Provincial Grand Lodge Of West Yorkshire.

Claremont , Esher , 2 fith April 1881 . " Sir Robert H . Collins his n-eoived the commands of Her Roval Highlit-- ™ the Duchess of Albany ro thank the Provincial Grand Lodge of West Yorkshire for their kind address of sympathy . " Henry Smith , Esq ., Provincial 0 . Secretary , Wakefield . " Moved by W . Bro . Jon is Craven P . M . 275 P . P . G . W .,

Seconded by W . Bro . Isaac Booth P . M . < U P . P . G . W ., and resolved , " Thafc this Provincial Grand Lodge has receivo-l with the deepest regret , the official announcement of the retirement of Limir .-Colonel Sir Henry Edwards . Hart ., C . B ., D . L ., & c ., fv . vm the position of Grand Master of this Province , an office he has filled with con . anion > na brilliant- * , ' mid success for upwards of nino years . It

cannot Ibut feel the great loss it , has sustained by his withdrawal from the position of head of the Craft in this Province , aud desires tn assure him of its gratitndo and appreciation of hi- * unbounded liberality to tho Craft and its Institutions , and his devoted services in the interests of this Provinc-. " This Provincial Grand Lodgo d .-sires also to express its deep

sympathy with him in his retirement f' -om tho duties of his high office , and most forv-ntly prays th it the Great Architect of tho Universe may long spam him and L itly Edwards in that sphere of usefulness which they adorn by thoir g ' -nial , friendly , and courteous recognition of every claim , whether from the Craft or society at large . " I

Moved by Bro . J . Cawthorne . P . M . 458 , Seconded by Bro . Thos . Collinson P . M . 139 , and resolved , " That the D . P . G . M . bo requested to suspend Bye-law No . 62 . He having complied , it was moved by Bro . Cawthoru , Seconded by Bro . Geo . Motley Ward , and resolved , "Thafc the sun of £ 10 10 s be granted from this Pvov . G . Lodgo to .

the Wm . James Hughan Testimonial Fund . I The Registrar reported that the Advice Committee had hold several Meetings , and had made considerable progress with the revision of tho Prov . G . Lodge Bye-laws , and hoped in the course of ten days to place the result of their labours in the hands of the W . M . ' s of Lodges * . i

The Prov . G . Secretary informed Prov . G . Lodge thafc since lasfc [ report of the Charity Committee thoy had elected four girls and one ; boy in April ; two males and two widows in . May ; and one girl in ; October . A boy was also admitted to fill tho " Marquess of Ripon Presentation . " Oar donations and subscriptions for tho current

year are as follows : — £ a d Old People 449 5 0 Girls 859 16 0 Boys ... ... ... ... 589 12 0

£ 1898 13 0 The D . P . G . M . informed tho brethren that he would let them know as soon as possible where the January 1885 meeting was to be held . Prov . G . Lodge was then closed in form and with solemn prayer , afc 4 . 15 p . m . The Banquet was held in Freemasons' Hall , Surrey-street , shortly afterwards , the D . P . G . M . presiding .

Mark Masonry.

MARK MASONRY .

GOSPORT LODGE , No . 305 .

THE annual installation meeting of this Lodge was held at the Masonic Rooms , India Arms Hotel , Gosport , on Tuesday the 21 sfc ult . During the evening Bro . Francis Powell P . G . A . D . C , who had been elected W . M . afc the previous meeting , was duly installed . The ceremony of installation was curried out by Bro . R . W . Mitchell P . M . and P . P . S . G . D . After the installation the W . M . appointed and invested his Officers for the ensuing year as follows : —Bros , the Rov .

B . Ring LL . D . S . W ., H . Crisp J . W ., J . Greigg Secretary , G . Darby Treasnrer , H . Long M . O ., H . Robinson S . O ., R . Webb J . O ., J . S . Senior S . D ., R . West J . D ., G . Laue D . C , A . M . Rue I . G ., A . Miller and A . G . Turner Stewards .

Royal Ark Mariners.

ROYAL ARK MARINERS .

GOSPORT LODGE .

THE annnal installation meeting of this Lodge was held at tho Masonic Rooms , India Arms Hotel , Gosport , on Tuesday 2 lst ult ., mid Bro . Powell was installed as W . C . M . for tho ensuing year . The installation ceremony was performed by Bro . G . F . Lancaster P . M ., and the . Officers who wero elected aud invested were * . —Bro ,-. the Rev . B . Ring LL . D . J ., H . Crisp S ., J . Greig Secretary , G .

Darby Treasurer , J . S . Senior S . D ., It . West J . D ., G . Lane D . C , A . M . Rae Warder . Among the visitors were : —Bros . J . W . Willmott of Phoenix Lodge M . M . M . No . 2 , J . McRae of Gibraltar Lodge M . M . M . No . 42 . After the proceedings a convivial evening was spent .

