Supreme Grand Chapter.

I ., and the members of the Keystone Chapter of Western India , No . 757 , Bombay for a Charter of Confirmation , the original having been completely destroyed bj damp , and cannot be repaired . The committee recommend that a Charter of Confirmation be granted . The Committee have likewise received memorials , with extracts of minutes .

for permission to remove the following chapters : — " The Concord Chapter , " No . 297 , from the Masonic Rooms , Mint-street , to the New Buildings , Mint-street , Lincoln . " The Sun Chapter , " No . 106 , from the Royal Beacon Hotel , to the New Masonic Hall , Exmouth . "The Chiltern Chapter , " No . 1470 , from the Sugar Loaf Hotel , Dunstable , to the Town Hall , Luton , Bedfordshire .

"The St . Oswald Chapter , " No . 910 , Pontefract , Yorkshire , from the Masonic Hall , to the New Masonic Hall in that town . The Committee being satisfied of the reasonableness of the above requests , recommend that the removal of these chapters be sanctioned . The Committee have to report that the Mid-Surrey Chapter , No . 1044 , Camberwell , has ceased to meet , and they are informed that the Treasurer went to America and took the charter away with him . They , therefore , recommend that the chapter be summoned to show cause why it should not be removed from the roll of chapters .

The Committee have also to report that they have learned that the Albion Chapter , No . 2220 , Woodstock , South Africa ( W . D . ) , was never formed , and , as the lodge to which it was attached has been erased , they recommend that the charter be returned . The Committee recommend that , inasmuch as the Pythagorean Chapter , No . 447 , Corfu , which has made no returns of work since 1865 , and the lodge to which it was attached has been erased , has not replied to the summons sent to it by order of the Grand Chapter , the chapter be erased from the list of chapters .

The Committee recommend that the Wellington Union Chapter , No . 517 , Wellington , N . Z ., be allowed further time to reply to the summons sent to it . The Committee have further to report that the Rose of Sharon Chapter , No . 1006 , St . Day , Scorrier , Cornwall , are taking steps to remove the chapter to Redruth . The Committee have also to report that the charter of the Royal Hanover Chapter , No . 1777 , Twickenham , Middlesex , has been returned with the report that the chapter has ceased working ; they , therefore , recommend that the chapter be summoned to show cause why it should not be erased .

( Signed ) ROBERT GREY , President . Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C , 16 th January , 1895 .

Consecration Of The Royal Naval And Military Chapter, No. 2404.

CONSECRATION OF THE ROYAL NAVAL AND MILITARY CHAPTER , No . 2404 .

This new Royal Arch chapter , which is attached to the Lord Charles Beresford Lodge , No . 2404 , was consecrated on Wednesday , the 23 rd ult ., at the Sun Hotel , Chatham , by Earl Amherst , Grand Superintendent of Kent , with a grand display of Masonic working , for which the companions of the province are eminent . More than once during the evening was this

referred to by his lordship , who expressed the feeling of pride which he had in presiding over a province which had so largely the interests of Masonry at heart . The success of the ceremony was complete , a circumstance on which the companions connected with the chapter had previousl y resolved and spared no efforts to carry out .

The chapter is the 24 th in the province , the 25 th—the Montreal , No . 2046 , yet remaining , which will be consecrated next week at Maidstone . The ceremonies of the 23 rd ult . had a brilliant array of provincial talent to conduct them , there being , in addition to Earl Amherst , Comps . ] . 3 . Eastes , P . '/ .. P . G . Std . Br . of England , Prov . G . H . ; Major-Gen . T . Cuming , P . Z , Prcv . G . J . ; Horatio Ward , P . Z ., P . G . Std . Br . of England , as D . of C . ;

and Thomas Samuel Warne , P . Z ., Prov . G . J ., who acted as Chaplain during the consecration , and afterwards installed the M . E . Z . and H ., Comp . Major-Gen . Cuming installing the J . Comp . Henry Tice , of Canterbury Cathedral , Prov . G . Org ., acted as Organist . The chapter was numerously aitendcd , as may be seen from the following list of companions present : — Comps . Alfred Spencer , P . P . G . J ., P . G . Std . Br . Eng . ; Henry Morris ,

P . G D . C ; C . Copland , P . G . J . ; Herbert Black , P . Z . 1273 , P . P . G . D . C ; Sidney Clarke , P . Z . 913 , P . G . P . S . ; Henry Mason , P . Z . 913 , P . P . G . P . S .: E . Walker , P . Z . 1174 , P . G . S . B . ; S . Warren , P . Z . 20 , P . G . D . C ; F , Nicholls , P . Z . 1050 P . A . G . D . C . ; Henry C . Jones , P . Z . 2099 , P . G . Std . ftr . ; J . Powell , M . E . Z . 199 . S . F .. 2195 ; Geo . W . Parsons , M . K Z . 1050 ; C J . Clapham . 913 ; H . J . Butler , 913 ; F . Nichols , Son ; T . Allan ; ' L . ™ ager , M . E . Z . 1273 ; E . R . A . Scones , ] . 1273 ; James S . White , H .

