The Mark Benevolent Fund.

and was very handsomely supported to the extent of £ 247 Ss . Gd . Sussex was represented , not for the first time , by Bro . Richard Clowes , who gave £ 5 5 s ., while two of the six lodges on the roll of WARWICKSHIRE returned lists amounting to £ 26 5 s ., of which £ 1 $ 15 s . stood to the credit of Bro . W . H . Rollason , of Lodge Charitv , No . 430 . Birmingham . Last year the amount , including £ 21 from the late Bro . T . R . Arter , Unattached , was £ 31 ios . Bro . G . M . Wilson , the representative of the Province of WILTSHIRE , is entered for £ 12 12 s . ; Bro . A . F . Godson , M . P .. Prov . G . M . Worcestershire , for £ 17 17 s . ; and Bro . Major J . W . Woodall , and another Prov . G . Master of N . and E . Yorkshire , for £ 5 5 s .

Last year WEST YORKSHIRE was the " Chairman ' s Province , " and furnished , by the hands of 52 Stewards—of whom 14 were ladies—the exceptionally large sum of £ 751 5 s ., towards which the Britannia Lodge , No . 53 , with seven Stewards , contributed £ 104 14 s . ; Fearnley Lodge , No . 50 , with 11 Stewards , ^ 95 11 s . ; Inteerity Lodge , No . 110 , with seven Stewards . £ ilQ 14 ' . ; the Copley Lodge , No . Ill , represented by the Chairman ,

Bro . C . L . Mason , Mrs . Mason , and Miss Mason . £ 100 16 s . ; the Portal Lodge , 127 . with six Stewards , £ 112 2 s . 6 d . ; and the Lodge of Truth , No . 137 , with Bro . Barker , D P . G . M ., Mrs . Barker , and five other Stewards , £ 91 10 . Gd . All the lodees on the Provincial roll and the Prov . G . Lodge itself took part in the good wotk , the sum then obtained being the highest raised at a Mark Benevolent Fund Festival . On Wednesday there were 10 Stewards , including the Prov .

G . Master , Bro . the Right Hon . W . L . Jackson , M . P ., P . G . Warden , and Bro . G . If . Parke , G . Treasurer ; Unattached , and Lodge Truth , No . 137 , had four representatives , the total of the lists being £ 141 15 s . In addition there was a Steward from Q UEENSLAND , whose list had not been received , and in noting this , we bring what has been an extremely pleasant task to a conclusion . We can only hope that future analyses may be as pleasant to compile as this and its predecessors have been for the last seven or eight years .

Secret Monitor.

Secret Monitor .

GRAND COUNCIL .

The Grand Council of this flourishing Order held its annual summer meeting on Thursday , the ist inslant , at Freemasons' Tavern . The Grand Supreme Ruler of the Order had arranged to preside ; but he found himself at the last moment unable to leave home . The chair was , therefore , taken by ihe I . P . S . R ., M . W . Bro . Dr . I . Zacharie , supported in Grand Council

by M . W . Bros . J . Lewis Thomas , F . S . A ., P . G . S . R . ; J . Tickle , C . C , P . G . T . ; Sir Thomas Wright , K . B ., Grand Guide and Grand Treasurer nominate , and many other well-known members of Grand Council , most of whose names will be found in our report of the meeting of Grand Conclave which tcok place immediately afterwards .

The following is a summary of the half-yearly report of the Executive Committee : Your Executive Committee beg to

report—1 . That the number of certificates issued during the half year is 98 , being 68 First , 23 Second , and 7 Third Degree ; a number considerably greater than that of the corresponding period of last year—77 . 2 . They recommend Grand Council to re-elect the Right Hon . the Earl of Warwick as G . S . R . for the year ensuing , and-to tender to him the hearty thanks of the Grand Council and of the Order for his distinguished services during the past year .

3 . They recommend that R . W . Bro . Sir Thomas Wright , K . B ., be elected as Grand Treasurer for the year er . suing , and that the best thanks of the Grand Council and of the Order be tendered to R . W . Bro . Richard Eve , Past Grand Treasurer of England ( Craft ) for his able services as Treasurer during the past year .

4 . They report further that a new conclave—Transvaal—has been recently formed chiefly by Scotch Masons in the Transvaal . This , with the new Earl of Warwick Conclave , brings the roll of conclaves to 30 . 5 . They are pleased to see Conclave No . 6 , Anglo-American , once more taking an active part in the work of the Order .

G . They regret to report the death of M . W . Bro . Wm . Geo . Lemon in May last , and would recommend Grand Council to support in Grand Conclave a sincere vote of sympathy and condolence with the relatives of one who was in all his actions a true and worthy brother of the Order , and of whose principles he was a living embodiment .

