Presentation To Lord Leigh.

PRESENTATION TO LORD LEIGH .

ON Monday there was an important gathering at Warwick , on the occasion of a presentation from the Brethren of Warwickshire to Lord Leigh Provincial Grand Master , in celebration of his golden wedding . The Provincial Lodge was opened at the Shire Hall , and an address was presented to Lord Leigh . A deputation afterwards waited upon Lady

Leigh to present to her a replica of the portrait by Mr . Ouless , R . A ., which was handed over to the county last year . In addition to Lord Leigh there were present the Earl of Warwick Deputy Grand Master of England , Bro . Geo . Beech Deputy Grand Master of Warwickshire , Bro . Swindon Prov . G . Sec , and about two hundred other Masons .

A procession was formed , and the members attended Divine service at St . Mary ' s Church . The anthem was " From the rising of the sun " ( Ouseley ) , and the hymns used were : " Praise the Lord , " "Oh , God , our help in ages past , " and "Oh , Lord , how

joyful 'tis to see . " The preacher was the Rev . H . Pearson Provincial Grand Chaplain , and amongst the other clergy present were the Revs . J . P . Cranstoun Past Provincial Grand Chaplain Shropshire , R . B . Billinge Provincial Grand

Chaplain West Lancashire , Canon Rivington Past Provincial Grand Chaplain Warwickshire , T . W . Downing P . P . G . C , M . H . Middelton P . P . G . C . Derbyshire , J . B . Dickins P . P . G . C , and R . S . Aldridge Senior Warden of the Shakespeare Lodge .

The Rev . H . Pearson , in the course of his sermon , spoke of Lord Leigh as one who had for many years well and truly presided over the destinies of the Craft in the Province . At the conclusion of the service a collection was taken for the Masonic Charities . In the evening s grand banquet was held at the Court House .

The Israel Lodge of Instruction , which meets at the Rising Sun , Globe Road , Bethnal Green , E ., every Sunday evening at 7 p . m . —the choice . of Sunday is accounted for by the fact that a large majority of its members profess the Hebrew faith , as its name denotes—is doing excellent work ,

and has done so for many years past . It has trained up a large number of foremost Masonic workers , whose names are household words . But it by no means confines itself to teaching the correct ritual . A special feature of its career are the lectures and addresses delivered before its members by

prominent Masons , and which invariably attract a large audience . Among the Brethren who have thus addressed the Lodge during the past few years may be mentioned the late Sir Benjamin Ward Richardson , who formed a very high opinion of the intelligence of his audience ; Bro . G . W .

Speth , whose lecture on the " Development of the Degrees " was so much appreciated that he was induced some time afterwards to dilate on the "Folk-lore of the Third Degree ; " J . J . Hall , on "Sun Worship ; " J . Oxley , on "Golden Thoughts ; " the Rev . I . Myers , on the " Talmud and

Freemasonry , which was so successful that the Lodge was obliged to hire a large hall in order that the lecture might be repeated to a larger audience ; L . Simmons , on "The Three Grand Principles of the Order ; " B . S . Straus , L . C . C , on "Cosmopolitan Masonry , " and Henry Sadler , on the "Ancient

Constitutions , " and again on "Tylers and Tyling . " The persecution of Bro . DaCosta , by the Spanish Inquisition , has also been the subject of a paper , none the less interesting to the members for the fact that one of his family , Bro . B . DaCosta , is the Preceptor of the Lodge . The debates are

almost always spirited and to the point , owing to the members previously devoting considerable time to the study of any subject announced , a custom no less pleasing than

unexpected to the lecturers . Great praise is due to Bro . H . Harris , the Secretary , who however finds it difficult at times to keep up the supply of lecturers , and will be glad of any offers of assistance . — " Ars Quatuor Coronatorum . "

It has surprised no one here that the Prince of Wales , in answer to the invitation of the Grand Master of the Freemasons of Virginia to attend the centennial of the death of George Washington , which is observed in the Masonic ceremonies of 14 th December at Mount Vernonhas said

, that while he reciprocated fully the Fraternal sentiments so eloquently expressed in the invitation , he mnch regretted that public engagements did not permit him to have the pleasure of accepting . The Heir-Apparent , if he had ever contemplated another visit to the United States , would not

Presentation To Lord Leigh.

have accepted it under sectional auspices ; but , it is to be noted that a twelvemonth ago there was a general belief in New York that the Prince would be present at some of the Washington Centenary celebrations ; and it was currently reported , in confirmation of the idea , that President McKinley

had uttered the ejaculation , " We should be glad to have him with us ; we could entertain his Royal Highness at the White House , as on the occasion of his previous visit to America ; " and it is to be recalled that the central incident of the tour of i 860 was the Prince ' s visit to the tomb of

Washington , which President Buchanan afterwards described to the Queen as " a historical event which cannot fail to exert a happy influence on the kindred people of the two countries •"

and to which Her Majesty referred to in her reply as " an interesting and touching scene , which may be fitly taken as the type of our present feeling , and , I trust , of our future relations . "

It is often wondered how many Masons there are in England—that is to say how many subscribing members to Lodges under the English Constitution—and a statement recently made by Bro . W . Lake Assistant Grand Secretary may therefore be of interest . Speaking at tbe installation

meeting of the Cornish Lodge he set the number at 150 , 000 , and as Bro . Lake would hardly have guessed at the total we may regard it as , in a sense , authoritative and settling a long standing doubt ; but at the same time , as this total gives an average Lodge membership of something like sixty-five , we

can but think the figures require explanation . Is this the total of subscribing members , or does it include Brethren who are unattached ? if the latter it is below the mark , by a long way , we should think ; and if the former there must be several strong Lodges to make up for the many whose membership does not exceed forty .

It is proposed to work the ceremony of installation and investiture of Officers in the Commemoration Lodge of Instruction , No . 2663 , next Tuesday , at eight o ' clock , at the Star and Garter , Arbour Square , E ., when any Brother will be welcome .

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