The Festival Of Wednesday Next.

THE FESTIVAL OF WEDNESDAY NEXT .

The first of the three great Anniversary Festivals of the year—that of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution—will bc held at Freemasons ' Tavern on Wednesday next , under the presidency of Bro . CHARLES E . KEYSER , J . G . D ., and though vve cannot in reason hope that the total of the donations and subscriptions vvhich it will be the privilege of the Secretary to

announce in the course of the evening will be on as formidable a scale as in ordinary years , vve arc sanguine enough to believe that it will be worthy of the Chairman , of the Stewards who are backing him up so loyally , and the - Executive officers of the Institution , vvho , as usual , have strained every nerve to raise what is necessary in order to make good thc very

considerable deficit which has annually to be provided . As regards the Chairman , it is hardly possible to speak in terms too eulogistic of the spirit which prompted him to undertake a responsibility vvhich had been declined by so many , and , for his sake , apart from the interest we necessarily take in everything which is

expected or intended to be of benefit to the Charity , we could have wished that the prospects for Wednesday next were more encouraging than they are . It is no light matter under the most favourable circumstances to accept the position of Chairman at one of our Masonic Festivals . The competition for support among the authorities of the three Charities , and

the sum annually required for each of them is so considerable , that it is hardly to be wondered at if the more distinguished members of our Society should hesitate to give their services as Chairman , lest the Festival should turn out to be , comparatively speaking , a failure . In the case of this particular Anniversary it has been recognised throughout—as it was in the case

of the Girls' School Festival in 1 SS 9—that it is almost hopeless to expect anything like an average Return , ancl the brother vvho offers himself at the Inst moment , when the many who had been solicited to preside have declined , is all the more worthy of being supported generously . However , vve need not dwell longer on this point , because we are satisfied that

the Chairman , the Stewards , and the Executive of the Institution will exert themselves as strenuously as if there had been no difficulties of an unusual character to contend with , nor will it be their fault if the large total of

Returns ordinarily compiled is not announced at the approaching Festival . We have said that , notwithstanding the difficulties we have dwelt upon , we are sanguine there will be a fairly good sum accumulated by the brethren vvho have volunteered their services as Stewards . The Board

is upwards of 200 strong , and although some of the latest coiners will probably be unable to do more than swell the general total by their personal contributions , there is a considerable proportion of them who havc undertaken to represent lodges or chapters , and may be expected to render a very good account of their Stewardship . Both London and the Provinces

are fairly represented , while the particular Province of Hertfordshire , vvith which the Chairman has been connected for the last 17 years , and of which he is a Past Provincial Grand Warden , notwithstanding the amount of its contributions , to the Benevolent Jubilee last year , is bravely bestirring itself , and vvill make a better show than could have been expected . Our

hopes , therefore , are in great measure justified , while there is undoubtedly a serious need for , at all events , such a total as will enable the Executive to get throug h the year without trenching upon the newly-invested capital . We Have stated in former articles that the deficit to be made good must be set

down at from ^ 10 , 000 to ^ 12 , 000 , and wc shall be well content—indeed , we shall regard it in the light of a signal triumph—if the lesser of these two sums is obtained . We must not lose sight of the two or three important facts connected with our Benevolent Institution vvhich it devolved on us to

mention in our report of the recent meeting of the Committee of Management . On that occasion it vvas announced that the lists of approved candidates for the two Funds contained the names of 117 Old People , namel y , 60 brethren and 57 widows ; and , at the same time , it was declared lhat the number of annuities which would be competed for at the annual

meeting m May next , taking the immediate and the deferred together in e'ich case , was 25—that is to say , 15 on the Male Fund and 10 on thc idovvs' Fund . From what has happened in former years vve may anticipate that between now and the day of election other vacancies will occur , ut under no circumstances can we look forward to the ultimate number

annuities reaching more than about 30 . Thus , in spite of the recent . tions t 0 the establishment and the greater stringency of the qualificaons , there will still be about go aged and indigent people for whom no present provision can be made . Is it not , under these circumstances , the

ty of everybody to render all possible support to an Institution which , by Providing annuities for 430 Old People , is doing so much in assisting , v * 1 . unfortunate members of our Society and their widows ; and 'ch , it its permanent resources were greater than they arc , would , in the " ° f time , be able to render still greater service ?

Grand Lodge Of Scotland.

GRAND LODGE OF SCOTLAND .

A quarterly communication of the Grand Lodge o [ Scotland was held in the Freemasons' Hall , Edinburgh , on the 2 nd inst ., when there vvas a very large attendance of brethren from all parts to the number of about 400 . In the absence of the Grand Master the throne was occupied by Bro . James Berry , Prov . Grand Master of Forfarshire . It was a fitting event

on his retirement from the Grand Committee that Bro . Berry vvas present to preside at such an influential and important meeting of this grand bod y . His introductory remarks vvere very heartily received , and the support which he bespoke was cordially given ; and the excellent manner in which the business all through the long meeting vvas conducted was a subject of p -eneral admiration .

