United Grand Lodge Of England.

UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND .

rPHFi regular Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge was helc - « - on Wednesday evening nt Freemasons'Ilall . The Right Hon tho Earl of Carnarvon , Pro Grand Master , ocenpied tho chair , and , in the absence of Lord Skelmcrsdale . R . W . Bro . W . 15 . Beach M . l \ Prov . Grand Master of Hants and Islo of Wight acted as Deputy Grand Master . Lord Tenterden C . B . occupied the Grand Senior Warden ' . * chair , and Sir Harcourt Johnstone M . P . was in his place as Giand

Junior Warden . There were likewise present—Bros . S . Rawson Pasl District G . Master of China , Sir Albert Woods ( Garter ) fi . Dircctot of Ceremonies , iEn . McTntyrc , Q . C ., Grand Registrar , John Hervey Grand Secretary , Rev . 11 . A . Pickard and Rev . W . A . Hill Grand Chaplains , Rov . C . W . Arnold , Rev . T . R , Wigram , Rev . J . E . Cox , and Rev . R . J . Simpson Past Grand Chaplains , II . ( 1 . Buss Grand Asst .

Secretary , Erasmus Wilson and Lieut .-Col . Shadwell U . Clerko ' G . S . Deacons , J . M . P . Montagu and Raphael Costa G . J . Deacons . W . II . Lucia G . Sword Bearer , Captain Piatt P . G . Warden , J . L . Thomas Asst , G . D . of C , Ex-Sheriff Hntton P . G . D .. W . F . Nettleship P . G . D ., J . M . Clabon P . G . D ., W . Gauz P . G . Organist , Licnt .-Col . Creaton P . G . D ., Joshua Nunn , F . Richardson , T . Fenn P . G . D ., J . A .

Rucker President Col . Board , Captain Philips P . G . D ., J . C . Parkinson P . G . D ., itc , & o . After tho usual preliminaries and the confirmation of the minutes of the previous Quarterly Communication , H . R . H . tho Prince of Wales , ou the motion of Bro . Richardson , was re-nominatcd Grand Master for tho ensuing year . The Pro Grand Master then announced that by the lamented death of Bro .

F . Pepys Cockercll , tho office of Grand Superintendent of Works had become vacant , at-. d His Royal Highness the Grand Master had appointed BID . John Gibhon , a Fillow of tho Royal Institute of British Architects , and Past Master of Prince of Wales Lodge , No . 259 , to fill the vacancy . Uis lordship , having paid a tribute of respect to the memory of our deceased brother , whose name

must ever bo associated with the building in which they wore assembled , invested Bro . Gibson with the iusiguia of his office , and Bro . Gibson , having been conducted to his seat on the dais by Sir Albert Woods , was saluted according to ancient custom . Tho Pro Grand Master then annonnoed that Bro . Clabon had been re-appointed President of the Board of Benevolence , and that , as the only brethren

brought forward for election , Bros . Joshua Nuun and James Brett were re-elected Senior and Junior Vice-Presidents thereof respectively . Ouly twelve Past Masters wero nomiuated for election ou tho Lodge of Benevolence , and tbe twelve were elected accordingly . Their names will be found at foot of this report . Bro . Raynham W . Stewart P . G . D . then rose and interrupted the proceedings for the purpose of making

an appeal ou behalf of the brethren and their privileges , bat the brethren for tho most p . aifc treated the appeal with remarkable indifference , and Bro . Raynham Stewart very properly resumed his seat without concluding his observations . Bro . Clabon , supported by Bro . Nunn , then moved tho confirmation of the several grants made by the Board of Benevolence , after which tbo Earl of

