Grand Lodge Of Mark Master Masons.

Bro . R . LOVELAND LOVELAND , in seconding the motion , said he had gone carefully through those questions ofthe Grand Registrar , and he had seen all documents and the periodicals to which he referred , and he must say they had come to the conclusion that not only in common law , but Masonic law and the Masonic Constitutions , the holding of the District Grand Master could not b-i upheld , and , therefore , he had pleasure in seconding the resolution .

Bro . SHEPHERD , G . I . G ., said he had to say that whatever had happened in the case of the Rev . C . H . Maiden had been rath ? r from an excess of zeal than from a wish or desire to show discourtesy to the District Grand Master of Madras . He knew Bro . Maiden personally , and he knew that a more zealous Mason there could not be . Bro . Maiden took great interest in the Mark Degree , and he was sure il was nothing but his desire to see the law

carried out most fully , and to see the dispensations most carefully granted that he appealed to ( heir Grand Lodge . He begged to support the motion . The Earl of KCSTON , Pro G . M ., said the brethren had heard from the Grand Registrar and from the President of the General Board , who had gone both of them into this case , and they recommended the suspension by the

Provincial Grand Master for Madras be not sustained . The Provincial Grand Master , evidently , as far as lhey could learn from the report laid before them , had gone b 3 yond his power and acted in excess of any power given him by Grand Lodge , and not only in excess of his power , but trying and condemning a man without hearing him . TU ^ suspension could not be supported . The motion allowing the appeal and removing the suspicion was carried

con . Bro . C . F . MATIER , G . Sec , announced that the brethren entitled to jewels and bars could obuin them on applying to the clerk of Grand Lodge . The Earl of EUSTON said that since the last meeting of Grand Lodge , now two months ago , two members who had worked hard and done good suit and Service to the cause of Mark Masonry , had passed away from the

brethren . First of all , Bro . Alfred Williams , who for many , many years was a member of the General Board , and gave great attention to it and this branch of Mark Masonry , had passed away after many years' work , and he believed they all felt very sorry he was not now among them . Another who hatl passed away was the oldest Mark Mason—Bro . Kelly , of Leicester , who had done long and sturdy service not for Mark Masonry alone , but for

Masonry in general . He believed they all deeply felt and deplored his loss . They regretted that he who had done such good service had departed . It was at an old age , but they could not expect to live for ever . They could but hope that he had gone to that mansion above " not made with hand- ! , eternal in the heavens . " * Grand Lodge was then closed in ample form .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of North Wales.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF NORTH WALES .

By direction of Bro . Lord Harlech , Prov . G . M ., a Provincial Grand Lodge of North Wales was held on the 4 th inst ., at Towyn , under the auspices of the Corbet Lodge . There was a large attendance of brethren . The Prov . Grand Master installed as his Officers : Bro . Col . H . Piatt , Royal Leek Lodge ... ... D . P . G . M . .. Maior Best . Mawddach Lodsre ... ... Prov . S . G . W .

„ Dr . Roberts , Sir Watkin Lodge ... ... Prov . J . G . W . „ Rev . E . Hughes , Mawddach Lodge ¦ " 1 Prov G Chans „ Rev . Ll . R . Hughes , Madoc Lodge ... ) ™ v- U ' P „ Sydney Piatt , Royal Leek Lodge ... ... Prov . G . Reg . „ J . Salmon , Sir Watkin Lodge ... ... Prov . G . Treas .

„ E . Roberts , begontium l . odge ... ... rrov . u . Sec . „ Dr . Morgan , Welshpool Lodge ... ... Prov . S . G . D . „ Dr . H . Grey-Edwards , St . David's Lodge ... Prov . J . G . D . ,, R . G . Thomas , Anglesey Lodge ... ... Prov . G . S . of Wks . „ Dr . Summerhill , Caradoc Lodge ... ... Prov . G . D . C . ,, R . W . Newton , Segontium Lodge ... ... Prov . A . G . D . C .

,, 1 . YV . Barlow , square and oompass Lodge ... rrov . u . b . ts . " £ S" W ^ r C f' ° dg f A 1 P ™ v . G . Std . Brs . „ Richard Jones , Caerderwaen Lodge ... ) ,, Caradoc Rowlands , Segontium Lodge ... Prov . Asst . G . Sec . ,, W . D . Henderson , St . Tudno Lodge ... Prov . G . Org . ,, J . W . Tanquerey , Bala Lodge ... ,.. Prov . G . Purst . ,, William Richards , Corbet Lodge ... ... Prov . Asst . G . Purst .

