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old friends . Lord Lathom and Lord Amherst . He had an example in the Provincial Grand Master of West Lancashire , the adjoining province to his , and also in the Provincial Grand Master for Kent . He had followed their example as . far as he could . His experience of all Provincial Grand Masters was that

they did their best to promote the interests of Masonry in their respective provinces , and they were cordially supported by the brethren , especiall y in the charity work . They also endeavoured to carry out the wishes of the Grand Master in endeavouring to promote the true interests of Masonry .

Bro . the Earl of LATHOM proposed " The R . W . thc Grand Wardens and thc other Grand Officers , Present and Past . " Great care was always taken in the selection of distinguished brethren to occupy the post of Grand Wardens . This year the choice of the Grand Master had fallen most fortunately . Thev were

happy to possess as their S . G . W . a most distinguished soldier , a very rising man , a man they ought to feel proud of belonging to their body . In thc J . G . W . they had a distinguished judge . Hc was g lad to think that thc Law had taken up Masonry so warmly , especially of late , especiall y since thc Chancery Bar

Lodge was consecrated in the presence of the Prince of Wales . In the Grand Chaplains they had a hi g h dignitary of the Church , and he thought it a great step in advance for a reverend prelate to come forward and occupy that position . He had to thank the Past Grand Officers for assisting him in carrying out his

duties , and he felt sure that the present and future Grand Officers would do the same . As Lord Methuen and Justice Bruce had not been able to stop , he would call upon a Past Grand Officer to respond — his own son . He was happy to think that Bro . Lord Skelmersdale had

taken up the cause of Masonry very warmly indeed ; he . did not begin until rather late in life , not as earl y as he ( Lord Lathom ) did—perhaps there was no harm in that , but he was quite sure if hc continued to work as hard as he did then he would be a shining light lo Masons .

Bro . Lord SKELMERSDALE , P . G . W ., replied . It was a very proud moment for any of them when they received the honour of Grand Office . Some might think that Grand Officers alter

they received their collars considered that their Masonic duties ceased , ancl they were at the end of their tether . It was not so . Having been g iven an office was an incentive to go on and work still harder for Masonry than before .

Bro . Sir J OSEPH C . DIMSDALE , P . G . I ., propsed " 1 he Masonic Charities , " and calling on Bro . McLeod to respond congratulated him on receiving the purple that evening , an honour which he had earned b y his great services . They all hoped and trusted Bro . McLeod would be spared many years to carry out his work of usefulness and benevolence .

Bro . J . M . McLEOD , in responding , thanked Sir Joseph Dimsdale for his more than kind reference to himself and the

brethren generall y for the exceedingl y cordial reception they had g iven him in the lodge on his appointment to Grand Office . He felt much touched with this great mark of their approval of his conduct and work . He felt there was no necessity in such a gathering of staunch supporters of the Masonic Charities for

him to detain them long in acknowledgment of the toast . All were g lad to know that the first Festival of thc year had proved so successful as to bring to the youngest—b y no means the least meritorious—of the three Institutions the magnificent sum of ^ 20 , 000 . The work of the Benevolent Institution in providing

annuities for some 500 distressed Masons or the Widows of deceased brethren needed no commendation from him , for if it stood alone it would be a grand monument of our Masonic Charity . The Girls' School Festival would shortly be held , and the President , though young as . a Provincial Grand Master , bore an

honoured name and was well beloved in his Province of Lincolnshire , which would nobl y support him on the occasion . The Girls had again shown to the Craft how well they were trained and educated , and he knew that he was expressing the thoughts of all in saying that on her pending retirement Miss Davis

would carry with her the gratitude and thanks of the whole Craft for the brilliant successes gained under her direction of this most excellent School . I ' or I lie Boys , he could claim lhat so progressive an Institution as it had proved—especiall y of later years—deserved and would continue to receive their support .

The results at recent public examinations , which it had been his pride to circulate , showed the excellence of the work , lor it was seen that Our Boys of very young age could compete and bc successful with their seniors . The increased demands upon the Institution had forced the question of the removal of the

School to the front , and that which was advocated in i < Sgi by the noble Chairman was at last lo be realised . Much care and thought in this matier had been taken b y the Board of Management , consisting ns it did of liberal-minded and practical business men , and he felt assured that the Craft would support them in their efforts to enlarge the scope of operations , and give the

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great benefits they were now bestowing to a much lar < r number in the immediate future . Bro . Dr . BALFOUR COCKBURN proposed " The Grand Stewards , " ancl Bro . HUNTER , President of the Board , acknow . Icdged the compliment .

Bro . the Rev . H . R . COOPKR SMITH , D . D ., P . G . C , proposed "The Ladies , " and Bro . Col . KEYSER replied , and the brethren adjourned to the concert in the Temple . The performers were Miss Beatrice Frost , Miss Sarah

Christie , Bros . William Alfred Frost , Vivian Bennetts , James Gawthrop , and Daniel Price . Herr Jakoff Hambourg was the violin-soloist ; thc pianoforte duettists were Miss Mary Newman and Bro . Henry F . Frost , P . G . O . ; and the accompanists , Bros . J . H . Maunder ancl W . A . Frost . Bro . R . J . MORLEY , J . D ,, No . 2589 , was toast-master at tin . banquet .

New Grand Officers.

NEW GRAND OFFICERS .

