New Grand Officers.

lists , at a fair average , represent not far short of £ 1000 . Then as to the composition of the Board and its sub-division into London and the provinces , the outlook seems equally the reverse of reassuring . True , as far as the former is concerned , there is an increase for London from 119 last 3 'ear to 131 ; but the increase in the number of Unattached , who muster 38 , as against 19 in 1 S 84 , -while there are only 89 lodges , 1 chapter , and a Templar

Preceptory represented , as compared with 95 lodges , 6 Royal Arch chapters , and a Rose Croix chapter in 1884 , or , in other words , a falling off in the bodies represented from 102 to 91 . Of course , the increase in the number of " Unattached " Stewards is a feature to be regarded with satisfaction , but it would be unreasonable to expect that the lists handed in by individual

brethren should yield as abundantly as those of lodge or chapter representatives . Consequently the gain of 19 Stewards acting only on their own behalf , by no means counterbalances the loss resulting from the decrease in lodge and chapter representatives from 102 to 91 . In short , London has more Stewards by 12 than it had in 1 S 84 , Dut the number of bodies represented is less by 11 .

If we turn our attention to the provinces , the outlook is less promising still . The number of provinces represented is 26 , as against 28 last year , but the number of Stewards has fallen off from 168 to 134 . In 1 S 84 , out of the grand total of £ 13 , 000—in round figures— which Bro . Hedges had the satisfaction of announcing , £ 6700 was contributed

by the provinces ; but unless in the few days remaining there is a very material change for the better , his chances of obtaining much in excess of from £ 5000 to £ 5200 look extremely problematical . We are all of us , of course , prepared to take the bitter with the sweet . We know very well that it is inevitable the totals should be sometimes below as well as sometimes

above the average ; but we must confess that the diminution in prospect for next Wednesday—unless , we repeat , the aspect of things alters very materially for the better—is more considerable and very much more serious than we had anticipated . We are aware the state of things is bad just now .

With the depression in trade arising from non-political causes and the unsettled political outlook , it would be strange indeed if it were otherwise . But we feel sure that much more than seems probable may be done without trespassing too severely on the goodwill of the Craft , and we hope Wednesday ' s announcement will show it has been .

These then are the grounds of our misgivings , and we consider them well nigh unanswerable . There is as compared with last year ' s Festival an increase in the number of London Stewards from 119 to 131 , but such increase does not compensate for the decrease in the number of bodies represented from 102 to 91 . In the case of the provinces , there is only a slight falling off—from 28 to 26—but there is a very serious decrease in the number

of Stewards—from 16 S to 134 . If we take last year ' s announcement of ^ 13 , 000 as our criterion , it looks very much as if Bro . Hedges would have to content himself with a very much lower figure indeed . It rests , however , with the Craft generally , but more especially with the Stewards , to demonstrate that our anticipations have been ill-formed . Let the Stewards make up their minds to hand in big lists ; and to that end let them plead again and again , and in spite of rebuffs and refusals , for that help in their beneficent

work to which they are so justly entitled , and which the requirements of the School so imperatively demand . If they cannot induce their friends to qualify as Life Governors , let them try and persuade them into becoming Lifeor even Annual Subscribers . Let each brother who has volunteered his services , now that he has before him the facts and figures as we give them from official sources , labour as if the success of the Festival depended wholly and solely on his personal exertions , and then the greater the result achieved , the greater the honour to which he will be entitled .

Nor shall we be fulfilling our duty if we lose this opportunity of appealing to the unrepresented lodges and provinces to send up Stewards even at the eleventh hour . The latter are 15 in number , and only two of these—Gloucestershire , which took the lead at the Benevolent Festival in February , and Derbyshire , which is reserving itself for that of the Boys in June—can fairly excuse themselves from assisting on Wednesday next , while those

of them which have girls in the School may reasonably be expected to reciprocate the benefits they derive from the Institution . As to the lodges , there is the usual array of old-established lodges who have sent up Stewards , but not of those established-within the last two or three years . We have carefully scrutinised the list of Stewards , and we regret to say we cannot trace more than about four or five which figure on the roll of Grand Lodge from No . 1900 upwards . It is the reverse of encouraging when we find that

of so formidable a number of young lodges , so very very small a percentage is taking an active part in supporting our Institutions . They are offshoots from older lodges , and must know well enough how large is the sum annually required for the support of those Institutions , how serious a task it is to raise that sum , and how much greater must be the difficulty of raising it , if they fight shy of bearing their proper share of the heat and burden of the work . There is still time for a reinforcement of Stewards , and we

trust that some will be forthcoming between now and Wednesday to help in the arduous task of providing the needful funds for the efficient maintenance of our Girls' School during the coming year . _ We shall add these few words only . The outlook is the reverse of encourng i"g . but we must hope for the best , and none will be so gratified as we shall if our anticipations of a lower total than usual prove exaggerated or groundless .

