Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS 2 G 9 Supreme Grand Chapter 270 Provincial Grand Chapter of Sussex 271 Provincial Grand Lodge of Mark Masters Masons of Cornwall 271 More About the Country Stewards 371 Trinity ColleRc Lodge , Dublin , No . 3 S 7 272

History of the " Lodge of Friendship , " Adelaide , S . A 272 The Early Organisation of the " Ancient " Masons—III 272 "Herodim" Freemasonry . 273 CORRESPONDENCEOrigin of No . ngq , London 275 The Past Masters' Question 27 J Celebrities at Home " .. 2 J 5

Scotland 279 The Boys' School Festival 279 Royal Masonic Institution for Bovs 279 Mark Benevolent Fund Festival .. ! 279 The London General Porters' Benevolent Association 279 Masonic and General Tidings 2 h ' o Lodge Meetings for Next Week iii .

REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 276 Instruction 278 Royal Arch 37 8 Mark Masonry 278 Red Cross of Constantine 27 9 Allied Masonic Degrees 370

Ar00101

THE appearance of the QUEEN , as the central figure in the great Imperial function of Tuesday , when the Colonial and Indian Exhibition at South Kensington was formally opened by her MAJESTY surrounded by her family and Court , and the representatives of foreign powers , has caused the utmost satisfaction among all classes of the community . A more suitable occasion could not have been chosen for the second reappearance of the

Q UEEN amongher people . The purposeof this particular Exhibition is tobring into still closer intimacy the industrial and commercial interests of the United Kingdom , and the Colonies and Dependencies of the British Crown . Therefore , its opening by the QUEEN in person will have a far greater significance , and will probably exercise a wider and more beneficial influence , than if it

had been done by any deputy—no matter how illustrious his station . We rejoice to find that everything passed off so successfully , and we hope that , though it is the first ceremony of its kind which has been graced by her MAJESTY ' S presence since the Great Exhibition of 1851 , there may be many more State ceremonials of a like or cognate character in which she will play her part . # *

IT IS well occasionally " to see ourselves as others see us , " especially with respect to our American brethren and companions , whose minds are so much exercised in relation to the action taken by the Grand Chapter of Quebec . From the earliest times to the present , since the formation of the Grand Lodge of England , and the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons , we have never , either as a Grand Lodge or a Grand Chapter , withdrawn

any warrants , save / or disobedience of the laws . We however give the lodges and chapters full liberty to please themselves as to remaining under our jurisdiction , in the event of a Grand Lodge being formed for their province or district . If they elect to join , we wish them every prosperity . On the other hand if they desire to continue on our roll , we raise no objections . Why should we ? Certainly not because some Grand Lodges

and Chapters ( several being but of yesterday ) support Quebec . It will be as well for the Grand Lodges in America to understand our position , and recognize our custom , of so venerable an age ; as also to quote the name and the time when any really old Grand Lodge called upon any of their subordinate lodges to return their warrants unless guilty of wrong . Have England , Ireland , or Scotland ever done so , from whom all the Grand Lodges in America , directly or indirectly , emanate ' ! We trow not .

' . * * * As the Grand Z . of England , H . R . H . the Prince of WALES , through the esteemed Grand Scribe E ., declined " to withdraw all warrants of subordinate chapters " on our roll existing in the Province of Quebec ( which was the mild request of the Grand Z . of Quebec on October 29 th , 1885 ) , M . E . Comp . J P . NOYES has issued an edict commanding that " all

companions and members of the Grand Chapter of Quebec and its subordinate chapters hold no Masonic intercourse for the future with any companion in obedience to said Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of England . " The Grand Chapter of Louisiana has most unwisely issued an edict to the same purpose . and thus identified itself with Quebec . However , ourGrand Chapter , beyond courteously acknowledging the receipt of the missives , decides to take no further notice of their communications .

