Masonic Lotteries.

MASONIC LOTTERIES .

TT 1 EOM time , to time members of the Craft are . considerably J-- ¦ annoyed " by- the' -receipt - of ' advertisements - relating" to what ' may be ' , termed' ; Masonic Lotteries ' , and which , despite their illegality , are , occasionally . being promoted byvBrethren in different -parts , as-a--meansof » raising funds for ttife erection

pf Masonic Halls ' = or similar ' purposes . We have alreadyexpressed our views on this . subject , but as another-instance of the evil practice hais ' come > under-our ' . notice we may again refer ' to'it , 'in' --the' ' hope : bf'lessening " the possibility of a recurrence of what ' canhofe . be regarded in any pther light than

as a ' grave irregularity .. ' .:- ¦• '• The- extract ' . we give "' below , from the " Canadian 'Crafts

man , "' speaks "for itself ,, and we . can . only regret , that the action of the .. Scottish Brethren who sent the tickets is not condemned' in a much / more forcible manner than is there

done , for sur ' ely ' np ' . criticism , would be top severe to offer in connection with the , project ,--which , it seems to lis , is a clear violation of the ¦ laws ; 61 the land ,- and is at the same time calculated to bring . Vhe . Cratt in general—but inore particularly

the . Septtish Brotherhood—into . disrepute . Much- as we approve the - frequent . nWt-energetic action of our Brethren across the border ih ' ihe '' .: ' matter ; pf providing ' funds '' fbr Masonic

Halts ' -we can but think fcthey ;> gp _ beyond the limits of good taste when .. they adopt-the * tactics here' referred -to ' . '' - ; We quote the remarks of our contemporary ] . } n . extenso : ' ' " . " . "'

GRAND S U BSidB ^ RJION SALE

TpvURING the past month ; Dookfei of tickets for a Grand \ } ^ Subscription Sale in aid- ' of-a'fund'for building a Freeniasons' Hall in-one of the towhs'ih Scotland , have been received by- Secretaries of the various Masonic Lodges in Canada . The tickets are-sixpence eachy-ahd itis ' s ' tated that the drawing will take place' in June . ¦ " --The -wliclnihg numbers are " to appear in

Pertain papers on the Saturday following ; ; We beg to inform our Scotch friends ' -that-we are . ' shocked at their sending out lottery tickets to ' -Ganadian Brethren' -to'dispbse of , as by our laws it is immoral to engage in the-sale of such-tidkets ; and in fact at the present time- about twelve dealers in tobacco in our good city of Toronto are up before our . police magistrates for 'the crime o £

selling tickets for a "' Baffle ]'' - ' or what our Scotch friends call a " Grand-. . Subscription Sale ' . ? ' -Now , " what would they think if by this rash act- of theirs all the Secretaries of Pur Lodges were arrested for helping them in this undertaking , to build a Masonic Hall . 'If they would kindly change their scheme for building a " Masonic Hall , " and call' it- ' a" "'Church ) " then all would be right , as only the Church in Canada is allowed to undertake the

immoral act of gambling' . -Our legislators , like wisemen , having respect for the -sustenance of the ¦' clergy , ' gave tHem the sole monbply-of this "immoral business . We are very sorry for the loss our Canadian Brethren will sustain through our laws , for by the investment of a sixpence" they might win an Aryshire cow , a prize cock , a tobacco pipe , a lamb , a Belfast smoked ham , a barrel of Canadian apples , not to mention six 3 s 6 d bottles of whisky that are so dear to a- Scotchman ' s heart . '•' - . ' ' ' . "

Devonshire.

DEVONSHIRE .

THE Brethren , of this-Province , as already announced in these columns ,, have been engaged . for some time past collecting money on behalf of the Indian Famine Belief Fund , and as . a result Sir Stafford Northcote , Bart ., M-. P ., the Prov . Grand -Master , recently forwarded £ 203 17 s 6 d to the Mansion House Fund , as the contribution of his Brethren .

West Lancashire.

WEST LANCASHIRE .

