Consecration Of The Arthur John Brogden Lodge.

by tho teaching of our Craft , grasped these beauties as they went , and waned , and they are ours , though the painter has sunk into the dust , and perhaps lies unknown in yonder valley . Masonry pointed again upward to Him who said , " Let thore bo light , and there was light . " " I had hope , when violence was ceased , and war on earth , all would havo then gone well , peace would have crowned with

length of happy day the race of man . " No , tho world is stdl the same . War may not , as far as we can see , cease from inflicting on mankind its horrors and its crimes ; an . l here again Masonry comes to tho front and says : " Ye are brethren—forbear , and sin no more . Is it not your brother yon aro striking at in yonder gory field ? " For these , anil many , many other reasons , which I may not now enlarge ,

or even touch npon , Masonry of itself commands our highest and noblest regard . Docs not Masonry teach us to bo faithful to our Queen and onr country ; to submit cheerfully to the powers that be , which tho volume of the Sacred Law tells us are of God , and to live peaceably with all men ? Worshipful Sir , —Unhappily , brethren may , and do transgress ; there are bad Masons and bad neighbours to be

found , but in our noblo Cmit thoy are few in number ; nor can any wise man draw any argument from it against our Society , for if tho wicked lives of men , or their evil deeds , was an argument against the religion which they profess , Christianity itself conld not be true . Does not then our Craft claim at our hands our greatest esteem ? How does it recommend universal benevolence and every virtue

which can make one brother dear to another ; for Masons are brethren pursuing the same object , and seekers after the same great truths . Hail , then , to the progress of Masonry ! Hail to the memory of the Craftsmen of olden days ! Hail to our Grand Master and onr Gracious Sovereign the Queen ! Welcome every fresh benefactor to onr Craft . Welcome the Arthur John Brogden Lodge to a

place on our time-honoured roll ! And what more shall I say ? May the brethren havo peace here , and a happy future hereafter . An anthem was then sung , and the remaining ortion of the interesting ceremony was gone through in a very impressive manner , the consecrating officer finally constituting the Lodgo in ancient form . At tho conclusion of the ceremony , the presiding officer proceeded to

instal Bro . Arthur John Broaden , as the first Worshipful Master of the new Lodge , the Lodge of installed Masters numbering twentyfive members . The newly . elected W . M . then appointed his officers as follow : —Henry Champney Davis S . W ., Thomas Ashley J . W ., William Postlethwaite Sec ., J . Mossop S . D ., Thomas Westwood J . D ., and Jos . Haworth Tyler . Several joining members and candidates

for initiation were proposed , amongst tho former being the Hon . F . A . Stanley , M . P ., and A . Brogden , M . P . Tho musical arrangements were under the direction of Bro . Skeaf ( who presided at the harmonium ) , assisted by Bros . Gilfillan , Hobart , and Haswell . The banquet was held in the Working Men ' s Institute , under the presidency of tho newly . elected Worshipful Master , who was snp .

ported right and left by the Provincial Grand Officers—about fifty guests being present . On the removal of the cloth , Tho Chairman proposed in succession the healths of " The Qneen , " " Tho M . W . G . M . the Prince of Wales , the Princess of Wales , and tho rest of the Royal Family , " and " The Earl of Carnarvon Pro G . M ., Lord Skelmersdale D . G . M ., and other officers of Grand Lodge , "

which were duly honoured . Tho last-named toast was coupled with the name of Bro . Moore , who briefly responded . The Chairman said tho next toast he had to submit for their approval was that of the " Provincial Grand Lodgo of West Lancashire . " ( Applause . ) It had not been his privilege to havo been acquainted with the workings of Masonry for a long time ; he was ,

so to speak , a stranger in the Province , but from what he had seen , and from what ho had heard , he had never known the working in Provinces carried on with snch zeal , such accuracy , and with such satisfaction in every way , as in the Province of West Lancashire . ( Hear , hear ) . It was due no doubt to its head , Lord Skelmersdale , and in a great measure nob tho less so to the Prov . Grand Secretary ,

Bro . Alpass . ( Applause . ) Anybody who was a Mason in that part of tho country knew very well what his qualities were—aud what attention , zeal and energy he brought to bear on tho duties of his office . He ( the Chairman ) was sure no better man could be found for his place , because if the principal officers were not seconded in their efforts by men as able in their respective positions as

themselves , things conld not be carried on as well as they were . They all knew how well Bro . Alpass carried out his portion of the work , and he begged to couple his name with the toast . ( Applause . ) Bro . Alpass , in responding , expressed the great pleasure it had been to him to visit that beautiful district for the first time . Ho had heard people from Liverpool praise it very much , and although he

had passed it several times in the train , he had no idea of the beauty of the district till that day . From all he had seen he thought it a most delightful spot . ( Applause . ) He thought if they only had a building large enough they might have tho Grand Lodgo meeting there , bat ho had not seen a place there largo enough that day . ( Laughter . ) Lord Skelmersdale's zeal in the cause of Masonry was

known and appreciated in his own county aud in London also , for amongst all Masons in London not one was so popular as Lord Skelmersdale . Ho had also achieved the same popularity in his own county , where many of them had known him from a boy . ( Applause . ) His ( Bro . Alpass ' s ) duties were very onerous , and took up a great deal of time ; but it was a pleasure to him to do the work , as he

had always been a working Mason since he joined tho Craft . It had always been his aim to do his duty in the best manner possible , and next to the approval of his own conscience the approval of the brethren was the greatest reward he could aim at . ( Hear , hear . ) Bro . Alpass concluded by giving some salutary advice to the brethren as to the admission of new members .

