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CONTENTS . UADHR- . ™ ° " Tasmanian Freemasonry ... .., ... ... 343 Masonic Jurisprudence ... ... ... ¦¦• ¦•• 343 United Grand Lodge of England ( Quarterly Communication ... ... 344 Grand Lodge of Mark Masons ( Quarterly Communication ) ... ... 345 Science , Art and the Drama ' ... ... ... ... — 347

M ASONIC NOTESQuarterly Communication of United Grand Lodge ... ... 349 Quarterly Communication of Grand Mark Lodge ... ... __ ... 340 Distribution of Prizes at the Boys'School ... ... " * ... 340 Death of the Earl of Radnor , Prov . G . M . Wiltshire ... ... ... 340 Triennial Festival of the North and East Yorkshire Educational Fund ... 349 Correspondence ... ... ... ... ••• 35 °

Masonic Notes and Queries ... ... ... ... ... 35 ° Reviews ... ••• — . ••• ••¦ ••• 35 ° Provincial Grand Chapter of North and East Yorkshire ... ... ... 35 " Mark Masonry in Devonshire ... ... ... ... ... 35 ' Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... •¦• 35 i Royal Arch ... ... ... ... ... - - 35 '

Mark Masonry ... ... ... ... ••• 35 ** Ireland ... ... ... ¦¦• — 35-The Craft Abroad ... ... ... ... ... ... 35-Order of the Secret Monitor ( Annual Festival ) ... ... ... 353 Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 354 Obituary ... ... ... ... ... - 354

Tasmanian Freemasonry.

TASMANIAN FREEMASONRY .

Though the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Tasmania is very far from being numerically a strong one , it is clear from the report with which wc have been favoured of the proceedings , * it its annual communication in February last that it is a compact

and well-ordered body , and that its officers and members are actuated by a sincere love of the Craft and an abiding faith in its influence for good on thc general community . There are but 24 lodges on its roll , ancl its subscribing membership does

not probably exceed from 1200 to 1500 brethren . Yet the lodges do their work well , and thc ( irand Officers , both Present and Fast , are frequent and earnest in their endeavours to promote , as far as in them lies , thc welfare of the whole bodv and

its several constituent parts . Its Grand Alaster , Bro . the Hon , C . E . DAVIES , M . L . C ., who some time since visited this country , and was most cordially received , is an eminently popular , as well as a very able chief , and it is not surprising , therefore , that under his < niidance the Craft should be such as we have

described it . The annual communication was held at the Masonic Hall , Hobart , on the 22 nd February , when the usual reports wort ;

presented by the Board of General Purposes , the Pro Grand Master , the Grand Secretary , ancl ( he Grand fnspectors of Lodges , and werc favourably received by the Grand Lodge , while the Grand Master ' s address was received with

equal favour ; The events of the year - . vhich he : reviewed in detail were for the most part of local interest , but it is evident from what he said and from the measures he recommended that our Tasmanian brethren are bent on making their organisation

as perfect as possible . He expressed himself as being opposed to the " public parades of Masons , " at the funerals of deceased brethren and gave it as his opinion that lodges of sorrow were far preferable in all cases where it is desired to show respect to

their deceased members . Indeed , he threw it out as a suggestion that " a special meeting should be held in each year as a memorial day to enable us to express our regrets' at the losses of worthy brethren who have passed

• iway . ' He also laid some stress on the desirability of having ° 'ie uniform system ol ritual , and mentioned the steps that were being taken to secure that object . He referred

to his appointment to the rank of a Past G . Warden of England , and expressed his belief that the , honour was conferred upon him in his capacity of Grand Master , and inconsequence , that it was a high compliment paid to the Grand Lodge of

Tasmanian Freemasonry.

Tasmania by its illustrious Patron , the Prince of Wales , K . G ., M . W . Grand Master , and as being " intended to emphasise the cordial relationship existing between the Mother Grand Lodge and our own—which , as the Grand Secretary of England so kindly put it , my recent visit to England did so much to cement . " Unfortunately , there were a few matters to which Grand

Master DAVIES was under the necessity of referring that could not be mentioned without deep feelings of regret , the most noteworthy among these being the loss they had sustained by the death of Bro . the Rev . R . J . Poulett-Harris , M . A ., to whom Tasmanian Masonry owed so deep a debt of gratitude .

The deceased , who had attained thc ripe age of 82 years , was appointed Dist . G . Master of Tasmania , under the Grand Lodge of England , in December , 1880 , and on the formation of thc Grand Lodge was unanimously elected to preside over as its first M . W . Grand Master , and the services

he rendered in that capacity are writ large , in the annals of thc Craft , and will always be remembered to his honour . Bro . DAVIES spoke of his distinguished predecessor in terms of eulogy and personal affection that deserve quotation , remarking that his " long life of usefulness had been sans ficur et sans

iTprochc , " and that " he had , by his quiet , unostentatious manner and his unselfish life endeared himself to us all , " adding , as regards himself , " My personal reminiscences of him date back to my boyhood days , and whether as tutor , guide , or friend , or brother Mason , I had ever entertained for him the

greatest affection . " We sympathise with our Tasmanian brethren on this ancl thc other losses by death they have sustained during thc past year , while , at the same time , we heartily congratulate them on the prosperous state of their Grand and private Lodges .

We observe thai amon * r the names of brethren who were recentl y declared elected as members of the Hoard of ( Icncral Purposes there are two Past Masters who belong * lo 1 lie same loiLfe . I laving regard to Law J 5-5 , of the Hook of (' oiisl ' tnt ' oiis , ii would appear that one or both of these brethren are mcli *>* i ! -l < - lo hold a seat at the Hoard .

Masonic Jurisprudence.

MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE .

[ cOMMl'XICATEIl ] . We will add a few words to the subject of voting , treated in our last . Let u < i consider , first of all , who are entitled to vote . As the ordinary business of the lodge is conducted in the First Degree , it follows that Entered Apprentices and Fellow Crafts have : the same rights as the oldest Past Master when it comes

to a show of hands . It would scarcely seem necessary to draw attention to such an obvious fact , were it not that thc writer on one occasion had the greatest difficulty in preventing the insertion of an article limiting thc franchise to Master Masons

in a set of by-laws he was assisting in drawing up . ** Most lodge by-laws contain a provision limiting the appointment of officers to Master Masons , and in more than one lodge it is the custom to invest the officers , on the day of installation , while the lodge is working in thc *? ° .

When the question is put for the confirmation of the minutes it is customary for those brethren who were absent from the meeting to refrain from voting . There is no law to this effect , however , and all questions arising out of the confirmation , or otherwise , of minutes have to be left to the good sense of the brethren concerned .

Many lodges have by-laws designed to prevent members from voting who are a certain period in arrears with their dues , ancl the votes of such have , on occasion , been disallowed . Since these by-laws have survived a visit to headquarters they must perforce be regarded as good , but , nevertheless , they are productive of great inconsistency . Nearly every lodge provides in