Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS , 353 Supreme Grand Chapter 354 Masonic History and Historians 354 Freemasonry in Jamaica 354 C ORRESPONDENCEPrecedence ot Grand Officers 350 Masonic Ceremonies

35-The Oldest Mark Master Mason in Cumberland and Westmorland 3 S <> A Curious Old Book 356 The I-ate Dean Stanley 356 A Shakespearian Question 35 * 5 Reviews 357 Masonic Notes and Queries 357 Consecration of the Gravstone I-odge , No . igrj , at Whitstaulc .... * . 357

REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINOSCraft Masonry 358 Roval Arch 3 S-S Ma ' rk Masonry 359 Ancient and Accepted Rite 359 Cryptic Masonry 359 New ' Zealand 359

New South Wales 359 South Africa 3 60 South America 3 °° The British Association 3 ° o Masonic and General Tidings 3 61 Lodge Meetings for Next Wcci 362 Grand Lodge of New York 362 Masonic Veterans in Pennsylvania 362 Advertisements I ., II . III ., IV ., V ., VI

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WE note that the correspondence " anent" the relative precedence of Grand and Prov . Grand Officers is rather languishing , as was pretty sure to be the case in this period of seasonable summer and Masonic holiday . Indeed , the whole matter lies in a very little compass , namely , What is thc exact meaning of certain words in the Book of Constitutions ? Beyond this

one point , however many words the friendly combatants use , wc cannot go , and all must really turn upon their full and fair interpretation . Two errors have to be avoided in dealing with this recondite and important question . Theone is , appealing simply to custom on the one hand ; the other is , affixing an arbitrary and subjective meaning to certain words . We apprehend , on

the contrary , that the question , if it is to be settled , must be ultimately decided by a conjoint consideration both of the " Lex Scripta" and the " Lex Inscripta , " the "Statute and Common Law" of English Freemasonry . But there is another point not without interest and importance in its bearing on Masonic harmony and good will , which is this : the question having been

raised and discussed , asserted and controverted , had the matter not better be allowed to drop " pro tempore ? " the more so , as before long our " Masonic Parliament " will probably be called upon to consider carefully some needful alterations in the verbiage and provisions of the Book of Constitutions . We say this in all friendliness , as ever , and under all circumstances in our remarks as a Masonic journal , writing as " Amici Curia ; . "

THE " returns" for our great Metropolitan Institutions are , so far , in iSSr very remarkable , and highly creditable to our Order . We have raised already close on £ 40 , 000 for those useful and well managed Institutions , and there seems to be little doubt but that by the end of the year that

amount will be raised to a sum , on the lowest estimate , of ^ 45 , 000 . Some of our friends seem to think that the amount will positively be nearer £ 50 , 000 than £ 45 , 000 . We can only hope that it will be so , in the best interests of our great and admirable Charities , and , above all , as a startling and striking proof of the unquenched devotion and ceaseless munificence of our large-hearted and kindly Fraternity .

* * * WE are pleased to note that a recognition of the Masonic worth and work of Bro . WHYTEHEAD has been recently made by the York brethren .

The account of the proceedings reads very pleasantly , and seems to reflect equal credit on those who planned and carried to a successful result such a kindly undertaking , as well as on the worthy recipient of such truly fraternal sympathy , interest , and goodwill .

* * A NEW lodge , to be connected with our good brothers the " reporters " of the " press , " and principally intended , we understand , for those occupied in Parliamentary reporting , and of which our wellknown Bro . H . MASSEY is to be the first W . M ., is to be

consecrated by the G . S . on the 13 th . We wish the lodge all success . We trust that it may have a pleasant career before it of fraternal union and concord , and may be alike distinguished amongst its contemporaries both by Masonic work and social amenities . We always welcome the members of the ' press " amongst us , as we think the "juxtaposition " is equally good for us and for them .

