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Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

Grand Lodge met in Ouartcrly Communication at Fiuiir . aions' Hall on Wednesday , when , in the absence of his Royal Highness the M . W . Grand Master and thc Earl of Lathom , Pro Grand Master , the throne was occupied by Hail Amherst , Deputy Grand Master . 'I here was a full attendance of Grand Officers , Present SATURDAY , J 4 , 18 9 S .

anil Patt , as well as i . i tlie representatives of the private lodges , and thc programme of business , as announced last week , was dealt with promptly and lluuoiighl y . The most important item was that which fitted to the Grand Lodge of Peru , its banishment of

the Volume of the Sacred law ( rum thc altars of all the lodges tinder its jurisdiction , and its erasure of the «' ord " 11 : 1 , 1 c " from its ritual , and thc brethren lust no (| mc in adopting th- scries of resolutions tecommended by thc Grand Master , thereby declining to •ccogmV- the said Grand Ledge of Peru as u Masonic

Masonic Notes.

body . The motion of Bro . Sir J . B . Monckton , Past G . W ., to grant 500 guineas to the Royal Jfasonic Institution for Boys , on the occasion of its Centenary Festival , at which the Prince of Wales will preside as

Chairman , was agreed to unanimously , as likewise was Bro . Farnficld ' s for the annual gift of ^ 70 to provide fuel duiing the winter months for the inmates of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution at Croydon . * * *

Wc are necessarily gratified by the determination Grand Lod ^ e has shown to uphold Freemasonry in all its pristine purity and have nothing whatever to do with those so-called Grand Lodges which deliberately violate the most important of its fundamental

principles . 1 his was the course that was adopted in 1 S 7 S towards the Grand Orient of France , and we trust that the same will be followed in respect of any body which may similarly set itself adrift from the fundamental bases of pure and ancient Masonry as defined in our Book of Constitutions .

* » * Thc regular quarterly meeting of Mark Grand Lodge was held on Tuesday , thc 31 st ult ., under the presidency of Bro . Viscount Dungarvan , Dep . G . Master , the Pro G . Master , Bro . the Earl of Euston , being still

prevented by serious illlness from taking an active part in Masonry . The only matter that gave rise to any discussion had reference to the correspondence between Bro . Lambert and the Grand Secretary as to the confirmation of lodge minutes . Thc Report of

thc General Board , in which the correspondence was included , was adopted , but from the tenour of the discussion which took place it would seem that there is every probability of the question being raised again at some future time . We may also mention that a

resolution of sympathy with the Pro Grand Master in respect of his serious illness was unanimously adopted , while at the Festival that followed the kindly references to his lordship ' s unavoidable absence show how

Lhoiuughly he has established himself in the love and respect of the members of the Mark Degree . Wc trust it may not be long before Lord Euston is once again enabled to resume his many responsible duties in Masonry .

Wc note with pleasure that among the recipients of Mark Grand Lodge honours on this occasion is Bro . line Rev . Richard Peek , M . A ., who was appointed and invested as one of the Grand Chaplains for the ensuing year . Our rev . brother is the same Rev . Richard

Peek who recently so gallantly distinguished himself while returning from France to this country by jumping into thc sea and rescuing a girl who had thrown herself overboard with the object of committing suicide For this act of gallantry , Bro . Peek has been presented with the ist class medal of the "

Soch'tt-Nalionalc de Sauvetage , r ranee , as well as with that of the "Societe des Hospitallers Sauveteurs Bretons , " together with the bronze medal of our Royal Humane Society . Bro . Peek is * a brother of eminence in the Mai k and Allied Degrees and the Royal and Select Masters , and has entered every Order of Masonry in existence . # » *

Wc have been requested to state that Thursday , the ijth inst , is thc latest day on which Petitions for the election into the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls

in Octobf r ncxt must reach the Ollices of the Institution , 5 , Freemasons' Hall . At the same time it is desirable that they should bc forwarded at the earliest possible opportunity . 'm

It is not so very long since we were in a position to announce that Bro . Henry Sadler , Grand Tyler ar . d Sub-Librarian of Grand Lodge , had in the press another work , the publication of which mi ght be looked for at an early date . Thc promised work ,

however , which will be entitled " Masonic Reprints and Early Histcrical Revelations , " is by no means in so forward a > tate as wc had reason to anticipate New and important matter has rtcently been introduced , which will have the effect net only of c-nh . -rni 11 g

the value of the book by reason of thc fresh J . ghi it will throw on the early history of the Craft in Ireland , but also of increasing the interest which the brethren generally have for several years past exhibited in liro . S . idler ' s numerous and valuable contributions to Masonic literature . Conspicuous among thc new

matter refined to will be full particulars of , 1 disrovery quite recently made by one of our loading Masonic historians that Freemasonry was in exist-. -nee in Dublin about the very time toward . *; the end of he 17 th century that Elias Ashmole was present at he initiation of several gentlemen in u lodge in ^ ondon . I

Masonic Notes.

