Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS 239 Royal Masonic Institution for Girls 240 Koyal Masonic Benevolent Institution 242 Royal Masonic Institution for Boys 243

Fire at i- ' reemasons' Hall 243 C 0 KRESI' 0 ** ni " . V ( -ERoyal Masonic Benevolent Institution . — A Serious Drawback 244 Orderof Precedence 244 Reviews 245 Notes and Queries 245

REI ' ORTS or MASONIC MEETINUSCraft Masonry 243 Instruction 247 Royal Arcli 247 Mark Masonry 247

Tlie Destruction of Freemasons' Hall 24 S Consecration of the Priory Lodge of Acton , No . 1996 . ' . , 24 S Oliittiary 249 New Zealand 249 The Theatres 250 Tidings 251 Lodge Meetings for Next SS'eek 252

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THE account of the burning * of Freemasons' Hall svill have been a great shock to all English Freemasons in all parts of the svorld . Many of us svho have grosvn old in Masonry svill regretfully remember many friends , and pleasant gatherings in former cheery days , and svill be sorry to think , that the good old central home of English Freemasonry for over a hundred

years practically has ceased to be , and to be again available for Masonic assemblies , must be entirely restored . That stately hall surrounded by the gracious pictures of ancient Grand Masters svas alsvays a pleasant sight to see when full of the worthy and dignified representative men of our great Order , and no one svho took part in ancient or recent Quarterly

Communications butss'ill lament the fact , that the souvenirs and s'estiges ofthe old svalls must nosv give svay to a restored building and a renos'ated hall . t p to 176 S the Grand Lodge of England had no idea , apparently of a settled home , or centre of svork and official archives . In fact that one reality may well account alike for the sparseness and inaccuracy of our earlier Masonic

muniments . But is 176 S , October 28 th , the Honourable CHARLES DILLON , as Grand Master in the chair , informed the brethren " that at a Committee of Charity held at the Horn Tavern , Fleet-street , on the 21 st , he had presented a plan for raising a fund to build a hall , and purchase jesvels , furniture , & c , for the Grand Lodge , independent of the Fund of Charity , & c . "

It seems , according to NOORTHOUCK , "that the several heads of this plan being proposed to the brethren , " they resolved " that the said resolutions do meet svith the appros-al of this Grand Lodge , and that they be strictly enforced by all regular lodges and Masons under the Constitution of England , under the title of ' Regulations for raising a fund to build a hall , and

purchase jesvels , furniture , etc . '" The Grand Lodge further ordered that these resolutions be printed and transmitted to all the lodges , and the subscription practically commenced from October 29 th , 176 S . The Grand Lodge svas then meeting at the Crown and Anchor Tavern , and had previously lately met at Merchant Taylor's Hall , Thatched House Tavern , & c .

In 1773 at the Grand Lodge held at the Crosvn and Anchor , Lord PKTRE in the chair , a Hall Committee ss'as formed to promote the plan of building the hall . At the meeting at Merchant Taylor ' s Hall , April 2 fith 1773 , the Hall Committee made a report which svas appros'ed of . At a Grand Lodge extraordinary at the London Tavern , March 14 th , 1774 , it ss'as announced

that £ 1422 15 s . fid , the lodges having voluntary offered ^ 655 ios ., svere in the Grand Treasurer ' s hands for the Building Fund . At a Grand Lodge at the London Tavern , April 27 th , 1774 , the Hall Committee reported that they were negotiating for a plot of ground and premises in Great Oueenstreet , belonging to PHILIP CARTERET WEBH , Esq ., deceased , svhich

report svas approved of , and the purchase ordered to be completed . The Grand Lodge met for the last time at the Crosvn and Anchor , on the 25 th November , 1774 , assembling at Freemasons' Tavern , in Great Queenstreet , February , 22 nd , 1775 . The foundation of the first stone of Freemasons' Hall svas laid , as is svell-knosvn , May ist , 1775 , and the dedication of

the hall took place on May 23 rd , 1776 . A print of it is to be found as it appeared at that time in NOORTHOUCK ' S Constitutions 1784 , and ever since Freemasons' Hall has been the home and rall y ing point of English Freemasonry for over one hundred years . Many memorable gatherings

have assembled within its time-honoured svalls , and its destruction will be sensibly felt and severely lamented by countless English Freemasons , " dispersed over the face of earth and water , " as the removal of a cherished relic of the past .

