Provincial Grand Lodges.

Many of our Provinces have considerable trust funds and property belonging to them ; all administer largely relief to provincial applicants , from the Provincial Fund of Benevolence , and a

few of our provinces have useful charitable institutions of their own , of various kinds . And knowing all this , we venture again to express our opinion , that , the time has come

when our provincial system may be advantageously strengthened in the manner we have sought to point out . There can be no doubt , but , that the wise

provisions of our excellent Book of Constitutions have so far enabled our provinces , to work out for themselves in full liberty of action , a wide sphere of activity , usefulness , and benevolence ,

but , there can be no reason why , as time passes on , and new conditions arise , we should not seek to supply what is deficient , and to add what is needful , in order to make our whole Masonic

system , homogeneous and consistent . We publish a letter on another page , which shows how much may be done by Provincial organization , on the best of all causes Masonic Charity ,

and we feel certain of this , that the Province of West Yorkshire was right , when it endeavoured to place the claims of the Metropolitan Charities under the special care and direction of a

Provincial Charity Committee . The letter we have referred to tells us very clearly what provincial organization can do in so good a cause , and we feel it right to express our

belief , that if every province had its Charity Committee , the interest of our great Charities would be largely promoted , and their general support by lodges and the Craft greatly enhanced .

It is the want of this general and systematic support which is the weak point in our present charitable efforts , and though even the W . Yorkshire Charity Committee has not yet succeeded in

inducing every lodge to obtain a Life Governorship in all the Charities , it has removed apathy and stimulated zeal , and induced many willing and honest W . Yorkshire brethren to give liberally

and gladly of their substance to the relief of in digence , the succour of old age , and the educa tion of the young , the friendless , and the orphan

Feeling how important is the whole question of our Provincial Grand Lodge system and organization , we shall resume the subject before very long .

Grand Festival.

GRAND FESTIVAL .

The annual Grand Festival of Freemasons was held on Wednesday evening , at Freemasons ' Hall . Grand Lodge , which preceded the festival , and at which the Marquess of Ripon was again installed as Grand Master for the year , was well attended , and a large number of Past Grand

Officers sat on the dais during the ceremony . The Earl of Limerick took the seat of the Deputy Grand Master , the Earl of Carnarvon , who was absent on account of his official duties , Lord Balfour , of Burleigh , was in his place as Grand Senior Warden , and Captain Piatt , in his

chair as Junior Warden . Among the brethren present there were Bros . S . Rawson , S . Tomkins , F . Roxburgh , Q . C ., Sir Albert W . Woods ( Garter ) , R . J . Spiers , the Rev . A . B . Fraser , the Rev . R . J ,

Bent , the Rev . C . J . Martyn , Col . Cole , J ohn Havers , Col . Whitwell , Rev . Edmund Cox , W . Fulteney Scott , H ; Browne , B . Head , T . Bradford , Brackstone Baker , ' Hyde Pullen , and James Mason .

Grand Festival.

Grand Lodge was formally opened , and Bro . Hervey read those parts of the minutes of last Quarterly Communication which referred to the election of the Grand Master , which having been confirmed , Sir Albert Woods proclaimed the Marquess of Ripon as Master for the current year . The brethren then saluted the Grand Master in Masonic form .

The Grand Master afterwards rose and said : —Brethren , I beg to thank you most heartily for the kind reception which you have given to me on this occasion . When you were pleased to record your suffrages in my favour at the Quarterly Communication last March , I availed

myself immediately of the opportunity so afforded to me to return to you my warmest thanks for again conferring upon me the honour of presiding over this ancient and honourable Craft , and I would now only repeat that which I said upon that occasion . But I will not detain you

for any length of time , because I trust that you will always find that the princi p les upon which I shall endeavour , so long as I may hold the office , that I have now the honour to fill and conduct the business of the Masonic Order on principles invariable in theirnature , and which consequently

involve no change as time goes on . I cannot therefore now sing any other song than that which I sang in March , and I will not weary you by a repetition of the remarks which I then made . But I will content myself with heartily

congratulating you on the flourishing condition of the Craft at this moment , and tendering to you once more , with the utmost sincerity , my hearty thanks for this renewed proof of your confidence . ( Cheers . )

The Grand Master then proceeded to appoint and invest the new Grand Officers . In appointing the Earl of Carnarvon as Deputy Grand Master , his Lordship observed that though the Deputy Grand Master was not able to be

present , on account of the pressure of public business in his department , his abilities were such that it was an honour to the Craft to have for the representative of the Grand Master a nobleman holding such a high position in her Majesty ' s Council . ( Applause ) .

The customary salutes were then given , and the following brethren were immediately invested with their collars , jewels , and badges of office , and received the salutes of the brethren : — Lord Henry Thynne , M . P ., S . G . W . ; Horton Charles Okeover , J . G . W . ; the Rev . Robert J .

Bent , and the Rev . James Simpson , D . C . L ., Grand Chaplains : Samuel Tomkins , Grand Treasurer ; M . J . Mclntyre , Q . C ., Grand Reg . ; John Hervey , G . S . ; E . F . Wendt , G . S . for German correspondence ; J . A . Rucker and James Percy Leith , Grand Senior Deacons : J . C .

