Masonic Notes And Queries.

ment of 1755 . In 1745 the Scots Masons were disavowed , in 1755 they are dominant , so dominant that they may sit uncovered in lodges , and are superior to all Craft authority though in Craft lodges , and these laws are sealed with the Scottish seal . What Scottish seal ? Evidently the seal of a Scottish Body ; not of the G . L . Francaise . Daruty ' s argument is , I venture to think , unanswerable , that as there

is no real evidence of the G . L . of trance ever being overmastered by the Scottish Masonry , the G . Loge of 1761 is a High Grade Body , the descendant and developement ofthe Respectable Lodge of 1755 . The whole of Bro . Speth ' s argument turns , then , upon the alleged infallible authority of Kloss , who having stated , ( on no evidence that I am aware of ) , that the Grand Lodge of

1761 is the Grand Lodge of France , though the Statuts themselves seem to prove the exact [ contrary , as sealed with the Scottish seal , they provide for the supremacy of Scots Masonry in everything , and put forward conditions unknown and alien to Craft Masonry , and preserved in no other body of Craft Regulations in existence ! Bro . Speth may have some other irrefragable

evidently in reserve , —if so , he has not yet produced it . Kloss , Kloss , Kloss , is the beginning and end of my worth y confrere ' s argument , and as it is more than doubtful if ever Kloss saw the Minute Book of the Lodge of Versailles , and even admitting he saw thc Einigkeit parchment volume his evidence " cannot go further than it will go . " Where these documents are now no one seems to know . I hope

Bro . Speth s idea is true , as I understand his words , that they are still available for students . As I said before , until we can see the original French in their German dress , I confess they are to me of most dubious authority , and really of questionable authenticity . I have heard from Bro . Findel , but too late to alter this note this week ; will resume it therefore next . A . F . A . W .

533 continued ] THE COUNTRY STEWARDS' LODGE . " That your memorialists have too much reason to fear their memorial was not generally understood by their brethren who composed the Communication at which the minute was rescinded , and they have good grounds for apprehension that by some accident the real sentiments of the Grand Lodge were not obtained at that

Communication which can alone consistently account for the rejection of that , which thc former Grand Lodge had with such marked and decided majority granted . " Your memorialists are induced by these considerations once more to trouble the Grand Lodge with the application , and if the same shall appear to have been rejected by mistake , or from motives incompatible with the pure

and genuine principles of Masonry , which deals , or should deal even justice to all , they will , influenced by such principles , grant that the present and succeeding members of the Country Stewards Lodge be permitted to line their aprons with green silk . " It was then moved by Brother VVingfield , Master of the Country Stewards' Lodge , and seconded by Brother Jones ,

Senior Warden of the same , " That the Prayer of the said Memorial be complied with . " Whereupon an amendment was moved by Brother George Downing , Esq ., Prov . Grand Master for Essex , seconded by R . Brettingham , Esq ., Junior Grand Warden , to omit all the words of the said motion after the word "That , " and substitute the words "the consideration of the Prayer of the said

Memorial be postponed until His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , Grand Master , the Ri g ht Honbl . the Earl of Moira , Acting Grand Master , or Sir Peter Parker , Baronet , Deputy Grand Master , shall preside in the Chair of the Grand Lodge . " And on the Question being put on the Amendment and the Numbers counted , the Senr . Grand Warden reported there were

Against it ... ... ... 76 For it ... ... ... 64 . Majority against the amendment 12 . The Question on the Original Motion was then put , and the Numbers being counted , the Senr . Grand Warden reported the same

Font ... ... ... 73 Against it ... ... ... 53 . " Majority for the Motion , 20 . Feb . Sth , 1797 . The minutes of the . last Grand Lodge being read , a motion was made by Brother Millett and seconded by Brother R . Brettingham , Esq ., Junr . Grand Warden ,

" That the Minutes of the last Grand Lodge be confirmed , except that part relating to the Memorial of the Country Stewards' Lodge , and the granting a Green Apron to be worn by the Past and future Stewards of the Country Feast . Upon which Debates arose , but it being found difficult to ascertain the Sense of of the Grand Lodge by the holding up of Hands , a Division was proposed , but

from the Confusion , tumult , and irregularity which took place thereon , the Grand Master in the Chair found himself under the necessity , at a very late hour ( at the general request of the Grand Officers and many other brethren ) , of closing the Grand Lodge and Adjourning the whole of the Business . " In the foregoing incident we have a most curious and

striking example of the truth cf the well-known saying" History repeats itself , " for little more than sixty years before a scene of a similar nature had been enacted in the Grand Lodge , having the very same abrupt termination , arising from opposition to some extraordinary privileges which had been granted to the Grand Stewards at the previous meeting . As this incident is fully described in the "Four Old Lodges , " by Bro . Gould , and also in Bro .

