Provincial Grand Lodge Of West Yorkshire.

terms : " To-day this province is without an active Prov . Grand Master . The Deputy , by a rule in the new Book of Constitutions , has authority to summon Prov . Grand Lodge for the despatch of business . The province being under the charge of the Prov . Grand Officers for the time being , the indulgence of the brethren is claimed in the administration of its affairs until our Royal Grand Master , who has the retirement of Sir H . Edwards

before him , exercises his prerogative in the appointment of his successor . Whoever this may be , whether Royal Duke or Noble Lord , or some titled personage , the allegiance of thc brethren will be given to the occupant of this office , as il has been to those who have preceded and governed us with ability and success . Of ail loyal bodies of men on the face of this earth , there is not one which can surpass the Prov . Grand Lodge of West

Yorkshire in dutiful faithfulness to any appointment the Princeof Wales may choose to make . On the 2 nd June , the Deputy received a communication from Sir Henry Edwards , to make known his intention of retiring from the Provincial Grand Mastership , and to accompany the determination of his withdrawal with an unmistakable feeling of gratitude tothe Prince ol Wales for his gracious permission to act so long in this capacity , and thankfulness

to all the lodges and chapters for the uniform kindness , support , and forbearance invariably manifested towards him , thus enabling him to fulfil his Masonic obligations taken at his installation at Halifax in 1875 . To this wish of the Prov . Grand Master the Deputy felt bound to comply , and a circular letter , dated the iSth June , 1884 , was accordingly issued to the W . Masters of all the lodges in the West Riding . This communication will

therefore be read to you and entered on the minutes . With that delicacy of mind so characteristic of the sensitive nature of our Prov . Grand Master he wished that his determination to retire should be received by the lodges sub silentio . This command has been respected , and although the lodges have passed sympathetic resolutions , these have been transmitted to me , and , as opportunity has occurred , I have conveyed their expressions of

sympathy and regret . A more formal resolution is on the agenda paper , thanking the Prov . Grand Master for his services to the Craft , deploring the cause of his retirement , and expressing our gratitude and unshaken confidence for the manner in which he has maintained the dignity of this Provincial Grand Lodge , and our fervent desire that the Great Architect of the Universe may yet give him many years of life to adorn his high station and to render himself serviceable to his fellow creatures in that beneficent

manner of which he has ever shewn himself to be so remarkable and brilliant an example . It is gratifying to know that he does not intend to withdraw his name from this Prov . Grand Lodge . " Passing over the observations referring to the Pope's Encyclical , we find that Bro . Tew went on to pay a graceful compliment to the Ivanhoe Lodge , which , he said , " was constituted by me on the 29 th October , 1878 . It has now forty-two members .

It has prospered since its establishment , and we ask the Worshipful Master to accept our acknowledgments for the invitation to meet under its banner . The lodge has carried out the aspirations of the reverend and learned Chaplain at its dedication , that the prosperity of a lodge does not depend upon its numbers , but on the high moral and intellectual tone which should pervade its members . Of the three other lodges in Sheffield it would be

difficult to eulogize them adequately . They have given largely to the Charities and they have on their roll many illustrious brethren to whom Sheffield owes much of its importance as a busy centre of commerce . " Having thanked the Mayor for having placed the Cutlers' Hall at their disposal , Bro . Tew described thc proceedings which had taken p lace since April last , laying stress on the contributions to the central Charities by the province ,

the total for the year being upwards of . £ 1898 . He also referred to the Worcester Exhibition ; the recent marriage of a son of the late D . P . G . M ., Bro . Bentley Shaw ; the approaching resignation of Bro . Buss , Asst . Grand Secretary , to whose merits during his long official career he paid a welldeserved tribute of praise ; and the deaths of Bros . Sir Erasmus Wilson , P . G . D ., and H . S . Alpass , Prov . G . Sec . W . Lane . With reference to the

revision of the provincial bye-laws , Bro . Tew said the Committee had held several meetings , and that " its labours will soon be in the hands of the Worshipful Masters of Lodges , who can take such steps as may be deemed necessary to place them before their brethren , so that we may fairly hope that they may be adopted by Grand Lodge in January , 1885 , and confirmed at the annual meeting next April . We are in communication with

the surrounding provinces , so as to have an approximation of identical bye-laws ; and our views are so far harmonious . " Having brought his address to a close , various business was transacted , in the course of which a motion made by Bro . J ONAS CRAVEN , P . P . G . W ., and seconded by Bro . ISAAC BOOTH , P . P . G . W ., was unanimousl y carried , to the effect " That this Provincial Grand Lodge has received with the deepest

