Freemasonry In Monmouthshire.

FREEMASONRY IN MONMOUTHSHIRE .

Last week was great , Masonically speaking , in Monmouthshire , a province in which the Craft finds a congenial home . It was , indeed , a week of Masonic meetings , including" the consecration of a new Craft lodge , meetings of Provincial Grand Chapter , and of the Knights

Templar , and Ancient and Accepted Rite , reports of which will be found under their respective headings . There was , of course , a round of Masonic banquets , in which toasts were g iven and honoured in right Masonic style . Perhaps the most important banquet was that held on the ist inst . at the King ' s Head Hotel

presided over by Bro . Col . Charles Lyne , Bro , Randall , the W . M . of the new lodge being vice . The toasts were of the usual character , but it may be mentioned that the new Provincial Chapter , and the new Albert Edward Lodge , were toasted with great enthusiasm on this memorable occasion .

Masonic Tidings.

Masonic Tidings .

FREEMASONRY IN FRANCE . —The following appeared in the Paris correspondence of the Echo . —It appears that the Government is turning its attention to the Order of Freemasons . You are aware that this ancient and formidable corporation , although founded on exclusively

philanthropic principles , has been much abused by many of its French members , who have made free use of it to advance , in an underhand way , their socialist and political doctrines . We had a striking and scandalous instance of tin ' s during the Commune , when a batch of Freemasons

openly violated the ruling principles of the Order . The Government evidently fears that the Order is again being turned aside from its object by its hot-heated political members , anel instructions have been sent off" to the Prefects to

inquire into , and report on the number and condition of the lodges in their departments , the names and character of the members , and the general effect of the Order . On the 27 th June the New Temple of Lodge " Union et Bienfaisance" situated in the Avenue

d' Italie Paris , was inaugurated in the presence of Bro . Cremieux , President of the Rite Ecossais . During the past year the Grand Orient of France has consecrated several new lodges . Others are in course of formation , and will shortl y be opened .

The four lodges at Rouen have united to celebrate the 50 th anniversary of the initiation of Bro . Desseux , advocate , the Father of Masonry in that city , and who has rendered distinguished services to French Masonry . From Spain we learn that the Grand Lodge has under its jurisdiction 9 , 3 lodges , of which

26 are in Madrid , 5 in Cadiz , 5 in Malaga , 3 in Valencia , 3 in Almeria , and 2 in Barcelona . This is a good list , considering that the Grand Lodge only dates its legal existence from 1868 . There are besides a considerable number of lodges under foreign jurisdictions , which have not affiliated with the Grand Orient of Spain . THE LONDON MVSONU : GI . EE UNION . —

Under the above title we learn that a glee party , consisting of Bros . John Hotlges and Kerr Gedge of Her Majesty ' s Chapel Royal , and Frederick Walker and R . De Lacy , of St . Paul ' s Cathedral , has been formed to supply a long felt want , viz ., that of appropriate music of a high

class for inaugurations , installations , and other solemn occasions , as well as the light and pleasant duties appertaining to the festive board . We should like to hear of similar associations amongst our provincial biethren in the great Masonic centres of Liverpool , Manchester ,

Birmingham , Hull , and Bristol , and other wellknown districts where the royal art prevails . Our worthy and esteemed Bro . Frederick ferkins , Sheriff' of Middlesex , was introduced to her Majesty at Osborne , on the 4 th inst ., and received the honour of knighthood . Our Grand

Master , the Marquess of Ripon , was present as Secretary of State , in the absence of the Secretary of State for the Home Department . We are glad to congratulate Bro . Sir Fred . 'ri'ik ° n his deserved honours , and hope we . may have to record higher favours at no distant date .

Masonic Tidings.

Bro . Ex-sherriff" Hutton has been elected Renter Bailiff for the Weavers' Company . Bro . Edwin Sillifant , has been appointed auditor to the Maughold-Head Mining Company ( Limited ) .

The Masonic Trowel , Springfield , III ., has been incorporated with The Freemason , of St . Louis , Bro . Reynolds will continue to edit the" Illinois Department . " The new Masonic Lodge , the United Service ,

was consecrated on Tuesday , after which the Provincial Grand Lodge was held at Southsea Assembly Rooms , under the presidency of Bro . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., ProvincialGrand Master .

Die business of the province was transacted and the officers were elected , Colonel the Hon . Somerset Calthorpe being appointed Senior Grand Warden .

Bro . T . W . Boord , 31 ° , has been elected by a large majority to the representation of Greenwich . A special meeting of the Southampton Town Council took place on Saturday , at which it was

resolved to invite the Lord Mayor and Sheriff ' s of London to a banquet in that town on their return from Osborne , after receiving the honours which her Majesty the Queen is about to confer on them . One of the Sheriffs ( P . m . Sir . F . Perkins ) is a Southampton man , and has been fwe times Alayor of that town .

