The Keystone And Saints John Once More.

I must give Dr . Anderson ' s narrative about the saints days . In the 1738 edition of bis Constitution , he says : "The annual feast has been held on both Saints John ' s Days , as the Grand Master thought lit , ; nnd on the 25 th of November 1723 ,

it was ordained that one of the Qnarterly Communications shall be held on St . John the Evangelist's Day , another on the Baptist's Day , every year , whether there be feasts or not , unless tho Grand Muster find itinconvenient for the good of the Craft , which is more to be regarded than days . "

If , then , tho good of the Craft oug ht to be preferred to saints days , then I maintain that it is good for the Craft to adhere to its profession of Masonic universality . It is good for the Craft that no Mason should be suffered to annoy and insult another Mason with bis religions ism . It is good for the Craft that every man should do unto another as he wishes to be done by ; henco , it is for tbe good of the

Craft to discontinue obs «> rvin sectarian saints' days . And above all , it is for the good of the Ciaft to pnt a stop to all manner of lying and deceiving . If they must have Christianity in Masonry , let them call it hv its proper iwne , and cease humbugging the world with their pretended " Masonic universality . " I have shown in the previous paper npon this subject , tbat not a

solitary pre-1717 En « . 'li . ih Masonio MS . mentions the name of the Saints John . The Keystone editor pretended that the Robert MS . alluded to Saints John's Days , but such is not the case . Even the unscrupulous Dr . Oliver did not attempt to prove that it was an English custom among Masons previous to 1717 , to celebrate St John ' s Days ; and if even it could be proved tbat all the English Masons

observed the St . John's Days before 1717 , that is no reason why we shonld observe them , as already shown . But my present purpose is to show how much truth there is in the Keystone ' s statement , that " after which , " meaning after 1726 , the English Grand Lodge " observed the Evangelist ' s Day . " I have carefully examined all the English Constitutions up to 17 S 4 , and noted down all its days of Grand Lodge meetings . Whenever a saint's day happened to fall on

Sunday , and the G . L . met on the ensuing Monday , I numbered it among the saint's days ; but when the saint's day occurred in tbe middle of tbe week , and the meeting of the G . L . was held either n few days before or after the saint ' s day , I did not number it among the saint's days , and here are the respective years when the G . L . of England held meetings on saints' days : BAPTIST ' S DAY .

1717 , 1718 , 1719 , 1721 , 1722 . 1723 , 1724 , 1725 , 1727 , 1735 , 1741 1742 , and 1750 . EVANGELIST ' S DAY . 1721 , 1727 . 1728 , 1729 , 1736 , 1813 .

And now I have proved conclusively—First , that the Saints John did not monopolise the Mason ' s patronage . Second , that the old Scotch Masons did not have a custom of celebrating the Baptist ' s Day . And even the Edinburgh Lodge , though the original city charter required the members to have their annual on tbe Baptist's Day , yet , between 1599 and 1757 they met but six times on 24 th

June ; then , for about sixty years , they observed the said day more or less regular ; and since 1817 , they evidentl y ceased to celebrate it altogether . And they wonld not even have observed it at all if they bad not been misled by " Anderson ' s History of Masonry . " And third , instead of the English Grand Lodge continuing to celebrate the Evangelist ' s Day after 1726 for many years , as any one

would infer from the Keystone ' s statement , the above figures show that the Grand Lodge of England , during a period of ninety-seven years met thirteen times on the Baptist ' s Day and only six times on the Evangelist ' s Day ; and between 1750 and 1813 , a period of sixtythree years , it held no meeting on either of tbe saint ' s days ; and the meeting in 1813 would probably not have been on the saint ' s day if

they bad not met for the purpose of uniting with the Ancients . The Ancients seem to have met on the Evangelist ' s Day—perhaps they adhered to the custom simply because the moderns abandoned it ; bnt be that it may , it is certain thafc since 1813 the Grand Lod » e of England never again met on St . John ' s Day . And what is more , in 1814 tbe Rev . Dr . Hemming , a Christian clergyman , who did not approve of Masonic lying and deceiving , revised the Mnsonic ritual ,

and expunged therefrom all allusions to the Saints John . And the Grand Lodge of England got on very well ever since , withont the aid patron saints . And this fact itself must convince even the timid and weak-minded brethren ( except ,. of conrse , the Keystone ' s luminary ) that celestrial saint lobbyists are no longer essential either for tbe perpetuity or prosperity of the Masonic Institution . —The Masonic Truth ,

