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CONTENTS . LEADER " — Hei Majesty the Queen ... ... ••••¦•¦•¦ 2 G 1 The Benevolent Elections ... ... ... — •••261 The Mother City of American Freemasonry ... -,- •••2 G 2

Instruction ... ... ... ... ... — •••263 Provincial Grand Lodge of East Lancashire ... ... ••••••2 G 3 Consecration of the Haywra ( Mark ) Lodge , No . 525 ... ... ... 2 G 3 Annual Meeting of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution ... ... 26 5 MASONIC NOTESReport of the Committee of Management of the Royal Masonic Benevolent

Institution ... ... ... ... ¦•- , •- •2 G 7 Annual Meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of East Lancashire ... 2 G 7 Freemasonry in the Transvaal ... ... ... ... ... 2 G 7 Boys'School Athletic Sports ... ... ... ... ... 26 7 Consecration of the Hatchlands Lodge , No . 2756 ... ... ... 2 G 7 Half Ye 3 tly Meeting of Great Priory of the Order of the Temple ... 2 G 7 Reviews ... ... ... ... ... ... ... : GS

Masonic Notes and Queries ... ... ... ... ... 2 GS Ladies'Night of the Moira Chapter , No . 92 ... ... ... ... 2 GS General Ccmmitlee of Grand Lodge and Board of Benevolence ... ... 2 Gg Presentation to Bro . Wray of Blackpool ... ... ... ... 2 G 9 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 270

The Craft Abroad ... ... ... ... ... ... 270 Ancient and Accepted Rite ... ... ... ... ... 271 The Victorian Book of Constitutions ... ... ... ... 271 The late Bro . Sir B . W . Richardson ... ... ... ... 271 Obituary ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 271 Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 272

Her Majesty The Queen.

HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN .

No greater tribute of respect and affection has ever been paid to any Sovereign either in ancient or modern times than that which has been generously and spontaneously offered during these latter days in connection with her Soth birthday

to her Gracious Majesty the OuEEN . When quite recently she visited the palace in which she was born on the 24 th May , 1819 ; when she went to South Kensington for the purpose of laying the first stone of the Museum to be erected at the Victoria and

Albert Institute ; but , above all , when the auspicious anniversary itself was celebrated on Wednesday , nothing could exceed the loyalty that was exhibited b y her people throughout Ihe length and breadth of the British Empire . The longer she

lives and reigns , the deeper and more firmly inset in the hearts of her subjects becomes this feeling of love and devotion , and we earnestl y pray that the day may yet be far distant when the lie that unites her with her people shall be broken .

it would be absurd for the Freemasons of the British Kmpire to claim for themselves any excess of loyally over other societies or sections of her subjects , but there undoubtedly

exists between our venerable Sovereign and the ancient and honourable Society of Masons a bond of union which is not to be found between her and others . To go no further hack than the generation which preceded her , her father ,

the late Duke of KENT , was a Grand Master of our Order , while ¦ ill her uncles save one were Freemasons . Of her two predecessors on the throne , GF . OKGE IV ., either as Grand Master or Matron , presided over us for 40 years , and WILLIAM IV . was one

of » s for upwards of half a century , and Patron from 1 S 30 and 1 S 37 . Another of her uncles , the Duke of SUSSEX , was Grand Master 'or 30 years . Moreover , three of her four sons and one of her grandsons inthedirect hneof descent—the late Duke of CLARENCE

ancl AvONruLE—were members , her eldest son and heir , H . R . H . tne Prince of WALES , having been at the head of our Grand Lodge jor about a quarter of a century . Add to this that the QUEEN "i- 'rsclf has been a generous supporter , as well as Patron , of

° ur three Charitable Institutions , and that on all public occasions of special importance her Majesty has graciously received our resolutions of congratulation or sympathyand . t will be

, realised to the fullest extent that the respectful homage we tender her as Sovereign is , if possible , intensified by tlie love -ind reverence we feel for her as the Patron of our Order .

The Benevolent Elections.

THE BENEVOLENT ELECTIONS .

1 he elections on the Male and Widows Fund of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution took place at the Annual General Meeting of Governors and Subscribers , which was held at Freemasons' Tavern , on Friday , the 10 th instant , under the

presidency of Bro . JOHN A . FARNFIELD , P . A . G . D . C , Treasurer of the Institution . The list of candidates , as originally issued , contained in all ( lie names of r 23 applicants , of whom 55 were brethren and 68 widows , while the vacancies as declared in

February were 27 , of which 15—12 immediate and three deferred —were for the Male Fund , and 12—nine immediate and three deferred—for the Widows' Fund . But by the day of election thc number was reduced to n 6 , the men ' s list , through the

death of one candidate and the withdrawal of another , comprising only 53 names , and the widows' list , owing to three deaths and two withdrawals , only 6 3 . On the other hand , the number of vacancies was increased by the deaths of three men

and four widows to 34 , of whom 18 were on the Male Fund and 16 ^ on the Widows' Fund , the three deferred annuities being in each case included , while at the annual meeting , the Governors and Subscribers , on the recommendation of the Committee of

Management , sanctioned a permanent increase to the establishment of live Male and three Widow Annuities , so that the number elected was 42 , of whom 23—20 immediate and three deferred—were for the Male Fund , and 10—16 immediate and

three deferred—for the Widows' Fund . Thc struggle for places was a very keen one , there being for each Fund two or three applicants who polled upwards of 4000 votes and yet failed to secure election .

hor the MALE 1 ' UND , 13 out of the 53 brethren who went to the poll hailed from London , of whom as many as eight were elected , while of the

remaining 40 from the Provinces and Abroad , there were only 15 who succeeded . A London brother headed the poll with 5843 votes , of which 2917 were brought forward from the 18 98 election , while the one Surrey candidate was a good second ,

with 5 O 7 8 votes , including 3449 from last year . The Norfolk candidate , who had 3424 votes to the good from 18 97 and 18 98 , polled 22 S 0 more , and thereby increased his total to 5654 , a London brother being fourth with 5506 votes , of which ' ' 22 i 2 were

brought forward from his two previous attempts and 3294 g iven him at this meeting . No . 5 , from Kent , increased his poll from 2317 to 5312 votes , and was followed by two London brethren , with 5161 and 5016 votes respectively ; the former

having 1979 already to his credit , and the latter 2339 . No . 8 was one of two new candidates from Hertfordshire , and gained a place with 4977 votes ; while the other Herts brother was close at his heels with 4959 votes . The Essex candidate was

placed 10 th with 4932 votes , and then followed two hailing from London , the poll of one , inclusive of 2933 already to his credit , reaching 4883 votes , and of the other 4847 votes , including 196 9 from last year . No . 13 , from Lincolnshire , with only 34 in hand ,

totalled ultimately 4 820 ; while one of the two East Lancashire brethren , who started with seven votes , took 14 th place with 4810 . No . r ,,, from Devonshire , obtained 4612 , of which 624 were in hand ; and No . 16 , London , 45 6 3 , of which 210 S were

brought forward . No . 17 , also a London candidate , brought forward 2599 from live elections , and finished with a total of 4558 . One of the two Somersetshire applicants , who polled 3514 last year , increased that number to 455 1 ;