Grand Mark Lodge.

Earl of Kintore xvas not present , and he xx'ould , therefore , couple xvith the toast the name of Bro . Hickman . Bro . HICK -MAN , acting Grand Senior Warden , in reply , said that it afforded him great pleasure to respond to this toast , though he regretted the absence of the G . S . W ., who xvould have performed the task much better . The Grand Officers would alxvays endea \ -our to vie xvith those who had gone

before them in the manner of performing their duties , in the hope of meriting such approbation as had been expressed of the officers of the past year . The aims of the Order xvere to relieve distress , and to promote education for the children of distressed Mark Masons , with the view of preventing those children falling into the distress from xvhich their parents had sufferred . That xvas perhaps travelling a little out of the toast , but it xvas their earnest endeavour to fulfil their duties to the best of their ability .

Before sitting down he desired to say a few words as to the absence from ill-health of the Prox-. Grand Master , Bro . Ravenscroft , whose heart , he was sure , xvas with them on this occasion . He strove to do his duty in his province , and with his great experience it xvas done to the satisfaction and advantage of all the brethren in his province . Bro . Ravenscroft had their best xvishes for his restoration to health , and that he might be able to come amongst them again and resume his duties .

_ Bro . the Rev . R . P . BENT , Grand Chaplain , said that the next toast had been entrusted to him . He came among them nearly as a stranger ; for though he had attained to some eminence in the Craft , he had been residing in a foreign county , xvhere the Grand Master first saw the li ght of Masonry . Noxv that he had come to reside in this country he should do his best to advance the cause of Mark Masonry , rie would have much pleasure in

subscribing to the Mark Benevolent Fund . If his name xvas not found as a subscriber to the fund for the memorial to the Duke of Albany that was because he xvas attached to the Royal borough of Windsor , and had alread y subscribed at that place . Bro . Bent then referred to the ceremony which had taken place on the previous day at Eton , and to the presence there of the Grand Master . Returning to his subject , he recommended the Mark

Benevolent Fund to the cordial support of the brethren , and he was quite sure that with their support that fund would be second to none . He called upon them to support the fund to the best of their ability in every sphere and in ex-ery possible xxay ; and he associated xvith this toast the name of Bro . Binckes , xvho was alxvays to the fore in Masonry , and xvho was " nulli secundum " in regard to the Mark Benevolent Fund .

Bro . BINCKES , in reply , said that he felt extremely proud at having his name associated xvith this * toast , xvhich had for its object the besl xvishes for the prosperity of the Mark Benevolent Fund , but he must demur to the statement that his name must of necessity be associated with the toast ; and xvhile lie stated , xvithout fear of contradiction , that no one could have its interests more nearlyand dearly , and deeply at heart than he had , there xvere many

, equally xvorthy to be associated with that toast , and he could well xvish that some other name had been mentioned , as the constant repetition of the dxxty devolving upon one person , however great his talents and eloquence mi ght be ( and he , Bro . Binckes , could not lay claim to either the one or the other ) , it was extremely difficult to vary addresses so that they should not become wearisome and unwelcome . Whatever might be said , xvhatever arguments

might be used , xvhatever facts mig ht be brought forxvard , the fact remained that from the foundation to the cope-stone , Freemasonry meant charity ; that sentiment xvas in every speech , hoxvever it might be varied , and that sentiment was sure to carry the sympathies of all to whom it was addressed . He had for the last fixe-and-twenty years made an average of 250 speeches a-yearand it mig ht be said xvith lhat experience he ought to know hoxv to

, address an audience like the present . He wis not sure that he did . He xvould only make the observation wilh reference to Mark Masonry and its association xvith the great Order of Freemasonry generally , that they had heard this evening congratulations upon the success of Mark Masonry ; they xvere proud of that success ; txventy-five years ago he xvas honoured with the office of Grand Secretary . At that time they were despised , contemned ,

and ridiculed ; but they had survived , and xvere now very proud of their position . It was owing to the fact that the principles were thoroughly identical xvith those of the Craft from which Mark Masonry sprang . Possibly Grand Lodge xvas still unprepared to acknowledge them as children of the Order , but , at all events , they could look upon the Craft as the honoured parent of Mark Masonry . There was not a single princip le in Mark Masonry that was

not consistent xvith the princip les ot Freemasonry . Ihe principles of both xvere Loyalty and Charity ; and had not Mark Grand Lodge on every occasion that it had had the opportunity , testified this , whether on the occasion of an attempt upon the Sovereign s life , and the happening of a domestic event , padding to the happiness of one of her children' And when charity xvas considered what was

their first object ? To form a Benevolent I'und , to relieve primarily those of their own Order . They aso took up the cause of education ; and their p lan had this speciality , that it was not necessary that the candidate should be the son of a Mark Mason in absolute distress ; xvhere they found that the burden of a large family pressed too heavily , they stepped in and assisted in giving him the means to educate the children . There xvere seven

