Consecrations.

CONSECRATIONS .

DEVONIAN LODGE .

FOR the first time in the history of this country and in the history of Freemasonry has a Lord Chancellor of England been installed as Worshipful Master of a Masonic Lodge during the period he has been holder of the Great Seal . The Earl of Halsbury is the bearer of that record .

In his character as a Freemason , and as a Past Grand Warden of England , but more particularly as a West Country man , he was chosen as the first Master of a new Lodge to be established in London for the use of Devonshire men resident

in London , to be called the Devonian Lodge , and numbered 2834 on tne rou ° f Grand Lodge of England . It is the second Lodge specifically connected with an English county set up in the Metropolis , the other County Lodge in London being the Cornish Lodge , No . 2369 , consecrated just ten years ago ,

and established for Cornishmen in London . Lord Halsbury has a connection with the county of Cornwall also in Masonry , as he had in Parliament , for at the present time he is Prov . Grand Master for Cornwall in the Mark Degree . The Devonian Lodge was consecrated on Thursday ni ght of last

week , at the Holborn Viaduct Hotel , by the Grand Secretary of England Bro . E . Letchworth , who was assisted by Sir J . Monckton , Bro . Strachan , Q . C ., the Rev . Canon Brownrigg , Bro . Frank Richardson , and Bro . W . Lake , with a musical

accompaniment under the direction of Bro . Schartau . A distinguished company was present , including Bros . Justice Kennedy , Justice Bigham , Littler , Q . C ., McConnell , O . C ., Sir Forrest Fulton , Q . C ., H . Neville , Swinfen Eady , Q . C ., Underdown , Q . C ., Passmore Edwards , & c .

The Consecrating Master , in addressing the Brethren on the nature of the meeting , said the Lodge was established for the purpose of enabling Devonshire Masons residing in London to gather together in Lodge to maintain and promote

the feelings of love and veneration which all Masons were taught to entertain towards their native county . He most heartily congratulated the Founders on having , as their first Master , a Brother so distinguished as the Lord Chancellor of England , one whose name would for all time be conspicuous

on that roll of Devonshire worthies for which the county was famous . He trusted the Lodge had before it a very successful career , that it might accomplish all those special objects the Founders had in view to advance in every possible way the interests of the Masonic Order .

Canon Brownrigg delivered the Oration , in which he pointed out the number of preat men who were Devonians , from Raleigh to Redvers Buller , whom they were shortly going to welcome home . At the conclusion of the Consecration , the Earl of

Halsbury was installed Master of the Lodge , Lord Churston was appointed to act for the first year as Past Master , W . Wellsman S . W ., Rev . W . Whittley J . W ., W . Radford Treasurer , J . Cockram Taylor Secretary , G . LambertM . P . S . D . P . H .

, , , Pridham Wippell J . D ., C . Luxmoore Drew I . G ., Rev . H . A ' Hebb , M . A ., Chaplain , Dr . W . H . Cummings Organist , J H . Lisle D . C :, F . W . Brodie Steward , and W . T . Win ' sor Tyler .

At the dinner which followed , the Earl of Halsbury presided . In proposing the toast of the Prince of Wales Grand Master Lord Halsbury said that he did not wish to cast a

cloud over the proceedings , but the Grand Master would probably have been present with the Brethren if it had not been for the death of his nephew . The Brethren would much regret his absence , and the circumstances which led to it .