2099 ; G . Goble , P . Z . 1273 , ChailesR . Harris , A . S . 1273 ; G . W . Ray , L , s- u 74 i 1273 ; W . Kerby Westropp , H . 2195 ; W . Seaman , P . Z . 619 ; C- W . Church , 20 ; V . H . Stallon , 158 ; W . Lawrence , 150 ; G . T . Green , •/¦ ' . = > »; J- S . Fletcher , S . F .. 8 74 ; H . Nordy ; C . G . Anderson , 20 ; VV . A . Phipps , 2 nd A . S . 20 ; H . K . Knight , P . S . 20 ; G . J . Beck , S -L . 20 ; C . Graham , P . Z . 874 , P . P . G . R . ; Chas . W . Hudson , P . Z . 315 , 'S" 7 i and 1540 ; G . Ronaldson , P . S . 829 ; T . Hoyes , 10 S 6 ; Charles E . Ntinner , P . Z . 20 ; T . H . Newcombe , 103 ; Silas Waeron . P . Z . so ; . P . P .

I ' . S . B . ; G . Marker , 2099 ; Francis Powell , P . Z . 1174 ; E . B . Stephens , •• " 74 ; J . T . Funnell , P . Z . 20 , P . A . G . S . E . ; C . R . Cockburn , P . Z . 20 ; " -Massey , P . Z . 019 and 1928 ; R . Urquhart , Stwd . 20 ; J . VV . Peart , VPrJ' M ' Mathieson > 20 < G - H . Hcwett , 20 ; Eugene Sweny , 913 , '• P . ti . R , ; G . F . Baker , P . H . 503 ; and James E . Orum , 1174 , 20 , 1050 ,

The founders of the chapter were Comps . Lieut . Francis Powell , P . Z . ' " $ < " 74 . P . P . A . G . S . Hants and Isle of Wight , P . P . G . S . B . Kent ; Major i -award Barrington Stephens , J . 1174 ; Sergeant-Major Henry Mordy , William Phipps , John William Pearl , William John Beck , Charles James K ° se , Timothy Allan , and Thomas GoodallP . Z . P . P . G . O . Devon .

, , had AMHERST , in opening the proceedings , said that the companions ihpp - ed that day for the purpose of consecrating a new chapter { or ne 1 rovince of Kent , and adding one more to the roll of chapters of that 0 Vmce > A 11 the companions in Kent had the best interests of the raer at heart , and it must be verv satisfactory to diem that th *» Rn « nl

nunip W 3 S s P ? adin £ so "I " ' among them , and that the chapters were so c ous < Ihe Royal Arch was the completion of the Degrees and the thp - 1 Masonic edifice . Knowing so well that the companions had « eiv « ? rcst L the 0 rder at heart - he was sure theyW 0 ll , d not lend them-Orrl p a " > tn' » g but that which would further maintain the princi ples of the netitin 3 t ll was wilh lhlt knowledge he was pleased to see they had been w A * " 6 W cha P ' which thev wouId not have done if it had not wanted . But he . would charge them , while rejoicing at a new chapter

Consecration Of The Royal Naval And Military Chapter, No. 2404.

[ J > * ... . , „ , . UIVUIUCI so that the high character Freemasonry had attained throughout the world might not be tarnished , and no one ashamed to belong to it . Those wh 1 belonged to the Order were rejoiced at its prosperity , and he was sure there was not one companion present who was not deli ghted to have his name registeredamong Royal Arch Masons . Heaskedthemto remember thesefew words , f . et them all take the utmost care that the increase in the numbers should not

j „ , t uu * lunlu > 1 ^ auiiuuiu LU being opened , to remember each and all that numbers were not an indication of the prosperity of the Masonic Order , especially in an Order like the R . A . ; a great deal more important than numbers was the quality of the members . He would diligently charge all the companions of the chapter , and all companions riresent that dav . to bemostrarpfnl mhnm thpv artmittprl tnihoAnlar

reduce the character of those who belonged to it , but rather that the introduction of new members should tend to add further to the high character it possessed , and that the Order might be so respected that Masons would desire to have admission to it . The oration was delivered by Comp . Major-Gen . CUMING , acting J ., after

which the consecration was completed . The installation then took place as follows : Comps . Francis Powell , P . Z . 903 , 1174 , P . P . A . G . S . Hants and the Isle of Wi ght , P . P . G . S . B . Kent , M . E . Z ., and Edward Harrington Stephens , J . 1174 , H ., by Comp . Warne ; Henry Mordy , J ., by Comp . Cuming . The other officers were : Comps . William Augustus Phipps , John William Peart , William John Beck , Charles James Rose , Timothy Allan , Thomas Goodall , P . Z ., P . P . G . O ., Devon , and Rose , J mitor .