Hughan ' s more recent work— " Origin of the English Rite of Freemasonry "—I will not encroach on your space by repeating it here , although I cannot forego the opportunity afforded me of recording my admiration at the tenacity with which our old brethren clung to their original customs with regard to clothing , as well as in other matters of possibly greater importance—their stern determination to resist any departure from the original plan of Freemasonry , however eloquently introduced and ably supported .

Grand Lodge Minutes , 12 th April , 1797 . The minutes of the Grand Lodge held Sth February , and the minutes of the Grand Lodge held on 23 rd November last , were read , Whereupon a Motion was made by the Right Honble . the Earl of Moira , Grand Master , in the Chair , seconded by George Porter , Esq ., Sen . Grand Warden , acting as Deputy Grand Master— "That the Memorial of the Country Stewards' Lodge , presented to the Grand Lodge in November last , and the Resolution thereon , do not stand part of the minutes of the said Grand

Masonic Notes And Queries.

Lodge . " And on the Question being put and the Numbers counted , the Senr . Grand Warden reported there were For the Question (? Motion ) 149 Against it 54 Majority 95 A Motion was made by Brother John Dowling , of the

Country Stewards' Lodge , and seconded by Brother James Chapman , of the same Lodge— "That the Grant of the Grand Lodge in November , 17 S 9 , of a Green Collar and Medal to be worn by the members of the Country Stewards' Lodge be rescinded . " And on the Question being put it passed in the Affirmative .

7 th February , 179 S . The following Memorial was presented to the Grand Lodge by Brother Jones , Master of the Country Stewards ' Lodge , and read , viz .: — To the Grand Master , Officers and Brethren assembled in Quarterly Communication . The Memorial of the MasTer , Wardens and Brethren of the Country Stewards

Lodge , No . 449 . Sheweth : That by a Resolution of the Grand Lodge in Quarterly Communication dated 25 th November , 17 S 9 , the Members of the Country Stewards ' Lodge were permitted as a mark of distinction to wear a Medal suspended by a Green Collar . That at the Quarterly Communication held in April , 1797 , a Member then present moved " That the Resolution above mentioned should

be rescinded , " which was put and carried . That the motion for rescinding the first Resolution was made without the previous consent or knowledge of the Country Stewards ' Lodge . Your Memorialists , therefore , Pray that the Resolution made in April , 1797 , may be rescinded , and that the Grant of the Privilege to wear the Collar and Medal may be restored to the Members of the "Country Stewards ' Lodge .

Signed J J ONES , R . W . M . A . SHIRREFF , J . W . J . WINGFIELD , P . M . ( and fourteen others . ) ( To be continued . )

Reports Of Masonic Meetings.

REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGS .

Craft iHasonrjj . ROYAL SOMERSET HOUSE AND INVERNESS LODGE ( No . 4 ) . —The installation

meeting of this fine old lodge was 'held at Freemasons Hall , on the 23 rd inst ., when Bro . Frederick VVest , P . M ., G . S ., P . P . G . Reg ., was installed into the chair of K . S . by Bro . H . Mackintosh , P . M ., P . G . S ., the Secretary of the lodge , by whom the ritual was very ably recited . The officers appointed and invested for the coming year were

Bros . E . B . Cousens , S . W . ; H . B . Hughes , J . W . ; Rev . H . Lansdell , D . D ., P . M ., P . G . S ., Chap . ; J . Chynoweth , P . M ., P . G . S ., Treas . j Dr . H . J . Mackintosh , P . M ., P . G . S ., Sec . ; Dr . G . Weldon , S . D . ; H . S . Pollon , J . D . ; Rev . E . Weldon , I . G . ; R . G . Hall , P . M ., P . G . S ., D . C , * VV . Ganz , P . G . O ., Org . ; and C . Speight , Tyler . At the close of the ceremony of installation of the Master , the VV . M . presented in the name of the lodge to