One of the last acts of the Bishop of Winchester was to write to Sir Bro . Frederick Perkins , whom he had previously known as Mayor of Southampton , in the following terms , the letter being probably the last he wrote ;— " Winchester

House , St . James ' s-square , July 19 th . —My dear Sir Frederick , —Allow one who watches with pleasure every success which comes to you , to congratulate you on we-ll-achieved honours . — Yours most truly , S . WINTON . "

POSTAGE or NEWSPAPERS . —Some useful information and valuable hints respecting the postage of newspapers for transmission abropd are found in the Postmaster-General ' s report , just issued . Last year nearl y 6 " oo , ooo newspapers ,

posted for abroad , had to bj stopped in theii progress owing to insufficient payment of postage . Many persons appear to think that a penny , 01 even a halfpenny stamp , will c . LTy a newspaper of any weight i . o any place whatever , whereas , as

the Postmaster-General points out , no newspaper can be sent abroad for a halfpenny ; and it is only to certain countries , and by certain routes , and when the weight does not exceed a quarter of a pound , that even a penny will suffice ; while ,

as a rule , unless the full postage is prepaid , the newspaper cannot be forw irdetl at all . As the Post-office has generally no means of ascertaining who are the senders of newspapers insufficiently paid , copies art ^ necessarily destroyed , and thus

not only the newspaper but also the sum paid upon it is sacrified . It cannot , says the report , be too strongly impressed upon persons sending newspapers to their friends in the colonies and other places abroad , that the halfpenny rate is

applicable to inland newspapers only ; that on newspapers going abroad the lowest rate is one penny , and that when the weight of any newspaper exceeds four ounces , the lowest vale is twopence . The neglect of another rule , viz ., the

fixing eight days from the date of publication as the limit within which a newspaper must be posted for foreign transmission , also leaels to the loss of a large number of newspapers , such number last year having been more than 100 , 000 .

THE CHINESE having been re-organising their army , which now numbers 300 , 000 men , armed with Enfield , Remington , and Colt ' s rifles , with a full complement of rilled artillery .

A circular" has been issued from the Local Government Board to the various local authorities , advising sanitary measures to prevent the outbreak or spread of cholera in this country .

Amongst the Civil List pensions recently published . is one of / . ' 300 to Dr . Livingstone , in consideration of his discoveries in Central Africa

Poetry.

Poetry .

A MASTER MASON'S PRAYER .

B ^ B RO . WILLIAM CARPENTER , P . M . and P . Z . 177 . Oh bright morning star whose rising brings peace , May my path be illumined by Thee " In all conflicts in life , and much more in death , Through Thee may I conqueror be !

When all ' s bright around , and I ' m tempted to stray Into ways that by Thee are unblest , May ths thoughts that impress'd me , when raised to new life , Bring me back to my refuge and rest '

And when through the Valley of Death I must pass , May its shadow be all that I see ; By thy rod and staff' comforted , as I pass on To those bright and blest mansions with Thee !

The Pillar Of Beauty.

THE PILLAR OF BEAUTY .

" Scatter the germs of the beautiful ! _ B y the wayside let them fall , That the rose may spring by the cottage gate , And the vine on the garden wall ;

Cover the rough and the rude of earth . With a vail of leaves and flowers , And mark with the opening bud and cup The march of Summer ' s hours .

" Scatter the germs of the beautiful In the holy shrine of home ; Let the pure-, and the fair , and the graceful there

In the loveliest lustre come . Leave not a trace of deformity In the temple of the heart , But gather about the earth its germs Of nature and of art .

Scatter the germs of the beautiffl In the temples of our God—The God who starred th' uplifted sky , And ffower'd the trampled sod .

When He built a temple for himself , And a home for his priestly race , He reared each arch in symmetry And curved each line in grace .

Scatter the germs of the beautiful In the depths of the human soul ; They bud and blossom , and bear the fruit . While the endless ages roll .

Plant with the flowers of charitv The portals of the tomb , And the fair and the pure about this path In Paradise shall bloom . "

Solomon's Temple In The Vienna Exhibitions .

SOLOMON ' S TEMPLE IN THE VIENNA EXHIBITIONS .

Francis Langer , a sculptor of Kaaden , but born at Weipert , began to cut the model of Solomon ' s ' 1 ' empie out of lime-tree wood , according to the details given by the historian ,

J osephus Flavins . For thirty years he worked unceasingly at the laborious ! work , and at length died in 1850 , at the age of 72 . His son continued the unfinished work , 18 . 58 . Two citixens of Kaaden then took the matter in hand , anel partly by working at it themselves , anel

partly by getting others to follow the plans and details le : t behind by Langer , succeeded in effecting it . The completed work takes up a space of three hundred and twenty-five feet . The present owners applied to the directors of

the Vienna Exhibition as to whether they might exhibit it , and , after some little delay , received a reply that space should be reserved for it . This result of their labour dueiiig so many years requires twenty-eight cases to pack it in , and has been forwarded to the Exhibition at Vienna .

His Majesty the Shah of Persia has consented to become patron of the British Hospital for Diseases of the Skin .