,, J . Grant , Llanidloes Lodge „ E . W . Kirby , Corbet Lodge ,, I . Tomlins , Corbet Lodge ... ... n , - c , , „ Dr . E . J . Lloyd , Royal Leek Lodge ... ( Prov' ° StwJs " ,, Dr . W . Francis Jones , Anglesey Lodge ... I

,, E . Blane , St . Mark ' s Lodge ... ... J ,, H . B . Stubington , St . David's Lodge ... Prov . G . Tyler . Letters of apology were read from the Dean of St , Asaph , Bro . S . Pope , O . C . P . G . D ., Eng , ; the Rev . Pugh Evans , P . P . G . Chap . ; Bro . T . E . Harris , P . P . G . S . W . ; J . Cults and others . On the proposal of the Prov . G . M ., a vole of congratulation wasaccorded the Duke of Yo-k 011 the birth of a son and heir . It was announced that the next Provincial Grand Lodge would be held at Menai Bridge .

DEUCHAR CHARTERS . —So called from a Scottish brother of the name of Alexr . Deuchar , who was initiated in the Lodge of St . David in 1801 , and became Worshipful Master in the Lodge of Edinburgh , 1803 . He was made a Knight Templar in 1803 , apparently in an encampment which had been formed in 1798 , under the Early Grand Encampment of Ireland . He visited the Lodge ' Mary ' s Chapel , " in January , 1807 , as Worshipful Grand Master of the Grand Assembly of Hitfh Knight Templars in Edinburgh , No . 31 . In 1810 the body

issued a scheme for establishing a " Supreme Court of the Order in Scotland , " and in 1811 , Alexr . Deuchar was made Grand Master for life , under a warrant of the Duke of Kent , then Grand Master of the Templars in England of the " Conclave of the Knights of thc Holy Temple and Sepulchre of St . John of Jerusalem , H . K . D . M ., K . D . S . IL Hence thc name oC " Deuchar Charters" ; is signed by him . lie resigned the Grand Mastership in 1 K 35 , in favour of Sir David Milne ,

K . C . B . In i . Sj 7 most of these warrants were forfeited and thc encampments erased from Ihe roll of the Grand Conclave , on account of not making the required returns . In 1873 , there were only four encampments working in Scotland under the Grand Priory , and about 12 or 15 Early Grand Encampments . We are indebted to Bro . D . Murray Lyon for this clear statement and many other valuable suggestions . —Kenning ' s Encyclopmiia of Frcentasuiirv ,

The Seniority Of Lodges.

THE SENIORITY OF LODGES .

The seniority of lodges has been a rather vexatious subject to deal with n ordinary usage , as the term is so apt to be misunderstood . The fact is , Masonically , there are three different kinds of seniority , and hence the occasional confusion in the employment of the term .

1 . Seniority , which confers precedence on the roll or register , over all lodges that come after in the books of Grand Lodge , depends on the numbers borne by the various lodges , as defined in Rule 122 , which provides that " Lodges shall rank in precedence in the order of their numbers as registered in the books of the Grand Lodge . "

By this unfortunate system ( which , however , was wisely adopted at the Union of the two rival Grand Lodges in Dae , 1813 ) , " the Grand Master ' s Lodge , " dating from 1759 ( or a trifle earlier ) , ranks as No . 1 , and the " Lodge of Antiquity , " of " time-immemorial " constitution , which took part in the formation of the premier Grand Lodge in 1717 , has to be content with No . 2 . In like manner " Fidelity , " No . 3 , takes precedence of lh =

" Royal Somerset House and Inverness Lodge , " No . 4 , and the " Enoch " Lodge , No . 11 , is distinguished with a higher number than the " Fortitude and Old Cumberland" Lodge , No . 12 ; though Nos . 4 and 12 , are veiy many years older than Nos . 3 and 11 , and are the remaining surviving lodges , with No . 2 , of pre-Grand Lodge origin , subject to a warrant

obtained by No . 12 in 1723 . Another instance may be cited of the " Doyle ' s Lodge of Fellowship , " No . 84 , which takes precedence generally ( but not locally , as that is affected by Rule 124 ) of the Mariners' Lodge , No . 168 , both of Guernsey ; the former , however , dating from 1806 , and the latter ( with centenary jewel warrant ) from 1784 .