Bro . Whitmore , the I . P . M ., a handsome P . M . 's 'jewel , which had at the previous lodge been awarded to him by a unanimous vote of the lodge , as a mark of their personal esteem , and of their appreciation of the manner in which . he had performed the duties of his office . Bro . Whitmore having acknowledged the compliment , the lodge was closed in ancient form . The brethren subsequently dined together in the adjoining tavern , and

on the cloth being drawn after dinner , full justice was done to the customary list of loyal and Masonic toasts , which were proposed by the Chairman , and heartily received by the brethren present . In proposing "The Health of the Grand Officers" the Worshipful Master said that in a Society so vast as Freemasonry it was necessary that those who were chosen to preside over the Craft should be those who had done good

suit and service to the Society at large . Frorn time immemorial the Grand Officers had always received from their subordinates honour and support in their laudable undertakings . They were made welcome in all Masonic assemblies , and nowhere did they receive higher honour than in that grand old lodge , No . 4 . ¦ The Grand Officers at the present time were those in whom the Craft had confidence ; the Craft had the privilege of being presided over

by H . R . H . the Prince of Wales ; for Pro Grand Master they had the Earl of Carnarvon , a statesman who had done good service to the country ; then they had a very popular nobleman , the Earl of Lathom , for Deputy Grand Master ; and besides they had the general body of present and past Grand Officers , many of whom were present that evening . Many of the Grand Officers were members of that lodge , including Bro . Mclntyre , who for many years ably

filled the oflice of Grand Registrar . They had in the lodge more modern Grand Officers in Bros . Devonshire and Ganz , who had done good service as officers of the lodge . In addition to their own Grand Officers they were honoured that evening by the presence of the Grand Secretary , Bro . Col . Shadwell H . Gierke ; Bros . Hutton , P . G . D . ; Long , P . G . D . ; and Thomas , P . G . D . ; which last was a colleague with the speaker in another lodge , and the one to whom he

owed his appreciation of Masonic life . They had also present Bro . Bowyer , who , with their own Grand Officers , completed the list . He was sure they would not expect him to call upon all of them to respond , and he therefore proposed to call Bro . Col . Shadwell H . Clerke and upon Bro . Thomas to act as Senior Counsel for the Grand Officers . The Grand Secretary , in responding , said that their W . M . had just very truly said that this toast was a very

important one , comprising as it did gentlemen in every station in Masonic life who had done good suit and service to the Order . He therefore felt the honour of being called upon to return thanks for this toast . The Grand Officers felt highly gratified at the compliment their Masonic brethren always paid them on these festive occasions , and he ( Col . Gierke ) believed and trusted that they would always deserve that recognition at the hands of the brethren . They were always pleased to witness the , success of the lodges under the English constitution , young

Reports Of Masonic Meetings.

or old , more especially such an old lodge as this . It was with great pleasure that the Grand Officers were there that evening to witness once more the interesting ceremony of installation , as this lodge had worked it by immemorial antiquity . He had been informed that the ceremony was very admirably performed by their good Bro . Mackintosh , and he specially regretted that he was late , because it was his special desire and hope lo see the good and worthv

brother , now presiding , installed into the chair of K . S . Bro . West had not only been installed that evening , but he also had the distinguished position of Grand Stewards ' Treasurer . He would not detain them longer , but would conclude by thanking them for the very kind reception given the Grand Officers that evening . Bro . Thomas also returned thanks , premising that the eloquence of the Grand Secretary left him but little to

say . He had had the exceeding pleasure of initiating Bro . West into Masonry ; but had he known that he was then introducing into Masonry one who would betheMasterof this old , historic lodge , he might have taken more care than he had taken in that ceremony . Bro . West was Treasurer in another lodge to which the speaker belonged , and he was quite sure that no one could take greaterlcare of the lod ge funds than Bro . VVest . The services Bro . West had

rendered were considerable , and therefore he ( Bro . Thomas ) took no little credit to himself for having been Bro . West ' s father in Masonry . Bro . Whitmore , I . P . M ., then rose and said that , ' as the gavel was now in his hands , the brethren would at once gather that the next toast was " The Health of the VV . M . " He had very little to say about this toast , although he might have much ; but what he had to say he would divide into

two parts—first past and then present . With regard to the past , the following was a list of a fewjof the offices which the W . M . had held and someof which he held still : He was P . G . Registrar for Surrey ; P . M . and Treasurer of the Granite Lodge ; and in the Royal Arch he was P . G . Treasurer ; P . Z . 463 , East Surrey ; and P . Z . 132 S , Ionic . Bro . West was besides Grand Steward and Treasurer to the Board of Stewards . With regard ^ to the present , things

