Correspondence.

virtually the ruler , and can appoint his Wardens and Officers for the year in the ordinary manner . His installation at some period of his year of Office is doubtless absolutely necessary to secure him continuing privileges , but is not absolutely requisite to prevent his ruling during his appointed year . " He then draws two deductions , the former of which ( and this I havo italicised ) I venture , with all

respect to "Q UIDNUNC , " to dispute . He continues " consequently he will have executed his office for the prescribed period , and his Wardens will also have been executive Officers for the term necessary to qualify them for the Master ' s chair at the next annual period of election within tho Lodge . " Now I apprehend thafc " ruling a Lodge " is nofc executing the office of Master in its entirety . A Master , the

minutes of whose election have been confirmed , but who has nofc yet been installed , cannot , I believe ,, sua vire confer any degree . Ho can only perform a degree ceremony in tho presence of an inst died Master , and then merely as the mouthpiece of the latter , who is responsible for the proper conducting of the ceremony . That installation is absolutely necessary to enable a brother " to execnte tho

office of Master , " though not "to rule the Lodge , " is I think decided by the opinion of the Grand Registrar , expressed afc tho Quarterly Communication of 5 th December 1877 , in the following words : —A Master , if ho is to be a Member of Grand Lodge , as a Past Master , must have cxe-mted the office of Master for one year . So that , if a

Master wero duly elected at the proper time , and for some reason could nofc bo installed on the proper day of installation , so as to serve for one whole year by the time the next regular day of installation came round , that is to say , by that time had only served eleven months , he would not be , as a Past Master , a member of Grand Lodge . " Yours fraternally , W . S . L .

Cradock , South Africa , 9 th Oct . 1879

A REQUEST .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Will you kindly allow mo , through your columns , to say that I shall feel greatly obliged to any Secretaries

who will take the trouble to send mo specimens of tho forms of Lodge Summons and Clearance Certificate in use in their respective Lodges . Yours truly and fraternally , WILLIAM NOTT , Devizes , 22 nd Nov . 1879 . P . P . J . G . W . and P . G . R . Wilts .

The Royal Arch At York.

THE ROYAL ARCH AT YORK .

ONE of tho mosfc singular features in connection with the minutes of the Grand Chapter of All England at 'York is tho entry regarding the meeting held in the Cathedral at York . As usual the minute is very brief , and I will give it jnst as it is written : — , York Cathedral , 27 th May 1778 . '

The Royal Arch Brethren whose Names are undermentioned assembled in the Ancient Lodge , now a Sacred Recess within the Cathedral Church of York , and' then and there- opened'a Chapter of Free and" Accepted Masons in theMost Sublime Degree of Royal Arch . '" 'Present— ' .. - '

Jacob Bussey S . George Kitson H . T . Thos , Richardson H . A . John Coupland Secy , aud Treas .

Francis Consitfc Robert Bewlay Thomas Williams Thomas Beckwith

Francis Clubley The Chapter was held and then closed iu usual form , being adjourned to the first Sunday in June , except in case of Emergency . From the allusion to " the ancient Lodgo " we seo thafc the tradition of ancient Lodges having been held in the Cathedral Crypt

was then accepted , and as no business appears to have been done , I presume that these nine worthy Companions simply met as recorded for the purpose of keeping up the remembrance of the ancient guild meetings . The Crypt of the Cathedral is now lighted and warmed with gas

but in 1778 , and in the month of May , it must have been a terribly chilly and dismal place wherein to hold a meeting . One also cannot help wondering how these brethren obtained permission to hold a Chapter in the Cathedral itself . Tho present Dean of York is most amiably disposed towards the Fraternity , as he has shown by several

times placing the Cathedral at onr disposal for special services , but I should very strongly donbt the possibility of his permission being obtained for any species of secret meeting for Masonic ceremonial . Dean Fountajnc , however , who reigned in 1778 , was a very different class of churchman , ancl in thoso days ideas were not as strict as at

present . I have been at the pains to look up tho names of tho Cathedral dignitaries and officials of that date , in order to find out if any of them wero in any way connected with the Fraternity , or if thuir

names arc to be found in tho list of R . A . Companions . It seems not unlikely that Comp . Thomas Richardson , who was present at Ihe meeting , was a member of a very prominent family at York at that period , two of whoso members , the llev . Win . Richardson and the Rev . James Richardson were Vicars Choral in 1778 , whilst the

The Royal Arch At York.

orsramsfc of York Cathedral afc thafc timo was Bro . John Camidge , who was a Mason , and whose portrait in oils was a short time since presented to the York Lodgo 236 , by his great grandson , Bro . T . S . Camidge , Organist of that Lodgo , and a P . P . G . O . of the Province . I regard this minute as one of the most curious things , in its way , contained in the old York records .

T . B . WnYTEHEAn

Royal Arch.

ROYAL ARCH .

ST . JOHN'S CHAPTER , No . 70 . THE annual meeting was holden at the Huyshe Masonic Temple , Plymouth , when tho Companions who had been elected at tho former Convocation were in ancient form duly installed , in tho presence of a large Board of Installed Principals , amongst whom were E . Companions J . B . Gover P . Z . P . P . G . P . S ., L . D . Westcott P . Z . P . P . G . S . S .. Charles Stribling P . Z . P . P . G . R ., J . M . Hifley P . Z .

