Metropolitan.

The R . W . CHAIRMAN said , the next toast on the list was " The Ladies , " particularly those honouring tbe Festival with their presence . This was a toast generally given by a bachelor , but lie liad great pleasure in doing so , though he bad heen married thirteen years , ancl had a family of seven children , no one had greater opportunities of knowing the value of the ladies than the married man . ( Cheers . ) He ivould couple with the toast the name of Bro . Mclntyre .

The toast having been duly honoured , Bro . JICINTYKE , S . G . D ., said it was with no slight diffidence that he rose to return thanks for the ladies , he being , like their noble Chairman , a benedict ; and he considered the toast would have been in abler hands had it been given to one of the gay young bachelors anxious to enter into the holy bonds of matrimony . ( Cheers and laughter . ) He accepted the taskhoweverwith leasurewell

, , p , knowing the light ancl blessings which the ladies shed over the household , and feeling that the brethren could have no greater pleasure than seeing their fair friends assisting at these festivals , field for the promotion of charity . ( Cheers . ) Thc CHAIUMAN then gave the concluding toast , " The Stewards , " with thanks to them for their exertions , which was briefly responded to by liro . Charles W . Elkington , P . G . S . B .

In thc course of the evening , the Stewards' lists of subscriptions were read , the amount announced being £ 2 , 4-80 7 s ., with two lists to come in . The musical arrangements , conducted by Bro . C . Horsley , G . Org ., were excellent , and comprised the talents of Jliss Stabbach , Jliss Banks , Jliss Eyles , Mrs . Lee , Bro . AA inn , and Bro . Suchet Champion . Tho dinner was excellently servedand the whole of the

-, arrange ments of the Stewards gave the greatest satisfaction . The gallery was again enlarged for the ladies , and added much to the appearance ofthe room ; the work having been entrusted to Bro . Geo . Step , the builder , of the Strand , a member of Lodge 29 . The proceedings did not close until nearly midnight .

Royal Benevolent Institution For Aged Masons And Their Widows.

ROYAL BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION FOR AGED MASONS AND THEIR WIDOWS .

AVe remind the brethren that the election of the annuitants will take place on Friday next , the 17 th inst . ; ancl those friends who desire to support Bro . A \ arren in his endeavours to take the name of Mrs . AA ' eymouth off the list of candidates , where it has stood for seven years , are respectfully requested to forward their balloting papers to our office at their earliest convenience . Bro . Warren again reminds those brethren who have not

subscribed that 5 s . will buy eight votes—the number now wanted to ensure success being about -400 or 500 . Votes for male annuitants will he acceptable , as they may be so used as to ensure support lor Jlrs . AVeymoiith . JBro . Warren repeats that Mrs . Weymouth is altogether unknown to him ; but he has had the pleasure of receiving a letter from a iion-Mason of Leicester , offering to subscribe to the charity to aid JMrs . Weymouth , knowing her to be " a most respectable woman , and highly deserving the aid of the benevolent . "

Votes already acknowledged 248 Bro . Farthing , AV . JI ., ( No . 118 ) , London 112 E . G . P ., London 100 Bro . Novell ! , J . G . AV . ( £ 1 ) 31 „ Symonds , Asst . G . D . C 20 „ AVillett , AV . JI . 480 , Isle worth S „ Dennis Hall , AV . JL , 615 , Cambridge 8

„ St . Alban ' s , Duke , AV . M . 1161 8 „ C . J . E . Smith ( N o . 615 ) Cambridge 12 „ Faithful ( No . 165 ) , Richmond 8 „ Wilson , JI . E . Z . 128 , Darlington 8 „ Benson , AV . JL 128 , Darlington 24 ,. Jloutrie ( 5 s . ) Bath 8 „ MalinsAVoolwich ( 10 *) 16

, . „ Hassall , AA ' oolwich 24 636 Bro . AVarren has also the following mens' votes , which will be used for the benefit of Jlrs . AA eymouth : — Bro . Farthing , AA . JI . 118 120

„ AVarren 84 Mrs . AVarren 24 Bro . Jlorris 8 236

Provincial.

PROVINCIAL .

