United Grand Lodge.

and regard we entertain for those grand old Institutions of the old Country . ( Renewed applause . ) I may say that I am delighted to have had my first opportunity of being present and witnessing the ceremonies in connection with your Grand Lodge , and I assure yoa , among the most pleasurable of the pleasant reminiscences of my visit lo ths Old Country will be the cordial reception extended lo me by the Masons in this part of the world . I thank you very heartily , brethren , for your cordial reception . ( Cheers ) .

Earl AMHERST then proposed "The R . W . Provincial and District Grand Masters , " brethren who , he said , occupied a considerable part of the brethren ' s esteem , for if those brethren did not work well in their respective provinces and districts , Masonry would not be what it was . He thought the

brethren ought on the present occasion to drink a glass of wine to them . They had present Major-General Laurie , who had served in his time as a Grand Master of Nova Scotia ; but he had come down to the position of a Prov . Grand Master of South Wales , and his name he connected with the toast , which the brethren would most cordially drink .

Bro . Major-General LAURIE , in reply , said he felt a great responsibility upon him , because he had to return thanks for a large number of brethren , many of whom he did not know personally , but many of whom he hoped to become acquainted with—those who were resident in England . It was hopeless to suppose he should ever become acquainted wiih the District Grand Masters throughout the wide area over which Grand Lodge of K

lg-Iand presided . But they had most distinct evidence fronvall parts of the world that they were animated by the most intense loyalty to their mother Grand Lodge by their great desire to work in harmony with the Constitutions and to strengthen and support in every possible way the old mother Grand Lodge . He was aware that there had been districts that had severed themselves from the Grand Lodge of England ; but he honestly

believed it had been after all in the interests of Masonry , and they could not have a better evidence of that than what had fallen from the G-and Master of Tasmania , a district which was formerly under Grand Lodge of England , but was now an independent Grand Lodge , but as loyal to the old Grand Lodge of England as ever . The Provincial Grand Masters' duty ,

of course , who lived nearer at home , was to keep themselves in touch with Grand Lodge at the centre to see that there should not be half a dozen systems of Masonry prevailing , but only one system , the one cultivated here among them all . That was their desire and determination , and they hoped to live up to that , and to earn the esteem of the brethren and to justify the kind way his lcrdship in the chair had spoken of them .

Karl AMHERST next proposed " The R . W . Grand Wardens and the other Grand Officers , Present and Past . " To all the Grand Ollicers invested that day they wished a happy and prosperous year of ofiice . To those who were Past Ofiicers they only hoped the past might be a pleasant one , and that in taking the collar of Past Grand Officer they would not forget the cause of Masonry but continue their attendance in Grand Lodge . He was

sorry that all the brethren he had invested with collars that day were not able to be present , the Iiarl of Lathom was one , and Lord Burton had not been able to stay to the barquet on account of a recent domestic allliction . In the absence of some of the Grand Officers he coupled with the toast the name of Past Grand Warden Philbrick , who had been Grand Registrar . He did not suppr . se that Grand Lodge ever had a sounder legal adviser than Bro . Philbrick , who always gave his advice in a most genial way .

His Honour Judge PHU . HRICK , O . C , P . G . W ., in reply , said : In these days , when we ought lo look for the survival of the fittest , ' I have often wondered what would happen if it turned out lhat the fittest did not survive . One fears for the degeneration of the race , for the qualities that have marked the Anglo-Saxon blood . But such a thing has happened , unluckily , tonight , and I cannot plead the fittest has survived to return thanks for thc

toast that has been proposed in such gracious and kind terms by our noble brother in the chair . Reftrence has been made tothe progiessof Masonry . Ri ghtly now not in a spirit of boaslfulness , but in a spirit , 1 trust , of thankfulness , we hope for a future of trust and of confidence . What has been done in the past , and what , I am suie , speaking for the Grand Ollicers who are now invested this \ ear , and those who have in the past served their

