Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS 697 Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution 6 nK provincial Grand Lodge of Derbyshire ftoS Consecration of the Karl of Clarendon I . odge , No . 10 H 4 6 y 8

CORRESPONDENCEUrn . Oabou ' s Motion 500 Provincial Preferments *> co Special Grants hy Grand Lodge 700 Country Brethren at Grand Lodge jco One Reason as Good as Another 700 Reviews 701 Masonic Notes and Queries 701

Annual Festival of the Langton Lodge of Instruction Jot REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Alasonry 702 Instruction 70 $ Royal Arch 7 ol >

Red Cross of Constantine 700 Australia 706 Masonic and General Tidings 707 The Theatres 70 S Alusic 70 S Science and Art 70 S Lodge Meetings for Next Week iii .

Ar00101

THE interesting ceremonials in which H . R . H . the Duke of ALBANY took part last week at the Grand Mark Lodge supply us with many reflections , alike seasonable and suggestive . Among them are the rapid advance and great prosperity of the Mark Grade and Body , and the admirable and kindly way in which H . R . H . ( better known to us , perhaps , as Prince

LEOPOLD ) performs all his duties , and not the least those connected with Freemasonry . It is , indeed , a very gratifying fact to realize and remember , at a time when so much foolish antagonism exists in some quarters to our useful , and loyal , and benevolent Order , that three sons of our gracious SOVEREIGN , herself the only daughter of an old Grand Master , should ne ' er be ashamed

To hear themselves named , With a Free and an Accepted Alason . And more than this : it is a pleasant and a grateful thought for Freemasons everywhere , that not only do our Royal Family belong to our Order professedly , but they identify themselves with it on all occasions , endorse its

tolerant principles , and are proud of its wondrous Cosmopolitanism , as before their fellow-countrymen and the world . Freemasonry has had its epochs of shade and disfavour , of open hostility , of covert ridicule ; it has experienced its ample share of thc incriminations of the ignorant , of the satire of the unjust . But it has outlived all these things , and will live them down , only

provided lhat certain sections of our great Masonic hamily do not betray us into the hands of the common enemy , by faithless forgetfulness of Masonic foundation-truths on the one hand , or open abjuration of the true old Masonic Landmarks on the other . Wc have , ourselves , no fear for present or for future , if only Freemasons be true to themselves , faithful to their own kindly tolerant , loyal , peaceful principles .

* * * VVK much regret , we confess , that our esteemed Bro . CLABON did not take our friendly advice and withdraw his resolution , rather than endeavour to carrry a motion which could only have led to its reversal by the provincial brethren on confirmation of the minutes , and might have given rise to a

deplorable agitation . With Bro . CLABON ' S argument , in the abstract , we are disposed to agree , that if year by year the expenditure exceeds the income of the Board of Benevolence , one of two courses must be adopted , either to increase the income or reduce the expenditure . But Bro . CLABON will forgive us for saying , that a great deal of the present "fidgettiness " about the Board

of Benevolence , arises from the fact of some of his own previous and able arguments in Grand Lodge , that inasmuch as the Board of Benevolence had managed to save , £ 50 , 000 , such a sum might fairly be devoted to collatera branches of Masonic Benevolence , such as the creation of scholarships & c . Now we have never concealed our dissent from our very able and

distinguished brother " ab initio , " as we always held his very " pctitio principii" was based on a fallacy . The funds of the Lodge of Benevolence are for Masonic Charity . " Solely devoted to charity . " And we hold very strongly with many , that they cannot properly be diverted from pure , direct , Masonic Charity . Scholarships no doubt are charitable ] endowments , but

they were not contemplated when the fund was formed , nor can they be covered now by the present provisions of the Book of Constitutions , by any possible interpretation . Not even , we enture to say , by the greatest latitude of application , by any legal fact or fiction , such as the " cypres " doctrine for instance , could it be held that we had a right to appropriate the fund of

Benevolence , for bursarial or pupil endowments , unless , indeed , we had no applicants at all for Masonic Charity . But as this is not the case , nor is it likely to be the case , no such contingency can lawfully arise . It is not surprising that , seeing this and feeling this , many brethren have , perhaps too hastily , taken up the idea that as the money was there , they had

better use it , forgetting that they were practically doing an act of injustice to the fund of which they were " cestui-que-trustes , " in that , while it was proper to give according to need , it was as improper to give more than was

needed , simply because the money was there to give . It is quite clear that for some time past , owing to various concomitant causes and from many conflicting reasons , with the best intentions in the world , the standard of grants has been pitched too high . We must , then , in a reduction of grants