regret the official announcement of the retirement of Lieut .-Col . Sir Henry Edwards , Bart ., C . B ., D . L ., & c „ from the position of Grand Master of this province , an office he has filled with conspicuous brilliancy and success for upwards of nine years . It cannot but feel the great loss it has sustained by his withdrawal from the position of head of the Craft in this province , and desires to assure him of ils gratitude and appreciation of his unbounded liberality

to the Craft and its Institutions , and his devoted services in the interests of this province . This Provincial Grand Lodge desires also to express its deep sympathy with him in his retirement from the duties of his high office , and most fervently prays that the Great Architect of the Universe may long spare him and Lady Edwards in that sphere of usefulness which they adorn by their genial , friendly , and courteous recognition of every claim , whether

from the Craft or society at large . " A sum of ten guineas was voted to the Hughan Testimonial Fund , and the D . P . G . M . having announced that he would let the brethren know as soon as possible when the meeting in January next would be held , Provincial Grand Lodge was closed and the proceedings terminated . A banquet was subsequently held in Freemasons' Hall , Surrey-street , under the presidency of the D . P . G . M .

Freemasonry In The Isle Of Man.

FREEMASONRY IN THE ISLE OF MAN .

CONSECRATION OF TWO NEW CRAFT LODGES . An event unprecedented , we believe , in the history of Freemasonry has occurred in Douglas since our last issue—that of the establishment of two new lodges in one town within the brief space of 48 hours . These two new lodges are the Elian Vannin , No . 2049 , and the St . Trinian ' s , No . 2050 , on the registry of the Grand Lodge of England . Amongst the rapidly increasing Masonic body in Douglas are many members of remarkable enthusiasm in their endeavours to promote the welfare of the Order , and by them it was determined that the event should becelebrated in such a manner as would make it an era in the history of Manx Masonry . The dates of the

Freemasonry In The Isle Of Man.

two consecrations having been fixed to suit the convenience of Bro . Colonel Shadwell H . Clerke , Grand Secretary , who had been appointed by the M . W . the Grand Master , H . R . H . the Prince of VVales , to perform the ceremony , committees from the founders of each lodge were appointed to make the necessary arrangements for the ceremonies . The Grand Secretary arrived at Douglas on Friday evening , accompanied by a number of officers of the Grand Lodge , amongst whom were Bros , the Rev . W . Spencer-Stanhope ,

P . G . C . ; C . J . Bannister , P . G . S . B . ; Edgar Bowyer , P . G . Std . Br . ; F . Richardson , P . G . D . ; and Col . H . S . Somerville-Bumey , P . G . D . Several of these distinguished brethren became the guests of Bro . Major J . S . Goldie-Taubman , at the Nunnery , who very generously extended his hospitality , and who is entitled to the thanks of the local Brotherhood for his effects in more ways than one to make this , the first , visit to the Island of the Grand Officers a pleasant one .

The consecration of the Elian Vannin Lodge was fixed for Saturday , at four o'clock in the afternoon , and by that hour there was a large gathering of the Craft from all parts of the Island , the Tyler's book having been signed by no fewer than 48 brethren , of whom exactly one-half were P . M . ' s of the Order , amongst these being several from England . The founders of the lodge who signed the petition are the following : Bros . John A . Brown ,

P . M . 1242 , P . Z . 1004 ; J . S . Goldie-Taubman , W . M . 1242 . ; G . H . Smith , P . P . G . S . B . N . Munster ; James Hodgson , Rev . Blundell Brown , A . Bruce , J . E . Hunt , Dr . J . Reynalds , P . Z . ( S . C ) ; R . Whiteside , Dr . Dearden , W . M . 1004 ; J . A . Mylrea , W . Dobson , G . C . Heron , P . M . ; G . H . Quayle , P . M . ( I . C ); Dr . T . A . Woods , Dr . Friend , Claude Cannell , and P . Browne . All these brethren were present except two . In their petition

to the Grand Lodge the petitioners had nominated Bro . J . A . Brown to be the first W . M . ; Bro . G . H . Smith to be their first S . W . ; and Bro . James Hodgson to be their first J . W . The brethren assembled in the Tynwald Lodge room , and received the representatives of Grand Lodge in due form . The Grand Secretary having , as Consecrating and Installing Officer , taken the chair , appointed his officers as follows : Bros . C . J . Bannister , P . G . S . B .,

as S . W . ; Edgar Bowyer , P . G . Std . Br ., as J . W . ; Rev . Charles Spencer-Stanhope , P . G . Chap ., as Chap . ; and Frank Richardson , P . G . D ., as D . of C . The lodge having been opened , the Consecrating Officer proceeded with the consecration ceremony , which is of a most impressive and imposing nature . He was ably assisted by the other Grand Officers , the entire proceedings , under the experienced direction of the Director of Ceremonies , passing off without the slightest hitch .