ofiice , what has contributed iu no immaterial degree tothe success of Masonry has been the goodwill , the hearty Masonic spirit and zeal of those entrusted wilh oilice , and I am sure ihe freedom of the Craft from all petty jealousies , its geneious approbation of any efforts a brother may make for the spread of Matonry and the welfare of the Craft render it one of thoss Institutions which , humanly speaking , has a strong hold upon the heart ,

and which reflects in ils best aspects that which is best in the nature of mankind . I am sure it is . I have often preached the doctrine that Masonry appeals in no slight degree to the higher and belter qualities , that it has been as permanent as we have seen it , that its success is as gr at as we see it , and that ils path lies before it as pure and as good in the future . Before

I sit down , my lord , let me thank you with the best of my poor thanks for the kind words you have used of mc , and to say , in taking leave of the oilice which for so many years I have held in Grand Lodge , while I feel acquitted of ever having , from fear , favour , or affection , deviated from my Knowled ge of what was straight and tuie , I shall as long as life is spared me by the Great-Architect continue to do the beit I can for the Craft I love sa well

and that I have endeavoured so imperfectly to serve . Dean HOLE , P . G . Chap ., proposed "The Masonic Charities , " and took advantage of the opportunity to ask the brethren to support a service he was going to hold in Rochester Cathedral to edify the old waste places of the Cathedral City of Rochester . Bro . J AMES TERRV , P . G . S . B ., replied , and said the Very Worshipful

Brother had stated / , " * V > , ooo was collected for the Girls' School in 18 SS , and £ 6 9 .. oo for the Old People in iS'c . 2 . It was the hops of every brother in the room that when June 10 th , 18 9 8 , came round the highest sum ever collected would be for the Bo ) s . They knew that the M . W . G . M . was then to preside . He believed the highest sum ever col ' ected for a charity was under the presidency of the Grand Master for Guy ' s Hospital when . £ 170 000 was

, collected . After that the highest sum was for thu Benevolent Institution , that , he believed , was this year to be wrested from that Institution and given to the Boys . Long might that Institution live to benefit by the munihence of the Crafl ; to might they number thc year 1 S 9 S , and think that during the whole period their Institutions had been in existence , growing as tl | - *— .-. — .- _ .. ~ --...... V .. ^ . I > l » t _* I ^ WVI * W'tl-Il . 'WIIWWJ kIWIIII'l . 1 * J

tney had grown with the growth of the Craft , ytt for 11 - > ye us since the first establishment cf a Charity , the highest sum ever collected was abaut to be announced this jear . After they had given funi . n o or £ 1 jo . 000 to the Boys' School , if they took their knowledge back to R -Chester , might tney value the good v . o do of the Dean of Rochester , and remember there was a province over which Iiarl Amherst presided , which had been strongly

United Grand Lodge.

supported by it at Canteibury Cathedral , ar . d then give great help to the Dean of Rochester . On behalf of the Benevolent Institution , he thanked the brethren for the toast of " The Masonic Charities . " He thanked them for what they had done in the past , and hoped that when this great wave of prosperity had subsided , there might be a little dove come forward in 1 S 99 to help the Old People . ( Applause . )

Bro . PROPERT , President of the Board of Stewards , replied to the toast of " The Grand Stewards . " The preparation of that Festival had been a labour of love to the Grand Stewards , and they were only proud and del ghted to see at it such a grand body of influential and good Masons . The G > -and Stewards had to pass through a uniq ie experience ; they were suddenly summoned from their small lodges to become , as it were ,

public servants . They basked for a short year in something like a swell position ; they were temporary members of Grand Lodge . But then came that Festival , and down they went . ( Laughter . ) Then they went to their lodges , and only could they dream of the grand men and the grand M isons they had met , and the grand Masons with whom they

had bei n officially connected . Last year there had been a grand gathering at the Albert Hall , and a grand fquash at St . Paul's Cathedral . ( L-xighicr . ) One day up they went , next day down . Never mind . They had kept up the best traditnns of the past in the past year of the . Grand Stewards . At any rate , they had done their best to do so . B o . the Rev . C . J . MARTYN , P . G . Chap ., proposed " The Ladies . "

