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wise lodges , add grace , dignity , interest , and attractiveness to the partywould p lease the young , and still , yes still , charm the old . Or if , like our brethren of No . 469 , the Hundred of Elloe Lodge , we made a little excursion , as they did , to " Sandfingham , " we should break into that " formality " and " red tape" of even our very sociality , which may attract some , but

certainly repels others . In the latter case , after their agreeable " outing , " their friendly reception , and the sights of interest they witnessed , thc recording scribe may well end his report in words , which we think all well understand , "Thus ended a day of the greatest enjoyment , which will long remain a redletter day in the memory of all those brethren who participated in it . "

* * * BY the accounts of Grand Chapter , it seems that the " receipts" for 18 S 0 . 81 , are £ 2840 2 s . 6 d ., including a balance of £ 1493 14 8 d . ; and the expenditure £ 1651 os . 4 d ., leaving an available balance , April , 1881 / of

£ 118 9 2 s . 2 d . But this expenditure of ^ 1651 os . 4 d . includes special donations of £ 900 to the three Charities , and formal donations of £ 150 to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , and £ 10 ios ., to the Boys' and Girls' Schools each . The contributions from chapters amount to £ 1273 5 s . 6 d ., and the amount of funded capital appeared to be £ 1750 Consols .

*

IT seems to us a great pity that so many of our contemporaries will exercise'their imaginations about the movements of the EMPEROR OF RUSSIA , and find "fear" " of the Nihilists to be the motive of every step he takes and every journey he makes . After the cruel murder of an excellent

ruler , surely the Imperial Family may have just grounds for retirement and quiet : It is , in fact , playing into the hands of a contemptible handful of assassins to be always'debating on their mysterious influences and secret movements . Let us hope that ¦ the law will yet be too strong for them in Russia , and for our amiable " Dynamitists " at home .

Supreme Grand Chapter.

SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER .

The quarterly convocation of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of England was holden on Wednesday evening , at Freemasons'Hall , when the following companions were present : Comps . Rawson , Past District Grand Supt ., China , as M . E . Z . ; J . A . Rucker , Past Sojourner , as H . ; Col . John Creaton , Grand Treasurer , ' President of the Committee of General Purposes , as ] . ; Col . ' Shadwell H . Clerke , S . E . ; E . R . N .

Grey , S . N . ; Rev . J . S . Brownrigg , P . S . ; Rev . Ambrose W . Hall , 1 st A . S . ; Sampson Pierce , 2 nd A . S . ; A . J . Duff Filer , Grand Sword Bearer ; Rev . C . W . Arnold , J oshua Nunn , Dr . Scott , Magnus Ohren , Raphael Costa , H . G . Buss , E .. Letchworth , F . Adlard , P . Z . 214 , Thomas Massa , C . F . Hogard , H . 10 , Neville Green , P . Z . 1524 , W . H . Lee , James Lewis Thomas , Wilhelm Ganz , H . J . P . Dumas , G . S . Wintle ,

H . 79 ; J . W . 'Lambert , Z . 142 ; E . Somers , J . 1524 ; Charles Pulman , Z . 1339 ; A . M . Thomas , P . Z . 134 ; H . Goulden , Z . 548 ; Joseph S . Badkin , ¦ Z . 1365 ; W . H . Perryman , Z . 1348 ; James Hillhouse , Z . 228 ; Henry Sadler , Janitor ; and H . Massey ( Freemason ) . After the formal opening of Grand Chapter , Grand Scribe E . read the minutes of the quarterly convocation of May last , which were then put

arid confirmed . •On motions duly made . and seconded the prayers of the following petitions were granted , as recommended by the Committee of General Purposes . 1 st . From Comps . the Rev . Frederick Vernon Bussell , as Z . ; William Newton , as H . ; and Richard Francis •Henry King , as J . ; and thirteen others , for a chapter to be attached to the Newton Lodge , No . 1661 ,