2 . The seniority of Lodges in Provinces and Districts , but not outside their particular boundaries is "determined by the date of tlnir registry in the books of the Provincial or District Grand Lodge . " In the Province of Gloucestershire , for example , the senior three Lodges are Nos . 82 , 246 , and

No . 270 , as respects the Grand Lodge Registry ; but in the Provincial Registry their relative positions are exactly reversed , and are duly so exhibited in the Freemasons'Calendar and Directory of that Province ( 1894 ) , edited by Bro . R . P . Sumner , with the years they entered the County of Gloucester .

No . 270 , " Royal Faith , " & c , Berkeley ( of 1802 ) , 180 J . No . 246 "Royal LInion , " Cheltenham ( of 1813 ) , 1813 . No . 82 , "Lodge Foundation " ( of 1753 ) , 1817 . This makes a remarkable trio of illustrations of the operation of the Rule 124 . For the same season , No . 168 of Guernsey , in that Province , takes precedence of No . 84 , of the same Island , though the latter has a higher number . The former has been in the Province for over 100 years , but No . 84 , as respects its Provincial seniority dates only from 1806 .

3 . The actual seniority of Lodges ( or in other words , the oldest Lodges ) is dependant on the date of their origin and having preserved their continuity to the present time . These may , or may not be possessed of the highest numbers , or may not be senior Lodges in Provinces . In the case ot the " Mariners' Lodge , " No . 16 S , Guernsey , ( about which Bro . A . C . Quick has been writing in the Freemason ( Sep . 1 , 1894 ) , and whicK hc

correctly claims as its distinction , it ranks as the senior Lodge in Guernsey , on the grounds of ( 2 ) seniority in the Province , and ( 3 ) senior as respects age , but not ( 1 ) as concerns precedence . An example of all these qualifications is found in two of my respected Lodges , No . 41 , Bath , Province of Somerset ( of A . D . 1733 ) , and No . 75 , Falmouth , Province of Cornwall ( of A . D . 1751 ) , and others also may be cited . W . J . HUGHAN .

Freemasonry And The Great Pyramid.

FREEMASONRY AND THE GREAT PYRAMID .

By H . R . SHAW . ( Concludedfrom page 82 . ) V . —A MASONIC GARLAND . In the heart of the City of London , immediately bsneath the shadow of St . Paul ' s Cathedral , we have lately come across quite a sheaf of Masonic symbols , which form the paving of the little quadrangle called Printinghouse-squarewell known to most London visitors as the courtyard of the

^ block of buildings occupied for the printing-offices of the Times newspaper . The square is slightly oblong from east to west , and is paved , as regards its central space , with what the paviours call granite cubss , amongst which the Masonic symbols are set in a kind of mosaic pattern , in the following manner . Two _ lines of cubes cross the square diagonally , dividing it into four equal portions of triangular shape ; each quarter thus formed contains

a circular line of cubss in its centre , and within each circle is a different symbol : that to the south represents our old acquaintance the Square and Compasses ; and that to the north , near the office doorway , shows us the six-pointed star , or double triangle , that we have lately had under consideration as a Trinity symbol . In the east compartment we find a cross , or what may be intended for a pair of diagonals , but the lines are slightly twisted

from the general squareness of the pattern ; and in the final or west compartment we have a five-pointed star composed with five interlacing lines in the form of the ancient pentacle or pentalpha ; this is also set in twisted position , which , while destroying all idea of symmetry , gives it the appearance of a revolving star , in marked distinction from the setting of thc six-pointed star , which appears fixed and symmetrical within its compartment .

Having made enquiry of the proprietors of the Times as to what might be the meaning or object of setting these Masonic symbols in the paving of their square , we gather from the courteous reply of their manager that they arc unable to give any information about the paving , but they have no doubt that Printing-house-square occupies the ground of the old Blackfriars monastery , which became subsequently the King ' s Printing House ( whence

the name ) , destroyed by fire ; also that , in the course of excivations for the present buildings , the charred remains of some old prayer-books were discovered . We have already dealt with the Square and Compasses and the double triangle , and we need not now stay to speculate upon what may be thc Masonic virtues hidden within thc symbol of the tro ^ s , which may 01

may not stand for the " cross degrees '' of which we sometimes hear ; the cross is known to be a very ancient symbol indeed , and apart from its being used as the sign of the Christian religion , it has been adopted by generations of men as far asunder as the kings of the Fourth Egyptian Dynasty and ths illiterate Bill Stumps of the nineteenth A . D . century , each of whom have therewith signed his name or made his mark .