SENIOR GRAND WARDEN . Bro . Lord METHUEN , C . B ., C . M . G ., whom the M . W . G . Master has been pleased to appoint his S . G . Warden for the ensuing year , is a Mason of long standing , while for a still longer period his name has been familiar to the members of the Craft by reason of his father , the second lord , bavin ? filled the dignified position of Prov . G . Master of Wiltshire , from 1853 till sometime during the year 1890 . His lordship , who was born in 184 ;

entered the army at an early age , receiving a commission in the Scots Guards , and no doubt the exigencies of military service have prevented him devoting much attention to Masonry . Thus , though he was initiated in the Windsor Castle Lodge , No . 771 , on the 12 th April , 1870 , he coulj barely have had time enough to become acquainted wilh the simpler duties of the lodge , when he was ordered to join the first Ashantee Expedition under

Bro . Sir Garnet Wolseley , in 1873 4 / an & Ior his services during that campaign he received the medal . From 1 S 77 to 1880 . he was Military Attache to the British Embassy at Berlin , while from 18 S 1 to [ 884 .. he was Assistant Adjutant and Quarter-Master-General for the Home District . During the latter period he served as Assistant Adjutant and Quarter-Master-General in the Egyptian Campaign of 18 S 2 , and received for his

services the medal and clasp , the Khedive ' s bronze star , and the third class of the Order of the Osmanieh , his conduct being further recognised by his appointment to be Companion of the Bath . He has since been awarded the Companionship cf the Order of St . Michael and St . George , and at the present time is the Major-General Commanding the Home District . In 1 S 77 , he was elected a joining member of the Wanderers Lodge , No . 1604 .

Junior Grand Warden.

JUNIOR GRAND WARDEN .

Bro . Sir GAINSFORD BRUCE , one of the judges of her Majesty's High Court of Judicature , formerly M . P . for one of the Divisions of Holborn , was initiated in the Northern Bar Lodge , No . 1610 , on the 5 th June , 1876 , and during the present year has been installed its W . M . ln I 891 he was one of the founders and first S . Warden of the Holborn Lodge , No 239 8 , and the following year was installed as W . Master . He was exalted in the Gosforth Chapter , No . 1664 , meeting at Gosforih , in the Province of Northumberland , in May , 1887 .

Grand Chaplains.

GRAND CHAPLAINS .

The R ght Rev . RICHARD P . LEWIS , D . D ., LORD BISHOP OF LI . AND . UT , was born in 1821 , and during his academic career at Oxford was initiated , in 1843 , in the Apollo-University Lodge , No . 357 . The following year he was ordained Deacon , and in 1 S 46 , Priest . He was rector of Lampeter ,

Velfry , in Pembrokeshire , for the long period of 32 years—from 1851 to 18 S 3—and besides being organising Secretary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts , was Archdeacon of St . Davids , and Chaplain to the B ' shop of that diocese from 1 S 75 to 1 S 83 . In thc latter year he was consecrated Bishop of LUndaff .

Bro . thc Rev . T . STEVENS , M . A ., Archdeacon of Essex and Vicir of St . Mary ' s , Stratford , was initiated in the Isaac Newton University L-jdge , No . 859 , Cambridge , on the 19 h March , 1861 . He joined the W . 'ldm Lodge , No . 1280 , Saffron Walden , in 1882 , and thj Wesl llini Abbey Lodge , No . 2291 , in 1 S 95 , 'and was last year installed as W . M . of ihe ( ortner . In 1885 and 1886 , he was appointed Prov . G . Chipbin ol Ersex .

Grand Treasurer.

GRAND TREASURER .

Bro . W . H . BAILEY , who had the honour of being elected Grind Treasurer for the year 18 9 6-7 by Ihe unanimous vote of Grand Lodge at the Quartet ly Communication on lhc 4 th March , first saw the light of Masonry iniht * Ro )* . ! S . s-. ex Lodge , No . 353 , Winshill , inline Province of Der byshiie , in ire 26 th November , 1 S 73 . In the jear following , however , Its joined the Abbey Lodge , No . ( I . ? . * ., Burton-on-Trent , Staffordshire , and has

ever since retained his connection with it and the province of which it is a constituent part . In 1 SS 0 , he was elected lo 1 I 12 chair of that lodge , and during the years lhat have since elapsed has been twice honoured wilh the protir . cial "purple , " namely , in 18 S 5 , when he was made Prov . Grand Registrar , Staff oi dshire , and in 18 94 , when hc was advanced to the chiir of Prov . Smior Grand Warden . But Bro . Bailey is also a prominent London

Mason , being a joining member of the Old Concord Ledge , No . 172 , and the Anchor , No . 1704 , but , above and beyond all , the" principal founder at " first W . M . of the Lodge of Fellowship , No . 2535 , which , though it was only consecrated sorre 15 months ago , has justly earned for itself the reputation of being one cf the most enterprising , generous , and prosperous lodges 011

the roll of United Grand Lodge . That this prosperity is in great measure due to the tact and ability , as well as the genially and kindness , of Bro . Bailey wc have the evidence cf Mro . James Stephens , its respected Secretary , who at the consecration , a few weeks since , of the Chapter of Fellowship , mentioned that on quitting the chair , a ; he will do shortly , Bro . Bailey would leave the lodge in possession of a balance on the right side of t '