Grand Lodge For Western Australia.

of the' Grand L ' 6 dge of Ehglahd to the effect that if the Steps taken by the Brethren in Western Australia to give effect to their wishes be of a constitutional character , neither the - Grand Master nor . Grand Lodge would raise any objection to {¦ the . recognition ,, of i-. the-i Grand Lodge of Western .. Australia ,

- , " provided therights , of those Lodges which might ; desipe . tp remain r under ; ' the . English , Constitution , be reserved and respected .,, .- , - , ? ^ . | Tam fuEther ; desired . tQ ; inform you that . whiley . reservvinsf » < tber expression r , of-his- ^ opinion as to .. the ; desirability of

. establishing a- Grand-Lodge *; so as to leave the Lodges , ot the 'District , the mqst . complete freedom of action , it is the R . W . D . G . M . ' s intention sternly to discountenance any departure from the constitutional procedure laid down and , now brought prominently to your notice for the first time . ¦

¦ ¦ - ;• , , ';¦¦ £ . ; I will thank you to acknowledge the receipt oi tnis communication , and -to signify your intention of complying with the instruction contained in paragraph 3 . ( Signed ) Frank Shaw , D . G . S .

At the usual meeting of the Stour Valley Lodge , at the Masonic Hall , Sudbury , on Friday evening , 24 th ult ., there was a large gathering in honour of Bro . F . . Wheeler ,, to whom it had been arranged a presentation should be made in recognition of his services to Masonry and his personal gifts .

The occasion was all the more interesting from the fact that Bro . Wheeler's son , Mr . F . B . Wheeler , was initiated by his father into the mysteries of the Craft . Bro . Wheeler has been Secretary of the Lodge for twenty-two years , an office which , said Bro . Thornber , the Worshipful Master , in making

the presentation ,, their friend had filled with the utmost satisfaction . The gift consisted of a handsome silver salver , upon which the following inscription was engraved : — " Presented to W . Bro . F . Wheeler P . M ., P . P . G . Reg . ( Suffolk ) , by the Brethren of Stour Valley Lodge , No . 1224 ,

as a mark of appreciation of the excellent services rendered by him as Secretary from 1876 to 1897 , and of the kind and courteous manner universally shown by him to all connected with the Lodge . " Bro . Wheeler , in response , said that words failed-him ; to thank the Brethren sufficiently for their kind

and handsome : present , which . he accepted in the spirit in which it was given > as an appreciation of the services which he was fortunate enough to render to the Lodge in the capacity of Secretary . But he felt perhaps more than anything that which he saw underlying it—the kindness and goodwill which was so characteristic of their Order . He stood there that night a debtor in many respects to Freemasonry .

During the thirty years—it might be a little more—he had been a member of the Craft , it had been his privilege to be associated with and introduced to many members whom he regarded as his most sincere and best friends , and from whom he had received very great kindness , and more particularly

during the twenty-two years he had filled the office of Secretary . The kindness and courtesy he had received at the hands of the Brethren was ample repayment to him for any services he had been able to give . No one . perhaps knew better than he did how inefficient those services were ., . Well ,

perhaps , he did' as well as he could , but for some time past he had not devoted the attention to the Lodge which he should have liked . He reminded them of the token of their kindness of many years since , in the gold presentation watch

which he was then wearing . In conclusion , he assured them that he should value that magnificient present to the latest hour of his existence , and which he hoped would then go down to his son , and to generations yet Unborn .

Professors of music and the drama who are Freemasons , nbt being able to attend Lodges of Instruction the meetings of which take place in the evening , have only one available day" in the week for learning the Masonic ceremonies , and this , day is . Sunday , when no authorised Lodges of Instruction

riieet . They , therefore , have in . the metropolitan district two Clubs of Instruction , the Logic and the Genesius , which meet .. on ... . Sunday-, ; mornings . for the . teaching . ; of Lodge Ceremonies , ; . X ) n Sunday ' the' Genesius yisited / the -Logic at fh ' e . Cjave ^ dis ^' Rp . Qms , Vahdgaye a rehearsal of the ceremony

^ observed at the installation of a Worshipful Master . About 100 Brethren were present , and Mr . H . G . Danby installed Mr . Harry Nicholls , the-well-known 'actor > the-ceremony

being' accompanied by ; a very fine musical performance , wherein Mr . " . J . ' E . ; Hamb . letbn played the . violoncello , and Messrs . Frank Boor and Richard Green sang the solos and duets , Mr . Louis Honig being Organist . The proceedings , which lasted- more than ., two hours , were exceptionall y Successful . — " Birmingham Post . "

Grand Lodge For Western Australia.

