Freemasonry And Civilization.

amite ' s child and Lazarus , for instance—or the Redeemer , the Expiator , is entombed three days , as in the case of Jonah and the One Illustrious ^ Example the Christian Church affords , or the martyrs are triune , as in the story of the three holy cVuMren , Shacfoch , Meshach , and Ab ednego , or , to use their Hebrew names , Azarias , Ananias and Misael . In all recorded episodes of this character the

mystic number three appears in some connection , and thus this doctrine of the Trinity , the distinguishing symbol of the Christian Chuich , would appear to have been a dogma readily received and at once appreciated , by that body from a pre-existing reverence for its sanctity . Not to mention the triune character of the Hindoo deity and the various other mythological trinities , I appeal to

the speculative Freemason of the present day , and more especially to the brother whose curiosity has led him to extend his researches beyond the limits of mere Cratt Masonry , how strangely the triad reappears at his every step . But to confine ourselves to the latter we recall our Three Great Lights , our Three Great Patrons , the Three Degres , the Three Orders , the Three Epochs , and enough

has been said , for numerous other illustrations ol the mystic interest attached to this number will occur to the reader . It is not my intention to weary my brethren with any further dissertation upon the connection of a doctrine of trinity with either the Primitive Illuminati or their possible heirs and successors , the modern speculative Freemasons . It is a subject upon which so many volumes have been written that the reader has copious materials for enquiring

on his own individual account elsewhere . The sum of the whole matter is—Are we possibly these heirs ? Are we probably these successors ? The remainder of the enquiry must be directed to a summarising of the reasons —de duced from the premises—we have for our justification in entertaining thc hypothesis . I am , dear Sir and Brother , faithfully and fraternally yours , S . P . P . M . No . 902 , 1491 . Temple , 2 and . May , 1878 .

RED CROSS OF CONSTANTINE . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — My attention has just been called to a statementin your issue of nth May , which rather surprises me , if true . Of course I am unaware from whom you obtained your information , but should like to know . I mean as to the

appointment of Bro . Matier to the position of representative to the Grand Council of England of Red Cross from the State of Illinois . I beg to inform you that as acting Grand Recorder I have had no official notification of the same from the Slate of Illinois , and therefore cannot recognise him as such . I cannot think the Council of Illinois : < vould

so far break the laws of etiquette as to displace our eminent and distinguished Sir Knight Dr . Woodman , who has been their representative so long , without giving him , and us , as the Grand Council , notice of such intention , I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours faithfully , J . MASON , Assistant Grand Recorder .

THE BOYS' SCHOOL . To the Editor ofthe "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Referring to the letter of your coirespondent " Fair Play " in the Ficemason of the 25 th ult ., I should be sorry to impute blame where none was due . My assumption that the objectionable nomination had thc

approval of thc present House Committee was based on thc facts , that one of their number was appointed Chairman of the General Committee , at which the House Committee was to be nominated ; that the first nomination ( Bro . Durrant ) was withheld from the Committee by the Chairman until after a list , containing the names of himself aud his colleagues desiring re-election , together with the names

of two candidates forthe vacancies occasioned by retirement , had been presented and read ; and that no member of the present Committee was otherwise nominated than as one of this prepared list of twelve candidates . No one would imagine that this was individual action , and unless

explanation is offered at the General Committee on Saturday next , 1 shall retain the opinion that I have " put the saddle on the right horse . " Yours fraternally , HENRY T . THOMPSON . Lower Clapton , 28 th May , 1878 .

THE GIRLS' SCHOOL . To the Editor of thc " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I have not heard what method it is proposed to adopt at the forthcoming election to fill the vacancy caused by the lamented decease of Bro . Little , but it does appear to me that the voting should not be confined to the comparatively small number who may be present at

any meeting . The support awarded to the Institution by country subscribers is such as in my opinion entitles them to a voice in the election without the necessity of a journey to London , and for this purpose it is only necessary that proxies in the usual form on a penny stamp should be allowed . Fraternally youis ,

A COUNTRY GOVERNOR . [ We publish this , as we do all suggestions , but there are clearly two sides to the question . —ED . ]

A marriage , according to the Dail y Telegraph , has been arranged , and will shortly be celebrated , between Lord Carington and the eldest daughter of Lord Suffield , R . W . P . G . M . of Norfolk .

