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CONTENTS . PAGE L EADERThe Province of Berkshire ... ... - - 459 Masonic Jurisprudence ••¦ — 459

... ... English Knight Templary ... ••• . -v - j ™ Supreme Grand Chapter of England ( Quarterly Convocation ) ... 4 " « Provincial Grand Lodge of Surrey ... ... — 4 Consecration of the Horistic Lodge , No . 2 S 22 ... •¦• 4 " 3 Consecration of the Grove Park Kent Lodge , No . 2 S 24 ... 4 " 3 Irish Antiquities ... ... ••• ••• "' 4 3

M ASONIC NOTESDeath of H . R . H . the Duke of Saxe-Coburrr-Gotha ... ... - 4 p Quarterly Convocation of Supreme Grand Chapter ... ... . 4 ° 5 Monthly Meeting of the Committee of Management of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution ... ... ••• ••• 4 " 5

Correspondence ... ... ... ••• ••• ^ 6 Masonic Notes and Queries ... ... ¦•• — ••¦ 4 ^» Provincial Grand Mark Lodge of Cumberland and Westmorland ... — 4 ^ 6 Provincial Grand Chapter of Surrey ... ... ••• 4 ° 7 Visit to the Bavarian Highlands ... ... ... •¦• 4 & 7 468

Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... - Royal Arch ... ... ... ... - - - 4 & S Science , Art and the Drama ... ... ••• ••• 4 9 The Craft Abroad ... ... ... - - 47 ° An Oration ... ... ... ... - - - 470 Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ••• 47 The Recent Boys' School Festival ... ... ... ••• 472 Instruction ... ... ... ... ¦•• ••• 47

The Province Of Berkshire.

THE PROVINCE OF BERKSHIRE .

On the death of R . W . Bro . Sir DANIEL GOOCH , Bart ., H . R . H . the Prince of WALES , M . W . G . M ., was p leased to erect the Counties of Berks and Bucks , which that brother had ruled as Prov . Grand Master for some 22 years , into separate and district

Provinces , and in 1890 , appointed his elder son , the late Duke of CLARENCE AND AVONDALE , Grand Master of the former , and Lord—now Earl—CARRINGTON , M . W . Past G . Master of the

United Grand Lodge of New South Wales , to preside in a similar capacity over the latter . Since then the constituent parts oi the late Sir D . GOOCH ' S Province have exhibited the same firm

friendship as rival organisations which they bore towards each other as members of the same body . Each has prospered abundantly and it would be difficult , if indeed it were in any way desirable , to decide on which of the two Dame Fortune has bestowed her greatest favours . In one respect

undoubtedl y , Berkshire has been the less favoured of the two . Its first Prov . G . Master did not long survive his installation by his father , and from the date of his Royal Highness ' s death in January , 1892 , till June , 18 9 8 , it was ruled by the Deputy Prov . G . Master in charge , Bro . JOHN T . MORLAND , whose

successful efforts to maintain the Province at thc highest state " ' efficiency were recognised by his appointment in 18 94 as Junior G . Deacon of England . In 18 9 8 , this interregnum was ''• 'Icnnined by the appointment of Lord WANTAGE , one of

'I 11 ' County magnates , who had won the Victoria Cross in the ( 'intra , and had long sat as a member of the House of Commons '" ' * Berkshire , as Prov . G . Master . Under his lordshi p ' s auspices l ' - ' Province has continued to flourish , and on Wednesday , the

' ^ h ult ., was furnished the most conclusive evidence—though none was needed—of the kindly relations subsisting between lls lordshi p and thc lodges and brethren he has been chosen to

preside over as their Masonic chief . On that day , as fully and ¦ "ilifiill y recorded in our columns last week , the annual meeting ¦ ' Hie Prov . G . Lodge was held , by thc express invitation of the l 0 v > G . M . at Lockinge House , when those who were fortunate

The Province Of Berkshire.

enough to be able to attend received the heartiest of welcomes from their ruler and Lad y WANTAGE . Such gatherings are b y no means infrequent in the annals of English Provincial Freemasonry , and when they do occur in any Province are regarded

as among the most memorable of red-letter days in its career . At this recent meeting all things appear to have combined to render it one of the most enjoyable it has been our privilege to record for a long time past . The weather was magnificent the

attendance well nigh unprecedentl y large , and the reception of that hospitable character our English country gentlemen are so accustomed to dispense . Moreover , among the numerous visitors who invariably attend these pleasant functions was

the G . Master of the adjoining Province of Buckinghamshirethe Right Hon . Lord ADDINGTON—to whom was assigned the agreeable duty of proposing the toast of the day—that of the Prov . G . Master of Berkshire—and whose kindly good wishes for

Lord and Lady WANTAGE ' continued health and happiness were acclaimed by all present with the utmost enthusiasm . We trust ; that as the years roll on the relations between Lord WANTAGE and the brethren of his Province may become , if possible , closer and still more friendly .

Masonic Jurisprudence.

MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE .

[ COMMUNICATED . ] We now come to the subject of exclusions , and will , first of all , refer to the written law . Articles 209—213 are very explicit , and all that is left for the commentator is to try to define the term " sufficient cause "

and this is by no means an easy task . Exclusion can only be inflicted by the members of the lod ge to which the brother belongs . Moreover , it does not lie in the votes of a bare majority . When a question of this kind is before a Iod ° c silence does not give consent . Brethren who refrain from

voting arc practically treated as dissentients , and the majority must comprise at least two-thirds of those present in the lodge and not two-thirds of those voting . Thus in a lodge of \ o members , 34 would be necessary to carry an exclusion . If 31 voted in favour , and the other 17 declined to vote , the exclusion would not be carried .

Incidentally it will be noticed that there can be no question of the Worshipful Master ' s second , or casting , vote in a matter of this kind . This is all so very plain that one wonders that a mistake could ever be made , and , but for the records of Grand Lodge , one might almost doubt the possibility .

'I he modus operandi is clearl y laid down . A complaint having been made in open lodge , the brother concerned is called upon , should the lodge think lit ( a bare majority sufficino- ) to attend , and show cause wh y he should not be excluded . Everything must be clearly reduced in writing , so that be mm , h * r „ ii „

prepared to enter into the case . Care should be taken to ensure that the notice has been actually served upon him , and many lodges possess by-laws enjoining the Secretary to serve such notice by registered letter to his last known address . This however , 'is optional , the Constitutions simnlv c ; . vm , r _« „ . ' '

vided that such member shall have received due notice . " The brother whose conduct is under discussion need not retire from the lodge while the debate is proceeding and he can record his own vote . This vote means nothino- in vi ™ of

the two-thirds majority provision ( unless , indeed , he were to vote for his own exclusion ) . His presence in lod ge however when the vote is taken may necessitate an additional ' vote with the majority . For instance , if he retired from the lodge and s 8 members were left , 32 would carry the exclusion . If he remained where he was , however , there would be 49 in lodge and 33