United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

rriHE Quarterly Communication was held on Wednesday , JL under the presidency of the Right Hon . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., Provincial Grand Master Hampshire and Isle of Wight , who was supported by Lieutenant-General Laurie , M . P ., the

Hon . Alan de Tatton Egerton , M . P ., as Deputy and Past Grand Masters , Viscount Templetown and Sir J ohn Monckton as Wardens , and some five hundred other Brethren .

The Prince of Wales was nominated for the twentyseventh year in succession for election as Most Worshipful Grand Master , his nominator being Major Fitzgerald . The nomination was received with loud applause . 1

Colone } T . Davies Sewell nominated Captain John Barlow , and Alderman Alliston nominated Brother Horace Brooks Marshall , for election as Grand Treasurer . Bro . J . H . Matthews was re-appointed and invested as President of the Board of Benevolence .

The Brethren afterwards confirmed the recommendations of the Board of Benevolence and of the Board of General Purposes .

Mark Grand Lodge.

MARK GRAND LODGE .

ri ^ HE Quarterly Communication was held on Tuesday , at JL Mark Masons' Hall , under the presidency of the Earl of Euston Pro Grand Master . The Prince of Wales ' s acknowledgment of the address of condolence of the Grand Lodge on the death of the Duke

of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was read , after which a vote of thanks was passed to Viscount Dungarvan for his services as Deputy Grand Master for the last seven years , and a present

was made to his lordship of the clothing of his rank of Past Deputy Grand Master . A vote of thanks was also passed to Bro . Imre Kiralfy for the presents of ancient Japanese armour and a Zulu kaross .

Bro . Frank Hanson Senior Grand Deacon , who was abroad on military duty at the time of the Grand Lodge in June , was invested with the clothing of his Office . Bro . J . Ernest Lane then nominated the Prince of Wales for election to the Office of Grand Master for the sixteenth successive year , and Bro . Thomas Fraser nominated Bro . Harry Manfield for election as Grand Treasurer .

R, M. I. Boys.

R , M . I . BOYS .

rp HE Secretary of the . Institution has received a fetter _ L . from the mother of the lad Herapath , who was admitted to the benefits of the Institution at the election in October last , thanking the many Brethren who interested themselves in this Colonial case . As recorded in our issue of the 17 th ult . the bulk of the work in support of the lad was undertaken

by Bro . A . J . Thomas P . M . 227 Treas . 2772 , who was instrumental in polling a large majority of the 8 , 691 votes which placed the boy second on the poll ; over 5 , 000 of the number being contributed by members of the Eccentric Lodge , in answer to the recommendation of Bro . Thomas . The letter from New Zealand is to the following effect :

Northcote , Auckland , N . Z . 29 th October 1900 . Dear Sir , —It was with a feeling of deep gratitude I received a cable from Lord Onslow ( on the 15 th inst . ) who with such generous thoughtfulness apprised me immediately from the ' Poll Office' to the effect " Elected "—Onslow .

Added to this an unknown friend mailed to me an issue of the "Birmingham Post / ' from the London office , dated 12 th . ult ., containing an appeal ( addressed to the Masonic Brethren I take it ) far substantial help in the case of the lad Herapath , graciously

R, M. I. Boys.

identifying us with the Colonfes who have manifested a practical love for the Mother Country during the troublous times in South Africa , and showing it to be deemed a fitting opportunity to pay a courteous tribute to New Zealand . What an unexpected honour to be the recipients of this historical

token of the Goodwill and Unity existing between distant peoples ' . Mere lingual symbols fail to give an adequate idea of our gratitude . Of one thing I am well-assured , we have your hearty sympathy in the result , and indeed we owe very much to you for the great good resulting from the late election . Accept then , please , our sincere thanks for your disinterested kindness throughout .

Kindly also convey to all our unknown friends in England , in the most fitting manner , our appreciation of their goodness to the Fatherless and Widow , so that we exclaim " The Good Hand of our God is upon us . "

I am , Dear Sir , Yours sincerely , CLARA HERAPATH T . M . McLEOD , ESQ ., London .

On the subject of the influence of Masonry in the Army an officer writes from Malta : — In reading your issue of last week , I was exceedingly surprised

at seeing Masonry blamed for the shielding of officers who have committed grave errors in the war . As a Mason , I can honestly assure you that this must be a gross mistake , emanating from some one utterly ignorant of Freemasonry .

I am aware that it is the popular belief that the Craft assists advancement and shields errors , but never was a greater mistake made . No just man , Mason or not , would do what has been hinted at in your paper ; and , with your knowledge of the animal li Man , ' do you believe that , whatever artificial- bond of sympathy ma ) ' exist ,

it will keep men from being jealous and suspicious of each other ? I can assure you , however reluctant I may feel to own it , that there are very few Masons who do their duty as fellow men towards one another , far less go out of their way to serve or shield them in the manner you suggest .

judging from what I have seen m the Service , it would be much more to the point to inquire whether the officers shielded in the manner alleged have any engaging lady friends or nice young wives popular with C . O . s , instead of going further afield for the explanation .

Personally , I have never alleged anything in regard to the influence of Masonry in the Army . I am not in a position to express any opinion about it one way or the other . But my letter-box has at various times indicated the existence of

a very general feeling that the Craft does exert an undue influence in favour of its members ; and I have from time to time made known these suggestions of military correspondents for what they are worth . On the same principle I give the above disclaimer on behalf of Freemasonry . — " Truth . "

Brother Horatio Saqui , of the firm of Messrs . Saqui and Lawrence , the well known jewellers of Liverpool Street , has accepted the invitation of the Parishioners of the Bishopsgate Ward to act in the capacity of Common Councilman . He is one of the largest ratepayers in the City ; he has also done

excellent service by causing the iniquitous tax on lamps to be abolished , a fact which the electorate are not likely to forget at the coming contest . There can be little doubt if Brother Saqui is returned to took after the ratepayer ' s interests ( which he will ) , he will be the right man in the right place . The election takes place on St . Thomas ' s Day .

An emergency meeting of the Upton Lodge , No . 1227 , will be held on Thursday next , 13 th inst ., in order to clear off the work that would in the ordinary course have fallen to the January meeting , when , as already announced , the lady friends of tfie members will be entertained . The work set

down on the agenda for next weeks meeting includes two raisings , four passings , and the ballot for four candidates for initiation , so that the W . M . Bro . W . J . Carroll will be busily engaged . The meeting is called for 4 p . m ., with supper to follow , at 7 . 30 ,