The Grand Lodge Of Ireland.

THE GRAND LODGE OF IRELAND .

The history of the Grand Lodge of Ireland has yet to be written , and certain it is that whenever the task is commenced it will be found that the paucity of the records will not be the only difficulty to overcome . There is quite a stagnation in Ireland as respects Masonic historical questions , and that

the few who take an interest in cosmopolitan Freemasonry in country are indeed " few and far between . " There are one or two in Dublin who are alive to the importance of keeping the society " abreast with the times , ' and scattered over the provinces are several worth y Freemasons , but on the whole the outlook is gloomy and the progress of the Grand Lodge is at a

lamentably slow rate . . . As a Grand Lodge it is undoubtedly the second in point of antiquity , having been formed about ten years subsequent to its senior , the Grand Lodge of England , and is about the same number of years older than its sister Grand Lodge of Scotland . Years ago it was very prosperous , and in the early part of this century it had about a thousand lodges on its roll , whereas " now there are little more than a third of that number , lhe

authorities to a great extent appear to be " asleep on their legs , " and the apathy to the real wants of the Grand Lodge is as complete as the influence of " red tape " and officialism is distressingly predominant . Our opinion is that a great deal of the present unenviable position of the Grand Lodge of Ireland ' is due to the most unfortunate and absurd policy of retaining the same Grand Officers for so many years , so that all legitimate ambition is stifled , men of position and influence are passed by , noblemen of wealth and character are never noticed , and year by year the appointments

to Grand Office virtually mean " As you were . Will anyone out of Ireland believe us when we say that the whole list of Past Grand Officers does not occupy a page of the official Calendar and contains but eig hteen names ? It is a fact however . The only nobleman amongst the number being Lord Powerscourt , Past G . J . W . the members

; Of course we may be told that the officers are elected by of the Grand Lodge ( and that is quite correct , save as to the Deputy Grand Master ) , but it is also true that the Board of General Purposes recommends to the Grand Lodge the names of those brethren they deem worthy of office , and though it is also true that others may be nominated by competent brethren at the November meeting , we can easily estimate what that

privilege amounts to , when the Board , as part , consists officially of the Grand Master , the Deputy Grand Master , the Grand Treasurer , and Grand Secretary . Then again , the fact that the members allow the regulation to remain in the Constitutions which provides that only those officers below the rank of Grand Chaplain ( excepting the Grand S . of Wks . and the Grand Organist ) require to be changed after three years '

service ! all from the Grand Chaplains and the Deputy Grand Masters being elig ible for election annually advitam , is a proof to our mind that the feeling of apathy is prevalent in Dublin as elsewhere . In England there is no need for any such regulation , because the Grand Master appoints his officers annually , and never re-appoints any save such indispensable officers as the Grand Registrar and others ( the office of Grand Secretary is not subject to annual appointment as in Ireland , and

ranks in the latter country before that of Grand Chaplain ) . In Scotland no Grand Officer is eligible for re-election ( where the system of election prevails as in Ireland ) after being two years consecutively in office , until he has been one year out of office ( save certain sensible exceptions ) , and we strongly advise our Irish brethren to pass a similar law . If the provincial brethren will only muster strongly for once they might carry such a law in Grand Lodge , and as it is sure to work well that fact alone would secure its

continuance . If the chief Grand Officers generally were noted for their Masonic zeal there would not be so much reason for the change as there is now , but even then it is a mistake , and always will be a mistake , so long as human nature continues what it is , to practically tell the many " good Masons and true " under the Grand Lodge of Ireland that there are no honours for them .

'lhe G . S . W ., who was elected in 1875 , has attended about three times since ! The G . J . W ., who was happily elected in 18 S 2 , is most deservedly popular , and if unable to attend is sure to send an excuse . The Grand Treasurer from 1 S 77 is a good attendant , as is also the Grand Senior Chaplain , who has been re-elected for nearly 20 years , and is rarely absent from Grand Lodge ; but the Grand Junior Chaplain , elected some 20 years ago

