Our Benevolent Institution And The Approaching Election.

Arsenal , who subscribed no fewer than seventy-two and ahalf years to his own and other Lodges , and on his death left ln ' y widow entirely without means and dependent on her friends . There is another whoso hnsband was a subscriber of over forty years' standing ; still another who , though her husband paid thirty-three years , is now obliged to go out as a daily governess , at £ 12 a year ,

and has at the same time a son incurably lame dependent on her . Some aro the widows of Stewards and Life Governors , who have struggled on and on , till now , battling against the inevitable , and hoping to the end . The goal now is that last resource provided by the

prudence and forethought of men whoso example we want to see more generally and more earnestly imitated in this our day , so thafc when years roll on and there are increasing demands made on the Institution to which we , as Masons , point in answer to every question as to

what our Order does , we may not blush to hear the rejoinder , " Is that all ? " Much is undoubtedly done in the way of affording imperative relief ; bnfc if Masonry would continue to shine as one of the brightest ornaments amongst our human sources of blessing , there must be

no fainting or lagging behind . We must not , whilst doing what little we are able to meet the present calls upon our charity , forget that in the not far distance there will be further and perhaps greater demands , and when we , who are the strongest and most active now ,

may figure on lists similar to those which we are cri - ticising , and when , however strong may be the desire of the promoters to fling open wide the doors of Charity , their efforts may be stultified by want of adequate means wherewith to carry their large ideas of philanthropy

into practice . It is an ever present wish that the hands of the promoters of our Institutions may be constantly strengthened , and that in promoting the work of Charity we may experience the truth of the motto so dear to all Masons— "It is more blessed to give than to receive . "

Supreme Grand Chapter

SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER

THE Quartery Convocation of the Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of England was held on Wednesday evening 7 th of May , at Freemasons' Hall , and was very numerously attended . Comp . Rawson presided as M . E . Z ., and amongst those present were : —Comps . Erasmus Wilson , Nunn , Cubitt , Clarke , Col . Creaton , John Hervey , Bird , Lord Kensington , Hyde Pullen , Hogard , H . Thompson , Buss , Dorld , Levander , Massey , & c .

The regulations for the government of the Supreme Grand Chapter during the time of public business were read by Comp . John Hervey , Grand Scribe E ., who afterwards read the minutes of the last Quarterly Convocation , which were confirmed . The next business was the installation of the Principals , but Comp . Hervey said that as His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , the

Earl of Carnarvon , Lord Skelmersdale , and Lord de Tabley were already installed Principals , that ceremony was unnecessary . The appointment of Officers then took place , the part of G . P . S . being filled ^ by Comp . Lord Kensington , who was loudly cheered on his appointment ; and a similar honour was conferred upon Col . Creaton on his being appointed as Grand Treasurer . As some of those named

for subordinate office wero not in attendance , their installation was deferred until tho next Convocation . The M . E . Z . said he was sure tho whole of the Companions wonld join with him in deep feelings of regret on hearing of tho sudden death of their esteemed Grand Janitor , Comp . Payne , who for years had held thafc office , and was esteemed and respected by all . Ho

believed that he shonld havo the feelings of the Grand Chapter with him when he proposed that a resolution shonld bo entered on the minutes expressive of their deep regret at his sudden demise , and which he then moved shonld be recorded . The motion was put and unanimously agreed to . Tho report of the Committee of General Purposes , as appeared in onr columns last week , was then presented

and the five petitions for new Chapters wero granted . The report stated further that tho Committee have received a Petition from Companions William Alexander Barrett as Z ., Charles Goolden as H ., Wilhelm Ganz as J ., and six others for a Chapter to be attached to the Orphens Lodge No . 1706 , to be called " The Orpheus Chapter , " and to meet ; afc tho Freemasons' Hall , Great Queen-street , London .

This Petition is regular in form , bnt as tho Lodge has not yet been in existence for two years , tho Committee bearing their resolution in mind that three years should elapse before a Charter to bo attached to a Lodge be granted , except in very exceptionable cases , cannot recommend that the prayer of the Petition be yet complied with . To this latter recommendation an amendment was moved , but after a discussion it was negatived , and the oi-iginal

recommendation was put and agreed to . Tho Committee further stated that on 1 st November 1876 , a Charter was granted to be attached to the Fitzalan Lodge No . 1432 , Oswestry , which has not been taken np , and from information they have received they have reason to conclude that it never will be taken up . Under these circumstances , the Committee recommend that the Charter be cancelled . This was put in the form of a resolution , and agreed to . The Grand Chapter was then closed in ample form , and adjourned ,

Royal Arch Masonry In Cumberland.

ROYAL ARCH MASONRY IN CUMBERLAND .