Ar00102

look for the eventual ' . ' squaring of income and expenditure , and not in any increase of the annual capitation payments for town and country members . It is not too much to say that twenty years ago the grant which would have been ten pounds is now thirty , and so on , if not more . If our good old Bro . SAVAGE were still alive he would simply '' despair" at the " prodigality "

of the Board . And in saying this we blame no one . We are all " in the same boat , " all in the " same swim . " No doubt things have much changed during the last twenty years . And that with changed circumstances there must be an increase of grants , no reasonable person will den } ' , though this increase ought not to be an inordinate one . Some of thc higher grants for

£ 200 and £ 150 require grave consideration and adjustment , as it is a fact , which some of us do not always realize , that lift } ' pounds , much more /' loo , for instance , are indeed , for the most part , very good grants . And having said this , we will add that there is no rule without an exception , and that

undoubtedly some of the cases ( most distressing in themselves ) require large grants . Never , either at any time , did the Board take more pains with its grants , and the members present deserve the greatest praise for the assiduity , patience , forbearance , consideration , courtesey , and fairness which they exh ibit as to all cases which come before them .

A ± WE would suggest to Bro . J AMES STEVENS the propriety for the present of leaving the question of Provincial Grand Lodge extension in the Metropolitan district alone . If such extension ever comes , it must come " propio motu " of H . R . H . the GRAND MASTER and the proper authorities ,. It

is impossible to concede the principle , " pro bono publico , " that any one brother , by persistence and pressure is to induce a consideration of a favourite "fad . " We need hardly point out thc great inconvenience that must accrue to Grand Lodge and its members from repeated motions which come to nought , and reiterated resolutions which are necessarily ruled out

of order . And there is a further point lo whicli we must call attention . Such motions are not respectful to thc GRAND MASTER or to the Grand Lodge . Thc question is one which lies so closely and clearly within the prerogative of thc GRAND MASTER , that it seems most unadvisable in the best interests of English Freemasonry to persevere in a course of action which must be

resisted by all who value equally the undoubted prerogative of the GRAND MASTER , and the unchanging privileges of Grand Lodge . If there i . s any wish on the part of the brethren in the suburban districts to be attached to adjacent Provincial Grand Lodges , or on the part of the Provincial Grand Lodges and Provincial Grand Masters to receive them , the proper course is

for such brethren to petition the GRAND MASTER , or for Bro . J AMES STEVENS to move to alter the " ten miles radius " provision . But we feel sure we are giving Bro . J AMES STEVENS kindly advice when we recommend him to leave the matter where it is for the present , " sub silentio . " Many

brethren , as we know , become tired of reading constant motions , and the question if good in itself is prejudiced by this very fact . "Quieta non movere " is a very sound old adage , applicable to this as to many other sublunary things .

* * AT this inclement season , and after a recent dreadful fire , can nothing be done Masonically to help the 600 dependants on the Alhambra for existence , many of whom are now thrown out of work , have lost their musical instruments , and have before them the sufferings of probably a hard winter ?

It seems to us a very practical outcome of active personal benevolence , which may well commend itself to some Masonic minds . We shall be happy to help such a movement forward in any way we can . To their credit , the younger members of the Stock Exchange have very kindly initiated a subscription list . Since we wrote the above we note that the proprietary of

the Alhambra and the theatrical profession have laudably started a movement of immediate relief , and our well-known and valued brother , E . Terry , takes an active part in the matter . Cannot we Freemasons help ? Bro . Lord LONDESBOROUGH has presided over two meetings and is Chairman of thc Committee . Could we not strengthen Bro . TERRY ' S hands ?

* *¦ * A correspondent calls attention to a default of our Scrutineers at the Porch at last meeting of Grand Lodge j such little delays and absences will take place . Our authorities , will however , no doubt , see to the matter in future .

* * THE Provincial Grand Treasurer for West Yorkshire , Bro . C . L . MASON sends us elsewhere a very lucid letter as to the Provincial view on the Benevolent Capitation Question . We agree with him , as we point out elsewhere . Wc shall recur to the subject next week .