Reviews.

Reviews .

BALANCE-SHEET OF THE PROVINCE OF KENT . We shortly reviewed some time back the Directory fo : the Province of Kent , and we have sines had the balance sheet of that province kindly placed before us . It appears therefrom that the returns from the lidges amount to £ 223 iSs . 6 d . for the Provincial Grand Lodge Fund , the

balance of tne previous year £ 263 9 s . 41 ) . ; fees on appointment and dispensations £ 24 17 s . ; arrears £ 6 4 s . ; in all ^ S' 8 18 s . iod . The expenditure , including £ 32 ios . to the Boys' School , and £ 15 carried to the Charity Fund , is £ 28 5 10 s . leaving a balance of £ 232 18 s . iod . on this account . There is also a charity fund , which amounts to £ 4 ^ 0 18 s ., and which is made up

as follows : —Balance of previous year £ 214 7 s . 6 d . ; dues from lodges £ 223 18 s . 6 d . ; Grand Lodge vote £ 15 ; and arrears £ 6 4 s . ; total £ 459 ios . There was expended £ 221 ) , which appear to have been voted as grants to various lodges ( if we understand the items ) to qualify themselves as Vice-Presidents of the three Institutions . We think the balance-sheet a very good one , and highly creditable to thc good province of Kent .

SCIENCE FOR ALL . Part II . Cassell , Petter , and Galpin . This is one of the many well and admirably illustrated magazines of that enterprising firm , * which we think most commendable , and likely to be very useful and instructive . We note depreciatory remarks here and there upon this and similar productions , but we do not pretend to understand

why such meritorious efforts in a good cause , the spread of cultivated information , should be disparaged or discouraged . Are they the last sputterings of the storm which darkened the atmosphere and seemed to antagonise all efforts of national intellectual advance ? Or are they merely the result of callous indifference or hurtful cynicism ? Let us look on all these effective serials of Messrs . Cassell as really and trully " auspicium melioris a ; vi . "

BRIEF : A Weekly Epitome of the Press . Wyman and Sons , Gieat Queen-street . This is a new weekly paper , which has reached its 30 th number . It seems , in brief , to commend itself to the taste of those for whom " brevity is the soul of wit . "

It is ably edited , and will , we think , retain its position amid a crowd of jostling competitors . The result of cheap newspapers , admirably gut up and ab ' y edited , is a problem , the effect and conclusion of which " quod est demonstrandum . "

THE ECCLESIASTICAL ART REVIEW for April . John Bury , 185 , Fleet-street . Though , as Freemasons , we cannot affect this or that denomination , and can only individually "foro" the personal conscience and cherish this or that subjective or even objective dogma , yet wc may admire all efforts , by whomsoever put forth , which have above all an aesthetic

end , and are distinguished by artistic merit . We live at a time when " aesthetics " have a great influence on us all , and wc should not , it appears to us , doubt or deny their influence , as on Masonry , so equally on religion . Every age has its characteristics , aud ours certainly is an aesthetic age , and within due lirrits aistheticism is both good and admirable , and to be highly commended and properly patronised .

'the " Ecclesiastical Art Review" is admirably printed , and , for those whose tastes lie that way , is very good reading ,

MASONIC MUSIC . MASONS' VOWS . Words by Bro . J AMES STEVENS . Music by Bro . J . R . FLETCHER , P . G . O . East Lancashire . However well-intentioned this morceau of Masonic music may be , or however skilfully arranged and sprightly in tune ,

we cannot say that we heartily approve of the idea , much less of the developement . ltis one of those little experiments in Masonic sensationalism which we cannot afford to admire or applaud , and we think it well to say so , in all fraternal good feeling to those worthy brethren of ours who have composed it and favoured us with a copy of it . In our humble opinion it is a great mistake .

