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SATURDAY , NOVEMBER 4 , 1899 .

Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

The Quarterly Convocation of Supreme Grand Chapter was held at Freemasons' Hall on Wednesday , the ist instant , the chair of Grand First Principal being occupied by Comp . W . W . B . Beach , M . P . The Report of the Committee of General Purposes , which included the recommendation of a vote of / 2000 towards the

cost of the new buildings at Freemasons' Hall , was adopted , while the motion , of which Comp . Sir John B . Monckton , Past G . Scribe N ,, had given notice—that a grant of 100 guineas ( £ 105 ) be made to the Transvaal Refugees' Relief Fund—was , it is needless to say , passed nem . con . A report of the proceedings appears in another page . » » *

It has more than once been announced that it was in contemplation to invite H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , M . W . Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England , to be present at the Masonic ceremonial which will take place at Mount Vernon on the nth December , under the auspices of the Grand Lodge of Virginia , in honour of the centenary of the death of

General George Washington , who was a member of our Order , and whose memory as paler pat rim is revered by all his countrymen . The invitation has been sent ; but his Royal Highness , while fully reciprocating the kindly and fraternal sentiments expressed in the letter , regrets that his numerous public engagements prevent him from accepting it .

• » * H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught , K . G ., & c , has graciously consented to preside at the 102 nd Anniversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , which will be held at the Royal Pavilion , Brighton , in July next .

Masonic Notes.

The Province of Warwickshire has , not for the first time , done honour to its ruler and shown in what high estimation he is held by those over whom it has been his privilege to preside for so many years . The annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge was held at

the County Hall , Warwick , on Monday , the 30 th ult ., and , as we anticipated , was attended by a numerous concourse of brethren from all parts of the Province . In the course of the proceedings an address of congratulation on the occasion of the recent celebration of

his golden wedding was presented to his lordship , while when the Prov . Grand Lodge had been closed , a deputation of the brethren waited upon Lady Leigh and presented her with a portrait of her husband , being

a replica of Mr . Ouless ' s picture , which was painted for the County of Warwick , and exhibited this year at the Royal Academy . It is almost unnecessary to add that both presentations were as highly appreciated as they were gracefully acknowledged .

The Richard Eve Lodge , No . 2772 , which was consecrated at Freemasons' Hall on Saturday , the 28 th ult ., fcrlhe third that has been founded in connection with thc Royal Masonic Institution for Boys . The senior is the Lewis Lodge , No . 1185 , which was founded in 1 S 67 , and at the outset of its career and

until quite recently met at Wood Green , within a stone ' s throw of the School . Last year the Old Masonians Lodge , No . 2700 , was constituted , and now we have the Richard Eve Lodge , so named in honour of the Chairman of the Board of Management . # * *

There would appear to be no doubt as to the answer that should be given to the question propounded in our last week ' s issue by " Ex-Secretary P . M . " The case cited by our correspondent is that of a W . Master who remains in office without further

election for a second term , because thc brother who had been elected to succeed him had not , as it turned out , served the ollice of Warden for a lull year , and was consequently disqualified . For this class of cases provision is made in that part of the ritual in which

the Master elect binds himself to remain in office until the next regular period of election , and until a successor shall have been duly elected and installed in his stead . Thus this particular W . Master is in oflice , not

because he has been elected for a second year—in which case lie would be both a P . M . and W . M . —but in accordance with the tenour of his obligation , which binds him to remain at his post until a successor has been elected and installed in his stead .

* » * In this case a successor was elected , but not installed , because on inquiry it turned out that he was not qualified for the chair . Hence the term of this Mastership , which , by Article 130 of the Book of

Constitutions , is restricted to one year , has been protracted into two years , but without affecting its status as a single term . In fact , this W . Master has been , and is still , in office in accordance with this obligation as Master elect . He has never ceased to be WM . , and

cannot , therefore , be a P . M . Had he been re-elected and re-installed at the regular time he would have been a P . M . in respect of his first year ' s service , and might have been honoured with a Past Master ' s jewel . To present him now with a jewel pertaining to a rank to which he has not yet attained would be absurd .

The Yorick Lodge , No . 2771 , which was consecrated at Freemasons' Hall , on Tuesday , the 31 st ult . enters npon its career under very favourable auspices , There is a wide field before it from which candidates for initiation are likelv to present themselves , while

during the first year it will be ruled b y a Worshipful Master and Wardens , who are well-known in the Craft as brethren of experience , Bro . E . R . Bartley Denniss being the first W . M ., and Bros . W . S . Penley

and Alex . A . Watson the lust Wardens . The inaugural meeting , too , was in every way a success , so that everything seems to promise well for the future . We sincerely hope that these promises may be realised .