THE annual Provincial Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons was held , at the' Working Men ' s Institute , Ormskirk , on Wednesday , 21 st inst ., the large hall being divided so as to form a Chapter and ante-rooms . The Earl of Lathom Provincial Grand Supt .. Pro . 1 st Gran 1 Principal of England presided , supported by rnostof the outgoing Provincial Officers . . After the Prov . G . Chapter had been opened in due form" the roll . of Officers and Chapters was called , all the- latter ; bein <*

West Lancashire.

represented , and the total attendance exceeding 150 . The accounts , ' showing a balance in hand of £ 97 , were presented , audited by Comps . . Jas . Piatt P . P . G . P . S ., James T . Callow P . P . G . T ., and Jas . J . Lambert P . Prov . G . R ., and adopted . For the elective office of Provincial Grand Treasurer the only , nomination was that of Comp . Philip Armstrong , of Liverpool , who was declared unanimously elected .

.. The retiring Auditors were re-elected , the retiring Treasurer being appointed to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Comp . H . W . Johnstone . The Grand Superintendent then nominated the rest of the Provincial Grand Officers and invested the following :

Comp . A . Franceys - - - H . Robert Layland - - - - J . W . Goodacre .-.. -. - - S . E . . " " ' H . P . Burrows - - - - S . N . Philip Armstrong - -. - Treasurer John Murray - - - - Registrar

John Brown - - - . - Principal Sojourner J . W . Leathley - - - - 1 st Assistant Sojourner W . H . Bucknell - - - 2 nd Assistant Sojourner : James Eastham - - - - 1 Sword Bearers J . Bailey ----- j 0 . Birchall - - - - " ) David Johnson - - - - > Standard Bearers

Gurwen Watson - . - ) Edwin Broadbent ' - - - Director of Ceremonies Edward Rose - ---- - % John Heald ¦ " - - - - - v Assistant Dirs . or Gers . J . J . Boyle ... - - \ R . H . Pearson . - . - - - Organist A . E . Billingsley - Assistant Scribe E .

The sum of twenty-five guineas was voted to the West Lancashire Alpass Institution , and twenty guineas to the West Lancashire Masonic Educational Institution , while notice of motion was given , to vote forty guineas to the West Lancashire Hamer Benevolent Institution . , The Prov . G . Chapter having been closed in due form , the customary banquet followed at the Wheat Sheaf Hotel .

Labour And Refreshment.

LABOUR AND REFRESHMENT .

ITU JR politic reasons the directors of the Masonic Halls * ,,, Company having cancelled the rule ' which banished refreshments from the Lodge room in the Masonic Chambers , the question has' been raised , was the rule truly Masonic ? Labour and refreshment are consistent parts of our system , and cannot be ' separated . There is a connection between the two understood

by every member of the Craft in Scotland , and to conserve it is in the best interests of the social side of Freemasonry . Any real cause for drawing a line belongs to the past . The great majority of Lodges in Scotland now meet in Halls of their own , or in halls

rented apart from licensed premises . There has , too , been a growing tendency among Craftsmen during the last twenty years to avoid all appearance of excess , and the reform in this respect has been more marked during the present decade .

The methods obtaining in the conduct of our meetings have , from the earliest days of the Craft , never been based upon the orthodox and commonplace rules obtaining outside , and herein lies not a little of the secret of the charm the Lodge room has for so many who enter it , but a more potent factor is found in the

recognition which Masonry makes of the combination existing in every man as a religious and social being . To a truly religious man nothing is secular , for his religion touches his environment at every point . In the same way refreshment is not to the true Mason less in harmony with the tenets and objects of the Order

than is labour . The spirit permeating the Lodge during labour , will not necessarily suffer , but on the contrary should rather tend to' refine and raise the subsequent relaxation to a higher level of social enjoyment . " Anything that tends in this direction is of

great importance . ' Care must be taken not to undermine the genuine beneficent influence of the Craft . We must remember , too , the position of the J . W ., his duties and what they imply" The Mallet , " in " Glasgow Evening News . "

From time immemorial , says the " Keystone , " Freemasons have been called from labour to refreshment . The Master who proves his ability to preside at refreshment as well as at labour ,

by maintaining order and decreeing the succession of events , secures the highest pleasures incident to a Lodge banquet—the apt and pithy speech , the telling story , the pathetic recitation , the amusing song .

Later contributions to the Prince of Wales Hospital Fund include the following : Percy Lodge , No . 198 - - . ( AHNUAL ) 2 2 0 Lewes Lodge - - - - - - . 4 . 4 . Q Campbell Lodge , No . 315 - - - - ' - 3 3 0