A statement was submitted of the accounts of Grand Lodge for the year ending 24 th November , from which it appeared that the income had been r £ 5 ' 97 > and the expenditure ^ 4410 . The sum of £ 1500 , being half of the free income of Grand Lodge for 1 S 90-91 , had been paid over to the Annuity Fund . During the year there had been 59 , 5 entrants to the Order . The

funds and estate amounted to . £ 32 , 897 . The Committee of the Fund of Benevolence had during the year paid £ 651 in grants , and the fund now amounted to ^ 6917 . The Annuity Fund had paid ^ 1090 in annuities , and now amounted to . £ 20 , 790 . This year , £ 1393 falls to be paid to it as half of the free income of Grand Lodge .

A deputation appeared from Aberdeen , headed by Bro . Wilson , R . W . M ., and were heartily welcomed from the throne .

Bro . WILSON * thanked Grand Lodge for the enthusiastic reception , and then supported the nomination by the lodges of the province and the recommendation of Grand Lodge in favour of Bro . James H . Forshan to be Provincial Grand Master of the City of Aberdeen . In doing so , he spoke in highly eulogistic terms of Bro . Forshan as a Mason . The election of Bro . Forshan was unanimously agreed to by Grand Lodge .

A report was submitted from Bro . Dr . Middleton , Prov . Grand Master of Roxburgh and Selkirkshires , in which he stated that of the 10 lodges under that jurisdiction , four hold as lodge property the halls in which their Masonic work is transacted , while three others rent halls entirely unconnected with licensed premises . There vvas , he added , manifestly a growing desire among all the lodges to dissociate FVcemasonry from hotels and taverns , and

in preference lo secure suitable premises of their own . A very creditable illustration of this had been afforded by Lodge No . 424 , Hawick , vvhich , greatly aided by the presence of the Grand Master , succeeded in raising last September by means of a bazaar and the subscriptions of its own members the not inconsiderable sum of £ 700 , after clearing all expenses . Indications were also given that other lodges were moving in a similar direction .

The minutes of Grand Committee reported that the Grand Secretary had drawn their attention to the painting in the Board Room purporting to represent the installation of Burns as Poet Laureate of Lodge Canongate Kilwinning , No . 2 . This picture came into thc possession of Grand Lodge in 1863 as a present from the family of the late Chevalier James Burnes . It vvas accepted without question as to whether thc event pourtrayed therein

vvas real or imaginary . The story of the inauguration vvas never challenged until 1 S 73 , when the present Grand Secretary , while preparing his " History of Freemasonry in Scotland , " and after a minute examination of Canongate Kilwinning's record , formed the opinion that Burns was never elected to , and never held the oilice of , Poet Laureate of thc lodge , and never vvas installed into such an office . His views having become known to its

officebearers , by their instructions the Secretary of the lodge questioned the soundness of his opinion , and laid a statement before him embodying alleged facts which he unfortunately accepted as true , and in his history modified the opinion vvhich he had originally formed . In a printed correspondence between Bros . Allan Mackenzie , the historian of No . 2 , and William Officer , Grand Secretary asserts that the statements made to him

were unfounded , and that it is clearly established that the story of the installation of Burns as Poet Laureate is a myth . Attached to the original painting presented by the Burneses is the inscription : "The Inauguration of Robert Burns as Poet-Laureate of Lodge Canongate Kilwinning . —ist March , 17 S 7 . " This date is accepted by the lodge as correct . In all

statements and discussions in support of the story the minute of thc meeting at vvhich the event is alleged to have happened has been kept out of si ght . It is as follows : " The lodge being duly constituted , it was reported that since last meeting R . Dalrymple , Esq . ; F . T . Hammond , Esq . ; R . A . Maitland , Esq ., were Entered Apprentices ; and the following brethren passed and raised : R . Sinclair , Esq . ; A . M'Donald , Esq . ; C . B . Clive , Esq . ; Captain

Dalrymple ; R . A . Maitland , Esq . ; b . I . Hammond , Esq . Mr . Clavaring , Mr . M'Donald , Mr . Millar , Mr . Sime , and Mr . Gray , who all paid their fees to the Treasurer . No other business being before the meeting , the lodge adjourned . " Grand Secretary submitted that , in the interests of truth as set against a fable , it is necessary that steps should be taken by Grand Committee to have the inscription on the picture amended . Thereupon Bro . Mackenzie said it would be well for Grand Committee to

ascertain whether the event really took place or not , and questioned its ri ght to alter the inscription on any painting bequeathed to Grand Lodge . He explained that the friendly correspondence between Bro . Officer and himself vvas , so far as he vvas concerned , undertaken on his own responsibility , and had not been officially recognised by Canongate Kilwinning , but that his history was only a compilation of some of its records . Further , that since Grand Secretary had brought the matter before Grand Committee he had seen a document which bore strong evidence of the installation having taken place ,