Hamer Chapter, No. 1393.

help Le might be called npon to give . The health of tho Officers of Hamer Chapter waa proposed and severally responded to . Tho M . E . Z . then proposed the health of tho new exaltees ; and ho felt snro he was expressing tho sentiments of every Companion present when he tendered to them a hearty welcome to tho Hamer Chapter and Companionship , and hoped thoy wonld bo long spared to join in friendship . After a suitable response from the exalted , tho Chapter separated until tho first Thursday in November .

Harmony Chapter , No . 220 , Garston . —The regular convocation ancl installation meeting of this ancient Chapter was held at the Wellington Hotol , on Thursday , tho 9 th September . There were present Comps . T . B . Myers M . E . Z ., Thos . Koberta P . Z .

673 as H ., John Hughes J ., supported by a good muster of Officers and Companions , and a number of influential Visitors , among whom were Comps . P . J . Edelsten P . Z . 148 P . G . S . B ., Hugh Williams P . Z . 580 and 1094 P . P . G . S . B ., W . T . May P . Z . 220 and 673 , Jos . Skeaf P . Z . 216 P . G . O ., J . W . Ballard Z . 823 , John

Hayes Z . 594 , W . Brackenbury J . 673 , Edward Paull 1356 , Thomas Hatton 203 , & c . & c . After confirmation of the minutes of the previous convocation , Comp . May addressed the Principals elect and installed them in an impressive manner—Thos . Eoberts ( P . Z . 673 ) M . E . Z ., John Hughes H ., Samuel Tickle J . E . Comp . Eoberts then proceeded to invest T . B . Myers I . P . Z ., Robt . Pearson P . Z . Treas ., T .

P . Hill P , S ., E . Humphries S . E ., H . Hatch S . N . The M . E . Z . proposed two brethren for exaltation at the next convocation , after which the Companions adjourned to a substantial banquet , tastefully provided by tho host , Comp . Wood . The customary toasts were proposed and heartily received , and a very agreeable evening was spent , enlivened by tho harmony supplied by Comps . Skeaf , Hatton , Jacobs , & c .

St . Barnabas Chapter , No . 948 . —A meeting was held on Thursday , 9 th Sept ., at the Chapter Rooms , Linslade . Comps . the Rev . J . Studholme Brownrigg Prov . G . H . Berks and Bucks M . E . Z ., W . J . Cawdell as H ., Mickley as J ., Poynter Scribe E ., J . McCubbin Scribe N ., McDowall Princ . Soj ., Sandall 1 st Assist .-Soj ., Knight 2 nd Assist .-Soj . Fottntaine P . Z . Treas ., Gibbs Janitor . After

the Chapter had been formally opened , tho minutes wero read and confirmed . Election of Principals and Officers for the ensuing year was the only bnsiness before the Chapter . The ballot resulted as follows : —Comps . Mickley as M . E . Z ., Fountaine P . Z . as H ., Cawdell P . Z . as J ., Poynter P . Z . as Scribe E ., McCubbin P . Z . as Scribe N . Comp . McDowall was re-elected Princ . Soj . and Comp . Fountaine Treasurer . Nothing further offering , the Chapter was closed .

Mark Masonry.

MARK MASONRY .

St . Barnabas Lodge , No . 97 . —A meeting was hold on Thursday , 9 th Sept ., at Linslade . Present—Bros . W . J . Cawdell W . M ., Henry Poynter S . W ., Jas . McCubbin P . M . as J . W ., G . Mickley acting Sec , B . T . Fountaine Treas ., A . McDowall M . O ., A . H . Sandall S . O ., E . 0 . Knight I . G ., G . Gibbs Tyler . P . M . Bro . V . W . Rev . J . Studholme Brownrigg , P . G . Chaplain England . Visitor

