Contents.

CONTENTS .

United Grand Lotlge -fa 7 REPORTS or MASONIC MEETINGS : — Craft Masonry j 2 g Provincial Grantl Mark Lotlge of Lincolnshire 532 Masonic and General Tidings 532 An Appeal " ! 33 Grantl Lodge of Scotland 533

Koyal Masonic Institution tor I 3 oys 533 Masonic Hall at Exeter 533 Notes on Art J 33 The Meeting of Grand Lotlge 534 Special Lodges 534 Kcnning's Cyclopaedia 534 CORBESI'ONDEXCE t"Belief in Got ! " $ 35 Giand Lodges 535 Past Grand Pursuivant 355

Notices of Motion 535 Honorary Members 535 Queries 535 Masonic Song v 335 Dedication and Re-opening of the Masonic Hall . Dublin 535 Provincial Grand Lodge of Leicestershire and Kutland 53 O Consecration of the Kaiser-I-Hind Lodge No . 1724 , 536 Grand Mark Lodge 537 Lodge Meetings for Next Week ,.... _ . 559 Advertisements 539 , 54 ° , *• it . iii . 'v . v . Vi .

United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

The December Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge of English Freemasons was held on Wednesday evening , at Freemasons' Hall . The Rt . Hon . thc Eail of Carnarvon , Pro Grand Master , presided , 'The other Grantl Officers present were : Lord Tenterden , as G . S . W . ; Rcv . C . J . Martyn . as G . J . W . ;

Lord Limerick , as D . G . M . ; Lord Donoughmore ; Sir Albert Woods , Samuel 'Tomkins , G . T . ; Ai . J . Mclntyrc , Q . C , G . R . ; John Hervey , G . S . ; Capt . N . G . Philips , G . D . Pi-Ur dc Lande Long , G . D . ; 11 . Head , P . G . D . ; | . M ; Case , P . G . D . ; Dr . J . Hogg , P . G . D . ; « . W . Hollon . P . G . S . B . ; Emil E . Wcntlt , G . S . for German Correspon-, deuce ; John A . Rucker , P . G . D . ; J . C . Parkinson , P . G . D . ;

lames Glaishcr , P . G . D . ; W . E . Gumbleton , P . G . D . ; R . W . Stewart , P . G . D . ; Rev . A . F . A . Woodford , P . G . C ; John Symonds , P . G . D . ; S . L . Tomkins , P . G . D . ; Joshua Nunn , P . G S . B . ; A . J . D . Filer , P . G . S . B . ; James Mason , P . G . S . B . ; Thos . Fenn , P . G . D . ; E . S . Snell , P . G . D . ; John M . Clabon , P . G . D . ; F . P . Morrell , P . G . D . ; W . Nettleship , P . G . D . ; John Coutls , P . G . P . ; John Wright ,

P . G . P . ; C A . Cottebrune , P . G . P . ; Rev . S . R . Wigram , P . G . C ; H . G . Buss , Assistant G . S . ; Rev . J . S . Brownrigg , P . G . C ; F . P . Cockerell , G . S . Wks . ; W . Ough , P . G . P .-, James Brett , P . G . P . ; Joseph Smith , P . G . P . ; C . W . C . Hutton , P . G . D . ; C . E . Willing , G . Org . ; T . Cubitt , P . G . P . ; H . J . P . Dumas , P . A . G . D . C . ; R . Bagshaw , Prow G . M . Essex ; Gen . Brownrigg , Prov .

G . M . Surrey ; Col . Burdett , Prov . G . M . Middlesex ; Hon . R . W . Giddy , D . G . M . Griqualand ; Rev . R . J . Simpson , P . G . C ; H . Murray , P . D . G . M . China ; S . Rawson , P . D . G . M . China ; Dr . Egan , D . G . M . South Africa , Eastern Division ; E . P . Albert , P . G . P . ; Geo . Toller , G . S . B . ; Hyde Pullen , P . G . S . B . ; Rev . T . F . Ravcnshaw , P . G . C . ; Rev . R . P . Bent , P . G . C . ; Rev .

