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Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

SATURDAY , APRIL I , 18 99 .

Our readers will be glad to hear that a very considerable increase has been mide to the sum announced at the Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution on the 22 nd February . The donations and subscriptions were then stated to have reached . £ 18 , 207 , but in the interval that has since elapsed several of

the outstanding lists have been received , while many of those of which Bro . Terry had cognisance have been increased , the result being that the total is now not very far short of , £ 19 , 200 , the aggregate of the new lists and additions reported in our columns being close on . £ 1000 .

* * * Towards the close of our article on " Irish Freemasonry in 1898 , " which appears in another column , we mention lhat the Committee in charge of the arrangements for holding a Century Bazaar in 1900 in aid tf the Masonic Orphan Boy : ; ' School of Ireland ,

Masonic Notes.

had r ade up their minds to drop the scheme altogether in consequence of the terms demanded by the Royal Dublin Society—in whose grounds at Ball ' s Bridge it was proposed to have the Bazaar—being , in their opinion , excessive . The Society offered to allow the use of their grounds either for . £ 500 down , or . £ 100

down with 3 per cent , on all profits . The Century Bj / . aar Committee , however , in their circular announcing the abandonment of the proposal , point out that if the alternative terms are accepted , and the celebration should prove as productive as in 1 S 92 , when a similar function was held in the Society's grounds in aid of the Girls' School Centenary , the sum they

would be called upon to pay would reach A 765 ; while if they paid 2 C 500 down , they would be paying 10 times as much as was charged in 1 S 93 , five times the sum charged in 1 S 92 , nearly twice what was paid in 18 9 6 , and considerably more than was paid in either of the other years , and three times as much as was paid for " The Military Tournament . " Hence the scheme for a Bazaar has been wisely dropped .

* But There is an urgent need for additional accommodation . The premises which are being used as school and class rooms were intended for 60 boys ; there are now over 80 in the school , and it is hoped to increase this number to 100 . To enable the Governors to effect this object a capital sum of . £ 5000 is required ,

and with a view to raiding this amount it is proposed to have a " Century Fund " in place of the " Century Bazaar , " and our Irish brethren are being invited to contribute towards the object which the Governors are desirous of carrying out . CerUinly the " Fund" will involve less responsibility , less risk , less trouble and expense than the " Bizaar , " and we hope it will prove successful .

* » At all events , the list of contributions promised to the " Fund , " which the Committee are already able to announce , is an excellent beginning , amounting to upwards of £ 2000 , among the individual items returned being . £ 200 from the Grand Lodge ; . £ 50 each from the Duke of Abercorn , M . W . Grand Master ; Bro . R-

Keating Clay , Grand Treasurer ; Lodge No . 50 , Lodge No . 206 , and Lodge No . 411 ; and . £ 100 each from Bros . Lord Justice FitzGibbon , Col . Forde , the Great Priory of Ireland , and Lodges Nos . 12 and 25 . This gives one the idea that it will not be very long before the required Xs ^ oo is promised , with , it may be , a comfortable little margin over .

We have recjived copy of the Report of the Proceedings at the Regular Communication of the Dist . Grand Lodge of Northern China , which was held in Shanghai on the 7 th January last , under the presidency of Bro . Lewis Moore , D . G . M ., and we are greatly pleased to learn that the Craft prospered

during the year 1898 . The District Grand Treasurer ' s statement of account in particular was very satisfactory . The balance in hand at the close of the account had been diminishing year by year from 341 Taels in i 8 yi to 137 Taels in 1897 . But last year witnessed a substantial recovery , and the balance remaining to the credit of the Dist . Grand Lodge at the

end ol 1 S 98 reached 235 Taels . The District Grand Master also mentioned in the course of his addr . ss that the Masonic Charity Fund of the District was in a flourishing state . The lodges , too , would appear to be working well and harmoniously together , the new lodge at Newchwang—the Northern Star of China , No . 2673—in particular giving every promise of a most successful career .

# * * According to the Indian Freemason , what our worthy contemporary speaks of as " an obscure native organ hailing from Karachi , " has been criticising unfavourably the appointments to office made at a recent installation meeting of one of the lodges in that town . The organ in question is unable " to

congratulate the members on the selection of this motley combination , and we doubt very much if the appointments made will tend towards the welfare and prospects , " of the said lodge . What the " obscure org in '

is in a position to know about the fitness for office of the brethren appointed does not appear . Perhaps the wisest course for our contemporary to pursue will be to let the criticisms of the organ pass without comment . » * »

A pamphlet has reached us from the Society of St . George—241 , Shaftesbury-avenue , Blooinsbury—from which we learn that it has been formed " merely with the object of reviving the celebration of St . George ' s Day , so long neglected , that many otherwise patriotic

Masonic Notes.