* # * IN the proceedings of the Grand Chapter of Quebec , now issued , for January 26 th , 1886 , in many respects a most able and readable volume , prominence is naturally given to the difficulties between it and the Mark Grand " Lodge of England . In its summary of the matter we find that no less than 13 Grand Chapters have passed resolutions forbidding all intercourse with the " Mark Grand Lodge ; " two have decided to recognise

Quebec Markcertificates only , six others have endorsed the action of Quebec , seven have requested the Mark Grand Lodge to withdraw their warrants , and others have not yet intimated their decision thereon . It will thus be seen that the large number of 28 Grand Chapters have , so far , supported Quebec , and doubtless " there's more to follow , " a result much to be deplored , and one there surely should be a speedy remed y for , Let us remember " vie are brethren . "

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WE were favoured last week with a letter from Bro . J AMES STEVENS on " The Abuse of the Ballot . " As it has already seen the light of day in other columns , we need not be at the trouble of reproducing it . A few comments , however , will not be out of place , and in order to make these clear we may as well state briefly the story as told so circumstantially by our worthy

correspondent . There is nothing new in it . A want of harmony prevailed in a certain lodge in Kent , certain Past Masters being aggrieved by the election of the Worshipful Master and the appointment of his officers , and openly stating that they should not support his ruling and action in the lodge . The opportunity for them to fulfil their threat came speedily enough .

A candidate for initiation into our Society was proposed at a stated meeting of the lodge , a man of good report , to whom neither morallyjnor socially the slightest objection could be raised ; the proposer being the Secretary , and the seconder the W . Master . The ballot having been arranged for an emergency meeting , the malcontent Past Masters made a point of being present ; and the

Worshipful Master anticipating what might happen , had the candidate ' s credentials repeated in open lodge , and requested that if any objection was felt against his becoming a member , it might be stated , so that the candidate ' s name might be withdrawn . There being no response to this appeal , the ballot proceeded , and the candidate was black-balled . Well , as we

have said alread }' , this is only another , though perhaps a more flagrant illustration of the old story we have heard times out of number about the liability of the ballot to abuse of this kind , and the necessity there is that some authoritative intervention should be made , so as to minimise , if we cannot absolutely prevent , what is an undoubted scandal . But the

great difficulty here , as in all previous complaints about this abuse , is to propose a remedy that shall be generally and reasonably applicable ; and , unfortunately , Bro . STEVENS has nothing to offer which he thinks worthy of being recommended . He tells us inferentially , if not in precise words , that disturbances of harmony in a lodge are very much to be deplored , which is

true enough ; but the statement of so obvious a fact will not prevent the occurrence of such disturbances . It is equally true that , when the result of these petty personal bickerings is the rejection of a worthy candidate , it must bring a considerable amount of scandal upon the Society , as well as prove infinitely objectionable to the unfortunate , and in ninety-nine cases

out of every hundred , inoffensive candidate . But what then ? Every institution begotten of the ingenuity of man is liable to be abused at some time or other , and to an extent more or less objectionable ; but this is no reason why we should abolish or alter it ; or if it were , we should be eternally engaged in the absurd plan of starting a neiv scheme one moment

and abrogating it the next . Even in Masonry we must expect there will be a little friction every now and then . It is absurd to expect that all of us can be always governing our tempers and doing always the right thing , as angels do . Masons behave in a lodge very much as they do in business , or the sphere of society in which they move . They become spiteful towards each

other on slight provocation ; they do not take the teachings of Masonry to heart quite as mucli or as seriously as they ought to do . Now and then they indulge in the petty malice of endeavouring to trip each other up , or serving one another out , or , in short , doing what in their saner moments they will admit is deplorable . All these

things are , no doubt , very terrible to think of , and prove incontestably that not all the members of the Craft are actuated towards each other by that simple but sound rule of life that bids us do to others as we would be done by . But they do not serve to show that the ballot is not a very excellent system of voting , albeit there are occasions when it is abused , or one

especially adapted to a Society like ours . They do not make it clear that if steps were taken to abolish the ballot in favour of open voting , the open system would be less liable to abuse than the close one . Nor is it by any means apparent that , if the authorities were to-morrow to compile the most perfect code of laws for the regulation of the ballot , there would not be

other evils spring up in place of those which have moved our most magnanimous Bro . J AMES STEVENS to such an explosion of righteous indignation . For our own part , we advise him , and all brethren who are similarly affected by these petty outbreaks of human infirmity , just to impose upon themselves that very slight amount of restraint which is implied in the homely

injunction to " leave well alone . " There is no doubt whatever that the ballot works well as a rule , notwithstanding the abuses perpetrated under its cover of which we hear occasionally . No one expects it to work smoothly always , but if Bro . STEVENS has a little leisure on hand just now , and will

kindly devote it to a study of the ballot and its working from a statistical point of view , he will find that for every case of its abuse he is able to furnish there are hundreds of instances in which it has been used most beneficially . Therefore , we again advise Bro . STEVENS and his sympathisers to " leave well alone . "