SOME six nv eight months aince it was onr good fortune to havo a fortnight's leisure , and wo elected to spend the time in tho Lake District . Ifc happened fortunately for ns that there wero two important meetings of tho Royal Arch Chapter at Whitehaven and Wigton , which it was convenient for ns to attend . Wo gavo a report in the FIIEKMASON ' S CnuoNictK afc tho timo , and we suggested that tho formation of a Chapter at Maryporfc would be a great boon to

West Cumberland Masons . Wo went even farther , and suggested the namo by which such new Chapter should be designated . Wo dared nofc hope that our wishes would meet with such speedy realisation , bnt so it has turned out , for Maryporfc Masons are not half , hearted . When they are satisfied that a step in a new direction shonld be taken , they enter into the matter with a will . Now , some

of our Southern readers will ask , " Where is this wonderful Maryporfc , thafc is making such strides in tho Masonic world ? " Well , ifc is about thirty miles S . W . of Carlisle , on the shores of tho Solway . It is situated on tho banks of the little river Ellen , and for a long timo bore tho name of Ellen . foot . However , when Mary Queen of Soots landed there , on her flight from Scotland , tho inhabitants

changed its name to Maryporfc . Ifc is now a considerable and very busy town , aud the Masonio Art has for many years past been well preserved and cared for . Bnt to return to our original purpose . No sooner had our suggestion boon made as to the formation of the " Nicholson " Chapter than it was taken up warmly , the way being led by E . Comps . James Gardiner M . E . Z . of the Wigton Chapter , bufc

resident in Maryporfc . We may here mention thafc we suggested " Nicholson " in honour of Companion Joseph Nicholson , a resident , and the oldest Mason in the Provinco , who for moro than half a century haa been an active Craftsman in West Cumberland . All the preliminaries having been observed , tho Warrant was granted , signed by the head of our Order , tho Prince of Wales , Lords

Skelmersdale and De Tabloy , and E . Comps . John Hervey and Erasmus Wilson , and Tuesday , 22 nd April , was the day fixed for tho Conseoration . Ifc was greatly regretted that neither Earl Bective Prov . G . Superintendent , nor Col . Whitwell , M . P ., M . E . H ., could bo present , but they delegated tho solemn ceremonies to a Companion who was able to interpret them , E . Comp . John Bowes P . Z . P . P . G . S . N . The

Companions met in goodly numbers afc the Masonic Hall , afc half-pasfc Two o'clock , and a Chapter having been opened by the Consecrating Principal , assisted by E . Comps . Bowes P . Z . 327 , and James Gardiner M . E . Z . 327 , the rest of the Companions wero admitted . Amongst those present , we noticed , besides the above , Comps . Joseph Nicholson , Peter De Egglesfleld Collin , and Thomas Maudlo , tho Principals

Designate ; Comps . J . R . Banks , E . G . Mitchell , James Quay , Capt . Sewell , R . Dodgson , Andrew Walter , P . Hayward , W . P . Lamonby H . 119 , Prov . G . St . B ., Joseph Abbott , Robert Brown , J . II . Banks , & c , & c . The first part of the ceremony being completed , the Consecrating Principal addressed tho Companions , reminding them , in the course of his remarks , that from timo immemorial it had been

customary among Royal Arch Masons , on occasions like the present , to deliver an address , usually called " an oration , " on some subject connected with onr Royal Art . A former Grand Chaplain of this Province , some fourteen years ago , at a great Masonic gathering at Cockermouth , eloquently remarked that every traveller in foreign lands had been struck with the memorials of ancient greatness in

the mined buildings that , standing in majestic solitude , are now tho only remains of those great empires of antiquity which played such a distinguished part in the world's history . Egypt , once the centre of the learning and power of the world , had left behind her little to boast of save thoso magnificent temples—triumphs of Masonic Artthat amaze tbe Nile traveller at Karnac , at Luxor , or at Thebes .

Thoughts of sadness mnst be excited in the breasts of those who , standing in the luxuriant plain of Coole-Syria , beheld those three enormous and highly decorated columns of the Temple of the San at Baalbec . They would doubt which most to admire , the chasteness of the carving ov the stupendous grandeur of the architecture ; but in either case they would involuntarily raise their hands and exclaim ,

" Oh ! wonderful Masons ! " What traveller but had painfully pleasurable emotions stirred within him when , according to Mahommedan rule , he took his shoes from off his feet , and trod in thoughtful silence over the Temple area of Mount Moriah , where our Grand Master Solomon , guided by the G . A . O . T . TL , bnilt thafc Temple to tho Most High , in which were the emblematical pillars ! Wander now over

the marshy plain through which the Meander flows , and what ; was now left of the once proud capital of Pro-Consular Asia—Ephesns ? Where now was that Temple , with its hundred and twenty-seven kingly pillars , the shrino of the great goddess Diana , of whom Demetrius , the Craftsman ( not indeed of onr Craft ) , boasted , perhaps with a little pardonable vanity , " all Asia and the "vrld

worshippeth ! " Why its site could not now be identified—its pillars , each of them the gift of a king , served only to adorn the mosque of St . Sophia in Stambonl ! Yes , Greece had bequeathed to us her ever-living tongue , and Rome tho germs of polity and law ; but the bright collection of endowments which goes to form civilisation , having no root in itself , could not weather the storms of time and

change . Bnt , there was a community which had weathered all these storms . Taking its rise in the earliest ages , founded on the purest principles of piety and virtue , it had pursued an onward course from age to age , a three thousand years' tale not yefc fully told ; bufc there was light all along its course pointing the pathway to a happier land . Freemasonry conld boast , not only a most remote origin , bufc a most rdorions career . Like a golden thread in some texture of beanty , ifc

had run through the varying fabric of human thought , and like the mighty Nile , it had wound its devious way through many a land , overflowing and fertilising the nations in its course . Meeting with various forms of religious belief and civil government , it had allied itself to all in proportion as each system was disciplined by order , practised in virtue , and founded on truth . Ours was indeed a glorious fabric ! Founded in strength , ordered by wisdom , and