Grand Lodge Deputation To The Queen.

GRAND LODGE DEPUTATION TO THE QUEEN .

AS loyal subjects of Her Majesty , it gives us the greatest pleasure to insert the following statement of particulars respecting the Deputation from the United Grand Lodge of England which , on Wednesday , waited upon the Queen at Buckingham Palace in order to express the heartfelt congratulations of all English Masons at Her

Majesty ' s escape , under the Grand Architect of the Universe , from the hand of the would-be assassin . The Prince of Wales , as Grand Master , headed the phalanx of worthy Masons , and the address he delivered was most graciously received . Such addresses are , happily , of the very rarest

occurrence , but Queen Victoria is not the only British Sovereign who has been approached by fche authorised representatives of our glorious Fraternity . A similar congratulation was offered to George III ., Grandfather of our Sovereign Lady the Queen , on a similar occasion , and ifc is

needless to say that it experienced an equally gracious reception . We rejoice to say the interval between the two addresses we have in onr mind is nofc far short of a century , yefc do we equally rejoice that now , as then , the Mason

Craffc is to the fore in exhibiting its loyalty to the gracious ruler of the British Empire . The following are the particulars as to the Deputation and the address it presented : —

The Queen received , at three o ' clock , an address of congratulation from the United Grand Lodge of Antient and Accepted Masons of England , on Her Majesty ' s merciful preservation , on the 2 nd of March . The deputation consisted of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales M . W . Grand Master , His Royal Highness the Duke of

Connaught Past Grand Senior Warden , the Earl of Carnarvon Pro Grand Master , the Earl of Lathom Deputy Grand Master , Lord Carrington Grand Senior Warden , the Lord Mayor Grand Junior Warden , Bros . M . J . M'Intyre , Q . C , M . P ., Grand Eegistra * , Lieutenant-Colonel Creaton Grand Treasurer , Sir Albert Woods Grand Director of

Ceremonies , Sir John Monckton President Board of General Purposes , Rev . Ambrose Hall Grand Chaplain , and Colonel Shadwell H . Gierke Grand Secretary . His Royal Highness Prince Leopold , Duke of Albany , Provincial Grand Master Oxford , the Earl of March Past G . Senior Warden , and the Hon . Bro . Justice Cave Past Grand Junior

Warden , were unavoidably prevented from attending . The deputation oa arrival was conducted to the Green Drawing Room , and from thence were introduced to Her Majesty's presence in the Picture Gallery , by Lord Sandhurst , Lord in Waiting . The Prince of Wales then read the following address : —

" May ifc please your Majesty , —We , the Grand Master and Officers of the United Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of England , in the name and on behalf of our antient and honourable fraternity , yielding to no other body of Englishmen in loyalty to the Crown , and

looking with pride to yonr Majesty as the Patron of our Order , hasten to lay at the feet of your Majesty the humble tribute of onr horror and indignation at the recent dastardly attempt npon yonr Majesty ' s life , and we desire on this , the first occasion permitted to us , to add the expression of our loyal devotion to your Majesty ' s person .

" We believe that the Great Architect of the Universe rules alike the hearts of princes , directs the acts of men , and guides the course of events ; and in all humility we desire to record our unfeigned thankfulness to Him thafc in His mercy He has been pleased to turn aside the hand of the assassin and to protect from death or injury a

life honoured m every part of the civilised world and most precious to every class and estate within this realm ; and we would add to these thanks to Almighty God this further prayer thafc He in His goodness and wisdom may vouchsafe to your Majesty many years of health and strength to watch over the interests of a loyal and devoted people . "

Her Majesty replied in the following words : — " I have received with gratification yonr loyal and dutiful address , and share with you the feeling of devout thankfulness to the Almighty , whose protecting hand has ever been so graciously extended to me . " The deputation then retired . Their Royal Hig-hnessess the Princess

of Wales and Princess Beatrice were present with her Majesty dnring the ceremony . The suite in attendance on Her Majesty consisted of the Dowager Duchess of Athole Lady in Waiting , Lord Sandhurst

Lord iu Waiting , Lord Edward Pelham Clinton Groom in Waiting , Lieutenant-General H . Lynedooh Gardiner and Colonel Hon . H Byng Equerries in Waiting , General the Right Hon . Sir H . Ponsonby , and the Master of the Household .

At the meeting of the Claremont Lodge , held on the 8 th instant , it was proposed by the I . P . M . Bro . T . Vincent , seconded by Bro . T . M . Collins , and unanimously agreed to , that an expression of congratulation be forwarded to H . R . H . the Duke of Albany on his marriage .

We very much regret to hear thafc our worthy Brother Fenner , manager of the firm of John Lillywhite and Co ., has been recently overtaken by a severe bout of illness , and is suffering accordingly . Bro . Fenner has our full sympathy , and we trust he will be speedily restored to his usual state of health .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

All Letters must bear the name anl address of the Winter , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith . We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Cor respondents . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications .

