Contents.

CONTENTS .

KcV Engla ^ - 3 * 6 S & andlodge of England 3 = 6 Zvincial Grand Mark LodE e of North and East Yorkshire 327 Consecration of the Powell Lodge , No . 2257 , at Bristol 3 V CORRSSPONDENCIBro Birch ' s Motion as to Elections 329 The Anonymous Circular—Boys' School 329 ¦ . ¦ hnll Grand Lodge Seals 330

Reviews 33 ° Notes and Queries 330 S PORTS OF M ASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 330 Instruction 332 Royal Arch 332 Instruction 333 Mark Masonry 333 Knights Templar 333

REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGS ( Continued)—Red Cross of Rome and Constantine 333 Royal Ark Mariners 333 Allied Masonic Degrees 333 Egypt 333 South Africa 334 Centenary Celebration of the Unanimity and Sincerity Lodge , No . 261 , at Taunton 334 r n , lr . » nf A „ f . ' rtnlfi / and fhe Emr > eror

Frederick 334 Resuscitation of the "William Stuart Preceptory , No . 76 334 Provincial Grand Lodge of Kent 334 Royal Masonic Institution for Boys 335 Craft Abroad 335 * Theatres 335 Masonic Funeral at North Shields 335 Masonic and General Tidings . * . 33 * 3 Lodge Meetings for Next Week iv .

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IT will be seen from the record we publish elsewhere that the Uniied Grand business which will be submitted to Grand Lodge at its ° Se- Quarterly Commmunication on Wednesday next is somewhat heavier than usual , and contains one or two matters which are calculated to

attract a considerable amount of interest . It is not often we see so many brethren nominated to serve on the Board of General Purposes and the Colonial Board , and should all whose names have been put forward go to the poll , there is every likelihood , as the regards the former Board , that the contest will be somewhat keen . But the matters which vvill be awaited with

the greatest share of attention will be the communication to be received from the Pro Grand Master " relative to the present position of Masonry in New South Wales , " and the complaint of the Prov . Grand Secretary

of Suffolk as to certain canvassing in connection with the election of Grand Treasurer in March . As to the latter subject we offer no remark till we have before us more definite information , while as

regards the former , which was recently referred to in our columns , it will suffice perhaps if we state our belief that whatever the course may be which the Pro Grand Master , in the exercise of his discretion , may think proper to recommend , the brethren may rely with confidence on its being one which

will conduce to the well-being of Freemasonry in that Australasian Colony without being in the slightest derogatory to the dignity and influence of Grand Lodge . The Earl of CARNARVON has recently visited Sydney , and has had an opportunity of forming an independent judgment as to the real

merits or demerits of the differences existing between the so-called Grand Lodge of New South Wales and the lodges under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of England , and we may be sure that any proposal which nis lordshi p may see proper to make will be dictated by motives of wisdom and discretion , and will redound to the advantage of the Craft .

* * * j . THE half-yearly communication of the Grand Lodge of Mark Lodge ? " Master Masons will take place on Tuesday next , when the usual report will be submitted by the General Board , and the Grand Officers for the year will be appointed . For the office of Grand reasurer there is only one candidate , Bro . J . L . MATHER , who has

occu-. the P ° st during the past year , having gracefully resigned his candif'ure in favour of Bro . E . LETCHWORTH . For the rest the matters dealt in the Report , though they indicate an amount of solid progress during nf . u year ' especiaIIy in relation to the finances of the Grand Lodge , are

ti ° ™ lnary character and call for no special comment . A communicate ™ ' ° wever , will be received from His Royal Highness the GRAND ha ST if ''" ' ch ! t wi " be stated that certain distinguished Mark brethren ml' tlle ranIc an < * privileges of Past G . Officers conferred on them in

havi ? 0 ratl 0 n of the QUEEN ' Jubilee , the bestowal of these honours cati * ^ delayed ' consequence of the time occupied in communi-Co ! o * Ttfl l ^ e *> rov" ***• Masters abroad . But we do not imagine that our 'hem th r ^ brethren will esteem the rank and privileges conferred upon "lavo ' H *! '" conse 1 uence ° f a delay which , in the nature of things , was * .. *

* -t * Girls ' School AT k " - ? 111 we fint * ourselves within easy distance of the great FesUv f C - Vent wtllch ' las been engrossing so large a share of our atten-R 0 yal I ? ' tlon during the last 12 months—the Centenary Festival of the next th v . * "' Institutio " Gir , s > which wi " celebrated on Thursday the p e 7 th lnstan t-in the Royal Albert Hall , under the presidency of H . R . H . probabi ^ ° l W SJ M - W . G . M ., and amid such surroundings as , in all ^ aracte ^ h & rare ^» ^ ever * graced any previous Festival of a similar r either within or outside the limits of Freemasonry . The Board

