Craft Masonry.

Bengal ; the Coorg , No . 25 / 1 , ( . oorg . under ( hat ol Madras , and the following two under that of Biirmah , namely , the Acacia-. No . 25 ( 57 , Meikiobi . and tbe Fvtirclovigh , No . 2575 , at Maudelrtv , formerl y the capital of KTing Theebaw . In Queensland the number of lodges has been increased . ; from 42 lo 4 ( 5 by lhe grant of warrants for the following , namely , the Gatton Lodge , No . 25-14 . Gallon : the Pho'iiix ,

No . 2561 , North Pine : the Corinthian . No . 257 : ! , Ohilders ; and the Beanaraba . No . 2588 , at Pittsworth . Two lodges have been added to the roll of the newly organised district of the Transvaal , namely , the Roodepoort . No . 25 : 19 , Roodepoort , and the Lodge of St . George , No . 2514 . Yrijheil . Western Australia has gained two lodges , the Coolgardie , No' 25-1 : 1 , which derives its name from the place in which

if meets , and the Southern Cross . No . 2574 , Southern Cross . The remaining three are Buluwayo . No . 25 ( 5 ( 5 . located at the late capital of Lobengnla . in Mafubelcland : ( he Wynberg . No . 257 " , in the town of the same name : and the Doornfontciu . No . 2585 . at Doornfonleiii . all Ihree having been established in South Africa . Turning to the proceedings in Oram ! Lodge , we find that at the

( jlii irlcilv Comiiiunication in March similar arrangements were made as in ISO- ' -, in view of ( lie verv large at tendance ( hat was ex peeled in connectir . ii with the contest for the ollice of Grand Treasurer for lhe ensuing vear . The candidates were ihree in number , namely . Bro . Alderman Vaughan Morgan , and Bros . VV . M . Stiles ( Loudon I and (' . VV . 11 lid son ( Sussex ) . who had been com lieli tors for

the ollice the previous year . The result was 1 lie election of Bro . VV . M . Stiles , who polled 052 votes to 787 for Bro Morgan , and -I 4 ' . l for Bro . 11 ml son . On com ] taring these with the totals polled for the seveva ! candidates at lhe previous election , it will be noted that there was a very large diminution in the number of those who voted , this being no doubt , in a great measure attributable to the

prevalence of iulhieii / . a . which happened to visit I he Metropolis jnsl at this time . In respect of iheothcr business , it included a proposal on the part of lhe Board of General Purposes for the re-organisation as one Board of the existing Boards of General Purposes and for Colonial affairs , mid it was agreed , on the motion of lhe President of the Cornier bodv . seconded hv its Vice-President , that it should he

referred to the Board of General Purposes to prepare a scheme for the amalgamation of ( he two . Grand Lodge also approved of sundry amendments to the Rules and Regulations of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , and notably one to Rule 45 . which gave power lo lhe Committee o | Management < o lill up at their next nieeliiig any vacancy that might have occurred on the House

or Finance Committee . Among the appeals that were brought forward was one by the W . M . of No . ~ >' . ^ . Sing . iporc . e .-igainsl the decision of the Deputy District Grand Master ami the District Board of General Purposes reversing his ( lhe W . M . ' sj decision that a resignation of im-iiibershi p addressed to the Secretary was liiuil , notwithstanding that it was withdrawn immediately , and before

communication to the lodge . The G . Regislrar ruled that as the resignation had been withdrawn before being communicated to lhe lodge , it was mil linal . and uphold lhe decision of lhe Dep . Hist . G . Master and lhe |) is ( . Board of General Purposes . At the . lime Communication . ( 1 . Lodge , on the ivcovmnvndaUivn of the Btv . wd tit General Purposes , adopted a resolution doing away with ( he ollice of

Grand Secretary for German Con cspniidcncc , and empowering lhe . M . W . Grand Secretary to appoint mi Assistant G . Secretary for German Correspondence instead , to rituk after the . Assislant , ( j . Secretary . G . Lodge also took into consideration the scheme for ( he anr . ilganr . il ion of ( he Board of General Purposes and Colonial Board , which was submitted bv the former , but aflera prot raeted discussion

it was agreed , on t he mot ion of Bro . Richard Kve . Past (! . Treasurer , ( hal the proposal should beheld over until the December meeting . Subsequentl y an appeal b y a P . M . of Lodge No . 050 , Pietermurit / . burg . against lhe ruling of the Dist . Board of General Purposes , conlirnied by the Dist . G . Masler . that a brother was entitled to be admitted as a visitor into a lodge il he could prove