Parkinson and C . W . C . Hutton , Grand junior Deacons ; Wm . James Htighan , Past S . G . D . ; F . P . Cockerell , Grand Superintendent of Works : Sir Albert W . Woods ( Garter ) , G . D . C . ; Simeon C . Hadley , Assistant G . D . C . ; James T . Collins ,

G . S . B .: Wilhelm Kuhe , Grand Organist ; T . Cubitt , Grand Purst j 'John Wright , A . G . P . ; C . 13 Payne , Grand Tyler ; Bro ; C . A . Cottebrune , to bear rank and wear the clothing of Past Grand Purst .

Bros . Gardiner , 4 ; Simther , 58 ; Warner , 23 ; G . Payne , 1 ; W . J . Eramus Wilson , 2 ; A . H . Draper , 5 ; Sir Bruce M . Seaton , 6 ; J . T . Blake , 8 ; H . J . Bothomley , 14 ; C . P . Stoltenhoff , 21 ; R . J . Kerr , 16 ; a brother whose name failed to reach us , of 20 , A , Richards , d . 6 ; H .

Whitfield , 60 ; W . B . Rogers , 91 ; S . B . Harrison , 99 J . Oster , 107 ; and C . W . B . Wilson , 257 ; were nominated by the brethren of their lodges , announced by Grand Secretary , and approved of by the Grand Master , as Grand Stewards for the coming year .

Grand Lodge was thereupon closed , and the Grand Master , Grand Officers , and brethren were entertained at a sumptuous banquet by the Grand Stewards . A much larger number of brethren partook of this repast than we remember to have seen at any former Grand Festival .

When the repast had been disposed of the toasts were proposed , and after that of " Her Majesty the Queen" had been dul y honoured , The Grand Master in proposing " The Health of the Prince and Princess of Wales , " said he would not say anything of the deep interest

Grand Festival.

which the Prince of Wales , Past Grand Master , felt in the Craft , as it was well known to all the brethren . They were well aware that it arose not from the high position he held merely , but was both deep and hearty . On this occasion he ( the Grand Master ) had the satisfaction of

congratulating the brethren upon the interesting circumstance that since last Grand Festival another member of Her Majesty ' s family had been admitted to the roll of the ancient Order , and he was happy to say that no worthier could have joined their ranks . Prince Arthur had taken

upon himself the responsibilities of membership , and from the zeal , energy , and devotion with which His Royal Highness devoted himself to the performance of everything thai devolved upon him in life , no one could doubt that in gaining him the Craft had won not only an illustrious

personage , but one whose personal character was calculated to reflect high honour upon the ancient Order . If it were possible , which he ventured to doubt , that anything could add to the enthusiasm with which the brethren would drink the health of every member of the Royal Family , it was

this circumstance , which connected so closely at the present time two members of that illustrious family with this ancient Order . Bro . John Havers . Past Grand Warden , in the absence of the Earl of Carnarvon , proposed the Grand Master ' s health , and while

congratulating his Lordship on being the ruler over such an extensively distributed body as Freemasons , and also congratulated the Craft on having at their head a nobleman , who had proved himself so worthy to preside over them . The Grand Master in reply said , I beg most

sincerely to thank you for the very hearty reception which you have been pleased to accord to me this evening . I can assure you that I feel sincerely grateful for this renewed proof of your esteem and confidence . Bro . Havers has been good enough to say that during the time in which

by your choice I have had the honour - \ : filling the position of Grand Master , the Craft , has prospered ; but , brethren , it is always a comparatively easy task to govern in prosperous times , and it was my good fortune to receive from the hands of that distinguished man to whom my

excellent friend on my right ( Bro . Havers ) has adverted in such just terms ( Lord Zetland ) , an inheritance of prosperity , which , though it entailed upon me doubtless great responsibility , insomuch as it was indeed difficult to follow one who for a quarter of a

century had swayed the hearts and minds almost as one man . ( Hear hear . ) Nevertheless , he seemed to me , as I may say , a pedestal upon which , honoured by your suffrages , I had only to take my place . It has been my endeavour since that time to maintain the high position which

the Craft had then attained . But , brethren , in spite of what my worshipful friend has said of the influence that the Grand Master has , and I do not dispute the nature of that influence—over the prosperity of the Craft , it must always be borne in mind that one who , after all , is but the

creature of your annual suffrages , can only hope successfully to discharge the duties of the high office which I have now the honour to fill , if he has the good fortune to enjoy the confidence of his brethren . I have always held that that confidence was not a thing to be bought , ( hear ,

hear ) , as it was not be secured by any forgetfulness of the prerogatives of my office , or by any unwilling compliance which would be inconsistent with that position . ( Hear , hear ) . I have endeavoured , and I always shall endeavour to maintain those prerogatives , and to uphold the

rights of the Masonic throne to which you have called me , so long as I may hold the office which I now fill . The privileges and the rights of the Grand Master it is the duty of every occupant of that position carefully to maintain , while it is equally his duty , as most assuredly it is his interest , to be equally careful for the rights

ay , and the prerogatives and the privileges of every brother of the Craft ( hear hear ) . It has been my sincere desire , and I trust I may without egotism say , it has been my honest endeavour to act upon those principles , to uphold the dignity " of this great community , and to follow out those high principles which we profess to lie at the foundation of the Craft—that I have endeavoured , during the years I have filled the