J . E . Cox , P . G . C ; John Whichford , P . G . A . D . C ; Fras . Robinson , A . G . D . C . ; Col . Creaton , P . G . D . ; J . E . Saunders , P . G . D . ; F . A . Philbrick , Q . C . P . G . D . ; Henry Tombs , I . G . D . ; Percy Leith , P . G . D . ; John M . Wike , P . G . P . ; Wilhclm Ganz , P . G . Org . ; E . J . Barrow , P . G . D . ; S . G . Foxall , G . P . ; W . T . Howe , A . G . P . ; C . A . Murton , P . G . D . ; W . R . Williams , P . G . D . C ; Col . Shadwell Gierke ,

Lieut .-Col . Somerville Burney , H . C . * Levander , J . L . Thomas , Wm . Roebuck , C . E . ; Rev . Wm . Tebbs , Frank Green , F . Davison , J . T . Baldwin , C . F . Hogard , Nelson Recti , E . Kimbcr , F . Binckes , R . W . Little , | . Terry , H . Dickeils , VV . H . Lee , VV . Dodd , VV . Hopekirk , F . Adlard , George Kenning , Close , E . J . Hatty , E . Swan borough and W . A . Tinney .

After thc reading antl confirmation of the minutes the Earl of Carnarvon invested the Rev . II . A . Pickard as Grantl , Chaplain , in the place of thc Rev . VV . Lake Onslow , deceased . The Rev . H . A . Pick-ml having been saluted in ancient form , The Earl of Carnarvon rose and saitl : —Brethren , it is

not usual , nor is it , in my opinion , desirable that many motions shoultl proceed direct from this chair , but there are some questions which affect the highest principles of the Craft , and which stir Masonry throughout the whole of Ihe country . Such , from all that I can hear , is the question with which I have now to trouble you . I , for my own part , should have been glad to have avoided the

necessity of calling your attention to this painful subject . There is an old saying that it is unwise to stir up sleeping lions ; but , on thc other hand , there are occasions when thc danger antl difficulty to our postponing all . reference lo these vital questions are such that wc can neither in wisdom nor in conscience put them aside . ( Hear , hear ) . And when I look round antl see

this crowded Grantl Lotlge , unusually crowded at this time of thc year , I feel that 1 shoultl deeply misconstrue the feeling of the Craft , if I had not from this chair , and wi'li all the authority which this chair lends to the occupant of it , if I had not brought this question under your notice . ( Hear , hear ) . Brethren , I tlo not desire to dwell at any length upon this matter , or to go into any details that are unnecessary for the purpose in hand . It is probably

within thc knowledge of every member of Grantl Lodge that recently thc Grand Orient of France , the Masonic representative hotly there , has made an alteration in the fundamental rules and principles by which French Masonry and all Masonry is bound together . ( Hear , hear . ) I have here a paper which states in parallel columns thc changes which have recently been made . It is unnecessary 'o go into details ; for my purpose it is quite sufficient to read the alteration which has been made in the first article

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of their constitution . Under thc old system by which they have up lo this time governed , their first article ran in these terms : " Masonry has for its principles the existence of God , thc immortality of thc soul , and ' la solidarity humaine ;"' which I hardly know how to translate , it is so vague a word to English apprehension ; but I should say probably it means the unity and the indissolubility ot

the human race . I hardly know how else to put it . Now thnt has be : n altered in the following terms : "Masonry has for principle "—not belief in the existence of Got ! , and the immortality of the soul ; but "Masonry has for principle absolute freedom of conscience -anti la solidarite ' humaine . " Therefore Giand Lodge will perceive that those two great fundamental principles

the belief in a God and in . the immortality of the soul have been struck out , and they have been replaced simply by an illimitable , unlimited freedom of conscience and by " la solidarite humaine , " whatever that expression may mean . Now it may be a question , peihaps , with some minds , what the meaning of that change is . There has been much debate on this point in France , and some of

those who have been parties to this change , have asserted that it means nothing whatever , except liberty of conscience . On the other hand that has not been the view that has been taken by a large portion of French Masonry . I understand that no less that seventy-six lodges in France have protested against this change ( hear , hear ) , and thereby marked their opinion that the change was not one

of names , but of principles , and , therefore , there is a painful separation of them from the Grand Lodge of their Country . It is certain also , that many other Masonic bodies abroad have followed in this track . The Irish Grand Lotlge his not hesitated to pass a resolution , clear ami uncompromising in its language , rebuking and censuring thc action which the Grantl Orient has taken . ( Hear , hear . )

