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CONTENTS . PAGE * Freemasonry duritig the Grand Mastership of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales 229 Conrerning Festivals ... ..... ... ... ... 233 Grand Festival of United Grand Lodge ... ... ... ... 234 New Grand Officers ... ... ... ... ... ... 236 Royal Masonic Institution for Boys ... ... ... ... ... 243 ron secratinn of the Engineer Lodge , No . 2 S 99 ... ... ... 243

Supreme Grand Chapter of England ... ... ... ... 243 Masonic Notes ... ... ... ... ... ... 245 Correspondence ... .... ... ... ... ... 240 Reviews ... ••••••... •••••••••246 Provincial Grand Lodge of West Yorkshire ... ... ' ... ... 2 4 6 Israel Lodge of Instruction , No . 205 ... ... ... ... 250

Openingof a New Freemasons Hall at Exeter ... ... ... ... 252 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 252 Royal Arch Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 256 Mark Masonry ... •... ... ... ... ... 256 Obituary ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 256 Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 258

Freemasonry During The Grand Mastership Of H.R.H. The Fringe Of Wales.

FREEMASONRY DURING THE GRAND MASTERSHIP OF H . R . H . THE FRINGE OF WALES .

Wednesday , when in accordance with ancient custom , United Grand Lodge held high Festival , was the 21 st anniversary of tlur Prince of WALES ' S installation as M . W . Grand Master of Knsjlancl , and as his Royal Highness has been pleased to mark

this auspicious event by conferring brevet rank as Past Grand Ofiicers on many deserving brethren , it seems not inappropriate lhat we should signalise thc occasion by , in the first place , tendering him our most respectful congratulations on his successful presidency over our Grand Lodge during a period

which has only been exceeded in the case of three of his distinguished predecessors ; and in the next , by describing as fully and circumstantially as the limited time and space at our disposal will permit , the chief events which have occurred during his administration and the beneficial consequences to the whole

Craft of Masonry throughout the British Empire which have resulted from his acceptance and retention of the exalted position to which one and twenty years ago he was elected by the

unanimous vote of the brethren . There are many among us who can well remember the deep regret and , for the moment , the . feeling almost of dismay , with which , in the late summer of ¦ 8 74 , the wholly unlocked for announcement was received by the

general body of English Masons of the resignation of all his ¦ Masonic offices by the Marquis of RlPON , who for the previous ; ' 3 years had served either as Deputy G . Master or Grand Master ° f United Grand Lodge , as well as Grand Master of one of our largest and most influential Provinces . But though the regret

; remained , thc feeling of dismay soon passed . The wise and experienced counsellors whom he and his predecessor , the ' ¦ A * Earl of ZETLAND had' gathered around them , soonto use a familiar . but expressive . phrase—pulled themselves

to gether and addressing themselves to the Prince of WALES , Mho was ( jien 7 p (; Grand Master , respectfully invited , ls Koyal Hi ghness to accept the vacant oilice and preside 'Ar the destinies of the Craft in England , as several

lumbers of the Royal Family before him had done with so much 'oiiour to themselves and so signally to the advaatage of the ¦ "Arnity . The Prince at once and most graciously promised 0 undertake the duties of Grand Masterif it were the pleasure

, " the Craft to elect him , and on the 28 th April , 18 75 , his Royal 'gliiiess was formally inducted into the chair and proclaimed j •"•W . G . Master amid such demonstrations of enthusiastic

; 5 , l " -y and in the presence of such a gathering of theSocietyin tlie A" Albert Hall , South Kensington , as had never previously . 1 ; [ never since been witnessed in this or any other country , l (;' * Freemasonry is recognised and by law permitted to

Freemasonry During The Grand Mastership Of H.R.H. The Fringe Of Wales.

fulfil the many and important duties it owes to God , its neighbour , and itself . Be it our present task to show what has happened in Masonry since the day it became known that , as thc Prince had been nominated to serve as Grand Master at the Grand Lodge

Communication in December , 18 74 , his Royal Highness was virtually Grand Master elect , and would in the ordinary course of things be installed in office at the Grand Festival next ensuing or on such other day as might suit his convenience . And first as to what , in Masonic parlance , is known as

CRAFT MASONRY . From the Grand Lodge Calendar issued for the year 1 S 75 we learn that the number of lodges on the roll of United G . Lodge at thc close of 18 74 was 1514 . Of these , there were located in London , 212 ; in the Provinces , 832 ; and in the Colonies , & c .

374 ; the remaining lodges having either returned their warrants or been erased . The highest number on the roll of G . Lodge , in the G . Lodge Calendar which was published early in December last , for the current year , is 2590 , so that in the 21 years between December , 18 74 , and December , 18 95 , as many as 1076

were warranted . But the number remaining on the roll at the latter date was 2146 , of which 425 were located in London , 1275 in the Provinces , and 44 6 in the Colonies , & c , thc number of those which have been removed from the list being 445 , inclusive , of course , of those we have before referred to as

having been removed from the roll through various causes prior to December , 1874 . But of these , only a very small proportion have dropped out of existence . The remainder are still in full active working , and , as far as we know , the greater number of them are in a condition of greater , rather than of less , prosperity .

Among them are , firstly , the lodges which severed" their connection with the G . Lodge of England about 186 9 and 18 70 , when the Grand Lodges in British North America other than the G . Lodge of Canada were formed ; secondly , those which have left us , with a hearty God-speed for their future prosperity , during

the last ten years or thereabouts , and have helped to form the G . Lodges of S . Australia , New South Wales , Victoria , and Tasmania ; and , lastly , those which have seceded from our Constitution and taken part in the formation of , or joined , the unrecognised G . Lodge of New Zealand . It is more than

probable , therefore , that of the 2590 . lodges , together with the G . Stewards' Lodge , which have figured on tlie roll of United Grand Lodge since the last re-numbering of the lodges in 186 3 ,

fully 2500 are still in existence , and of these about 1000—that is to say , two-fifths—have received their warrants of constitution from his Royal Highness the Prince of WALES during the 21 years of his M . W . G . Mastership .

But there are other matters to be considered in forming our estimate of the condition and progress of English Craft Freemasonry than the mere numerical additions that may have been made under his Royal Highness ' s auspices , and prominent amongst these are , firstly , the stimulus to greater energy on the

part of the brethren which has been created by his presidency over our Society and the certain knowledge that , in spite of the heavy demands upon his time , there was nothing of importance which happened in or to our lodges of which his Royal Highness did not take cognisance , and into which , if good reason were

shown , he did not cause inquiry to be instituted ; secondly , the greater attention paid to the fulfilment of thc regular lodge duties , and a more general desire among Craftsmen to make themselves more thoroughly acquainted with the ritual ; and , lastly , the very exemplary character of the greater number of

the lodges for which he has been pleased to grant his warrants of constitution . It is now the exception , rather than , as of old time it used to be , the rule , for one member of a lodge to confer degrees and instal the Master , or for one brother of exceptional

ability as a ritualist to perform these duties for—if we may be : allowed to use the expression—his particular clientele of lodges . Now , brethren are apt to look askance at a Master who does not discharge at least a portion of this branch of the duties pertain-