Craft Masonry.

j . N . Stephens , I . P . M . 2466 ; J . J . Sharp , S . W . 242 S ; C . Barry , r ig 7 * J ohn Hampson , S . W . 1571 ; W . R . Hayden , 1538 ; John Anderson , 129 S ; G . Herschell , 24 , a ; Capt . W . H . Williams , U . S . A ., 14 S ; and John Turner , P . M . 779 , P . G . A . P . Alter the formal introductory business of the lodge had been transacted Bro . Davison , W . M ., installed Bro . William Brown Hextall , P . M ., P . P . G . W . Derbyshire , as W . M . for the ensuing year . Bro . Davison received the collar of the I . P . M ., and the following brethren were appointed to the other offices—Bros . E . C . R . Oxley , S . W . j W . E .

Porter , M . D ., J . W . ; C . R . Lee , P . M .. Treas . ; W . H . Bullock , P . M ., Sec . ; V . H . Wyatt Wingrave , M . R . C . S ., S . D . ; W . Nicholson Haydon , J . D . ; R . Porter Keates , P . M ., P . A . G . D . C . Leicestershire and Rutland , D . C . ; T . Whitemore Chant , I . G . ; T . Moysey , C . J . Weller , and H . Riley , Stwds . ; and H . Evenden , P . M ., Tyler . A Past Master ' s jewel was presented to Bro . R . Davison , I . P . M ., after which the lodge was closed , and the brethren adjourned to banquet , and honoured the usual toasts .

Bro . Davison , LP . M ., in proposing "The W . M ., " said there was no necessity to say much about Bro . Hextall because the brethren knew all about him ; he had promised to attend to the lodge in every respect . As members of the lodge they had looked forward to that evening with great pleasure , and they would also look forward with pleisure to the coming 12 months , for they knew that when Bro . Hextall spoke bespoke most able , and what he said was both edifying and entertaining .

Bro . Hextall , W . M ., in acknowledging the toast , said he now had to approach the serious part of the evening , the only part to which he should not be allowed afterwards to refer with unalloyed pleasure , as it was personal . He had known the lod _ fe since 1 SS 9 , and it had been his privilege to be a more or less constant attendant . It would be his study during the year to prove himself worthy of the brethren's selection . He hoped the experience he had had for a good many years in Masonry would enable him to be of some service to the United Northern

Counties Lodge . If it was he should be amply repaid for what he mig ht do . In the meantime , he had to thank the brethren for taking him upon trust , because with the kind things said about him , he felt they were taking him upon trust . It might be that the experience he had had in Derbyshire would not be altogether unacceptable . It was his duty to make it compatible with the brethren ' s ideas , and make his views , so far as they might combat with theirs , subservient to theirs . He had confidence that at the end of his year there was little fault they would have

to find materially with each other . Their selection of him he took as a mark of their confidence . The duty of a W . M . was from the highest office to the lowest , and to the latest initiate , to make the lodge a happy family party—to make the youngest initiate feel that his presence was as much for the well-being of the lodge as the oldest , and that there was absolute equality between every member . That was his view of Masonry , and the view he should hold , with the assistance of the P . Ms . He now passed to " The Masonic Charities , " with respect to which he would say— " Good wine needs no bush . "

The Charities were always with the brethren . It was a delicate subject to touch upon . If there was a thing to be guarded against—he said it with great respect in the presence of Bro . Smithson , as it was the composition and constitution of the Boys' School and the Girls' School . In the Boys' School it might be there was a tendency to place the School and the teaching rather on a basis which was not so broad as some would like ; some would like more boys on the foundation rather than fewer at a higher pressure of education . There was a feeling in the country of a disposition on the part of the governing body to make the education rather too fine and too intricate

to the sacrifice of the great body of boys who might be educated . For himself as an old subscriber to the Boys' School who had some votes and hoped to have more , he thought the benefits of the School should be far and wide , and that the basis of the structure should be made and kept as wide as possible . That was the opinion of many Masons who , however small their p owers might be , had the welfare of the I nstitutio 1 at heart . It was not a bad thing that the governing bod / should be reminded of this opinion that it would be better to have 1000 or 2000 fairly educated . He hoped the observations would be taken in good part ; they were made in good faith and they expressed the sentiments of thousands .

Bro . W . F . Smithson , P . G . D ., responded to the same effect a ; in his speech at the Sir Walter Raleigh Lodge on November 26 th . Bro . Bullock , P . M ., proposed " The Visitors , " and Bros . Lewis and Fox responded . The other toasts were afterwards duly honoured and a most pleasant evening was brought to a close .

Albert Victor Lodge , No . 2328 . A special meeting of this lodge was held in Freemasons' Hall , St . Saviourgate , York , on Monday , the 7 th ult . The W . M ., Bro . Chas . Turner , presided , and was supported by his officers and several Past Masters , as well as the W . Masters and Wardens and many brethren of the York and Eboracum Lodges . A lecture was delivered by Bro .

R . F . Gould , the Masonic Historian , on the earl y history of Freemasonry and its continuous existence from a very early period , and its connection with early Guilds and Societies . On the motion of Bro . the Dean of York , seconded by Bro . T . B . Whytehead , and supported by Bro . H . L . Swift , P . M ., a cordial vote of thanks was accorded to the lecturer .

Royal Arch.

Royal Arch .

