United Grand Lodge.

The minutes of tho preceding Grand Lodge , so far as they concerned the re-election of the Earl of Zetland , having been confirmed , his lordship was proclaimed and saluted in due form with much applause . Tho MOST WORSHIPFUL ( J HAND MASTER briefly acknowledged the Honour of being thus elected for the seventeenth time . He assured the brethren that it was his most earnest desire to further the best interests of the Craft . He was much gratified at the increase of the Order in London and the provinces . The charities he was also glad to say were

prosperous and well supported . TUB MOST WORSHIPFUL GUANO MASTER then appointed the officers for the ensuing year : —the R . W . Lord Panmure , D . G . M . ; Bros . Lord Londesborough , S . G . W . ; Algernon Perkins , J . G . W . ; Samuel Tomkins , G . Treas . ; Revs . Arthur R . Ward , and Wentworth Bowyer , G . Chaplains ; F . Roxburgh , G . Reg . ; AY . Gray Clarke , G . Sec . ; Lewis Crombio , S . G . D .: R . W . Wheeler , J . G . D . ; Samuel W . Daukes , G . Supt . of Works ; Albert W . WoodsG . Dir . of Cers . Dr . George Harcourt

, ; , Asst . G . Dir . of Cers . ; Henry Bridges , G . Swordbearer ; Thomas A . Adams , G . Purs . ; David Farmer , Asst . G . Purs . ; Charles Payne , G . Tyler—the new Grand Officers being loudly applauded by their friends . The M . W . GRAND MASTER ( hen gave notice of his intention to move at the next Grand Lodge , that in acknowledgment of the twenty-five years' excellent services of Bro . Jennings , as Grand Director of Cers ., a jewel , emblematic of the office he had so ably filled , be presented to him . ( Applause ) . His Lordship also gave notice of his intention to propose

that the rank of Past Grand Pursuivant be granted to Bro . Joseph Smith , and that until that time he had given Bro . Smith permission to wear the regalia of that rank . The following brethren were presented as Grand Stewards for the ensuing year : —Edward Joseph Powell , No . 1 ; Edward S . Barron , No . 2 ; Robert Oreenialgli , M . D ., No . 4 ; Andrew McPhail Walls , No . 5 ; George D . Pollock , No . ( i ; William Maxwell , No . S ; William Weymott , No . ] 4 William H . WelkinsNo . 21 Ralh M . SmithNo 23 Rev

; , ; p , . ; . William Westall , No . 27 ; George Dames , No . 32 ; George Kelly , No . 54 ; Arthur Pinch , No . C 6 ; Isidore Levinson , No . 72 ; Delnot D . l'ank-Imrst , No . HIS : William 11 . Gade . No . 110 "; Edward Frond , No . 223 ; Lewis Powell , M . D ., No . 324 . We regret to state that the Grand Secretary was absent through severe illness . The Grand Lodge was then closed in due form .

THE GRAND FESTIVAL . About six o ' clock the members of Grand Lodge proceeded to the large hall to the annual grand banquet , which certainly was not what it . should have been—but this was not owing to the caterers , Bros . Elkmgtou and Shrewsbury , but to some extraordinary miscalculation of the stewards as to the number likely to be present . Experience lias shown that one hundred and seventy or one hundred and eighty brethren is a smnU number to be present these occasionsand vet

on , an order was given in writing for only one hundred and ten ; though " urged by the proprietors of the tavern to increase the order , the Grand Stewards refused to do so . Fortunately on their own responsibility the proprietors did provide for one hundred and fifty , whilst one hundred and eighty-two sat down ; and we are informed that no less than forty-seven were refused admission , the room neither being laid out for the accommodation of so large a number , or provision made to dine them could the accommodation have been

extended at tho last moment ; as a matter of course , there was not that attendance on the visitors there would have been had proper orders been given in the first instance . _ On the removal of the cloth , the M . W . GRAND MASTER proceeded to give the usual loyal toasts , which were most cordially responded to . Bro . Admiral Sir Lucius CURTIS , Bart ., Prov . G . M . for Hampshire , acting Deputy Grand Master , then rose and expressed his regret that owing to the absence of the Deputy Grand Master , it should have devolved upon him to have to propose the health of the M . W . Grand Master —( cheers)—but that regret was diminished by the knowledge

that no words of his were required to recommend the toast to their notice . His lordship had now been many years amongst them , and lie was sure that so highly was tho noble carl respected by tho brethren that he had only to mention his name to ensure for the toast a warm and cordial , reception . ( Cheers ) . He knew how deep was the interest which the noble awl took iu everything affecting the Craft—how zealously iie discharged his duties—how highly his services were appreciated by the brethrenwho always regarded his lordshiwith feelings of respect

, p and affection . ( Cheers ) . He therefore proposed the health of the M . W . Grand Master—long life and prosperity to him . ( Cheers ) . The M . W . GRAND MASTER then rose , but owing to the applause was for some time almost inaudible . He expressed his deep thanks to the brethren for the manner in which they had responded to the toast of his health , which had been so kindly proposed by his respected friend aud brother the Prov . Grand Master for Hampshire ! He assured the brethren

that he met them with the greatest pleasure , aud tho manner in which thoy had received liiin convinced him tfiat he stiff enjoyed their confidence and regard . ( Cheers ) . He had now had the ' honour of being installed as their Grand Master for the seventeenth time , and he could assure them that he was not insensible to tho honour thus conferred upon him . Ue was the more gratified at still having the honour to preside over the Craft , as there never was a time when it was more prospeat homewhen

rous — greater happiness prevailed irj their relations with their colonial brethren—or when their noble charities , the just boast , vul pride of Freemasonry , were so well and liberally supported . ( Cheers ) . ! le thanked them most cordially for the honour they had done him . and

