Mark Grand Lodge.

been confirmed , the Report of the General Board will be submitted . This shows that during tho three months ending the 30 th June 552 Mark certificates

were issued , making the total number ol registrations up to 31 , 552 . Warrants for four new Lodges have been granted as follows : No . 402 to meet at Penrith , No . 463 at Gosforth , No . 464 in Ceylon , and No . 405

in Qnetta . The total number of Royal Ark Mariner certificates on the Register is 3 , 980 , of which number 111 were issued during the quarter under notice .

A petition having been presented by the members of the Lodge St . George of Colombo , No . 464 , praying that the Lodge may be attached to the District

ol Bombay , and the Iv . VY . District Grand Master having assented to this course , H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , M . W . Grand Master , has been pleased to

direct that the Lodge shall be temporarily attached to that District , and for the time being form an integral portion of it .

The next matter touched upon in the Report has reference to the action of some of the members of the Punjab , in connection with which we made some observations in our issue of the 12 th inst ., when

treating the question of Masonic Independence . The points submitted to the General Board do not appear to treat the subject as we expected would be the case ,

but in view of the very favourable opinion that is expressed , and the statement that Bro . Parker and tne others witnm their

are acting strictly legal Masonic rights we fully expect a formal petition for independence will follow at no very distant date , and

we should say the result would be eminently satisfactory , viewed in the light of the present decision . The following is the portion of the Report touching upon the subject :

Printed Documents signed by W . Bro . B . W . Parker , Pasb Deputy District Grand Master Bengal , aud many other Brethren of Lodges in the Puniab , purporting to be appeals against certain observations and remarks of the R . W . District Grand Master of Bengal , and of R . W . Bro . HOD . Justice Prinsep , Pasfc District Grand Master , nt Gi-and Lodge , in March 1893 , have been presented to the Board . As no formal Masonic censnre has been passed on these

Brethren the Board cannot view these documents in the light of appeals , and while they deprecate the remarks complained of ns being uncalled for , Bro . Parker and tbe others being strictly within their legal Masonio rights , they think that with this expression of their opinion the matter had better be allowed to drop . The documents relating to the case are in the Grand Secretary's office for the inspection of any Member of Grand Lodge .

The other items of business on the agenda are of purely formal character , and it may be anticipated the whole proceedings will occupy but a very brief period .

Our New Lodges.

OUR NEW LODGES .

I ^ HE Manchester brethren have been showing considerable activity of late , and give evidence

of continuing on the same lines . It has been our pleasing duty to chronicle the consecration of three new Manchester Lodges during the present year—the

Palatine , the Duke of York , and the Longsight—and thev are to be added to on Wednesday , the 13 th inst ..

by the consecration of the Duchess of York . Lodge , No . 2482 . Col . Le Gendre N . Starkie , the Provincial

Grand Master of East Lancashire , is announced to perform the ceremony , which will take place at the

Victoria Hotel , Manchester , at 3 o ' clock p . m . on the 13 th , and it is expected there will be a good attendance of brethren . The founders are Bros . Thomas

Archer Lowe 216 and 1013 W . M . designate , Eobert Fox 1 . 04 S . W . designate , Peter Bratt 1588 J . W .

designate , Frederick Walmsley 163 , Thos . Almond Lever 1077 , James Beardmore W . M . 852 , Philip Whyman

1219 and 2449 , Ernest Archer Lowe 1013 , Joseph TTnwflrtb 815 nnd 1588 . J . E . Mead IfiS . W . TTn . vdv

336 , W . H . Boycott 1345 , J . M . H . Blarney S . W . 163 . Next on the roll of new Lodges is the Hadrian , No . 2483 , which will be consecrated at the Drill Hall ,

Our New Lodges.

Westham , Sussex , during the present month . It is expected the ceremony will be performed by the Right Hon . Sir W . T . Marriott , Q . C , M . P ., P . G . Steward ,

Deputy Grand Master of the Province , he being assisted by several Provincial Grand Officers . The

new Lodge is to be opened lor the district lying between Bexhill and Hailsham ; Bro . Edward William Stillwell P . M . 1872 and 2020 , J . D . No . 1 , P . P . G . S .

Surrey , being the W . M . designate ; Bro . Henry Marks 193 the S . W . designate , and Bro . Henry John Capon 1110 the J . W . designate . ii ciass uuuniun

we nexu come xo a uiy IU sue run , in the form of the Second Middlesex Artillery Lodge , No . 2484 , which will hold its meetings at

Freemasons' Hall on the second Monday of each month , October to March inclusive . We presume the usual oualifications as to membership of this Lodge—thafc

it shall be limited to members of the Volunteer Corps to which the Lodge is attached—will hold good , but

in view of the success that has attended previous experiments in this direction there is no reason to

expect any curtailment of Masonic privileges as a consequence . The first Master is to be Capt . Robert Gresley Hall , D . L ., CO ., Past Grand Steward , the first Senior Warden , Captain Albert Stephen Hatchett-Jones , and the first Junior Warden , Lieut . Edward W . Postans .

New South Wales.

NEW SOUTH WALES .

THE installation of Sir Eobert Duff , the Governor , as Eight Worshipfnl Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales , took place afc the Town Hall , Sydney , on the 13 th July . The ceremony was a most

brilliant and impressive one , about 500 brethren taking part , including representatives of the Grand Lodges of Victoria , South Australia , Tasmania and Queensland . The Earl of Kintore E . W . G . M . of the South Australian Grand

Lodge , who journeyed to Sydney especially for the purpose , acted as Installing Master . His installation speech , was appropriate to the occasion , and dealt wifch the importance and the progress of Masonry , and with Sir Eobert Duff's Masonic career in the old country . The newly installed

Grand Master in his speech made eulogistic reference to the Earl of Kintore ' s Masonic career , to his predecessors in office , Lord Carrington and Lord Jersey , and to the good work they had done for Masonry in the colony . In the course of his remarks Sir Robert Duff said that in an age

when labour and capital were competing all over the world , the ties which bound Masons together might assist in softening the asperities and lessening the breaches dividing the social classes , because the Masons were the ancient trades unionists , who recognised no superiors .

The investiture of the ofcher Grand Lodge Officers was

afterwards performed , and subsequently a largely attended banquet was held , at which , amongst others , Dr . Harman Tarrant , Pro Grand Master of New South Wales delivered an address . —Melbourne Age .

Obituary.

Obituary .

BRO . H . H . KIDD

By the death of Bro . Henry Ham Kidd , at tho age of 81 , Lostvvithiel loses one of its oldest citizens , and one who until recent years took an active part in its affairs . In Jarnary 1842 , Bro . Kidd was appointed headmaster of the Corporation Grammar School , and in October 1854 he

was elected a member of the old unreformcd governing authority , remaining iu office until November 1885 when that , body gave way to tho now Town Council ; he also had other local appointments . Deceased , whose funeral was largely attended , was a P . M . of Restormel Lodge .

Bro. H. Thompson.

BRO . H . THOMPSON .

BRO . H . THOMPSON died on the 24 tb ult ., at his residence , at Coatham . He took a great interest in Freemasonry and was one of the oldest tradesmen of Middlcsborongh . He was Mayor of Middlesborough in 185 G-7 , and sat on the bench for a great number of years .