Contents.

CONTENTS .

LlADERS 4 } 9 Consecration of the Joshua Nunn Lodge , No . 2154 , at Hnlstcad 4 S 0 Provincial Grand Lodge of Ksscx 4 S 1 Provincial Grand Lodge of Dorset ...., 4 R 2 The First Grand Stewards and their

Lodges—IV 48 3 The Testimonial to Miss Davis 485 A Touch of Nature 485 The Masonic Exhibition at Shanklin 485 Masonic Piesentations from Chicago 485 CORRESPONDENCEUniformity of Discipline and Clothing ... 487 The Late Bro . Rev . Geo . Oliver , D . D .... 487 Recent Festival Returns 4 S 7

Reviews , 4 S ; Notes and Queries 4 8 7 REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 4 88 Instruction 4 S 8 Arch

Royal 4 S 8 Mark Masonry 489 Scotland 4 8 9 Masonic Presentation 4 S 9 The Craft Abroad 4 S 9 Masonic and General Tidings 490 ' Theatres 491 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 493

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OUR readers will learn with regret that R . VV . Bro . Earl PERCY has placed in the hands of his Royal Highness the GRAND MASTER his resignation of the important office of Provincial Grand Master of Northumberland , to which he was appointed in 1 S 6 9 by the late Earl of ZETLAND . His lordship , who was initiated in the Apollo University Lodge , No . 357 , Oxford ,

in 1866 , has taken a very active part in the proceedings of the Craft from the very outset of his career as a Mason . He is Past Provincial Grand Officer of Oxfordshire , was Grand Senior Warden of England in 1869—the year of his appointment to be chief of our Northumbrian brethren—and a Past Grand Master of the Mark Grand Lodge , and has taken the 30 in

the Ancient and Accepted Rite ; while , as regards the province over which he has presided during the last 17 years , the nature and extent of the beneficial influence he has exercised may be judged from-the large increase in the number of lodges that took place under his auspices . At the time of his installation as Provincial Grand Master there were 11 lodges in

Northumberland ; at this present moment of his resignation there are 21 lodges . It is clear that Bro . Earl PERCY must have done his work well and thoroughly , while the respect and affection in which he has always been held by the Northumbrian Masons is conclusive testimony to his merits as a ruler . But it is our duty not only "to speed the parting , " but likewise " to

welcome the coming , " guest . Bro . Earl PERCY carries with him into his retirement from the more active pursuits of Masonry the heartiest good wishes , as well as the sincerest regards , of all true brethren , and Bro . Sir MATTHEW WHITE RIDLEY , Bart ., who has been appointed his successor ,

will be all the more heartily welcomed , and all the more loyally assisted in the performance of the duties which have been newly assigned to him by the Prince of WALES as Grand Master , because he bears the character of a man of great ability , both socially and politically , and is well versed in ali that relates to the direction and control of our lodges .

* # WE must offer our hearty congratulations to Bro . Sir HORACE J ONES , Grand Supt . of Wks ., on whom , as City Architect , the QUEEN has been pleased to confer the honour of Knighthood . Bro . Sir H . J "\ ES has held his important civic office since 1864 , when he was elected successor to the

late Mr . J . B . BUNNING by a majority of votes over his most formidable competitor . The chief works carried out from the designs , and under the supervision , of our respected brother , are the Central Markets , which are certainly worthy monuments to his skill as an architect . Bro . Sir H . J ONES was appointed to the post of Grand Supt . of Works in iS in succession

to Bro . J GIBSON , and necessarily had much to do with the restoration of the Grand Hall after the damage caused by the fire in May , 1883 . Thus Grand Lodge is not only indebted to him for the skill and ability he has shown during his career as a Mason—a skill and ability which H . R . H .

the GRAND MASTER most graciously recognised when he conferred upon him his present office—but it has benefited materially by his professional knowledge and experience , and the brethren , therefore , will be inclined to appreciate , more highly than in ordinary circumstances , the distinction he has received from her MAJESTY .

