On Personal Matters.

heavil y and severel y upon us from a physical point of view . Nature must yield to constant anil . ecer . . -tension , and we have felt , in the many dreary hours of recent

affliction , that rest is necessary . Wo utter these remarks in no complaining spirit , but in the hopef ..: _ . urance that our readers will accord to us that forbearance and exiemud

support of which we stand urgently in ncd . Wo do not cavil at the amount of encouragement—pecuniarily , we mean—given to us in the past , but , with the enormous increase in the Masonic ranks during the period of existence of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE wo had reason to

anticipate even greater support than has up to now fallen to our lot . In opening our Twenty-sixth Volume , therefore , we would confidently ask reading Masons to lend us the

right hand of fellowship and help ; by so doing they will enable ns to widen our sphere of usefulness , in which we fervently trust we may be enabled to- persevere , at any rate , with energies undiminished .

Grand Lodge Of South Australia.

GRAND LODGE OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA .

DEPORTS of the Proceedings of Grand Lodge of JLV I Antient and Accepted Masons of South Australia are before us , but the interest of these documents is

centred in the Annual Communication , held at Freemasons ' Hall , Flinders-street , Adelaide , on the 20 th of April last . The Most Worshi pful Grand Master , the Hon . S . J . Way , presided , supported by Bros . H . E . Downer , M . P ., Deputy

G . M ., H . M . Addison Past D . G . M ., John Ramsey , J . P ., S . G . Warden , Philip Sansom J . G . Warden , Saul Solomon , M . P ., President of the Board of General Purposes , J . R .

Gurner Past G . Reg ., J . H . Cunningham Grand Secretary , J . C . Kaufmann , LL . D ., Grand Inspector of Lodges , Rev . Canon Poole , M . A ., G . Lichner , W . H . F . Wigg , J . P ., and J . H . H . Vockius S . G . Deacons , Hon . J . A . Cockburn ,

M . P ., J . G . Williams P . S . G . Deacons , W . F . Olifent J . G . D ., R . L . Mestayer , J . P ., Grand Superintendent of Works , G . C . Knight Graud Director of Ceremonies , J . G . Jenkins Deputy G . D . C ., J . LeM . F . Roberts Assistant B . C ., J . T .

McLean Grand Standard Bearer , D . H . H . Weir , and Thomas De Cean Grand Standard Bearers , James Shakespeare G . Organist , Andrew Simpson G . Purs . C . A . Murphy , A . Lindsay , A . Kemp and H . Trevaskis

Grand Stewards , aud a numerous body of Past Masters , W . Masters and Wardens of various Lodges in tho jurisdiction , representatives of the Grand Lodges of England , Colony and Island of Cuba , Michigan , California ,

Illinois , Kentucky , Liberia , New Jersey , Ireland , Ohio , Utah , and Peru . There was also a large gathering of Visitors . Lodge was opened in ample form , with solemn prayer by the acting Grand Chaplain , Bro . the Rev . Cation

Philip Sansom - - - S . W Hon . J . A . Cockburn , M . P . - - J . W . Rev . J . W . Owen , B . A . - - Chaplain H . C . Mais , J . P . - - Treasnrer Saul Solomon , M . P . - President Board G . Pur . W . B . Webb .... Registrar F . Olifent .... Inspector of Lodges

Rev . F . S . Poole , M . A . - - Lecturer Harry Turner , J . P . - . ") .. _ . A . Kemp - . - . j Junior Deacons R . L . Mestayer , J . P . - - Superintendent of Works G . C . Knight - . - Director of Ceremonies W . Gate jnn . - - . Deputy D . C . J . LeM . F . Roberts - - . Assistant D . C . J . T . McLean - . . Sword Bearer

D . H . H . Weir - . . } a , , , „ T . DeCean - - - . j Standard Bearera J . E . Thomas - - . Assistant Secretary Andrew Simpson . - - Pursuivant John Nicholson , J . P . - - Assistant Pursuivant E . Cooke - . - ¦) . _ . _ P . W . Gardiner . - . j Auditors

Poole , M . A . Apologies for unavoidable absence were received and accepted , after which , on the motion of Bro . H . E . Downer Deputy G . M ., seconded by Bro . H . M . Addison , Brother Hon . S . J . Way was unanimousl y

re-elected the Most Worshipful Grand Master for the ensuing year , and was proclaimed and saluted according to ancient custom . The M . W . the Grand Master cordiall y thanked the Grand Lodge for having , for the fourth time ,

placed him by their unanimous votes in the honourable position of Grand Master , and assured fchem that he would in the future , as in the past , do all in his power for the advantage of Freemasonry in South Australia . The following Grand Officers were elected : — Broa . H . E . Downer , M . P . - - Deputy G . M .