Supreme Grand Chapter.

SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER .

The Quarterly Convocation of Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of England was held on Wednesday evening at Freemasons' Hall . Comp . S . Rawson , Past District Superintendent China , occupied the chair of M . E . Z . ; Comp . Capt . N . G . Philips acted as H . ; and Comp . the Rev . J . Studholme Brownrigg , as J . The other companions present were

Comps . Shadwell H . Clerke , G . S . E . ; Rev . Thos . Robinson , G . S . N . ; Lord Cremorne , G . P . S . ; Rev . C . W . Arnold , G . 1 st A . S . j F . Davison , G . 2 nd A . S . ; H . Brooks Marshall , G . Treas . ; J . S . Eastes , G . Swd . Br . ; E . Letchworth , G . 1 st Std . Br , ; J . H . Matthews , G . D . C . ; J . L . Thomas ; E . M . Lott , G . Org , ; J . S . Peirce ; Edgar Bowyer ; H . Maudslay ; Ralph Costa ; H . J . P . Dumas ; Thos . Fen n ; G . Lambert ; J . M . Case ; Robt . Grey ; Ralph Gooding ; Frank Richardson ; F . Adlard ; Dr . Pigott ; Locock ; Magnus Ohren ; and 1 . A . Rucker .

There were also present Comps . F . G . Baker , P . Z . 753 ; Rev . G . R . Portal , t . 4 to ; Jdhn W . Woodall , P . Z . 30 ° •John Watson , P . Z . 47 and 402 ; R . N . Barton , M . E . Z . 771 , Prov . P . S . Berks

Supreme Grand Chapter.

and Bucks ; Richard Bird , M . E . Z . 91 ; Col . William E . Sackville West , M . E . Z . 357 ; G . P . Brockbank , P . Z . 37 ; C . H . Webb , Z . 1549 ; W . F . Smart , H . 7 G 6 ; C . F . Hogard , P . Z . 10 ; Rev . C . W . Spencer Stanhope , P . Z . 42 S , H . 478 , and P . H . Cheshire ; J . Terry , P . Z . 22 S , P . G . J . Herts ; H . Massey , P . Z . 619 and H . 192 S ,- Butler Wilkins , P . Z . 3 G 0 , P . G . H . ; Charles Harding , P . Z . 77 S , P . P . G . N . Middlesex ; J . H . Paul , P . Z . G ; Rev . R . N . Sanderson , P . Z . 959 , P . P . G . P . S . Devon ; W . H . Saunders , P . Z . 1503 ; F . Adlard , P . Z . S and 214 , G . Reg . Essex ; E . L . Home , Z . 7 ; F . A .

Whiting , M . E . Z . I 7 G ; A . H . Lilley , Z . 19 ; G . P . Gillard , H . 19 ; Thos . Minstrell ,-J . 192 S ; Neville Green , P . Z . 1524 ; Dr . Alfred Meadows , P . Z . 92 ; William Dodd , P . Z . 1194 ; Edward G . Bruton , P . Z . 340 ; J . J . West , M . E . Z . 54 S ; R . F . Godson , P . Z . 2 S 0 ; Norman Selfe , P . Z . S 17 ; Thos . Cull , P . Z . 1365 ; Henry Garrod , P . Z . 507 i Joseph Clever , M . E . Z . 171 ; George Payne , M . E . Z . 1564 ; L . Cornelissen , P . Z . 1201 ; A . A . Pendlebury , P . Z . 1056 ; A . Nicols , P . Z . S 90 ; Lewis George Langdon , P . Z . 538 ; and Henry Sadler , G . Janitor .

