Great Priory Of Canada.

GREAT PRIORY OF CANADA .

To the Editor of the F REEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DRAR SIR AND B ROTHER , —I havo just received the enolosed Edict of the Great Priory of Canada , which I think will bo read with interest by tho numerous members of the Chivalric Orders amongst yonr readers .

However much many of us might regret tho severance of the Great Priory of Canada from the Convent General of the Order in England , under the beneficent rule of our Supreme Grand Master the Prince of Walesas its independence is now achieved , with tho courteous

, consent of the Grand Master , it is necessary that the now Sovereign Great Priory should have solo jurisdiction within the vast Dominion of Canada . In that , no doubt , all Knights Templar will agree .

Yours fraternally , E . MKA HOLMES , K . C . T ., Hon . Provincial Prior of Canada , and Representative in Great Priory of England . Guernsey , 18 th November 1885 .

Supreme Grand Master ' s Office , Prescott , Out ., 27 th October 1885 . To all Knights Templar in Obedience to the Sovereign Great Priory of Canada . Whereas , tho Sovereign Great Priory of Canada was duly formed at

Toronto , on the 8 th day of July 1884 , by the representatives of all the Preceptories but one ( see Proceedings of 1884 , pp 6 and 7 ) then existing iu the Dominion of Canada , in National Great Priory assembled ; and that Preceptory , before the last annual assembly of this Sovereign Great Priory , enrolled itself under the banuer of the

Sovereign Great Priory . Whereas , this Sovereign Great Priory there declared itself to be the sole legally constituted Sovereign Grand Templar Body , exercising absolute and supreme jurisdiction over the whole dorniuion of Canada , in all matters relating to tho United Orders of the Temple aud Malta , and Appendant Orders .

Whereas , his Royal Highness tho Prince of Wales , Grand Mastei of Convent General of the United Order of the Temple and Malta , and the Hon . J . E . Withers , the M . E . the Grand Master of tho Grand Encampment of tho Knights Templar of the United States , have recognised this Sovereign Great Priory as being lawfully constituted .

Whereas , notwithstanding these circainstances , there exists in the Province of New Brunswick , two Encampments of Knights Templar , viz ., the St . John Encampment , at St . John , and St . Stephen Encamp , ment , at St . Stephen , within tho territory of this Sovereign Great

Priory , which do not recognize its authority , but continue to hold allegiance to a foreign body , the Chapter General of the Religious and Military Order of the Temple for Scotland , and profess to obey its behests , and persist in violating this territory of the Sovereign Groat Priory .

Whereas , at the Annual Assembly of this Sovereign Great Priory , held at Hamilton , Ontario , on the 7 th July 1885 , it was unanimously Resolved , —That from and after the passing of theso resolutions , all Templar intercourse between Fratres owing allegiance to tho Sovereign Great Priory of Canada , and members of the said Encamp .

inents of St . John and St . Stephen , working under tho auhority ot the Chapter General of Scotland , is prohibited ; aud the said Encampmerits are hereby declared to be irregular and clandestine ; and all persons hereafter made , or attempted to be made Kr . ights Templar , Knights of Malta and Appendant Orders , in the said Encampments ,

are illegal and clandestine . Resolved , —That hereafter no Preceptory of this jurisdiction shall , without the consent of the Sovereign Great Priory , admit as a

visitor , or receive as a member , any person who is now or may hereafter become a member of either of the said Encampments , now working in New Brunswick , under authority of the Chapter Genera ' of Scotland .

Resolved , —That tho Grand Chancellor notify the Preceptories ami Priories woi king under the Sovereign Great Priory of Canada , tho Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the United States , the <> : >!;

C-virivi ! of England and Wales and its Dependencies , and the Great IV-.. vir-. ro nf England and Ireland , of this our solemn act aud declarnf . i'jn of non-intcrcourn with tho Scottish Encampments of Knights Templar , and all members thereof , now working in the said Province of New . Brunswick .

TL . lefure bo it known to you , that I , by virtue of the authority n . ived in rue as Supreme (! rand Master of the Sovereign Great ! 'ii n-y in Canada , of the Unite ;! Orders of the Temple and Malta , and slip : ml . int Ordeis . and by virtue of the action of this Sovereign Grea-. 1 ' iioiy , do hereby declare jt =: d proclaim all Encampments ,

Comit-. ahd . vies , I ' uuepto : ic s aud Priories , holding allegiance to any fo ! vi ;; ii Grand Templar Bi . dy . to 1 ) 3 inegularly and illegally existing in tii- ! Doraini-iii ( if Canada ; and I ha-. "by further declare and pme ' aim nil Templar iu tor course t > bo fin ^ pandsd , aud to cease , between this Sovereign Great IVicry : a : d i ; c : ;; ibordl , ate Prsceptorios ,

J ' -iiM ' - ¦> ' knights lernnlar in obcdi . ' nce there ;!; - , and such other Templar Bodies and all members in ob .-diouco th ? roto , holding

ilii ' , ; i : t : ic ( .- to any fo-eign Gr ; nd Templar Hod v . Ami i . I ! knight Tumplar acka . e . v ' edgia :. ; the auM'ori ' . y of the Sovarei . r . Oi-e . i ! - I'riory of Canada arc hereby r :. - > mma : ide 1 to hold no

Lite : course , as . knights lernplar , with any member or mombeis cf any Templar Body existing iu the Dominion of OanndM , criro !! .-d on the register of any foreign Grand Templar Body , or owing allegiance lli ' . rutu . Aud this edict iu to remain , iu full force aud effect until ruvuked

Great Priory Of Canada.