Pythagoras Chapter , No . 88 . the half-yearly convocation of this chapter was held at the Lion Hotel , Cambridge , on Wednesday , the 16 th ult . The Grand Superintendent of Cambridge , Comp . Colonel R . Townley Caldwell , was amongst those present . The Three Principals took the chairs to which they were re-elected last June , namely i Comps . W . P . Spalding , P . P . G . S . B ., M . E . Z . ; Rev . L . R . Tuttiett , H . ; and C . H . Banham , P . 2 nd A . S ., J . The other officers for the year are : Comos . Frank

Piggott , P . P . G . P . S ., I . P . Z . ; Major 0 . Papworth , P . Z ., P . H ., S . E . ; A . E . Chaplin , S . N . ; T . Hunnybun , P . P . G . S . B ., Treas . ; Gordon Chennell . P . S . ; W . James , ist A . S . ; A . H . Langridge , 2 nd A . S . ; B . Chennell , P . Z ., P . P . G . H ., D . C . ; A . W . Aldrich , Org . ; J . V . Pryor , P . Z ., P . P . G . S . N ., Steward ; and A . G Allen , Janitor . Bro . George Barrow , of Newmarket , was balloted for , unanimously elected , and duly exalted . The work of the P . S . was admirably done by Comp . Gord on Chennell ,

in conjunction with the First Principal . The signs having been communicated by the M . E . Z ., the lecture from the third chair was delivered by Comp . Banham , and the symbolical sections by Comp . Tuttiett . Subsequently Comp . B . Chennell , P . Z ., described thc jewel and the pedestal . After the transaction of other business , the chapter was closed , and the companions adjourned to banquet . '

Here the ofiicers of the chapter , and particularly the Principals and the P . S ., were warmly congratulated by the Grand Superintendent upon the excellent work they had done ; and it was generally admitted that the beautiful ritual was , never better carried out in recent years . Comp , J . Royston , 441 , ist Asst . P . G . S ., responded for "The Visitors . "

Knights Templar.

Knights Templar .

Ancient Ebor Preceptory , No . 101 . A meeting of this body was held in Freemasons' Hall , St . Saviourgate , York , on l ' uesday , the Sth ult ., amongst those ptes « nt being Fratres T . B . Whytehead , P .

Sub-Prior N . and E . Yorks ; T . S . Brogden , E . P . ; F . W . Halliwell , Con . ; Jas . Smith , ™ ar . ; W . D . Rudgard , V . B . ; J . V . Ceoper , Beau . ; W . N . Cochrane , II . ; W . H . Cowper , P . ; W . N . Cheeseman , P . ; and others . Frater R . F . Gould , P . C . of the Ascalon Preceptory , was a visitor . Coirp . J . A . Jones , of the Ferrum Lodge , was installed a member of the Order by frater T . B . Whytehead , and Frater Halliwell was elected to the chair of E . P .

Our Portrait Gallery.

Our Portrait Gallery .

BRO . HANS SCHARIEN , Worshipful Master of the Ranelagh Lodge , No . S 34 , was , in 1865 , engaged in Berlin by Mr . Joseph Bray to come to England to decorate his country seat at Pirgo Park , Essex . Although he could not speak a word of English-he knew his trade and was able to show to the 40 men sent to him from a London firm , in a practical way , what he proposed doing and carried out the work most satisfactorily

in nine months . In April , 1866 , he left England and travelled for the purpose of study through France , Switzerland , and Italy and returned to England in October of the same year . He had intended to remain in Rome and ultimately in Paris , but in both these cities there was very little trade doing owing to the war between Prussia , Austria , and Italy , and he again turned up at Mr . Bray ' s residence , when he kindly took him by the hand and got him to decorate his town house in Queen ' s

Gate , and from that time onwards he became connected with many others and started business in earnest , adding building operations to his artistic calling and has since built many private houses , flats , banks fire stations for the London County Council , and what he calls his pride and showhouse , is the Leicester Public House , close to Leicester-square , built for Mr . Charles Best . He is running

large woodworking machinery and his works cover a large area . Our brother was on June 9 th , 18 74 , initiated in the Ranelagh Lodge and has ever since stuck to the old ship . He had a great difficulty in mastering the ritual and was installed W . M . last April . He has had to initiate nine candidates and four are awaiting the same process at the next lodge meeting in February , which will make his term of office a record year in the history of that lodge .

IMPROVEMENTS AT THE MANSION HOUSE . —That the palace of the Lord Mayor of the greatest city in the world is now more in accord with its high position is a subject upon which Mr . Woodrow , the Chairman ofthe General Purposes Committee , is deservedly to be congratulated . It will be remembered that , recognising the urgent need of certain repairs and renewals , he , after considerable difficulty , succeeded in getting the necessary funds voted , and now has the pleasure of seeing how judiciously it has been expended , and with what excellent results . The Lady Mayoress , too , has displayed her well-known good taste in the selection of the new furniture for the drawing-room and other

apartments . In the drawing-room , which has been almost entirely refurnished , the draperies and curtains are of a rich yellow silk , woven by English workmen with English looms , while the panels on the wallsare filled with silk of the same rich hue . The furniture is ofthe period of Louis XVI ., in doree anciennc—the main pieces are upholstered with fine Aubusson tapestries—while the other chairs and settees are covered with different varieties of tapestries . The long parlour has been newly curtained with a Medici

patterned silk fabric , which is also ot British manufacture . The whole of the main floor , comprising the drawing-room , saloon , and long parlour , also the western staircase , his been newly covered with an Axminster pile carpet of the richest character , in shades of Royal crimson . Other work has also been carried out in thc State bedroom ; and boudoir , and the whole of the refurnishings were entrusted to Messrs . Maple and Co ., of Tottenham Court-road .

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