Supreme Grand Chapter.

SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER .

AQUABTEELY CONVOCATION of Supreme Grand , Chapter will be held on Wednesday , the 3 rd August next , at six o ' clock in the evening , punctually , at Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C , when the following Business will receive attention : The Minutes of the last Quarterly Convocation to be read for confirmation .

THE REPORT OF THIS COMMITTEE OF GENERAL PURPOSES . To ' the Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons qf England . Tho Committee of General . Purposes beg to report that they have examined , the Accounts from the 20 th April , to the 19 th July 1898 , both inclusive , whioh . they find to be as follows :

To Balance Grand Chapter - - £ 863 3 3 „ „ Unappropriated Account 233 19 6 „ Subsequent Receipts - - 480 1 7 £ 1 , 577 4 4 •By Disbursements during the Quarter 373 6 5 „ Balance - - - 955 4 5 „ „ Unappropriated Account 248 13 6 £ 1 , 577 4 4

which Balances are in the Bank of England , Law Courts Branch . The Committee have likewise to report that they have received the ( following Petitions : — 1 . From Companions George Blair as Z , Frederick William Sykes as H , Albert Percy Farthing , as J , and seven others for a Chapter to be attached to the Holmes Lodge , No . 2571 , Newcastle-on-Tyne , to be called the "Addison Potter Chapter , " and to meet at the Masonic Hall , . Shields Road , By ker , -Northumberland .

2 . From Companions Alfred John Keeler as Z ,, James Fletcher as H , Charles Henry Dunn as J , and seventeen others for a Chapter to be attached , to the Addington Lodge , No . 1937 , Addington , Natal , to be called " The Addington Chapter , " and to meet at the Masonic Hall , Addington , Natal .

3 . From Companions Colonel John Davis as Z ., Surgeon-Captain Matthew Louis Hughes as H , Captain Edward Severn Heard as J , and eight others for a Chapter to be attached . to the Aldershot Army and Navy Lodge , No . 1971 , Aldershot , to be called "The Connaught Chapter , " and to meet at the Officers' Club House , Aldershot , Hampshire .

The foregoing Petitions being regular , the Committee recommend that the prayers thereof be respectively granted . The following Petitions being regular , except as to the sanction of the Lodges to whioh they are to be attached , the Committee recommend that the prayers thereof be granted subject to such sanction being received .

4 . From Companions John William Howard as Z , Llewellyn Powys Jones as H , Ernest Charles Baxter as J , and eight others for a Chapter to be attached to the Buluwayo Lodge , No . 2566 , Buluwayo , to be called the " Buluwayo Chapter , " and to meet at Buluwayo , South Africa .

5 . From Companions Edward Hancock as Z , William Dodds as H , George Samuel Burt Andrews as J , and fourteen others for a Chapter to be attached to the Jeppe Town Lodge , No . 2481 , Jeppe Town , to be called " The Jeppe Town Chapter . " and to meet at the Masonic Temple , Jeppe Town , Transvaal .

6 . From Companions Charles Aburrow as Z , Mark Louis . Harris as H , George Ernest Hands as J , and nine others for a Chapter to be attached . to the Doornfontein Lodge , No . 2585 , Doornfontein , Transvaal , to be called " The Doorufontein Chapter , " and to meet at the Freemasons' Hall , Jeppe Street , Johannisburg , Transvaal . The Committee have likewise received a Memorial , with extracts of Minutes , for permission to remove the following Chapter : —

" The Cyclist Chapter , No . 2246 , from the Greyhound Hotel , Croydon , to the Castle Hotel , East Molesey , Surrey . The Committee being satisfied of the reasonableness of the request recommend that the removal of this Chapter be sanctioned . The Provincial Grand Scribe E . of Durham having returned the Charter of the Norman Chapter , No . 1334 , Durham , which had made no returns since 17 th October 1888 , the Committee beg to recommend that the Chapter be removed from the Roll of Chapters .

The following Chapters having made no returns to Grand Chapter for many years , and no replies having been received to numerous communications addressed to them , the Committee resolved to recommend that they be removed from the Roll of Chapters , viz .: — The Amity Chapter , No . 171 , London . The United Strength Chapter , No . 228 , London .

The Perseverance Chapter , No . 460 , Newcastle-under-Lyne . The St . George ' s Chapter , No . 549 , Bombay . The Oriental Chapter , No . 687 , Constantinople . The Combermere Chapter , No . 752 , Melbourne . The St . Mark ' s Chapter , No . 857 , London . The Brownrigg Chapter , No . 1564 , Woking .

The Southern Cross Chapter , No . 1590 , Utinage . The Ancient Carthage Chapter , No . 1717 , Tunis . The Committee beg to recommend and the President will move : — " That the sum of One Hundred Guineas be granted from the Funds ot this Grand Chapter as a Donation to the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys . "

( Signed ) GEORGE D . HARRIS , President . Freemasons' Hall , W . C , 20 th July 1898 .