» * » We beg to remind those who are interested in the proceedings of the Lodge Quatuor Coronati , No . 207 G —and their number is legion—that Wednesday , the Sth instant , is the day fixed for the installation of the W . M . elect for the ensuing 12 months , Bro . T . B .

Whytehead , P . G . S . B ., who , when he has invested hia oflicers , will deliver thc customary address , and afterwards move a vote of thanks and present a Past Master ' s jewel to the outgoing W . M ., Bro . C . Purdon Clarke , CLE ,, in recognition of his able services while in the chair .

Masonic Notes.

The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution has lost one of the most genial and active members of its Committee , Bro . Lieut .-Col . A . Durrant having died on Friday , the 27 th ult ., after an illness of only three days . We offer our sympathy to the family and friends of our late respected brother .

» * * We have received the second volume of the " Medaillenwerk , " which is being published under the auspices of the Hamburg Correspondence Circle , and shall take an early opportunity of drawing attention to the valuable nature of its contents , and the excellence of the engravings with which it is so

profusely embellished . In the meantime it may be as well to remark that in all respects it stands on the same level of excellence as the first volume . It has 18 full page plates of engravings , and there is the necessary descriptive letterpress , which appears to have been compiled with every care . The countries to which the volume chiefly relates are Sweden , the Netherlands , and Belgium .

* * * We tender a most cordial welcome to our old friend Thc American Tyler , which we have lost sight of for a considerable time , but which we are glad has once more reappeared among our exchanges . Its number for the 14 th October has for a Frontispiece a portrait

of our late respected Bro . William Simpson , who was a P . M ., and whom it rightly describes as having been " an Honored Memberof the Lodge Quatuor Coronati , London , England . " It has a capital array of articles on subjects both of special and of general interest to the Fraternity , but speaking from memory , and therefore , of course , subject to correction , it appears to have

curtailed its supply of news relating to Lodges , Chapters , Commanderies , & c , & c , both Grand and private , in order to give greater prominence to its articles . For ourselves , we would rather have more news about the doings of the brethren in the United States , but in any form the Tyler is a well-editod paper , while its articles are generally nf an exceptionally high character .

* * * There is one contribution entitled " How many Masons are there in the World ? " which will be read with considerable interest , the returns for the 57 Grand Lodges in the United States and British North America being derived—with proper acknowledgment

—from a table compiled by Bro . Jesse B . Anthony Past Grand Master ot New York , who gives them as 833 , 849 . The total number for the whole of North and South America is 865 , 799 , tbe highest figures for countries outside the United States and British North America being 22 , 000 in Mexico ; 5000 in Brazil ; and 1200 each in Cuba and Venezuela . The total for

the whole world is estimated at 1 , 130 , 057 , of which there are 130 , 000 under the Grand Lodge of England ; 20 , 000 under that of Ireland ; and 30 , 000 under that of Scotland . New South Wales and New Zealand together furnish between 11 , 000 and 12 , 000 , but there are no returns included from Victoria , South Australia , and Tasmania . Seven of the Grand Lodges in

Germany are credited with 41 , 666 , which number must be increased by the Grand Lodge of Hamburg and the five independent German lodges , to upwards 0 ( 46 , 000 . The Grand Lodges of Denmark , Sweden , and Norway together muster close on 12 , 000 . Italy is credited with 5000 , and the Netherlands musters nearly 4500 . The returns appear to have been calculated upon a reasonable basis .

» » There was no very great amount of business transacted at the Quarterly Communication of the District Grand Lodge of Canterbury ( N . Z . ) , which was held at the St . Augustine Masonic Hall , Christchurch , in July last , under the presidency of Bro . R . Dunn

Thomas , Dist . G . Master . The Craft under the English Constitution appears , however , to be in a healthy condition , if we may judge from the fact that the Dist . G . Treasurer ' s balance was declared to be within a fraction of . £ 120 , together with , £ 150 on fixed deposit . A recommendation was made by the Board

of General Purposes in favour of amending the law relating to " Fees for Dispensations" from one guinea to half-a-guinea , a clause being added to the law placing the fee for a Dispensation to appear in Masonic clothing when the authority for holding the meeting has been issued by a sister Constitution at five shillings .

The Dist . G . Master , however , pointed out , with reference to this recommendation , that from a circular addressed by the Grand Secretary of United Grand Lodge to the W . Masters of lodges , as published in the Freemason of the 3 rd June , " there appeared to be a desire on the part of the rulers of

the Craft to restrain the growing tendency of brethren to wear their Masonic clothing and other insignia in the presence of non-Masons on public occasions such as church services , Masonic balls , and concerts . " It was therefore resolved that the consideration of , the question should be deferred till the next Quarterly Communication .