An East end firm has beeh'favoured with commissions for some of those whose names , are written on the'pagei of History !' . and Messrs . ' . 'Harris ;; andi Son , ? the ; , well-known monumental , sculptors and ; workers in . the Craft in the East i

Snd : ; bf London / o £ " , ^ execy { ing ; eiab'drate marble an ^~ granite .. memorials foj the fete Mr . Barney ^ Barnato ; M ? Wpolf Ijoel , BaroniFerdinard / De Rothschild , ;' and Dr , . Q ' orneliu ' s '; Her 3 ,. of Panama ; fame .: H A

peculiar feature , " w £ h respect . to 'theTate- ! Mr -Y Woojf' -Joel is that / a tomb , Wcsimile ' of ' the one being placed' over the body at Wille ' sden , is to be sent tajqbanhesburg . to be . placed over the grave containing" that ' part ; of , the : / body which- was removed to permit of the embalming ; process .. ,

A Cinderella dance will take place' at ; . ; th ^ . 'H . blborn Restaurant ,- on Friday , 24 th inst ., under theCauspJcesVof the Holborn Lodge , Mo . 2398 , on behalf of the fun . eh * df the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . ; . ' , ' . ' ' , ';! .

. The tenth annual Masonic ball in aid ; pf the . West . Ham Hospital was held in Stratford Town Hall , on Wednesday evening , 22 nd ult ., about . 30 Q , Ig . uests being present . The scene was a brilliant one in the extreme , and everyone responsible deserves the highest praise ,. -.-, -

"A Sprig Of Acacia.''

"A SPRIG OF ACACIA . ''

ON Saturday , 25 th ult ., amid general „ manifestations of public sympathy , the remains :, of the -late-Bro .- Alfred Schofield , proprietor of the George „ Hotel , Alfreton , ; were laid to rest in the Parish Churchyard .-. The procession left the George Hotel about one o ' clock ,, headed . by representatives of the Alfreton Friendl y Societies ,, followed by , some sixty Brethren of the Masonic Order ; . ; of which . the deceased . was

for many years a member . The Masonic Brethren hailed chiefly from the Royal Alfred Lodge , the St . Thomas Lodge ( Tibshelf ) , the St . Martin Lodge of Mark Masters ( Alfreton ) , and the Okeover Chapter of Royal . Arch"Masons , with all of which the deceased was connected . The Brethren lined each

side of the pathway from the "Church" gates to the entrance . The coffin was met by Bros , the'Revs . A ; C . Becktbh ( vicar ) , and F . C . Mahony ( Chaplain of the Royal Alfred Lodge ) . From the gates into the church the coffin was borne by Bros . T . Hardstaff , T . Barratt , S . Burnham and W . M . Radlord .

The bearers from the George Hotel to the church gates ' , and from the sacred edifice to the . grave , were the deceased Brother ' s own workmen . The' service- was' conducted by the Vicar , Bro . the Rev . F . C' Mahony reading the Epistle . After the service for the Burial- ' of the Dead was concluded ^ at

the graveside , Bro . the Rev . F . C . Mahony recited a Masonic prayer . The Brethren then reverently gave honours to their departed Brother . The Chaplain" ( Bro .- Mahbhy ) delivered the following brief address : Brethren , the melancholy event which has caused us to assemble on the present occasion

cannot have failed to impress itself on the mind of everyone present . The loss of a friend and Brother— -especially of one so distinguished in the Craft as he whose loss we how deplore —conveys a powerful appeal to our hearts , reminding us as it does of the uncertainty of life ,-and of the vanity of earthly

hopes and designs . Amid the pleasuf es , ;; the cares , and the various associations of life , we are- tod apt to ' forget , that , ' upon us also , the common lot of all mankind must one day ' fall , and'that Death ' s dread summons may surprise , us even . in the meridian of our lives , and in the full spring-tide , of

enjoyment and success . The ceremonial observances which we practice during the obsequies of a departed Brother are intended to remind us of " our own inevitable destiny , " and to warn us that we also should be likewise ready , for Sye know not the day nor the hour when , in the case of each of

us , ' the dust shall return to the earth ' as it was , and the spirit shall-return to Godw-ho gave it . " ; : Then , Brethren , let us Iky these ' ' thiifgs : ; seriously -to- ' -heart ; Te't us ' s trivje ' 'in all things ,. to act up ' to : our . Masonic-profession ; ' to ' -live ih accordance With the high moral precepts inculcated in our ' cereffibniesj '' and ' to

practically , illustrate ' . in our lives and actions the ancient tenets : ; and established , customs of the Order . ; Thus , in humble dependence upori the -mercy of the Most High , we may hope , when this transitory life , With all its cares and ¦

sorrows , ' shall have passed away , ' •'¦ to rejoin this ' our'departed friend and Brother in - the Grand Lodge-above , where the world's Great "Architect lives-arid feigns supreme . —So mote it be .