The Masonic Year 1878.

of a service of plate , had been presented to Comp . L . H Henderson , Past Grand Z ., in recognition of his services to R . A . Freemasonry , and that Comp . Daniel Sprey , who for the past two years had filled the office of Grand Scribe E ., with so much credit to himself and such advantage to Grand

Chapter , found himself unable to continue the exercise of his official duties . On the 11 th October , the annual assembly of the Grand Priory of Canada Avas held in tho Masonic Chambers . Colonel H . J . B . MacLeod Moore , Great Prior , presided iu person , and delivered a lengthy and highly

interesting address , after which he appointed and invested his Officers for the year . Of the many Masonic excursions , picnics , & c ., & c , of Avhich Ave read in the pages of that excellent contemporary of ours , the Craftsman , nothing need here be said . They are a pleasing feature , but of ephemeral

and purely local interest . There is this in them , however , that they shoAV there is a sound and healthy tone in Freemasonry , when Ave read of such parties of unostentatious pleasure being organised . Next in prominence , if not in influence , is the Grand

Lodge of Quebec , Avhose relations with our Masonic bodies , do not seem to partake of that harmony Avhich is so desirable in the Craft . We have already alluded to the quarrel between it and the Grand Lodgo of Scotland . Both appear to be in fault , so that it is very much like Avhafc is

commonly described as " six of one and half a dozen of the other . " G . Lodge of Scotland shonld'have mado its recognition conditional on the Grand Lodgo of Quebec nofc in any way interfering Avith the Lodge in Montreal , Avhich preferred remaining under the banner of Scotland , to

joining the G . Lodge of Quebec . This we regard as error No . 1 . Error No . 2 , is the retaliatory measures Avhich G . Lodge has thought fit to adopt by granting Avarrants for two UOAV Lodges in Montreal , that is , within the jurisdiction of the G . Lodge of Quebec . Nofc , perhaps , bufc the former if ifc has

cancelled its recognition of the latter , may not be within the limits of its strick rights , bufc snch a course could have but one result , that of embittering the dispute . On the other hand , ifc Avas a most harsh and absolutely unmasonic proceeding , to speak of compelling the Lodges which preferred

retaining their allegiance to the Grand Lodges of Scotland and England to join the G . Lodge of Quebec within a certain time , whether they liked it or not ; indeed , in the case of the English Lodges , any such attempt to do so was a flagrant violation of the conditions on which

England recognised the independence of Grand Lodge of Quebec . It is nofc as if Quebec Avere a sovereign and independent ; State in the sense that New York or Virginia is , for Quebec is bufc a part of the Dominion of Canada , Avhich , in its turn , is part of the

British Empire . Therefore , the old rule by which the Grand Lodges of England , Ireland , and Scotland constituted neAv Lodges in the colonies and dependencies of the British Crown did apply formerly to Quebec , and might be considered to apply still if Quebec were nofc recognised as a

separate and independent body . It is a nice point , on which a great deal might be said , -whether Scotland having once recognised Quebec can Avithdraw or cancel its recogni tion , especially as , unlike the G . Lodge of England , such recognition Avas unconditional . Bufc after all these

differences are miserable exhibitions of petulance , which are unworthy of men , much less of men who are professedly BO happy and contented with all things and persons as are " ye Free and Accepted Masons . " The proposed application by Grand Lodge of Quebec of Masonic force to

Lodges , Avhich are fully entitled to retain the old love , if they prefer constancy to the inconstancy of gadding about after a new love is merely an attempt to enhance tbe importance of a body which derives any importance it may have , firstly from Canada , from Avhich it has seceded , and then through

Canada , from the Grand Lodge of the Mother country . However , the question does not immediately concern us . and in fact we have devoted more spacD to it than we intended to have done ; so , in conclusion , Ave may remark that if Scotland and Quebec prefer having a shindy to

living in harmony together , they must e ' en do as they list We shall only add to tho imbroglio if we say more . Let ns now give a few particulars of thi . s jurisdiction . Thi Grand Lodge of Quebec held its Annual Communication in

Montreal on the 25 th September . Bro . M . Tait presided , and tho address he delivered , it is needless to say Avas almost wholly occupied wifch this difference with Scotland . After this , tho Grand Officers for the year wenelected , nnd among them the following are the principal : — Bros . 0 . Judge Dep . G , Master , Arthur F . Simpson Grand

The Masonic Year 1878.

