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Officer referred to by our correspondent praised the political opinions of his chief , he did wrong ; but if he did no more than make passing allusion to the P . G . M . being a candidate for election in the new House of Commons , then , with all due deference to "SURPRISED , " his objection to the P . G . Officer ' s conduct seems quite uncalled for .

* * * 0 _ E of the best evidences to offer those who fail to note the influence of Freemasonry in making " the world kin " is to be found in the popularity of the Craft in India , not simply with English and Scottish residents , but with native gentlemen , Parsees , and other religionists . At a recent

Communication of the Grand Lodge of Scotland , Bro . DARASHA RUSTONJEE CHICHGUR , of Bombay , testified most heartily to the benign characteristics of our beloved Society , stating that the Lodge Rising Star was started as the first native lodge [ apparently No . 342 , Bombay , of 1 S 44 ] under the Scottish Constitution , through the good offices of the lamented Bro . Dr . BURNES ,

and declared that the brother who now holds the " hiram " of India under the Grand Lodge of Scotland had introduced into his Provincial Grand Lodge many distinguished Masons , " and given them the highest positions , without distinction of caste or creed . " This is as it should be . We believe

that the first Hindoo lodge , consisting mainly of high caste Brahmins in Bombay , warranted by the Grand Lodge of England , is the Aryan , No . 1709 , of A . D . 1877 , which has a grand future in store for it , and to all such we wish " GOD speed . "

* * * BRO . CHICHGUR , with justifiable pride , referred to the distinguished roll of members in his lodge—No . 342 ( S . C . )—some of the best and foremost men of Indian Society , e . g ., Bros . M . CURSETJEE , an ex-judge ; K . R . CAMA , a great Oriental scholar ; M . C . MURZBAN , the well-known engineer of

Bombay ; N . FURDOONJEE , and S . S . BENGALEE , made Companions of the Indian Empire for their distinguished public services , as also another member , Bro . D . F . KURRAKA , magistrate ; Bros , the late P . O . H . CAMA («•whose liberality was lately shown by his giving in Charity £ 20 , 000 for building an hospital for the sick and infirm of all denominations , and whose

son is a member of the Grand Lodge of England "); Dr . A . PANDOORANG , ex-Sheriff of Bombay ; the present Sheriff , Judge H . DADABHOY ; and other notable men were also enumerated . Does not such an instance of the

beneficent effects of the Craft aptly illustrate the " old charge" — "Thus Masonry is the centre of union between good men and true , and the happy means of conciliating friendships amongst those who must otherwise have remained at a perpetual distance ? "

*»* OUR pen was scarcely dry with which we wrote the foregoing , when the " Masonic Record of Western India "came to hand , announcing the death of Bro . NOWROZJEE FURDOONJEE , C . S . I ., who held the high position of Substitute Grand Master of all Scottish Freemasonry in India . A Funeral

lodge was held under the presidency of the M . W . Bro . Captain HENRY MORLAND , Grand Master , in the Freemasons' Hall , Byculla , when the jewels , clothing , working tools , banners , & c , were draped in black , and the oration was delivered by Bro . DOSSABHOY FRAMJEE , C . S . I . The deceased was initiated in Lodge Rising Star in 1864 , and his career as a member of

the Craft has been such as to attract the notice of the GRAND MASTER , and to obtain the universal esteem of the Brotherhood . Whilst Master of his mother lodge he presented 500 rupees to its Charity Fund , and he was never more delig hted than when engaged in advancing the true interests of the Society of which he has proved to be such an ornament .

