Provincial Grand Mark Lodge Of Middlesex.

Bro . Alex . Stewart Brown , 448 ... ... Prov . G . Sec . „ H . F . Bromhead , 485 ... ... ... Prov . S . G . D . „ W . Forge , 181 ... ... ... Prov . J . G . D . ,, Henry Longman , ' 494 ... ... ... Prov . G . I . of W . ,, Capt . C . J . Knightley , 284 ... ... Prov . G . D . of C . „ W . Bige . 350 ... ... ... Prov . A . G . D . of C „ Major F . Sheffield , 284 .. ... ... Prov . G . S . B . „ W . Bailey , 181 ... ... ... Prov . G . Std . Br . „ J . Bayne , 485 ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . „ W . Bradford , 284 ... ... ... Prov . G . I . G . „ W . Mitchell ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Tyler

Bro . W . A . SCURRAH then alluded to the fact that the R . W . Prov . G . Master was about to preside at the Festival of the Mark Benevolent Fund , and said he was sure it was their wish to see him well supported by the whole province . He therefore proposed that 25 guineas should be voted from Provincial Grand Lodge funds to be placed on the Prov . G . Master ' s list .

This proposition was seconded by Bro . W . M . STILES , Prov . G . Treas ., and unanimously carried , and the PROV . G . MASTER expressed his thanks . Letters of regret for non-attendance were announced from Bros . Dr , Lawrance , A . McDowell , Hart , Gregory , Walls , and others , and Prov . G , Lodge was closed .

A banquet was subsequently held at Freemasons' Tavern , at which the Prov . G . Master , Bro . Col . Cook , presided , and the usual toasts were given . " The Queen and Mark Masonry , " and * ' H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , M . W . G . M ., " were first heartily honoured . In giving " The Pro G . M ., Dep . G . M ., and G . Officers , " the PROV . G . MASTER said that few Prov . Grand Lodge Meetings could boast of the presence of the Pro G . M . and Dep . G . M . As a small and juvenile

province Middlesex was proud of that honour . There were also present many other distinguished Grand Officers—those pillars of Mark Masonry who did all in their power for its success . On behalf of Middlesex lie tendered his best thanks to those present for attending to consecrate a new lodge in their Province , which he hoped would be an honour to Grand Lodge and to Middlesex . He hoped that although they might not always have a lodge to consecrate at their annual meeting , the brethren might frequently welcome the Grand Officers in the Province .

Bro . the Earl of EUSTON , Pro G . M ., returned thanks and said that whatever the Grand Officers had done either in Middlesex or in any other part of England , they had always received a cordial welcome . There were no disagreements he knew of in Mark Masonry but they could congratulate themselves as a whole body on the progress made . He hoped the Order had become stronger , especially as thay were working in harmony

throughout the kingdom . The Prov . Grand Master had said some kind things about the consecration ceremony , and he must congratulate the Province on having such a lodge added to its roll , for the founders were men who knew what honour was and practised it to the highest possible point . He was sure the new lodge would support the Prov . G . M ., and that

their allegiance would be thorough . They would all heartily drink the next toast "The Prov . G . Master , " who was a very old member , and on behalf of the Mark Degree , he ( the Pro G . M . ) thanked him for the work he had done and was doing , and hoped he would go on for many years in the same good work .

Bro . Col . A . B . COOK , Prov . G . Master , in his response , said that the Province was proceeding as carefully as prudent parents should do . One lodge had been added each year , and the Province was going on well . Anything he could do to make it prosper he would do with the greatest possible pleasure . The greatest difficulty was in selecting the Prov . G . Officers , but on the whole he hoped those appointments had given satisfaction to the members of the province . He heard prospects of yet another lodge to be added to Middlesex . As they had been honoured by the presence of so

many distinguished Grand Officers , he hoped the province would do justice to their encouragement and go on in the same happy way . He honestly thanked those who had supported him , and was glad that Bro . Wm . Stiles had accepted the Prov . G . Treasurership . Bro . Viscount DUNGARVAN , Dep . G . M ., proposed " The Dep . Prov . G . M . and Prov . G . Officers , " and said that during the short existence of the province it had achieved success .

Bro . Sir REGINALD HANSON , Bart ., M . P ., Dep . Prov . G . M ., in returning thanks , said his personal work had been exceedingly light owing to ill health , from which he was still suffering . The Prov . G . Master had , however , done so well that he had had no occasion to call upon him to take his place . The Prov . G . Officers would serve the Prov . G . M . as their predecessors did last year , and prove that his choice had been abundantly justified . He was entrusted with the toast of " The Visitors , " with which he coupled the name of Bro . Percy Simpson .

Bro . PERCY SIMPSON , Cambridge University Mark Lodge , responded , after which

Bro . CLEMENT GODSON proposed " The Mark Benevolent Fund , " and referred to the fact that the Prov . G . M . would preside at the next festival . Bro . C F . MATTER , P . G . W ., G . Sec , said that the result ot the Festival would be what the brethren made it . They hoped the members of that province , which had made such a liberal vote that day , would support their Provincial Grand Master by their individual contributions . They had at

the present moment nearly 200 Stewards , which he thought made a record as being the largest number announced at such a period before the- Festival . If more brethren would give their names in they would make their Prov . G . M . a " record" Chairman in the number of Stewards , and he hoped also in the amount of subscriptions . The proceedings then terminated .

Freemasonry And The Roman Church.

FREEMASONRY AND THE ROMAN CHURCH .