GIVING THE SIGNS . —We have frequentl y noticed that many brethren on entering a Lodge make the sign in a very careless and slovenly manner . There wonld certainly be no fear of any non-Mason who might see them gaining sufficient information to enable him snecess . fully to imitate the true sign . In our opinion strict attention should be paid to tbe manner of malting tbe signs , which ought to be given

with military precision . We have seen some brethren , who have been long enongh in the Craft to know better , give a sign in a rapid and imperfect manner as they strode across the floor of the Lodt'e as if in baste to secure a seat , giving it , too , a con pie of yards or so before reaching tbe spot opposite the pedestal . There is a want of respect not only to the W . M . bnt to the whole Lodge in snch a manner

of doing ifc , arid indeed to Freemasonry itself . Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well , and we think it is the dnty of the Officers of the Lodge to call back any careless brother who errs in this r » sp » ct , and make him eo through the form properly . The W . M . nhonld not recognise a slovenly sainte , and the J . W . and the Deacons especially shonld check tbe practice . —Rough Ashlar .

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• FOTTERALS . —Bros . W . K . L . & G . A . HTTTTON , Coffin Makers and Undertakers . 17 Newcastle Street , Strand , "W . C . aad 30 Forest Hill Koad , Peckham Bye , S . E

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Hampshire And Isle Of Wight.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF HAMPSHIRE AND ISLE OF WIGHT .

1 * VQE Annual Grand Lodge of this Province assembled at Aldershot on Friday , the 8 th inst ., nnder tbe presidency of tbe Provincial Grand Master , VV . W . B . Beach , M . P . There was a large attendance of brethren from varions parts of the Province , including many from the Portsmouth district . After some formal business a resolution was proposed by Bro . tbe Rev . J . N . Palmer P . G . S . W ., and seconded by Bro . Pack P . M . P . P . G . S ., in the following terms : — " That it is

desirable , having regard to tbe increasing numbers of the Craft , and the extent of the funds contributed from time to time from this Pro . vinee to the central Masonic Charities , that a duly qualified brother be appointed by this Provincial Grand Lodge to act as the representative of the Province of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight on the General Committee of each oi these Institutions . " The resolution

having been carried , it was proposed by Bro . A . Leon Emannel P . M . P . P G . D ., seconded by Bro . Harker , and " nnanimously agreed , that the following brethren shonld represent , the Province on the Commit tees of 'he Masonio Institutions : —Bros . R . Eve P . M . P . P . G . W . for the Boys ' School , T . Francis P . M . Havant Girls' School , A . Barfield Past Master , Past Provincial Grand Deacon Benevolent Institution .

In the absence of Bro . G . Felton Lancaster , Bro . R . J . Rastrick Past Master P . G . Treasurer , moved the following resolution : — " That it be an instruction to tbe Provincial Grand Lodge Committee to consider and formulate a scheme for establishing a Charitable Fund for this Province , to be supported by voluntary contributions , having for its objects the education and maintenance , in the vicinity

of their own homes , and under the care of parents or guardians of the children of indigent or deceased Freemasons of the Province , either entirely or pending the election of such children to the central School . A copy of such scheme to be sent to each Lodge prior to the next Provincial Grand Lodge . " The resolution was dnly carried , and will be laid before the Charity Committee , to bring up a report at the

next Provincial Grand Lodge . The accounts for the past year , which were of a highly satisfactory character , were presented by the Prov . Grand Treasurer ( Bro . R . J . Rastrick ) , and passed . Tbe election of Treasurer for the ensuing year was then proceeded witb , and Bro . Rastrick was unanimously re-elected . Tbe Provincial Grand Master

then appointed the Officers of the Province for tbe ensuing year , and as will be seen by tbe following list , the number of Officers appointed is larger than on any former occasion , this increase being due to the fact thafc there are now over forty Lodges in the Province . The Officers were appointed in the order given below : — Bro . W Hickman 130 ... ... Deputy Prov . G . Master

