The Craft In Greater Britain.

Presidency , is the ruler under both Constitutions . The titular ruler of the Bombay district is H . R . H . the Duke oi Connaught , who it will be remembered , was at one time Commander-in-Chief in Bombay . Each of these districts possesses its Masonic Charities , and they are well supported , but it must be confessed

that very little support is given to the great Masonic Charities at home . Lieut .-Col . Sir George Moore , R . A ., isthe District Grand Master for Madras , and rules all the other Orders as well . The Hon Sir H . T . Prinsep rules Bengal , General Wolseley is

Dist . Grand Master for the Punjab , Lord Sandhurst for Bombay , and R . W . Bro . J . C . Moyle rules Burma . All these are in the strictest sense of the word workers , and are able to teach those over whom they are placed , not only by precept , but by examp le .

Visiting is carried on to a much greater extent than in England , and we should be disposed to say there is more " camaraderie '' . Every subscribing member of a lodge is known to every other in the same district , and fraternal feeling

is very hi g hly developed . Possibl y the sense of community in exile has something to do with this , but the feeling does not only exist as between one brother and another , but Between each lodge and every other .

The Indian brother will be found , as a rule , to possess a literary turn of mind . The proportion of fndian brethren who belong to the Correspondence Circle of Lodge Quatuor Coronati is large , and a great number of them are well skilled in the science . Lodges of instruction abound , not onl y for the rank

and file , but for Past Masters . Masonic literature is eagerly read—always excepting the Book of Constitutions . There are two Masonic journals , the Indian Freemason ancl the Indian Masonic Review ; and a very readable history of the Craft in the southern part of the Peninsula was recentl y compiled by

W . Bro . Maiden . Bro . Leslie has drawn up a history of what , from many points of view , is the leading lodge in India—Lodge Stewart ; and Masonic literature of another kind has been contributed to b y W . Bro . Lawrence , who edited a manual of Masonic jurisprudence entitled " Grand Lodge Decisions . "

Altogether , in summing up Indian Freemasonry , we may say that the Craft prospers . Brethren are earnest and enthusiastic , and hig h Masonic qualities are developed ; and if only the Book of Constitutions were a little more studied by the up-country brother there would not be much left to desire . ( To be continued ) .

A Handy Wee Book.

A HANDY WEE BOOK .

Once a year ( and useful all the year round ) appears " Mannings Masonic Register of F . and A . M . for the State of Penn ' a . " This time it is for 1899-1900 , and , as usual , is issued by the Masonic Publishing Co ., which firm provides the racy Keystone weekly for the Craft .

I have many Masonic Directories for Provinces , Grand Lodges , Sec , but there is not one that contains such a mass of information in so small a bulk ( its 350 pages only occupying a quarter 0 / an inch in thickness ) as this " Masonic Register , " and the arrangements of the text , with a very full index , leaves nothing to be desired .

The roll of Past Grand Masters of Penn ' a makes an imposing list , but it must be remembered that to 1749 the Grand Lodge was practically an independent body ; the actual connection with the Grand Lodge of England , so far as we can judge , not beginning until the end of the 5 th decade , when William Allen was appointed by Lord Byron , G . M ., as Provincial Grand Master , and then there were the Prov . G . L . appointments of the " Ancients " to 1786 , after which the Grand Lodge of Penn ' a became a Sovereign Body . The Grand Masters are then noted from 17 S 6 to 1899 .

Full particulars are given of the 429 lodges ( with their 54 , 000 members ) and the 121 chapters of the R . A . ( with their 17 , 500 companions ) , as well as the other Masonic Bodies , such as the Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters , the Grand Encampment of the U . S . A ., and the Grand Commandery of the Knights Templars for Penn ' a , & c . The Masonic

Home , the Temple Att Association , and the three separate Mark lodgesare ail duly noted and described ; whilst , under the Grand Lodge , the various Trustees for the several excellent Charity Funds are also given , so that the Directory is well worthy of its name and fame , and cannot fail to be a most useful companion for the Fraternity in the " Keystone State , " by whom , doubtless , the edition will soon be exhausted . \ V . J . HUGHAN .

