United Grand Lodge Of England.

The Board also submit a statement of the "Grand Lodge accounts at the last meeting of the Finance Committee , held on Friday , the I ith day of August inst ., shosving a balance in the Bank of England ( Western Branch ) of ^ 5644 3 s . 4 d „ and in the hands of the Grand Secretary for petty cash , ^ 100 , and for servants ' wages , ; £ ioo , and balance of annual allosvance for library , . £ 0 , 9 s . lod .

( Signed ) THOMAS FENN , President . Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C , 15 th August , 18 93 . Notice of motion by Bro . WILLIAM FARSUHARSON LAMONBY , P . M . 9 C 2 and

1002—That in order to insure and preserve the rights and financial standing of its members in foreign parts , where District Grand Lodges have been dissolved , consequent on the establishment of independent Grand Lodges , this Grand Lodge considers it expedient to have in its possession all books , returns , and documents relating to registrations , made in accordance with Aiticle III ., Book

of Constitutions , in connection with such dissolved districts , and that , therefore , the late District Grand Secretaries of the dissolved District Grand Lodges of South Australia , Nesv South Wales , Victoria , and Tasmania , be requested to forsvard to the Grand Secretary the books , returns , and documents referred to .

List of lodges for tvhich warrants have been granted by the M . W Grand Master since the last Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge . No . 24 S 2 . The Duchess of York Lodge , Manchester . 2483 . The Hadrian Lodge , Westham , Sussex .

2484 . The Second Middlesex Artillery Lodge , London . 2485 . Zoutpansberg Liberty Lodge , Pietersburg , South African Republic . 2486 . The Franklin Lodge , Hebron , Barkly West , Cape of Good Hope .

Consecration Of The West Ham Mare Lodge, No. 457.

CONSECRATION OF THE WEST HAM MARE LODGE , No . 457 .

•On Thursday , the 24 th ult ., the West Ham Mark Master Mason ' s Lodge , No . 457 , was consecrated at the Langthorne Rooms , Stratford , by Bro . C . Fitzgerald Matier , G . Sec , in the presence of a large number of brethren

of the Mark Degree . Thebrethren who assisted the Consecrating Officer were Bros . Gordon Miller , P . G . Treas ., as S . W . ; J . Balfour Cockburn , P . G . D ., as J . W . ; Rev . T . McDougall Mundle , P . M . 418 , as Chaplain ; A . R . Carter , G . J . O ., as D . C . ; Richard Clowes , P . G . O ., as I . G . ; and Edward J . Mills , G . Tyler .

The musical arrangements were under the direction of Bro . Puttick , Prov . G . Org . Middx . Among the other brethren who attended were the following founders of the lodge : Bros . James Boulton , P . G . S . B . ; Charles William Carrell , A . G . D . C ; Frederick Charles Dutton Fenn , 406 ; Walter Scott McDonald ,

406 ; William Green Norman , 350 ; Alfred Reed , 406 ; Joseph Henry Rettallack-Moloney , 406 ; George Henry Scrutton , 350 ; and Bros . A . L . Reedham , W . Goodchild , P . M . 418 ; Alex . Stesvart Brown , G . Stwd . ; H . Barrosv , J . Byford , jun ., P . M . 350 ; George Graveley , Prov . J . G . W . East Anglia ; T . S . Metcalfe , G . VVard Verry , P . G . S . B . ; H . Massey , P . G . Stwd . ; and Marx Gross , who acted as Tyler .

At the conclusion of the consecration and constitution of the lodge , Bro . Charles William Carrell was installed as W . M . The other officers svere Bros . j . Moore Smith , S . W . ; W . G . Norman , J . W . ; A . Reed , Treas . ;

F . C . D . Fenn , Sec . ; J . H . R . Moloney , M . O . ; G . H . Scrutton , S . O . ; and W . J . McDonald , J . O . Bro . J . Boulton , P . M ., was appointed and invested toact for the first year as I . P . M . Thanks were voted to the Consecrating Officers , who were elected honorary members of the lodge , and thc usual closing dosvn was follosved by a choice banquet provided b y the proprietor of the Langthorne Rooms .