After the formal opening of the chapter , the minutes of last Communi * cation of February were read and confirmed . The ACTING GRAND Z . announced that H . R . H . the Prince of Wales had been re-elected as M . E . Z . ; that the Earl of Carnarvon had been re * appointed Pro M . E . Z . ; and the Earl of Lathom , H . He also announced that H . R . H . the M . E . Z . had been pleased to appoint Lord Leigh as Ji ( The post has been vacant since the death of his late lamented Royal High * ness the Duke of Albany . )

The remaining appointments and investitures were as follows ; Comp . Col . Shadwell H . Clerke ... ... G . S . E . „ Col . W . E . Sackville West ... ... G . S . N . „ The Rev . Canon G . R . Portal ... ... G . P . Soj ; „ The Rev . R . N . Sanderson ... ... G . 1 st A . S . „ The Rev . W . C . Spencer-Stanhope ... G . 2 nd A . S . „ Major John W . Woodall ... ... G . Treas .

„ F . A . Philbrick , Q . C . ... ... ... G . Reg . „ Alfred Meadows , M . D . ... ... G . Swd . Br . „ John Watson ... ... ... G . 1 st Std . Br . „ J . Hayball Paul ... ... ... G . 2 nd Std . Br . „ Major Charles Harding ... ... G . 3 rd Std . Br . „ Butler Wilkins ... ... ... G . 4 th Std . Br . „ Charles Hammerton ... ,,. ... G . D . of C .

„ George P . Brockbank ... ... ... G . Asst . D . of C . „ E . M . Lott ... ... ... ... G . Org . „ Henry Sadler ... ... ... G . Janitor . The following report of the Committee of General Purposes was taken as read , and ordered to be received and entered on the minutes :

To the Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of England . The Committee of General Purposes beg to report that they have examined the accounts from the 22 nd January to the 14 th April , 1885 , both inclusive , which they find to be as follows :

To balance Grand Chapter ... £ 315 4 5 By disbursements during the „ „ Unappropriated ac- quarter £ 261 4 o count 1 S 6 15 10 „ Balance 375 17 5 „ Subsequent receipts ... 327 5 o „ „ Unappropriated account 192 3 10 £ S 2 g 5 3 /' Sag 5 3

On the motion of Comp . ROBERT GREY , President , seconded by Comp . FRANK RICHARDSON , charters were granted for the following new chapters , petitions for the same having been received .

1 st . From Comps . Ed . Lytton Hitchins , as Z . ; Chas . Bourne Airey , as H . ; Wm . Hilston Pigott , as J . ; and seven others for a chapter to be attached to the Prince of Wales Lodge , No . 1653 , Sydney , New South Wales , to be called the Prince of Wales Chapter , and to meet at Sydney , N . S . W .

2 nd . From Comps . the Rev . Thomas Bartrup Nichols , as Z . ; John Thomas Davison , as H . j Charles Wright Henzell , as J . ; and nine others for a chapter to be attached to the Priory Lodge , No . 1863 , Tynemouth , to be called the Priory Chapter , and to meet at the Grand Hotel , Tynemouth , in the county of Northumberland .

3 rd . From Comps . George Hudson Hibbert , as Z . ; Thomas Fisher , as H . ; John Angrave Howitt , as J . ; and seven others for a chapter to be attached to the Forest Lodge , No . 1852 , Mansfield , to be called the Forest Chapter , and to meet at the Swan Hotel , Mansfield , in the county of Nottingham ,

4 th . From Comps . Thomas Cull , as Z . ; William Sergeant Lee , as H . j John William Mash , as J . ; and six others for a chapter to be attached to the Mount Edgcumbe Lodge , No . 144 6 , London , to be called the Mount Edgcumbe Chapter , and to meet at St . Botolph Chambers , No . 191 , Bishopsgate-street , in the City of London .

5 . From Comps . Thomas Charles Walls , as Z . ; Henry Joseph Lardner , as H . ; James Strugncll , as J . ; and six others for a chapter to be attached to the Farringdon Without Lodge , No , 1745 , London , to be called the Farringdon Without Chapter , and to meet at Anderton's Hotel , Fleet- street , in the City of London .

Charters of Confirmation , the originals being lost were also granted to the Enfield Chapter , No . 1237 , and the Prince Frederick William Chapter , No . 753 , St . John ' s Wood . The Committee reported

That two chapters through neglect of the law as contained in Article 67 , page 22 , of the Royal Arch Regulations ( Edit . 1 S 79 ) , had recently exalted brethren at a less period than 12 calendar months from the date of their becoming Master Masons : —

The Committee therefore had admonished the chapters to be more observant of the law in the future , and had ordered the candidates in question to be re * obligated ; they again call attention to this serious irregularity * with a view to greater care being taken in future that the " satisfactory proof" required by the above-quoted regulation be previously obtained ^ in every instance .