Grand Mark Lodge.

register can any man regret that ? Having put his hand to the Mark Masonic plough will he look back and desert it ? I am sure he would not do so . Worshipful Master and brethren , you have paid me a very high honour by calling on me to respond to the toast of "The Deputy

Grand Master and past and present Grand Officers . " I look upon it as a very high compliment and I never was more proud than when I heard you say so . I only wish they had had a more eloquent , but they certainly could not have had a more honest or more truthful mouth-piece

than myself . I say for them all we value our offices and we will shew you good proof that we do value them by the work we intend to render in the future , ( cheers . ) The toast of " The Provincial Grand Masters , " was responded to by Major T . Tanner

Davy , and ' The Mark Benevolent Fund , " by Bro . Meggy , after which the brethren separated . There was a choice selection of music performed under the direction of Bro . John Read , P . G . Org ., by Bros . Lord , Evison , Gilby , and Hubbard , and Miss Ward , and the evening was a very pleasant one from beginning to end .

United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

United Grand Lodge of Freemasons of England met on Wednesday evening at Freemasons' Hall , the M . W . the Grand Master , the Marquess of Ripon , presiding . The Rev . John Huyshe , Prov . Grand

Master of Devon , occupied the S . W . chair ; Col . Whitwcll , M . P ., the J . W . ; while Dr . Iiamilton , District Grand Master of Jamaica , acted as Deputy Grand Master , and the Earl of Limerick , Provincial Grand Master

of ] 3 ristol , as Past Grand Master . Past Grand Officers were not very numerous ; but the Lodge below the dais was well attended by Grand Stewards , and the Masters , Past Masters , and Wardens , of private

lodges . Among the brethren present were Sir Albert Woods , G . D . C . j M . J . Mclntyrc , Q . C ., G . R . ; the Revs . A . B . Frascr , C . J . Martyn , and R . J . Simpson ; Bros . R . J . Spiers , J . M . Clabon , Joshua Nunn , F . A .

Philbrick , W . Glaishcr , W . Pratt , H . Browse , Hyde Pullen , Wilhelm Ganz , T . Fcnn , E . J . Saunders , Benj . Head , Brackstonc Baker , N . Bradford , James Mason , Raynham W . Stewart , and Dr . Jabez Hogg .

Grand Secretary having read the minutes of last Quarterly Communication held in September , they were put to Grand Lodge and confirmed . The nomination of Grand Master for the

ensuing year , was the next business on the paper . Bro . Standish Grove Grady rose and said Brethren , I rise with feelings of very great gratification to nominate the most

worshipful the Grand Master , as Grand Master for the ensuing year ; and I feel quite certain that that nomination will give the greatest satisfaction to the Craft in general . ( Applause . )

The M . W . G . M . I now appoint Bro . Clabon as President of the Lodge of Benevolence for the ensuing year ( applause ) . The next business is the election of a Senior and Junior Vice-President of the Lodge of Benevolence .

The Grand Secretary : As there are no other nominations for the office of Senior and Junior Vice-President than those alread y in office , they will be as follows : — Senior Vice-President , Bro . Joshua Nunn ,

P . G . S . B , Junior Vice-President , Bro . James Brett , P . G . P . The M . W . G . M . : There being no other brethren nominated for those offices , those

two brethren are elected . The election of 12 Past Masters , to serve on the Lodge of Benevolence , for the ensuing year , was the next business on the

United Grand Lodge.

paper , but as no other names were proposed than those of the brethren composing the present Board that body was re-elected for another year . The Report of the Lodge of Benevolence

for the last quarter , contained recommendations for the following grants , viz : —The widow of a Brother of the Lodge of Freedom , No . 77 , Gravesend , ^" roo : a Brother

of the St . James' Union Lodge , No . 180 , London , £ 50 ; and a Brother of the Holy Temple Lodge , No . 412 , Longtown , £ 50 . Brother Hervey having read the Report .

Bro . Joshua Nunn moved , and Bro . J . M Clabon seconded the first two recommendations , and Bro . Nunn moved and Bro

John Savage seconded the third . Tiie first two having been carried , Bro . John Savage wished to make a few remarks about the third . He perfectly agreed with Bro . Nunn in what he had said regarding

the services the brother to whom the amount of ^" 50 was to be granted had rendered , but he should be glad if the money which it was intended to give the petitioner ,

could be entrusted to two brethren whom he ( Bro . Savage ) named . He agreed in the recommendation , but wished Bro . Nunn to add this point to the vote .

After a few words from Bro . Raynham W . Stewart , P . G . D ., Bro . J . M . Clabon said that it was quite competent to the Board to direct into whose hands the money should go without such an

addition to the vote . The Board frequently found that it would be imprudent to hand the money to the petitioners themselves , and as they always wished to do what was

best for those petitioners they placed the money in hands where it would be used to the greatest advantage . The motion was carried nan . con .

