Old Warrants, Xxiii. To Xxvii.

g signed by John Calder , as D . Grand Secretary . A note thereon states /¦ This warrant sent in in 18 35 , was re-issued January , 1878 , to Bros . . . . 4 th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards , " signed by Samuel B . Oldham , ' nG . ' Secretary , nth January , 1878 .

No . 335 , BROOMHEDGE , A . D . 1880 . By authority of his grace the Duke of Abercorn , G . M ., the number , t was assigned to a lodge at Broomhedge , Lisburn , on 24 th March , 1880 . % " Grand Lodge calendar has the year 1759 to this lodge , but plainly in

rror as to all appearances , the present charter was for a new lodge , which | LS to take the number 335 , once held by its predecessor of 1759 . At all events , that is the fair explanation of the text of the existing warrant , 7-. AU , obtained for me bv Bro . McConnell . of Belfast . The obliging Dep .

Q Secretary of Ireland ( Bro . Archibald St . George ) , has searched , but failed to find the original charter of 1759 , which , he states , was cancelled in 17 88 ) ancl "though subsequently ( in 1795 ) marked restored , yet it is miite possible that a duplicate might have been sent instead of the original . "

No . 413 , BANDON , A . D . 1764 . . Warrant granted to Bros . John Coleman , William Harris , and John Barker , to meet in the town of Bandon , dated 2 nd February , 1764 , and signed by John Calder , the Dep . G . Secretary , but names of Grand Officers could not be deciphered by Bro . Armstrong , which I much regret . W . J . HUGHAN .

United Grand Lodge Of England.

UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND .

The September Quarterly Communication of United Grand Lodgeof Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England was held on Wednesday evening , in the Temple , Bro . Col . Marmaduke Ramsay , P . Dist . G . M . of the Punjab , and Dist . G . M . of Malta , presiding .

Bro . Hugh D . Sandeman , P . D . G . M . Bengal , acted as Deputy G . M . ; Bro . the Rev . C . J . Martyn , P . G . C , Dep . Prov . G . M . for Suffolk , as Past G . M . ; Bro . the Rev . R . J . Simpson , P . G . C , as S . G . W . ; and Bro . Col . Sackville West , P . J . G . W ., as J . G . W . There were also present several other Grand and Past Grand Officers .

Grand Lodge having been formally opened , Col . SHADWELL H , CLERKE , G . S ., read the minutes of the Quarterly Communication of the 6 th June , which were then put and confirmed . The next business on the paper was to read a letter addressed to her Imperial Majesty the Empress Frederick of Germany , Princess Royal of

England , by his Royal Highness the Most Worshi pful Grand Master , tendering to her Imperial Majesty the condolences and sympathy of the Grand Lodge of England on the recent death of her Illustrious Consort , the late Emperor Frederick III ., and also to read the gracious reply of her Imperial Majesty thereto .

Col . SHADWELL H . CLERKE then said—Their illustrious brother his late Imperial Majesty the Emperor Frederick III . of Germany having unfortunately departed this life since the last meeting of Grand Lodge , the M . W . G . M . thought it his duty , on behalf of the Grand Lodge of England , to

address a letter to her Imperial Majesty the Empress Frederick , Princess Royal of England , expressing the sympathy and condolence of Grand Lodge with her in her affliction , and he had now the honour to read this letter . It was as follows :

To her Imperial Majesty the Empress Frederick , Princess Royal of Great Britain and Ireland . Madam , Four months have scarcely elapsed since in my capacity of Grand Master of land

Freemasons of Eng , I addressed a letter to your Imperial Majesty's late Consort the Emperor Frederick the Third , to offer to his Imperial Majesty the condolences of our Grand Lodge on the death of his august and venerable Father , the late Emperor William , together with our congratulations and good wishes on the accession ot his imperial Majesty to the Throne .

Since then your Imperial Majesty has , alas ! suffered an irremediable sorrow in the untimely death of one on whom the expectations alike of his own people and of the nations of Europe vvere fondly set . Not less truly have the English people , who have ever affectionately followed vour Imperial Maiestv ' s career from earlv childhoodentered infn „ r ___ r im ^ . i t , it ~ : _„;!_ ... > _ .