spoke for themselves ; he was held in the highest esteem and in the highest respect in No . 4 Lodge . They did not only look up to him at present , but had done so almost from the time of his entering the lodge . Bro . West , at his own wish , undertook the duties of Secretary upon joining the lodge , and he had held every office in No . 4 since . He was sure that Bro . West would fill the chair of K . S . during his year of office as well as he had fulfilled every other

office . He wished Bro . West a very happy year of office , not only on his own behalf , but on the part of all the brethren of the lodge . Bro . VVest , on rising to ' return thanks , said that the kind way in which this toast had just been proposed , and the reception that had been given to it , made it difficult for him to express his gratitude for the most cordial welcome the brethren had given him on this auspicious occasion . He

assured them that he accepted office with sincere feelings of the responsibility it entailed , and he thought nobody could take upon himself the high office of Master of such a lodge as this without feeling that he had not only the honour and reputation of the lodge to keep up , but he had to maintain the traditional history of the lodge pure and unsullied . This lodge was one of the two lodges which worked by immemorial constitution . Bro . Whitmore , their Immediate Past Master , had been kind enough to say a lot of nice

things about him , and he ( Bro . West ) hoped some of them were true . If in the offices he had already filled he had managed to give satisfaction to the brethren , it would be his endeavour to do the same in the more important office he had now to fulfil ; if he could leave the chair feeling that he had not tarnished its lustre he should be satisfied . He should do his best to carry out the duties , and he was confident that all the officers would assist him in his endeavours .

The Worshipful Master then proposed "The Health of the Visitors , " coupling with it the names of Bros . Hutton , Wallace , and Fooks . Bros . Hutton and Wallace briefly acknowledged the compliment . Bro . Fooks , in replying , said that if the worthy brethren who preceded him had a matter of difficulty before them , he found his task was very easy , for that which they had so well said he could add but little to . They had been

there as visitors to partake of a sumptuous banquet . All of them—himself among the number—were not able to be present at the working , that [ solemn ceremonial , which touched the hearts of them all , and taught again and again how little they were and what great things they might do . Bro . Fooks added that he had but little to say . As the brethren had in their banquet there to their material bodies given comfort , so had they to their inner life and

sentiment given very great encouragement . The photoplasm from which this pre-historic lodge was produced lead Masons to consider the highest mysteries of the Great Architect of the Universe , which true Masons endeavoured , though vainly endeavoured , to penetrate and understand . On behalf of the visitors he thanked them in all love and kindness for their reception there that evening , and he hoped that they might take away those principles of

brotherly love , relief , and truth which the worshipful brother who preceded him had eloquently alluded to . " The Healths of . 'thelPast Masters , " " The Treasurer and Secretary , " and "The Working Officers" were duly proposed and honoured before the Tyler's toast closed the proceedings . Among the P . M . 's present were Bros . "Alfred Meadows , M . D ., P . M ., P . G . Stwd . ; Rev . G . Wi Weldon , M . A .,

P . M ., P . G . S . ; Horace Browne , M . A ., P . M ., P . G . Reg . Cantab , P . G . S . ; Mackintosh , M . D ., ' . P . M ., P . G . S . ; also Eros . R . G . Hale ; Wm . Lumley ; A . G . Velsy , P . G . Reg . Essex ; Jas . Ford , 58 ; G . J . Rowe , P . M . 1185 ; G . N . Emmatt , W . M . 1 C 35 ; John Davidson , W . M . 1 S 20 ; C . Donaldson , M . D ., 1731 ; W . B . Pattison , 167 S ; A . J . Norris , 569 ; C VV . C Hutton , P . G . D ., P . M . 9 6 ; J . L . Thomas , P . G . A . D . C ; E . Swanborough , P . M . 1310 ; J *

S . Cousens , VV . M . 227 ; Edgar Bowyer , P . G . Std . Br . ; Walter C . Jackson , P . M . 10 and 70 S ; C . Chester , P . M . 99 , P . G . S . ; Shadwell II . Clerke , G . Sec . ; W . C . Fooks , P . M . 229 , P . G . S . W . Kent ; Peter de Lande Long , P . G . D . ; G . H . Wallis , C . E . ( Mayor of Eastbourne ); V . Jeffreys 170 G ; R . C . Mount , P . P . G . S . W . ; F . Cambridge , 1706 , G . Org . Surrey ; John Steadman , 17 C 5 ; and E . C . Massey . FAITH LODGE ( No . 141 . )—A meeting of this old lodge was held at Anderton ' s Hotel , Fleet-street ,