—Bro . G . Mickley . Lodgo was opened , and tho minntcs were read . Tho W . M . vacated his chair in favour of Bro . Brownrigg , who proceeded to instal Bro . H . Poynter W . M . elect . In due course the questions wero answered , and a Board of Installed Masters formed . Bro . Poynter was then duly installed into the chair of A . , and tho Past Masters greeted him in tho nsual manner . The brethren woro

readmitted , and thoy greeted the new W . M . as M . M . M . ' s . The following were the Officers invested , viz ., Bros . Cawdell I . P . M ., Rest ( by proxy ) S . W ., McDowall J . W ., Fountaine Treas ., Sandall M . O ., Knight S . O ., J . McCubbin P . M . as J . O ., Howoll P . M . Sec . and Reg . The Installing Master gave the addresses to the Wardens , Overseers , and the brethren generally . A Past Master ' s jewel was presented to Bro . Cawdell , and a vote of thanks to Rev . Bro . Brownrigg .

St . John ' s Lodge ( Time Immemorial ) , Bolton . —The regular meeting of the above Lodgo was hold ou Thursday , 9 th Sept ., at tho Commercial Hotel , Bolton ; Present : Bros . Jas . Deeley W . M ., W . H . Alcock S . W ., Israel A . Grcenhalgh J . W ., Thos . Entwisle P . Prov . G . Master , John Alcock P . Prov . G . Deacon , John Harwood P . Prov . G . Deacon , James Newton P . P . G . Inspector of Works , Thos . Morris P . Prov . G . Sword Bearer , Jas Allen , Hy . Tattorsall , Jno .

F . Skelton , Jas . Corbett , Jno . Partington , Beckett , and others . Tho Lodge was opened at six o'clock , and tho minutes read and confirmed . Bro . Care I . P . M . 730 , Chorley , who had been previously elected , was advanced to tlio degree by Bro . Tbos . Entwisle P . Prov . G . Master . Bro . W . H . Alcock S . W . P . Prov . G . Steward was elected as W . M . for tho ensuing year . Three candidates for advancement wore proposed , and the Lodge was closed at 7 . 15 p . m .

Metropolitan Masonic Benevolent Association.

METROPOLITAN MASONIC BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION .

f pHIS Association held its monthly meeting at tho Portugal , Flccfc-- * - street , on Friday last , aud it was then announced by the Hon . Secretary , Bro . W . W . Snelling , that the amount of subscriptions up to the end of August was £ 1 , 002 19 s , and that , through tho medium of the Association , nearly 200 members have been made Life

Subscribers to the Royal Masonic Charities . Tho Association is a permanent one , and brethren may join at any time , without payment of back subscriptions . A prospectus of the Association will bo forwarded on application to Bro . Snelling . The entrance feo is ls , and tho subscription 4 s per month .

Obituary.

Obituary .

BRO . EDWARD COX .

TFIE Masonic career of Bro . Edward Cox has yot to bo written , but his demise , on Wednesday , calls for a few observations which will show how great is tho loss the Fraternity has sustained . It was not only as a thorough worker of Masonic ritual that ho obtained a distinguished name among tho brethren , though in that particular he had few erinals , and no superiors . It was more particularly as an active

expositor of Masonic principles that he was known not to Freemasons only , bnt to persons outside tho Craft . Theso latter woro constantly in contact with him in tho five elections to tho Masonic Charities which take place every year , and they always fonnd in him , a gentleman who was uaver tired of listening to their appeals , and who was ever ready to forward the canso they had in hand . Tho demand on his

time which the candidates for tho Charities made waa very great , but although ho was much occupied in business matters , he managed to spare sufficient leisnre to secure the return of any candidate whose case ho took up . His activity and energy were unbounded , and these wero not confined to advancing tho interests of any poor Mason or widow , or the male or female orphans of brethren . Into tho inner

working of tho Masonic Institutions he looked with a keen eyo , and it could not be said of him that ho had not the courage of his opinions . Wherever ho saw thero might bo what , in his judgment , was an improvement , ho manfully laid that judgment before his brethren , and sustained it by arguments which were never weak . But he was not a philanthropist merely in name . He contributed , largely