* * WE are not among those , we wish emphatically to say , who cry out" because " new lodges are springing up [ like mushrooms . " We have heard a good deal of nonsense talked upon this subject , and have peen astonished at times to find what "fallacies" go down , even with

well'nformed Masons , on the subject . To listen to some distinguished censors a "a critics of Grand Lodge proceedings you might positively believe , that ere was something inherently wrong and improper in yielding to thc most " natural law" and necessary " outcome" of active increase and velopement . That there are " new / od S es and new lodges " we do not profess to doubt ; that is to say , that every now and then we are able to put

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our finger on a " weak ' case , " and an unreasonable application for a new lodge . But , on the other hand , we must remember that this desire for new lodges is not necessarily wrong or improper , that it may proceed from a love of Masonry , or a desire to propagate and perpetuate its great and beneficent principles . Then , on the other hand , we must be on our guard against

two very common grounds of opposition to new lodges , which , in our opinion , are neither Masonic , just , nor really tenable . Theone is what may be called the " vested interests view , " which dislikes new lodges because they take away the ground from some older lodges of new members and "fresh recruits . " But we must bear in mind that there is sometimes ,

especially in old lodges , " a period of stagnation , " in which often many zealous Masons give up work and leave an Order , in which , to use a common expression , there is neither " going forwards nor going backwards , " and where the only " look out" is positively a " stationary one " for years . In such cases the need of a " swarm , " and the desire for a new lodge are ,

in our humble opinion , neither unreasonable nor unfitting . There is still a good deal of latent jealousy of the power and growth and prestige of Grand Lodge . We have heard it said , " Grand Lodge is getting too powerful and too rich ; " and we are a little afraid that such a " paradox " as this , often repeated and glibly enunicated , may be received

too easily by some who do not discern the latent fallacy and absurdity of any such proposition , or theory . If Freemasonry is good both for what it is and what it does , what it teaches and what it perpetuates , —if English Freemasonry at the present time has reached a ] position of unequalled prosperity and unrivalled greatness , surely it is not unreasonable that the English

Grand Lodge—the first and oldest Grand Lodge in the world—should accommodate itself to what is the almost imperious necessity of a growing Craft and of an expanding sodality . We doubt not—as , indeed , we know , when we say this—that all applications for new lodges are most carefully considered and most fairly dealt with ; but we are rather seeking to meet

certain current and common objections to the increase of lodges , which we have some times heard , and , as we venture to think , hastily and unreasonably made , and which may , by reiteration , tend to re-act , so to say , on the always scrupulous wishes and feelings of our authorities . The only one weak point we have been able to find in the " new lodges" is their slackness

in respect of thegreat Charities , and the " contrast" in this respect they ^ evidence with some of our older and wealthier lodges . But then we are told their " time has hardly yet come , " and " they will yet do their duty . " So

mote it be I But otherwise , we confess we see no reason why , under proper safeguards and with due caution , new lodges may not be formed both in the metropolitan district and in provincial circles , or why the formation of new lodges should in any sense be discouraged .

* * * MASONIC life seems to shine very brightly in our provincial assemblies . We call special attention , and with approving admiration , to the reports recently printed in the Freemason of the proceedings of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Hertfordshire and the Provincial Grand Lodge of Kent . In the

former case , under thc presidency of that distinguished member of our Fraternity , Bro . T . F . HALSEY , M . P ., Prov . G . M ., the proceedings were alike marked by all Masonic good feeling and practicality . In the latter .

case , a pleasing presentation was made by our zealous brethren of Kent to the Prov . G . M ., Bro . Lord HOLMESDALE , M . P ., and to Lady HOI . MESDALE . We have read both these reports with great pleasure , and which will be shared in , we think , by our many readers .

* * * WE have often thought that our lodge Recreation meetings might be made more pleasant to us all by a little variety , —by a little change of " venue " and a little " life " thrown into the somewhat dull routine of similar friendly "Symposia . " If speeches are forbidden rigidly at such

meetings , a very proper proceeding , the normal Masonic recreation banquet is a slightly heavy and dull affair . Do not be offended , worthy and kindly readers ; but " confess" the truth—is it not so ? We , of course , have a good dinner—" constat ; " and if a hot dinner , very ingenious and artistic ; if not a hot dinner , very " recherch _ , " and very comfortable . We have

met each other over and over again , —we shall meet , probably , over and over again . No doubt there are the ties of old friendship and " camaraderie , " but after all , in most things here , sooner or later " sameness palls " a little on our weak and wayward humanity . If there are speeches , we know beforehand what every one is going to say , and how he will hang on his

little " tag . " We knew a dear , old brother , —now alas , no longer to the fore , and many such we all have known , —who always used the very same words to the very same toast , for many revolving years , and would have done so as often as the Recreation Gathering came round . Therefore , we want a little change often , as it seems to us , to lift up our genial assemblies above the level of merely social reunions . The ladies would , as in some