'That has been thc course which has been adopted , I believe , by other Masonic bodies abroad ; and I fairly own myself that with every tlcsirc to take the most temperate view of the matter , I cannot , if wortls have any meaning in them , assign any other construction to this change , except it means this—Ihcy have blotted out as one of the necessary and essential fundamental principles of the Craft , the

belief in God , and the immortality of the human soul . ( Hear , htar . ) To accept any other view seems to me to put thc most forced construction upon language , and to g ive it what has been sometimes called a wholly nonnatural sense . ( Hear , hear . ) Well , brethren , it is no lig ht matter if it be so ; it is no light matter for any body of men lo make such a change as this—no

light affair for them to declare that they have no belief in God , no belief in thc immortality of the soul . But it is no light thing to discard in this way , thc two principles which have been thc two guiding leading principles of civilation , which have done more to raise anil elevate man than any other two to which 1 can point , which in the darkest periods of the worldjiave illuminated them , anil from

which every noble thought , antl every generous action , have in turn sprung . ( Hear . ) But it becomes still more serious when a body which has for many years past carried these two principles in the fore front of their system , solemnly anil deliberately , after long debate expunged and erased them from their form . We cannot blind ourselves I think lo thc gravity of the act , whatever our view may

be . It is true it may be said that the trench Grand Lodge is in one sense the only sufferer . They see themselves by this act isolated from every other Grand Lodge in civilized Europe ( hear , hear ) : they see still more that by this act they have thrown discord antl confusion into thc midst of their own lodges ; they see themselves a torn , lacerated , divided body . But it may be saitl that this concerns them

alone . Brethren , if indeed this wcie a matter of internal discipline ; if it were one of those questions of internal regulation which arc the exclusive property of each national Grand Lotlge it would be beside our duty , it would be impertinent in us to interfere with it ( hear , hear ) . No matter what the grievance was , 11 D matter what the loss was to them , we shoultl hate no right to

interfere ( hear , hear ) . But we do interfere on this broatl ground — first of all , that they cannot so affect thc leading principles of Masonry , the fundamental principles on which , through generations pastthrough centuries past , I will say—the Craft has actedthey cannot so affect them without affecting the whole of the Masonic body ( hear , hear ) ; and it is alike our right

antl our duty to raise our voice . But we must also remember that equally questions arise which touch us intimately . French Masons come over to this country ; they ask for admittance to our lodges ; antl how can wc admit them if the Masonry ot France be not pure in its fundamental principles . ( Hear , hear . ) We do , ourscives , and we have , perhaps , the right to call

this Grantl Lodge the mother Granil Lodge of all Europe , wc tin ourselves—and the interests of the Craft which are committed to us a grcvious wrong and injustice , if wc are silent in this matter . ( Hear , hear . ) Brethren , I say that these questions lo which I have alluded are really of thc essence of Freemasonry . The history , Ihe traditions of Masonry are based on them , are bound up

in them . The symbols that wc use , the charges which wc deliver , the ceremonies in which wc take part , if these princip les arc to be discarded they become meaningless , anil worse than meaningless , they become almost offensive mockery ( hear , hear ) , and 1 know nothing that woultl so justify the scuirilcus taunts that have been thrown out against Freemasonry at times , and the calumnious

misrepresentations which have been hurled against it , as it woultl he by sanctioning , even by silence , such a step as that which the Grantl Orient of France * has taken . ( Applause . ) Brethren , there is no narrowness , there is no illiberality in what I have just said . ( Hear , hear . ) The limits of Freemasonry are very wide ; they have been designedly made wide . The Roman Catholic and the Protestant , the Churchman and the Dissenter , the

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Lutheran antl thc Calvinist , the Hebrew , all form part of our botly . ( Hear , hear . ) We hold that our Masons should be bound by those considerations—religion ( and there can be no religion without belief in God and in the immortality of the soul ) religion , morality and obedience to the civil government of the country . These arc thc limits ; they are vcry wide limits ; it would be

unwisdom in us to contract them ; but it would be much worse than unwisdom—it would be destruction to the Order , if you were to enlarge them , for there would be nothing lett by which we coultl stand ( hear , hear ) ; and I hold it is our bounden duty on an occasion like this to sec that under no specious name or pretext a mere tide of unprovoked , uncalled for , unrequired revolutionary innovation

