Contents.

CONTENTS .

Provincial Grand Lodge of Middlesex 32 ( 1 provincial Grand Lodge ol Norths and jlunts 3-7 : Consecration i . f Ihe Dorothy Vernon Lodge , t No . 2 ( 29 , Haddon 328 I Consecration of the Shadwell Clerke 1 Rose Croix Chapter , No . 107 329 Grand Ludge of Ireland 3 . * °

Notes on the Minute BOOK ot an nariy Atnoi Lodge 33 ° The Meeting at the Royal Albert Hall 331 Royal Masonic Institution for Boys 331 Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution ... 331 Masonic Jubilee Ball in Maidstone 33 1 Complimentary Dinner to Bro . E . Y . lolliffe , I . P . M ., S . G . W . Middlesex 331 I

Lincolnshire Freemasons nml the Queen's Jubilee 331 CORRESPONDENCEI ' nglish Mark Masters in Ihe U . S . A . ... 333 Grand Mark Lodge 333 Legitimate Canvassing 333 Notes and Queries 333 REPORTS OK MASO . NIO

MESTINOSCraft Masonry 333 Instruction 33 d Red Cross of Rome and Constantine ... 337 Order of the Secret Monitor 337 Gibraltar 337 Masonic and General Tidings 337 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 33 S

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OUR readers will no doubt have gathered from the few re-Meetfng in ' the marks we made last week in reference to the meeting of the Royal Albert Hall , brethren in the Royal Albert Hall , South Kensington , on Monday next , for the purpose of voting an address of congratulation to her MAJESTY on the completion of the Jubilee year of her reign , that there is

every reason to anticipate the occasion will prove as great a success as the historic gathering in the same hall in April , 1 S 75 , at the installation of H . R . H . the Prince of WALES as M . W . Grand Master . Whether there will be quite as many present as on the latter occasion may be doubted , but considerably over 6000 tickets have already been issued , and , as each ticket

represents a contribution of one guinea to the fund which is to be distributed—without any deduction whatever towards the expenses incurred in preparing and appointing the hall—among our three Institutions , as one part of the Jubilee memorial raised by the Craft , it is clear the enthusiasm of the brethren for the Q UEEN and her family must have a deep-seated reality

about it , when they are prepared to pay between £ 6 ooo and £ 7000 for the privilege of exhibiting it on a particular occasion . But people will not concern themselves much about the actual numbers assembled . What they will look at most will be the character and purpose of the meeting ' , its well nigh incomparable splendour , and the genuineness and heartiness of the

feeling by which all present will be actuated . Masons are very far from assuming to themselves a monopoly of loyalty ; but they may justly claim for their loyalty , as for their Chanty , that it is , so to speak , a fixed quantity , which nothing can change or even modify , and of this the proof will be forthcoming on Monday next . As regards the arrangements for the

gathering , they are as nearly perfect as it is possible for them to be . Bro . Colonel SHADWELL H . CLERKE , Grand Secretary ; Bro . Sir ALBERT WOODS , Grand Director of Ceremonies ; and Bro . THOMAS FENN , President of the

Board of General Purposes , have been engaged for weeks past in the work of preparation , and we anticipate that not the least remarkable feature of the meeting will be the perfect ease and order wilh which the proceedings will be conducted .

BY way of emphasising the proceedings of the Craft in com-Jubiiee memorating the Q UEEN ' Jubilee , his Royal Highness the revet - GRAND MASTER has graciously determined to confer brevet rank

in Grand Lodge on a large number of brethren who have , in different ways and at different times , rendered important services to the Society . Every province has teen honoured in the person of one , at least , of its prominent officials , while London has a list equal in number and influence to the claims it has on the Grand Lodge for the great services rendered to the

Craft generally . The list of those who have been chosen to receive this distinction is therefore a formidable one , but , even if we had space to enumerate them all , we should be wanting in respect to the GRAND MASTER if we anticipated by a few days the announcement which will oe made in the Royal Albert Hall on Monday . VVe believe , however ,

11 is no secret that among those whom the PRINCE has thus deli ghted to honour are the Secretaries of our three Institutions—Bros . F . BINCKES , J AMES TERRY , and F . R . W . HEDGES . Of the eminence of the services rendered by these brethren there cannot be a moment ' s question , and though it is only in human nature to suppose that , when the list is made

Public , exception will be taken to the omission of some brethren and the infusion of others , we imagine there will be no doubt as to the propriety of the ° nours bestowed on the three Secretaries . At all events , we take this ° Pportunity of tendering them our hearty congratulations on the good fortune awaiting them .

