Templar Masonry.

TEMPLAR MASONRY

BEO . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., presided on the 13 th at the half-yearly meeting of the National Great Priory of the United Orders of the Temple and of Malta , at Mark Masons '

Hall , when there was a large attendance of members of the Order . Bro . C . F . Matier was invested as Vice-Chancellor in the room of General Hay , resigned , and Major Davies did homage on his appointment as Provincial Prior of Devonshire .

The report of the Council was presented , stating that the Prince of Wales as Supreme Grand Master had dissolved the Convent General as from the 19 th of July lasfc , and that he had consented to be named as Sovereign of the Order . The Earl of Onslow had been installed as Provincial Prior

for Kent and Surrey , and Bro . Alan de Tatton Egerton , M . P ., as Provincial Prior for Cheshire . A long discussion took place on a motion by Bro . Loveland-Loveland for the revision of the

Statutes of the Order , and ultimately the matter was deferred till fche meeting of the Great Priory in May next . A good deal of other business was transacted , and a Priory of the Order of Malta was afterwards held .

A MEETING of the Provincial Grand Priory of Devonshire of Knights Templar was held at Barnstaple , on the 10 th , for the purpose of installing Sir Knight G . C . Davie Grand Marshal of England as Provincial Prior of Devonshire . He was installed in consequence of the vacancy caused by the resignation of the Eev . T . Lemon , D . D .

The ceremony was most impressively performed by the Great Sub-Prior of England the Earl of Euston , who was assisted by C F . Matier , Charles Belton , and Dr . Balfour Cockburn . Alms were collected in the Masonic Hall , where the gathering was held , amounting to £ 3 5 s , which it was resolved to give to the North Devon Infirmary .

Masonic Charities And Church Services Past And Present.

MASONIC CHARITIES AND CHURCH SERVICES PAST AND PRESENT .

WE extract the following from an interesting letter addressed to the Editor of the " Belfast News-Letter . " SIB , —In your issue of Monday last there appeared a report of an assembly of Masonic Brethren , under the auspices of Lodge 257 and other Lodges , in St . Jude ' s , Ballynafeigh , when a sermon was preached by the Bev . Dr . Irvine on behalf of Masonic Charities , and a handsome collection was obtained .

The following is an extract from the " Belfast News-Letter , " dated Friday , the 29 th June 1781 , regarding an assemblage of the Masonio Brethren of that day ( with the addition of an imposing preliminary procession ) , for a kindred object , though outside their body , to assist in raising funds towards benefitting the " Old Poorhouse " or Institution of the Charitable Society , then only a few years opened : — " Last Sunday ( being

the festival of Saint John ) , the Master , Wardens , and Brethren of the ' Orange Lodge' No . 257 , of this town , together with many of the gentlemen of the ' Old True Blue' Lodge , headed by the Mayor ( Sovereign ?) and Corporation , amounting to about eighty gentlemen , preceded by a fine band of musick , and followed by the Masters , Wardens , and Brethren of three

subordinate Lodges , the whole procession consisting of upwards of two hundred Freemasons , marched from tho Donegall Arms to church' in due form , where an excellent occasional sermon was preached by the Eev . Wm . Bristow , and a collection of about twenty pounds gathered for the emolument of the Poor House . "

It was the custom at that time to hold these " charity sermons , " as they wero then advertised , for the Poor House , besides adding to its support by having concerts , balls , and other entertainments , and occasionally these were held in the Poor House itself , as well as at the old Exchange . It has been already referred to in these columns that the above " Orange Lodge , " No . 257 was then thc premier Lodge of Freemasons , and

was composed of somo of our Northern nobility , in addition to the most prominent gentlemen of the town , and was the principal Lodge which officiated in 1783 at the laying of the foundation stone of the White Linen Hall , now shortly to be demolished . Its Master was Mr . John Brown ( of Peter ' s Hill ) , who was high sheriff for the county in that year , and was afterwards Sovereign of the borough in 1797 , and from 1799 to 1801 , in which latter year he died in office .

Yours truly , BELFASTIENSIS . Belfast , 6 th December .

