Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS , 603 Con » ecratIon of the Israel Chapter , No . 205 604 Grand Lodge of Scotland ... .... „ .. „ „ 60 ;

CORRESPOND ENCEA Question of Precedence 607 London Charity Association 60 ; Honour to Whom Honour is Due 607 Notes and Queries 607

REPORTS 07 MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 607 Instruction otl Roval Arch 6 ir

Mark Masoncy on Knights Templar 613 Ancient and Accepted Rite » i > The Theatres 6 i » Masonic and General Tidings 613 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 614

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WE heartily congratulate Bro . HEDGES on having secured a Chairman for the ensuing Festival , in May , 1886 , of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls . It is not often the case that this part of the arrangements in connection with our anniversary gatherings is completed at so advanced a date , and in this case , therefore , there is , a longer interval than usual , which can be

devoted entirely to the work of organising the Board of Stewards . It is also a subject for congratulation that Bro . HEDGES has been able to enlist the services of Bro . General BROWNRIGG , C . B ., P . G . Master of Surrey , for the rdle of Chairman . General BROWNRIGG is a veteran of the Craft , well versed in its principles and practice , and , as he presided with marked

success at the Festival of the Benevolent Institution in 1883 , it is not too much to anticipate that his services in May next will be similarly beneficial to the Girls' School . Moreover , he will have at his back the generous support of the whole Province of Surrey , which is as loyal in the respect it entertains for its chief as it is devoted to the interests of our Masonic Charities . It is

on record that it raised over ^ 900 for our Old Folks the aforesaid Benevolent Festival in 1883 , and we maybe sure there will be no lack of brethren willing and even anxious to secure for their Provincial Grand Master a still greater triumph . And it is well known their assistance will be greatly needed . Even the ordinary task of raising the £ 12 , 000 or /'[ 3 . 000

necessary to carry on the beneficent work of the Girls' School , and maintain it in its present state of acknowledged efficiency , is no light one . But this autumn there has been expended the very considerable sum of £ 5000 in the purchase of some adjoining land , the purchase being necessary , in order to ensure as far as possible the privacy of the inmates , and , at the same time .

prevent them from being enclosed on all sides by an inferior class of dwelling houses . This expenditure is , of course , in excess of the amount ordinarily required , and , as the Institution is not overburdened with permanent sources of income , it must be made good out of the year's receipts or those

sources of income will be diminished . It will be seen , then , that a larger sum than usual must be provided , in order to meet the expenses of the year , and it is something to know that the assistance of an experienced Chairman and a devoted piovince have already been enlisted in behalf of the School .

* . * WE heartily congratulate our Irish brethren on the admirable choice they have made of a successor to their late Grand Master , the first Duke of ABERCORN . That gifted nobleman presided over their Grand Lodge with marked ability and success , there being one conspicuous event—the erection

and opening of the new premises for the Masonic Orphan Schools in Dublin —which for generations will remain a worthy memorial of his courteous and kindly government . His son and successor both in the dukedom and the Grand Mastership will enter upon the duties of the latter office under even more favourable circumstances than his father , having for the last few years

held the important position of Prov . Grand Master of Londonderry and Donegal , while he is at the same time a Past G . Senior Warden of England . To these personal qualifications must , of course , be added the prestige he will derive from his father's eminent services , so that the Grand Lodge of Ireland may justly anticipate from his election a renewal of that prosperity

they have enjoyed for so many years . There is one other circumstance we may allude to . Though trifling in itself perhaps , it is noteworthy from the rarity of its occurrence . So far as we know , there is only one instance on record of a Grand Master in the United Kingdom being succeeded in that office by his son and successor in his title , and that occurred in 1774-5 , when

J , 3 rd Duke of ATHOLL , was succeeded as Grand Master of the " Ancients" by his son J , 4 th Duke of ATHOLL . May the beneficial results which attended the succession of an ATHOLL by an ATHOLL in the case of the " Ancients " be as apparent in the succession of an ABERCORN by an ABERCORN in the case of Ireland 1

* * * AN important alteration in the suggested regulations of the Grand Chapter ( overlooked apparently by our excellent Bro . J . L . HAWKINS in his able "brief account" ) is the reduction of the minimum fee for exaltation . It

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stands now at three guineas ( Rule 69 ) , but the revised regulation No . 75 fixes it at two guineas , including , as before , the fee for registration and certificate . VVe are convinced that this reduction will be ( or the ultimate

good of the Degree , and be accepted as an earnest of the intention of the Grand Chapter to obtain a larger share of support from Master Masons , who without such ceremony are , and must be , incomplete , under the English Constitution .