Bro . JOHN CHANDLER , 5 , responded , and thj company then adjourned to the Temple , where with Earl Amherst in the chair a grand concert under Bro . G . F . Smith , Past G . Orrj ., was performed by Miss Margaret Hoare , Madame Alice Gomez , the Celia Q lartette ( Bro 5 . W . Hiles-Sm ' th , J . L . Haddon , Alfred Pinnington , and Sidney Galey ) , Miss Maude Home , and Miss Kathleen Purcell .

The clothing presented to Bro . his Honor Judge Philbrick , P . G . Reg . 1 P . G . W ., was manufactured by Bros . George Kennin * & Son , Little Britain , K . C .

Grand Officers.

GRAND OFFICERS .

GRAND WARDENS . The Right Hon . Lord BURTON , whom H . R . H . the M . W . Grand Master has appointed to the chair of Senior G . Warden , is a Mason of not far short of 40 years' standing , having been initiated in the Abbey Lodge , No . 626 , Burton-or .-Trent , on the 17 th of February , 186 j . In January , 1 S 63 , he was installed W . Master , and the following year was appointed Pro / . S . G . Warden of

Staffordslim-. He is also a member of the Royal Sussex Lodge , No . 353 , Winshill , in the Province of Derbyshire , having joined it on the 281 I 1 March , 1881 . He was exalted a Royal Arch Mason in the Abbey Chapter , No . 624 , on the 29 th June , 1864 , and installed in the chair of First Principal Z ., on the nth September ,

1866 , while in the Ancient and Accepted he has taken the 30 . He is a Patron of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , a Life Governor of the Girls' School and Benevolent Institution , and a Vice-President of the Staffordshire Masonic Charitable Association .

Viscount FOLKESTONE , M , P . —eldest son of the Earl of Radnor , Prov . G . Master of Wiltshire—who is the Junior G . Warden for ths year , was initiated m the Bard of Avon Lodge , No . 778 , Hampton Court , in June , 1890 , and was installed in its chair of W . Master in July of last year . In 1892 he joined the Elias de Derham Lodge , No . 586 , Salisbury , and the same year was appointed Prov . G . S . of W . in his father ' s Province , the still greater honour of Prov . J . G . Warden being conferred upon him last year .

GRAND CHAPLAINS . The Very Rev . WATKIN HERBERT WILLIAMS , Dean of St . Asaph , and a nephew of Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn , Bart ., was initiated into Freemasonry while an undergraduate of Oxford University , in the famous Apollo University Lodge , No . TO , in 18 O 8 . Subsequently , he was elected a ioining member of the Royal

Denbigh Ludue , No . 1143 , Denbigh , of vvhich he was installed W . Mister in 1883 , and of the Old Westminsters' Lodge , No . 2233 . He was appointed Prov . G . Chaulain of North Wales and Salop in 18 * 53 , and has served as Prov . S . G . Warfy-n of the Province of North Wales . He is also a Royal Arch Mason , having been exalted as such in 1869 .

Bro . the Rev . BROOKE LAMHEKT , Vicar of Greenwich , was init ' uteil in the Maruiion Lodge , No . 10 G 0 , Tamworth , on the 13 th August , 1873 , and live years liter had the honour of being installed as Worshipful Mister . In 1877 he joined the Alma Mater Lodge , No . 1644 , Birmingham , and for the second tim ; wai

elected and installed in the chair of Iv . S . in 1 MS 2 . In 18 to he was elected a joiniiij ; member , firstly of the Westminster and Keystone Lodge , No . 10 , and secondly I of trie St . George ' s Lodge , No . 140 , Greenwich , while the following year he I became a member of the Royal Naval College Lodge , No . 1593 , which also mee ' . **