The Chairman said the next toast he had to pub before them he wished very much to commend to their notice—their approval , he knew , wonld follow as a matter of course , as they could not help approving of it—it was the health of tho Consecraiing and Installing Officer , Bro . Moore . ( Applause . ) Many of them had had the pleasure of Bro . Moore ' s acquaintance much longer than he had , and he

Consecration Of The Arthur John Brogden Lodge.

only wished to speak of him as he found him . Nothing could havo exceeded the perfect manner in which the whole ceremony had been gone through that day , in every detail , aud particular—in fact , ho could hardly find an adjective appropriate enough to express his own gratification , and he must leave the brethren to apply their adjectives in their own way . ( Applause . ) Ou behalf of tho members

of tho Lodge and himself , ho wished to express their feeling of Hratification that Bro . Moore should havo been chosen by the Deputy Grand Master to consecrate their Lodge , as ho was well known in that district , not only as a Mason , but as a professional gentleman , and when he ( tho Chairman ) received a letter from Bro . Alpass , intimating that Bro . Moore had been appointed installing officer , he

was exceedingly delighted , as his merits were as well known to them as to himself . Tho Chairman concluded by proposing tho health of Bro . Dr . Moore , the Consecrating and Installing Officer , ( Applause . ) Bro . Moore , who was received with hearty manifestations , begged to thank the Chairman for the very flattering way in which ho had introduced his name to the meeting , aud also tho company for

the hearty welcome thoy had accorded it . Ho had felt himself conscious of many defects that day , but he certainly looked upon it as a proud honour when he received a letter from tho Grand Secre . tary asking him to undertake tho duties which he had performed that clay , and which he had done with very great pleasure . ( Applause ) . Some little time ago ho heard it mentioned that a Lodgo was very

much needed , if they could only find a building and get proper men to take the various offices . Now that idea had become a fact—they had got good mon in their various offices , tho Lodgo was formed , and ho hoped it would go ou prosperously . After referring to the safeguards to be adopted in the admission of members , and alluding to the quiet secluded spot in which their Lodge room was situate . Bro

Moore said that if the brethren found tho least difficulty in working tho Lodge , which must necessarily be found in a new Lodgo , ho had no doubt that brethren in Lancaster could be found who would be very glad to come and give them any assistance thoy might require . ( Hear , hear ) . Before he sat down he wished to propose the health of one whom ho hoped would ever be remembered in Grange—certainly

ib would never be forgotten in the Grange Lodge , as it was called after him—and that was their Worshipful Master . ( Applause ) . Bro . Brogden was obliged to leave them for a short time , but he had no doubt the Lodge would be well looked after by its officers during his temporary absence . He begged to give them the health of tho Worshipful Master of tho Grange Lodge , Brother Arthur John

Brogden . The Chairman on rising was received with loud applause . After thanking them for tho way in which tho toast had been introduced and received , he said it was now a fact that they had a Masonic Lodge in Grange . Tho idea did not exactly start with him , though he felt when ho came to live there that it was just tho place for

forming a Lodge , and when he communicated that idea to other brethren he found they were iu the same mind as himself . So they went to work and found others out , aud eventually they succeeded in getting sufficient to sign the petition , and the consummation of their labour had been witnessed that day . ( Applause ) . He did not wish to take all the credit of the work , or for the success that had that day

crowned their efforts . There were others as well as himself who would have the gratification of knowing that their zeal aud energy had been well spoken of aud approved . He referred particularly to Bros . Mossop and Ashley—( Hear , hear , )—who had taken a great share of the work consequent ou forming a now Lodgo . He was glad to see the successful circumstances under which their new Lodgo

had been opened , but was sorry that temporary absence from home would prevent him working the Lodgo for a short time . His absence at such a time was much to be regretted , bub it was unavoidable . Ho could however , rely on his officers to work with zeal and energy during his absence , and was satisfied that tho Lodgo would lose

nothing at their hands . In conclusion , he begged to thank them once more for the hearty manner in which they had received tho mention of his name . ( Applause ) . Other toasts followed , the proceedings being enlivened by the harmony of several brethren .

Bro . Seymour Smith announces that his Annual Benefit Concert will take place on Monday evening next , at the St . Mary ' s College , Eye Lane , Peckham . He will be supported on this occasion by Bros . Theodore Distin , Chaplin Henry , G . T . Oirter , & c . Tho doors will be opened at 7 . 30 , and

the Concert commence at 8 . We wish our brother every success ; we feel sure those of our friends who have witnessed his efforts to amuse our " Old Folks " at Croydon will join in these good wishes . Frequent trains run to Peckham Rye Station , which is close to the College .

New Zealand

NEW ZEALAND

WE copy the following from tho Nelson Daily Times of 1 st August , as evidencing the esteem in which onr Craft is held in Now Zealand . The donors of the Master Mason ' s Jewel to Bro . Nuttman wero all non-Masons , but in selecting the souvenir for presentation to their fellow worker , they fully recognised the peculiar value which would be attached to this emblem , and the special esteem in which it would be regarded by the worthy recipient . " The employe ' s of Messrs . N .

Edwards and Co . ' s establishment assembled last evening , for the purpose of presenting Mr . J . Nuttman with a souvenir , upon tho occasion of his leaving his fellow workers , after a connection extending over three years . Tho gift was a neatly finished gold Master Mason's jewel , and the presentation was accompanied with tho heartiest good wishes of the presenters for Mr . Nuttman's future prosper . ty . " Bro . Nuttman ia a member of tho Southern Star Lodge ( Nelson ) , No . 735 E . C .