . Last year a very pleasing ceremony took place in Rochester Cathedral , on the 16 th August , when , by the invitation of Bro . Dean Hole , Bro . the Rev . W- C . Hubbard , of Rochester , in the State of New York , a Past Master of a . lodge In that city , and a Past G . Chaplain of the Grand Lodge of New York , who was the bearer of a processional cross as a gift from the citizens of Rochester , New York , to the Cathedral Church of Rochester , England , occupied the pulpit and preached a very eloquent sermon in the presence of the offi : ers and members of our

Rochester lodges , all wearing their Masonic insignia . At the close of the service , the lodges adjourned to the Corn Exchange , where they were joined by the Mayor , the Dean , and the Rev . Bro . Hubbard , and when the last named had received a cordial welcome from the Mayor , Bro . Dean Hole , who also wore his Masonic clothing , presented Bro , Hubbard , on behalf of the Gundulph and other lodges with an address , in which he referred to the great kindness he himself had received when visiting the United States , and especially from Bro . Hubbard .

Bro . tVie Rev . C . VENN CntLDE , M . A ., UL . D ., was initiated in the Isaac Newton University Lodge , No . 859 , on the 30 th October , 1871 , and the folllowing year became a founder of the Lodge SS . Peter and Paul , No . 1410 , Newport Pagnell , of which in 18 75 he was installed as W . M . and had conferred upon him the office of Prov . Grand Registiar of Berks and Bucks . In 1885 he joined the Foundation Lodge , No . 82 , Cheltenham , and in 1887 , the Royal Union Lodge ,

No . 246 , meeting in the same town , in both of which he holds at the present time the office of Chaplain , while on the 27 th December , 1892 , he was installed in the chair of the former . In 18 91 he was appointed Prov . Grand Chaplain of Gloucestershire . Bro , Childe is also a Royal Arch Mason , having been exalted in the Chapter of Unanimity , No . 82 , on the 8 th June , 18 93 and is a member of

, the Oxford and Cambridge University Chapter of Rose Croix , 18 ° , No . 45 , London . He has served as Steward for both our Scholastic Institutions , and is a Vice-President of the Boys' School and a Life Governor of the Girls' School , while in addition he is a member of the Provincial Charity Committee of Gloucestershire ,

GRAND TREASURER . Bro . Alderman W . VAUGHAN MORGAN , who had the honour of being unan !< mously elected to the office of Grand Treasurer for the ensuing year at the Quarterly Communication of United Grand Lodge , on the 3 rd March , was initiated in the Burlington Lodge , No . 96 , on the 14 th March , 1865 , and was installed its W . M . on the 10 th February , 18 74 . In September , 1892 , he joined the Cordwainers '

Lodge , Nn . 2241 , and a few years later was elected and installed as Master , while on the 25 th February of the present year , he became the principal founder and first W . M . of the Christ ' s Hospital Lodge , No . 2650 . He is a Royal Arch Mason , having been exalted in the Prince of Wales Chapter , No . 259 , on the 3 rd February , 1871 , and installed in its chair of First Principal Z . on the 6 th February , 1885 . He is thus a Mason of long experience , and in the course ofhis career has shown

his affection for the Craft by generously supporting its scholastic and Benevolent Institutions , being a Vice-Patron of all three , and having served as Festival Steward twice on behalf of the Boys' School , and twice for the Girls' School . In 18 95 he was nominated as a candidate for the office of Grand Treasurer , but was defeated . In 18 96 he was nominated for a second time for the same post , but in order to spare Grand Lodge the trouble and excitement

of a contested election , he withdrew his candidature in favour of Bro . W . H . Bailey , and Grand Lodge has since shown its appreciation of this act by unanimously returning him as the successor of that brother . Bro . Morgan is a man of influence in civic circles , and justly popular . He is the Treasurer of Christ ' s Hospital , in which school he received his early training , and a few years since was elected a member of the Court of Aldermen of London ,