P . P . G . S . B ., W . K . Michell P . Z . P . P . G . D . C , V . Bird P . Z . P . P . G . T ., W . B . Triplet !; P . Z . P . P . G . T ., A . Woolf P . Z . P . P . G . P . S .,

E . A . Davies P . Z . P . P . G . Registrar , S . Hearle Z . 1255 , Thomas Goodale P . Z . P . P . G . O ., Jamos Gidley P . Z ., Richard Cawsey J . 230 , J . Browning J . 105 . The ceremony was ably and impressively performed by E . Companion Michell . The Officers for the ensuing year are E . Companions Richard Pencelly Z ., J . H . Keats IT ., J . Rnssel Lord J ., Robert G . Bird P . Z ., J . B . Gover S . E ., Samuel Roach S . N .,

L . D . Westcott Treasurer , E . A . Lean P . S ., Jas . Griffin Isb A . S ., AVm . Hy . Symons 2 nd A . S ., J . D . Barker Org ., J . G . Kerern N ., W . Odam D . C , E . Tout A . D . C , John Holmes Jan . Two brethren of Lodge 70 wero afterwards exalted , tho interesting ceremony being ably conducted by E . Companions Pengelly , Glover , Lord , Gidley and Hardy .

A vote of five guineas to tho Royal Masonic Institution for Girls was confirmed , ancl tho usual business of tho Chapter having been satisfactorily concluded , the Companions retired to tho refreshment rooms , in the same building , where a collation was provided by Bro . Georgo Thorne , of Bcdford-street .

Joppa Chapter, No. 188.

JOPPA CHAPTER , No . 188 .

THE regular Convocation and Installation Meeting of this excellent working Chapter was held on Monday , the 24 th , at the Albion Tavern , Aldersgate-street , the M . E . Z . Comp . Littaur in the chair , Comps . P . Dickinson H ., L . Lazarus J ., W . H . Gulliford S . E ., H . P . Isaac P . S ., P . Z . ' s E . P . Albert , H . M . Levy , S . Lazarus , M . Emanuel , J . Lazarus ; and Comps . I . P . Cohen , M . Baum , J . Davis , W . J . Jennings , Dewsnap , & c . Tho Chapter was opened and the minutes wero

confirmed . Ballots wero taken for Bro . C . Hutchinson 1695 , and J . Pasta , who woro duly exalted into R . A . Masonry by the M . E . Z ., ia his usual faultless manner ; the same may be said of the H ., J ., and Officers , who were all equally perfect . Comp . Dickinson was then installed as M . E . Z ., L . Lazarus H ., W . H . Gulliford J . The ceremony of installing the Principals was perfectly performed by Comp . W .

Littaur , tho retiring P . Z . Comp . N . Baum was invested S . E ., H . P . Isaac P . S ., A . Botibol 1 st Asst ., J . Davis 2 nd Asst ., Smith Janitor . Tho report of the audit meeting was read . It showed that the Chap , ter was in a flourishing state . Tho Chapter was then closed , and the Companions sat down to a sumptuous banquet , provided by Comp W . G . Jennings , and superintended by Comp , M . Silver . The

newlyinstalled M . E . Z . ably proposed the usual Loyal and R . A . toasts . In speaking to the Exaltees the M . E . Z . said all' the members were pleased to see them . He hoped the ceremony would ' never be effaced from their memories . He felt sure they were member ' s 'Who' would eventually become an ornament to R . A . Masonry . Comps . Hutchinson and Pasta briefly responded to the toast . Comp . W . Littaur T . P . Z .

said the newly-installed 2 . was one who , in every office he had held , showed his proficiency . His urbanity had won him the regard and esteem of every Companion , and for two years during his ( Comp . Littaur ' s ) occupancy of the chair , he had to thank him for his good working . A good Officer would , ho was sure , make a good M . E . Z . The M . E . Z . hoped he had done his duty while preparing for the chair ;

his aim would be for their benefit , and as a P . Z . ho should only be too pleased to be identified with them . Ho hoped afc fche expiration of his year of office he should leave the chair with credit to himself and satisfaction to them all . The toast of the Visitors was next given ; the members were all pleased to see them ; some were very distinguished in the Order . He would call on Comps . Jas . Stevens

and Rev . S . M . Harris to respond . Comp . Stevens said he had visited many Chapters , bnfc he had never heard better working . Comp . Harris fully endorsed all the former Comp . had said ; from what he had seen of the M . E . Z . ' s working , it might truly be said the mantle of his predecessors had fallen on his shoulders . He would only be too pleased to become a joining member of tho Chapter .

Tho M . E . Z . then proposed the health of tho P . Z . 's ; they had all done their duty ; he could not do justice to their merits . However , he would say that great credit was due to the ono who had for two consecutive years served them so well . It was a great pleasure for him to be the means of presenting Comp . Littaur with a gold chain and insignia of the Order , with an appropriate inscription .

In attaching it he was proud to say he was placing ifc on tho breast of an honest man . Comp . Jas . Stevens here gave a recitation appro , priate to Freemasonry , whieh elicited loud applause . Comp . Littaur , in au eloquent speech , responded . Tho M . E . Z . then proposed the toast of the H . and J . To speak of their qualifications

wonld occupy too much time . Comp . Lazarus had worked as P . S ., and they had seen what he had done in every office he had filled . Comp . Gulliford was ono who could do the duties well , and his well-known business qualities were sufficient to show that they had elected tho right man in the right place . This compliment was