It will be as well if we add that under these circumstances the subscription list will remain open for some weeks longer and those who delight in studying the early evidences of Freemasonry will have the opportunity of adding their names to the list , if they have

not already done so . * # * The question whether thc minutes of each regu ' ar meeting of a Iodge should be confirmed or whether a vote should be taken as to whether or not they

correctly record the proceedings having been submitted for thc decision of the General Board by Bro . J . J . Lambert , Past Prov . G . Registrar Lancashire , the Grand Secretary was instructed to reply that in the

opinion of the said Board , Iodge minutes should always be put for confirmation not only as regards the election of W . Master or as may otherwise be provided for by the lodge By-Laws , but also in respect of grants of money and general business .

» * Thc annual meeting of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana was held in New Orleans on the I 4 th-i 6 th February last , under the presidency of Bro . Albert G . Brice , M . W . G . M ., who , in the course of his Address ,

referred to the financial condition and needs of the Grand Lodge and suggested a plan for increasing ihe funds and paying off the Hall debt . Grand Lodge most cordially responded by dispensing with the Report on Correspondence , reducing the salaries cf

the Grand Lecturer , Grand Chaplain , and Grand Tyler , and increasing the fees payable in taking each Degree from one to two dollars . Grand Chapter also behaved most generously by presenting bonds amounting to 2700 dollars towards the same desirable object .

The District Giand Lodge of Natal held its 31 st half-yearly communication in the Masonic Hall , Pietermaritzburg , on Tuesday , the 15 th March last , under thc presidency of Bro . Wesley Francis , P . G . S . B ., District Grand Master , who , in the course of the

proceedings , delivered an address , in which he reviewed the circumstances of the preceding half year , and in particular expressed his regret that the scheme for the relief of aged and indigent brethren had not met with a greater amount of encouragement and support . He ,

however , strenuously urged upon District Grand Lodge not to postpone the project—which , in his opinion , would be tantamount to abandoning it—and we are glad to see that this appeal was so far listened to , that the further consideration has bcen delayed only till

thc next meeting of District Grand Lodge , that is , for six months , instead of indefinitely , as originally proposed by the District Board of General Purposes . # * * We gather from the reports that were submitted and

adopted that the financial position of the District G , Lodge is satisfactory . The District G . Treasurer ' s statement of account for thc year 1 S 97 .. S which opened with balances on thc General and Benevolent Funds , amounting together to . £ 235 , had closing balances on the

same Funds which reached £ _ 6 ij . The Receipts from all sources amounted to £ _ * 4 , and thc expenditure including payments in relief , & e , by the Benevolent Fund (/ ' 05 ) , and charges on the General Fund ( . £ 1 , ( 6 ) to £ 250 . From the Lodge Returns it appears there are 18 lodges in thc District with an aggregate

membership of 7- ) 3 subscribing brethren , Skelmersd lie , No . 1729 , with . N 4 members , and Prince Alfred , No . 95 ( 1 , and Addington , No . 1937 , each with So members , being the strongest , while the weakest were lodges Umvcti , No . iS 6 / , with 17 , Etckwini , No . 2 G 23 ,. with lis , and Umzimkulu , No . 2113 , with 19 members respectively .

The 50 th annual convocation of thc Diatrict Grand Chapter was held in the same hall on the same day , under thc presidency of Comp . Frauds Wesley , G . Superintendent . There appears to be some difficulty in connection with one of the . chapters , which is

apparently in abeyance , and the matter has been referred to G . Scribe E . for Grand Chapter to deal with . The three other chapters were represented . Thc Treasurer ' s- Statement of Account showed a balance to thc good of between £ . \ and £ . _ , with

liabilities amounting to between £ 10 and / , ! 1 , and that ofiicer is reported to have declared that" This condition ol things vvas most unsatisfactory , and unless funds were forthcoming the chapter could not continue to carry on . " Ollicers for thc ensuing year were appointed , and shoitly afterwards District Grand Chapter was

closed . It is to bc regretted that some part of the zeal and energy which are exhibited in connection with Craft Masonry does not lind its way into the proceedings * of thc Royal Arch . In a District which musters iS lodges and about 750 brethren , there ought certainly to bu a greater pioportion of Koyal Arch chapters .