to the funds of the Institutions , and in this respect might be said to have a direct personal interest in thoir welfare . Besides this , he was tho donor of prizes in tho Schools , and no ono took greater pleasure than ho in seeing those prizes distributed to tho children who had complied with tho conditions of earning them . It would not , probably , be fair to say that ho favoured one Institution above tho other ,

but tho contiguity of his residence to the Royal Masonio Institution for Girls' at St . John ' s Hill , made it natnral that his visits to that Institntion should be moro numerous than to tho others . The very helplessness of a poor little girl , left by a father , and frequently by a mother as well , appealed to the gentle heart of Bro . Edward Cox as an additional argument in her favour , and tho tenderness with

which he treated tho female orphans at the School on his many visits showed the solicitude which he entertained for a family that he looked upon almost as his own . It is not surprising that he took an important part in the discussions on the purchase of Lyncombe House , which will , no doubt , add greatly to tho value of the Institntion by preventing the erection of other buildings

on the site which it would not havo been desirable to havo so near . Bro . Edward Cos was an opponent of the purchase , which it will bo remembered was proposed to be made at a sum of £ 6 , 500 . Bro . Cox set the outside value down as £ 3 , 800 , and considered that this was a very large prico to pay for an entrance to the Institution from the high road . Already he thought the Institntion had as many

burdens as it could bear , and that posterity would not thank the brethren for increasing thoso burdens . He admitted that it was a desirable thing that no other buildings shonld be brought near the School , but taking his stand on the excessive price asked by the proprietor of the property intended to be purchased , ho denied that any ono who desired to bnild on tho land would give the

price asked , as the noise of the railway would deter people from living in the neighbourhood who could pay a rent which wonld give an adequate return for tho outlay . Bro . Cox , however , was overruled , and the purchase was completed after arguments that , thongh a fancy price was to be paid , the privacy gained by the Institution possessing tho property was worth oven a

larger sum . Bro . Cox never questioned tho desirability of ju ^ acy for the Girls' School , and as far as wo can remember ho at least waa spared the application of the many opprobrious epithets which a reverend brother heaped week after week upon tho oppouonts of the scheme . We have said above that the purchase of Lyncombo House will , no doubt , add greatly to tho value of the Girls ' . School , and if it does no ono would have had siucorer pleasnro iu this result than Bro .

Edward Cox if he had lived to seo it ; and no ono would more readily have admitted that his opposition was * an error . Bro . Edward Cox never secured Grand Lodge honours . They were offered him onco by the Grand Master , but refused . He was , however , a Past Pro . vincial Grand Officer of Northampton and Huntingdon , in which Province he was looked up to as a high authority . Among the Craft generally he was also greatly esteemed .

Bro. Edward Amphlett, M.R.C.S.

BRO . EDWARD AMPHLETT , M . R . C . S .

Old Cambridge mon will hear with regret of tho death of Wor . Bro . Edward Atnphlett , M . R . C . S ., and of St . Peter ' s College , Cambridge . Bro . Amphlott was a zealous and energetic young Mason . Ho was initiated in the Isaac Newton University Lodgo , and became the first Senior Deacon of tho Alma Mater Lodge , No . 1492—a Lodge founded by members of the Isaac Newton . He was installed W . M . of

the Alma Mater in 1878 . Ho was also a Founder and Past Master of tho Lodge at Staines , a member of tho Euclid Royal Arch Chapter , and of tlio St . George's Royal Arch Chapter . Of this last named Chapter he was at the timo of his death tho First Principal . He was Past Prov . Grand Registrar ( Royal Arch ) of the Province of Berks

and Bucks , and Prov . Grand Steward ( Craft ) for the Province of Middlesex . His genial and courteous manner endeared him to many , who will look back with pleasant recollection upon the friendship with which he honoured them . Only a short time before his death he placed iu tho hands of tho Treasurer of tho Alma Mater a curious old silver Treasurer ' s jewel for presentation to the Lodge ,