, last and greatest sorrow . His Imperial Majesty the Emperor Frederick had for many years occupied a prominent position in the Freemasonry of the German Empire under his august father ; and the Grand Lodge of England had ever looked up to his Imperial Majesty with just pride . I desire , therefore , as the head of the English tt

v-ra ., to express lor them their deep and heartfelt sympathy with your Impenal _ Majesty , and fervently to pray that the Great Architect of the Universe who , in his unscrutable wisdom , has inflicted this grievous blow , may grant to vour imperial Majesty strength to bear the trial with which you have been visited

I remain , Madam , your Imperial Majesty's affectionate and devoted brother , ( Signed ) ALBERT EDWARD , T , . Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England . London , 1 st August , iSSS . s To this letter the following gracious reply had been received ;—

-m « ,- < f beg your Royal Highness to do me the favour of conveying to the Freethrnn " ! ? gland my } *? and grateful thanks for their sympathy , expressed through you , for my great and irreparable loss . The Freemasons of England have had many opportunities of learning how great an interest his Majesty the late Emoeror S ^ w ' . " u erS r f ? - t 0 } r Craft of which he Was a ^ mber , and knowing now his Majesty was bound by ties of fellow feelimr and common ; , __ ¦ ,. _ •„ = _ ¦ f „ , i . T " °

Iii ""_ ¦ , ? untrles 'abour for the welfare of their fellow-men , they will grieve that a l , fe s ° full of noble aims has been cut short by untimely death ! g lateFmn _! R _ b ! ? ai 0 yand p - } ° me toknow ^ t my beloved husband the p £ m ~ ? F / edet' , ck . £ appreciated in my own country , and it has been a sad count ™™ me t 0 P "f > * numberless addresses which I have received , that my "Nntrymen mourn with me in my deep and unutterable sorrow . y

Your Royal Highness's affectionate Sister , VICTORIA , _ Empress Frederick of Germany and Queen of Prussia , rriednchskron , nth August , 18 S 8 .

The reading of both these letters was received with applause . reJ . ^ S " GluirD M ASTE R said these interesting letters having been thi . n the honOUr t 0 P ° P ° se that they be entered on the minutes of in 's Grand Lodge . Bro . SANDEMAN said the motion scarcely required seconding , but for the

United Grand Lodge Of England.

sake of form he seconded it , under the conviction that it would be unanimously carried nem . con . The next business was to report that a complete set of the clothing of a Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England had been prepared ,

and transmitted by the Most Worshipful Grand Master , in the name and on behalf of Grand Lodge , to his Majesty Oscar II ., King of Sweden and Norway , K . G ., Grand Master of Sweden , for the gracious acceptance of his Majesty , in commemoration of his recent appointment as Past Grand Master of England . Col . SHADWELL H . CLERKE said it would be in the recollection of all the

brethren present that at the last meeting of Grand Lodge the brethren elected his Majesty the King of Sweden , who was Grand Master of his own country , to the position of Past Grand Master of England . His Royal Highness , the M . W . G . M . of England , said it was only following out the wishes and desires of Grand Lodge , that his Majesty King Oscar should ,

as speedily as possible , be presented with the insignia of the rank to which the brethren of England had elected him . His Royal Highness therefore directed to be prepared a set of clothing and insignia of a Past Grand Master of England , which was done , and the clothing and insigna were duly

forwarded to his Majesty King Oscar as soon as practicable . He was sure it would be pleasant for the brethren to hear the letter which the Most Worshipful the Grand Master wrote in forwarding this clothing to his Majesty , and , with the permission of the Grand Master in the chair , he would now read it . It was as follows :

Marlborough House , 23 rd July , iSSS . To his Majesty Oscar II ., King of Sweden and Norway , K . G ., & c , & c , & c ., & c . Sir and Most Worshipful Brother , On the Gth June last , the Grand Lodge * of Freemasons of England unanimously resolved to invite your Majesty to accept the rank and position of a Past Grand

