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CONTENTS . PAGE C 8 ADBRThe Benevolent Festival ... ... ... ... ... 103 Annual Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Instituton ... ... 103 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 109 M ASONIC NOTESUnited Grand Lodge ( Agenda Paper ) ... ... ... ... m

Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons ( Agenda Paper ) ... ... in Chairmanship of the Mark Benevolent Fund Festival ... ... m Half-yearly Communication District Grand Mark Lodge of Bengal ... n r Correspondence ... ... ... ... ... ... 112 Reviews ... ••••>•¦•••••¦••— » 3 United Grand Lodge ( Agenda Paper ) ... ... ... . ... 112

Mark Crand Lodge ( Agenda Paper ) ... ... ... ... 113 Koyal Arch ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 11 3 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 114 Mark Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 115

East Lancashire SyUtmatic Masonic Educational and Benevolent Institution 116 Instruction ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 116 Knights Templar ... ... ... . ... ... ... 11 7 Royal Masonic Institution for Girls ... ... ... ... 117 Obituary ... ... ... - ... ... •» r < 7 Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 118

The Benevolent Festival.

THE BENEVOLENT FESTIVAL .

We gladl y take the opportunity of congratulating the Earl o f WARWICK , Dep . Grand Master , Prov . Grand Master of Essex , the Board of Stewards—and especially those who worked for his

lordship ' s Province—and the Benevolent Institution itself on the grand success of Wednesday ' s gathering . For ourselves , we were fully prepared , after the later information that reached us , for an ample contribution—with a band of over 500 ladies and

brethren it could not well be otherwise . But , having regard to the many calls which our whole body politic has been called upon to make during the last 18 months , and the depression to which the lamented death of our late Queen has given rise amonq all

classes and conditions of men , we confess that we have been wellni gh surprised out , of ourselves b y the figures which it was the pleasure and privilege of Bro . JAMES TERRY , the Secretary of the Institution , to announce in the hall of Freemasons' Tavern

on Wednesday evening . The Board of Stewards mustered 597 ladies and brethren , or somewhat less than last year ' s number , but , on the other hand , while the total announced in 1900 was only somewhat •in excess of £ 20 , 000—ultimatel y increased to

over £ 22 , 000—the Returns on this occasion reached £ 25 , 542 18 s ., London , with 283 Stewards contributing £ 12 , 338 10 s ., and the 1 ' rovinces , of which 37 out of 46 were represented , £ 13 , 204 8 s .

1 his is the hi g hest aggregate obtained at any Festival in behalf of this Institution , with the single exception of the Jubilee in 18 92 , and , therefore , the satisfaction at such a result will be all the more pronounced .

Nor must we allow the occasion to pass without most heartil y congratulating Bro . TERRY , the Secretary of the Institution , 'iiul his small but energetic staff , on the result . For months past tl'cy have been striving their hardest to secure the funds

necessary to meet the charges of the year , and they now have Iheir reward in a success which not only was not anticipated , ' 't which is unprecedented for a Festival — held under ordinary conditions and without a special

attraction—111 the annals of the Benevolent Institution . Wc must also lender our congratulations to the Institution itself , which will be , l ble to meet its obligations and it may be , make -some additions

10 the roll of annuitants on the two Funds . We bear in mind that new annuities were created both last year and in 18 99 ; but under the circumstances it may be that the Committee will strain

The Benevolent Festival.

a point , if onl y that b y so doing it may lessen appreciably the number of poor old app licants . If something of this ^ kind is done , Lord WARWICK and all who helped his lordship on Wednesday will have good reason to be proud of this year ' s Festival in aid of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution .

Annual Festival Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

The Festival to celebrate the 59 th anniversary of the establishment of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widows of Freemasons was held on Wednesday evening at Freemasons ' Tavern . The Earl of Warwick , R . W . Deputy Gra nd Master , Prov . G . Master for Essex , presided , and was supported by over 400 brethren , many of whom were accompanied by ladies . Among the brethren present

were : Bros . Rear-Admiral St . Clair , P . G . D . ; W . C . Lupton , P . G . D . ; Rev . R . Peek , P . G . C . j W . M . Stiles , P . G . T . j Lieut .-Col . Clifford Probyn , P . G . T . ; E . Letchworth , G . Sec . j J . H . Whadcoat , J . G . D . ; H . L . Florence , G . Supt . Wks . ; C . E . Keyser , P . G . D . ; Lennox Browne , P . Dep . G . D . C . ; Dr . Strong , S . J .

Attenborough , P . A . G . D . C ; F . B . Westlake , P . D . G . D . C ; J . A . Farnfield , P . A . G . D . C , Treasurer of the Institution ; James Stephens , P . D . G . D . C . ; T . J . Railing , P . A . G . D . C ; James Speller , W . H . Bailey , P . G . T . ; Daniel Mayer , S . G . D . ; J . M . McLeod , P . G . S . B ., Sec . R . M . I . B . ; F . R . W . Hedges , P . G . S . B ., Sec . R . M . I . G . ; James Terry , P . G . S . B ., Imre Kiralfy , P . A . G . D . C ; Major Henry Wright , P . G . S . B . j and W . G . Kentish , P . G . Std . Br .

The proceedings commenced with a grand banquet , and afterwards the toasts were proposed . The Earl of WARWICK , in proposing the first toast , " The King , " said this was the first occasion on which he had had the honour of submitting to the brethren the toast which he was now going to propose— " The King and the Craft " —who had passed recently through a very sad time and they , as

loyal subjects—for all Masons were essentially loyal subjects—bad been filled with the deepest sorrow at the loss of the greatest Sovereign , he supposed , ever known in the history of this world . It had always bsen Masons ' custom to associate her name with the toast of the C . aft . Now they drank the health of their King coupled with the Craft . They all knew how greatly Masonry had been honoured by the association of his Majesty with their

Order and they were glad to think that although owing to his exalted position and many duties he would not be able to take that active part in their proceedings which he had hitherto done , yet still he remained the Protector of their Order , and they as loyal subjects could assure him of the deepest loyalty from every Mason throughout his kingdom and Empire . They had the greatest confidence that their King would prove himself a

great King ; they knew he had all the personal qualities which rendered him attractive to the people , and they had it from his own lips that the great thought of his heart for the future would bs the consideration of his people ' s good . It was needless for him to say more on this subject , and he would give them with every good feeling " The health of the Kinrj and the Craft . " The Earl of WARWICK next gave " Her Most Gracious Majesty the

Queen and the other Members of the Royal Family , " and said that from tne very first moment our King brought his bride to these shores the Queen had always been the most popular woman in this country . At the opening of Parliament the other day all those who witnessed the ceremony were impressed by the beauty and the majestic appearance of her Majesty on that occasion . They all knew the great grief she experienced in the loss of

her son and of her mother , but she was ready to take her place and her duties . She had always been the loving Queen of her people . With regard to the other members of the Royal Family , he might say the Duke of Cornwall and York was going to a most distant part of his Majesty's Empire , and they knew the hearty reception he would get there , and that he would cement the ties of brotherly love and affection which existed between the old country and the new . With reference to the Duke of Connaught , they knew

—and they were delighted to know—that they were to have his Royal Highness as their Grand Master , and he knew well the reception his Royal Highness would get when his installation was performed this year . ( Applause . ) The Earl of WARWICK then proposed " The M . W . Pro G . M . ; Earl Amherst , " who he hoped would long be spared to assist the Grand Master in the performance of his duties . During the interregnum a great burden and responsiblity fell on Lord Amherst's shoulders .

Bro . MIDDLEMASS proposed "The Grand Officers , " to which the Rev . Bro . Peek , G . C ., responded . The Earl of WARWICK then said they had now come to what he begged to think was the toast of the evening . He had now the honour lo submit

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Now Ready . —The Cosmopolitan Masonic Calendar for 1901 Price 1 / -, by post 1 / i J ,