Grand Lodge Of South Australia.

Scrutineers were appointed of fche ballot for two Senior Grand Deacons , Grand Organist , twelve Grand Stewards and five members of tbe Board of Benevolence , and the result was announced later in the afternoon , as follows : —¦

Senior Grand Deacons—Bros . J . H . H . vockins , F . H . Wigg . Grand Organist—Bro . James Shakespeare . Grand Stewards—Bros . 0 . L . Meyer , 0 . A . Murphy , H . J . Bailey ,

Jasper Bee , A . Lindsay , VV . J . Williams , B . H . Laker , W . Bnrnett , G . E . 0 . Stevens , Berry Smith , John Cornish , J . C . Harris . Board of General Purposes—R . L . Mestayer , G . 0 . Knight , J . H . H . Vockins , John Ramsay , and F . H . Wigg .

Brother S , Solomon , President of the Board of General Purposes , submitted the annual report , together with the balance-sheet and statement of the receipts and expenditure for the year ended 31 st December last . These were

adopted as satisfactory . The attendance of members of the Board at the eleven meetings during the year showed a good average . In accordance with a resolution carried at the January meeting , the Grand Stewards arranged to

celebrate the anniversary of the Grand Lodge by a "Social , " to be held in the Albert Hall on the evening of the 20 th . A hope was expressed that the members of Grand Lodge and brethren generally would avail themselves

of this opportunity of meeting and enjoying themselves , together with their lady friends , in social manner . The Widow ' s Scholarship at the Girls' Grammar School , North Adelaide , tenable for two years , kindly placed at the hands

of the M . W . Grand Master , by Brother A . C . Aucher , B . A ., the head master , had been presented to Miss O'Connor , daughter to the late Bro . O'Connor , of Clare Lodge , No . 12 . Recognition of the authority of this Grand Lodge , and

requests for the interchange of Representatives , had been received from the Grand Lodges of South Carolina , Rhode Island , Liberia , and the Grand Orient of Bel gium . The following brethren were elected : —South Carolina , Brother

Ebrington B . Hume ; Rhode Island , Brother Thomas H Tilley ; Liberia , Brother C . T . 0 . King . Brother F . J . Wigg proposed , and Brother Harry Turner seconded , that the names of the following Brothers be suggested

to the several Grand Lodges mentioned as worth y Representatives to this Grand Lodge from their respective Grand Lodges : —South Carolina , Brother R . L . Mestayer ; Rhode Island , Bro . D . H . H . Weir ; Bel gium , Bro . J . R .

Gurner . The demands upon the Benevolent Fund continued to be frequent , but by judicious and careful examination of the applicants the Board had been able to relieve worthy cases , and yet to continue to augment the funds . Attention was called to the statistical table

of the number of members , initiations , & c . for fche past year , and the Board regretted to notice a diminution in the number of members , although the initiations had quite kept up to the average . The large number of members

who had resigned and been struck off , had reduced the roll of membership by 92 . There was , however , no cause for alarm , or even regret , on this account , as a very considerable number of those who had been struck off had

not paid subscriptions or attended to their Masonic duties for a very long time ; in fact , they had . been members only on paper . Of those who had called off many would doubtless rejoin on the advent of more prosperous times .

On the application of 45 Master Masons , a warrant for a new Lodge , the United Service , No . 37 , had been granted by fche M . W . Grand Master . On the motion of Brother J . G . Jenkins , seconded by Bro . J . Le M . F . Roberts , it

was resolved to present a Loyal and Congratulatory Address to the Queen , upon the Jubilee of Her Most Gracious Majesty ' s reign , from this Grand Lodge , on behalf of the Freemasons of South Australia . A

committee was appointed to carry the resolution into effect . It was then proposed by Bro . H . M _ Addison , and seconded by Bro . W . Gate jun ., and carried : — •¦ That after any Brother has represented in writing to his Lodge

that he is unable to pay his subscriptions thereto , if his Lodge permit him to be exempt from paying them for a period , his Lodge shall not be required to pay any Grand Lodge does on account of snch Brother dnring snch period , provided it does not exceed two years .

And his Lodge may , by resolution carried at any of its regular meetings , determine the terms upon which such Brother may be permitted to be exempt from paying his subscriptions . Provided that the Grand Lodge dues shall be paid by such Lodge upon

receipt of subscriptions from the Brother for period exempted . ' The newly elected Officers were invested with the collars and jewels of their respective offices ; and the

election of Trustees for the Benevolent Fund was postponed until next meeting of Grand Lodge . No further business offering , the Grand Lodge was closed in amp le form .