Masonic Notes.

On the 21 st ult ., a meeting of the General Committee of the Woodward Testimonial Fund was held at Freemasons' Tavern , under the presidency of Bro . R . H . Thrupp , P . A . G . D . C , Dep . Prov . Grand Master of Middlesex . An Executive Committee was

formed to carry out the preliminary proceedings , consisting of Bros . Thrupp ( Chairman and Treasurer ); Dr . Causton , M . D . ; J . F . Creswick , P . M . ; Howard H . Room , P . G . Sec . ( Secretary ); Capt . T . C . Walls ;

C . Walter ; and R . H . Williams . Subscriptions of lodges and chapters were limited not to exceed two guineas , and individual subscriptions five shillings . Communications , & c , are to be addressed to Bro . H . H . Room , 19 , John-street , Adelphi .

Correspondence.

Correspondence .

tWe do not hold ourselves responsible for , or even approving of , the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish in a spirit of fair play to all to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion . !

R . M . I . FOR BOYS "COMMUTATION SCHEME . " To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , The friends of the Institution must feel grateful for your judicious remarks respecting the scheme providing for the retirement of the Secretary by a voluntary subscription from all lodges to raise

£ 2500 , and thus relieve the funds of an annual payment for an indefinite period of £ 350 ; a scheme so simple , entailing the payment by individual members of only is . 3 d ., should commend itself to every one wishing to promote the best interests of the School . I am not aware what has been done in London , but think

it very desirable that a Committee should be formed and arrangements made for visiting lodges and explaining the scheme and obtaining subscriptions . In the provinces this plan has been adopted with success . In the province of West Yorkshire the proportion for 75 lodges at £ 2 10 s . each amounts to ^ 187 10 s ., but it has been determined to contribute £ 210 , as a

substantial proof of sympathy with this " Commutation Scheme , " and it is gratifying to know that many other provinces are prepared to contribute their proportion . It seems a pity we have no means of knowing how the funds are coming in ; perhaps a little information from Bro . J . D . Langton would be useful and stimulate the friends of the Boys' School . —Yours fraternally ,

H . S . HOTELS V . MASONIC HALLS . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , Bro . Whytehead , in your last issue , curiously omits any reference to a point of great interest , one

which , with me , outweighs all the others combined . The archives—i . e ., minute and Treasurer ' s books and correspondence—may be kept safely , even if the lodge meet at an hotel , because they may be deposited in the strong room of the local bank . But the literary and artistic treasures of the Craft can only obtain security

and accessibility combined in a Masonic Hall . A Masonic Hall means , sooner or later , a local library and museum . It is unavoidable . Old pictures , prints , glass , china , and books gravitate towards it , and the brethren are constrained to buy a case or two for their preservation . The means for their

preservation induces an increased now , and thus each hall becomes , gradually but surely , a centre of literary and artistic light in Masonry . It is , of course , open to assert that , if the local hall did not exist , the treasures would be concentrated in Grand Lodge , and that one good library is more valuable than a score of

small ones . To this I answer that , before local halls existed . Grand Lodge was not universal legatee , so to say . for in that case its library would be much more important than it is ; and , further , that Masonic knowledge and desire for knowledge has increased pari pastt , with the multiplication of local halls . Of 108 lodges which

are members to our Correspondence Circle and subscribers to our publications , 90 meet in halls and 18 only in hotels . 1 have no doubt that if the subscribing lodges to the Freemason were classified in the same manner , the result would be even more confirmatory . — Yours fraternally , G . W . SPETH , Sec . Quatuor Coronati , 2076 .

GRAND KNIGHTS TEMPLAR . —The Early Grand Knights Templar Encampment of Glasgow met on the 2 Sth ult ., in the Masonic Hall , Springburn , for etection and installation of officers . The Eminent Sir Knight , the Grand Representative of the E . G . in Scotland , W . M'B . Thompson , presided , and , with the assistance of the E . C . of No . 3 Encampment , Cambuslang , conducted operations . The

following sir knights were duly elected and subsequently installed : Sir Knights James Buchanan , E . C . ; R . M'Lay , M . ; J . Gresham , C . G . ; J . Semple , C . C . ; J . Liddell , Recorder ; T . Downie , Treasurer ; T . Watson , VV . Feguson , and A . Nelson , Captains , B . R . S . B . ; J . Hunter , Con . ; las . Graham , Rec . ; J . White , Std . Br . : and Geo .

