The Late Princess Alice.

THE LATE PRINCESS ALICE .

THE Grand Lodgo of I roo and Accepted Masons of Ireland , at its last meeting ; , adopted the following address of sympathy to her Most Gracious Majesty on tho death of H . R . H . the Princess Alice , Grand Duchess of Hesse : —

THE QUEEN ' S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY . MAY IT PLEASE YOUR MAJESTY , — We , the Freemasons of Ireland , in Grand Lodge assembled , respectfully approach yonr Most Gracious Majesty , in this yonr hour of sore trial , to tender onr loyal and heartfelt sympathy for tho irreparable loss you havo sustained .

The universal sorrow that pervades all classes of your subjects is participated in by none moro deeply than the Masonic body . Recognizing the great and noble qualities of our late Royal Princess ( brought up to womanhood under the influence of your precepts and the example of yonr virtues ) , which added lustro to her high station ,

and endeared her alike to tho countries of berbirth and her adoption . "We know that these very qualities make yonr loss the heavier , aud yonr grief tho more poignant . We would , however , venture most respectfully to suggest to you the consolation that she was all the

meeter for a better world ; and that few mothers , who havo been blessed with so numerous an offspring as your Majesty , have , like you , been for a period of near forty years exempt from a calamity such as that which has now fallen upon you .

We earnestly pray that God may sanctify this trial to you , and give you strength to bear it . Signed on behalf of the Grand Lodge of Ireland , ABFT ? < "' < TRN \

GRAND MASTER . St . John's Day , 27 th December 1 S 78 . To which the following reply has been received . *—Osborne , 8 th January 1879 . MY DEAR DUKE ,

I have laid before the Queen the Address of Condolence transmitted by you . I am commanded by Her Majesty to request that you will assure tho Freemasons of Ireland that the Queen heartily appreciates tho kind and loyal sentiments contained in their address ; and I am to ask you to convey Her Majesty's sincere thanks to those gentlemen for thoir feoling expressions of sympathy .

Tours very truly , HENRY F . PONSONBY . His Grace the Duke of Abercorn , ICG .

Integrity Lodge, No. 163.

INTEGRITY LODGE , No . 163 .

IN an early issue last year we took the opportunit y of placing before our readers a short resume of the Balance Sheet of the Integrity Lodge , Manchester , for the year 1877 , feeling that so satisfactory an account as we were then able to give could but be gratifying * to

its members , and would also be an excellent pattern for Brethren in other parts to try ancl improve upon-It was at that time stated by members of the faultfinding class—a body we have in Masonry as in all other human institutions—that the position was certainly a very

creditable one , but it could not last . You will find , they said , that in a year or two the Locige will cease to interest itself so strenuously on behalf of tho Charities , and tho members will refer to their labours in the past

when _ their attention is drawn to the fact of their stopping the flow of support . For this reason , among others , we have taken some trouble in -watching the progress made by tho Lodge during the past twelve

Integrity Lodge, No. 163.

months , and as we consider tho time which has elapsed since wo last referred to the subject will bear favourable comparison with the past , we append a few particulars , drawn from the Balance Sheet for 1878 , as issued by the Lodge .

The first item this year is naturally the last of its predecessor , and as we gave full particulars of how the Balance of £ 146 4 s 7 d was made up when we referred to this Lodge last year , wo think a repetition is unnecessary . Next wo have £ 347 15 s as representing * the amount received for Initiation and Joinine *

"Fees , Subscriptions , & c , as compared with £ 306 15 s in 1877 . This item , shewing an increase of £ 41 , will alone prove that the "work of the year has been of a progressive character . The interest on invested moneys exhibits a slight falling off , the amount being £ 5 16 s llcl

for 1878 , as against £ 6 15 s 5 d in 1877 . Wo thus have a total of £ 499 16 s 6 d to be accounted for by tho Lodge . Of this amount tho sum of £ 185 lis figures for refreshments ; £ 47 14 s being set down as Expense of St . John's Festival , and £ 87 17 s for

teas , & c . The next item as regards amount is £ 118 14 s Id , representing the payments made during the year on account of Benevolence , and it is to this Expenditure and to the amounts previously disbursed that -we intend to devote especial attention . In 1877 , to of

Integrity Lod ^ e voted £ 50 each the funds—male and female—of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , and we find that in 1878 they have made similar grants , except that in the latter case the alteration recently made in the subscriptions from pounds to guineas renders it necessary

to devote £ 105 to secure like advantages . The amounts thus paid , which up to the present timo total £ 202 10 s to each fund , or £ 405 in all to tho Benevolent Institutution , entitle tho Lodgo to 108 votes at each election . Of this number 60 are vested in the namo of

the W . M ., while the I . P . M ., Senior W ., Junior W ., and Treasurer have 10 each , the 8 others being in the name of the Lodge , in consideration of its annual subscription of one guinea to each fund . The subscriptions to the Royal Masonio Institution for Boys up to tho present time

reach a total of £ 252 , and in return for this the Lodgo has 74 votes at its disposal . The W . M . for the time being ranks as a Vice Patron , with 40 votes ; the I . P . M . as a Vice President , with 14 votes ; and the S . W . ancl Treasurer Vice Presidents , with 10 votes each ; the

other 4 votes represent the return for the Annual Subscription of two guineas made by tho Lodge to this Charity . We may mention that of the amount contributed to this Institution , £ 168 has been voted to the General Fund , and £ 84 to the Bnildine * Fund . Last in order comes the

Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , the total contributions to which reach the handsome sum of £ 189 . The votes to which this amount entitles the Lodge are divided as follows : —23 in the name of the W . M ., 10 in that of the I . P . M ., and 4 in that of the Lodge . Thus the members

have at their command no less than 330 votes for the Central Charities each year , besides being in possession of 100 votes at each election of the East Lancashire Systematic Masonic Educational and Benevolent Institution , by virtue

of their donations to this charity , which reach £ 100 . The Manchester Warehousemen and Clerks' Orphan Institution has also a firm supporter in this Lodge , the members having up to date devoted £ 57 15 s of their funds to that Institution . Two other items besides those mentioned serve to complete the list of Charity Grants . Grand Lodge and Provincial Grand Lodge absorb £ 34 4 s of