Craft Masonry.

qualifying period for the exaltation of Master Masons from twelve months to one looks very much as if it -were a failure—at least up to the present time . Our readers must not be too hast y in arriving at this conclusion . TJie Royal Arch may have gained ' in strength without showing it , that is to say , the membership of chapters already existing may have been substantially augmented , and the need

for additional chapters thereb y diminished . However , the mattei is not one to be considered at any length . The new law may or may not have had the desired effect , but there is no questioning the fact that , whereas , in 1894 , warrants for 22 new chapters were granted , of which , six belonged to London , nine to the Provinces , and seven to Foreign Stations , the number granted during the present year is

1 / , of which , two are located in London , 11 in the Provinces , and four abroad . The London Chapters are the Avondale . No . 2395 , and the Willesden , No . 2489 . Of the 11 new Provincial Chapters the Bevan , No . 2458 , Eton , has been added to the roll of Buckinghamshire ; the Ecclesburne , No . 2425 , Driffield , to that of Derbyshire , and the Baliol , No . 1230 , Barnard Castle , to that of Durham . Kssex rejoices

in two additional chapters , of which , the Victorian , No . 2184 , meets at Rainham , and the Ixion , No . 2501 , at Buckhurst Hill . Hampshire and the Isle of Wight has gained the Asher Barfield Chapter , No . 35 , which meets at Cowes in the Isle of Wi ght , and Hertfordshire , the Broxboume Chapter , No . 2353 , at Hadley ' s Hotel , New Barnet . The Corinthian Chapter , No . 2350 , Hindlev , and the

Horwich Chapter , No . 2324 , Horwich , have been placed on the roll of West Lancashire , which now has 46 chapters on its list ; while the remaining two are located in Staffordshire and Surrey respectively , the Dartmouth , No . 662 , West Bromwich , being in the former , and the Royal Albert Edward , No . 1360 , Red hi II , in the latter Province . The four located abroad comprise the Hercules , No . 2170 , attached

to the St . George ' s Chapter , Ceylon ; the Prince of Wales Chapter , attaclied to the Conyers Lodge , ~ No . 1916 , Christ Church , New Zealand ; the Tyrian Chapter , attaclied to the lodge bearing the same name , No . 1628 , meeting at Bundaberg in Queensland ; and the Grahamstown Chapter , attached to the Albany Lodge , No ! 389 , Grahamstown , in the district of South Africa , EastDivision . These

constitute the additions to the roB , but on the other hand there are live Chapters which have been erased or called upon to show cause whythey shouldnot be struck from the roll , and their warrants returned and cancelled . As regards the proceedings in Grand Chapter , a reference to onr reports will show that they were of the briefest and most ordinary character , the only business ontside the consideration

of the reports of the Committee of General Purposes having been the appointment of new Grand Officers at the May Convocation . There have , however , been sundry changes , caused in the majority of instances b y death , in the ranks of the hi gher Provincial dignitaries of the Degree . B y the death of Comp . Sir E . A . H . Lechmere , Bart ., towards the dose of December , 1894 , the post oi

Grand Superintendent of Worcestershire became , vacant , and that has since been filled b y the appointment of Com ]) . A . F . Godson , M . P ., wJio has not yet been installed in ollice . In February , Comp . Col . Money , C . B ., Grand Superintendent of Surrey , died quite suddenly , and Comp . Earl Onslow has since been appointed and installed his successor . Comp . Sir M . White-Ridley , Bart , M . P ., who

was appointed last year to be Grand Superintendent of Northumberland , vice Comp . Col . Addison Potter , has also been installed in his ollice , while the place of the lamented Comp . T . W . Tew , . LP ., as Grand Superintendent of West Yorkshire , has recently been tilled b y lhe installation at Leeds of Comp . W . L . Jackson , M . P ., who hail alread y had conferred upon him the position of Provincial ( . 5 . Master

