Maristowe Lodge.

many Brethren to attend Lodge more frequently . Since he had had the honour of being their Provincial Grand Master Freemasonry in Devonshire had advanced by leaps and bounds . He congratulated the new Lodge on securing as their first recruit the son of their excellent friend and

neighbour Sir Massey Lopes . He was quite certain Mr . Lopes would be encouraged to pursue his studies in the Craft , in which he trusted he might eventually attain a high position . He had been asked whether a possible change in his connection with the county would have the effect of

separating him from Devonshire Freemasonry . All he could say was that so far as he could tell at present , although it was impossible for him absolutely to forecast the future , he knew no reason why , so long as they were pleased to continue their

confidence in him , their relations should not remain on the same footing . Bro . Blagden S . W . proposed the Consecrating and Installing Officers , for whom the Deputy Provincial Grand Master responded .

The Prov . Grand Master himself proposed the health of the new W . M ., and , in reply , Bro . Rodd returned thanks for his election , and for the kindness shown to the new Lodge , which , being in a growing district , he believed would

prosper . Bro . Deas Pr . G . J . W . gave the Officers of the Lodge , for which the two Wardens and Bro . Cottier responded . Bro . Marriette proposed the Visitors , with which was coupled the names of the Prov . Grand Senior Warden and Bro . E . S . Lancaster . — "Western Morning News . "

The Consecration of the Edward Terry Lodge provided material for some . Masonic illustrations in Saturday ' s " Daily Graphic , " which , taken as a whole , did the artist considerble credit . We do not remember , however , seeing our worthy

Grand Secretary look quite so fierce as he is depicted on this occasion . The "back view" of him delivering the Charge to the Lodge is in much better style , quite characteristic , in fact .

We are sorry to have to record that Bro . Geo . Pankhurst has met with a serious accident , at his place of residence , the Windsor Castle Hotel , Hammersmith . On Saturday , 10 th inst ., Bro . Pankhurst detected an escape of gas in a sitting room upstairs , and unfortunately struck a match to discover

from where it came , with the result that a terrible explosion took place , blowing out several windows and injuring Bro . Pankhurst so dreadfully that he was at once taken in a cab to the West London Hospital , where he was placed in a ward and his injuries attended to .

A " record" was claimed by the Worshipful Master of the St . Matthew Lodge , No . 1447 , Barton-on-Humber , on the occasion of his installation last month . He said that the

fact of his being the third member of his family who had occupied the position of W . M . within ten years was uniquewhether it is so or not is a matter we cannot decide , but it is most certainly a very unusual occurence .

Grand Lodge Of Scotland.

GRAND LODGE OF SCOTLAND .

npHE Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Scotland JL was held in the Freemasons' Hall , Edinburgh , on the 1 st instant . At the business meeting the chair was taken by Sir Charles Dalrymple of Newhailes , Bart ., M . P ., Past Grand Master . The new office bearers were elected , and those who were present were installed with tbe usual solemnities .

After the business meeting Grand Lodge adjourned to the Great Hall , for the celebration of the Festival of St . Andrew . There they were joined by other members and by deputations from the daughter Lodges . There were over 260 Brethreu present , being the largest gathering for the past quarter of a century . The chair was occupied by the Grand Master Lord Saltoun .

After dinner the Lord Provost of Edinburgh proposed the Grand Lodge of Scotland , coupled with the health of the Grand Master . Lord Saltoun , in replying , said that the year just ended had

indeed been the record year in respect of fche prosperity that had attended Grand Lodge affairs . There had been enrolled as entrants 7 , 068 , as compared with 6 , 579 in the year 1897 , aud 6 , 078 in 1891 , then the highest point reached in all previous years . What an advance since 1832 , when in ibat year 661 was fche number of

Grand Lodge Of Scotland.

entrants ! Now they had thousands , for hundreds then . The income of Grand Lodge had been £ 7 , 060 , as against £ 6 , 951 in the previous year—an increase of £ 109 . The grants from the Benevolent Fund amounted to £ 586 , and the annuities to £ 1 , 150 . Since the formation of fche Annuity Fund in 1889 the sum of

£ 10 , 000 had been paid in annuities . Seventeen charters had been issued during the year . The General Fund amounted to £ 16 , 266 , tbe Benevolent Fund to £ 7 , 350 , and the Annuity Fund to £ 26 , 036 —making a grand total for fche three Funds of £ 49 , 653 , exclusive of the heritable and movable property , which was valued at £ 23 , 900 . Including the heritable and movable property , Grand

Lodge assets came to the princely sum-of £ 73 , 553 . What a contrast to the state of affairs in 1877 , when Grand Lodge was saddled with a debt of some £ 20 , 000 1 It had fallen to him to have had the honour to preside in Grand Lodge in the year in which it had attained an unprecedented prosperity . But to Grand Committee and its Finance Committee must be attributed much

of the success that had in the past twenty years attended the administration of fche business of Grand Lodge ; and the Visitation Committee had wrought a wonderful improvement upon Lodges in the Metropolitan District , Scottish Masonry was making rapid strides in the colonies of Queensland and Western Australia , and

among our countrymen in South Africa . During the year three new Lodges had been erected in Queensland , in the Transvaal one , in "Western Australia four , and they had erected a Lodge in tbe Republic of Colombia . Altogether , Scottish Freemasonry afc home , in India , in the colonies , and in foreign parts was at present

in a highly prosperous condition . It was no exaggeration to say that in this year 1898 there were upwards of one hundred thousand Masons haiiing from Lodges under the Scottish Constitution . The Grand Master expressed regret that Lord Kitchener , Baron of Khartoum , had been unable to accept his invitation to be

present ; but he heartily commended his scheme for the foundation of a College in memory of Gordon , and asked that every Master of a Lodge should bring the matter before the members , and that every Provincial Grand Master should do so ; and he said he

would ask the Grand Lodge to amplify that fund , and trusted they would be able to send the Sirdar such a sum as would make the Scottish race prominent in the effort to maintain the memory of their great comrade Gordon . Other toasts followed .

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