Duff , S . B , The sir knights were well represented , and paid great attention to the lucid explanation and working of the principles . It is hoped by the erection of this encampment an impetus will be given to the Templar Order in the pistrict . A pleasant evening was spent , and the encampment closed .

Reports Of Masonic Meetings.

REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGS .

Craft flDasonry . METROPOLITAN MEETINGS .

Royal Somerset House and Inverness Lodge ( No . 4 ) . —The installation meeting of this Time Immemorial lodge was held on Monday evening , the 3 rd inst ., at Freemasons' Hall . There were present on the occasion Bros . Harry Emans Pollard , W . M . ; John A . Hughes , S . W . ; H . Stern , J . W . ; R . G . Hall , Treas . ; F . West , P . M ., Sec ; Rev . A . W . Oxford , S . D . ; W .

Stevenson Hoyte , J . D . ; W . Ganz , Org . ; George Weldon , P . M . ; W . L Whitmore , P . M . ; C . U . Cousens , P . M . ; H . Lumlay , P . M . ; Hugh Mackintosh , P . M . ; H . P . Husjhes , P . M . ; T . H . Devonshire , P . M . ; G . A . Joseph , PJVI . ; John Chynoweth , P . M . ; H . Barton , W . N . Few , A . Venn . C . R . Payne , H . P . Cater , R . S . Stott , A . Adams , W . S . Fenn , J . Martin , W . Kingham , Walter

Lumley , H . Sutton , J . Franklin-Adams , W . Lumley , E . H . Cousens , E . Scriven , J . Althans , C . de Sterne , H . Fenner , J . H . D . Todd , and Robert L . Devonshire . Visitors : Bros . F . Swaine , P . M . 132 S ; R . C . Mount , P . M . 414 , 132 S , P . P . S . G . W . Berks and Bucks ; A . N . Skiters , 100 S ; G . F . Kendall , 2133 ; H . Massey , P . M . 619 and 192 S ; T . Grunebaum , P . M . 1017 ; Raymond H . Thrupp , P . A . G .

D . C . and D . P . G . M . Middx . ; Maior John Simpson Peirce , P . M . 2 , P . G . D . ; E . J . V . Hersey , W . M . 2 ; C . F . Matier , P . G . Std . Br . ; John Skinner , 1706 ; J . Lang Day , 132 S ; Richard Clowes , Earl of Sussex Lodge ; W . B . Hersey , 2022 ; J . Waser , 2312 ; James A . Brown , 2264 ; Charles Chilley , 2005 ; Col . James Peters , P . G . S . B . ; T . Christy , P . M . 5 ; Arthur L . Oswald , Org . 2190 ;

E . Letchworth , P . G . D . ; Sir John B . Monckton , P . G . W . ; H . Paul Monckton , 1150 ; Lennox Browne , Provincial S . G . W . Essex ; Floyd B . Wilson , 271 ; A . Gowan Solomon , 2190 ; Edward Coffin , P . M . 99 ; Egbert W . Cooper , 193 ; and W . de Manley Sergison , S . W . 13 S 3 . Bro . Weldon , P . M ., after the minutes had been confirmed , installed in a style which received the warmest

commendation of the brethren Bro . John Arthur Hughes , Grand Steward for the year , and VV . M . elect , as Master for the ensuing year . The officers appointed and invested to assist him for the year were Bros . H . E . Pollard , l . P . M . ; H . de Stern , S . VV . ; Rev . A . W . Arnold , J . W . ; Capt . R . G . HaU , P . M ., Tveas . -, Frederick West , P . M ., Sec . •, W . S . Hoyte , S . D . ; C . Lound , J . D . ; Dr . Hugh Mackintosh ,

P . M ., P . G . S ., D . C ; Wilhelm Ganz , P . M ., P . G . Org ., Org . ; Dr . A . Venn , I . G . ; C . B . Cousens , P . M ., P . G . S ., Stwd . ; and Freeman , Tyler . A handsome Past Master ' s jewel was presented to the I . P . M ., accompanied by a neat little commendatory speech by the W . M . as to the services of Bro . Pollard to the lodge during his year of office . Bro . the Rev . A . VV . Arnold took the Stewardship of the

lodge for the Boys School , and Bro . Henry Sutton was accepted as Steward for the Girls , and the lodge voted five guineas to the list of each , on the motion of the Treasurer , seconded by the Secretary . Bro . de Stern was elected Grand Steward for the forthcoming Masonic year . The lodge was then closed , and a choice banquet followed at Freemasons' Tavern .