YORKSHIRE ( WJEST ) . LEEDS . —Philanthropic Dodge ( No . 382 ) .- —The usual monthly meeting of this lodge was held at the Private Rooms , Bond-street , Leeds , on Wednesday , the 24 th of April , when there were , present the following officers and brethren : —Bros . John Batley , AA . Jl . ; J . Bnckton . P . JL , as S . A \ . ; E . W . Shaw , LAV . ; S . AV . Newsam , Sec . ; J . C . Browne , S . D . ; R . Read as J . D . ; C . A . Perkin as I . G ., and AV . HightonTylerancl Brosthe Rev . A . F . A . WoodfordM . A .,

, , , , P . JI ., as Chaplain ; Rev . T . B . Ferris , P . JI . ; J . Lee , P . M . ; AV . Perkin , P . M . ; S . Clark , P . M . ; AV . Jlusgrave , P . M . ; S . Swan , J . L . Gates , D . Lee , and visitors , Bros . D . Salmond , P . M ., Lodge of Hope , 379 , Prov . S . G . AV . ; AV . AVhite , AV . JL Britannia Lodge ( 162 ) , Sheffield ; S . Freeman , S . AV ., and Matthews , Alfred Lodge ( 384 ); Dore , Lodge of Truth ( 763 ) , Huddersfield ; J . K . Defeher , Rose and Thistle LodgeGlasgow ; and Bros . LumbAV . JL ; HillSecretary ; Pickard

, , , , J . D ., Ibbetson , and Holt , Stewards , and J . Hill , of the Lodge of Hope ( 379 ) , Bradford . The lodge having been opened , and the minutes of the previous lodge read ancl confirmed , the AV . JL said he had great pleasure in offering to the brethren of the Lodge of Hope , both for the brethren present , and also on his own behalf , a hearty welcome for their presence on this occasion—the more so from the valuable assistance they had rendered by their votes in

Prov . Grancl Lodge , towards securing the choice of Leeds as the place of installation of the newly elected R . AV . Prov . G . JL , ancl ivhieh he need scarcely inform the lodge hacl been decided by a majority of votes at the last meeting of Prov . Grand Lodge . He was happy to say that every effort was being made to give clue effect to the

ceremony , ancl render the Festival a credit to the province oi AVest Yorkshire . The worthy Mayor of Leeds ( Jlr . James Kitson ) , although not a JIason , had , in the most handsome manner , expressed his desire to assist the Executive Committee as far as possible , and placed the whole of his rooms , in the Leeds Town Hall , at their disposal , so that the festivities ivould all be concentrated in one building , ancl much inconvenience to strangers and visitors thus avoided . He would conclude by thanking the brethren of the Lodge

of Hope for their presence this evening , ancl for the valuable assistance rendered by their votes in . Prov . Grand Lodge , towards securing to Leeds the installation of the R . AV . Prov . G . JL The lodge was then oiiened into the second degree ; Bro . D . Lee having given satisfactory proof of his progress in this degree , was entrusted and subsequently raised to the sublime degree of a JI . JI . The traditional history of this degree was then explained to him by the AV . JL , and Bro . John LeeP . JLnamed and explained thc working tools . The

, , lodge was then closed down to the second degree , and afterwards to the first . Bro . W . Perkin , P . JL , according to previous announcement , then read a paper , entitled , " Freemasonry Vindicated , " which was listened to with much attention . At its conclusion , Bro . Woodford , P . JL , said he had listened with very great pleasure to Bro . Perkin ' s very able lecture , and begged to propose that the best thanks of the lodge be given to Bro . Perkin , P . JL , for his able and interesting

reading . The proposition was seconded by Bro . John Lee , P . M ., and carried by acclamation . Bro . Perkin returned thanks . Several joining members having been proposed , the lodge was then duly closed in ancient form .

Colonial.

COLONIAL .

JfAURITIUS . LouGE oi ? HAIWIOKY ( No . 11-13 ) . —The ceremony of installing the AV . JL ( Bro . J . C . C . Jlillwarcl ) of this new lodge was performed at the British Lodge Rooms , Port Louis , on the 23 rd of January , by the AV . Bro . Rev . JI . C . Odell , Past JIaster of the British "Lodge ( No . 1038 ) , and P . Prov . G . D . of China , assisted by the \ V . Bros . Moore , P . JI . of Lodge No . 235 , nuclei- the Grand Lodge of

Ireland , Jourdain , AV . JI . of that lodge , and Bnrbeau , Venerable of the lodge La Paix , under the Grand Orient of France . There were also present deputations from the above lodges , as also from the lodge La Triple Esperance . Bros . J . E . Palmer and AVm . Hazlitt were invested as the first Senior and Junior AA aniens . The first meeting of tlic lodge was held at the Temple of La Triple Esperance , which has been placed at the disposal of the brethren

by the kind and fraternal feeling wliich characterises the brethren under the Grand Orient of France . At this meeting , Bros . Sir Edward Reiiiono , Kt . Venerable of La Triple Esperance , Sir David Barclay , Bart ., Past A en . of that lodge , Barbeau , A en . of Lodge La Paix , Brodie , Jlonk , and Dr . Riccard were elected and affiliated as members . At the second meeting , held on the 14 th of March , AVm . Hatch , Esq . was initiated into the mysteries of the Order , and Bro . Colville Barclay , Acting Colonial Treasurer , was elected a member .