himself a Maslei Mason irrespective of papers , was upheld , ( he G . Registrar ruling thai in Article 15 ( 1 . Book of Const but ions , the uord "or " in l he clause " or nut il he has produced the cert ilicale , " LI' . ill ' ., is lhe same as " and . " 7 'he res ill I of ( his is ( hal a brother , though he may be able to prove himself a . VI . M .. is not entitled jo admission into a lodge unless he produces his cert ilicale . At the

meeting on the ! th September a resolution was brought forward by Bro . W , VV Iward . P M . No . 1 * I 2 : > . to I he effect that G . Lodge should issue a circular to its ' ledges in which his scheme providing that lhe Freemasons of Kiighind should con l filmic towards I hi * decoration of Si . Paul ' s Calhcilral . was set forth , and that having thus ascertained the feel he's of the Craft , il should lake such further

steps as might seem desirable in order to secure lhe end in view The resolution was discussed al considerable length , and while everyone spoke well of its object , there was a decided predominancy of feeling against ( i . Lodge taking any part olliciall y in the work ol decoration , though it was allowed on all hands ( o he a matter to which brethren , as iudi \ iduals . might very properly contribute . Al

lhe ( Quarterly Coiiiiiiiniicat ion on Wednesday , t he It h instant , aftei Bro . W . ) J . Bailee had been iniiii ' ilinlci ) for ( he ollice of G . Treasure ! for next year , the Board of General Purposes submitted its revised scheme for the nuialgania ; ion of I he t wo existing Boards , and after a verv lull discussion , the proposal was adopted . A motion by Sir

. 1 . B . Monckioii . P . G . W .. lo Liranl the sum of 2 lMI guineas towards lhe Scholarshi p Fund it is proposed to raise in behalf of ( he Royal Masonic I list it ill ion for Boys , was agreed to . It is also worth y of mention that after - ; er \ ing lor many yotrs Us Senior Vice-President of the Beard of Benevolence . Bro ' . . lames Brett . P . G D .. declined lo

Craft Masonry.

allow himself to be put in nomination , and Bro . 1 ) . D . Mercer . P . G . P .. was elected in his sfead , while Bro . C . A . Cottebrune , P . G . P .. ' was re-elected to lhe ollice of Junior 'Vice-President . Among lhe other principal events of the year must be mentioned in the lirst , place the installation of no less than four new . Provincial G . Musters , namely . of Bro . t he Karl of Yarborough . as Prov . G . Master

of Lincolnshire , in place of Bro . Maj . VV . H . Smy th , resigned : of Bro . the Karl of Onslow , as Prov . G . " Master of Surrey , in succession to the late Bro . Colonel Money : of Bro . A . F . Godson . M . P ., as Prov . G . Master of Worcestershire , in succession to the late Bro . Sir K . _ .. H . Lechinerc , Bart ., Al . 1 ' . : and of Bro . Lord Addington , as Prow ( I , Muster of Buckinghamshire , in place of Bro . Karl Carrington .

resigned . Other changes have also been made among the District Grand Masters . Thus . Bro . Sir C . 11 . lb Mitchell . G . O . M . G ., has taken flic place of Bro . Sir Clias . Warren . G . C . M . G .. as Dist . Grand Master of the Knstern Archipelago , and Bro . Wesley Francis has succeeded Bro . R . I . Fiiineinore as Dist . G . M . of Natal , while the District Grand Lodge of the Transvaal has been constituted , with Bro . Geor"r Richards as Dist . ( i Master . As regards the meetitiL'

ol Provincial Grand Lodges there is little out of the ordinary course to record We have already incut ioned that at the annual meeting of I hat of Northumberland ihree new lodges were consecrated b y tin Prov . G . Masler , and something of a similar nature happened in lln case of the Prov . G . L . of South Wales ( K . Div . ) , which met on tin

2 ( 51 h September , al Cardiff , when a new Masonic Hall was dedicated and a new lodge , the Duke of York . No . 245 : 1 . was consecrated b y Bro Lord Llangattock . Prov . G . M . At the annual meeting of that of West Yorkshire in April , a vote of condolence with the family of Bro . T . W . Tew . P . Prov . ( 1 . Masterthen recently deceased , was

passed unanimously : while at the meeting of the same Prov . G . Lodge at Dewsbury . ou the Kith October , Bro . Henry Smith , P . G . D .. Dep . P . G . Muster , announced his intention of resigning the position of Deputy , his connection with Masonry having extended over a period of 4 M years . Among other interesting Masonic functions may

lie mentioned t :. e laying of the capeslone of a Seamen ' s Institute al Middlesborough b y Bro . the Marquis of Zetland , Prov . G . Master ol North and Knsl Yorkshire , on the : 10 th January ; the dedication b y Br . i , the Karl of Warwick . Prov . G , Master of Ksscx , on the 18 th April , of the Masonic Hall erected at Kelvedon bv Bro . Sir W . N .

