Ad00703

OPIERS AND pOND'S CTORES ( NO TICKETS REQUIRED ) . QUEEN VICTORIA STREET , E . C . Opposite St . Paul ' s Station ( L . C . and D . Ry . ) PRICE BOOK ( 1000 pages , illustrated ) , free on application . FREE DELIVERY in Suburbs by our own Vans . LIBERAL TERMS FOR COUNTRY ORDERS . For full details see Price Book .

Ar00704

S ATURDAY F EBRUARY 31900 .

Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

The Quarterly Convocation of Supreme Grand Chapter will be held at Freemasons' Hall on Wednesday , the 7 th instant , but the only business that will be brought before the companions will be the Report of the Committee of General Purposes , which contains

little else than the usual recommendations as to warrants for new chapters , the removal of chapters , & c , & c . We notice , however , that a memorial is announced to have been received from the Phcenix Chapter , No . 914 , Port Royal , Jamaica—one of several chapters that were ordered to be removed from the roll at the Quarterly Convocation in November last

to the effect that it had been resuscitated , and Principals exalted and candidates exalted , for whom fees had been remitted , " prior to the action of Grand Chapter coming io ( heir knowledge . " Under these circums ! ances , the memorialists pray that the chapter may be restored to its place on the Register , and the Committee recommend that the prayer be acceded to .

« * * Warrants for four new chapters are recommended , of which two will be located in London ; one in North and East Yorkshire ; and one in Queensland . The London chapters will be named after the lodges to which they will be attached , namely , the Guildhall School of Music , No 245 ^ , and the Grafton , No . 2147 ,

respectively , the Principals designate of the latter being the Earl of Euston , M . E . Z . ; Viscount Dungarvan , H . ; and Sir Joseph C . Dimsdale , J . The new Yorkshire chapter will be located at Selby , under the wing of the St . Germain ' s Lodge , No . 566 , and will be known as the Salcbeia Chapter ; while the Queensland one will be named after and attached to the Southern Cross Lodge , No . 1315 , and meet at Toowoomba .

Masonic Notes.

We shall adopt our usual course of referring , some time between now and the day appointed for the celebration , to the approaching Festival in behalf of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . In the meantime , however , it will be good news to our readers to

hear that the number of ladies and brethren , whose services as Stewards Bro . Terry has been fortunate enough to enlist , already exceeds 400 . There is , therefore , a fair prospect that the Board will ultimately muster as many as last year's Board . To connect with

this fair prospect the hope that as big a return may be realised as was then attained , may suggest the idea that we are rather too sanguine , having regard to the many calls that are beingmade upon the brethren in

respect of the dilferent War and Refugee Funds ; but there can be no doubt the Committee of Management of the Institution will hail with satisfaction any announcement that approximates at all closely to that cl last year ' s Festival .

We have very great pleasure in announcing that the suggestion made by Bro . W . J . Hughan , P . G . D ., at the special meeting of the Jordan Lodge , No . 1402 , Torquay—held , as reported in our last week ' s columns , on Wednesday , the 17 th ult ., to do honour to the

memory of the late Bro . John Lane , P . A . G . D . C . — that the Masonic library of that brother should be secured by the lodge , and held as a memorial of so beloved and distinguished a Mason will be acted upon . The members have arranged to subscribe for

it among themselves , and as other brethren will be included among the subscribers , the Jordan Lodge will , at no distant date , be the fortunate possessor of a Masonic library , which Bro . Hughan has himself described as being invaluable for purposes of

reference-* * * We have received copy of a reprint of the biographical sketch of our late brother which appeared in The Comet for November , 1895 . The particulars contained in that portion of it in which his career in

Masonry is described have already appeared in our columns . As regards the other details we learn that Bro . Lane , who was born in 1843 , after serving for some years in the office of a solicitor at Torquay and Paignton , accepted , in 1865 , the position of clerk

and cashier in a large firm in Torquay . I his he resigned in 1871 , and set up for himself as an accountant . In 1 S 79 he was elected an Associate of the Society of Accountants , and the following year Associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants ; while , in 18 S 2

he became a Fellow of the latter . He was Secretary of the Torquay Cemetery and Steam Laundry Companies , and Auditor ol several public companies . He had also served as Guardian and Overseer of the Poor for the Torquay District . Moreover , he appears to

have been a frequent contnbu tor to contemporary literature , among the most notable of his essays being a paper on " The Court Rolls of the Manor and Borough of Paignton , Devon , " which he contributed to the transactions of the Devonshire Association at

the Newton Abbey meeting in 18 S 4 . These particulars amply justify our statement that his life was a busy one , and increase our feeling of surprise that in the midst of all these responsible duties he should have found the leisure to compile so vast a work as his " Masonic Records . "

A meeting of the General Committee of the West Lancashire Masonic Educational Institution will be held at the Masonic Hall , Liverpool , Ibis ( Friday ) evening at 7 p . m ., when a number of applications will be considered with a view to the names beinir

placed on Ihe list of candidates for election at the next Court of Governors . The applicants are 14 in number , seven of them being for the " Educational Fund , " four for the " Combined Fund , " and three for the "Advancement Fund . "

* * * We . ' earn from the Philadelphia Keystone that " Donation Day" at the Pennsylvanian Masonic Home in Philadelphia , was held on the ist ult ., the attendance being unusually large and the total of the donations in

excess of those of the previous year . The Home was open during the day for the inspection of its patrons and friends . In the afternoon a capital entertainment commencing with prayer and an address by Bro . Louis Wagner , the President , and consisting chiefly of vocal

music and recitations , was given . At the conclusion of this , the Weldy Memorial Tablet , in honour of the late Christine Weldy , founder of the " Christine Weldy Fund" of the Home , was unveiled . The donations amounted to within a fraction of G 745 dollars ( £ i 349 ) -

Masonic Notes.