The PRESIDING OFFICER in his address to the brethren before commencing the business dwelt upon the motive of the assembly , and gave a brief history of the establishment and progress of Freemasonry in this Island . There was , he said , a rumour to the effect that it was under the auspices of the Grand Lodge of Scotland that Freemasonry was first introduced ; but , so far as he could learn , there was no trustworthy evidence

on that point . Under the Irish Grand Lodge , however , more than one lodge had been established on the Island . One which had for years existed in Douglas finished its career in the year 1862 ; but the Lodge of Mona , with a charter from the Grand Lodge of Ireland dating so far back as the Sth of June , 1857 , was still flourishing in Castletown . The first establishment of English Freemasonry in Douglas was in 1864 , the consecration of the

Athole Lodge having taken place in April of that year . Some idea of the progress which Freemasonry is making under the fostering care of the Grand Lodge of England , with his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales as its head , may be gathered from the fact that tha Athole Lodge is numbered 1004 on the registry of the Grand Lodge of England , whereas the lodge which he had now the pleasure of consecrating was numbered 2049 , so that

in the 20 years which had elapsed since the establishment of the Athole Lodge the Order had more than doubled itself . In the December of the very year after the establishment of the Athole Lodge , the St . Maughold Lodge , at Ramsey , numbered 1075 on the registry of the Grand Lodge of England , was consecrated . No further progress , so far as increasing the number of lodges was concerned , was made during the next three years .

Then came a petition for a warrant for the Tynwald Lodge , No . 1242 , and in the December of 1868 that lodge was consecrated by their excellent Bro . Bannister , whom he had now the pleasure of seeing in the Senior Warden's chair , in the Tynwald Lodge Rooms . In the year 1870 the Athole Chapter , attached to the Athole Lodge , was established , the consecration taking place in May of that year , brom 1870 a lapse of 14 years took place

without any further proposals to increase the number of lodges in Douglas ; but in the early part of this year the authorities of the Grand Lodge were somewhat startled by receiving , almost simultaneously , two petitions for charters for two lodges to be established in Douglas . Such an event as this was quite unprecedented ; but , on finding that the two new lodges were not likely to clash with each other , nor with the existing lodges , his Royal

Highness was pleased to grant the prayers of the petitioners , and , in pursuance of the Grand Master's command , he ( the Grand Secretary ) and other officers of the Grand Lodge had come to the Island to perform the consecration ceremony , and to duly constitute the petitioners into two lodges of "Ancient Free and Accepted Masons . " Before proceeding with the ceremony he would like to utter a few words of caution . The magnificent

progress of the Order in late years had led to enormous numbers of persons endeavouring to procure admission to Masonry , many with the selfish and sordid object of unduly availing themselves of its undoubted privileges or to push forward their business . Members should , therefore , be especially guardful not to propose any one for initiation into the Order unless they felt convinced that they would reflect honour and credit on their choice . There

was no difficulty in getting candidates—many were onl y too anxious to join the Order;—but before they were accepted for initiation their character should be considered , their temper studied , their antecedents inquired into ; and the entrance of unworth y persons into the Order should be guarded against . No lodge should be in too great a hurry to assume large proportions . They had far better advance slowly , and with due care build up a lodge which would reflect honour on the brotherhood . ( Applause . )

The ceremony was then proceeded with . During its progress the Grand Chaplain , the Rev . C . W . SPENCER-STANHOPE , delivered an oration on the nature and principles of the Masonic Institution . A selection of music appropriate to the ceremony was gone through by a choir consisting of Bros . R . Swinnerton , P . M ., E . J . Bowman , P . M ., R . G . Hoyle , and J . E . Hunt , Bro . J . A . Mylrea ably presided at the organ .

At the conclusion of the consecration service , Bro . J . A . Brown , P . M ., presented by Bro . F . Richardson , P . G . D ., was duly installed the first Worshipful Master of the Elian Vannin Lodge , the ceremony also being performed by the Grand Secietary . The new Worshipful Master invested his officers as follows : Bros . J . S .