After the banquet , the toasts were proposed , and " The Queen , " " The Prince of Wales , " and " The Earl of Euston " having been complimented , Bro , A . R . CARTER replied to this last toast as Junior Grand Overseer of the year . Bro . GEORGE GRAVELEY , Prov . J . G . W . East Anglia , responding to the toast of " Lord Henniker , Prov . G . M ., and the Provincial Grand

Officers , " said , as far as the province was concerned , he was one of its oldest Grand Officers , and was deliijhted that his name had been coupled with the toast . He had not ha' * any information from the Grand Master about the consecration , and the Mark Masons of the province knesv nothing about it . He therefore thought there had been remissness on the part of the Provincial . Grand Secretary . He svas indebted to Past Master Boulton for being present that eve * ing , and being present , and havintr a hearty

feeling in f .-ivour nf the best interests of M irk Masonry , he wislurd the West Ham Lodjieas much success as Lord Henniker himself would wish it if he was jiri-s-ni . H > ' elt-sired to mention erne matter . His osvn lotlge—the George Graveley Mirk Lod >; e—which was consecrated tsvo months ago , was being run very close by the West Ham Lodge . The contest would be the Oxford and Cambridge of next year to see which would do the best in the province .

•Bro . C . F . MATIER , G . Sec , proposed "The West Ham Lodge , No . 467 , " which , he was sure , would succeed under so able an administrator as Major Carrell , whom he had known intimately and well for many years . Bro . CARRELL , W . M ., in reply , said that he had tried to carefull y perform not only his official duties in the borough ol West Ham , but also his Masonic duties . It had been a great drawback to Masonry in that district

that the late G . Secretary of the- Craft had refused warrants for new lodges in the neighbourhood . On that account Masonry was rather behind hand in that locality . If they took West Ham , which svas now the seventh tosvn in the kingdom , and compared the number of its lodges with other ttisvns—take Bolton—they would find that West Ham had suffered from being allied with thc Metropolis . No doubt the late Col . Shadsvell Clerke was actuated by the best motives , but he prevented the grosvth of Freemasonry in that

important area . It was with some difficulty they got the West Ham Abbey Lodge , but the success of that lodge showed that the brethren were justified in petitioning for a warrant , for now it had nearly 80 memb > rs , or more . Since then another warrant had been granted , svhich had a larger number of members . They had nosv a Mark lodge , and Masonry svould profit b y that . Thev were not going to be content svith one lodge , but would have oihers at Forest Gate , Canning Tosvn , and Silvcrlosvn . ln Bolton they had several Craft lodges , and two Mark lodges . There was plenty of

Consecration Of The West Ham Mare Lodge, No. 457.

room for the growth of Masonry in West Hani , and he hoped that that lodge svould be the pioneers of it , and that not only the Mark , but the Allied Degrees , the Royal and Select Masters , and other Degrees in Freemasonry ss'ould flourish there . He sincerely believed that there was a grand future for Freemasonry in West Ham . Bro . CARRELL next proposed ' - •The Consecrating Master and

hit-Assistants , and mentioned that since Bro . Matier had been Grand Secretary the number of the Mark lodges had greatly increased . The Worshipful Brother made several complimentary remarks svith reference to the Assistant Consecrating Officers , Bros . Gordon Miller , P . G . Treas ., and Dr . Cockburn , who had come all the way from Jersey , Bro . A . R . Carter , and the Chaplain , Bro . the Rev . T . McDougall Mundle , and Bro . Richard Clowes , whose genial countenance and able work made him a persona errata wherever he went .

Bro . MATIER replied to the toast , which was received with the greatest enthusiasm . His acting as Consecrating Officer svas a mere incident . Up to the last moment—at least up to the last seven days—it was hoped that Lord Henniker would has'e acted , svhen no doubt he would ha \ e summoned to his aid the Provincial Grand Officers of East Anglia . His lordshi p , however , svas laid up with gout , and only on the 18 th instant telegraphed

that he could not attend . Consequently there ss'ere many thanks due to those Grand Officers from Guernsey , Brighton , and other places , who had consented to come at the last moment to assist . Bro . Matier , after paying a high compliment to Bro . the Rev . C . J . Martyn , the Deputy Pros-. Grand Master , and saying that at present there was a splendid organisation in East Anglia , advised the brethren to be very careful before they cut themselves adrift .

