Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS , 409 Grand Lotige ot Mark Master Masons—Installation of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales as Grand Master 40 , 3 Consecration of the Crays Valley Lodge , No . 2147 , at Crays Valley , Kent 413 Consecration of the Arthur Sullivan Lodge

, at Manchester 413 Consecration of the Queen ' s Westminster Chapter , No . 2 o 2 r 414 Provincial Grand Lodge of Surrey 415 CORRESPONDENCELewises and Priority 417 Assessment of Corporate Hodies 41 S

REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 41 S Instruction 419 Royal Arch . ' 419 Instruction 420 Knights Templar 420

Royal Masonic Institution for Girls—Distribution of Pri 7 . es 420 Drury Lane Lodge and the Royal Masonic Institution for ' Uoys 420 Masonic Charity in West Lancashire 421 Summer Festival of the Domatic Lodge

, No , 177 , at Kempton Park 421 Masonic Presentation 422 Royal Masonic Institution for Girls 422 The Recent Boys' School Festival 422 The Royal Masonic Institution for Boys ... 422 Summer Outing of the Hundred of F . lloe

Lodge , No . 46 g 422 Ireland 422 The Grand Lodge of New York . ' . 422 Masonic and General Tidings 42 3 Lodge Meetings for Next Week :.. 424

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GREAT care and a sound discretion appear to have been exercised in the selection of the brethren on whom the honours of Mark Grand Lodge were recently conferred , and we must take the liberty of congratulating' the GRAND MARK MASTER on having gathered around him a body of Grand Officers , who are emphatically representative , not only of the virtue ;) which are specially characteristic of Mark Masonry , but of those also which are shared

in common by all the different branches and sections of our Society . A perusal of the brief records we give elsewhere of their several Masonic careers , will show they are all good men and true , and worthy of the distinctions which have been bestowed upon them . It will also make it clear that , as we have said , a sound discretion has been exercised in selecting them , as it would be difficult to have distributed the limited number of offices with stricter impartiality among the several provinces and the

metropolis . The first care , on the part of the Prince , appears to have been to choose thoroughly good men , and his next to choose them , as far as he could , from the different sub-divisions of the Degree , so that they might be considered fully representative of the whole body . There may probably be some brethren who will consider the list was capable of an improvement in this or that particular direction , but we think there will be a general concensus of opinion that , on the whole , a better choice could not have been made .

* # * OUR Colonial brethren , now on a visit to the Old Country in connection with the Exhibition , must be intensely gratified with the reception they have experienced among their Masonic friends , and especially from the Empire Lodge , No . 2108 , which , as our readers must remember , was constituted for the express purpose of meeting a recognised want and providing

a home for the members of our Colonial lodges , when visiting the metropolis of the British Empire . The members of the Empire Lodge , too , must be pleased at finding their efforts have been so thoroughly appreciated by their Colonial guests . They undoubtedly laid themselves out in order to receive their visitors in a manner worthy of our ancient fame , their exemplification of the great Masonic rite of hospitality being an unquestioned

success , and one which they themselves and successive generations of Empire brethren will have good reason to be proud . In saying this , we are very far from wishing to impugn the working of this rite as practised in our other lodges . But the Empire Lodge has a special character of ils own , and it is no more than just to the brethren composing it that we should lay some stress on the result of its appearance in state before the Masonic

public on an occasion which is not likely to be repeated for many years to come . There must always be plenty of Colonial Masons sojourning among us , but just now they are in overwhelming strength . Thus the recent banquet was on an exceptionally large scale , and we are glad the arrangements were devised and carried out so skilfully that we are justified in describing the success of the gathering as

being commensurate with its extent and importance . We congratulate Bro . Sir P . CUNLIFFE OWEN , W . M . of the lodge , on the result . We also fully endorse the very high , but well-merited , encomiums which he passed on the services rendered to the lodge generally , but more particularly on this occasion , by our indefatigable Bro . LENNOX BROWNE , Secretary , who , we believe , originated the idea of establishing such a lodge , who personally assisted in

and directed most of the preliminary arrangements , and to whose suggestion , we believe , it is due that the Emulation Lodge of Improvement arranged for a special Colonial gathering at their meeting on the 2 nd instant . The other officers , and the members as a body and individually , also deserve credit for their assistance ; and we are confident that among the mosl agreeable remembrances which our Colonial Masons will take back with them from England to their distant homes in Canada , Australia , New

Zealand , & c , & c , will be that of the truly imperial banquet to which they were invited by our Empire Lodge . And when it is explained further , how easy it is for brethren hailing from the Colonies lo become enrolled as members of the Empire Lodge in London , a marked reciprocity of fraternal feeling will be established between the old and the new homes of our race , and Masonry will have scored one more brilliant success in its continuous efforts to strengthen the bonds of good fellowship among men .

