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CONNOISSEURS SMOKE TEOFANI'S HIGHEST-CLASS CIGARETTES . TEOFANI'S CIGARETTES have been awarded Two Gold Medals for Quality and Make , International Tobacco Exhibition , 1895 TEOFANI'S are sold at the leading Hotels , Restaurants , and ToV-acconists throughout the United Kingdom .

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THE / CRITERION RESTAURANT , PICCADILLY . THE EAST ROOM REOPENED , For the service of the highest class cuisine and wines . The East Room has been entirely Re-modelled and Re-decorated in Louis XV . style , and the windows lowered to the ground . The East Room approached either from Piccadilly or Jermyn-street , is now one of The most comfortable and elegant salons in Europe . THE EAST ROOM , THE CRITERION RESTAURANT PICCADILLY .

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^^ e ^ tsoii ^ SATURDAY , J 8 , 1899

Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

The Quarterly General Court of Governors and Subscribers to our two Schools will be held at Freemasons' Hall next week , that of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls being fixed for Thursday , the 13 th

instant , at 12 noon , and that of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys on Friday , the 14 th instant , at 4 p . m . At both Courts the lists of candidates for the October elections will be settled , and thc vacancies to be filled declared .

» * The annual meeting of the Prov . Grand Lodge of North and East Yorkshire will be held , on the

invitation of the Zetland Lodge , No . 561 , in the Temperance Hall , Guisborough , on Wednesday , the 12 th instant , a ' 2 . 30 p . m . The Prov . Board of Benevolence will meet at the Mechanics' Institute , Chaloner-street , half .

Masonic Notes.

an-hour earlier , for the purpose of considering applications for relief , and for general business . The proceedings in Prov . G . Lodge will be of the usual character ; and , when all is over , the brethren will

adjourn to the Providence School at 4 p . m ., and there dine together . Tickets , -Js . each , may be had of Bro . R . Clarkson , Bow-street , Guisborough , Secretary of Lodge No . 561 , and should be applied for on or before tomorrow ( Saturday ) , the Sth instant .

* * * We havi much pleasure in announcing that the consecration of the Earl's Court Lodge , No . 2765 , will take place at the Royal Palace Hotel , Kensington , this ( Friday ) afternoon , at 5 p . m . Thc ceremony will be

performed by the Grand Secretary , assisted by other of the Grand Officers , and when the lodge has been constituted , the W . M . designate installed , and thc officers invested , & c , the customary banquet will follow at 745 P-m . #

* * Whether the City of London is more honoured by having prominent Freemasons elected to the ollice of Sheriff , " or Freemasonry by having the Sheriffs of London among its members , is a point we must leave it to others to determine . Certain it is that of late years many brethren have served as such ; and , when

at Michaelmas next , Bros . Aldermen Alliston , P . M ., and Col . Clifford Probyn , Past G . Treasurer , vacate the Shrievalty of London , they will be succeeded by Bro . Alderman Treloar , -who is , we believe , a P . M ., and Bro . A . H . Bevan , who fills the office of Grand Treasurer in Craft , Royal Arch , and Mark Masonry . Moreover , the latter has chosen as his Under-Sheriff Bro . J . D . Langton , Past Dep . G . D . C .

* * » We learn from sundry of our American exchanges that at a recent meeting of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Coloured Masons of Massachusetts , Grand Master Douglas recommended that a committee should be appointed with a view to considering the best mode

of bringing about friendly relations with the United Grand Lodge of England , it being Bro . Douglas ' s opinion that "American recognition will come through England more promptly than in any other way . When England recognises , America will stand alone in its

shameful policy of exclusion and non-recognition and for very shame will be compelled to change its attitude . " The Grand Secretary was also instructed to address a communication to the Grand Lodge of Washington thanking it for the position it has latterly taken up towards the Prince Hall Grand- Lodge .

» * * There is one matter of which the Grand Masier of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Coloured Masons appears to have taken no account . The Grand Lodge of England exchanges representatives with some 28 of the half century of Grand Lodges which have been

from time to time established in the United States , and in the absence of anything to the contrary , we are justified in assuming that it " recognises " the other 22 , that is to say , accepts each of them as the Supreme Masonic Authority in the State or Territory in which it is located . How , then , is it

possible for our Grand Lodge to recognise the Coloured Grand Lodges existing in those of the United States , with which we are on terms of friendship , or whose Grand Lodges we accept as regular and Supreme . It is clear there cannot be two Supreme Masonic Authorities in thc same State . And even if

this were possible , our recognition 01 the Coloured Grand Lodges would , in our opinion , make matters worse by bringing about an estrangement between the White Grand Lodges , which we do recognise , but which , with the exception of that of Washington , will have nothing to do or say with the Coloured Grand Lodges ,

« « It appears to us that it rests in the first place with the White Grand Lodges in the United States to determine amongst themselves the status of the Coloured Grand Lodges and the relations in which they stands , or arj prepared to stand , towards the latter .