* THE Province of Dorset , which has long been favourably known for its generous support of our central Institutions , has had a local organisation of its own for some few years , which enables it to do much good among those of its members or their families whom adverse fortune has overtaken ,

without materially reducing the amount of its subscriptions arid donations to the general Charities . We have just been favoured with a copy of the sixth annual report of the " Dorset Masonic Charity , " and th ' e tale it tells is most creditable to the Province as a whole , but more especially to those brethren

who have had the chief hand in establishing and maintaining it . Thus , the abstract of accounts for the year ended the 30 th June , iSSfi , shows that the capital account , together with the donations received during the year , amount to upwards of ^ 2140 , the whole of which has been carefully and advantageousl y invested . The interest and dividends during the period of

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the account amounted to close on , £ 92 , and the annual subscriptions from members to about £ 43 , making the total revenue available for the relief of distress £ 135 and a fraction . The grants made to three widows and two brethren amounted to £ S $ , and sundry small payments to within £ 3 ; the balance in hand at the close of the year—after allowing for the balance

brought forward from previous account—being £ 74 10 s . id . These figures show that during the six years the Dorset Masonic Charity has been established , the Committee of Management , under the presidency of Bro . MONTAGUE J . GUEST , Prov . G . M ., must have carried out their duties in a most efficient and successful manner . The expenses appear to be of the

mosttnningcharacter , while the capital accumulated inso brief a period of time is very considerable . Moreover , a large amount of substantial assistance has been dispensed , the total of the sums granted to poor brethren and the widows and children of brethren between the 1 st July , 1881 , and July , 18 S 6 , inclusive , amounting to X 325 . In some few of the cases thus

assisted the money has been devoted towards the expenses of apprenticeship , either in paying the necessary premium or in maintaining the apprentice during his period of service ; and a desire is expressed in the report that the efforts of the Charity may be further directed towards rendering this class of assistance on the ground that " no other object affords so good a

return for charitable work as giving to the young a good preparation for th « battle of life . " However , without going'further into details , which can be belter obtained from the report itself , we may state that the present position of this Association is a healthy and an assured one . It has rendered substantial assistance already in those works of benevolence which are the end

and aim of its existence , and the brethren of Dorsetshire , from their respected Prov . G . M ., R . W . Bro . M . J . GUEST down to the initiate of only yesterday—but in an especial degree our worthy Bro . E . T . BUDDEN , who is the Secretary and moving spirit of the Association—deserve , all of them , in their several degrees , the hearty congratulations of the whole

Masonic community for the able manner in which they have carried out their self-appointed task . We trust the Dorset Masonic Charity has a long and beneficial career before it , and that whatever it aspires to do in the name of Charity , will be done as successfully in the future as it has been done in the past .

# •* WE regret to hear that the Herefordshire Masonic Charity Association is not progressing so favourably as its friends and promoters could have wished . It is true that Herefordshire is a very small province , with only four lodges on its roll ; but these consist of members of precisely the same or similar

character and standing as the lodges of other and larger provinces . But it appears from the report presented at the recent annual meeting of the Association that a majority of the brethren who in 1882 completed their first subscription of ^ 5 5 s . have not continued or renewed it , in spite of the strong appeals made to them to do so . However , the hope is

expressedand we most cordially endorse it—that many of the original members will rejoin during the coming year , when , of course , the ability of the Association to extend its benefits to our Charities will be increased . Still , it is satisfactory to learn that since its establishment , in 1878 , over £ 540 has been remitted to our Institutions , the Boys' School having received 210 guineas

( £ 220 ios . ) , the Girls' School 1 C 0 guineas ( £ 168 ) , and the Benevolent Institution 145 guineas ( £ 152 5 s . ) , namely , 75 guineas for the Male Fund and 70 guineas for that of the Widows . It is a pity that steps are not taken

to have these contributions passed on to the Institutions by the medium of brethren acting as Festival Stewards . In such case Herefordshire , instead of figuring mostly , as it has done , among the absentee provinces , would appear as a regular contributor .

# * # THE Portsmouth brethren appear to have had a grand meeting on the 31 st ult ., when the Phcenix Lodge , No . 257 , celebrated its centenary . R . W . Bro . W . W , B . BEACH , M . P ., Prov . G . Master of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight , who was supported by his worthy Deputy , Bro . J . E . LEFEUVRE ,

G . J . D . of England , and a large muster of Present and Past Prov . G , Officers , took a leading part in the ceremony , while the respected and popular Dep . Grand Master of England , the Right Hon . the Earl of LATHOM , was fortunately able to snatch a brief respite from his political labours in order to be present at the interesting proceedings . The Phoenix was

constituted at the George Tavern , now the George Hotel , Portsmouth , on the 20 th May , 1786 , the warrant being authorised by H . R . H . the Duke of CUMBERLAND , G . M ., and THOMAS HOWARD , Earl of Effingham

Acting , or at we now say , Pro , Grand Master . It cannot be said to have experienced any serious vicissitudes of fortune . It has numbered amongst its members many exemplary Craftsmen , and its career generally has been one of which any lodge would have just reason to be proud . We un-