; by the Sovereign Groat Priory , of which all Knights Templar of this ! obedience will take fine notice , and govern themselves accordingly . Given nnder my hand and the seal of the Sovereign Great Priory , at Prescott , Province of Ontario , Canada , this 7 th day of October ,

A . O . 767 , A . D . 1885 . W . J . B . MACLEOD MOORE , G . C . T ., Snpreme Grand Master , United Orders of the Temple and Malta , in Canada .

KNIGHTS TEMPLAR . — : o : — ANCIENT EBOR PRECEPTORY . No . 101 .

AN emergency metting of this body was held on Wodnesday , the 4 th instant , at York , for the purpose of inducting into the mysteries of the Chivalric Order Comp . A . H . G . Harris . There was a good muster of Fratres at six o ' clock , and the hall , which has been newly decorated , presented a very handsome appearance , the banners of the Knights above their stalls adding to the bright appearance of

the apartment , whilst the new organ gave added force to the ceremonies . The Preceptory was opened at six p . m . by E . Fra . T . B . Whytehead P . as P ., supported by Fratres Palliser Constable , Brown Marshal , Marshall P ., Simpson P ., McGachen C . of G ., Williamson S . B ., Seller Herald , Cowper S . B ., Holdon and Pearson O . G . ;

and the following visitors were received : —T . W . Tew Provincial Prior West Yorkshire , Rev . W . C . Lukis E . P . 114 , A . M . i Broad ley P . G . C ., J . Qnartorman 114 , and other Fratres . A ballot was taken for Comp . A . H . G . Harris , Maybnry Lodge 969 , and Rova ! Naval Chipter 59 , and that Companion was admitted and

installed a member of tho Order . After the closing of the Preceptory a Priory of Malta was opened , and Fratres Williamson and Harris were admitted to the Order , and Fratre A . T . B . Tnrner E . P . was

elected and installer ! in the chair of Prior , the ceremonies in this degree being worked by Fra . A . M . Broad ley . The Priory having been closed , the Fratres retired to the refectory and partook of snpper , after which the usual toasts were duly honoured .

The Theatres.

THE THEATRES .

Opera Comiqiie . —This theatre , under the management of Miss A . Consuelo and Mr . F . J . Harris , opened its doors last Saturday evening , with a new romantic opera , " Tho Fay o'Fire . " Mr . Henry Herman provides the libretto , while Mr . Edward Jones is responsible for the musical portion of tho work . Mr . Herman has

worked up a legend thoroughl y German in its spirit—with much that is commonplace , even vulgar in its travostio of high life , as this gentleman supposes it to exist at the present day . Throughout the idea is much better than the expression ; the conception of the work is refined and poetical , whilst tho language in which it is expressed

is trashy . Of Mi" . Jones ' s music in its entirety we can scarcely speak well ; sometimes its trips merrily along , like opera bonffe melodies should ; at others it does not deserve to be classed as music at all . This is to be regretted , the moro so as Mr . Jones has capacity for better things . His finale to the first act and a sestet iu the second

show ability of the highest order . The legend tells of a malevolent fairy , known as tho Fay o' Fire , who falls in love with the chief of a band of minstrel singers , known as Egobart . Unluckily for the Fay the man she loves has given his affections to a beautiful lady bearing the name of Blanche , who reciprocates tho compliment . Egobart

and Blanche arrange to meet , at midnight , in tho adjoining wood , but the Fay causes a storm to rise , and makes Blanche so nervous that she hesitates to proceed . She , however , starts on her journey , but is met by the Fay , who decoys her to another part of the wood , and appears to Egobart disguised as Blanche . The deception holds

until the rivals are confronted with their swain , when the fairy , rejected by the man she loves , reveals her identity and dooms him to live , unloved , for five hundred years . This sentence , with the confusion it causos , brings to a close the first act . By the time the curtain rises for tho second act the five hundred years are supposed

to havo elapsed . All the personages of the first act , except the minstrel , who has existod in the meanwhile in perennial yonth , aro duplicated in their lineal descendants , who turn up at a kind of summer festival . While the visitors are enjoying themselves , tho Fay o' Fire , with her attendant , contrives to join the company . Tho

minstrel , changed through all these centuries in nought save garb , lias also gained admission . The Fay renews her blandishments , but iu vain . Ultimately , moved by the sorrow she has caused Egobnrt and the lady he now loves—a descendant of his earlier flame—tho fairy resigns the minstrel and returns to her domains . Mdlle . de

Laporte , as tho Fay , was well received ; her acting and singing aro exceptionally good . She exercises the high notes of her voice with great judgment . Miss Marie Tempest was deservedly appreciated as tho lady Blanche . Natural in her acting , she sang with the taste and skill of a true vocalist . The part of Lady Allthere , in tho

second act , played by Miss Consuelo , rather impeded tho progress of tho opera , and , to onr thinking , the sooner the part is " cut " tho bettor . Mr . Henry Walsham , as the minstrel , worked most successfully ; he was frequently recalled for his sin . ring . Mr . F . Leslie made the most of the fiery Earl , singing aud acting throughout with much

spirit . The Fay ' s attendant , Fiaromen , was undertaken b y Mr . Cooper Cliffb ; while the other principals were cast a 3 follow : —Mr . Fred Wood as Viscount Cerulenm , Mr . H . M . Clifford as Ben Burrows , Miss Marion Grahame as Alice , a village girl . A special word of praise must be awarded to Mr . Alfred Collier , the conductor of the orchestra , who carries out his duties to tho satisfaction , of every one .