Contents.

CONTENTS .

Ltxoins , 6 99 Provincial Grand Lodge o £ Wiltshire 500 Provincial Grand Chapter of West Yorkshire 700 Grand Lodge of Scotland 7 or Bro . Lane ' s " Masonic Records" 702 Freemasonry in Norfolk 502 Royal Masonic Institution lor Boys 503 Roval Masonic Benevolent Institution 703

Second Annual Dinner of the Ubique Lodge of Instruction , No . 1789 { 03 Bro . J . H . Scott , P . G . D ., D . P . G . M . Sussex 703 Ireland- 7 ° 3 Royal Order of Scotland 503 CORRESPONDENCEThe Queen ' s Jubilee log Was the Ettrick Shepherd a Freemason ? 705 Admission into Lodges of Instruction ... 705

RETORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGS ( Continued)—Grand Lodge and Provincial Honours ... 50 S An Appeal 70 $ Notes and Queries 705 Reviews 705 REPORTS OP MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 706 Instruction

: 70 s Royal Arch 708 Instruction 709 Mark Masonry 709 Red Cross of Rome and Constantlne ... 709 Cryptic Masonry 709 Obituary 709 Masonic and General Tidings 709 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 710

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OUR anticipations as to the success of the Third Jubilee of the ot Grand Lodge of Scotland have been more than realised . Scotland . Numerically , the meeting- was the strongest ever held in a Masonic Hall in Scotland , while as to its influential character , we have but to glance over the list of the brethren present in order to certify ourselves of

the fact that , if not unequalled in this respect , it certainly could not have been surpassed . There were some 1400 Masons present , with Grand Master Sir ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL , of BIythswood , Bart ., M . P ., in the chair , supported by Past Grand Master the Earl of MAR and KELLIE , the Earls of HADDINGTON and KINTORE , Grand Master Depute and Grand Master Substitute respectively , the Grand Wardens and other Grand Officers ,

several of the Provincial Grand Masters and Officers , and the representatives of a considerable number of the private lodges . The proceedingsboth in Grand Lodge and at the subsequent banquet—were of the usual character ; but the utmost enthusiasm was everywhere apparent , and the applause with which the several speeches were greeted furnished ample testimony as to the loyalty and fervour of our Scottisli brethren . And

many of the speeches contained matter that justified almost unbounded applause . The position of the Craft north of the Tweed is reputable in the highest degree , while the management of its affairs , especially when contrasted with what it was some few years since , reflects the greatest credit on the executive officers of Grand Lodge . " Ordo ab Chao , " though not the legitimate device

of the Scottish Craft , is clearly one which they have taken to heart seriously and acted upon successfully . Quite recently the Society was in debt ; now it is a wealthy body , and laying up for , itself year by year fresh treasure to be employed for the needs of Masonry and its votaries as occasion may require . The number of lodges , especially in the British Colonies and possessions abroad , has increased amazingly , while the yearly average of initiates

or " intrants , " as they are designated in Scotland , is not far short of 5000 . Of course , as we have again and again remarked in reference to Masonry in England and elsewhere , mere numbers is by no means to be regarded as a never-failing criterion of strength . But in the case of the Grand Lodge of Scotland , numerical increase has gone hand in hand with increase in wealth and influence , and therefore we accept it unreservedly as

a substantial part of the evidence which was adduced on this occasion by the GRAND MASTER and other speakers in support of the progress made of late years by Scottish Freemasonry . In fact , there was noticeable throughout the after-dinner proceedings a very natural feeling of pride at the present position and future prospects of the Order in Scotland , but there was

about this feeling no exaggeration . What was stated was capable of substantiation in the teeth of the most severe criticism . It was , and is , " the truth , the whole truth , and nothing but the truth , " that Freemasonry in Scotland is in a very prosperous condition , and we trust it may continue so for many years .

* # * IT is probable , after the very close division in Grand Lodge on P " cMm " a' the 1 st inst ., that we shall hear more about the question of Past Masters' Collars and when they may be worn . Indeed , it seems very desirable it should be again discussed , if only that some brethren may have the opportunity of refuting certain of the arguments employed in opposition

to Bro . NI ' CHOLL ' S proposition , as ] amended by Bro . PORTAL , "That the Master , Past Masters , and the Officers of a lodge shall beat liberty to wear their collars and jewels upon all Masonic occasions . " For instance , Bro . COCHRANE , P . G . C ., suggested that if this were the law , there would be some difficulty in distinguishing among the [ multitude of collared brethren who were the officers of the lodge . To this we object that the officers of a

lodge have their several places assigned to them , and the visiting brethren theirs likewise . Consequently , no brother who knows where he is and what he is about , when in his own lodge or visiting another lodge , should have any difficulty in distinguishing between the officers of the lodge and the visiting brethren who are officers in their own lodges . Again , Bro . POPE , G . S . D ., showed less than his wonted acumen when he argued that