Newarkupon-Trent , to be called the Alexander Chapter , and to meet at the Savings Bank , Newark-upon-Trent , Nottinghamshire . 2 nd . From Comps . Herbert Jordan Adams , as Z . ; Alfred Durant , as H . ; Francis Joseph Stohwasser , as J . ; and seven others for a chapter to Le attached to the Fitzroy Lodge , No . 569 , London , to be called the Fitzroy Chapter , and to meet at the Armoury House , Head-quarters Honourable Artillery Company , London . 3 rd . From Comps . Price James Edelsten , as Z . ; William Richardson , as H . ; Thomas H . Sutton , as I . ; and six others for a chapter to be attached to the Gilbert Greenall Lodge , No . 1250 , Warrington , to be

called the Gilbert Greenall Chapter , and to meet at the Masonic Rooms , Sankey-street , Warrington , Lancashire ( Western Division ) . 4 th . From Comps . Robert Stokes , as Z . ; Thomas Stephen Futcher , as H . ; William Charles P . Powning , as J . ; and seven others for a chapter to be attached to the Longleat Lodge , No . 1478 , Warminster , to be called

the rhyhne'Chapter , and to meet at the Town Hall , Warminster , Wiltshire 5 th . From Comps . Joseph Charles Parkinson , as Z . ; William Bache Roberts , as H . ; Edwin Howard , as J . ; and ten others for a chapter to be attached to the Universal Lodge , No . ' 181 , London , to be called the Universal Chapter , and to meet at the Freemasons' Hall , Great Queenstreet , London .

6 th . From Comps . the Rev . Robert Hall Baynes , as Z . ; Sidney Henry Knaggs , as H . ; ¦ Francois Klatt , as J ;; and six others for a chapter to be attached to the Temple Lodge , No . 558 , Folkestone , to be called the Temple Chapter , and to meet at the Town Hall , Folkestone , in the county of Kent . ,. ; ' . Comp . EDWARD LETCHWORTH then rose and said , that'in pursuance nf . th *»' nnti . f » u / birb * . rnnrl in- Ktc nnnin . Yin YtnrrrrnA ?_ , *__ ... _ . < l T __ f ?__ . Pnm . ¦ •¦•l licit til 1

7 . " - " _ .. - » wvw ... ... _ «>_ ... _ •»_> _ _ ££ - « —_ || - ' >— - — V .--IImktee of General Purposes meet at four o ' clock instead of three o ' clock , as heretofore .. and that Article 76 of the Royal Arch Regulations be altered accordingly . " .. He felt that any words of his in support of this motion were quite unnecessary , on " . that ' occasion . Grand Chapter . Committee was , as a rule , composed of companions who had various business avocations , and it had been for some time felt that it would be much more convenient if the

hour were to be altered from three to four . In making that proposal he was following the course which was adopted several years ago by the Board of General Purposes in the Craft , and he had only to add that he had ascertained from Grand Scribe E . that the alteration of the hour would suit his convenience , and would not interfere with any other arrangements of the office . •Comp . GREY seconded the motion , which was then carried , and Grand Chapter was closed ' ,

Masonic History And Historians.

MASONIC HISTORY AND HISTORIANS .

13 Y MASONIC STUDENT . I wish that we could get a few more "facts " about 17 th century Freemasonry . If we could stumble upon even partial records we might gain a good deal of light on what is now so obscure , and such a tantalizing " crux " for the student . We have undoubted evidence of some sort of " lodges "existing in the middle of the 17 th century .

Ashmole ' s account of his initiation at Warrington , 1646 , pre-supposes an existing lodge , but so far as we can now gather Irom his concise statement , all were of the " Craft of Masonry , " except himself and Col . Mainwaring . And yet , in 1682 , when those assembled are hardly " operative Masons , " if of the " Masons' Company , " he calls himself the " oldest fellow , " as if such a " use " was familiar to him , and as if several other " fellows " existed .

If Padgett was not clerk of the Masons' Company , of what "Worshipful Society" was he clerk in 1686 ? ( See Antiquity MS . in Hughan's "Old Charges . " ) ( I am writing far from books of reference ); and to this and similar questions there is , as far as I know , but one answer—that a society or lodge of Freemasons existed in Lancashire in 1646 , in London in 1682 , 1686 , and at York ( of which , I think , there is evidence by implication ) in 1690-93 .

