United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

The Communication of Grand Lodge on Wednesday passed off more quietly than vve have known it for some years past . There is usually some business of importance on the agenda at this season of the year , vvhen the work of the lodges is in full

swing and questions arise which can be properly dealt with only by the supreme authority . In failing this , there-has been , ever since the principle was established of electing a new Grand Treasurer annually , a considerable amount of excitement over the nomination of brethren for this honourable office . On this

occasion , however , only one brother was nominated—Bro . AUGUSTUS HARRIS , one of the founders and a P . M . of the Drury Lane Lodge , No . 2127—so that even the mild excitement which attaches ordinarily to the nomination was conspicuous by its absence , and all the brethren were able to do was to felicitate a

worthy brother on what was virtually his election to the post of Grand Treasurer for the year 1890-1 . But though the business lacked interest , the brethren had the opportunity of seeing thenfine Hall illumined for the first time by the electric light ; and though , as Bro . FENN very properly pointed out , the system is

only at present in its first or experimental stage , we have no doubt that when it has been brought into working order , and it has been settled what amount of illuminating power is necessary ,

and how it should be distributed to the best advantage , the change from gas to electricity will be a great improvement . It will do no injury to the gilding and decorations , and the light will be purer and , at the same time , more brilliant .

Mark Grand Lodge.

MARK GRAND LODGE .

The proceedings at the winter half-yearly Communication , on Tuesday , of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales , were of the usual character , and passed off so satisfactorily , that it is unnecessary for us to do more than refer to the chief points in the Report of the General Board . That the

Degree has prospered during the six months to which the Report refers is evidenced by the increase in membership and the roll of lodges , both Mark and Royal Ark Mariner , while the Grand Treasurer ' s statement of account show with great clearness that the funds of the Grand Lodge are in a healthy condition . On

the General Fund there is a balance in hand of £ 2292 19 s . 3 d ., but the expenditure , caused by the alterations in converting what was Bacon ' s Hotel into premises suitable for the Order , has been necessarily heavy , and has rendered the sale of Stock unavoidable . When , however , Grand Lodge is in possession of its new

quarters , it will not be long before there will be ample compensation for this present sacrifice of capital . As regards the Fund of Benevolence in its three separate branches for Benevolent , Educational , and Annuity purposes , and the Festival Account , the position is eminently gratifying ,

the balances in hand amounting together to £ 1603 6 s - l < d . At : the same time the number of children provided for out of the Educational Branch has been increased to 32 ( 16 boys and 16 girls ) . It is also noteworthy that the lodges in New South Wales having unanimously agreed to establish a Mark Grand Lodge of

their own , and having duly constituted one on the 13 th May last , application has been made by the new body for recognition by its parent Grand Lodge , and the recommendation of the General Board in favour of such recognition was at once and most gracefully adopted by our Mark Grand Lodge , the com-

pliment being at the same time paid to the New South Wales brethren of allowing them to retain their warrants of constitution " as records of their ori gin , and as mementoes of their connection with the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales , and the Colonies and Dependencies of the British

Crown . " We note also with pleasure that respect was shown to the memory of the late Bro . Canon PORTAL , Past M . W . G . M . M ., . ° y voting 10 guineas towards the memorial vyhich is being : erected to that brother in the Parish of Burghclere . As to the ' other proceedings in Grand Lodge , a full account will be found ln another part of our columns .

The Festival Of The R.M. Benevolent Institution.

THE FESTIVAL OF THE R . M . BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

The announcement we made last week to the effect that Bro . J AMES TERRY had been fortunate enough to secure the services of Bro . Alderman Sir HENRY A . ISAACS , Lord Mayor of London , as Chairman at the approaching Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , reminds us that the time has

come when it is necessary , or at all events desirable , that we should prepare our readers for this important annual event , and lay before them such circumstances as may induce them to renew or to give their support to this admirable Charity . It is true the tale we shall unfold is one that has been unfolded

periodically ever since the Institution was founded , but the same remark will apply to every charitable institution which , like our Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , is not endowed sufficiently for its own maintenance . And even if it is in this instance a very oft-told story we have to tell , there are , we

regret to say , many brethren and even some lodges upon whom these frequent reminders have little or no effect . There are many well known Masons and lodges on whose appearance in the Stewards' Returns we may reckon with a tolerable degree of certainty ; there are others who figure only occasionally ; ' but there are some who turn a deaf ear to the claims which are

being made with ever-increasing urgency in behalf of this and our other Institutions . It has been mentioned that if every subscribing member of a lodge in England " contributed some small amount—say , half-a-guinea—annually , a sum sufficient for

the requirements of our three Institutions would be obtained , but anything in the nature of a levy appears to be distasteful , and there is no alternative , therefore , but to look to the cumbrous machinery of a Festival in order to raise the necessary ways and means .

But to our tale without further preface . We think it is pretty generally known that the Benevolent Institution stands committed to an annual expenditure , for annuities alone , of close on £ 15 , 000 . After the election in May last , the number of annuitants to be provided for was 409 , of which 180 were

men in receipt of £ 40 a year each , and 229 widows received £ 32 each . In addition there were 20 widows each receiving the half of her late husband ' s annuity , so that the total required for the annuities and half annuities together amounts to £ 14 , 926 . To this must be added the cost of managing the two Funds and

the Asylum Fund , amounting to some £ 3500 per annum , the whole expenditure being only a trifle short of £ 18 , 500 . Towards meeting this outlay the permanent income arising from the Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter grants , and the interest on invested moneys , furnishes a total of about £ 4000 , so that the

sum which must be raised during the year in order to make both ends meet is about £ 14 , 500 . But the Festival in February last yielded only £ 13 , 500 , as against some £ 15 , 300 in 1888 , and the still greater product of £ 19 , 230 in the year of the QUEEN ' S Jubilee , when a very considerable addition was made to the

number of annuitants . It is clear , therefore , that , having regard to this very serious diminution in the total for the current year as compared with 1888 and the year previous , there is a tremendous amount of leeway to be made up in order to reestablish an equilibrium between the incomings and outgoings of the Charity .

Again , it must be remembered that the lists of applicants have been increasing to a very formidable extent since the year of the Jubilee . The Committee of Management did not consider themselves justified in recommending an addition to the number of annuitants in 1888 , because the Festival Returns

exceeded the outlay on their account by only a few hundreds of pounds , while this year it was impossible the question of an increase could be raised as the Returns were nearly £ 1500

below the required amount . The chances , therefore , ' are in favour of the lists being more numerous than they have ever been . In May last , there remained after the election no less than 1 . 07 candidates—41- men and 66 widows—on thfe lists , and