or ei ght sons of Masons they had already educated in this xvay . He was glad to say that the feeling of antagonism that had prevailed wilh regard to Mark Masons had noxv faded axvay , and he believed they were now allowed to be a legitimate and powerful body . The Craft at one time thought that the Mark xvas not worthy of its countenance ; they now , hoxvever , felt that they were held xvorthier of recognition by every Masonic

bod y in the xvorld . Should ever such an event be contemplated , that the best interests of the Craft and the Grand Lodge of England be attacked , Mark Master Masons would always acknowledge that they sprung from them ; they would never be ashamed to own their Masonic origin . They relied upon tradition , and upon authentic tradition , and could prove that the Mark Degree is as essential and important an intrinsic part as any in the xvhole system of Freemasonry .

Bro . Rev . RANDALL , Grand Chaplain , in rising to propose " The Health of thc Visitors , " said that he felt this was an unfortunate moment for him to endeavour to enlist the attention of the company , folloxving as he did the exquisite sound of vivacious music they had just heard . Neither could he hope to emulate the torrent of eloquence which liro . Binckes had poured forth on each of those 250 occasions to xvhich he had referred ; but this toast of the

visitors had been entrusted to him , and he had very great pleasure in proposing it . it was the first time he had had the pleasure of dining in that magnificent hall . It had been a great pleasure lo him ; and it had been a great pleasure that he had had the honour of being appointed one of the Chaplains of the Grand Lodge of Merit Masons . He took a higher position than even Bro . Binches with regard to Mark Masons—that if he had not felt that Mark Masonry had a xvarranted position he xvould not havc accepted the

Grand Mark Lodge.

office of Grand Mark Chaplain . But he held that Mark Masonry held thc highest rank of all Masonry throughout the xvorld . He could not but feel that the Grand Lodgeof England had made a very great and grave mistake xvhen some years ago they declined to acknowledge Mark Masonry as a part of the Craft . It must have been either great indifference to Masonry at large , or ignorance of the history of Masonrythat that course had been

, taken ; because if there was one thing more clear than another it xvas thisthat in ancient times under the ancient regime , according to thc traditions from xvhich they had derived their constitution , every Fellow Craft and every Master Mason was obli ged to be a Mark Mason . There xvas no such thing as excluding Mark Masonry from ancient Masonry . He ( Rev . Bro . Randall ) had had one of the most delightful illustrations of of the anti

some quities of the Craft , and of the early traditions , xvhich it might be interesting to mention . It happened that he accepted an invitation to be present at a lecture given upon an exploration of Palestine , and the gentleman who deli \ -ered it was no Mason . But to his ( the speaker ' s ) great delight , he exhibited there unconsciousl y some of the stones excavated irom a depth of 150 to 250 feet , belonging to the temple of King Solomon , and stone

on every xvas a number , and on every stone xvas a peculiar mark . These marks xvere in Phoenician , and they proved that the hewers were the subjects of Hiram , King of Tyre , and that every man was obliged to put his particular mark upon the stone that he cut ; and the building of Solomon ' s Memple xvas the xvork of Mark Masons . And ever since , down through the centuries , it ivas found in all the great buildings in Asia and Europe and

; in a great building in Coventry—in thai old city they would find unmistakable evidences of marks—marks b y Masons . And all these Masons belonged to reli gious guilds . They xvere not common Masons , like our present operatives ; they were all connected xvith lodges , who went through Europe and left their marksupon those stately buildings that xvere

remarkable in the past and xvill be remarkable for ever . Therefore , the more this xvas looked into he thought , that noxv Grand Lodge was better informedbelter than it xvas twenty years ago—it xvould no longer ignore and repudiate the Degree of Mark Masons or a Mark Masons' Lodge . But even xvithout the countenance of Grand Lodge Mark Masonrv was makinsr its

mark through the length and breadth of the world . They had heard thc very satisfactory figures that had been stated by their Chairman , and attention had been called to the duty of Mark Masons in thc xvay of Charity . But charity xvould alxvays accompany Masonry . And he felt inclined , in the few remarks he made , to think more of the basis of the foundation upon which ihey stood , and lo say thai they ht all to be

oug proud of that solid foundation , and to rear an edifice upon it xvorthy of the authentic foundation xvhich they had to rest upon . Bro . Randall then concluded by proposing the toast of " The Visitors , " coupling with it the name Bro . Woodley , Llandudno , who made a brief reply , saying that he xvas doing what he could for the benefit of the Degree in his neighbourhood , which however could only boast of txvo lodges ax present . Among those present we observed Bros . Baron de Ferrieres . the Rev . C . R . Daw .

