The Chiswick Lodge, No. 2012.

THE CHISWICK LODGE , No . 2012 .

UNDOUBTEDLY the Masonio event of the present week haa been the installation meeting of this Lodge , held on Monday last , at the Star and Garter Hotel , Kew Bridge . Tbe gathering in every way may be described as a Grand Success , and the members of the Lodge must ever be grateful to their popular

Secretary Brother George Gardner P . M . for the immense exertions he used and the well considered arrangements he inaugurated by which this happy result was achieved . True , he was ably supported by the Past Masters and Officers , but to him first honours must be universally conceded . The members were summoned for two

o'clock , and punctually to that time Bro . Gardner opened the Lodge . After the minutes of last regular meeting , and those of emergency meetings , had been read and confirmed , Bros . E . 0 . Fountain , W . Maskell , and Stuart were raised ; the latter a visitor from Australia , the degree being conferred on him by request of Bro . Colonel Shadwell

H . Gierke , Grand Secretary of English Freemasons . The ceremony was conducted by Bro . Gardner up to the point of obligation , but now the W . M . of the Lodge Bro . Dr . F . Lawrance , who had been detained by an important matter in connection with his profession , took his position and proceeded with the business . Two brethren were

passed to the degree of Fellow Oraft—Bros . E . T . Spurr and James Clarke . Two candidates for initiation now presented themselves j Mr . George Callingham and Mr . Francis James Pemeller . The ballot was declared in their favour , and they were regularly received and enlightened in the mysteries of the first degree . A ballot was also

taken for Bro . E . P . Delevante , who was elected a joining member of the Lodge . At this stage of the proceedings routine work was considered ; several letters regretting inability to attend were read , official intimation given that the esteemed Father of the Lodge , and its Treasnrer , Bro . Geo . Everett , was unable to leave his bed through

an aonte and severe attack of his old "enemy . ' The auditors' report , whioh waa unanimously adopted , showed the Lodge to be in a sound financial condition , a balance of nearly £ 133 standing to the credit side of the account . The brethren were now " called off , " and opportunity was taken to inspect the arrangements made by Bro

John Brill . It is now pretty generally known to our readers that Bro Brill has recently built a large Hall contiguous to his already vast establishment , and herein it had been settled the banquet should be served . As a consequence there was no lack of accommodation , and the result throughout gave unqualified satisfaction to the large bod y

assembled ( something like 200 in all ) . On resuming labour the Grand Secretary , who had been requested by the W . M . to act as Installing Master , took the chair , and Dr . Lawrance presented Bro . Lord George Francis Hamilton S . W . and W . M . elect , First Lord of the Admiralty , as W . M . elect . It is needless to say the ceremony was

performed iu a masterly way . The W . M . invested his Officers , as follow : —Bros . F . Lawrance I . P . M ., W . DowlingS . W ., J . Brown J . W ., G . Everett P . M . Treasurer ( by deputy ) , G . Gardner P . M . Sec , W . H . WimpeyS . D ., F . W . Walden J . D ., C . Hughes I . G ., J . Rowling D . C , and B . Kenyon Steward . In complimentary terms tho W . M . presented

a P . M . ' s jewel to Bro . Dr . Lawrance , expressing hia approval , as well as the admiration and satisfaction of the brethren , at the excellent way in whioh he had performed his dnties as Master of the Lodge during the last twelve months ; assuring the brethren , at tbe same time , that he would use his

utmost endeavours while he occupied the chair to imitate the I . P . M . Bro . Dr . Lawrance acknowledged the gift , and the complimentary terms with which it was presented , and said that the interests of the Chiswick Lodge had always been his care and concern , and any labour he had been put to was amptly rewarded by his seeing

the great success which the Lodge had attained . This concluded the business and Lodge was closed . After the banquet , and grace had been sung , the W . M . gave the toast of the Queen and the Craft . Although Her Majesty ruled over millions of subjects who were swayed by loyalty and devotion to the Crown , none of those

millions stood more prominent than the Masonio Brotherhood , who were famed for their loyalty and devotion . While drinking the health of Her Majesty he wished to point out that the Queen had a special claim on the brethren ' s attention . He could quite understand the Queen and the Craft being associated together from the great

principles which underlie Freemasonry — unity , order , and cooperation . Was it not true that under the rule of Queen Victoria the nations of the British Empire had made greater progress than they had ever before made in half a century ? It was by the enforcement of the laws of unity , order , and co-operation , that it had

progressed so much in those great qualities of Charity and benevolence , wbiob had ever been associated with tbe Craft . Was there a section of the Queen ' s multitudinous subjects who , in their hour of grief and affliction , did not elicit from Her Majesty words of condolence ? He gave expression to those principles and qualities which

formed the foundation of Masonry , and though she was not of the Craft , her name was well associated with it in the first Masonic toast . Of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , the Worshipful Master said ho thought ifc a happy coincidence that Masonry , the oldest Craft in the civilised world , had at its

head the heir apparent of the oldest monarchy in Europe . Recentl y a volume of the speeches of tho Prince of Wales had been published ; these dealt with every conceivable subject , social , religious , and political ; but tho particular quality that seemed to underlie them all was that spirit of Charity which was characteristio of Masonry ,

and which fitted so well with His Royal Highness s own ideas . He was proud to think that the Prince of Wales attached to none of tho Institutions to which he belonged more importance than to the Masonic Craft . Long might ho continue to be Grand Master , and might the Craft always have at its head one of the same exalted

position to preside over and conduct its affairs . Bro . Dr . Lawrance I . P . M . proposed the Pro G . M ., the Dep . G . M ., and tho rest of the Grand Officers , Present and Past . He was pleased to see so many Grand Officers come forward to support the Chiswick Lodge , and honour the installation of Lord George Hamilton , Some of them