The Revised Book of Constitutions ; Critically Considered j and Compared with , the Old Edition . London : Simpkin , Marshall & Co ., 4 Stationers' Hall Court , E . G . Sent on receipt of stamps , One Shilling , by W . W . Morgan , Freemason ' s Chsgnicle Office , Belvidere Works , Hermes Hill , Pentonville .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

' < ' ' ¦¦ ,-d ; n ) i liold mtrseh'es resj , r , nsibJf for the opinions of our Cor . respondents . All Letter * r . ins ; bp'i .- the iiitiin' and address of the Writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications .

MASONIO MENDICANCY . To the Editor of the FKKEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DKAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Your contemporary tho Freemason has invited mt > to mako known tny opinions on tho subject of securing a remedy for the continued impositions to whioh our Lodges are subject , and which appear to be aadlv on tho increase . I have therefore

forwarded to him a letter , of which T enclose n copy , and as the subject is of i / enera / , importance , and oue in which I personally know you are , on behalf of numerous Lodges , intero-ited , I will nsk yon to be good enough to consider tho letter as addressed to you equally with tho editor of the Frtemason , the more particularly as I cannot afford tho time to shape my ideas in another form .

! I note your expression of willingness to make public the scheme which is in my mind as a means whereby the existing evil of Masonio imposture can be , if not totally eradicated , at least reduced to a miuiinnm ; aud as many brethren have urged upon me to submit my proposHon to the Craft generally , through your pages in the first instance , I accept your kind suggestion . In my former letter headed " Brethren , take notice ! " I wrote ,

" Do what we will wo must sometimes be victimised ; bnt wifch proper organisation , and a system whereby tho pvvticalars of every case relieved should , under compulsion , if necessary , be seat to headquarters , and there be dealt with as circumstances might require , the fault would be ours if an imposition was successful more than once . " If this is admitted , as also the Following postulates , viz .,

1 . That the subject is of sufficient importance to merit genera ' ancl earnest consideration from the entire Craft . 2 . That in order to render to every distressed brother his "jnst j due , " it is necessary to be assisted to discriminate between j misfortune and dishonesty . 3 . That the Grand Lodge has the power of initiating and directing a recommendation fco its Chief , having for its objeot fche

j creation of a sysfcem snch as thafc above referred to . 4 . Thafc the amount of ordinary Masonio business , present and still increasing , precludes the possibility of the exercise of the necessary supervision by means of the Grand Secretary ' s Office * , aud

5 . That having regard to the foregoing , a separate and distinct department is required for carrying out the work of inquiry and notification : — then , I suggest , and will , if desired , move thafc Grand Lodge do recommend to the Most Worshipful Grand Master the appointment of a Grand Almoner and a Grand Assistant Almoner ( there is ample

range ior such appointments in the Grand Master s jurisdiction , and many worthy Freemasons who would greatly esteem the distinction ) , with convenient accommodation at Freemasons' Hall for the carrying on of the necessary official work . This beiug acceded to , I would further suggest that the Board of General Purposes should bo requested to consider the best method of

organising the new department , reporting to Grand Lodge the result of their deliberations , and asking for powers to carry out such arrangements as may bo decided upon . Amongst other propositions I would submit the following , viz ., the Grand Almoner's position to be honorary ; that of the Assistant Grand Almoner ( or Chief Clerk , if preferred ) to be stipendiary if

considered advisable ; Official expenses to be a charge on General Fund . To the Grand Almoner ' s office should be sent from each subordinate Lodge the particulars of every application made for casual relief , with description of the applicant and result of such application . It should be made a Masonic offence for any Lodge to grant sums of money without production of certificate and proof of signature

thereon . The Board of Benevolence requires production and deposit of certificates , and why should not the same precaution , so far as production is concerned , bo required of Lodges . No Lodge of Instruction shonld be permitted , on any pretence , to entertain the applications of unknown brethren , or persons representing themselves to be brethren , eager to give proof , yet unasked for . By

arrangement with the Grand Secretary tho notices to W . M . ' s of each Quarterly Communication should be accompanied by a circular from the G . Almoner setting forth the particulars of all cases which have been referred to him during the previous quarter of a year . Other methods of communication between the several Lodges and the Grand Almoner would doubtless be developed when ouce the machinery of

organisation was at work , and particularly so if the office of Almoner were permitted and recognised in each private Lodge . Armed by such authority , aud protected by such , or some such measures , tho Lodges would soon be freed from the impositions now practised on them by unworthy brethren ; at tho same time that no case of known and assured misfortune would suffer for want of

charity . The difficulty existent is that of being unable , at the moment of appeal , to discriminate between the deserving aud the undeserving , and thafc mosfc frequently from want of a reliable reference , such as » circular note from a qualified authority wonld certainly provide . And another argument in favonr of the adoption of such a plan as this is , that inasmuch as we assert with gratification out * readiness afc all times to aid the " poor aud unfortunate " of