Votes of thanks and honorary membership of the chapter were carried to the Consecrating Officers , and the chapter was then closed , and the companions adjourned to a choice banquet , provided by the proprietor of the Sun Hotel , and most admirably served . The usual toasts followed .

Comp . ALFRED SPENCER , in responding to the toast of " The Second and Third Grand Principals , and the rest of the Grand Officers Present and Past , " which was proposed by Comp . Stephens , H ., said the work these companions had to do at Grand Chapter was not very onerous . The Royal Arch was the crown of the Craft , and Grand Chapter now and then made alterations in the rules which were considered for the benefit of the Order . Twelve months since they altered the rule which provided that a Master

Mason could not be admitted to the chapter till he had had the M . M . Degree 12 months . But now that rule could be altered to one month , and he hoped that that alteration would be appreciated by the companions , and tend very much to the advantage of Royal Arch Masonry . For himself , he thought it was a very good alteration , because if the Royal Arch was the completion of the Third Degree , it seemed rather out of date that a Master Mason should have to wait 12 months before he got it , when a brother in the Craft had to wait only a month between his other Degrees .

Comp . POWELL , M . E . Z ., in proposing " Ihe Grand Superintendent of Kent , Earl Amherst , " said if there had been any time during his career in Masonry—of 28 years as a Royal Arch Mason—if there had been one moment when he had been more proud than at another , it was the present occasion when he proposed that toast . Many years before he came into the Province of Kent , he had heard that Earl Amherst ' s name was a household

word throughout the province . If it was so in former times , what was it now ? They must all admit—there could be no gainsaying it—that he was simply beloved throughout the province , both north , south , east ,, and west . He might add that in no part of the province , as far as he knew , was he more beloved than in Chatham . He was sure he spoke in the name of many others when he expressed the wish and hope that the True and Living God Most High would grant him health and strength to preside over the province

in the same admirable manner as he had presided over it hitherto , for . many , many j ears to come , fn mentioning the name of Lord Amherst , he could not refrain from connecting with it the name of the Countess . Comp Earl AMHERST , in reply , said he was extremely obliged to the companions for the kind way in which they had accepted the M . E . Z . ' s remarks , and he should not fail to report to the Countess Amherst when he

got home the pleasant mention of her name . He had been afraid that morning when the weather was so bad in London that if it was as bad in the country that some of the companions mi ght not come to the ceremonies of the afternoon at Chatham , and he began to wonder how he should get through the ceremonies of the day ; he did not know how he should consecrate the chapter by himself . However , the weather moderated , and they had had

a most successful gathering . He could assure them that nothing gave the Grand Superintendent greater pleasure , as it had previously , than being able to attend , or to do anything for the interests of Royal Arch Masonry in the province . He always felt at home among them . It was a pleasure to him to see the way in which Royal Arch Masonry was spreading . He could not but rejoice , and he felt other Royal Arch

Masons rejoiced at seeing a new chapter originated . He and the other Provincial Grand Officers came down there to establish a new home for Royal Arch Masonry , and they found on that occasion that the solemn ceremony of consecration could be carried out in that province as it ought to be carried out—that the different ceremonies were not slurred over or done hurriedly . If they were slurred over they lost half their effect . To his

mind if the ceremonies were slurred over , the invoking of the name of the Most High amounted to irreverence . The ceremonies should be performed with all reverence and solemnity ; and happily for him , whenever he was called upon to preside at these ceremonies he had found the companions and brethren perfectly ready to agree with him in that view , and treat the ceremonies as of importance and worthy to be rendered in a reverential spirit .

He was quite sure that all the companions to whom he was speaking would endorse that view . In the working of the ceremonies , Comp . Ward had been of the greatest possible service . He always liked to give honour where honour was due . He was sorry Comp . Ward had left , and wished he could have stayed later . No trouble was too much for Comp . Ward ; he never cared how far away a Masonic function was , or at what time it was , or on what day of the week , he was sure to be there , and several hours before

the ceremony took place , in order that all the preparations might be perfect . Comp . Ward was the most valuable Director of Ceremonies the Superintendent of the province ever had , and the companions would agree that the smooth way the work went on was mainly due to Comp , Ward's thorough experience . If the ceremonies were properly conducted , the companions who heard the words could get some appreciation of their meaning , and justify themselves in bringing in that great and solemn name they were accustomed to use . So much for the ceremonies he had been

pleased to take part in . Let him now say what he said in in the chapter . He wished them a long standing and prosperous career for the chapter . They had started in an excellent way , with good founders and excellent Principals . They had a strong list , and every prospect of future success . He only hoped that in the future they would come up to the