Random Notes And Reflections.

England . His activity and humanity wore alike conspicuous in suppressing the Gordon " No Popery ** riots in 3780 . Owing to the chango of the Ministry , he lost his military appointments for a time , bnt they were restored to

him afterwards . He finally resigned them in 1795 , when he was made a Field Marshal . The reversion of the barony , and we believe the pension of £ 3 000 a year , fell to his nephew , Lord William Amherst Amherst , and from this nobleman the present Earl Amherst is descended .

^ Bro . Lord William Archer Holmesdale is the heir to the title . He was born in 1832 , and married the lady whose death he now mourns in 1862 . He , too , has seen active service . He fouebt in the Crimea , where be was seriouslv

wounded , and retired from the arrav on his marriage . He represented West Kent and Mid Kent in tbe Honse of Commons from 1859 to 1880 , when he was called to the House of Lords in his father ' s barony of Kent .

We all know the distinguished pirt be has taken in Freemasonry . Afc the request of Earl Carnarvon , Pro Grand Master of the Grand Lodsre of England , he presided at , the Special Grand Lodge meeting- held in Freemason's

Hall on the 8 th of last month , and discharged the duties of that high office with tact , dijmity . and zeal . No one , possibly not himself , then bad the slightest apprehension of tbe blow that has now fallen . We are sure that the brethren

will deeply sympathise with onr bereaved brother , and will afford snch consolation as lies in their power . There is bnt one true source of consolation , which is well known to tho

members of the Craft . May the 610 . T . U . lighten the blow that has como upon Bro . Lord Holmesdale , and sustain him in his affliction .

Bangor having * been fixed upon for the foundation of a College for North Wales , active steps are beinsr taken to begin operations in January ne ** t , so as to secure the promised Government grant of £ 4 . 000 per annum . As in

South Wales temporary premises will have to he secnred , it is said that the first home of tbe new college will bo the Masonic Hall , a commodious building recently erected by Major Piatt .

New York boasts a Masonic Veteran Association , to which no one is admitted who has not been a Mason at least twenty-one years . Tlie members of this body recently held their twelfth annual dinner , when abont one hundred

and fifty brethren participated in the bounties of the table , In recording the fact a local paper gives the following figures , which are interesting and nofc a little singular : — The total of the ages of those present was 6 , 829 years . Total

weight after dinner , 20 , 829 lbs . The heaviest Veteran , Bro . Charles Bradley , of New Haven , Conn ., tipped the bpam at 389 lbs [ 27 st . 11 lbs . ] Tbe lightest was only 109 lbs . [ 7 st . 11 lbs . ] , and we won't give him away . The oldest veteran was e'gbtv . nioe years

and the youngest forty-two ypara old .... One of the veterans was made a Mason in 1815—fcrnly a longtime ago ; and another was raised in 1819 , and assisted afc the reception of Gen . Lafayette on the occasion of his visit to this country in 1824 .

Speaking of General Lafayette , it may be mentioned that dnring the visit mentioned above he laid tbe corner stone of tbe University of Vermont building afc Burling , ton , in 1825 . In consequence of the lapse , of time a new

structure has become necessary . Through the liberality of a citizen the requisite fnnds have been forthcoming , and the ceremony of laying the corner stone has been performed by the Grand Lodge of Vermont . The event drew

a large concourse of people together , who watched the solemn proceedings with great interest . They do these things in grand style in America ; in fact , they make a show of them . Phlegmatic English Masons would hai'dly care to follow snch an example .

Perhaps it would be difficult to find a better illustration of the loyalty of the Craft to the Throne than the following , recorded at tbe recent annual meeting of the Grancl Lod ge of Canada . At the preceding Annual

Communication a Committee had been formed to prepare an address to Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen , which had been beautifull y engrossed , and presented through the proper

channel by the M . W . Bro . A . A . Stevenson P . G . M ., who happened to be on a visit to England . In the report of the event it is recorded : Since that time we have all been deeply pained to learn of the

accident whMi occurred to Her Majesty , and from which she is now happily recovering . . The painful nimonrs regarding the state of her health alarmed Ihe miMlons of her loyal and loving subjects , who

•«> vere and love her for being the best and noblest example of whit a Constitutional Sovereign should be ; while tho good and pure of all nations honour her for her many virtues and noble life , and will join with ns in praying that God may be pleased to spare her ,

" Long to reign over ns , Happy and glorious , God save the Qneen I "

With snch a feeling animating our brethren in Canada ^ thero need be no difficulty in getting rid of fche soreness which now exists in reference to the action of the Grand Lodge of England .

Among Masonic reminiscences we tako tbe following from the Voice of Masonry , pnblished at Chicago , an excellent specimen of literary work and typography . It is richly printed and illustrated , and , is in all respects an excellent production . The writer , " PenchHt , " and his " pard , " an

" Old Kaintuck . '' were ont in Northern California prospecting for srold . They had strayed nwny from fche party fchey were with in search nf a deer , and found themselves in the position of either having to travel with some quarrelsome Mexicans , or of seeking the hospitality of some packers .

The difficulty was to make them understand , bufc " Penchafc " undertook that task , meaning to astonish bis " pai * d " bv disclosing his knowledge of Spanish . They approached the Mexican packers , and " Penchat" besran to make their wants knmvn , when to his surprise the leader

of tbe packers and " Old Kaintuck fervently embraced each other . " Penchat" experienced the sensation of surprise he intended for his friend , and inquired the meaning . The answer of tbe Mexican was characteristic and Masonic . He said * . —

" Yon , my friend , speak the Spanish language perfectly . I under . j stand every word , but the old man has the universal language of the j greatest Grand Master , King Solomon . We are brothers ! " We need scarcely say that there was no lack of entertainment , and fche three passed a good parfc of the night in good I fellowship , " Penchat" interpreting for the other two .

We presume tbat " Penchat" was not a Mason when the foregoing incident occurred , bnt we have it on his own authority that he was one in 1863 . He relates a story of a man summoning him on a certain Sabbath morning to what was believed to be the bedside of a dying brother .

He obeyed the call , and learned from the sick man that he was really a brother , who had been rained by the war of Secession . He apprehended death , and could not bear tho thought of dying and leaving his wife and child in poverty and want among strangers in a strange land . Having

learned thafc " Penchat" was Master of a Lodge , he senfc for him and craved his brotherly help . He told a sad story of the evils of war . He was in danger at home , although he had taken no part in the Secession movement , and sought safety in flight . He took some horses wifch

him , but wns overtaken on the way by a notorious bushwhacker and followers . He was told to leave the horses afc a certain encampment , where the marauder would receive them . The poor owner was in despair , and made the sign of distress . Apparently it was not heeded , and the man

was proceeding to the spot indicated , when one of the band came galloping up , and exchanging greetings told him how to escape the bushwhacker and save his cattle . The sign was seen , and tbe man who observed it saved his brother at the risk of his own life . From one trouble he fell into

a greater one , which he feared would end with death , and it was at this point that " Penchat " saw his bodily wants were relieved , and a promise was given that his wife and shildren should nofc want , come what may . A physician was obtained , a nurse supplied , and tbe brethren of the

Lodge vied with each other in meeting the necessary expenses . Owing to this fraternal kindness the brother recovered , and became a regular visitor to the Lodge that

nad succoured him . He subsequently joined the Lodge , and in one occasion he remarked , " Thafc not until driven to ifc ) y necessity had he learned and fully realised the meaning ) f ' neither naked nor clad . ' "

We have dealt with the two vexed questions that agiated the minds of tbe members of Grand Lodge on Wedlesday night in a separate article . There were other > oints of interest which are worth nofcing . We have