of Craft Masonry for that province . Quite recently too -on Tuesday , the 12 th November—Comp . Viscount Valentin was installed Grand Superintendent of Oxfordshire in . succession to Comp . the Rev . H . Adair Pickard , who had presided in that capacity over the Uoyal Arch Masons of Oxfordshire for the last 10 years , and who tendered his resignation during the autumn . Two ' other vacancies have also occurred , that of Grand Superintendent of Nott iiigbamshirc

through the death of Comp . Sir Henry Bromley , Bart ., who received his appointment in July , 1882 , and that of Grand Superintendent of Cheshire , through the death of Comp . the Rev . Charles \ V . Spencer-Stanhope , who had held it since Jul y , 1888 . The gap in onr ranks resulting from the latter death has alread y been lilled by the itppointment of Comp . Alan de Tatton Egerton , M . P ., who will doubtless be formally inducted into office at tin earlier period .

MARK MASONRY .

VV c might almost repeat word for word the remarks we made with reference to this exceedingly popular branch of Masonry in out review of last year to the effect that , considering the marvellous progress the Degree had made during the preceding 10 years and upwards , it could hardly be expected to maintain the same rate for

ever , but that such progress as had been made during the year clearl y enough indicated that Mark Masonry was as popular as ever ; mid though it could not boast of the addition of many new lodges lo its roll , that its position had been maintained and eveiicoiisiderably strengthened . There is no doubt this is as true a picture of what

'His happened in the domain of Adoniram during 1895 as it was 1- months ago of the events in 1894 . The number of lodges •hat have been added to the roll of Grand Lodge since the Quarterly Communication in December of 1894 is 10 , of which live are located ! 't home and five abroad . The former include the Dramatic Lodge , Ko . 487 , London ; the Wycombe , No . 480 , High Wycombe , in the

Craft Masonry.

Province of Buckinghamshire ; St . Austin ' s Lodge , No . 479 , Warrington , in the Province of Lancashire ; the Hi ghbury , No . 485 , in the Province of Middlesex ; and the Eastbourne , No . 484 , Eastbourne , in the Province of Sussex . The five created abroad are the Buenos Ayres , No . 481 , in the city of the same name , in the Argentine Republic : the Orient , No . 4 S 2 , Shanghai : the Star of

Bethlehem . No . 486 , Bethlehem , Orange Free State , to be included in the District of Natal ; and the Goulbourn Valley Bodge . No . 488 . Shepperfon , Victoria . The total number of certificates issued since last December is 1312 as compared with 1588 during the corresponding period of the year 1893-4 , the total registered from the beginning being thereby augmented to 34 , ( 578 . With reference to

the Degree of Royal Ark Mariner , warrants for six new lodges , have been granted , namely : for the Porphyry , to be attached to the Ashlar Mark Lodge , No . 474 , I him Dnm , in the District of Bengal ; for the Loyalty , to be attached to the Mark lodge of the same name , No . 295 , in Ireland Island , Bermuda : the Ciesarean , to the Ciesarean Lodge , No . 74 , St . Helier ' s , Jersey : the Boscawen , to the Boseawen Lodge .

No . 101 , Chacewator , in the Province of Cornwall : the Sir John Edge , to be attached to the Taj Mehal Mark Lodge , No . 298 , Agra , in the District of Bengal ; the Abbey Lodge , to be attached to the Abbey Mark Lodge , No . 225 , Abingdon , in the Province of Berks and Oxon . The number of certificates issued is 375 , as compared with last year ' s return of 272 , the total number registered being now

4664 . So much for the additions that have been made to the roll On the other hand , there are four Mark lodges anil the Royal Ark Mariners lodge attached to one of them which have been erased or whose warrants have been returned . We have also to report that the Bootle Bodge , No . 478 , whose warrant was issued during the period covered bv last year ' s summary was consecrated by Bro . the