On Wednesday , the 3 rd ult ., 61 out of the 72 Stewards of the Stephen Girard Charity Fund of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania met together at the Masonic Hall , Philadelphia : the special purpose of the gathering being the presentation of a handsome silver loving cup to Bro . Barclay J . Woodward , who

was first appointed to the Board of Stewards in December , 1876 , and had held office as its President for the last 19 years . The cup , which was subscribed for by his brother Stewards , bore a suitable inscription to the effect that it was presented to Bro . Woodward " as a mark of affectionate regard and esteem " by his associates .

* « » At the annual convocation of the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Pennsylvania , which was held at the Masonic Hall , Philadelphia , on the 27 tn December last , the following companions were elected to the principal offices for the ensuing year , namely : —

Comps . Michael W . Jacobs , G . H . P . ; Edwd . B . Spencer , G . King ; H . Oscar Kline , G . Scribe ; Thomas R . Patton—for the 27 th time—G . Treasurer ; and Charles Cary , G . Secretary . The address of the Grand High Priest , dealt for the most part with matters of local interest .

» * * From the report we have received of the proceedings of the semi-annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand , which was held in the Agricultural Hall , Dunedin , on the 31 st October last , it appear : that prominent among the visitors on the occasion

were Bros . Thos . Sherlock Graham , Dist . G . M . of Otago and Southland , under the English Constitution ; James Gore , Dist . G . M . New Zealand , under the Scottish Constitution ; and David A . McNicotl , Past D . P . G . M . of New Zealand , under the Irish Constitution . There were also , we are told , many W . Ms .,

P . Ms ., Wardens , and officers present of lodges which still remain in allegiance to the Grand Lodges of the United Kingdom . The Grand Lodge would appear also , to be in a sound position financially , if we may judge from the amounts standing to the credit of the several Funds , as set forth in the report of the Board

of General Purposes , namely , on the General Fund , £ 744 ; on the Fund of Benevolence , £ 18 79 ; on the Masonic Widows' and Orphans' Fund , £ 652 ; and on the Aged and Indigent iMasons' Fund , £ 212 . We are pleased to learn that the Grand Lodge is , in this

respect , so well established , while stronger evidence of the friendly relations now prevailing among the Masons of the four Constitutions could not be desired thar that which tie presence at the meeting of the distinguished brethren above-named affords .

* * * We desire to call especial attention to our report o | the proceedings of the recent installation meeting ol the Empire Lodge , No . 2108 . This lodge , which is borne on the register of the United Grand Lodge of England , is , as our readers are aware , intended tc

serve as a London home for brethren hailing from the different Colonies and Dependencies of the British Crown . During the 14 or 15 years that have elapsed since its constitution , it has had many opportunities of welcoming distinguished Colonial Masons and in every instance these worthy brethren have taken the

opportunity of showing how highly they appreciated the kind reception accorded them . The lodge , indeed , throughout its whole career has in its necessarily restricted , yet , influential sphere , striven , to the utmost extent ol its ability , to being closer and still closer together the Masonic subjects of the Queen in

whatever part of her vast empire they mi ght be resident . But at no previous meeting has the advantage of having such a lodge in the Metropolis of the British Empire been made more manifest than it was on the 23 rd ult ., when the members , who are connected professionally , commercially , or otherwise

with the Colonies , had the pleasure of entertaining a host of visitors , prominent among them bring Bro . Sir Walter Peace , the Agent-General for Natal ; Bro . Geo . Richards , Dist . Grand Master of thy Transvaal ; and representative Masons from ^ Canada , New Brunswick , and elsewhere . * * *

Nor could the time have been more opportune for such a gathering . A great war is raging throughout British South Africa , in which the armies of the Queen , both home and Colonial , are fighting to uphold her honour , and that of the whole British Empire . For months past the entire British community in South Africa have been suffering untold hardships and

privations , among them being many hundreds of the brethren belonging to the lodges in the Transvaal , as well as to others in Natal and the Masonic Districts in Cape Colony . The Empire Lodge , recognising the claims of our fellow-countrymen who are lighting iii Natal so gallantly , and more especially . of ujr Transva il brethren , who , even before war broke oat were

with their families , homeless and well-ni gh penniless refugees , generously voted 10 guineas to the Natal War Fund , and 20 guineas to Bro . Richards ' * Transvaal Masonic Relief Fund . We trust the example set by the Empire Lodge , and by other lodges and brethren , will be more generally followed , and that Bro . Richards ' s Fund will soon obtain a larger measure of support .