# _ * THE Keystone is continuing its extracts from Bro . BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ' S " Early Newspaper Accounts of Freemasonry . '' One of the old lodges referred to has been traced by Bro . HUGHAN , and is given by him in last week ' s Freemason . Another notice is of February , 1737 ( London ) , when

the funeral of a Bro . ELLIS took place , at which " the whole Society attended , with all their Masonry Formalities , which made a very entertaining sight . The like ceremony has not been performed for 20 years . " The deceased was a member of the lodge held at the " Antwerp Tavern , behind the Royal Exchange . " Another quotation describes the grand procession on April 15 th ,

173 6 , of Lord LOUDON , Grand Master elect of England , and the members of Grand Lodge , from " the Earl ' s House , in Privy Garden , to Fishmongers ' Hall , in Thames Street . " The cavalcade must have been a most imposing

sight , and we can quite fancy the Grand Ball in the evening " was conducted with the usual magnificence and grandeur . " We are much indebted to Bro . C . P . MACCALLA , the Editor , for such an interesting series of reports . #

» BRO . HAWKINS ' S excellent analysis of the Royal Arch Regulations Revision , which appeared in the Freemason last week , will enable companions to judge of the merits and advantages of the contemplated changes . We warmly advocate the assimilation of the Regulations as much as possible to the Craft Constitutions , just as we have of others in reference to the new laws

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of the Mark Grand Lodge . Taking the rules of the Grand Lodge as the basis of all Masonic legislation , for all Degrees , the more we can arrange for similar laws to be operative under similar circumstances in connection with all regular Masonic bodies , the easier it will be for the members to understand and obey . There need be no conflict of varying clauses in the

laws for different Degrees , simply because they belong to different Rites or governing bodies , and hence we warmly welcome the method followed by the revisionists of the Grand Chapter Regulations , and are fully persuaded in our own mind that their adoption will be followed by general efficiency , and will obtain the intelligent co-operation of the many companions who delight

in working the beautiful and imposing ceremonies of Royal Arch Masonry . We shall refer again to the subject before . February , and shall mention with special emphasis some of the suggested alterations , so that their character may be more widely known and appreciated . We commend Bro . HAWKINS ' S "brief account " to the careful study of the companions .

United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

The Quarterly Communication of United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England was held on Wednesday evening at Freemasons' Hall . Right Worshipful Bro . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., Provincial Grand Master of Hants and the Isle of Wight , presided . Bro . the Hon . Mr . Justice Prinsep , District Grand Master of Bengal , acted as Deputy Grand Master , and there were also present among other Grand Officers the following brethren :

Bros , the Most Honourable the Marquis of Hertford , G . S . W . ; V . A . Williamson , as G . J . W . ; Canon Portal , Grand Chaplain ; J . W . Woodall , Grand Treasurer ; F . A . Philbrick , G . Reg . ; Thos . Fenn , President of the Board of General Purposes ; Dr . E . E . Wendt , G . Sec . German Correspondence ; A . Meadows , G . S . D . ; R . C . Driver , G . J . D . ; Sir Albert Woods , G . D . C . ; J . H . Paul , M . D ., D . G . D . C . ; Butler Wilkins , G . Std . Br . ; E . M . Lott , G . Ore .: Henry Garrod , G . P .: A . Lucking , G . A . P . : Hugh

D . Sandeman , P . D . G . M . Bengal ; Col . Saunders , P . D . G . M . Madras ; Lieut .-Col . A . W . O . Saunders , D . G . M . Madras ; Rev . H . Adair Pickard , P . G . C . ; Rev . R . P . Bent , P . G . C . ; Rev . H . G . Morse , P . G . C . j Rev . J . C . Cox , P . G . C . ; Rev . C . J . Martyn , P . G . C . ; H . B . Marshall , P . G . Treas . ; H . S . Burney , P . G . D . ; R . W . Stewart , P . G . D . ; F . Richardson , P . G . D . ; Baron de Ferrieres , P . G . D . j Brackstone Baker , P . G . D . ; P . de Lande Long , P . G . D . ; F . Davison , P . G . D . j J . M . Case , P . G . D . ; J . Sampson Peirce , P . G . D . ; R . Grey , P . G . D . ; W . E . Gumbleton , P . G . D . ; F . P . Morrell , P . G . D . ;