Lord Halsbury next proposed the toast of the Consecrating Officer , and said the admirable . way in which the Lodge was Consecrated must have made a deep impression on all those who had the privilege of witnessing it . With respect to his own position in the Lodge , he was much

gratified with it Devonians had now an extra tie among them , as they were associated together in the Devonian Lodge . lie thought there was no Lodge in the United Kingdom , or in the world , in which there were more affectionate relations than there were in Devonshire men . The

feeling was nowhere more strikingly manifest than in Devonshire . They liked each other because they were Devonshire men . He was proud of those from whom he had descended . He thought the feeling was most proper . They looked with pride on the deeds and the history of men from whom they

Consecrations.

had come , and this feeling was in consonance with their Masonic obligations . Replying to the toast of the Worshipful Master , proposed by Bro . Justice Kennedy , Lord Halsbury said the Masonic spirit , if it could be extended to all mankind , would

in a great measure remove the difficulties which stood in the way of a higher and better civilisation . One of the things which rendered Masonic intercourse so delightful was that it

cultivated a spirit independent of all those questions on which men were divided ; it obliterated and stamped out the differences which usually divided man from man , and , therefore , the Masonic spirit was a distinct gain to civilisation .

Brother Justice Bigham responded to the toast of the Visitors . — " Standard . " [ Our contemporary has overlooked the fact of the establishment of the Lancastrian Lodge in London , which started with the late Earl of Lathom at its head . —Ed . F . C . ]

Engineer Chapter.

ENGINEER CHAPTER .

A LIT i LE over four years ago the fine corps of the Royal Engineers received a Warrant from the Grand Master to form an Engineer Lodge , the membership of which was to be exclusively restricted to present or past soldiers of the various regiments of that body . The entrance was reduced to the lowest fee allowable by the

Book of Constitutions , while a nominal subscription sufficed for working expenses . The result was that the Lodge soon found itself strong enough to make application for a Chapter to be attached to it , and , headed by Major Crichton Walker and twenty-one other Companions , a petition was addressed

to the First Grand Principal for this purpose . The Petition was successful , and the Warrant was issued . The petitioners were also fortunate in securing the favour of Comp . Edward

Letchworth G . S . E ., who Kindly undertook the Consecration ceremony . It was for this purpose that the founders and their friends assembled last Saturday in the handsome hall at 33 Golden Square , W .

Comp . Letchworth was assisted by iCompa . William Russell P . G . Swd . Br . as H ., the Rev . Canon J . Srudholme Brownrigg Grand Superintendent of Buckinghamshire as J ., Frederick Mead P . A . G . S . as Scribe N ., and Frank Richardson G . D . C . as Director of Ceremonies .

The Chapter was formally opened by the Principals mentioned , and the Companions were admitted . After hymn and prayer , the Charter was read by Comp . Richardson , and the Officers nominated therein were approved . The Oration was delivered by Comp . Brownrigg , who

referred to the proud motto of the Royal Engineers , " Quo fas et g loria ducunt , " and said they could have no better lesson , and nothing that described more truly the ancient and honorable Fraternity . Ail Masons laboured together for the glory of God and the good of mankind . The

distinguished corps of the Royal Engineers were known in all parts of the world , ever ready to go whqre right and glory led them . He might dwell for a long time upon the glorious campaigns of the English Sappers and Miners , but it would suffice to say that no foreign army had ever been able to

surpass them . It was true they did not always get credit for the work they accomplished , but everyone agreed that nothing could have been done better than the service recently rendered by some of their body in South Africa . He referred to the lamented death of General E . C . Sim , who was one of

the signatories to the Petition , and a Founder of the Engineer Lodge , and regretted he was not able to be with them that day . Finally , he hoped that the spirit of the corps would be infused into the members ., that they would be true to the principles of the Order , and would devote their zeal , energy , and ability to the prosperity of the Chapter .

The ceremony followed on the usual lines , and was carried out in a highly impressive manner by the Consecrating Officers , It was further enhanced by the excellent musical arrangements of Comp . Herbert Schartau , who was assisted by Comps . Frank Tebbutt and George Stubbs .

Comp . Letchworth having constituted the Chapter in ancient form , the patriarchal benediction was given by Comp . Brownrigg ' , and this part of the proceedings was brought to a happy termination .

The lay members then retired , and a Board of Principals was formed , when Comps . Crichton Walker , J . Percy White , and E . Sidney Standing were installed as rulers of the Chapter . The Companions were re-admitted , when the