Senior and C . M . Church G . Junior Warden , Rev . Bro . Scringer Grand Chaplain . T . H . Stearns Grand Treasurer , E . E . Spencer G . Registrar , and J . H . Isaacson Grand Secretary . The same day , and in the same city , Avas held the second annual Convocation of the Grand Chapter ,

Comp . J . H . Graham , LL . D ., Grand Z ., presiding . All the Chapters on the roll—as yet only eight in number—Avero represented , and the address of Grand Z . Avas very satisfactory , the chief items of interest being that this young Chapter had already been recognised by thirty-six sister

Grand Chapters , the address to the Prince of Wales , and the recommendation to recognise the Mark Grand Lodge of England and Wales , & c , & c , which recommendation waq subsequently endorsed by G . Chapter . The principal

Officers for the present year are Comps . John St . Graham Grand Z , Isaac H . Stearns Grand H , Frank Edgar Grand J ., James T . McMinn Grand Scribe E ., Albert D . Nelson Grand Treasurer , and M . McCarthy Grand Registrar .

The Grand Lodge of New Brunswick Avas held in the citv of St . John on the 25 th and 26 th September , Bro . Robert T . Clinch , Grand Master in the Chair . Bro . Clinch ' s address Avas of considerable length , and he referred with satisfaction to the imposing ceremony iu which the

Grand Lodge had taken so prominent a part in the month of July , when the corner-stone of the new City Hall , St . John ' s , was laid by him according to the ancient forms and usages of Masonry . The financial condition of this Grand Lodge appears to be highly satisfactory , the receipts vvith

balance brought forward from last year being close on 3 . 550 dollars , the expenditure a little over 2 , 159 dollars , and the balance to credit at the close of the account in round figures 1 , 390 dollars . The assets are set doAvn as being nearly 3 , 966 dollars . The principal Officers for the current year

are Bro .. Robert Marshall Grand Master , Benjamin R . Stevenson Dep . G . Master , Rev . Francis Partridge G . Sen ., and Charles N . Scott G . Junior Warden Rev . Donald Macrea Grand Chaplain , James McNichol Grand Treasurer , and William F . Bunting Grand Secretary . The Grand

Lodge of Nova Scotia held its Annual Communication at Freemasons' Hall , Halifax , on the 5 th of June . Colonel J . Wimbnrn Laurie is Grand Master and Bro . Benjamin Curzen Grand Secretary . The more remote Grand Lodge of British Columbia , Avith its modest Roll of nine Lodges

and some 300 members , must have had a most pleasurable excitement on the 22 nd of April , a day which will be ever memorable in the annals of British Columbian Freemasonry . The event Avas nothing less than laying the foundationstone of a new Masonic Hall in Victoria , the capital of

the Colony . Quite 150 members took part in the ceremon y , and the brethren marched in procession to the site of the new Hall , preceded by Haynes' Band . Bro . Teague , the architect , having submitted the plans , Bro . Trounce having , on behalf of the fraternity , presented the Grand

Master with a beautiful silver troAvel , and Bro . Rev . H . H . Mogg , Grand ChapWn , having offered up a prayer , the Grand Master laid the stone Masonically . The Grand Master of this Grand Lodge is , acccording to a correspondent of the Canadian Craftsman , Bro . Eli Harrison

sen ., Bro . W . F . Williams being the Past Grand Master and Bro . C . M . Chambers Grand Secretary . It is high time , however , thafc Ave crossed the border line into the United States , that we may briefly consider the state of Freemasonry among our American brethren , In respect of

numerical strength , Ave think we are right in stating thafc there are about the same number—rather under than over—of subscribing Masons this year than in 1877 . Bro . Drummond is our authority , and he gives the return at , in round figures , 600 , 000 . Bufc after all , the numerical

question is a matter of little moment . Freemasonry will never rest its claims to public respect on this question . Tndped . we are inclined to believe that in all countries the Craft has grown to be more common than it should be by reason of this verv increase in numbers . So we think afc

least in the old country , and doubtless the same holds good elsewhere . We do nofc , therefore , regard the announcement thafc there are 600 . 000 American Masons , as evidencing L hafc the Craft is especially strong in the States . We judge of its merits by the solid substantial character of the work

of Avhich Ave rend in the American Masonic papers and Magazines Avhich reach us from time to time . For instance , < f we take up a nnmber of the Keystone , the Voice , the Uevieiv , l he Jewel , the Repository , the Advocate , the Corner-stone , or

iny other of our exchanges , weare certain to find some satis' aotory evidence that Freemasonry is working on steadily with but little outward display , bufc in a manner which