Bros , the Rev . J . MCDOUGALL , MUNDLE , and COCKBURN responded to the toast of " The Visitors . " Bro . CARRELL , in proposing "Prosperity to the Mark Benevolent Fund , " narrated a case which had come to his personal experience with reference to distress caused by the disastrous floods in Brisbane . A lady having called on bim svith respect to that disaster , he wrote out to tbe Grand Secretary in Sydney , telling him the circumstance of the case , and asking him to relieve

it if it was a genuine one , and he would honour the liability . The necessity was relieved . The Mark Benevolent Fund was administered in a masterl y manner , and the Board had alss'ays relieved every genuine case of distress . He mentioned particularly the benefits of the educational branch , by which parents had the control of their children , who were educated in their respective neighbourhoods . He asked the lodge for support for the Mark Benes'olent Fund .

Bro . GORDON MILLER , in reply , said the life and soul of the Mark Benevolent Fund was the Grand Secretary of the Mark Degree , who was so voracious that everywhere he went he ssvallowed a Steward . The g > eat object of the Board was to administer the funds fairly and equitably . In conclusion , he expressed the belief that the West Ham Mark Lodge would take a very prominent position in Masonry . The toast of " The Officers " and the Tyler ' s toast closed the proceedings , which were most enjoyable throughout .

"Free Masonry," Operative And Speculative.

"FREE MASONRY , " OPERATIVE AND SPECULATIVE .

The follosving address was delivered by Bro . H . Sadler , at the Clarence Lodge of Instruction , No . 263 , on the 15 th ult ., and referred to in our last issue : — Brethren , in the explanation of the tracing board which has just been so ably delivered by the Worshipful Master , you have heard something of the doings of our ancient brethren at the building of King Solomon ' s Temple .

I will not , therefore , detain you by any attempt to enlarge upon that interesting subject , but in order to render the remarks I am about to make perfectly clear , as well as logical , it is necessary that 1 should say a few words , by way of introduction , wilh reference to the usages and customs of our Masonic ancestors of a period somesvhat less remote . You are , doubtless , aware that within our ranks , as well as outside of them , there are some who are inclined

to dispute our having the slightest connection , either with the Masons who were employed at the erection of the Temple at Jerusalem , or with their successors , in the building art , of a period much nearer our own time , and looking at the subject from one standpoint only , without knowledge , either of the ancient customs of the operative fraternity , or of the origin and history of Speculative Masonry , it would appear that thee are some

grounds for their objections . For my osvn part , hosveser , I have not the shadow of a doubt upon the question . I am perfectly satisfied that this grand Brotherhood of ours , which embraces within its fold such an immense proportion of the human race , is directly descended from that enlig htened band of skilful architects and builders , svhose svorks have been the admiration of eve y succeeding generation , and which , even , in this age of

invention and rapid progress , cannot fail to excite in our minds feelings of veneration for their historic associations , as well as wonder at the skill and perseverance displayed in their construction , and their exquisite beauty ol workmanship . Don ' t misunderstand me , brethren—I have not the remotest intention of taxing your good nature to the extent of asking you to believe that the Three Degrees were worked in the days of King Solomon ,

or even at a much later period , precisely as they are nosv . There were certainly three grades or divisions in the Operative Fraternity , namely , Apprentices , Fellosvs or Craftsmen , and Masters or Overseers , and there can be no doubt but that was the origin of our Three Degrees , although I am inclined to think the ceremony observed by the operatives in conferring ihesc distinctions svas of a very brief and simple character . The term Fellow , I

should imagine , svas only applied to the ordinary workmen , those who had duly served their apprenticeship , while the Masters were , of course , those who employed them or superintended the svork . My own impression is that the operatives only had two distinct Degrees—those of Apprentice and Fellow , and that thc M ' asters were selected from the latter body for thc superiority of their professional attainments , much in the same way as the

Masters of our lodges svere selected in the early d * ys of S peculative Masonry . I svill nosv endeavour to point out to you a fesv of svhat I consider to be unmistakable links connecting our present system of Speculative or Symbolic Masonry svith the Operative Masonry of past ages . First , as to the name by svhich our assemblages are knosvn—lodtres . We all know

that in a non-Masonic sense the term lodge has , fro n time imnieniori'ih been applied to a small building either attached , or adjacent , to a larger one . as in the case of most old country mansions or castles , vcry few of wli" *' but have one or more lodges in their vicinity . It seems to mc quite feasible that while engaged in the erection ol those splendid cathedrals , a ^'*? -., '' ' castles , and other noble edifices , some of which are still in existence , ¦ v' * '