DISTRIBUTION OF HONOURS . To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , — " SENIOR P . M ., " in yonr issue of 6 th May , is wrong iu saying , I am " put abont" respecting the appointment of Prov . Grand Officers . We are but men , and certain duties we have to perform , and they who have the selection of Prov . Grand Officers should perform those duties with the greatest care , not

merely selecting gentlemen who have , or are most likely , to contri . bate from their plenty , thereby buying the position and pushing to the back hard working and industrious Masons who have toiled hard for years . If positions are to be bought , wby not ballot for them , aud let the highest bidder take the coveted position P I hope and trust there are not any P . M . ' s in West Yorkshire who will act upon the suggestion

thrown out by " SENIOR P . M ., " and find it " necessary lor some one in a Lodge to influence some one higher , & o . until it gets to the R . W . P . G . M . " To act thus I consider a most debasing prostitution of Masonry . I am also of opinion that there is not one P . M . in our Province who would accept Provincial honours unless he was in a position to purchase his clothing ) pay the fee of honour , and also do

something for the Charities . There are many who would support the Charities were it not so very like baying Provincial honours . We all know , in our Province , that the P . M . who gives the most has the best chance when honours are distributed . I do not agree with Lodges being given the power of recommendation to the R . W . P . G . M . I con . sider the Prov . Grand Lodge shonld be able and wise enough to

make a just and equitable selection , and I hope in future they will be able to give universal satisfaction . I have come to the conclusion that "SENIOR P . M . " is some one in authority ; he so distinctly says , " Junior P . M . need not expect to see any brother honoured , whatever his merits as a Mason , if he is only in moderate or poor circumstances . " 1 was not aware until now that Masonry made

poverty a crime , which it musfc do if riches are to be the only test of qualification for Provincial honours . In conclusion , let me state that my former letter does nofc convey that the hard-working P . M . must necessarily be a poor man , and even should Prov . Grand Lodge meet with one in that unfortunate position , who has done long and

honourable service for our Order , would it not be satisfactory to the Province that justice had been done by rewarding such industry with honours well and deservedly earned . I again thank yon for your kindness in granting me space in your valuable paper , and I hope that this correspondence may have a satisfactory result , and that good may come , without creating any nnkind or ungenerous feelings .

I am , Dear Sir and Brother , Yours faithfully and fraternally , JUNIOR P . M . Huddersfield , 10 th May 1882 .

TRADING ON MASONRY .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Nothing , I think , is so objectionable as for members of the Craft to decorate their shops or places of business with such of its insignia as the Square and Compasses , the Level , the Plumb Rule , & c , their object being to proclaim that they are brethren , and , as such , should have , in preference to other tradesmen , the

custom of their fellow Masons . 1 am not , of course , referring to such gentlemen as Bros . Geo . Kenning , Walter Spencer , H . T . Lamb , and others , whose business is wholly or principally the manufacture of Masonio goods , goods that is to say that are needed by the brethren to wear in our Lodges . In their case , if they exhibit some of our Craffc emblems , it is a perfectly legitimate exhibition . What I

object to see is the Square and Compasses staring me in fche face over the windows of a chemist ' s shop , and elsewhere , but ' particularly objectionable to see them out and inside pnblic houses . Indeed , no matter how thirsty I might happen to be , I would always go without , or go to some other house , rather than expend even the price of ft modest glass of ale where Masonry is thus traded upon .

What , however , has induced me chiefly to write these few lines is , to tell you another phase of this " trading on Masonry , " which came under my notice one day this week when I was walking in the neighbourhood of the Metropolitan Railway Station at King ' s Cross . Not a hundred miles—I may go so far as to say , nofc a hundred yards—oft I noticed the shop of a picture dealer and pioture-frame maker , m which , to my utter astonishment , was exhibited , as consp icuously as

possible the shopkeepers lirand iiodge certificate , signed oy «"' "" ¦ - Brother John Hervey , with the Brother ' s signature in its proper place , and endorsed in an elaborate , or rather gaudy , specimen of , I suppose , the owner ' s handiwork as a frame maker . I shonld like to hear of more being done to discourage this practice , whioh , as I hav said before , is perfectly legitimate where adopted by brethren whose business is either wholly or principally Masonic in its character . Fraternally yours , ^ n

VrS-London , W ., 10 th May 1882 . P . S . —Half a mile or so from my house is a chemist ' s shop , with the Square and Compasses on his window . What on earth have they to do , Masonically , with the quality of the drugs and po « " I sells y and what is the nature of the guarantee they ^ ° * J ; drugs and potions are the best to be had in the neig hbourhood .