Consecration: Empress Lodge.

CONSECRATION : EMPRESS LODGE .

AMID the appropriate surroundings of the grand Empire of India Exhibition , beneath the shadow of the Great Wheel —whose gigantic proportions might be said to symbolise the limits of Greater Britain—and in a Temple wherein the Hindu Deities were depicted , the consecration oi our youngest Lodge

took place on Monday with extraordinary and complete success . The scene was rendered still more effective by the presence of several Indian Brethren , notably Bros . D . P . Cama P . G . T . in

his jewelled turban and flowing white beard , Eev , Dr . John E . Marks Deputy Grand Master of Burma , M . M . Bhownaggree , M . P ., J . S . Bhumgaree , C . Ardeshir D . G . S . of Bengal , and others .

The Empress Lodge is intended , inter aha , for the reception of Indian and Colonial Masons who may visit the Mother Country , on the same lines as the Anglo-American Lodge , and the names of the Founders guarantee that they will receive a hearty welcome .

The ceremony was conducted by Bro . Edward Letchworth Grand Secretary , assisted by Bros . Sir John B . Monckton P . G . W . as S . W ., F . A . Philbrick Grand Eegistrar as J . W ., Eev . J . Studholme Brownrigg P . G . C . as Chaplain , Frank Eichardson

P . G . D . as D . C , and C . F . Matier P . G . S . B . as I . G . The musical arrangements were under the direction of Bro . W . S . Hoyte P . G . Organist , with whom were Bros . W . Nicholl , A . L , Oswald , Eeginald Groome , and W . Bradford .

The Lodge having been regularly opened in the three degrees , Bro . Letchworth addressed the Brethren on the motive of the meeting , and stated that H . E . H . the Grand Master had granted a dispensation for the new Lodge to be consecrated in that place .

The Grand Chaplain then gave the opening prayer , after which the Brethren of the new Lodge were arranged in order round the Tracing Boards , whereon were deposited the consecrating vessels . Bro . Eichardson read the Petition , and the Warrant granted by Grand Lodge , and the Brethren signified their approval of the Officers therein named .

Bro . Brownrigg delivered the following oration : —The name of your new Lodge is one more proof of the affectionate loyalty with which every English subject regards the gracious lady who rules over this vast Empire . Other nations find it difficult to understand how that loyalty is produced and sustained . At any

great crisis—wherever it occurs , if the honour of England is endangered we know by experience that the Colonies and Dependencies of the British Crown are not , as some would wish us to believe , an element of weakness , but on the contrary a source of boundless strength . India , Canada , and Australasia

are ready at a moment ' s notice to concentrate their native forces wherever the Empress needs them . Eeady to fight side by side with their brothers , for England , Scotland , Ireland , and Wales , under the same colours , for the sarrie cause . The Universe is realising this fact , though it fails sometimes to understand the

reason . No doubt the foundation of English loyalty is that virtue which is engrained in the English character—obedience to constituted authority . Even that hateful product of the present century , the professional agitator , has failed to do any serious damage to the law-abiding character of the English nation . But ,

Brethren , over that truly Masonic foundation there has been raised during the past fifty-seven years a superstructure perfect in its parts and honourable to the builder , and the loyalty which commands an affectionate enthusiasm wherever the English flag flies is even more the result of the personal influence of our

gracious Queen and Empress than of any inherent good quality of our race . She deserves it—and how has she won it ? First by the great fact that whenever there has been any difficulty or trouble or danger either at home or abroad ( and there have been many such troubles during the present reign ) , moments when the

wisest statesmen and the most gallant soldiers have not concealed their anxiety , then the first to face every crisis in the history of the world with the most unflinching courage and the most assured belief in her country ' s power was the Empress of this realm . If others for the moment lost their heads and their tempers and

their faith , she remained the rallying point of the State . Dieu et mon Droit—the motto which encircles her coat-of-arms—has been to her not an ideal counsel of perfection , but the principle upon which every decision of the State must rest . But there is something which , even more than her wisdom and her courage ,

has won for her the affection of the Empire . It is the womanly sympathy which she is ever showing to every class of her subjects . She " dwells among her own people . " Their joys and their sorrows are hers . At any moment of great national triumph or great national joy , when , for instance , the Imperial army has

shown the world that it can go anywhere and do anything , then always the first message ol congratulation , worded with the most exquisite skill , is one from the English Sovereign conveying her warmest thanks to all who have done service to her Empire . But domestic and common-place matters are not beneath her caro . When we read in the press some sad story of a serious

Consecration: Empress Lodge.

accident in a mine or on a railway , when women and children are clustering round the pit mouth watching to see whether the next body brought to the bank belongs to them , when the debris of a shattered train is being removed to see what is underneath it , then if we read on we never fail to see one paragraph to the

effect that the Queen has telegraphed to enquire after the sufferers , and to convey her gentle , kindly sympathy to the widow and to the orphan . And this sympathy of a good woman tells

upon the whole Empire ; its surpassing beauty works together with her wisdom and her strength to superadd to our loyalty a persoual devotion of which your new Lodge is intended to be a respectful manifestation .