Consecration Of The Arts Lodge, No. 2751

CONSECRATION OF THE ARTS LODGE , No . 2751

The above Iodge was consecrated on Tuesday last at Freemasons' Hall , W . C ., by Bro . Edward Letchworth , Grand Secretary , who was assisted by 13 ro . Rear-Admiral W . H . C . St . Clair , S . G . D ., as S . W . ; Bro . Henry Sutherland , M . D ., P . G . D ., as J . W . ; Bro . the Rev . Canon J . S .

Brownr 'ggi P . G . C , as Chaplain ; Bro . Frank Richardson , P . G . D ., as D . C . ; and Bro . Charles Martin , P . A . G . D . C , as I . G . The lodge has been founded for the convenience of professors of the arts of sculpture and painting , and is the first lodge devoted exclusively to these particular

professions . It is expected that it will have a run of good prosperity , as alread y there are several members of these sister arts waiting to join it . i he meeting on Tuesday was an unequivocal success and all the arrangements were perfect . The ceremonies were admirably performed , and there

Consecration Of The Arts Lodge, No. 2751

was placed in the hands of every one who attended a programme in book form in old-faced type , and fully bearing out in its artistic get-up the title of the Iodge , " Arts . " The brethren who had the privilege of witnessing the ceremonies were the founders of the lodge—Bros . George Simonds , W . M . designate ; Graham Nicholas , Francis J . Short , J . Erskine Knott , Thomas Stirling Lee , W . S . Frith , C . Harrison Townsend , Francis Bate , and H . Harris Brown .

The visitors were Bros . Henry Faith , P . M . ICC 5 , P . P . G . D . Gloucestershire ; G . R . Studman , P . M . 1005 , P . P . G . S . Gloucestershire ; Frank Tebbutt , Stwd . 2698 ; H . W . Schartau , P . M ., P . P . G . Org . Middlesex ; G . Stubbs , 771 ; R . G . Knox , 1563 ; W . S . Coleman , 2682 ; Alexander H . Haig ; J . Woodrow Matthews , W . M . 23 ; H . Haynes , P . M . 162 ; W . Zotufuis , 1760 ; William Beattie ; E . M . Money , P . A . G . D . C . ; W . Fell , 1706 ; H . Massey , P . M . 619 and 1928 ; T . Burne , P . M . 1628 , P . P . S . G . D . Sussex ; Henry Sadler , G . Tyler ; and H . S . Trower , 1118 .

Bro . Schartau , P . G . Org . Middx ., and his assistants performed the musical portion of the ceremonies . After the Iodge had been opened , and the preliminaries disposed of , - Bro . E . LETCHWORTH said : Brethren , it will not be necessary for me to occupy your time for many moments with words of my own on this occasion . We are met , as you are all well aware , for a very interesting purpose

—to constitute and consecrate a new lodge ; to add one more to the long list of lodges on the register of the Grand Lodge of England . The lodge we are about to inaugurate to-day will hereafter be known as "The Arts Lodge ; " and it will be composed almost entirely of those connected with the arts of sculpture and painting . I am sure I am

expressing the feeling of all present when I utter the hope that this lodge wilj have a most successful future , that it may accomplish all the objects which the founders have more especially in view , and that it maybe the means of advancing the interests of Masonry in the metropolis . Brethren , as this lodge is about to be dedicated to the honour and glory of Almighty God I will ask the Chaplain now to give us the benefit of prayer .