Rev . Randall , Rev . R . P . Bent , Rev . IL G . Morse , Hoivkins , Davison . Levander , E . Bowyer , Berridge , Hogard , J . B . Smith , Pearson , Deivar , Spice , Dubois , Mildred , Cubitt , A . Williams , Walls , J . Man waring , Binckes , and Ganz . The musical arrangements xvere under the direction of Bro . Ganz , G . O ., who was assisted b y Bros . Sidney Tower , Geo . Collins , Jas . Kift and E gbert Roberts as vocalists , and Mr . Porrnanski , solo violinist .

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS .

The General Committee of this Institution met , on Saturday last , at Freemasons' Hall , Bro . Charles John Perceval in the chair . Among thc Life Governors and Life Subscribers present were the folloxving : Bros . G . P . Britten , T . VV . V . Wall , R . B . Webster , Thomas Cubitt , Raynhain VV . Stewart , Arthur E . Gladwell , Francis F . M . Stewart , Rev . Richard Morris , H . T . Thompson , A . H . Tattershall , T . Hastings Miller , T . Rosenthal , Abner Torkington , F . VV . Ramsay , M . D ., A . H . Lilley , Fredk . Brown , I . Terry , A . H . Hickman . F . H . Ebsworth .

h . Adlard , C . 1 * . Matier , Geo . P . Gillard , Charles Frederick Hogard , George English , S . B . Wilson , H . C . Levander , George VVilson , Charles J . Rich , George F . Coke , J . A . Farnfield , Rev . A . F . A . Woodford , William Roebuck , Don . M . Dewar , VV . Maple , C . E . Soppet , J . L . Mather , Williams Stephens , James Moon , E . L . Phillips , Alfred Williams , Henry Venn , Thos . Cull , G . R . Shervill , Joseph Lake , George A . Hunter , S . Docker , Joyce Murray , S . H . Parkhouse , Samuel Smout , C . H . Webb , Edgar Bowyer , Herbert Dicketts , James Kench , Henry VV . Hunt , Charles Bella , Henry Morris , VV . Paas . E . L . VV . Bowyer , R . E . Bowyer , H . A . Dubois , William Willey , H . L . Baxter

uowyer , now . , John c . Cox , A . H . L . btewart , D . G . Walters , S . Stewart George Mills , T . S Heller , John Young , Raymond Thrupp , J . Lexvis Thomas , Charles Daniel , George S . Bigley , E . Farwig , John S . Kinnear , E . C . Mather , J . Farminer , George Broivn , E . Letchworth , G . Ward Verry , George Verry , jun ., H . Cox , Robt . H . Halford , VV . F . Crutch , Frederic Davison , R . P . Spice , VVm . Alex . Barrett , Thomas H . VVaterworth , James Cutbush , Samuel Pownceby , George A . Rowbotham , Thos . Bull , C ' yi \ ' > 5 ' * R ° bt- Grey , Hy . Phythian , C . Harding , H . S . Goodall , F . Binckes ( Sec ) , and H . Massey ( Freemason ) .

After the reading and confirmation of the minutes , txvo petitions xvere read and approved , and the petitioners' children , a son of the late Bro . Coleman ., farmer , Stratford-on-Avon , and of the Cherxvell Lodge , No . 599 , Banbury , and a son of the late Bro . Bowles , schoolmaster , of the Lodge of Lights , No . 148 , Warrington , were placed on the list of candidates for election next October .

Outfits of £ 3 , , £ , 10 , and £ 20 respectively , xverc granted to three boys , late pupils of the Institution . Bro . BINCKES reported that according to resolutions passed at a former meeting , the sum of £ 1046 5 s . had been expended in the purchase of £ 1000 India 4 per cent . Stock . The election of the House and Audit Committee was then proceeded xvith . When the poll was declared the folloxving brethren xvere found to have been elected :

HOUSE COMMITTEE . Votes , j Votes Bro . Raynham VV . Stewart Cg 1 Bro . Dudley Rolls . 55 „ J . L . Mather 64 „ C . Sanders , M . D . .. ' . ' . ' . ' . ' 54 „ Edgar Bowyer Oi „ F . VV . Ramsay , M . D 53 „ James Moon Oo „ W . Roebuck 32 „ . 1- Joyce Murray 5 6 „ II . VV . Hunt JS „ W . Paas 55 „ 1 . G . Chancellor 12

AUDIT COMMITTEE . Votes , \ Votcrr Bro . Thomas Cubitt 70 Bro . Alfred Williams . ... 50 „ Henry Venn 70 „ U . S . Goodall 45 „ C . F . Matier Or . „ VV . Mann 43 " £ ' £ H ? gard ° » CE . Soppet 42 „ R . B . Webster O 2 n The customary vole of thanks closed the proceedings .