Earl of Lathom , Prov . G . M . M . of Lancashire , at Bootle , on tht 26 th January , and that Bro . W . Simpson , Prov . S . G . W . was installed as its first Worshipful Master . In May , three of the newlywarranted lodges were consecrated , namely : the Orient Mark Lodge , No . 482 , in the Masonic Hall , Shanghai , the Consecrating Oflieci being Bro . Cornelius Thome , Past District ( Craft ) Grand Master ,

who received a special dispensation for the purpose ; the Hi ghbury Mark Lodge , No . 485 , Bro . Col . Cook , Prov . G . M . M . of Middlesex , being the officiating brother ; and the Ciesarean Royal Ark . Mariners Lodge , No . 74 , which was consecrated b y Bro . C . F . Matier . Past G . W .. G . Secretary , in the Masonic Hall , St . Helier ' s , Jersey , with Bro . T . J . Aubin a ' s first W . C . N . On the 22 nd June , Bro . the Earl

of Euston , Prov . G . M . M ., consecrated the Eastbourne Mark Lodge . No . 4 S 4 , with Bro . W . E . Morrison as first VV . M ., while , on the 15 th July , Bro . Capt . C . D . Wise . D . D . G . M . M . Bombay , did the like office for the York Mark Lodge , No . 483 , Jiiblmlporc . Bro . Majoi Thomas Hamilton being subsequently installed as the first Worshipful Muster .

lhe proceedings m Grand Lodge have included nothing of an especial character . At the March Communication , Bro . Percy Wallis , of Derbyshire , was elected Grand Treasurer for the ensuing twelve months b y a substantial majorit y of votes over Bro . Capt . T . C . Walls , the other competitor , Bro . VV . F . Lamoiiby , having withdrawn his candidature . Sympathetic reference was also math ?

to the very severe loss which Freemasonry generally had sustained through the lamented death of Bro . Col . G . Noel Money , C . B .. who for the preceding three years had presided over Jtho Province of Surrey in Mark as well as in Craft and Royal Arch Masonrv . In June , the new Grand Ollicers were appointed and invested , and Grand Festival was held , while at the meeting on Tuesday , ( he 3 rd

Dec , Bros . Geo . Evcrcfr , Capt . T . C . Walls , and Major Olillord Probyn , were nominated for the office of Grand Treasurer for the year 189 ( 5-7 . At the same meeting , the death was announced with regret of Bro . the Rev . Thomas Robinson , who had presided over the Province of Kent for 16 years , and it was also stated that Bro . Sir Prvse-Pryse , Bait ., who had been Prov . Grand Mark Master of South Wales since

1881 , had resigned his office , and that Bro . John Locke had been appointed by the M . W . G . Master to succeed Bro . Col . John Klliott , C . B ., C . M . G ' ., as District Grand Master of the West India Islands . Amongst other important functions connected with the Degree must be mentioned the constitution on the 14 th January of the new Mark Province of Derbyshire , and the installation of Bro . Abraham

Woodiwiss , Past G . M . O . of Kngland , as Prov . G . Master . The ceremony was performed in the Masonic Hall . Derby , by Bro . the Karl of Knston . Pro Grand Master of the Order , who was accompanied by Bros . C . Letch Mason , Prov . G . Murk Master of West Yorkshire , as D . G . M .: Col . A . B . Cook , Prov . G . M . M . of Middlesex ; C . F . Matier , Past G . W ., G . Secretary ; and other leading Mark

Masons . As the Province has started with a . contingent of half-adozen lodges and under the guidance of a very able and popular chief , there is every reason to anticipate that il will have before it a long and prosperous career . On the 30 th of the same month . Bro . Viscount Duiigarvim , D . G . M ., installed Bro . the Karl of Knston as Prov . Grand Muster of Leicestershire and Rutland in succession to the late Bro . Kelly . F . S . A . On the 23 rd March , Bro . VV . L . Jackson

M . P ., the Craft Prov . Grand Masler of West Yorkshire , was advanced in the Copley Lodge , No . Ill , Leeds , the ceremony being performed by Bro . C . Letch Mason , Prov . G . Mark Master of the same Province , and it is justl y held that the enrolment of so distinguished a brother among Die members of this society must of necessity give an additional impulse to the Mark in this particular province . On the 25 th April , another new Mark Province , that of Northiints . Hunts and Beds was constituted by Bro . Col . A . B .