Subsequently the usual toasts were honoured . After the toasts of "'Ihe Queen and the Craft" and "The M . W . G . M . " had been honoured , The Worshipful Master proposed "The Pro G . M ., the Dep . G . M ., and the rest of the Grand Officers , Present and Past , " naming Bros . Sir John Monckton , E . Letchworth , Col . Peters , Raymond H . Thrupp , J . S . Peirce

Matier , and Ganz , and said that all those brethren were so well up in Masonry that it must be acknowledged that their duties were far beyond those of any other brethren . They were made Grand Officers for no other reason than that they were good Masons . Were it not for brethren who were ready to take the onerous duties of Grand Office , he did not think the Craft would go on very well .

Bro . Sir J . B . Monckton , in replying to the toast , said that when the M . W . G . M . did him the honour , after a tolerabl y long period of service in the Craft , to put him in the position of P . G . W ., h- thought he was going quietlyon the shelf , and retiring from the active duties of Masonry , having nothing to do . But that was not the result , for he found he had now frequently to respond to the toast of the

Grand Officers . Every walk of life , however , had its responsibilities ^ and he accepted his . The Grand Officers who stood up while that toast was being responded to might fairly claim to be good specimens of the Grand Officers . He might allude to one—Col . Peters—who was modestl y sitting at the bottom of the table . When Col . Peters was appointed Grand Sword Bearer , the Prince of Wales said he had never seen the sword carried so well before .

Bro . H . E . Pollard , P . G . S ., l . P . M ., in proposing "The W . M ., " said that the W . M . was really a Master in Masonry . He was a Grand Steward of the year . He had unfortunately for the lodge been away on urgent business , but he had come back and had taken up the work with great zeal . He was a man who carried out everything he took up , and he was a man who would do honour to the

lodge—ancient , great , and honourable as the Royal Somerset House and Inverness Lodge was . The Worshipful Master , in reply , said he had to thank the l . P . M . very much for the kind way he had spoken of him . He was afraid the l . P . M . had said a great deal too much of him ; but that was always a fault on those occasions . With regard to himself , he had to thank the brethren

for the very kind way they had received the toast . He believed there was nobody in the room so absolutely surprised as himself to see himself in the chair . A month aj > o he was quietly enjoying - himself in the Red Sea , where he had written a letter saying he was away on business , and could not take the chair of the lodge . However , when he

got back , he found at his office a letter that surprised him immensely saying the lodge had unanimously elected him as Master of the lodge . It would be idle for him to pretend that he was not pleased , although he would have liked to shirk the onerous duties of the position . However , there he was , and there he was going to stay . He was going to do his level best for the lodge ; he was going to be particular

Reports Of Masonic Meetings.

in seeing wherever that lodge was to be represented it should be represented properly ; he was going to try his best in the ritual ; if he failed it would be a failure of the head and not of the heart . There was one thing they might depend upon—whatever he could do he would do . They must excuse his faults , but if at the end of his year his conduct should be found to have been to the benefit of the lodge he should be more than satisfied .

The Worshipful Master next proposed " The Visitors . " The lodge had always been famous for its hospitality . The brethren of the lodge liked to see as many visitors as possible , and they liked to see them as often as they could come . During his year , and for many years to come , he hoped they would see all the visitors of that evening many times . He called upon Bro . Lennox Browne to respond .