United Grand Lodge.

assured them that so long as he had health and strength he would ever do his utmost to support the best interests and honour of the Order ; and , in conclusion , ho would with the greatest sincerity drink to all their good , healths . ( Cheers ) . The i \ L W . G . BA . KD MASTER thei \ T > Yr > v > osrsd prosperity to the Grand Lodges of Scotland and Ireland . He " was happy to say that the Grand Lodge of England was on the best of terms with the sister Grand Lodges , which were never more prosperous than at present .

The toast having been drunk—The M . W . GRAND MASTER again rose and said , ho had the pleasure to propose the health of a noble brother , who , he was sure , enjoyed the confidence and affection of the whole of the brethren—the K . W . D . G . M ., Lord Panmure ( Cheers . ) He could assure them that though he was unable to be present that eveniug , his lordship always took the greatestinterest in the prosperity of the Craft . He was sure that those who had seen his lordshiiu Grand Lodgewould readily call to mind how

p , ably he advocated every measure tending to the best interests of Masonry , of which he held the highest opinion , whilst in private be was equally beloved , as he was by the members of the Craft- ( Cheers . ) The EARL of ZETLAND had now to propose a toast which was sure of a warm reception— "The health of the Grand Officers , "and iu the absence of the noble brother whom he bad had the pleasure to appoint as G . S . W ., he would couple with the toast the name of Bro . Perkins , J . G . W . The brethren he had that day appointed as Grand Officers were well known

for their zeal iu Masonry , and he trusted they would encourage them in the discharge of their new duties , by cordially drinking their health . He felt satisfied that at the end of the year they would be enabled to give a good account of the manner in which they had discharged the duties of the offices entrusted to them . ( Cheers . ) Bro . ALGERNON PERKINS , J . G . W ., regretted that it had not fallen into other and abler bauds to acknowledge the compliment so gracefully paid to the new Grand Officers bthe Grand Masterand so kindly responded

y , to by the brethren . He could assure them that the new Grand Officers did not enter upon their offices without a due sense of the responsibility which they had undertaken , and that they would do all in their power to maintain and uphold the interests and honour of the Craft . If at the end of their year of office any of them should be found wanting in those attributes which had distinguished the Past Grand Officers , and

their duties had not been so well performed as they ought to have been , he could assure , them that it would be owing to their want of ability , and not to their want of desire to discharge them with their utmost efficiency . ( Cheers . ) The M . W . GRAND MASTER said the next toast he would place before them was " The health of the Prov . Grand Masters , " a very important body of Officers , whose services much conduced to the prosperity of Masonry in the country . ( Cheers ) . They were that evening honoured

with the presence of a considerable number of Prov . Grand Masters , many of whom had attended from a considerable distance in order to show their respect to the Craft . There were present the Prov . Grand Masters for Essex , Gloucestershire , Cambridgeshire , Surrey , Hampshire , and Oxfordshire , and a P . Prov . Grand Master for Bengal , all of whom had rendered good service to the , Craft , for which he begged to return them his most sincere thanks . ( Cheers ) . If there were not more Prov . Grand Masters present he was sure it was not from any want of respect

for the Graft or zeal for the interests of Masonry , but owing to their duties in their respective provinces , or from business which could not be neglected . He had great pleasure in proposing the toast and iu coupling with it the name of Sir Lucius Curtis , Prov . Grand Master for Hampshire . ( Cheers ) . Bro . ADMIRAL SIR LUCIUS CURTIS could assure the M . W . Grand Master and the brethren that he was quite unprepared for the honour of having his name associated with the toast just proposed , and he scarcely knew how adequately to express his thanks to the Grand Master for the terms in which he had proposed it , or to the brethren for the kindness

with which they had responded to it . He felt that-many of the compliments of the M . W . Grand Master were scarcely deserved , though he was sure ho could answer for all the Prov . Grand Officers in saying that they were actuated by the utmost desire to promote the interests of Freemasonry to the best of their ability-. ( Cheers ) . He had now ruled the province of Hampshire for upwards of twenty years , aud he was happy to say that never did Masonry flourish more in that province than at the present time , and that every Lodge was distinguished by zealous ,

active , and intelligent brethren , who did honour to the Craft . In conclusion he wished the brethren every prosperity the world could bestow , aud that thoy might long live to enjoy it . ( Cheers ) . The M . W . GRAND MASTER had uow to propose a most important toast— "The Masonic Charities . " ( Cheers ) . Of all tho duties of a Mason there were none to which he was more solemnly bound than to acts of charity . In proposing success to the Masonic Charities , he felt it was impossible to do justice to tho subject , as their progress had of late

years been so marked and important as to form an era in the history of the Grand Lodge of England . ( Cheers ) . The Boys and Girls Schools , and the Royal Benevolent Institution for Aged Masons and their Widows , with its Asylum , .. were all most . noble charities , and redounded to the honour and credit of Freemasonry . If he asked them to look back a period of only ton or fifteen years , and contrast the then state of the charities with their present position , they would bo astonishH with the progress they had made . At . that time they had no real institution for boys . It was true they put boys to school and clothed them , but