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the collar is the ensign of office , not of rank . We submit , with all deference to our learned brother , that , if this be so , then as the Masters and Wardens of lodges , when attending Grand Lodge , wear their collars as the insignia of the offices they severally hold , the Past Masters who also wear their collars in Grand Lodge must do so on the same ground . But it has been held , throughout the discussion of this question ,

that Past Masters are not officers , but only enjoy certain privileges by reason of their status or rank as Installed Masters ; and , consequently , either Bro . POPE ' S argument fails as a general proposition , or . the generally received opinion that Past Masters have rank without office becomes untenable . There is this also to be said in opposition to Bro . POPE ' view . Setting aside the case of a Master , Past Master , or officer of a lodge visiting

a sister lodge unofficially , when of course he is present only in his individual capacity of a brother Mason , is it not , beyond all doubt , that when the Master and Wardens of a lodge are invited to attend , as such , the meeting of a sister lodge—say on the occasion of a new W . M . being installed in office—they attend officially , and are therefore in duty bound to wear the insignia of office as fully and conspicuously as they do when present at the

meetings of their own or Grand Lodge ? Such instances as this are of frequent occurrence in the provinces , and if the present state of the law is retained , then the Master and Wardens so invited must either decline the invitation , or make a composition with thecircumstances byattending merely as individual brethren , with nothing about them to show they are the official Simon Pures who were invited . These and other points that might be men , tioned are well worthy of further careful consideration .

*»* Confirmation A DIFFERENCE of opinion as to the real object and scope of the of proposition "to confirm the minutes , " still exists , and it would Minutes . ^ , j tQ ^ ^ matler setl ] ecj authoritativel y if possible . The question is this . What is involved by the confirmation of minutes ? Can a resolution carried at one meeting be negatived at the following regular

meeting by the particular minute being negatived ? We answer yes , decidedly . Some brethren , however , maintain that so long as the minutes are a correct account of the proceedings of the previous meeting , they cannot be objected to , unless the Constitutions or the b y-laws require the confirmation of any particular portion , prior to their taking effect , in which case that part of the record may be negatived , if so desired . For instance , Law

130 provides that the election of Master must be confirmed before installation . If all minutes which are subject to confirmation , may be negatived or approved , they ask why should the election of Master be thus specified ? Does it not suggest that so long as the rules of the Grand Lodge , or the by-laws declare certain matters as subject to confirmation or reconsideration , that all the other propositions , if correctly recorded , should be passed ?

Brethren desiring an answer to these queries should examine the Freemason for February , 1880 , and especially consult a letter therein from Bro . THOMAS FENN , President Board of General Purposes ( then P . G . D . ) Bro . FENN , who is so familiar with all the clauses of the Constitutions and their application and intention in relation to lodges , says emphatically " the principle of confirmation which includes the power of rejection or non-confirmation has been recognised in every act of Grand Lodge . It has always been the

practice to confirm or reject at one meeting resolutions that have been passed at the preceding meeting . " Some 25 instances are cited when " the minutes were either not confirmed or where motions were made for non-confirmation without objection on the point of order . " According , therefore , to this view of the matter , which we think the correct one , all minutes should be read either for approval or rejection , whether they be those of the Grand r , od " -e , Provincial Lodges , or Lodges . a ##

# THE death , at the comparatively early age of 57 , of Bro %° V " . D 6 . ° " J- HENDERSON SCOTT , P . G . D . of England , and D . P . G . M . ' of Sussex , will be generally regretted throug hout the Craft , but nowhere more deeply and sincerely than by the brethren of the Province with which he had been so long and honourably associated . Bro . SCOTT

had done splendid service to Freemasonry during the many years he had been a member . As the son and grandson of conspicuous Masons , he may be said to have imbibed in his early youth those principles of our Society , of which in after years he was to prove himself so capable an exponent , and in behalf of which he laboured so arduousl y and conscientiously . In all the various offices he had held in lodge and Provincial Grand Lodge—and he was W . M . of the Royal Clarence , No . 271 , and

Prov . G . S . D . Sussex in 1859—he had acquitted himself admirabl y , and it is not surprising that the Prince of WALES as Grand Master should , a few years since , have conferred upon him Grand Lodge honours in recognition of what he had done in order to advance the well-being of the Craft everywhere . We tender our sincere regret to the Prov . Grand Master , the Duke of CONNAUGHT , and the brethren of Sussex on the occasion of a loss , which it will be well nigh impossible to repair—at all events for some years to come ,