A report of the meeting ofthe Provincial Grand Preceptory of Knights Templar for Lancashire and the Inauguration of ttreDe Lacy Preceptory at Southporr , will appear in our next issue . The following errata occurred iu the List of

Stewards at the Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls : Herefordshire , Bro . O . Shellard , should have been £ 42 instead of £ 10 ios . Middlesex , Lodge 1512 , Bro . Hurst ' s name should not have been bracketed with that of Bro . Wright .

The explosiveness of flour-dust when diffused through the air , says the American Architect , of which we made mention at the time of the explosion of the Greenfield Candy Factory , in New York , has apparently received a startling illustration in the destruction of the flouring mills at Minneapolis . The manner in which the accident occurred can never be made clear , for every man perished

who was in the great Washburn Mill where the first explosion occurred . But no olhcr cause than the flour-dust has been seriously argued , so far as is known . The material , which could , by its detonation , throw down in an instant all four solid stone walls of the great mill , more than 100 ft . square , and lift the rooi bodily some h umlreds of feet into the air , must have been pretty thoroughly diffused throughout the building . —Builder .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of East Lancashire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF EAST LANCASHIRE .

The annual meeting of the above Prov . G . Lodge was held in the Town Hall , Bury , on Thursday , May 23 rd , and was numerously attended by the Prov . G . Offiers and brethren of the Province , the total number present being upwards of 400 , amongst whom were Bros . Col . Le Gendre

N . Starkie , R . W . Prov . G . M . ; Geo . Mclior , Dep . Prov . G . M , ; Edmund Ashworth , jun ., Prov . S . G . W . ; Albert Dickins , Prov . J . G . W . ; J . L . Hine , P . Prov . G . W . ; S . D . Lees , M . D ., P . Prov . G . W . ; Thos . G . Parker , P . Prov . G . W . ; C . R . N . Beswicke-Royds , P . Prov . G . W . ; Rev . S . Y . B . Bradshaw , Prov . G . C . ; Rev . E . H . Aldridge , Prov . G . C . ; Rev . Thos . Radley , P . Prov . G . C . ; James

Hall , Prov . G . Treas . ; Joseph Handley , P . Prov . G . Treas . ; T . J . Hooper , P . Prov . G . Treas . ; Charles Heywood , P . Prov . G . Reg . ; J . A . Elliot , P . Prov . G . Reg ., John Tunnan , Prov . G . Sec . ; John Smith , Prov . S . G . D ., F . Thomas , Prov . J . G . D . ; Edward Ashworth , P . Prov . G . D . ; John Chadwick , P . Prov . G . D . ; J . S . Veers , P . Prov . G . D . ; G . P . Brockbank , P . Prov . G . D . ; Peter Royle , M . D ., P . Prov .

G . D . ; W . O . Walker , P . Prov . G . D . ; A . Wolstenholm , P . Prov . G . D . ; Edmund Hartley , Prov . G . S . of W . ; Thos . Entwisle , P . Prov . G . S . of W . ; Wm . Almond , P . Prov . G . S . of W . ; John Pilling , P . Prov . G . S . of W . ; J . H . Sillitoe , Prov . G . D . of C . , Robt . Whittaker , P . Prov . G . D . of C . ; W . H . Hopkins , P . Prov . G . D . of C . ; E . M . Jones , P . Prov . G . D . of C . ; John Wood , Prov . G . A . D . of C ,

Thos . Grime , P . Prov G . A . D . C . ; B . Stephenson , Prov . G . S . B . ; Fred Anderton , P . Prov . G . S . B . ; Henry Maiden , P . Prov . G . S . B . ; Lawrence Booth , P . Prov . G . S . B . ; Wm . Barlow , P . Prov . G . S . B .-, Jas . Hokoyd , P . Prov . G . S . B . ; W . Whewell , P . Prov . G . S . B . ; Thos . Taylor , P . Prov , G . S . B . ; J . L . Goodwin , Prov . G . Org . ; . J . W . Taylor , P . Prov . G . Org . ; Thos . Hargreaves , P . Prov . G . Org . ;