Jabez Hogg , P . G . D . ; H . Dumas , P . G . D . ; J . A . Rucker , P . G . D . ; S . M . P . Montagu , P . G . D . ; J . S . Eastes , P . G . D . ; E . J . Barron , P . G . D . ; J . C . Parkinson , P . G . D . ; E . Letchworth , P . G . D . ; W . A . F . Powell , P . G . D . ; H . G . Buss , P . G . A . Sec . ; J . Lewis Thomas , P . G . A . D . C . ; Magnus Ohren , P . G . A . D . C . ; Raymond H . Thrupp , P . G . A . D . C . ; Major E . Locock , P . G . S . B . ; C . Greenwood , P . G . S . B . ; E . Toller , P . G . S . B . ; Edgar Bowyer , P . G . S . B . ; J . Peters , P . G . S . B . ; George Lambert , P . G . S . B . ; J . Brett , P . G . P . ; C . A . Cottebrune , P . G . P . ; and S . G . Foxall , P . G . P .

Grand Lodge having been opened , Bro . Frank Richardson , P . G . D ., in the absence of Bro . Col . Shadwell H . Clerke , Grand Secretary , through illness , read the minutes of the Quarterly Communication of the snd September , which were put to the meeting and confirmed . The acting Grand Master made the following communication from the M . W . Grand Master :

It having come under the notice of the M . W . Grand Master that the distinguished brethren who represent this Grand Lodge at the various Foreign Grand Lodges have not hitherto been invested with any badge to mark their position as representatives of the Grand Lodge of England such as has generally been presented by those Foreign

Grand Lodges to the English brethren representing them in this country , His Royal Highness has been pleased to approve the accompanying design , and recommends that a jewel made in accordance therewith be conferred on each of the brethren in question , to be held and worn by them while actually officiating as representatives of the Grand Lodge of England .

[ The jewel was exhibited to the brethren , who were informed by the acting Grand Master that if any of them wished to inspect it they could do so , as it would lie on the Grand Secretary ' s table for that purpose . In the meanwhile , as it had been approved by the Grand Master , he would call upon the brethren to signify their approval of it . The jewel was then approved by the brethren . ]

Bro . W . BURDETT-COUTTS , P . M . 2030 , afterwards rose and said : R . W . acting Grand Master , there has fallen upon me the honourable duty of nominating to Grand Lodge its Grand Master for the ensuing year . As this is but a preliminary step to another and more important occasion , I need not detain you by referring to the claims of His Royal Highness the Grand Master to re-election to the high office which he has so long adorned .

Suffice , it , sir , for me to say that they are claims which dwell on every Mason's lips , and which are graven on every Mason ' s heart . I will , therefore , proceed at once to nominate H . R . H . the Prince of Wales for re-election to the office ot Most Worshipful Grand Master for the ensuing year . ( Applause . ) Bro . C . A . COTTEBRUNE , P . G . P .: M . W . G . M . and brethren , I beg to propose Bro . W . Burdett-Coutts , P . M . 2030 , as the Grand Treasurer for the ensuing year .

Bro . Dr . F . ERNEST POCOCK , W . M . 1891 , Z . 1891 : M . W . G . M ., 1 must claim your indulgence , and that of the members of this Grand Lodge , while in as few words as possible I proceed to nominate as Grand Treasurer for the ensuing * 12 months a well-known brother in the Craft . I do not profess to be a public speaker , and it is fortunate for me that the brother whom I am about to introduce to your notice is sufficiently well known to

render oratory superfluous . The brother whom I am about to introduce is Bro . Dorabjee Pestonzee Cama —( applause )—a native , as most of the members ol this G . Lodge are aware , of India , that large , that immense tract of country on the other side of the globe , which has been famous for the production of true , loyal , and zealous men , whether in civil or Masonic

jurisdiction . The election of Bro . Cama as G . Treasurer to the G . Lodge of England would be a graceful act of courtesy by English Masona to our colonial brethren , and more especially if it should so happen that he should be elected at the ensuing communication , as doubtless you all remember there will be held in London a grand Colonial and Indian Exhibition which will naturally bring to our country numbers of Colonial Masons of all degrees and of every clime . The election of our brother will materially strengthen that