7 . That your Committee have received numerous valuable suggestions , which they have err bodied in the Book of Constitutions , copies of which are before Grand Council to-day , and will be proposed for final adoption in Grand Conclave this evening . 8 . That they have thought it right to represent to the M . W . G . S . Ruler their desire to see her Most Gracious Majesty ' s Jubilee marked by this Order , as well as by the Cralt , and that the G . S . R . has been good enough to comply with their wishes , and has made several appointments accordingly ,

July ist , 1897 . The Grand Visitors read their half-yearly report , from which we extract the following : 1 . That the summonses to the various meetings of Conclaves have been regularly forwarded to them , thus enabling them to keep well in touch with the progress of the Order ,

2 . They have visited the Conclaves on many occasions , and have always been well rectived . The work they have observed has been dul y reported to the Executive Committee of the Grand Council , and has had some influence in determining the recommendations to the Grand Supreme Ruler with reference to the appointments to Grand Office .

3 . They are pleased to report that all things seem to be settling down to their normal state , and that little , if any , attention is now paid to the maladroit attack made upon the Order two years ago . Your Visitors have been gratified to learn from many distinguished representatives from India and the Colonies at pretent in England , that " if the brethren abroad are called upon to choose betwi en the Order of the Secret Monitor and the Allied Degrees , their minds have long been made up . "

4 . hi laying down their ofiice , the Grand Visitors would wish to thank the brethren , one and all , for the heartiness and cordiality which has made their year of service a period of real pleasure , July I , 1897 .

Secret Monitor.

GRAND FESTIVAL . The Grand Festival in connection with this Order was held at Freemasons' Tavern , Great Queen-street , on the ist inst . There was a good attendance of brethren , but owing to the unavoidable absence of the G . Supreme Ruler , the Earl of Warwick , the chair was taken by Bro . I . Zacharie , P . G . S . R .

The following Grand Officers and brethren were in attendance , Bros . Sir Thomas Wright , G . Guide ; W . J . Spratling-, G . Recorder ; J . Lewis Thomas , P . D . G . S . R . ; J . Marshall , J . G . V . ; Dr . A . Upton , G . S . B .: J . Tickle , P . G . Treas . ; W . R . Shutt , P . G .

Std . ; Dr . G . Harley Thomas , P . G . S . B . ; W . P . Newitt , P . G . G . ; ] . J . Thomas , P . G . V . ; ] . J . Pakes , P . G . V . ; J . Steavenson , P . G . B . B . ; j . A . Thilthorpe , P . G . B . B . ; G . Richards , P . G . C . ; Rev . A . W . Gross , P . G . S . ; J . Wood , P . G . Std . ; H . Tipper , P . G . Std . Br . ; J . M . Bastone , P . G . G . ; T . J . Railing , G . Std . ; H . J . Gadd , P . G . Std . ; C . L . Nelson , G . Std . ;

E . Storr , P . G . C . ; Geo . W . Capel , F . R . G . S . ; and many others . The Grand Conclave was opened with solemn prayer , after which the roll of conclaves was called , and the minutes confirmed . The GRAND RECORDER read letters of regret for non-attendance from Bros , the Earl of Warwick , G . S . R . ; Judge Philbrick , D . R . O . ; Dr . Sansom , P . G . C . ; Geo . Gregory , G . V . ; F . C . Van Duzer , G . Std . ; A . Lamette , P . G . V . ; E . Letchworth , P . G . S . R . ; E . Keyser , G . Cn . ; Major Walls , P . G . B B . ; R . Eve , G . T .,- and others .

The G . S . R . who had been elected at the meeting of Grand Council , was then proclaimed by R . W . Bro . J . J . Thomas , P . G . V ., G . D . C . The following G . Officers were appointed , those present being invested :

M . W . Bro . the Right Hon . the Earl of Warwick ... G . S . R . „ Issachar Zacharie , M . D . ... ... I . P . G . S . R . R . W . „ his Honor Judge F . A . Philbrick , Q . C . D . R . O . ,, „ the Right Hon . Baron Halsbury ( Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain ) ... G . Chancellor . „ „ SirT . Wright , K . B ., P . S . R . 9 , P . G . G . ... G . Treasurer . „ „ C . E . Keyser , J . P ., 5 , P . G . V . ... G . Chamberlain . „ „ John Marshall , Sec . 25 , 26 , P . G . V . ... G . Guide . „ ,, Joseph Steavenson , B . A ., P . S . R . 14 , P . G . B . B . ... ... ... * P . G . Guide . „ W . I . Spratling , B . Sc , P . S . R . 2 , P . P . G .