Abdy . Bart ., of ( he Kastorford Lodge . No . 2 : 142 : the laying of the foimda / ioii-slouo of ( he Liskcicd Collage Hospital by Bro . the Karl of Mount Kilgeumhe , Provincial Grand Muster of Cornwall , on the 21 st Mav : the entertainment al Winchester of the (^ natiior Coronafi Lodge . ' No . 207 ( 5 , by Bro . VV . VV . B . Beach , M . P .. Prov G . Master of Hampshire and the Isle of 'Wi g ht and his Prov . ( I ,

Lodge on the 20 th June ; the laying of the foundation stone of tin new transept of St . Clement ' s Church , Chorlton-cnm-Hardy , b y Bra Robert W y lie . Dep . Prov . G . M .. West Lancashire , as the represent a live of Bro . the Karl of Lalhom . Prov . ( I . Master , on the 20 th . Inl y and the dedication of a new Masonic Hall at Salt Irani , by Bro . tin lion . VV . T . (> rdr-Powlctt . Dep . Prov . G . Master . N . and K . 'Yorkshire

and the opening of the new Masonic . Hall erected by the Union Lodge , No . V 27 . Margate , on the \ M \\ and Uil . h October respectively . Among noteworth y Lodge Festivals , we have great pleasure in announcing ( he celebration in May , in ( he presence of ( he Prov . G . Master of VV . Yorkshire , mid a largeconcourse of visitors , of the Centenary of lhe constitution of die -Alfred Lodge , No . . 'iOli , Leeds , as well as ( he

Centenary Festivals of ( he St . Michael ' s Lodge , No . 211 , ami ol ( he Lodge of Hope and Unity . No . 214 . last , month , together witli the . lubilce celebrations of lhe Berkhampslcad Lodge , No . 504 Berkhninpstoad , in January : of the removal of the Lodge ol Jnduslry . No . -1-8 . from Swalwcll to Gateshead on the lllh March of lhe constitution of the United Pilgrims Lodge , No . 507 , on ( hi

20 lh of the same month : and of that of St . Martin ' s Lodge , No . 510 Liskeard , on the 0 th August when an address on the ausp icious event was delivered by Bro . W . . 1 . Iliighan . P . G . D . There have also been the several presentations of testimonials of various kinds to brethren who have rendered valuable , services , either to the Cralt generally , or some lodge or lodges hi particular , and who have had

-pecial ( list ' nicl ' niiis r < iii ! frrc < ] upon llirm b y G . L idgo . Among the recip ients of these testimonials must be mentioned Bro . Thomas Fenn . Pusl Pres . of the Board of General Purposes , who expressed a wish ihal lhe usual rank of Past G . W . might not be conferred upon him on retiring from ollice . but was content , to receive the Past Jewel of his rank , and also Bro . John Lane , upon whom the •'

. Master was p leased lo confer the rank of Past A . G . D . C ., while < '• Lodge presented him with the clothing ami jewel perfuming to ins rank . Among others to whom their lodges and friends have rendered a like service , we mile that Bro . Sir . 1 . 0 . Dimsdale was presented with Hie clothing and jewel of a Past G . Treasurer , that Bro . W . M . Stile-,

received ( hat of the same rank ; Bro . George Fairchild that ol Past A . G . D . C .: Bro . Joseph Todd that of G . Std . IS ., presented b \ the York Lodge . No . 2 . ! ti , and Bro . Capt . 'J ' . C . Walls , Past G . Std . B The services of other brethren have also been recognised in a siniia 11 manner , but il is time we gave our attention In oilier mailers ol grealer imporlance lo Freemasonry in general .

ROYAL ARCH MASONRY .

If a new law is to be judged by its oll ' eel , us a pudding is by ' I" ' eating , there can be little , if any . doubt that as regards lhe num ber of chapters that have I u added to lhe roll of Supreme Grand Chapter during ( he yeni : the law which was passed early in l ^ ' ' - ¦ •villi ,-i view lo strengthening Royal Arch Masonry b y reducing ' ¦' "'