The Grand Festival.

THE GRAND FESTIVAL .

The Grand Festival of the year was looked forward to with rather more than the usual degree of interest , and has undoubtedly passed off with more than the usual splendour , lt

was very generally anticipated in the first place that his Royal Highness the M . W . GRAND MASTER would take this opportunity of appointing a brother to the office of PRO GRAND MASTER rendered vacant by the death of the lamented Bro .

the Earl of CARNARVON , and in the next that Bro . the Earl of LATHOM would be appointed to the vacancy . Both these anticipations have been realised , and the Earl of LATHOM , after serving as Deputy Grand Master for 16 years , is now the

alter ego in Masonry of the Prince of WALES . This appointment , which has been received with unbounded satisfaction throughout the English Craft , of necessity rendered vacant the office of Deputy Grand Master , and to that vacancy

his Royal Higness has been pleased to appoint the Right Hon . the Earl of MOUNT EDGCUMBE , who has been Prov . Grand Master of Cornwall since 18 73 . This appointment , though less generally anticipated than the Earl of LATHOM ' S as

Pro Grand Master , has also been very favourably received . As regards the new Grand Officers , we give , as usual , a full record of their Masonic achievements , so far as we have been able to obtain

particulars , in another part of our columns , and we shall content ourselves with offering them on our own behalf and that of our readers our very sincere congratulations on the crowning honours they have had conferred upon them by his Royal Highness , the M . W . GRAND MASTER . -- ? - ¦

Approaching Festival Of The Girls' School.

APPROACHING FESTIVAL OF THE GIRLS ' SCHOOL .

We are at length within easy distance of the day appointed for the 103 rd Anniversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , which will be held at Freemasons' Tavern on the 12 th instant , under the presidency of Bro . Lord CARRINGTON ,

Past Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales , and Provincial Grand Master nominate of Buckinghamshire . That his lordship will exert all his powers of eloquence and the Stewards support him with all their energy in order

to ensure the success of the celebration is a foregone conclusion . It is not the habit of English Masons to undertake an important dut y and then fulfil it in a careless and perfunctory manner . But

alter all it rests principally with the general body of the Craft to determine the answer that shall be forthcoming tothe question which has been exercising the minds of all brethren interested

' » our senior Charity for several weeks past—Will this 103 rd festival prove successful , and if so , to what extent ? From what we said last week it will be clear , that we ourselves are not ov er-sanguine as to the result . The Board of Stewards will

probabl y be of about the same strength as that of last ye ar , but there is unfortunately a larger proportion of Unattached to Representative Stewards than in 18 90 , while it would be unjust to expect that a small Province like

Buckingarnshire should be able to raise , under the most favourable conc'tions , anything like the sum which the Chairman's Province of 90 was in a position to contribute . In the first place , it musters . y a dozen lodges , while the county is chiefly agricultural , and

' L'ie next it was but the other day that Lord CARRINGTON J cl ^ took to preside as Chairman ; and , therefore , though we ubt not that our Bucks brethren will do what lies in their I yer-to support their chief , we must not be surprised if their t > lst , ance is on a modest scale . Even a larger and wealthier

ret might be excused from making a proportionate t , , ? on so short a notice . Fortunately , however , the p . of the Stewards hail from London and the other wh J nces ' and we must hope that those amongst them abl t Ve undertaken to represent lodges and chapters will be to return some good lists , so that by means of a somewhat

Approaching Festival Of The Girls' School.

higher average than usual , there may be some compensation for the shortcomings we have noticed from time to time , and which are manifestly -unavoidable . What is needed is such an amount as will enable the Executive of the Institution to meet the year ' s expenses , and the Stewards will be

able to ensure this very desirable consummation , provided the amount of the subscriptions and donations does not fall very short of the total that was raised last year . In the meantime ,

we trust that some more brethren may be able to give their services as Stewards ; their assistance will be heartil y welcomed , though the time left for canvassing is short and they may be able to do little else than contribute personally .

Grand Lodge And Grand Festival.

GRAND LODGE AND GRAND FESTIVAL .

The annual meeting of Grand Lodge for the installation of Most Worshipful Grand Master and the appointment and investiture of Grand Officers was held on Wednesday last in the Temple , Freemasons' Hall . There has seldom been so full an attendance at any meeting of Grand Lodge , and many brethren vvere compelled to stand the whole time . Bro . Sir Hedworth Williamson , D . L ., P . G . W ., Prov . Grand Masterof Durham , presided ; Bro . Dr . Egan , District G . M . South Africa ( E . D . ) , acted as Deputy Grand Master ; Bro . Lord Alcester was in the S . W . ' s chair , and Bro . Victor A . Williamson , P . G . W ., in the J . W . ' s chair .