The Chiswick Lodge, No. 2012.

bad come at great personal inconvence . Lord Halabury , though he had been present , was obliged to leave early , because he lived at Heston . Several other Grand Officers would have come but for illness , which was now very prevalent , whilst others were in the country . As to the Grand Officers they were all great workers in

Masonry , otherwise they would not be in their high posit on . They took a grand interest in Masonio affairs , and these had a great hold on the English people . Sir j . Whittaker Ellis , in reply , said the last remark of Dr . Lawrance was trne—Masonry had a great hold on the English people , and it had a hold for their benefit . It was one of

those means by which the English people had been able best to show their great philanthropy and their true sense of Charity . He believed there was something greater and deeper even than the voice of philanthropy or Charity , if the terms were only accepted in the proposition of assisting those who were in distress . True Charity waa

not only to do good to those who were in want , but to have a charitable feeling to men , brotherly love , affection , and sympathy among all classes . If that were the great purpose and end of Masonry , truly they must have good Officers to carry it out . Bro . Thomas Fenn , President of the Board of General Purposes , regretted Lord

Halsbury ' a absence ; he would undoubtedly have made an excellent reply . He ( Bro . Fenn ) assured the brethren that the Grand Officers endeavoured to discharge their duties to the best of their ability , and they were glad they gave satisfaction to the Oraft . Personally he took a great interest in the working of Masonry , aud regretted he

was not present in Lodge to see what he was informed was beautiperformed . Bro . Dr . Lawrance , in proposing the health of the W . M ., said this was no ordinary occasion . It was not every day that a Lodge like the Chiswick could boast of having the First Lord of the Admiralty at its head ; and it was not every day so large a gathering

of Masons was seen . When he first spoke to Lord George Hamilton about coming into the Lodge , he replied he was unwilling to do so because he could not attend regularly . Bnt during the past year the W . M . had come among them and taken npon him his duties of S . W . ; the W . M . was known to a great number of them , therefore

he need say nothing of his geniality and kindness , bnt he would ask them to drink the health of the W . M . cordially and aa it deserved , assuring them at the same time that Lord George Hamilton was gratified , and considerably gratified , at seeing so many of his friends around him . They must remember this was nofc a meeting afc

Freemasons Tavern or Drury Lane , where they could get any number together . This hostelry was a long distance from town , bufc fche brethren had come a long distance to do honour to the W . M ., and all wished him long life and prosperity , and long might he live to take an interest in the Lodge . In reply , Lord George said the brethren

had paid him a great honour that day by placing him in the chair of the Chiswick Lodge . They had consummated that kind work by the manner in which they had received the toast just proposed by Past Master Lawrance . It was an unexpected honour to find himself in hij present position . What Bro . Lawrance said was perfectly true ;

when it was first proposed that he should occupy that high post , he felt he had not fche necessary time to give to the discharge of its duties . He said frankly that in political or Masonio life he bated mere figureheads ; whatever a man undertook he ought to be conscious he had either fche capacity or the time to devote to ifc . He

had felfc he had nofc the time to give to the discharge of his duties , even to those of Senior Warden . He entered Masonry with no ambition , and no hope of advancing to th _ posfc he now occupied . When he was a boy there was a saying which took his fancy very much , and it had to a large extent been his

guide through life . Many of the brethren might have heard it ; it was " Va _ fc is the mighty ocean , for drops have made it vasfc ; " and he felt the sea had been made vast by every drop of rain and every river coming down into it and increasing it . So he felt that he , as onj human unit added to tha great Masonio world , might do so nothing to

add to the tide of benevolence and Charity throughout fche world . He aspired no higher ; but he w . is very much struck by the extraordinary willingness of prominent members to efface themselves provided that by so doing they could advance their Lodge or Masonry in general . He happened now to hold high political office , and no

doubt it occurred to certain of his brethren thafc if , in the combination of the duties of W . M . of the Chiswick Lodge and First Lord of the Admiralty , he was to act it might be of benefit to the Lodge and to Masonry . There were some of the brethren who were muoh better qualified than himself to discharge the duties of the Lodge , but they

deliberately sacrificed themselves , and asked him to take their place . Possibly there might be this idea in their minds that he might rob Jong occupy his political post , and fchey took fche opportunity while ifc occurred . At any rate , he thanked them most heartily for the reception they bad accorded him , and the goodly muster , nofc only of

the members of the Lodge , bufc of brethren outside . Without in any way infringing the rules of Masonry or disclosing the secrets of the Craft , he might say there was one duty a Master ought to perform , which he was afraid he shonld find somewhat difficult . The brethren had been told he ought to be easy of access , and hefearod that during

his year he should nofc be so easy of access as ha could wish ; bnfc if that should be the case ifc would not be from any disregard of Masonio precepts . Masonry claimed a certain time for labour , a certain time for refreshment , and a certain time for meditation . He was sorry to say that in another assembly with which he was associated these

rules did not prevail ; there they had no time for refreshment , still less for meditation , because when they snatched a hasty meal they were constantly interrupted by divisions , which played mischief with the digestion of the brethren , and the labour was absolutely unlimited , and every year it became greater and greater . It was for these

reasons that he should not be able to devote muoh time and attention to the Lodge He was chained to another place , though he hoped in course of time he would be in a position of greater freedom , and be able to give more time to his Masonic duties . In the Craft they were told there were certain things that were movable , and ( Continued on page 42 ) ,