We tender our hearty congratulations to Bro . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., on his progress towards recovery from the effects of the accident he recently met with in the hunting field , when he was kicked by his horse .

Benevolent Concert.

BENEVOLENT CONCERT .

A SUCCESSFUL smoking concert was held at the London Tavern , on Tuesday , tho 26 th ult ., in aid of the funds of the Koyal Masonic Benevolent Institution . Bro . Gladding , who goes forward as Steward at the next Festival , must be congratulated on the result , the very large number of

Brethren present being an evidence of a handsome addition to his l ist . The chair was taken by Bro . Alderman Govier , J . P ., P . M . 1816 and 2291 , who was supported by a large number of Past Masters and Officers of his own and other Lodges . The long array of talent , both sentimental , comic , and

Benevolent Concert.

instrumental , prevents a detailed account , the programme of thirty items being well carried out . The musical arrangements were under tho direction of Brother ila-ry Greene , who contributed several capital tenor songs himself . The success which attended this concert with doubtless justify other Brethren who are going forward as Stewards in so good a cause as a Masonic charity making further experiments in the same direction . — " East London Observer . "

Midland Railway.

MIDLAND RAILWAY .

THE Midland Eailway Company , to prevent inconvenience and crowding , have arranged for tho booking offices at St . Pancras and Moorgate Street Stations to be open for the issue of tickets all day on Saturday , Monday , and Tuesday , 21 st , 23 rd , and 24 th December , and tickets to all principal stations on the Midland Eailway can be obtained beforehand at the Midland Company's City and Suburban Offices , which are to be found throughout London . The tickets obtained at these offices will be available from St . Pancras Station , and will be issued at the same fares as charged at that station , and dated to suit the convenience of passengers .

Cheap excursion trains will bo run from London ( St . Pancras ) and principal provincial stations to Carlisle , Edinburgh , Glasgow , Greenock , Dundee , Aberdeen , & c , on Tnesday , 24 th December , for three or seven days , and 31 st December for three or eight days , by which return tickets will be issued at a third-class single fare for tho double journey . The single fare tickets issued on 24 th December will be available for returning on any day

up to and including Sth January 1896 , and single fare tickets taken on 31 st December will be available for returning any day up to and including 15 th January 1896 . Cheap excursion trains will also be run from London ( St . Pancras ) on Tuesday night , 24 th December , to Leicester , Birmingham , Nottingham , Derby , Newark , Lincoln , Burton , Manchester , Liverpool , Blackburn , Bolton , Sheffield , Leeds , Bradford , York , Hull , Scarborough , Newcastle , tho Lake District , & c , returning 26 th or 28 th December .

Cheap excursion tickets will he issued from London ( Sfc . Pancras ) and principal provincial stations on the Midland system on Monday , 23 rd December , to Dublin , & c ., via Morecambe , available for returning on 28 th or 31 st December , and 2 nd , 4 th , or 7 th January 1896 ; on Friday , 20 th December , to Belfast , Londonderry , Portrush , & o ., via Barrow , or via Liverpool , available for sixteen days , and on Saturday , 21 st December , to Londonderry , via Morecambe or via Liverpool , available for returning

30 th December or 2 nd January via Morecambe , and on 28 th or 31 sfc December , and 1 st or 4 th January via Liverpool . Cheap excursion tickets will be issued from St . Pancras to Southend-on-Sea , Shoeburyness , and Malvern , on Tuesday , 24 th December , available for return on the following Thursday and Friday . On Christmas Day cheap day excursion tickets will be issued to Southend-on-Sea , from St . Pancras , Kentish Town , Walthamstow , Leytonstone , and stations on the Tottenham and Forest Gate joint line .

On Christmas Eve the pressure of traffic will be relieved by the running of duplicate trains from St . Pancras as circumstances may require . On Christmas Day the trains will run as appointed for Sundays , except the newspaper express leaving London ( St . Pancras ) at 5 * 15 a . m ., which will run to Bedford , Leicester , Nottingham , Derby , Sheffield , and Manchester , as on ordinary week-days . On Thursday , 26 th December , certain booked trains will , be discontinued , of which due notice will be given by special bills at the stations .

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