Next Year's Benevolent Festival.

and the numbers not elected 26 men and 30 widows . These latter figures have been reduced by deaths , but at the moment of writing there are still 24 men and 26 widows remaining from the May election , while petitions from 15 men and 14 widows have

been since accepted , so that the candidates now seeking election are 39 men and 40 widows—in round figures 80 old people who are without the means of supporting themselves , and with few or no relatives or friends to help them . Moreover , between now and

the end of the year , further petitions will be received and dealt with by the Committee , and to judge from what has happened in the past , there is every likelihood that when the lists are finally settled , they will be found to include fully 100

applicantsall aged and indigent , and all of them persons whose claims to election upon the Funds have been most carefully examined , and approved . What makes the case still worse is that there are

absolutely no vacancies at all on the Widows' Fund at the present time , the Committee having only just been able to fill up the last of the three deferred annuities of the last election ; while

on the Male Fund there are some two vacancies . Hence , even if the lists of candidates are smaller than they have been in recent years , the number of vacancies is smaller still . Thus , what between the number of candidates and the paucity of vacancies ,

the position is one of great difficulty , and all that remains for us to do is to urge upon lodges and brethren the importance of rendering all the help they can in a quarter where help is so imperatively needed . If the proceeds of next year ' s Benevolent

Festival are even approximately anything like what they were in February last there may , perhaps , be a chance of something favourable turning up for the candidates ; at present , the chances of many of them being elected are the reverse of hopeful .

United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

The following is the business to be transacted on Wednesday next , the 5 th instant : 1 . The minutes of the Quarterly Communication of the 5 th September for confirmation . 2 . To read acknowledgement of a resolution of Grand Lodge from the M . W . Grand Master on the occasion of the death of H . R . H . the Duke ot

Saxe-Coburg and Gotha . 3 . Nomination of a Grand Master for the ensuing year . 4 . Nomination of a Grand Treasurer for the ensuing year . 5 . Appointment and investment of a President of the Baard o Bei evolence . 6 . Election of a Senior and Junior Vice-President of the Board of

Benevolence . 7 . Election of 12 Past Masters to serve on the Board of Benevolence for the year ensuing . 8 . Report of the Board of Benevolence for the months of September , October , and November , in which are recommendations for the following grants , viz .: A brother of the Marquess of Ripon Lodge , No . 14 S 9 ,

London . .. ••• ••• ••• £ 75 ° o A brother cf the Windrush Lodge , No . 1703 , Witney ... 50 o o The widow of a brother of the Etonian Lodge , No . 209 , Windsor ... ... — 75 o 0 A brother of the Derwent Lodge , No . 40 , Hastings ... 50 o o A brother of the Lodge of Sincerity , No . 174 , London ... 50 o o The widow of a brother of the Rosslyn Lodge , No . 1543 ,

Dunmow ... ... 50 o o Tie widow cf a brother of the Alexandra Lodge , No . 9 S 5 , Sutton Bridge ... ... ... 50 o o 1 he widow of a brother of the Elliot Lodge , No . 1567 , Feltham ... ... ... ... 75 o 0 Tie widow of a brother of the Selwyn Lodge , No . 1901 , London ... ... ••• ••• 5 ° o o

REPORT OF THE BOARD OV GENERAL PURPOSES . To the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England . The Board begs to report that the subscriptions to the South African Masonic Relief Fund , received by the Grand Secretary , pursuant to the resolution of Grand Lodgeand announced from time to time in The Freemason newspaper ,

, amount to i , io , U 4 10 s . tod ., of which the sum of £ 9000 has been transmitted to South Africa , where it is in the course of distribution by a committee , the composition of which had been approved by the Board . The Board further reports that , it having been brought to the notice of the Premises Committee that a freehold stable in New Yard , situate between freehold premises the property of Grand Lodge , and let on . 1 yearly tenancy at a rental of

/ T 2 per annum , was to be offered lor sale by public auction , two members of the Committee and the Grand Secretary had , on their responsibility , purchased the property at such auction for the sum of £ 7 60 , The Board recommends that Grand Lodge avail itself of the offer of the purchasers to make over the purchase to Grand Lodge for the amount so agreed to be paid . for the

The Board further reports that , protection of the building of Freemasons' Hall and its contents , it has authorised the engagement , at a salary of fz a wick , 11 I n night-watchman , forrnerly a member of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade who will br also charged with the responsibility of keeping in working oroer the liit-txlinj ; uistiiiig apparatus throughout the building . The Board also reports that , on the recommendation of the Officers' and

United Grand Lodge.

Clerks' Committee , it has approved the increase of the salary of Bro , Palmer a clerk in the Grand Secretary ' s office , from ^ 150 to £ 200 per annum , with a further increase of . £ 10 a year until it reaches ^ 250 , and the increase of the salary of Bro . Leonard Cook , another clerk , from ^ 150 per annum by annual increments of . £ 10 until it reaches . £ 200 a year .

The Board has received a communication from the Hon . Secretary of the City and Borough Clerks of the Peace Society , directing attention to the fact that the requirements of the 39 th Geo . III ., c . 79 , under which lists ot members of all lodges have to be annually filed with Clerks of the Peace , have in many cases been disregarded , notwithstanding that forms of return are sent annually by the Grand Secretary to every lodge .