THE facts of the case are just these . A gentleman pays five or more guineas on his initiation , which sum obtains for him the Three Degrees , and he supposes at the time he is to receive these Three Degrees in full in due course . Subsequently he is told , or discovers , that , under the English Constitution , it has been ordered—wisely , as we believe—that there is still

another ceremony to be given him prior to his completion as a Craft Mason , which can only be conferred on payment of three guineas more , at the least , and about the same sum for clothing . Many , not knowing the beauties of Royal Arch Masonry , never aspire to its mysteries , and doubtless not a few consider the fee is excessive . Those who think it should not be lowered can still

require the three guineas , but we are persuaded that several chapters , when able , will gladly reduce their exaltation fee to two guineas , and their action will be followed by increased interest in Royal Arch Masonry , and plenty of suitable " work " for their chapters . We warmly advocate the change proposed , believing as we do , it will be a boon to many .

*«* OUR American brethren are fond of curious calculations , and some of their statistical tables relating to the spread of the Craft are most interesting , as well as curious withal . The "Freemasons' Journal" and the Keystone have recently contained elaborate articles , based upon Bro . MACOY ' S

" Masonic Directory , ' as to the comparative spread of Masonic lodges in the chief cities of the world , and the number of Freemasons compared with that of the population in these great centres . According to their computations—and there is mu-jh to favour their calculations—there is one Mason to every 250 of the population in London and Edinburgh ; one to every 125

in Dublin ; one to iioo in Bristol ; one to 240 in Glasgow ; one to 300 in Manchester ; one to 312 in Birmingham ; one 10 277 in Berlin ; one to 360 in Hamburg ; one to 446 in Liverpool ; one to 400 in Madrid ; one to 1000

in Bombay ; and one to 715 in Calcutta . We take it , these figures refer to contributing members only . " Grouping these items together , it would foot up 653 lodges in 18 leading cities , sustaining a population ol 13 , 500 , 000 , which averages one Freemason to every 2768 souls of that population . "

* * WHEN the faculty of number is applied to the United States the figures are most striking . In 16 of the great American cities , such as New York , Philadelphia , Chicago , Boston , & c , having a population of 7 , 000 , 000 , with 527 lodges , there is a membership of 61 , 000 , or an average of one freemason

to every 114 of the total population . It must be remembered , however , that in the European statistics mainly , those of the Asiatic cities are included—Bombay and Calcutta—where the European population , from which the lodges chiefly obtain their members , is like " a drop of water to the ocean " of the Hindoos .

# THOSE fond of pursuing such a curious enquiry can utilise the valuable information to be found in the " Cosmo" lor 1886 , now issued . This most useful Calendar is in its sixteenth year of publication , and never before contained such varied particulars of Grand Lodges and other Grand Bodies

throughout the world . Whether it be in England , Scotland , Ireland , or abroad , prosperity seems to rest upon our beloved Society , when ver civil and religious liberty prevail . Comparing the 1885 edition with the one now ready , the Craft lodges in England have increased from 2074 to 2111 , and those of the Mark lodges from 345 to 360 . The Royal Arch chapters

have also increased , and great activity prevails generally in relation to this Degree , entitled the " climax of Masonry . " What we know as the ' * Higher Degrees" appear also to have held their own , and , as the " Cosmo " furnishes the names of all the members from the Thirtieth to the Thirty-third

Degree , brethren can note for themselves the extraordinary spread of the " Ancient and Accepted Rite" in this country of late years supported as it is by some of the most exalted , intelligent , and zealous Craftsmen and Mark Masons in England .

# WE call the attention of our readers to some correspondence which appeared in our columns last week . The correspondence in question would seem to have had its origin in this wise . Among the " Answers to Correspondents " in the November number of a magazine entitled ' New and Old " one addressed to " A FREEMASON , " in which the querist was advised to read an