What then have become of the records of these and similar societies ? Were they written ; and were they preserved ? Itisapointinthis "history question" that Oliver ' s evidence of the Masters ' Lodge in Witham , Lincolnshire , middle of iSth century , even seems to point to the fact that no Third Degree minutes were kept , though the "fact" is sometimes alluded to in the general lodge minutes . It has often occurred to

me that , as regards the Scottish minutes , with which Bro . D . M . Lyon has made us familiar , there seems to be here and there a sort of allusion to other " meetings , " as I pointed out years ago , and thus to "proceedings , " of which no minutes ever were taken . If then we are to be left in this positicn , that we can obtain no records of 17 th century English Masonry , which I apprehend is more than likely from

this one fact—that even of early iSth century Masonry we have so far only one minute book ( as far as is publicly known by Masonic students ) before l 7 ~ o —I ^ sk your readers to note this statement , as it is just possible that a diligent search in some lodge chests might bring out some long-forgotten minute book of the first decade of the iSth century . I do not feel quite certain , as I am writing at a distance from references , whether in the account of

the Lodge of Swalwell , published in the " Masonic Magazine , " allusion is not made to some operative minutes of 1721-22 . The great difficulty then remains—how are we to bridge over the period between 1717 and 1682 , first of all ; and how , again , between speculative Masonry and the Guilds dissolved in the reign of Edward VI . ; and how , again , connect the Guilds

dissolved in that reign with those existing in the reign of Richard II . ? There are , as it is known , several hundred Guild returns of the date of Richard II . in one of the collections of Law Records , awaiting , in their dust and silence , some future Murray Lyon or Gould to disinter , collate , and bring to light . But enough for to-day .

Freemasonry In Jamaica.

FREEMASONRY IN JAMAICA .

BY BRO . H . J . BURGER . Extracted from the " Handbook of Jamaica " for 1 SS 1 . ¦ We are pleased in being permitted , by the kind communication of Bro . Burger himself , to publish " in extenso " this interesting little sketch of the history of Freemasonry in Jamaica . It is from these authentic evidences that the Masonic historian is enabled to educe carefully an historical and

trustworthy account of Freemasonry . t No documentary evidence has yet been found to show that Freemasonry existed in Jamaica , in a regularly organised condition , before the 14 th April , I 739 » when Mother Lodge , of Kingston , was warranted as No . 182 by the original Grand Lodge of England . The Island of Antigua appears to have had the precedence of Jamaica by two vears , but no other colony in the

West Indies can claim priority of introduction , whilst Jamaica received the light before Switzerland , Frankfort , Denmark , Rotterdam , and Amsterdam . In 1742 the second lodge was organised at Port Royal as No . 193 ; on the 29 th April , 1746 , the third as No . 20 S in Spanish Town ; on the 17 th February , 1757 , the fourth as No . 219 in St . Mary ' s ; in October , 1771 , the fifth as No . 418 in Kingston ; and nine other lodges from that date to 1775 .

The Atholl , or " Ancient Masons , " as they called themselves , determined however that Jamaica should not exclusively belong to the original Grand Lodge , whereupon they granted a warrant of constitution on the 1 st October , 1763 , to a lodge held at Old Harbour ns No . 121 ; another on the 22 nd October , 1772 , 10 a lodge at Green Island as No . 177—places where no lodge had yet been established by the original Grand Lodere .

In 1775 the original Grand Lodge issued a warrant fora lodge to be held at Green Island as No . 483 ; on this the Athol Masons seem to have considered their jurisdiction had been invaded , and that they were , therefore , at liberty to constitute lodges where others already existed under the original Grand Lodge ; for we find that on the 7 th February , 1786 , a lodge was warranted by them for Kingston as No . 233 ; another in 1780 as No . 2 ^ 7 ; a

military lodge at Port Royal in the following year as No . 262 ; another lodge at Port Royal on the 12 th August , 1793 , as No . 281 ; and on the 10 th May , 1794 , the Royal Lodge ( still extant ) as No . 283 , which lodge was recommended b y Nos . 257 , 262 , and 281 . On the 4 th February , 1795 , Amity . Lodge , No . 288 , was warranted for Kingston , and continued to work till 1817 .

The Athol Masons , finding themselves , in 1806 , both numerous and respectable , ; petitioned their Grand Master ,. his Grace . the Duke of lAthol , for a patent to create . Doctor Michael' Benignus Clare Provincial Grand Master for Jamaica . So soon as this Provincial Grand Lodge was erected . very many of the old lodges , under the original Grand Lodge of England , ceased to work , whilst others accepted provincial numbers under it .

The first lod ge that came into existence after the establishment of the Provincial Grand Lodge was the present Friendly Lodge , of Kingston , under warrant from the Duke of Atholl , dated 31 st January , 1809 , andregistered as ; No . 342 ; it was followed by nine others ( hat were soon esta bhshed in several towns of the island ; nor were any pet itions sent afterwards to the original Grand Lodge for charters till 1812 , when some French