Henry Greenwood , Prov . G . Purs . ; Wm . Roberts , P . Prov . G . Purs .-, W . H . Cunliffe , P . Prov . G . Purs . ; R . C . J . Duckwoith , P . Prov . G . A . P . ; Westray Benn , P . Prov . G . A . P . ; Saml . Ashworth , S . B . Priestly , J . L . Thorpe , Thos . Barker , Saml . Lord , Prov . G . Stewards ; Thos . Mitchell , P . G . Tyler ; and representatives from 85 of the 86 lodges in the Province , there being only one lodge not

representel . Amongst the visiting brethren were Bros . James Terry , Prov . G . D . C , Herts , Secretary of the Royal Masjnic Benevolent Institution for aged Freemasons and Widows ; Geo . Burrows , P . Prov . G . Deacon , Cheshire ; and John Vertegans , P . Prov . G . A . D . C , Derbyshire . The R . W . Prov . G . Master appointed and invested the following brethren as Prov . G . Officers , viz .:

—Bro . Edward Ashworth Prov . S . G . Warden „ W . O . Walker Prov . J . G . Warden „ Rev . E . H . Aldridge ; Rev . W . Chaytor Prov . G . Chaps . „ T . Somncr Ainsworth Prov . G . Registrar

„ JohnTunnah Prov . G . Sec . „ Edwin Harden Prov . S . G . Deacon „ Edmund Heywood Prov . J . G . Deacon „ I . W . Kenyon Prov . G . S . of W .

„ John W . P . Salmon Prov . G . D . of C . „ John Tennant Prov . G . A . D . of C . „ John Halliwell Prov . G . S . Bearer , ; J . Handle Fletcher Prov . G . Organist „ Charles Wood Prov . G . Purst .

,, George Pilling Prov . G . A . Purst . „ John Redfern , Chas . Brierley , Thos . Ramsbottom , jun ., Wm . Bariitt , Wm . Henry Hoyle , John C Ainsworth ... Prov . G . Stewards ,, Thomas Mitchell G . Tyler

The Craft lodge opened about half-past twelve o'clock , and the Provincial Grand Lodge at one o ' clock . The accounts of Bro . James Hall , the Prov . G . Treasurer , were then submitted . The Auditors testified to the manner in which the accounts had been laid before them . The balance at the commencement of the year last April was £ 730 7 s . 3 d ., which had since been increased to £ 1420 .

There had been given £ 100 to the male , £ 100 to the widows' fund , and £ 200 to the East Lancashire Provincial Systematic Benevolent Institution , leaving a balance in the hands of the Treasurer of £ 367 13 s . 3 d ., and there was about £ 300 to be received yet . The election of Provincial Grand Treasurer , then took place , when Bro . George A . O'Ncil , of St . John ' s Lodge , 121 , was proposed by Bro .

Lawrence Booth , P . P . G . S ., seconded by Bro . W . O . Walker , P . P . S . G . D . Bro . T . B . Ashworth , P . M ., of Rochdale , proposed , and Bro . Jones , P . P . D . C , seconded Bro . Hadfield , of St . Chad ' s L'dge , Rochdale . The result of the contest was that Bro . O'Neil was elected by a substantial majority After business had concluded at thc Town Hall the brethren adjourned to the Athenaeum where thc large

room had been very prettily decorated for the occasion , and where a sumptuous dinner was provielcd by Bro . T . Smith of the Knowsley Hotel . The chair was occupied by the Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master , Colonel Le Gendre N . Starkie , and there was a capital attendance of members of the Craft , about 330 being present . At the conclusion of dinner

ladies were admitted , and the gallery was well filled with the fair sex , the majority remaining till thc programme had been gone through . In addition to thc usual toasts , a capital selection of appropriate Masonic and other songs were given at intervals , several artistes having been engaged . Several of the songs had been composed by Bro . J . Handle Fletcher , P . M ., Provincial Grand Organist , and

were of a thoroughly appropriate character . The following vocalists were present , and contributed greatl . y to the harmony of the evening 1—Miss Topliffe , Mrs Murray , Bro . Kershaw Bro . Stafford , Bro . Dumville , Bro . Bailey , Sec . 191 ; Bro . Wroc , Bro . W . H . Bailey , and Bro . Peers . Bro . J . Handle Fletcher , P . M ., P . G . O ., presided at the pianoforte .