Carnarvon announced that Bro . Edward Tyrrell Heath , Dep . District G . Master of Bombay , had kindly presented G . Lodge with a highly interesting aud even invaluable record of the early history of Speculative Freemasonry . This was none other than a book , consisting of onl y a few pages aud in a splendid state of preservation , of which , as far as 13 known , there is only one other copy extant . It is a record of

the Lodges inexisteuce iu the year 1729 , and of these—only fifty-four in number—there arc still several yet flourishing which , as bis lordship had been informed , wero distinguished by the very features which characterised them at tho date of this Book . Accordingly , Lord Carnarvon proposed , in the first instance , that they should accept it , and that it should lie in tho Grand Secretary ' s Otllca for

the period of one month , in order that brethren might have an opportunity of inspecting it , aud in tho next that a vote of thauks should be passed to tho donor . Both these motions were seconded by Bro . Beach , Deputy G . Master , and wore agreed to unanimously . The motions standing in the name of Bro . Clabon were then discussed and agreed to , and G . Lodge was closed . The following are the

names of the several Past Masters elected to serve ou the Board of Benevolence , namely : —Bros . W . H . Ferryman P . M . 3 , Griffiths Smith P . M . 21 , Charles Atkins P . M . 27 , Henry Bartlett P . M . 117 , W . Maun P . M . 1 S 6 , C . F . llogard P . M . 205 , II . Massey P . M . 619 , W . Maidwell P . M . 657 , Henrv Garrod P . M . 7-19 , W . J . Mnrlis P . M . 1 , 042 , W . S . Christian P . M . 1 , 062 , J . M . Klcnck P . M . 1 , G 66 .

In a letter we published last week , si gned " T . B . W ., " it was proposed that the approaching marriage of the Earl of Carnarvon should be made the occasion for presenting his lordshi p with some mark of the esteem in which he is held

b y the Craft . This week wo publish a letter signed " ONE wuo WILL Sur . scRir . E TO IIOTH FUNDS , " on the same subject . Onr latter correspondent is more detailed iu his suggestion , and proposes that a presentation should be made both to tho Duke of Connausht and the Earl of Carnarvon . He

even goes further , and suggests that it should take the form of a Perpetual Presentation to one or other of the Schools , to be named in the one case the CARNAKVON and in the other the CONXACGHT Presentation , the balance remaining in eacli case to be appropriated to the purchase of a

wedding gift to tlie bride elect . We can only say that the preposition meets with our entire approval . This docs not , of course , apply to the detail * , but to the sna ^ estion puio aud simple , which , in our judgment , sliould be imrued atel y acted upon . For ourselves , wo shall bo happy to under all tbo assistaaeo iu our power .

Mark Masonry In Reading.

MARK MASONRY IN READING .

^| THERE has hitherto been no Mark Masons' Lodgo iu Readiug , aud - * - wo believe that there is only one in the county , namely that recently consecrated at Abingdon . A rrsolvo had been mado to establish a Lodge of tho same description in Reading , and tho determination has been very successfully carried out . On Monday tho ceremony of consecrating tho ILoopold Lodge took place at tho Masonic Hall . Previously , however , to tho ceremony a Lodge wa 3

formed , and twenty-ono brethren were advanced to the degree of M . M . M . Tt is very rarely that so many candidates offer themselves for advancement , and tho fact that they were so numerous angnrs well for tho ftitnre prosperity of the Lodge . Tho ceremony of advancement was most ably gone through by Bro . E . Margrett , the W . M . of tho Lodge . The Consecrating Officer was Bro . F . Binckes ,

who in Mark Masonry is Past Grand Warden and Graud Secretary . Bro . Binckes discharged his duties as Consecrating Officer iu a folicitions manner , and in tho oration ho gavo a very interesting description of the teachiug peculiar to the degree of Mark Master Mason . At tbe conclusion of tho ceremony c-f Consecration the W . M . invested the Officers , amongst whom were Bro . W . H . Herbcrb