After the Invocation , the Lodge was dedicated in due form , being sprinkled with corn , wine , oil and salt by the Consecrating Officer . The Lodge was then constituted , and the Patriarchal Benediction brought the religious portion of the ceremony to an end .

The first Master Bro . Sir Joseph C . Dimsdale P . G . T . was presented , and regularly installed in the chair by Bro . Letchworth . Bro . C . Purdon Clarke P . M . 1196 was invested as acting I . P . M ., Bro . H . Pritchard P . Prov . G . T . Middx . was elected Treasurer ,

and the following Officers were appointed : —Dr . E . Maitland Coffin S . W ., Imre Kiralfy J . W ., WillE . Chapman P . Prov . G . S . W . Bucks Secretary , J . Holdsworth Dimsdale S . D .. E . N . Alpe J . D ., A . Gray I . G ., Capt . T . W . Heath P . M . 1642 D . C , G . C Fricker Steward , and T . Ellis Tyler .

The customary addresses were delivered by Bro . Letchworth in a manner which evoked the hearty applause of the assembly . A Committee was elected to frame the bye-laws of the Lodge , and a large number of candidates and joining members were proposed .

The Worshipful Master said he rose to take the first opportunity of proposing a sincere and hearty vote of thanks to the Consecrating Officers for their very valuable services , especially to Bro . Letchworth , who had conducted the ceremony in such

an impressive manner . As a small token of their appreciation the Brethren requested their acceptance of a Founder ' s jewel as a souvenir of the occasion , aud hoped they would also honour the Lodge by becoming honorary members .

Bro . Letchworth suitably returned thanks , and said that the Officers received the jewels with a great amount of pleasure , and would also be glad to accept the honorary membership of the Lodge . Bro . Dimsdale stated that in order to celebrate the occasion

in a practical Masonic manner he intended to go up as a Steward at the next Festival of the Girls School , the oldest of the Institutions , when he was informed that the Earl of Yarborough Provincial Grand Master for Lincolnshire would preside . There being no other business , the Lodge was closed in due

form , and the Brethren dispersed in the beautiful grounds while the banquet was being prepared . The very recherche menu , provided by Messrs . Spiers and Pond and superintended by Bros . E . Daoust and H . Cross , was greatly appreciated . Covers were laid for 120 guests .

In proposing the first toast , the Queen and the Craft , the W . M . said that Her Majesty fully bore out the words of Shakespeare , in alluding to another Princess , " She shall be to the happiness of England . " Happy was the family that had such a mother , happy was the nation that had such a Queen .

In submitting the M . W . the Grand Master Bro . Dimsdale bore testimony to the Masonic ability of H . E . H ., and concluded by saying that no praise can exceed his worth , and he gathers around him the affection of every Mason , while every heart beats with gratitude to him .

Bro . Sir Eeginald Hanson responded for the Grand Officers in a humorous speech , and added his high appreciation of the ceremony of Consecration . In proposing the Consecrating Officers , Bro . Dimsdale said that the oldest and youngest Mason in the room must have been

impressed by the manner in which the ceremony had been carried out , and for himself he had never seen it more religiously performed . They had also listened with much interest to the beautiful oration of the Grand Chaplain , and the other Officers

had assisted as far as possible . In founding a Lodge there were many matters to be considered , but the tact and genial nature of Bro . " Letchworth enabled him to carry out the duties of his difficult and responsible position with satisfaction to the entire Craft .

The Grand Secretary acknowledged the high honour paid to the Consecrating Officers , for which he tendered their warmest thanks . No duty gave him greater pleasure than to consecrate a Lodge , and he was sure that the latest addition to the roll had a splendid future before it .

In felicitous terms Bro . Sir John Monckton proposed the health of the W . M ., who was a staunch friend and a " thorough "

Mason . Sir Joseph Dimsdale , in reply , said : Sir John Monckton , I thank you very sincerely for the words which you have said with regard to myself , and , Brethren , I can assure you I desire to