Treas . Middx . ... .,, G . Recorder . „ „ Geo . Gregory , P . S . R . 8 , P . G . C . , „} visiters „ T . J . Railing , 29 , & c , G . Stwd . j l * . Visiters . „ W . Cockcroft , P . S . R . 25 . P . G . C . ... * P . G . Visitor . V . W . „ Dr . A . Upton , S . R . 10 , P . G . Stwd . ... G . Std . Br . „ the Rev . Alfred lkin , D . D ., S . R . 15 ... \ , r « , . „ W . R . Shutt , P . S . R . 8 , P . G . C . } r . u . btd . Brs . R . W . „ J . J . Thomas , P . S . R . 5 , 8 , P . G . V . ... G . D . C . V . W . „ J . Castello , S . R . 5 , P . GC . ... ... * P . G . D . C . „ ,, Fletcher Armstrong , S . R . 26 ... G . Bow Bearer . „ „ J . D . B . Gribble , P . S . R . 21 , P . G . C . ... \* uno D . I „ C . Aburrow , P . S . R . 22 , P . G . Stwd . ... j * P G- Bow Bearers „ „ Hezekiah John Gadd , S R . 9 , P . G . Stwd . G . Gdr . „ „ F . H . D . Pinsent , P . S . R . 14 , P . G . Stwd . ) „ G . Leask , P . S . R . 15 ... ... [ » P . G . Gdrs . ,, ,, C . L . Nelson , 1 , G . Stwd . ... ... J „ „ the Rev . Arthur Westcott , M . A ., S . R . 14 , 1 P . G . Stwd . ... ... ... I

„ „ Capt . C . D . Wise , S . R . 23 ... ... I n < - -n " „ Edivin Storr , P . S . R . 5 , P . G . Stwd . ... J G . Councillors . „ „ Geo . W . Capel , F . R . G . S ., Sec . Bd . Gd . Stwds . 1896 ... ... ... J ,, „ E . Gordon Sinclair , S . R . 16 , P . G . Stwd .... 7 * n 0 / - -n li " J . F . Moyle . S . R . 2 S j * P-G- Councillors . „ „ F . D . McMillan , S . R . 30 ... ... P . G . Councillor . „ T . C . Edmonds , r ... ... G . Sentinel .

The following Grand Stewards were invested : Bros . A . Gamnaan and C . L . Nelson , 1 ; F . E . Lemon , 2 , P . G . B . B . ; W . J ; Songhurst and R . Finlayson , 5 ; J . Skinner , 6 ; J . P . Taylor , 8 ; Colonel E . Molyneux , 9 ; Dr . A . H . TeHer and L . S . Beale , 10 ; J . Kay , 12 ; Rev . J . T . Laurence , M . A ., 14 ; J . E . Middlebrook . 15 ; Surgeon-Major J . G . Harwood , C . M . Rustomjee , J . Tickle , P . G . . Treas . 16 ; A . W . Chapman , 18 and 19 ; A . G . Fellowes , 21 ; J . Robertson Reep . 22 ; Capt . C . D . Wise , 2 \; F . C .

Van Duzer , 24 ; J . Simpson , 25 ; R . T . Redman , 26 ; V . Brown , 27 ; T . Sheppard , 28 ; T . J . Railing and R . S . Poppleton , 29 ; and R . S . Bevington , 30 . Bro . J . TICKLE , P . G . Treas ., then rose and said that since they last met the Order of the Secret Monitor and every other Order in Freemasonry had received a great blow by the death of their dear and esteemed Bro . W . G . Lemon . That deceased brother ' s name had stood high in

Freemasonry for many years , and had become a household word wherever Freemasons met . It would be some slight satisfaction to the widow and family if they tendered an expression of their sympathy , and he ( Bro Tickle ) therefore moved a resolution expressing extreme regret at the death of Bro . W . G . Lemon , LL . B ., J . P ., who , as a living embodiment of the principles of the Oder , had endeared himself to all who knsw him . This was carried nem . con .

Bro . TICKLE also moved that a copy of the resolution be forwarded to Mrs . Lemon and Bro . F . Lemon . The draft book of Constitutions , with slight alterations , was then adopted as the Constitutions of the Order on the proposition of Bro . J . TICKLE . Bro . W . P . NEVITT , P . G . C , suggested that the proceedings of Grand

Council and Grand Conclave should be reported in extenso and circulated amongst the various conclaves , and , after discussion , in which the question of finance was raised , it was referred to the Committee to make the necessary arrange . xients . The Grand Conclave was then closed in ample form with solemn prayer .

A barq-jet was afterwards held in the Crown Room , the speeches being interspersed with selections from an excellent musical programme , which included ihe following artistes : Miss Bessie Spells , Miss Annie Northcroft , Mr . G . W . Turner , and Bros . W . Edwards and H . Tipper , the latter of whom was warmly encored' ( or his well rendered hand-bell solos . There were about fifty brethren present . The usual toasts were honoured , Bro . I . ZACHARIE , P . G . S . R ., giving "The Queen and the Order of the Secret Monitor" and " H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , M . W . G . M ., " wilh cordiality .