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of Stewards , which numbers already over 1400 brethren , includes in its ranks nearly 30 of our Provincial Grand Masters , and has Bro . the Earl of LATHOM , Deputy G . Master of England , and Prov . G . Master of West Lancashire , for its Honorary President , and Bro . Lord LEIGH , Prov . G . Master of Warwickshire , the doyen of the Prov . G . Masters , for its

Honorary Treasurer . Nearly all the Present and a numerous contingent of Past Grand Officers—the two classes together mustering upwards of 100- — have volunteered their services . The Metropolis , instead of having , as at ordinary Festivals , about one-third of its lodges represented , will have on this occasion quite two-thirds , if not more , to swell the list , while its

Unattached brethren constitute of themselves a most respectable Board of Stewards . Every province in England has at least one representative , while many of the more important as regards the number of their lodges , such as the two Lancashires , West Yorkshire , Warwickshire , Kent , Middlesex , Hants and the Isle of Wight , & c , will each of them send up

from 50 to 100 Stewards , or even more , the contingent from West Yorkshire being upwards of 150 strong . The Province of the Isle of Man has likewise three Stewards , while of the Districts Abroad , those of Malta and Gibraltar in Europe , of Bengal , Bombay , Madras , and the Eastern Archipelago in Asia , and of Queensland , Victoria , Western Australia , and

Auckland , N . Z ., at the Antipodes , will be found among the contributors , One lodge , hailing from Warwickshire , furnishes as many as 30 Stewards , and there are many others , both in town and country , which have from eight to ten representatives . As we have said before , such an array of Stewards , and one so universally representative ol the Masonic sub-divisions

of England has never previously been heard of , and though we are not so sanguine as those who estimate the Returns that will be announced at a figure which we believe is unapproachable even by such a Board as we have described , we anticipate the amount will be sufficient to cover the ordinary expenditure , and allow of the Centenary Memorial Scheme being carried

out in its entirety . As regards the Festival and the manner in which it may be expected to pass off , our experience of the two immense Masonic gatherings which have been held in the Royai Albert Hall—at the installation of the Prince of WALES as Grand Master in April , 1875 , and at the Jubilee meeting in June of last year—is such as to warrant the belief , that

the efforts of the Executive Committee will be as completely successful on Thursday next as on the two occasions referred to . Bro . Sir ALBERT WOODS , G . Director of Ceremonies , will have sole charge of the ceremonies of the evening , while the Executive Committee , of which Bro . ROBERT GREY , P . G . D ., President of the Board of Benevolence , is

Chairman , will see that all the details of the necessary arrangements are carefull y worked out . Bro . Sir REGINALD HANSON , Bart ., P . G . W ., is Chairman of the Ladies' Stewards , and we may be sure that under his able and genial direction , whatever is calculated to promote the comfort and pleasure of the fair visitors who may honour the occasion with their presence will be

seen to , or , more likely still , anticipated , while the reservation of the whole of the Anglo-Danish Exhibition ( which we believe will be opened till 11 o ' clock ) , and its numerous attractions for the Stewards and their fiiends is an additional boon which we doubt not will be immensely appreciated . In fact , if the glowing anticipations of those behind

the scenes are only in part realised , the third of the great Masonic meetings in the Royal Albert Hall promises to be the most successful of them all . The distribution of prizes , which of late years has been very properly associated with the anniversary celebration , will take place on Monday next , when the most important part of the ceremony will be undertaken by the Countess of

CARNARVON , wife of our respected and popular Pro Grand Master , whom it is a pleasure to us all to see once again in our midst with his health and strength renewed by his recent visit to Australia . On this occasion , likewise , the gathering will be exceptionally interesting , and the assemblage of ladies and brethren many times more numerous than in ordinary years . The

children also will be admitted to a share in the pleasures , as well as in the duties , of the day , and their presence will lend a charm to Monday's meeting , which , of necessity , will be wanting at the more important gathering on Thursday . However , it is well that the two days should have each of them their particular attractions , and it is better still that the puoils of the

Institution , for whose welfare all this solicitude is being exercised , should be made participators in a portion of the general festivity . Thus , so far as it has been possible to make them , the necessary arrangements for the Girls' School Centenary Festival have been settled , and if the Clerk of the Weather will only show himself as considerate as he ordinarily does in

the early days of June , and if the guests will carefully observe the simple directions issued for their guidance , we shall be indulging in no rash forecast if we express our belief that in future the Monday and Thursday of next week will always rank among the reddest of red-letter days in the annals of

English Freemasonry . The Executive Committee and the Secretary of the Board of Stewards have done their utmost to deserve success , and we are justified in believing that this success , for which they have striven so arduously , will be forthcoming ,