When these things have been settled , then , we think , it will be the time for our Grand Lodge , if so inviled , to decide whether or not it is prepared to accept the Coloured organisations as legitimate bodies or not . Already the Grand Lodge of Washington finds itself in hot water with several of its sister jurisdictions

because it has decided to recognise the Coloured Grand Lodges ; and we have no desire to see our Grand Lodge involved in a series of differences with well nigh all the United States Grand Lodges upon a question which concerns the latter bul with which we have nothing to do .

Masonic Notes.

English Freemasonry knows no distinction of race or colour . We do not think there are negro lodges , or lodges in which the negro element predominates , under our Grand Lodge , but we have Hindus , Parsees , Mohammedans , and it may be men of other creeds or races , as members of our lodges . This question of

Coloured Masonry , as it affects the whole of the Grand Lodges of the United States , is one not only of legitimacy , but also of jurisdiction , and while it might be possible to prove that the coloured lodges , which are scattered about the United States , are regularly descended from a lodge that was duly warranted by a

competent body , it is not unreasonable to assume that the Americans 011 the spot must know better than we , who arc distant some thousands of miles can know whether , and to what extent , the existence of these coloured lodges is an invasion of , or encroachment upon , the sovereign and supreme authority of their

white Grand Lodges . Let the white and coloured organisations of the United States first of all determine the relations in which they stand to each other , and then , as we have said , if the Grand Lodge of England is invited to adopt any particular course , it will be in a position to resolve upon the question .

» * # The annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Hertfordshire will be held under the auspices of the Stortford Lodge , No . 409 , at the Parish Room , Bishop's Stortford , on Friday , the 28 th instant . The proceedings , whicii arc timed to commence at 3 . 45 p . m ., will be of the usual character and will be followed by the customary bantjuet at 5 . 30 p . m .

» * * We have received copy of the proceedings of the Provincial Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Freemasonry in India , under Scotland , at its regular convocations on the 6 th March and 29 th April respectively . At the former , which was held at the old

quarters—Freemasons' Hall , Clare-street , Byculla—the Provincial Grand Ofiicers for the ensuing year , as nominated by the Provincial Grand Committee , were elected , While at the latter they were obligated and invested , M . E . Comp . K . R . Cama , G . Superintendent , being present and presiding at both meetings . On the first occasion

resolutions of regret at the deaths of Comps . H . J . Rustomjee , Past Prov . G . J ., and Comp . J . Ewing , Pajs J ., were passed in silence , the Grand Superintendent in supporting them paying a tribute of respect to the merits of each of the deceased companions . On the

second occasion , congratulations were expressed by all present at the meeting taking place in the new Freemasons' Hall , Home-street , Esplanade , Bombay , which had been consecrated only a short time before and to thc Building Fund of which Provincial Grand Chapter voted donations of 300 rupees and 200 rupees respectively .

# * * Appended to these minutes of Proceedings is a Tabular Statement showing the number of members of the 14 chapters working under the Prov . Grand Chapter from the ist October , 18 97 , to the 30 th September , 1898 . From this Return it appears that

the 308 subscribing members on the former date increased during the year to 362 , so that Scottish Royal Arch Masonry in India has been making considerable progress . The strongest chapter on the 30 th September last was that of Caledonia , No . 154 , Bombay , and there were four other chapters having 30

members and upwards , namely , Kilwinning in tne East , No . 64 , Calcutta , 32 ; Perseverance , No . 71 , Bombay , 31 ; Faith and Ctiarity , No . 72 , Karachi , 38 ; and Zoroaster , No . 138 , Bombay , 36 members . The funds of Prov . Grand Chapter appear to be in a

flourishing state likewise , so that the Grand Superintendent's remarks as to the state of the Royal Arch were amply justified . There appears to be one chapter , the Chudderghaut , No . 159 , Hyderabad , which for the present is in abeyance .

• * * It is clear from the several statements presented by the Grand Treasurer at the annual meeting in April last of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand that the Craft under its new organisation is progressing satisfactorily . There is a balance of Assets over Liabilities amounting to ^ 1876 , while the funds

invested , on fixed deposit , and on current account slightly exceed . £ 3297 . In addition to the Fund for General Purposes , there are thc Fund of Benevolence , thc Widows' and Orphans' Fund , and the Aged and Indigent Fund , so that the Grand Lodge of New Zealand is evidently doing all in its power to provide for the wants of its necessitous members and those of the widows and orphans of members .

» * . » It is with deep regret we announce the deaths of Bro . Major-General J . C . Hay , C . B ., P . G . D . ; and Bro Neville Green , who not long ago retired on a pension from the Grand Secretary's ollice , after rendering good suit and service for many years . . We will give particulars of their respective services next week ,