Major Smith 2016 ... ... Prov . G . Senior Warden W . Gammon 76 ... ... Prov . G . Jnnior Warden £ ' ? p S , iDB 19 q 7 i ] Prov . G . Chaplains Rev . A . 0 . Hervey 309 ... ) r James Cole 130 ... ... Prov . G . Registrar R . J . Rastrick 1069 ... ... Prov . G . Treasurer J . E . Le Feuvre 130 ... ... Prov . G . Secretary T . Page 1903 , J . Pomerov 723 ... Prov . G . Senior Deacons

Dr . H . Grier 1971 , G . H . Pack 175 Prov . G . Junior Deacons Ernest Hall 257 ... ... Prov . G . Snpt , of Works D . S . Pring 151 ... ... Prov . G . Directors of Cera . J . Robertson 130 ... ... Prov . G . Assist . D . of Cers . R . W . Mitchell 903 ... ... Prov . G . Dep . Assist . D . ofC . E . Worth 195 ... ... Prov . G . Sword Bearer R . W . Beale 487 , 0 . H . Liddett 804 Prov . G . Standard Bearers W . Horton 319 ... ... Prov . G . Pursuivant

G . R . Strick 1428 ... ... Prov . G . Assist . Pursuivant Sylvester 1903 ... ... Prov . G . Organist Sannders , Jacob Glasspool , Lewis , ] Proy Q Stewan j 8 J . E . Buck , Patstone ... ... j Exell , Biggs ... ... ... Prov . G . Tylers A very handsome present was made to the P . G . Lodge by Bro . M , Emannel P . G . Registrar , consisting of a very large and handsome

silver-gilt emblem , for use in tbe Lodge . Bro . Major Hooper P . M . P . P . G . W . also made a valuable present to the Lodge in the shape of a silver-gilt set of consecration vessels . Hearty votes of thanks to both the brethren named were carried with acclamation . A banquet was subsequently beld at the Imperial Hotel , at which there was a large attendance . —Portsmouth Times .

Prosperity Lodge of Instruction , No . 65 . —A meeting was held on Tuesday , at Bro . Maid well ' s , Hercules Tavern , Leadenhall-street . Bros . C . Daniel W M ., Pitt S . W ., Rich J . W ., Walker ( Secretary ) S . D ., Haynes I . G ., Moss Preceptor ; also Bros . Schweitzer and Roberts . After preliminaries , Lodge was opened in

second degree , and Bro . Schweitzer answered the usual questions leading to the sublime degree of a M . M ., and the ceremony was rehearsed . Lodge was resumed to the first degree , when Bro . Schweitzer answered the questions leading to the second , and tbe ceremony of that degree was rehearsed . Bro . Pitt was elected W . M--for ensuing week . Lodge was closed iu harmony , and adjourned till Tuesday , 19 th August .

Kingsland Lodge of Instruction , No . 1693 .-A meeting was I eld on Monday last , at Bro Baker's , Cock Tavern , H'K ° ' bnry . N . Present—Bros . Forge W . M , Hunt S . W ., Rhodes J . " --Collingridge Secretary , Turner S . D ., Snook J . D ., Trewinnard V 0 . and Precentor . Stretch I . G .. and manv other brethren . Lodge wa

opened in dne form and the minntes of the last meeting were rea and confirmed . Bro . Woodman , as candidate for installation , too the obligation leading to tbe Master ' s chair , and the ceremony o ^ installation was ably rehearsed by Bro . Forge , the addresses b « m „ especially well rendered . Lodge was closed , and tbe bre ' . f enjoyed a little harmony , Bros . Snook , Woodman , Baines , and lei assisting , while Bro . Collins Organist 1693 accompanied the vario brethren on the piano .