( less or more ) , has not been seen in Grand Lodge for the last ten years . The Grand Secretary was elected in 1875 , and has only been seen once in Grand Lodge , viz ., in 1 S 75 , when the Grand Master was installed . This appointment , it should be understood , is honorary , as the other offices , the duties really being discharged by the Grand Deputy Secretary , to whom we have often been indebted for information , though not in anyway for the

foregoing . Now , does not such a state of things call for alteration and a speedy reform , and is it any wonder that many of the Craft in Ireland remain content with being Past Masters , and take little interest Masonically in what is going on ? We believe that not one of the Deputy Prov . Grand Masters has ever held office in Grand Lodge , and there are noblemen so well known

and respected as the Earls of Limerick , Bective , Claremont , and Huntingdon , theMarquisof Hamilton and Lord Harlech , whohaveneveryet been appointed to office in Grand Lodge . We never did like the election to Grand Office as in Scotland and Ireland , but the working of the system in the latter country has turned our negative opinion into one of positive dislike , and we really cannot understand how the brethren in Ireland are content to put up with such a state of things .

Supreme Grand Chapter.

SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER .

The Quarterly Convocation of the Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of England was held on Wednesday evening at Freemasons' Hall , when the following companions of the Order were present : Comps . J . A . Rucker , as M . K . Z . ; Col . Creaton , G . Treas ., as H . ; Jas . Glaisher , as J . ; Col . Shadwell H . Clerke , S . E . ; H . J . P . Dumas , as S . N . ; j . M . Case , P . S . ; \ V . G . Harrison , Q . C ., 1 st Assistant ; Rev . Thomas Robinson , 2 nd Assistant ; H . Maudslay , Swd . Br . ^ Charles Greenwood , D . C . ; A . J . Duff Filer , Joshua Nunn , Col . Somerville-BurnevFrank RichardsonJohn Messent , Robert Grey , J . Sampson Peirce , H . G . Buss

, , Assistant S . E . ; William H . Dran , P . P . G . R . Dorset , P . Z . 77 ; Henry Stiles , H . » 5 <> 7 ; Georrre Drysdale , J . 7 ; R . W . Forge , H . 94 0 ; W . B . Lloyd , Z . 913 ; Charles F . Liversidge , J . 422 ; Albert Escott , H . 140 ; W . G . Kentish , J . 1293 ; C . A . Woods , J . 1572 ; E . Farwig , Z . 1 S 0 ; Julius Quitmann , J . 53 S ; Alfred A . Pendlebury , P . Z . 1050 Neville Green , P . Z . 1524 ; W . H . Lee , P . ' / .. 1524 ; Edgar Bowyer , P . Z . 174 ; William Vincent , Z . 1 C 24 ; H . E . Frances , Z . 1339 ; Frederick Lcvick , J . 404 ; S . P . Catterson , Z . 19 ; E . Lerrg , Z . 657 ; William Stiles , / . P . Z . 1507 ; H . Sadler , G . janitor ; ami H . Massey , P . Z . O 19 ( freemason ) .

Supreme Grand Chapter.

After the reading and confirmation of the minutes of the November Convocation the report of the Committee of General Purposes was taken as read and ordered to be received and entered on the minutes . The report was as follows :

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 iSth October , 18 S 2 , to the 16 th January , 18 S 3 , both inclusive , which they find to be as follows : — To Balance , Grand Chapter ... £ 507 S 9 1 By Disbursements during the „ ,, Unappropriated Quarter £ 19 6 5 3 Account 201 19 11 „ Balance CSi o 7 „ Subsequent Receipts ... 400 11 7 „ „ in Unappropriated Account 232 14 5 jfmo o 3 WCIIIO o 3

which balances are in the Bank of England , Western Branch . The Committee have likewise to report that they have received the following petitions : — 1 st . From Comps . Reuben Williamson , as Z . ; Thomas Barber , as H . ; Clark Turner Kaye , as J . ; and six others for a chapter to be attached to the Holme Valley Lodge , No . 652 , Holmfirlh , to be called the Chapter of Industry , and to meet at the Victoria Hotel , Holmfirth , Yorkshire .

2 nd . From Comps . Edward Loftus Roche Thackwell , as '/ ,. ; John Clement Cobbe , as H . ; William Munro Jack , as J . ; and six others for a chapter to be attached to the Lodge of Goodwill , No . 4 65 , Bellary , to be called the Goodwill Chapter , and to meet at Bellary , Madras , East Indies .

3 rd . From Comps . Joseph Woolley Brooke , as Z . ; William Alfred Malony , as H . ; George Frederick Smith , junr ., as J . ; and seven others for a chapter to be attached to the Duke of Cornwall Lodge , No . 1839 , London , to be called the Duke of Cornwall Chapter , and to meet at Freemasons' Hall , London .