The Board has to report that the following presentations have been made to the Library and Museum since the last meeting of Grand Lodge , all of which have been accepted with

thanks—TITLE AND OBJECT . BY WHOM PRESENTED . Proceedings of Grand Lodge Prince Edward Island f The Grand Secretary of Prince „ ( 'S 75 . 1 SS 5 ) ... ... ... ... £ Edward Island . Masonic Addresses by A . Bellamy Brown ... W . H . Stone , D . G . M ., Japan . Four Masonic Medals ... ... 5 J- w : Squires , P . M ., Wis'" ( . consin . A German Masonic Firing Glass ... ... Ernest M . Money , P . A . G . D . C .

Freemasonry , British , Continental , & o ... ... f J \„ \ Thomp , ? ' Prov S G . ( . Warden , co . Down . Prestonian Lectures in Manuscript ... ... James Terry , P . G . S . B . Rules , & c , Sup . Council 33 , iSoo ... ... ( r ? A k Y' PortIock Dodson , ( , r . U . U ., & C . A Moorish Coin ? W ^ T Christian , P . P . G . S . Wks . Anderson's Constitutions , 1756 ... ... Dr . Mai ' tland Coffin , P . M .

Medal of the Three Pillars Lodge ... ... £ D ^ Crowe ' - -G - ° - A Massive Silver Snuff-box ... ... ... Charles Lacey , P . P . G . Deacon . Gould ' s History of Freemasonry ... ... John Smithers , A . G . D . C . An Old Masonic Silver Medal ... ... M . Spiegel , P . M . Three Old Prints ... ... ( F . G . Swinden , P . A . G . D . C .

I ( R . A . ) . The Board also submit a statement of the Grand Lodge accounts at the last meeting of the Finance Committee , held on Friday , the 16 th day of November showing a balance in the Bank of England ( Law Courts Branch ) of . i ' 9183 19 s . r 5 d . ' and in the hands of tho Grand Secretary for petty cash , £ 100 , and for

servants' wages £ 100 . ( Signed ) RICHARD LOVELAND LOVELAND , President . Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C , November 20 th , 1000 .

9 . Names of brethren nominated to the offices of Senior and Junior Vice-President of the Board of Benevolence : Bros . David Dixon Mercer , P . G . P ., as Senior Vice-President ; and Henry Garrod , P . G . P ., as Junior Vice-President .

10 . Names of Past Masters nominated to serve' on the Board of Benevolencs : Bros . James Block , P . M . 115 S ; William B . Caton , P . M . 1365 ; John Ellinger , P . M . 2222 ; S . H . Goldschmidt , P . M . 1329 ; G . N . E . Hamilton , P . M . 1446 ; Fredk . \ V . Hancock , P . M . 548 ; William Kipps , P . M . 1275 ; Edwd . Ni ghtingale , P . M . 87 ; E . VV . Pillinger , P . M . 902 ; J . S . Pointon , P . M . 1861 ; Chas . Hy . Stone , P . M . 507 ; and Robert \ Vallwood Ker , P . M . 194 .

List of lodges for which warrants have been granted by the M . W . G . M . since the last Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge : No . 2 S 30 , The North of Gogra , Gonda , Bengal . 2831 , The Roil , Alizarh , Bengal . 2832 , The Excelsior , Dagshai , Punjab .

23 S 3 , The Alfred Milner , Muizenberg , Cape Colony . 2834 , The Devonian , London . -835 i The Basutoland , Maseru , Basutoland . - Sj'i , The Yoruba , West Africa . 2 S 37 , The Sir Walter Raleigh , Liverpool .

Mark Grand Lodge.

MARK GRAND LODGE .

The following is the business to be transacted on Tuesday next , the 4 th instant : 1 . Read and , if approved , confirm minutes of Quarterly Communication of 4 th September . 2 . Report of the General Uoard . 3 . A motion will be made that the report be taken as read . 4 . A motion will be made that the report be received and entered on the minutes .

5 . Recommendation arising out of the report : ( a ) That the thanks of Grand Lodge be offered to R . W . Bro . the Viscount Dungarvan for his valued and valuable services as Deputy Grand Master during the seven years ending June , 1900 , and that he be asked to accept the clothing of his rank .

( 6 ) That the following lodges be erased : Victoria , No . 301 ; Henniker , No . 314 . ( c ) That Bro . Edwatd Terry , Ruspini Lodge , No . 363 , be confirmed in the rank and privileges of a Past Master . ( it ) That the thanks of Grand Lodge be given to Bro . Imre

Kiralfy for the gift of specimens of ancient Japanese armour and a Zulu Kaross . (<¦) That tl e turn of £ be voted to the widow of a brother of Lodge No . 28 . 6 . A motion will be proposed ihat the Report be adopted . 7 . Nomination of the M . W . Grand Master for the ensuing year . S . Nomination of Grand Treasurer for the ensuing year .

Grand Council Of The Allied Masonic Degrees.

GRAND COUNCIL OF THE ALLIED MASONIC DEGREES .

The annual meeting was held at Mark Masons' Hall , Great Queenstreet , W . C , on Muiday , the 12 th ult ., when there were present Bros , the Right Hon . the Karl of Euston , G . M . ; Charles Belton , D . G . M . ; C . F . Matier , G . Sec , P . D . G . M . ; R . L . Loveland , P . D . G . M . ; Major C . W Carrell , P . G . W ., as S . G . W . ; W . Goodacre , P . G . W ., as J . G . W , ; A-