Grand Lodge having been formally opened , GRAND SECRETARY read the minutes of the March Quarterly Communication so far as they related to the election of the Grand Master and the Grand Treasurer .

Bro . Sir ALBERT W . WOODS ( Garter ) , G . D . C , P . G . W ., then proclaimed his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales duly installed Most Worshipful Grand Master for the year ensuing , which vvas received with applause . Bro . Sir HEDWORTH WILLIAMSON aftenvards rose and said that since the last Grand Lodge his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , M . W . G . M ., had thought fit to appoint Bro . the Earl of Lathom M . W . Pro Grand Master , in place of

their late lamented Bro . the Earl of Carnarvon . The noble brother was waiting outside the Grand Lodge to take his obligation as Pro Grand Master . The brethren would be all glad to hear that this high rank had been conferred on so excellent a Mason as the Earl of Lathom , and they would agree vvith him that the Prince of Wales could not have made a better appointment . He would now order Garter to escort their noble brother the Earl of Lathom into Grand Lodge .

A deputation vvas then formed , consisting of Col . Elliott , C . B ., Lord Carrington , Sir J . B . Monckton , Sir Henry Isaacs , Sir Somers Vine , the Grand Stewards , and others , and , accompanied by Sir Albert Woods , it left the hall , and shortly afterwards returned , escorting the Earl of Lathom . His lordship on entering was received with loud and general applause . Standing in front of the pedestal , supported by the deputation , his lordship vvas addressed by

Bro . Sir HEDWORTH WILLIAMSON , who said he had just informed the brethren that his lordship vvas waiting to take the obligation of Pro Grand Master , having been appointed by the Grand Master to that distinguished rank . He had also told the brethren , and they were unanimous in agreeing with him in vvhat he had said , that his Royal Highness could not have made a better appointment . His lordship ' s

Masonic good work vvas well known to all the brethren present as well as to the brethren in his lordship ' s northern province , and he need not further recite it ; but he wished him health and prosperity , long to enjoy his distinction , and assured him that in no part of the Masonic kingdom vvas his promotion more satisfactorily received than it was in the north country , vvhich he knew so well . ( Applause ) .

The Earl of Lathom then took the obligation and was invested . He was placed at the left of the throne , and proclaimed by Sir Albert Woods and saluted . Afterwards he was formally placed on the throne , and Sir Hedworth Williamson took the chair of Past Grand Master .

The Earl of LATHOM , Pro Grand Master , announced that the Grand Master had appointed the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe D . G . M . for the ensuing year , and he would ask the noble brother to advance to the pedestal and take the obligation . This having been done , Bro . the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe vvas invested , placed in the Deputy Grand Master ' s chair , proclaimed , and saluted . We append a complete list of the Grand Officers for the year : — H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , M . W . Grand Master . The Right Hon . the Earl of Lathom , M . W . Pro Grand Master .

The Right Hon . the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe , R . W . Dep . Grand Master . Bro . Lord Wantage , K . C . B ., V . C . ... ... ... S . G . W . „ Admiral Sir Edward Inglefield , K . C . B . ... ... J . G . W . „ Rev . Oliver James Grace ] G . Chaplains . „ Rev . Henry Lansdell , D . D . ... ... ... _ . r

,, George Everett ( elected ) ... ... ... G . Treasurer . „ Frederick Adolphus Philbrick , Q . C . ... ... G . Registrar . „ Col . Shadwell H . Clerke ... ... ... G . Secretary . „ Dr . Ernest Emil Wendt ... ... ... G . Sec . Ger . Cor .

" fu A *^ T , o L ° ng' M , P ] S . G . Deacons . „ John Aird , M . P . ... ... ... ... j „ Edmund Kelly Bayley ... ... •••j „ Charles Barry ... ... ... ... G . Supt . of Wks .

„ Sir Albert W . Woods , K . C . M . G ., C . B . 'Garter ) ... G . D . of C . „ Sir George Goldie , K . C . M . G . ... ... ... Dep . G . D . C . „ Arthur J . R . Trendell , C . M . G . ... ... ... Asst . G . D . C . „ Thomas Hastings Miller ... ... ... G . S . B .