Master of their body , which you vvere graciously pleased to accept , and your Majesty vvas good enough to be present on the next day at one of our Masonic Charitable Meetings in the Royal Albert Hall wearing the insignia of that office . The Grand Lodge of England are very desirous of marking in some manner their warm appreciation of the great honour your Majesty has thus conferred upon them ; they have therefore lequested me , as their Grand Master , to solicit your Majesty ' s

acceptance of the complete set of the clothing and badge of a Past Grand Master of their jurisdiction which accompanies this letter , in recollection of the day which your Majesty made an auspicious one for the Freemasons of England by your gracious presence at the Centenary Festival of the daughters of their distressed brethren . With the expression or my own personal thanks for the interest your Majesty has thus taken in the Grand Lodge over which I preside ,

I have the honour to remain , your Majesty ' s faithful brother , [ SEAL ] ALBERT EDWARD , Grand Master Grand Lodge of England . He might point out that his Majesty King Oscar since the forwarding of that clothing had been absent from his own kingdom , and , therefore , it had been impracticable for his Majesty to acknowledge the clothing , which he was sure he would do at the earliest occasion .

The acting GRAND MASTER said he knew the brethren would agree to the proposition he was about to make—* ' That this letter also be entered on the minutes of the day ' s proceedings . " He begged to propose it . Bro . SANDEMAN seconded .

The motion was carried . The following recommendations of the Board of Benevolence were , on the motion of Bro . J AMES BRETT , Senior Vice-President , seconded by Bro . C A . C OTTEBRUNE , Junior Vice-President , confirmed : — The widow of a brother o £ the Royal Yorkshire Lodge , No . 265 ,

Keighley ... ... ... ... ... £ 50 o 0 A brother of the Crystal Palace Lodge , No . 742 , London ... 50 o o A brother of the Lodge Peace and Harmony , No . 60 , London ... 50 o o The widow of a brother of the Hundred of Bosmere Lodge , No . 1958 , Havant ... ... ... ... ... 50 0 o The widow of a brother of the Gihon Lodge , No . 49 , London ... 75 o o

The widow of a brother of the Heming Lodge , No . 1512 , Hampton . 50 o o The widow of a brother of the St . John ' s Lodge , No . 167 , London 100 0 o A brother of the Lodge of Three Grand Principles , No . 208 , Dewsbury ... ... ... ... ... 50 o o The widow of a brother of Lodge Prudentia , No . 1859 , Negapatam , E . I . ... ... ... ... ... ... 50 o o A brother of the St . John ' s Lodge , No . 795 , Maidenhead . ... 50 o o

The following report of the Board of General Purposes was unanimously adopted : — To the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England . The Board of General Purposes beg to submit a statement of the Grand Lodge accounts at the last meeting of the Finance Committee , held on

Friday , the 17 th day of August instant , showing a balance in the Bank of England ( Western Branch ) of ^ 6574 is . gd ., and in the hands of the Grand Secretary , for petty cash , £ 100 , and for servants' wages , £ 100 , and balance of annual allowance for library £ 33 is . 4 d . ( Signed ) THOMAS FENN , President . Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C . 21 st August , 1888 . Grand Lodge was afterwards formally closed .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Northumberland.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF NORTHUMBERLAND .

CONSECRATION OF THE RIDLEY LODGE , No . 2260 . The annual meeting of the above Provincial Grand Lodge was held or ! Friday , the 31 st ult ., at the Assembly Rooms , Westgate-road , Newcastle . The Prov . Grand Master , Bro . Sir Matthew White Ridley , Bart ., M . P ., presided , and was supported by the Deputy Prov . Grand Master , Bro . R . H . Holmes , Past Grand Deacon , and a large number of Prov . Grand

officers and members of the various lodges in the province . The Prov . Grand Lodge was held under the banner of the Northern Counties Lodge , No . 406 , the W . M ., officers , and brethren of which were charged with , and well fulfilled the duty of , making suitable arrangements for the reception of the Prov . Grand Lodge . Every lodge in the county had a good-