Consecration Of The De Mowbray Chapter, 1130, Melton Mowbray.

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Cjje Jfrccmmu , SATURDAY , JUNX 5 , 1869 . Tint FRKKMASOX is ptxMUhevl on Saturday Mornings in time for the early trains . The price ot" TJCB P / tpusttsoy is Twopence per week ; quarterly subscription ( mchiflinu postage ) 3 s . 3 d . Annual Subscription , 12 s . Subscriptions payable in advance All communications , let ' . ers , & c , to be addressed to the EDITOR , 3 & 1 , Little Britain , K . O * . The Editor will pay careful attention to all MSS . entrusted to . him , but cannot undertake to return them unless accompanied by postage stamps .

The Prince Of Wales And Freemasonry.

THE PRINCE OF WALES AND FREEMASONRY .

THE official announcement that the Prince of "Wales had been received into the Ancient Order of Freemasonry , was made in Grand Lodge on Wednesday last , hy the Earl of Zetland , Most Worshipful Grand Master of England .

The doubts of some , and the hopes of many members of the fraternity are thus happily set at rest , aud although a feeling approaching to disappointment may exist because the Prince ¦ was not initiated in an English lodge , we aro

sure that a welcome none the less hearty and genuine awaits our Eoyal Brother upon his affiliation as an English Mason . It lias been erroneously supposed that in seeking admission into the Masonic Order at

the hands of a foreign jurisdiction , the Prince of Wales has to some extent ignored the existence of Freemasonry in the British Islands , hut in so doing we may observe that His Eoyal Hig hness merely followed the example of the

late Dukes of Kent and Sussex , who were initiated respectively in the Union Lodge at Geneva and the Eoyal York Lodgo at Berlin . His lloyal Hig hness is the third Prince of Wales who has openly identified himself with the Craft since

the establishment of tho Grand Lodge of England in 1717 . The first was Frederick ' , father of King George 111 ., who was initiated in 1737 ; and the second was , afterwards , King George IV ., ¦ who entered the Order in 1787 . The Dukes of

York and Gloucester were both initiated in the Britannic Lodge , now No . 33 . At tlie Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge , the Most Worshipful Grand Master further stated that in accordance with

precedents , the rank of a Past Grand Master would be conferred upon the Prince of Wales In every instance of a member of the Koyal Family becoming allied to the Craft , the rank of a Past Grand Master of England has been at once

awarded to him by vote of Grand Lodge . There was , however , a slight variation from this procedure with respect " to George IV ., then Prince of Wales , as in liis case the resolution stated that he was t rank next to , and be placed on

all Masonic occasions at the right hand of , the Most Worshipful Grand Master . We rejoice to know that another prince ofthe illustrious house ol Brunswick is added to the honorable roll of onr ancient fraternity . We rejoice , more especially ,

because the Prince of Wales , as the heir apparent to the throne , stands next to our beloved Sovereign in the hearts of nil loyal Britons . It is , no doubt , a Sjiircc of peciliar gratification

to Lord Zetland , to witness such an illustrious accession to the ranks of Freemasonry during his Grand Mastership , and it is a satisf . ction to all liberal aud free-minded men to ( in . I , notwithstanding ultramontane denunciations and papal

The Prince Of Wales And Freemasonry.

threats , our illustrious brother has not been deterred from entering into the Masonic Order , and publicly avowing his high appreciation of its objects , and his desire to promote its influence and prosperity .

The Fund Of Benevolence.

THE FUND OF BENEVOLENCE .

THE Craft have spoken , aud the Fund ' of Benevolence is safe . By a majority as overwhelming as we anticipated some weeks ago Bro . Clabon ' s scheme has been relegated to the limbo of " rejected addresses . " Grand Lodge has affirmed

that the funds which have been handed down to us as a sacred trust for special purposes shall not be diverted into other channels . Bro . Clabon , we conceive , started npon false premises , and we are glad to find that Bro .

Havers did not allow the point to escape notice . There cannot be a surplus income of the Fund of Benevolence—there would simply be no fund at all if the receipts of former years had been disbursed to claimants as they appeared ,

and as a considerable portion of the annual income is now derived from the interest of the fund itself , we are quite unable to see in what the reputed surplus consists . It was also opportunely stated that we should

then be making no provision whatever for periods of unusual depression , when , possibly , the petitioners for relief may require assistance beyond the amount of our yearly income , and the Craft would then find that the principal

of the fund must be diminished , in order to afford substantial help to brethren 'in their poverty and distress . We cannot , however , help expressing our admiration of the extremely lucid and able manner in which Bro . Clabon

submitted hm scheme for the consideration of Grand Lodge , and although we rejoice at the result , we are bound to admit that Bro . Clabon stated his case so fairly and strongly that his

defeat must be entirely attributed to the powerful conviction in the minds of the Craft , that' all attempts to curtail or diminish the Fund of Benevolence must be sternly and unmistakeably resisted .

Quarterly Communication Of Grand Lodge.

QUARTERLY COMMUNICATION OF GRAND LODGE .

The Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge was held on Wednesday last , at the Freemasons ' Hall , Great Queen Street , and was brilliantly attended . Amongst the brethren present were tho Eight

Hon . the Earl of Zetland , Most Worshipful Grand Master , who presided ; Bro . John Fawcett , Provincial Grand Master for Durham , who acted as Deputy Grand Master ; the Earl Percy , G . S . Warden ; Frederick . Perkins , P . S . G . W ., acting as

J . G . W . ; the Earl of Limerick , Provincial Grand Master for Bristol ; Sir Daniel Gooch , Provincial Grand Master for Bucks and Berks ; T . M . Talbot , Provincial Grand Master for South

Wales ; J E . Stebbing , P . G . D ., Cooper-Foster , G . S . D ., L . Evans , President Board of General Purposes , Eev . J . 11 . Simpson , P . G . Chaplain , Eev . T . J . Eavcnshaw , Grand Chaplain , Bridges ,

P . G . S . I ' .., Potter , P . G . D ., Claoon , P . G . D ., Udall ,

P . G . D ., E . II . Patten , P . G . S . B ., Cockerell , Grand Superintendent of Works , Mclntyre . Grand Keg ., Rev . J . Sir Warren I Inycs , P . G . Chaplain ,

H . Pullen , D . P . G . M . for the Isle of Wight , John Emmens , P G . Pursuivant , P . M ., T . A .. Adams , P . G . Pursuivant , Jos . Smith , P . G . Pursuivant , R . J . Spiers , P . G . S . B . and D . P . G . M . for

Quarterly Communication Of Grand Lodge.

Oxfordshire , II . Wellington Vallance , P . M . 12 , E . Spencer , P . G . S ., C . T . Dorey , P . M . 176 , T . Salter , W . M . 22 , T . White , J . W . 22 , Rouse , P . G . D ., W . H . Gregory , P . G . D ., Campion , P . M . 19 , J . E . Saunders , Grand Master ' s Lodge ,

J . E . Sheen , R . W . Little , P . M ., Buss , P . M ., W . Farnfield , P . G . Assistant Secretary ; Smith , C . E ., Clarke , W . M ., and Thompson , J . W . Southern Star Lodge , II . Thompson , ditto and 177 ; E . G . Holbrook , W . M . 3-J 9 : C . S . Woollons ,

I . P . M ., 364 ; V . W . Edmunds , P . M ., 309 ; Massey , W . M ., and Massey , S . W ., Bead on Lodge ; E . S . Main , I . P . M . ; J . Wallingford ; J . Wilson , P . M . ; E . Groves , S . W . ; W . H . Herring ; J . Brett , Assist . G . Purs . ; Walford , J . W ., 177 ; J . Nunn , G . S . B . ; Mortlock , W . M ., 18 G ; Mann , P . M ., 186 , & c ;

The Grand Lodge was opened in ample form and with solemn prayer . The minutes of the Quarterly Communication of March 3 rd , the minutes of the Especial Grand Lodge of April 14 th , and the minutes of the Grand Festival of April 28 th were read by Bro . John Hervey , Grand Secretary .

THE PRINCE OP WALES . In reference to the notice which stood on . the agenda paper , with regard to the Prince of Wales and the Craft , The Most Worshipful the GRAND MASTER said : I have the pleasing dutv to make a

communication to the brethren , which I am sure must be gratifying to the Grand Lodge and to every Mason in the Craft in England . The communication is , that His lloyal Highness the Prince of Wales has joined our Fraternity , having been made a Mason by His Majesty the

King of Sweden . ( Applause . ) I am quite sure that this must be a most gratifying circumstance to communicate to the Grand Lodge . I have had more than one interview with his royal highness lately , and he authorised me to express to the Grand Lodge that it was his anxious wish

to be present at this Grand Lodge , and he was very much disappointed that the circumstance that it was held on the day set apart for the celebration of the Queen ' s birthday prevented him having that pleasure . ( Applause . ) I have also had communicated to me privately by his

royal highness , but I am authorised by him to mention it publicly , that it is his wish to join one or more of the English lodges . ( Applause . ) I think I need not say more on this subject , except to express the high gratification which I feel myself in the fact of a prince of the blood

royal , and more especially the heir to the throne , having joined Masimrj ' , and having expressed so strong an interest as ho lias done iu the good and welfare of the Craft . ( Applause . ) I now beg to giie notice that , in conformity with ancient usage , it is my intention to propose , at the next Grand Lodge , that the rank of Past

Grand Master be conferred on His Koyal Highness the Prince of . Wales . ( Cheers . ) 1 believe that there are numerous precedents for this course ; for every prince of the blood royal who has joined Masonry has , upon the fact being known and recognised , had the rank of Past Grand Master conferred on him . ( Great applause . )

THE INAUGURATION FESTIVAL . The M . W . GRAND M ASTER moved that a vote of thanks bo given to Bros Albert W . Woods and Thomas Fenn , the Grand Director of Ceremonies , and tho Assistant Grand Director

of Ceremonies , for the very admirable manner in which thoy conducted tins ceremony at the Inauguration Festival on tlio 14 th April last . 'lhe motion was seconded by Bro . FAWCETT , Pro . Grand Master for Durham , and unanimousl y agreed to .

Bro . UDALL moved that tho vote of thanks be recorded on vellum , and signed by the . M . W . G . Master , which was also agreed to . Bros WOOD and FKNN severall y returned thanks for the high compliment which had been conferred upon them .

THE PAST GRAND PURSUIVANT . Tho M . W . G . M . proposed that Bro . Thns . R . Lewis , lato Grand Pursuivant , do take rank as ,