Bro . Lennox Browne , m replying , said it was a great compliment to him to find among the visitors so many friends as well as among the members of the lodge . Speaking on behalf of the visitors , he felt he should echo their sentiments . At the same time , it was very kind of the W . M . to name him , who happened to be a Provincial Grand Officer , to respond , when there were Past Masters

present of so many distinguished lodges . Nevertheless , he could say in the fewest words possible that they all appreciated it , and he was sure that there was no word necessary to enforce the expressions of gratitude the visitors had at being present that evening , and of congratulating the VV . M . Although he had not the pleasure of knowing him personally , he had known his relations many years , and

valued them as his friends . He wished the W . M ., and prophesied for him , a very successful year of office , because they could judge of what he could do by what he had done on the night of his installation . Bro . Hersey , W . M . 2 , also responded , expressing the great gratification of all the visitors , both with the work of the lodge and the hospitality of the brethren . He wished

the W . M . a most successful year of office . The Worshipful Master , in proposing "The Past Masters , " said it was a very proud thing for every Master of that lodge that on an _ ordinary evening , when they sat down not more than five , six , or ten visitors , the Past Masters were a big list , and that showed that when a Master had passed the chair he did not fail to feel still a keen interest in the lodge .

Bro . T . H . Devonshire , P . M ., at the call of the W . M ., responded . It was a very great source of gratification to him , as well as to the other Past Masters , to see so large a gathering . The W . M . had been good enough to speak in Hattering—too nattering—terms of the Past Masters , and especially had he been good enough to mention him ( Bro . Devonshire ) . He was sorry to say in some respects

, although he was proud in others , that he believed he was the oldest Past Master in the lodge , and he supposed it was mainly on that account that his name had been coupled with that toast , because he was quite sure there were among them old friends at that table who could respond much better than he , though not with more cordiality , or with more appreciation of the manner in which the brethren

had received the toast . It was most gratifying to the Past Masters to see the lodge in such a condition as it now was . Some of the members had for a long time endeavoured to have new blood introduced into the lodge , and that had now been successfully accomplished , and he was perfectly certain , as far as one could be certain of anything , that the result would be highly gratifying and beneficial to the lodgeand

, that it would continue to be one of the foremost lodges in the Craft , and that they would have the opportunity of seeinothat new blood among the Past Masters . He was confident the lodge would maintain its position in the Craft , and that those brethren who came after the present generation would endeavour to do their duty as the Past Masters had done .

The Worshipful Master next gave " The Treasurer and Secretary , " and knowing something of the duties of the office of Treasurer himself , he was aware of the extraordinary amount of difficulty there was in obtaining money . One man was asleep and another was not well . But the nice letters Bro . Hall wrote put the brethren who received them in good humour . Next to Bro . Hall , the Treasurer ,

came Bro . West , the Secretary . No lod ge could beat this lodge in its Secretary . He was Secretary in name , but he was a right , good , sound friend in reality . If brethren found themselves in any difficulty let them go to Bro . West . Everything he did was done pleasantly and willingly ; and if every Master of every lodge could count on having a Treasurer and Secretary like Bro . Hall and Bro . West he

would find his year of office very easy . Bro . Hall , in reply , said he was glad to find his services were so valuable to the lodge . The duties he endeavoured to perform he was only too delighted to perform , and if the brethren were satisfied , he was amply rewarded . Bro . F . West , P . M ., Secretary , said there were some brethren round the table who knew there were certain places

in the land where not more than one was permitted to speak in reply to any given statement . He was rather in hopes that when he heard his learned senior begin to address the brethren he would have allowed him to get out of the difficulty in which he was now placed . But the W . M . was supreme on those occasions , and he ( Bro . West ) was bound to comply , and he did comp ! y , with the imperious command

of the W . M . He could not help remembering that it was some years ago that he was permitted to become a member of the lodge , thanks to the introduction of Bro . Devonshire ; and Bro . Devonshire must have in his mind , as he ( Bro . West ) had in his mind , that some future day No . 4 would cease to exist unless they took some different course . He was particularly pleased that Bro . Pollard so readily

acquiesced in that resolution , and that he ( Bro . West ) was introduced to the lodge . No one had introduced more members to the lodge than he and Bro . Pollard had . Without wishing to indulge in any glorification , he thought the lodge was to be congratulated in throwing its fold open to those who would follow in the footsteps of the Past Masters . They had now 20 more members than they had 12 months ag-o .

He had no hesitation in saying that there was not one who had been elected as a member who would not perform the duties of the chair as worthily as any Past Master who had gone before them . That was a great deal to say , but he was bold enough to say it , and he was confident that those

who had been introduced into the lodge would do their utmost to maintain the dignity and high importance of Freemasonry . With regard to the duties , he was pleased to say they were properly done . The W . M . had alluded to the task of the Treasurer . There was no more worthy member of the lodge than the Treasurer . If the Secretary