* * * m WF , are receiving daily so many communications respecting the dual banquet of the Grand Mark Lodge that soon we shall have enough matter thereon to half fill one number of the paper , and as there is no indication of the supply lessening , the prospect is rather overwhelming , especially

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when the correspondence is wholly on one side . As no official reply has been made to the letter signed " P . G . O . " in the Freemason of the 26 th ult ., it does not appear to us desirable to print dozens of similar documents , asking for a like explanation , when the material for answering our correspondents is not forthcoming . We can only say that our columns are open for a reply from those who were responsible ( or the banquets being so held , and are thus ableto explain why such an unusual

course was taken . It is not for us to defend or to object to ( heir action in the mailer . Until an official explanation is forthcoming we deem it our duty to respectfully decline instiling any moie letters on the subject . Meanwhile we shall believe that for good and sufficient reasons such explanation is either delayed or withheld , and we feci assured that our esteemed correspondents will see the wisdom of such a course under the special circumstances which are inseparable Irom the enquiry .

* * * THE " Masonic Record of Western India" for May , now to hand , is an interesting number , and contains many suggestive details . The Grand Lodge of all Scottish Freemasonry in India has done good work during the past year , ( he figures indicating considerable prosperity . For 1 SS 4 there were 798 members , but all the lodges have not reported for 1 SS 5 , when the Table was made up . The figures sent in , however , indicating that the

numerical position is much as before . Full details are appended of the various funds connected with the Grand Lodge ( subordinate to the Grand Lodge of Scotland ) , the one relative to the Scottish Freemasons' Benevolent Society in India , being of special interest . This Fund is of an admirable and most comprehensive character , attendingasitdoes . to the education and maiiitainence of children , grants , and monthly allowances to brethren and widows , casual relief to applicants , loans to * brefliren , and other occasional helps . The cash balance in hand is about 1 ^ 000 RS .

* * * TEN per cent , of the gross monthly revenue of the Royal Arch Grand Chapter " of Scottish Freemasonry in India" is to be handed over to this excellent Fund , which deserves continued and increased support because of its eminently practical character , and especially as the whole cost of management for 188 5 did not amount to a Jive pound note !

Grand Lodge Of Mark Master Masons.

GRAND LODGE OF MARK MASTER MASONS .

INSTALLATION OF H . R . H . THE PRINCE OF WALES AS GRAND MASTER .

There cannot be two opinions as to the success of the meeting held in the great hall of Freemasons' Tavern , on Thursday , the ist inst ., the day appointed for the solemn installation of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales as M . W . G . Master of the Grand Lodge of Maik Master Masons of England and Wales , See . There was a muster of considerably over 1000 brethren , including Present and Past Grand Officers , Present

and Past Prov . G . Officers , and the Masters and Wardens , Overseers , and Past Masters of the subordinate lodges , and had the space in the hall been twice as great , there would have been , even then , some difficulty in accommodating all who were desirous of taking part in the proceedings . The weather , moreover , was most suitable , and the officials lo whom had been entrusted the conduct of the arrangements appear lo have been able

to carry them out without the slightest hitch and in a manner which secured them general commendation . In fact , everything was bright , and gay , and joyful . The Mark brethren were gratified at having the heir lo the throne for their Grand Master , his attachment to , and well known interest in everything pertaining to the Order being well known , and it being regarded as ominous of a long and brilliant career of prosperity for the Mark Degree that his Royal Highness should have desired to

be personally installed on the throne of the Mark Grand Lodge , at a meeting especially appointed for the purpose . Reflections on this and cognate matters , and , among the senior members , the remembrance of the smaller and far less impressive gatherings , which used to be held in the early days of the Mark Grand Lbdge , and the striking contrast which presented itself between them and the present assembly , can hardly have failed to have influenced most of the brethren who had secured admission , and there was a fair amount of excitement noticeable among them as the hour approached for the arrival of his Royal Highness .

The Grand Lodge was opened at one o ' clock by the Earl of Kintore , who was supported by H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught , Senior Grand Warden designate , Lord Henniker , Earl of Lathom , Earl of Jersey , Lord Egerton of Tatton , Lord Limerick , the Marquis of Hertford , Grand Warden ; Earl of Onslow , junior Grand Warden ; the Rev . Canon Portal , and W . W . Beach , M . P ., Past Grand Masters ; Sir Francis Burdett , and some

hundreds of Present and Past Grand Officers and Provincial Grand Officers . India and the Colonies , as well as the United Kingdom , being well represented . There were also present Bros . Binckes , Grand Secretary ; A . M . Broadley , Past District G . Master of the Mediterranean ; Sandeman , Past District Grand Master Bengal ; Percy l . eith , Past District Grand Master Bombay ; Adlard , Punjab ; Caina ,

Grand Treasurer ; Dr . Trollope , P . P . G . Master Sussex ; Col . Shadwell H . Clerke , Grand Secretary of Craft Masons ; Philbrick , O . C . ; Capt . N . G . Philips , Charles Stephens , Deputy Grand Master Berks and Oxon ; Sir W . Clark , Grand Master of Victoria ; R . Berridge , Grand D . of C . ; C . F , Matier , Past Grand Warden ; H . George Cooper , Past . Grand Deacon ;