Bro . F . J . W . Crowe contributes ' . o the June number of the Cornhill Magazine an article entitled— " Freemasonry and the Roman Church . " It is a reply to the Article which Mr . Kegan Paul wrote for the same publication last November , and a defence of Freemasonry against the attacks of the Roman Church .

Bro . Crowe says : " I am utterly at a loss to conceive how Mr . Kegan Paul , who was formerly a member of the Craft , can have so far forgotten the teachings of our Order a .-: to say— ' But that there is a relation between Freemasonry and gross impiety is confirmed . And still more , I am amazed that any reasonable man can say that he belies , on the authority of ' La-bas ' and ' En Route ' ( vhich

Freemasonry And The Roman Church.

he admits to be the ' worst books it was ever my fortune , or misfortune , to have read' ) , that Free Thought , Black Masses , Satanism , and Freemasonry are closely connected . It is impossible , however , to argue with Mr . Kegan Paul after his ' confession of faith ' at the end of his article , in which he says : ' I believe ex animo that the Popes -. re the discerners of spirits , and I hold that Freemasonry has been recognised by them as the work of the evil one .. I repudiate that to which in ignorance I belonged , partly because that ignorance is cleared away ,

partly because , with all my heart , I desire to obey the deliberate voice of the Popes , who speak with authority given to none other than the Vicars of Christ alone . ' The man who can deliberately set aside his own personal knowledge and the gift of reason and common sense with which God has endowed him , and believe the ' voice of the Popes' in opposition to the testimony of the hundreds of thousands of Freemasons who are honoured and esteemed in all parts of the world , and who number in their ranks archbishops , bishops , princes , peers ckrgy , lawyers , statesmen , and students , is , indeed , ' past praying for . ' "

Our Portrait Gallery.

Our portrait Gallery .

BRO . F . B . WESTLAKE , PROV . J . G . W . DEVON . Bro . Francis Beer Westlake , whose portrait we have great pleasure in including in our " Gallery , " is a Mason of upwards of 20 years' standing , has rendered many and important services both locally and generally , and well deserves the numerous distinctions which have been conferred upon him in the several branches of the Order with which he is connected . He was initiated in November , 1876 , in St . John ' s Lodge , No . 70 , Plymouth , of which he has remained

a subscribing member till now , and having filled sundry offices , was elected and installed W . M . in 18 S 3 . In 1887 , in commemoration of the Queen ' s Jubilee , he had conferred upori him the brevet rank of Past Prov . S . G . Deicon of Devonshire , while last year he was honoured with the still higher appointment of Prov . J . G . Warden . He is a Royal Arch Mason , having been exalted in the St . John ' s , Chapter , No . 70 , on the 20 th June , 1878 , has filled the chairs of J ., H ., and Z . successively , and is a Past G . Scribe N . of his Province . He was advanced to

the Mark in Temple Lodge , No . 50 , Plymouth , on the 17 th April , 1877 , has occupied the chair , and has been appointed successively Prov . J . G . W . and Prov . S . G . W ., the latter oflice having been conferred upon him last year ; while on Tuesday he was invested with the collar of Junior Grand Deacon of the Mark Grand Lodge . He is likewise a Templar Mason , having been installed a knight in the

Royal Veterans Encampment , No . io , Plymouth , in 1879 , and served as E . P . in 1882 . After filling the ofiice of Prov . G . Constable in the Prov . Priory of Devon , he was appointed Prov . Sub-Prior in 18 95 , and last month was made First Great Aide-de-Camp in the Great Priory of England . He is lastly a member of the Ancient and Accepted Rite , having been perfected Rose Croix , 18 ° , in the Huyshe Chapter , No . 38 , of which he is a Past M . W . S ., and having taken the 30 ° in

September , 1887 , and the 3 i ° in October , 1891 . Thus , as we have said , he has won high distinction in all the various systems of Masonry he has elected to join , but there are few brethren who can point with pride , as Bro . Westlake can , to having been appointed in the short space of three weeks to Grand Office in two of the more influential systems outside Constitutional Freemasonry . But great as are these evidences of Bro . Westlake's enthusiasm for the Craft and the respect in which his services are held , they are very far from representing the sum of

what he has done to promote its interests . Firstly , as regards our great Central Masonic Institutions , he is a Vice-President of the three , and has served in all some 15 Stewardships in their behalf . He is , too , a Life Governor of , and has served twice as Steward for , the Mark Benevolent Fund , while in his own Province of Devonshire he is the heart and soul of every movement that is undertaken with a view to confirming or extending the interests of the local Masonic Charities . Thus he is at one and the same time Vice-Patron and Trustee of the

Devon Masonic Educational Fund , Vice-Patron , Hon . Treasurer , and Trustee of the Devon Aged Widows' Annuity Fund , and Life Governor of the Fortescue Annuity Fund . He served for some time as Chairman of the Masonic Hall and ( lub Company , Plymouth , and is at the present time Chairman of the Local Charity Stewards' Association . In 18 95 he was elected the London Representative of the Committee of Petitions for Devonshire , and in that capacity , not only renders invaluable service in securing the election ol candidates from Devonshire to the Central Institutions in London , but is likewise a most earnest , and we

venture to add , a very successful advocate of the claims which those Institutions have upon the support of the lodges and chapters and brethren generally throughout Devonshire . There is little doubt that the longer Bro . Westlake retains this office , the more fully alive to its duties and responsibilities towards these Central Institutions will the strong and influential Province of Devonshire become . We trust that for many years to come it may be in a position to reckon upon a continuance of Bro . Westlake's invaluable help in these and other matters Masonic .