should flow over our ancient system , and should obliterate those venerable landmarks of the Order which we have always maintained , and bywhich I trust we shall always stand in this country . Brethren , those that revolt against such a limit , so wide , so liberal as that which I have indicated , ask not for an emancipation from any artificial restraint ; but they revolt against the highest law of human nature ;

that which has made man , that which is leading man to still higher destinies . Brethren , I said that there were many questions that would arise out of this unfortunate action , as I conceive it , of the Grantl Orient of France ; and the question which I have now to put to you is this—Practically What is it our duty to do , as the guardians of English Masonry , in this matter ? Now in this as in so

many cases thcreare , as it seems tome , three courses which may be taken ; either you may leave the matter alone ; but I should mis-read Grantl Lotlge—I should ill read thc feeling of thc Craft in this country , through its length and breadth , if I thought they were content to leave this matter alone ( hear , hear ) ; or secondly , wc might follow the example of the Irish Grand Lodgo . antl express at once

our unqualified regret and condemnation of the step which has been taken . I think that Grand Lodge would not be unjustified , unwarranted to proceed to such a course as that ; but I would venture to put it to them that however clear they may be in their facts and however satisfied they may be of the view which I have put to them , and which I believe and trust represents their feelings—however

satisfied they may be on these points , still it is safer , it is wiser to proceed in such a way as allow for no possible complaint being brought against us . Let there be no action which hereafter can be termed hot or precipitate ; and therefore thc course which I recommend to Grantl Lodge is this—that a committee be appointed ( and which I may say I have endeavoured to make as far as possible

representative of thc Grand Lotlge and the Craft ) and that they should enquire into the facts of the case ; that they shoultl then search all those ancient records which it may be desirable to examine ; that they should deal with the matter in that spirit which a small botly can alone deal with it , patiently , calmly , temperately ; if need be , even obtain explanations of anything which may now be in

doubt ; antl that they should then in proper time report to Grand Lodge the course which they recommend . Probably they will report to Grand Lodge only the course which Grand Lodge woultl of its own free feeling adopt ; but Grantl Lotlge will ever have the satisfaction of feeling that in this matter antl when the interests of other foreign Freemasons were at stake they rushed to no conclusion

precipitately , but that they proceeded in the most dignified , the wisest and the quietest course . And on that point I woultl only say this , that Grantl Lodge will remember that it is not merely the question of the Grantl Orient and of English Freemasonry which is involved ; but it is also in thc interest of those French Masons , who have protested against this step , who have by their protest placed themselves in a

peculiarly awkward and painful position as regards themselves , antl for whom the greatest consideration at our hands is tlue . Brethren , there is only one other point in connection with this . 1 may be asked what is to be the course in the event of French Masons applying for admittance to the English Lodges whilst this committee is considering . I think the question is a natural one , antl

it admits , as it seems to me , of a perfectly simple answer . Provided that the certificate that that French Mason brings with him date previous to this declaration on the part of the Grand Orient , I shoultl say there was no reason why he should not be admitted . I should say , by all means atlmit him freely and instantly . But if on thc other hand fand it is after all a very unlikely contingency )

a French Mason appear with a certificate bearing tlatc subsequent to that declaration , then even though there may possibly be some hardship to individuals , it would be clearly , as it seems to mc , our tluty to act upon thc principle of suspending this eiucstion until we are in a position to pronounce a judgment upon it . Brethren , under those circumstances I shall not go further into this matter . If

you agree , as I trust you will , and I trust in such a case unanimously , to thc appointment of this committee , when thai Committee have made their report it will be full time to attack it in all its details . I will therefore propose to you at once that a committee be appointed for thc purpose of enquiring and reporting to Grand Lodge on the enquiry into ihe recent circumstances , antl thc course which they

recommended shoultl be adopted . The Earl of Limerick : —M . W . G . M ., I believe it will be most in accordance with the feeling of Grand Lotlge ; after the able anil exhaustive speech which has been made by you , if I tlo not go into this question , as by doing so I shoultl merely repeat in a more feeble way what your Lordship has so ably said . I shall content myself therefore

with formally seconding the motion which has been made from the chair . Bro . John Symonds wished to know whether a report tlrawn up by Trevclyn , a firm believer in the Great Architect of the Universe , was in the Grand Secretary's office . It was desirable it should be seen , as the brethren would then have an opportunity of seeing the peculiar course of reasoning which had led the French Masons to come to