* IT IS just possible that the mournful destruction of Freemasons' Hall , which will necessitate a complete restoration of the building , may lead to proposals to increase the accommodation of Grand Lodge . It has , we believe . 'Iong

been felt that more room svas wanted alike for abnormal and even normal meetings of our increasing Fraternity , and as , unfortunately , the matter is forced upon our attention nosv , the occasion svill probably not be let slip of a considerable enlargement of our great English central home of Masonry . What the extent of our property is sve know not ; but sve believe sve are

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expressing a very general feeling svhen sve say , that for many reasons and for various causes , the position of Freemasons' Hall in Great Queen-street is alike the most central , the most convenient for , and the most acceptable to the Craft . Any reasonable , and sensible , and carefully-designed plan to increase the accommodation at Freemasons' Hall svill , sse feel sure , be hailed and approved by the entire body of our Order .

THE annual Festival of the Girls' School took place at Freemasons ' Tavern on the oth inst ., under the presidency of Bro . \ V . W . B . BEACH , Prov . Grand

Master for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight . The number of Stesvards ss'as 240 , and the returns of their various lists amounted to £ 10 , 510 . We refer onr readers to the report elsesvhero , sse shall give an analysis of the lists next sveek .

* * WITH regard to the vexed question of the "Table of Precedence , " since last sve svrote sve have looked over WILLIAMS ' S large paper copy of the edition of 1815 of the Constitutions , published byauthority of Grand Lodge , and if we understand it rightly , it seems to settle the question . This was the

first authorized edition of our Book of Constitutions after the Union of 1 S 13 , and svas submitted to Grand Lodge more than once . WILLIAMS ' S words seem to declare the fact that all the provisions of the book svere submitted to , and appros'ed of , by Grand Lodge . That totality svould include "the Table of Precedence . " But this point can , perhaps , onl y . be satisfactorily

proved by a search in the minutes of Grand Lodge . Changes have been introduced since 1 S 15 into the s'erbiage and numbering of WILLIAMS ' S original draft ot even the table of precedence , and as the Book of Constitutions of 1815 svere to be reconsidered in 1 S 1 S , a further change may have been made then . The Board of General Purposes from time to time have had

authority from Grand Lodge since then to make clerical alterations and suggest a different collocation of passages ; but the one point of importance is this , has the " Table of Precedence " ever been submitted to the deliberate discussion and sanction of Grand Lodge , because , if so , it clearly cannot be

altered " mero motre , " except by sanction of Grand Lodge . Avery important constitutional point , as all svill see , is invols'ed in this apparently trifling question , svhich , sve feel bound to say , ss * e cannot think to have been opportunely raised .

* * THE question of the precedence of District Grand Masters is a very serious one , " per se , " and may have an important and impervious bearing on the position and future of many District Grand Bodies . Tho possible Colonial point of viesv of the matter has scarcely , sve think , been appreciated at all .

* * As regards the position ol the Grand Chaplains , we hardly thin k the point at issue has been realized in its extent or meaning . Assuming that the nesv Grand

Chaplains are to take place belosv Grand Deacons , svhat is to be the case of Grand Chaplains appointed before 1883 , some 20 , 30 , 40 years ago ? Are they nosv also to be put down ? We think the whole affair has originated in some misconception , and we await confidently an official rectification of the same .

* * WOULD it not be possible to take on a few more widows at any rate at the Royal Masonic Benevolent election ? We say nothing about the onus , but could not the authorities legitimately and considerably increase with perfect safety the number of elected widows ' . ' We venture to throsv out this hint for the consideration of the authorities .

* * OUR readers svill be pleased to hear that that distinguished naval officer , Bro . Admiral Lord ALCESTER , G . C . B ., was raised to the Sublime Degree

of a Master Mason in the United Lodge , on Wednesday , by Bro . the Earl of MILLTOWN , W . M . and S . G . W . Our noble brother , the Senior Grand Warden , did his work admirably , and svas svell supported by his officers , svho svere all up to their svork .

# * ALL our friends svill be sorry to hear of the death of our old and lamented Bro . DUFF-FILER . The amiability of his character and his eminent services to the Order are well knosvn to all our metropo litan brethren , as well as to most of the readers of the Freemason .