( S . W . ) , C . Stephens ( J . W . ) , the Rev . C . R . Honey ( Chaplain ) , C . Stephens ( Treasurer ) , nnd T . J . Pnlley ( Secretary ) . Several distinguished brethren were elected honorary members of the Lodge . Amongst them was n . R . II . Prince Leopold , who had been requested to allow the Lodge to be named after him . Ho had given his consent to the proposal , and had also expressed his willingness to become an

honorary member of the Lodgo . Previously to the closing of tho Lodge a hearty voto of thanks was accorded to tho Consecrating Officer aud to the other brethreti who had taken part in the proceedings of the day . The Lodge was , it should bo added , very numerously attended , and indeed tho Masonio Hall has scarcely ever been so full . After the Lodge had been closed the brethren , to the number

of about fifty , sat down to a banquet at tho Ship Hotel . It was served b y Bro . Bailey in his usual excellent style . Tho W . M . presided . Several speeches wero delivered , and all of the brethren who took part in the proceedings appeared to be of opinion that the Lodge would bo likely to maintain an excellent position . In referonce to tho question of charity , attention was called to the Mark

Benevolent Fund . It was stated that it was originally intended to expend the fund in making grants to Mark Master Masons who wore in necessitous circumstances . From a very small beginning the fund had , however , largely inoreased and it had been determined , chiefly at the instance of Bro . the Rev . G . R . Portal , to allocate a certain portion of the fund to the special purpose of assisting brethren in meeting the expenses incurred in the education of their sons . Tho

W . M . ( Bro . Margrett ) expressed his intention of acting as one of the Stewards at the next Festival of the Mark Benevolent Fund , and tho announcement gavo general satisfaction . In tho course of the evening some very good songs were given , and tho singing and playing of Bro . F . H . Cozens , Prov . G . Organist , were especially appreciated . After having had a most agreeable gathering , the brethren separated shortly before ten o ' clock . —Berkshire Chronicle .

Reviews.

REVIEWS .

All Books intended for Eeview should be addressed to the Editor of The Freemason ' s Chronicle , 67 Barbican , E . C . The Grand Lodge of the Most Ancient and Honourable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania . Its Early History and Constitutions . From A . L . 5730 , A . D . 1730 . Its Minutes and Pro . ccedings . Part II . Compiled and published by the Library Committee of the Grand Lodgo of Pennsylvania . Philadel phia : Shorman and Co ., Printers , 1878 .

SOMETHING ; like a year has elapsed since it became our duty to notice Part I . of the Early History and Constitutions of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania , and had tho Library Committee of Grand Lodge there aud then terminated its labours wo should have had no reason to bo surprised at their conduct . The forty and odd thousand brethren in the State are so deeply interested in tho history of tho

Grand Body to which they belong , that from the Report of the said Committee published in tho Proceedings of the Grand Lodgo for the past year , they would seem to have purchased among them about two hundred copies . Or , to put the matter in a different form , about two hundred out of forty thousand havo mustered up sufficient courage to expend the munificent sum of one dollar , or

four shillings of our money , in tho purchase of the first part of a moat interesting as well as valuable contribution to Masonic History . Under these circumstances it ref ! ° ctG the utmost credit on the Library Committee that in t . . J toeth of such terrible discouragement they should have r < " ' vicl on prosecuting their task , and if only one-half of onr fe » ii . . > . "" raftsmen have any sense of sbamo

about them they will no . v re ^ oml , as it is their > . iti : y , lo ilio appeal to their honour , am ; liWally support their Grand Lodge Committee in their erection of this grand national Masonic monument . Lot it no I longer bo chargeable against the Pennsylvanian Craftsmen that any j number of dollars aro invariabl y forthcoming when it is a question j of Masonic show , or dining sumptuously , or going on a pilgrimage , 1 whilo not a single dollar can bo spetit on ono or two occasious in

the year for Ma-v ; ac literature . Having spoken thus freely , we now J enter on tho mcro agreeable task of noting what is worthy of note in j Part II . of these Proceedings . Remarking first that thi 3 ! Part is embellished with what strikes ns as being an adm-rable Portrait of tho great Benjamin Franklin , wo will add incidentally that it carries us to tho month of March 1799 , ; thus extending over a period of about twelve and-a-half years . ! Wc left off at the close of Part I . with tho formal severance