THE special resolutions for the increase of the capital of Spiers and Pond , Limited , by £ 600 , 000 in Preference Shares , wore confirmed ( with only one dissentient ) , at a meeting of Shareholders held on Tuesday , 26 th inst ., at the Freemasons' Tavorn ,

An Outside Tribute To Freemasonry.

AN OUTSIDE TRIBUTE TO FREEMASONRY .

THE following is the text of a speech made by the Hon . Sir W . Mackworth Young , M . A , K . C . S . I ., Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab , on the occasion of a recent Masonic banquet at Simla , at which he was present as a visitor :

Worshipful Sir and Gentlemen , —I am rather appalled at the number of persons for whom I am called upon to return thanks , and consider it a great honour to have been indicated as the spokesman for such a large number of the non-Masonic guests .

In tendering you our cordial thanks for the way in which yon have entertained us , and for the kind manner in which you have drunk our health , you will excuse me for a certain amount of embarrassment under present circumstances . I have never felt what it was to be a negative , however ; I know what it is to be

a non-juror , I know what it is to be a Protestant . They had something to protest against ; but we have nothing ; we do not know what it is ; we are pure negatives . What can we say , what can I say on behalf of the number of persons for whom I have to return thanks ?

Sir Edwin Collen has told us that in this assembly politics are barred . Gentlemen , I have a very large number of papers daily brought to me ; they are called files—official files—and have to do with affairs of State . I might dignify some of them by saying they have to do with politics , and I am debarred from speaking about politics ; what can a Lieutenant-Governor do ? How can I speak—I who am little else than a living file—if not

. allowed to refer to this subject , which engrosses all the days of my official life , and many of the nights ? I feel a more serious difficulty , which I enter upon with great apprehension , it is this . We are negatives , I said , we are outsiders , we are the profanum vulgus . My spirit sinks , and my heart fails me ; what can I say when I am , together with you , in

this parlous condition ? However , there is a bright side to the picture I would fain come to . We must turn away from this aspect of the case , this negative aspect , this outer darkness aspect , and look at the bright side of the picture , at our friends—and what shall I call them ? Worshipful—I must not say brethrenworshipful friends .

In the first place Sir Edwin Collen has asked us what we think of them in their social aspect ? I think their social aspect is pleasing . Sir Edwin Collen has made a claim to which none of us can object . He has claimed on behalf of this Society that it is loyal . I must say that I was astonished at the statement which was made by my worshipful friend that royalty had been so long associated with Freemasonry , One little fact , however .

I got up before I came here , and that is that it is a little less than a century ago since the legislature passed a law to put down Secret Societies , and Masonry was exempted from the rule as to these Societies . Therefore , before 1799 , the Society must have established itself as a loyal Society , and during these 99 years it must have maintained its high character of loyalty to the throne .

The second quality claimed by Sir Edwin Collen is fidelity . One of the most extraordinary things about Freemasonry is , that if there is any secret about it , it does not come out , therefore the Society of E ' reemasons must be faithful . In the third place , charity is one of its distinguishing features . No one will deny it , for evoryone knows that the keynote of Freemasonry is charity , and in this country the Lodges are not-behind those of other countries .

Sir Edwin Collen has mentioned one other characteristic of the Brotherhood . We non-jurors , outsiders , outer darkness people , join with you in the idea of universal brotherhood . If a Brother of high status can , without patronising , but with full sympathy , take his Brother of a lower degree by the hand , and

put him by his side , and show him every sympathy , and if the Brother of lower degree , without the assumption of any higher standing than he really possesses , accepts his sympathy in the same spirit in which it is offered , the Society is doing a magnificent work in the world .

I have only to thank you in conclusion very heartily for the kindness you have shown us this evening , in drinking the toast of our health . — " Morning Post " ( Delhi ) .

Palace Theatre . —Bro . Charles Morton has arranged a special programme for the Bank Holiday and following evenings ( at 8 o ' clock ) at this house . The following Artistes are announced to appear : —Albert Chevalier ( the inimitable ) , Julie Mackey ( Comedienne ) , Curtis and Gordon ( Ball Punchers ) , Saharet ( Dancer ) , Gus Blen ( Comedian ) , The Baggesens ( Comedijins and Jugglers ) , Sid Black ( Trick Bicyclist ) , G . W . Hunter

( Raconteur ) , Maude Francis ( Serio-Comic Singer and Dancer ) , Professor Parker ( with his highly trained dogs ) , La Tosta ( Mandolinist ) , AmannLudwig ( Character Impersonator ) , Burt Shepard ( Comedian ) , Grimmins and Gore ( The long and short of it ) , Etharien Bros . ( Eccentric Acrobats ) , and the famous American Biograph , invented by Herman Casler , of New York . Prices of admission range from 6 d to 2 * guineas .