Bro . / L . J . Mclntyre , G . R ., in the absence of Bro . Horace Lloyd , president of the Board of General Purposes , through illness , moved the taking as read and the adoption of tiie following Report of the Board : —

To the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England . The Board of General Purposes have the honour to report that they have received from the Board of Directors of the Freemasons '

1 avcrn Company , Limited , a Resolution under the common seal of that Company , accepting , with their thanks , the reduction of rent which the Board of General Purposes were authorized to offer to the Company , and upon the terms

attached to such offer . The Board of General Purposes have instructed the Solicitor of the Trustees of Grand Lodge , to prepare the

No . 1449 . —Royal Military Lodge , Canterbury , Kent . 1450 . —Doric Lodge , Hill End , N . S . W . 1451 . —St . John's Lodge , Mudgee , N . S . W . 1452 . —St . Margaret ' s Lodge , Lowestoft , Suffolk . .

President . Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C . - 18 //; November , 1873 . To the Report is subjoined a statement of the Grand Lodge Accounts at the last meeting of the Finance Committee , held on Friday , the

14 th day of November instant , showing a balance in the hands of the Grand Treasurer of ^ 2 , 888 5 s . 3 d . ; and in the hands of the Grand Secretary , for Petty Cash , , £ 75 ; and for Servants' Wages , ; £ S 8 19 s . Bro . Mclntyre ' s motion was carried and Grand Lodge was then closed .

The following is a List of Lodges for which warrants have been granted by the M . W . Grand Master since the last Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge : —

necessary document for giving effect to the arrangement for this reduction of rent , the expense of which the Company have bound themselves to pay . ( Signed ) HORACE LLOYD ,

United Grand Lodge.

i 453 —Pacific Lodge of Reefton , Reefton , Westland , N . Zealand . 1454 . —Plantagenet Lodge , Albany , Western Australia . 1455 . —Wangaratta Lodge of St . John , Wangaratta , Victoria .

1456 . —Port Fairy Lodge , Belfast , Victoria . 1457 . —Bagshaw Lodge , Buckhurst Hill , Essex . 1458 . —Lodge of Truth , Manchester . 1459 . —Ashbury Lodge , West Gorton , near Manchester . 1460 . —Thames Valley Lodge , Shepperton ,

Middlesex . ' 1461 . —Clausentum Lodge , Woolston , Hants , 1462 . —Wharncliffe Lodge , Penistone , Yorks . 14 63 . —Northern Star Lodge , Ferozepore , Punjab . 1464 . —Erasmus Wilson Lodge , Greenhithe .

1465 . —Ockenden Lodge , Cuckfield , Sussex . 1466 . —Hova Ecclesia Lodge , Hove , Sussex , 1467 . —Wodehouse Lodge , Dordrecht , Cape of Good Hope . 1468 . —Port Alfred Lodge , Bathurst , Cape of Good Hope . 1469 . —Meridian Lodge , Cradock , Cape of Good Hope .

Presentation To Bro. Francis Bennoch, F.S.A.

PRESENTATION TO BRO . FRANCIS BENNOCH , F . S . A .

AN interesting gathering took place on Friday evening , at the Freemasons' Tavern , Great Queen-street , the occasion being the presentation of a testimonial to Bro . Francis Bennoch , the originator of , and honorary secretary to the

Refugees' Benevolent Fund . Alderman Sir Thomas Dakin , Bart ., presided . The testimonial consisted of a handsome photographic Album , containing the portraits and signatures of the members of the committee of the fund .

The toast of "The Queen and Prince of Wales " having been duly honoured , the Chairman gave the toast of the evening , " The health of Mr . Bennoch . " He said that they no doubt all recollected the stirring events of the French and Prussian war , and the unexpected results which followed from it . It was a very great satisfaction to him to think that at that time the

English mind was deeply touched by the troubles ancl disasters of our near neighbour , our ancient ally , and he hoped he might say our sincere friend for all future time . The original conception of the idea was due to Mr . Bennoch , who put a stirring statement into the public prints in

October , 1870 , the result of which was that upwards of ; £ io , ooo was raised , and more than 7 , 000 cases were enquired into and relieved . Each case was thoroughly investigated , and although , of course , no one could do such a work without the assistance of a committee , still Mr .

Bennoch had the faculty of fixing on those who had administrative power like him . Nothing could have been more happy than the working of the machinery employed by him , particularly the ladies' committee , under the direction of Lady Lothian . The presentation then took place , and the toast was drunk with three times three .

Bro . Bennoch in acknowledgment of the compliment which had been paid him , said that nothing could be more in accordance with his feelings than that memorial of the dear friends who had been associated with him in this work . Alderman Besley placed the Mansion House at

his service , and Sir Thomas Dakin moved the first resolution at the meeting which was held there . His ( Bro . Bennoch's ) only merit was the conception of the idea of the fund , which was forced upon him by the sight of the great national calamity which had happened across the Channel .

The chief merit of the good accomplished was due to the committee , who for seven months daily attended at his office and examined into the more than 7 , 000 cases which were relieved . He bore testimony to the help given by Lady Lothian and the other ladies , and said nothing

could have exceeded their charity and philanthrdpy during the seven months that their labours lasted . If was an exceedingly pleasant gift which they had presented to him , and he thanked them most heartily for it . A number of toasts were afterwards given .