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CONTENTS . PAGE UADBR-The Craft in Bengal .., ... ... ... ... 173 Lodge of Justice , No . 147 ... ... ... ... ... 173 P OETRY—Sonnet for the Month of April ... ... ... ... r 74 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 174

M ASONIC NOTES—. The Schools Elections ... ... ... ... _ ... 179 Meeting of the Committee of Management of the Benevolent Institution ... 179 Girls' School Quarterly Court ... ... ... ... _ ... 179 First Meeting of the Board of Stewards for the Girls' School Festival ... 179 Meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge Charity Committee of East

Lancashire ... ... ... ... ... ... 179 Especial Communication of the District Grand Lodge of Bengal ... 179 Correspondence ... ... ... ... ... ... 180 Reviews ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 180 Provincial Grand Chapter of East Lancashire ... ... ... 1 S 0 The Duke of Connaught and Sussex Freemasons ... ... ... 180 Marriage of Bro . F . R . Kenning and Miss Carter ... ... ... 180 Royal Masonic Institution for Boys ... ... ... ... 180 Old Masonians' Association ... ... ... ... ... 1 S 0

Provincial Grand Lodge of Cheshire ... ... ... ... 181 Freemasonry at the Front ... ... ... ... ... 181 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 S 1 Instruction ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 181 THE C RAFT ABROADConsecration of the Ceres Conclave , No . 31 ... ... ... 182 Death of the Queen—Masonic Memorial Service ... ... ... 1 S 2 Obituary ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 183 Science , Art , and the Drama ... ... ... ... ... 1 S 4 Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 1 S 6

The Craft In Bengal.

THE CRAFT IN BENGAL .

For the last two or three years , the District Grand Master of Bengal—Bro . the Hon . Sir II . THOBY PRINSEP—has revived a practice that was formerly in vogue among Masons , and is still observed in not a few jurisdictions , of summoning his District

Grand Lodge on St . John ' s Day in winter ( the 27 th December ) , firstly for the purpose of attending Divine Service in some convenient place of worship , and then for the transaction of business ; and such a meeting Mas held on this day in the closing

year of last century , the brethren assembling for Divine Service in the Bishop ' s Palace at Calcutta , and proceeding thence to the Cathedral , where they had the privilege of hearing a brief but appropriate and eloquent sermon by Bro . the Rev . Dr .

WELLDON , Bishop of Calcutta , and Metropolitan of India , P . Prov . G . Chaplain of Middlesex . At the conclusion of the service the brethren separated , and the District Grand Lodge , which had previously met and adjourned , resumed its session .

and transacted the business set down on the paper of agenda . It was expected that the meeting would not be a large one , but there was a fair attendance notwithstanding , among those who v .-ere present being Bro , Sir A . POWER PALMER , K . C . B ., Dist .

G . Master of the Punjab , who as a visitor was received with the honour due to his rank ; and Bros . W . II . FlT / . E , P . G . D ., Dep . Dist . G . Master ; and THOMAS JONES , P . G . D ., Past Dep . Dist . G . Master ( the latter of whom was also saluted ) .

In the course of his address the Dist . Grand Master referred to the principal events of the year , speaking hopefully of the position of the Craft in the District , and pointing out that , though the balance to the credit of the Fund of Benevolence

was smaller than usual owing to the heavy demands that had been made upon it , there were still ample funds at its disposal . He also mentioned that while " the amount annually collected h y donations and subscriptions from individual brethren is

somewhat disappointing , and so far , I regret to say , the system of Stewards recentl y introduced has not fulfilled our expectations , " the Bengal Masonic Association is still " a substantial memorial of our usefulness . " It is at the present time

prodding for the education of 42 children , and has an invested capital of 1 , 53 , 000 Rupees , with a further 2000 Rupees waiting 'or investment . But the matter on which he laid the greatest stress was the state of things in reference to the scheme for erecting a Masonic . Hall of their own . They

The Craft In Bengal.

had purchased a site , but the funds for building were not sufficient to justify them in commencing operations . The subject had been most fully considered , firstly by the Committee he appointed early in the year , which , in the absence of

one of its members , was equally divided on the question , one-half being in favour of setting about the building of the proposed Hall , and the other opposed it . The District Board of General Purposes thereupon took the matter into their consideration , and ,

after carefully weighing the reports submitted by the Committee , reported that it was ' ¦ ' neither desirable nor practicable in the present state of the funds of District G . Lodge to proceed with the erection of a Masonic Temple , and the Board , therefore ,

recommends that no further steps should be taken in the matter . " In reference to this recommendation , the District Grand Master remarked— " The conclusion arrived at is , in my opinion , sound and justified by the present condition of our affairs ; " to which he added " When the matter next comes under

consideration , I hope that we may be in a better position , for whatever may be our individual opinions regarding the present scheme , we are all animated by the earnest desire to obtain a suitable Temple of our own'in which our meetings may be held . " So far as

we are able to judge , ( he conclusion arrived at is a wise one . From the papers on the subject in one of the Appendices it appears that the scheme would have involved a total outlay of some 80 , 000 Rupees , to meet which only 25 , 000 Rupees were

available , and the remainder amounting to 55 , 000 Rupees , if not paid within a given time , would become a mortgage at five per cent , on the land and buildings . In these circumstances , it is undoubtedly a wise policy to wait until the times are more propitious .

Lodge Of Justice, No. 147.

LODGE OF JUSTICE , No . 147 .

Bro . Walter E . Dilley , the present Secretary of the Lodge of Justice , and one of the P . Ms ., has written a brief History of the Lodge , so that its eventful past may be well known to the members during its centenary year . The souvenir has been neatly printed by Messrs . Boot and Son , Old Bailey , and there

are two illustrations , the first being a reproduction of the warrant granted by the Duke of Athole , Grand Master of the " Ancients , " and the other contains portraits of the officers of the lodge for 1900 . Bro . Dilley refers but briefly to the first lodge that assembled

by virtue of the charter at the "Fox and Goose , " Seven Dials , on January 20 th , 1777 , and mentions the fact of its failure to account for the centenary being delayed to igoo-i . Bro . Lane , in his " Masonic Records , 1717-1 S 94 , " states that it "Lapsed about 177 8 , " and as the historian is silent as to its meetings after the " Constitution" in 1777 , this is likely to be correct .

The number then was 198 , and in January . 1801 , the warrant was again used for a new lodge that met at the " Baptist ' s Head , " St . John ' s-lane , St . John ' s-street , West Smithlield , in

connection with the West London Militia . It had a few changes of location , as most lodges of the period , removing to Greenwich and then Deptford , returning to Greenwich , where it is still held , from January , 18 97 .

Bro . Dilley groups the main facts respecting the lodge under a few suggestive headings , such as its Institution , Name and Number , Habitation , Officers , Meetings , Fees and Subscriptions , Benevolent Fund and Charities , Furniture , Low Water Mark ,

From Labour to Refreshment , Other Times , Other Maimers , and In Conclusion . Then follows the Appendix , which includes the sums standing to the credit of the lodge for the Central Masonic Charities , amounting to £ 815 5 s . ( surely a most creditable total ) ; a List of the Masters from 1801 to 1901 ; a Roll of

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Now Ready . —The Cosmopolitan Masonic Calendar for 1901 . Price l / - } by post 1 / 1 J ,