Englishmen are , we regret to say , scarcely aware ot even the name of their national Saint , or the great regard that in the old days was paid to his memory and achievements by their forefathers . " It tells us that its object is " to rehabilitate him in the affectionate regard

of our countrymen , and to revive his festival , only so far as it may stimulate the patriotism of Englishmen , and cause them ever to remember the glorious past , and the responsibilities devolving upon them as the fortunate citizens of the greatest of all countries . "

* * * We sympathise most heartily with the objects of the Society . If , as we are reminded , Scotchmen , Irishmen , and Welshmen honour their respective Patron Saints , we see no reason why Englishmen should not do the same . The days set apart in the

Calendar as consecrated to St . Andrew , St . Patrick , and St . David are religiously kept , and we suppose we must ascribe it to the apathy or indifference of Englishmen that St . George ' s Day—the 23 rd Aprilis not observed nationally . It may , perhaps , be some consolation to the members of the Society to

know that English Freemasons are so far loyal to " the memory and achievements " of England ' s . Patron Saint , that it is provided in Article 13 of their Book of Constitutions , that " there shall be a Grand Masonic Festival annually , on the Wednesday next following

St . George ' s Day , to which all regular Masons who shall provide themselves with tickets from the Grand Stewards of the year shall be admitted . " Thus , St . George is honoured , though the Festival is not celebrated on his Day .

• * The Provincial Grand Lodge of Warwickshire will hold a meeting at the Masonic Hall , Birmingham , under the auspices ot the Lodge of Light , No . 468 , on Monday , the 1 st May , when an address of thanks in

album form will be presented , on behalf of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , to Lord Leigh , Provincial Grand Master , in recognition of his services as Hon . Treasurer of the Board of Stewards for the Centenary Festival , which was held on the 10 th June , 1898 .

* » * The District Grand Lodge of the Punjab held its " Annual Festival Communication" on the 27 th December last . The Dist . G . Master—Bro . Lieut .-Gen . Sir George B . Wolseley , K . C . B . —was not present , but his Deputy D . G . M ., Lieut .-Gen . Sir A .

Power-Palmer , K . C . B ., worthily represented him , and most ably fulfilled the duties of the chair . The reports from the executive officers of the Dist G . Lodge were of a satisfactory nature , and new Dist . G . Officers for the ensuing year were appointed and invested with

the insignia of their respective offices . A letter from the Dist . G . Master expressing regret at his absence was applauded , and the Dist . G . Secretary was directed to send a letter reciprocating the regret and conveyi ng to him the greetings of the season .

# * » The funeral of the late Bro . Enoch T . Carson , the eminent Masonic bibliophile , which took place in Cincinnati on the 27 th Febnnry , must have been a solemn and impressive scene . The coffin was removed from the deceased ' s residence to the Hall of the Ancient

and Accepted Scottish Rite , where the body lay in state under a Knight Templar Guard . This was followed by the first portion of the service , but long before that began the Hall was filled with those who were desirous of showing their respsct to the departed , two-thirds of the available space being assigned to the

members of the lodges and other Masonic bodies with which Bro . Carson had been connected . The service of the Rite was conducted by Bro . W . B . Melish , and at its conclusion the remains were re-conveyed to the hearse , in which , under escort , md attended by the fune-al cortege , it was takin to Sprftig Grove Cemetery , where , after a short service by the Kilwinning

Lodge , No . 359 , it was placed temporarily in a crypt . Two large vans filled with the wreaths and crosses sent by lodges , chapters , consistories , and the like , ac . com panied the procession . And thus due honour was paid to one who was beloved and respected both in private and Masonic life , and who , in the field of labour which may be said to have been all his own , had no equal .

» » * From the report of the installation meeting , which appeared in our last week's issue , it would appear that the London County Council Lodge , No . 2603 , which was only warranted in 1896 , is not the least successful of the " class " lodges which have been constituted I here is already a strong membership , while at the

meeting referred to the attendance of visitors was exceptionally numerous , among them being manv Grand Officers , Present and Past . Nor is there any reason to suppose that the lodge has been otherwise than successful in the kindly influence it exercises among the members of the L . C . C ., and we trust , as years go on , this influence will be still more pronounced .

Bro . General John Corson Smith , Past Grand . Master of Illinois , has been elected an Honorary Member of the Junior Army and Navy Club , during the continuance of his stay in this cjunlry .