4 th . From Comps . William Henry Skinner , as Z . ; Charles Moseley Nelson , as H . ; Frederick William Edmund Dawson , as J . ; and eight others for a chapter to be attached to the Prince of Wales Lod ge , No . 1338 , Auckland , New Zealand , to be called the Auckland Chapter , and to meet at the Freemasons' Hall , Princes-street , Auckland , North Island , New Zealand .

5 th . From Comps . William Lodder , as Z . ; William Pollock Moat , as H . ; William Henry Cooper , as J . ; and six others for a chapter to be attached to the Remuera Lodge , No . 1710 , Remuera , New Zealand , to be called the Remuera Chapter , and to meet at the Masonic Hall , Remuera Auckland , North Island , New Zealand .

<> . hrom Comps . Nathaniel Goodchild , as Z . ; Henry Slyman , as H . ; George Clark , jun ., as J . ; and nine others for a chapter to be attached to the Camden Lodge , No . 704 , London , to be called the Camden Chapter , and to meet at Anderton ' s Hotel , Fleet-street , in the City of London .

On the motion of Comp . Col . CREATON , seconded respectivel y by Comps . Col . SOMERVILLE BURNEY , J . S . PEIRCE and J OSHUA NUNN , the charters for all the above new chapters were granted , and Grand Chapter was then closed .

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS .

The General Committee of this Institution met on Saturday last at Freemasons' Hall , Bro . Raynham W . Stewart , P . G . D ., in the chair . There were also present—Bros . W . Roebuck , J . L . Mather , A . J . Duff Filer , F . VV . Ramsay , M . D ., C . H . Webb , Rev . Dr . Morris , Edgar Bowyer , Donald M . Dewar , \ V . Mann , George M . E . Snow , H . Young , F . Adlard , James Moon , Geo . P . Gillard , W . Maple ; H . S . Goodall , W . Paas , Thomas Cubitt , W . H . Saunders , F . Binckes ( Secretary ) , and H . Massey { Freemason ) . After the reading and confirmation of the minutes ,

Bro . BINCKES read a letter , in which the mother of a boy to whom an outfit had been granted and the boy himself thanked the Committee for the sum granted , which had assisted him into the Royal Navy . Bro . BINCKES announced that another candidate ( Musgrave ) had been withdrawn from the list of candidates for the April election , thus reducing the number to 64 .

The CHAIRMAN with reference to the complaint of Bro . Nicols said a copy of the full original letter as sent to the Freemason had been sent to the Institution ; but though he did not wish to give great prominence to the subject he might say that the General Committee had full confidence that the House Committee would deal with the question , and therefore the letter would be referred to the House Committee .

The report of the Audit Committee was read , adopted , and ordered to be entered on the minutes . The sum of £ iaoo was ordered to be invested in Indian Debenture Stock . One petition was read and the candidate accepted , and an outfit of £ 5 was granted to a former pupil , after which the Committee adjourned .

The Province Of Essex.

THE PROVINCE OF ESSEX .

INSTALLATION OF LORD BROOKE AS PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTER BY H . R . H . THE DUKE OF ALBANY .

For the second time during the brief period of three years has the Provincial Grand Mastership of Essex been entrusted to new hands , and as in the summer of 1879 the place of the late Bro . Bagshaw was taken by Lord Tenterden , so now through the premature decease in September last of the latter , has a successor to his lordship been installed in office in the person of Lord Brooke , M . P ., who may be said to have a double claim on our regard , one being personal and arising out of his lordshi p ' s zeal and interest

in all that concerns the welfare of the Craft , while the other may be considered as due to his marriage with the stepdaughter of the Earl of Rosslyn , a Past Grand Master Mason of Scotland , and representative of the Grand Lodge of that country at the United Grand Lodge of England . That given the requisite health and strength he will fulfil his duties in a manner to secure to himself the respect and affection of those under him may

be judged from his bearing on Friday last , when he had the honour of being installed as chief of the Province of Essex b y H . R . H . the Duke of Albany . Indeed his debut in that capacity created a most favourable impression on all present , and augurs well for the future success of Masonry in the county of the East Saxons . As a matter of course , the day was not allowed to pass without opportunity being taken by the Prov . Grand Master to pay a tribute