The coming IN s P ° * 0 , d in J unction against judging by appearances , " Festival 1001 we are san £ * ne enough t 0 regard the prospects of the 89 th r . ' Anniversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for ° ys . to be held at the Crystal Palace on Tuesday next , the 14 th inst ., as Peful . There is no doubt that a change for the better followed rapidly , . the announcement was made public lhat Bro . T . W . TEW , Prov . G . as ter of West Yorkshire , had kindly consented to occupy the chair . AU

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things considered , there was a fairly good list of Stewards before the news made its appearance , but now that it has had time to circulate among the Craft , the Board has been considerably strengthened , and where , a fortnight since , there were only some 260 brethren who had volunteered their services , now there are a round 280 . Nor , though the time is short , are we otherwise

than reasonably confident that the Province of West Yorkshire will put on an additional spurt in honour of its repected chief in his capacity of Chairman of the day . True , not much can be dona in ten days , that is to say , not much from a West Yorkshire point of view , which is among the most regular and generous of the supporters of all the Masonic Charities . But

no doubt the additional spurt will mean a substantial increase in the sum it had originally raised , which will be worthy of Bro . TEW , West Yorkshire , and the Institution for Boys , and will assist in swelling considerably the general total . Moreover , the encouragement given by Bro . TEW to the other represented lodges and provinces will be also considerable , and we

repeat , therefore , the prospects for Tuesday next are decidedly more hopeful , and we shall not be surprised if the result is not more nearly on a level —we will not say with the great Festival of 1883 , but with the highest

of other previous announcements . We sincerely trust it will be so , for the requirements of the current year will be exceptionall y heavy , and it would not do for the existing deficit to be continued through another statement of account .

* * * THE Reports of the General Board and Audit Committee of Ma Lodge ?" the Mark Grand Lodge of England and Wales are , speaking generally , in all respects , the only drawback to which we briefly alluded last week , being the reference in the former to the difference

existing between the Mark Grand Lodge and the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Quebec , to which , however , the Committee have been requested to give their further consideration . But save in this one particular , the details are most encouraging . During the past year the number of Mark certificates has been 566 , raising the total number of registered Mark

Master Masons to 22 , 793 ; warrants having been granted for ten new lodges , which as regards the Degree of Royal Ark Mariners , 149 certificates have been issued , raising the total number to 2225 , and warrants granted for five new lodges . With reference to the Jubilee celebration , the Board recommended that 150 guineas ( - £ 157 ios . ) should be granted to the Masonic Section of

the "Imperial Institute of the United Kingdom , the Colonies , and India , " and that every Mark Master Mason who is a subscribing member of a Mark lodge on the 20 th June shall be permitted to wear a gold or gilt badge on the hanger of the jewel . Financially the position of this Grand Lodge becomes stronger every year . It has invested funds now amounting to . £ 7800 , of to to

which ^ 2400 belongs General Fund : ^ 1500 the Benevolent Fund ; £ 1900 to the Educational Fund ; and £ 2000 to the Annuity Fund . There is also in the case of three out of the four funds a substantial balance on the right side of the account—that is to say , on the General Fund one of ^ 467 lis . 6 d . ; on the Benevolent

Fund one of £ 138 os . 3 d . ; and on the Annuity Fund one of ^ 47 25 . 4 d . On account of the Education Fund there is an overdraw of £ g 4 s . id ., but this is hardly worth noticing , especially as on the 30 th September , 1886 , the overdraw on the same Fund amounted to upwards of / ioo .

These satisfactory evidences of the prosperity of the Mark Degree , make us all the more content that Mark G . Lodge at its meeting on the 21 st ult ., adopted Bro . HUGHAN ' suggestion , and have referred the difference with Quebec to tbe General Board for further consideration . It will be great gain to both sides when this matter can be honourably brought to an end .

* * * On tuor ^ T ' iursday evening , the 2 nd inst ., we attended the meeting Coronati Lodge , of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge , No . 2076 , chiefly for the 1 ° - 3 ° 7 purpose of listening to the paper of our old friend and contributor , Bro . HUGHAN . That we were much pleased " va sans

dire" and we have recorded our impression of our brother ' s able lecture in another column . But we were no less pleased and somewhat surprised at the great progress which this lod ge has made in so short a time since its consecration and the striking and thoroughly practical marks of approval which its efforts are evoking at home , in the colonies ,

and abroad . The long list of gifts to its nascent library , which is given in our report in another column , is some proof of the interest reading Masons throughout the world take in its proceeings , but more weighty still in our opinion is the adhesion of SS members to its Correspondence Circle . This adjunct to the lodge was only started in February and is increasing daily .

Forty-one new members were admitted on the evening we were present , and we must confess that , inasmuch as a Correspondence member receives all the summonses and circulars of the lodge and all its printed proceedings , is welcomed to all its meetings , is privileged to take part in all discussions , in fact , enjoys all the advantages of a full member except the power of voting or holding office , for the trifling sum of half-a-guinea per annum , we are