This was accordingly dene , and Canon BROWNRIGG afterwards delivered the oration , and the ceremony of consecration was duly performed . This over , the Grand Secretary installed Bro . George Simonds , P . M ., P . G . Stwd ., as W . M . of the lodge . Bro . Graham G . Nicholas was invested as S . W ., Bro . Francis J . Short as J . W ., Bro . J . Erskine Knox as Treasurer , Bro . Thomas Stirling Lee as Secretary , Bro . William S . Frith as S . D ., Bro . C . Harrison Townsend as J . D ., Bro . Francis Tate as I . G ., and Bro . Henry Martin , P . M ., as Tyler .

Votes of thanks were afterwards passed to the Consecrating Officers , who were also elected honorary members of the lodge j and a founder ' s jewel was presented to Bro . E . Letchworth . The W . M ., the Wardens , the Treasurer , and the Secretary were elected a committee to frame the bylaws .

After the lodge was closed the brethren adjourned to Freemasons ' Tavern to a choice banquet , and after disposing thereof , they honoured the usual toasts . Bro . G . SIMONDS , W . M ., in proposing the toast of " The Grand Officers , " said the lodge was exceptionally fortunate—more fortunate , perhaps , than it would ever be again—in having there so large a number of Grand Officers , and he was happy to say most of them were honorary members of the lodge .

Bro . Canon BROWNRIGG , P . G . C , responded , and said the Grand Officers hoped to come to the Iodge again , and when they did so they would come as art critics . They wished the lodge a successful future . Bro . G . SIMONDS , W . M ., proposed " The Consecrating Officers , " and said the toast was the most important toast of the evening , because it could never occur again in that lodge . To many of the brethren the consecration of a new lodge was a new experience ; to himself it was ; and the manner in

which it had been performed was most solemn and impressive . Those who had had the privilege of listening to Bros . Letchworth and Canon Brownrigg , and who saw the excellent work that was done by Bro . Frank Richardson , who arranged and directed the ceremony , would all remember it . They had witnessed one of the finest and most impressive ceremonials

it could fall to the lot of Masons to see . The Iodge had already tried to express its gratitude to those brethren for taking it in hand and organising and establishing the members into a regular lodge , which they hoped would rise from small beginnings to great ends , and justify the expectations they naturally had formed of it .

Bro . E . LETCHWORTH , G . Sec , responded , assuring the brethren that it had given all the Consecrating Officers the greatest pleasure to be present and do the work . It had given him personally great pleasure to instal Bro . Simonds as W . M ., and he trusted that under his able and genial rule the lodge might have a most agreeable year before it .

Bro . Rear-Admiral ST . CLAIR , G . D ., proposed " The W . M . " To be W . M . ofthe Arts Lodge was to be the holder of a most impdrtant office . Hit was not filled well , both bodily and mentally , duiing the first year of a new lodge , it would make matters very unpleasant and not at all satisfactory for the brethren . In a lodge after its first year the W . M ., year after year , was backed by Past Masters , and what he had to try to do was to improve ; but

in the first year of a Iodge an immense deal depended upon the W . M ., to see that the officers did their work well , that everything was in order , and all this placed a great responsibility , both bodily and mentally , on a W . M . He congratulated the lodge on having such a distinguished brother as Bro . Simonds for its first W . M . He would not repeat the formula the brethren had heard in the _ lodge-room , which could not be improved upon j but he

echoed it , and wished Bro . Simonds health and strength to cirry out his duties with credit to himself and satisfaction to the brethren . He ( Bro . St . CIair ) had been onceortwicea W . M ., and knew whatitwas towish thebrother a very satisfactory year . He would give this good bit of advice although it might come badly from him . He was glad to see tint the brethren had not started the lodge with too many members . It was better to begin small

and go for quality rather than quantity . It was their duty to see to the antecedents of proposed initiates and joining members and find whether they were likely to do good to Masonry in general , and to the lodge in particular . Some lodges , tried to get their numbers up and show a large increase in membership . That would be

well _ if the brethren turned out all right , but it sometimes occurred that in trying to get large numbers they were not so careful as they should be . Keep the lodge select and it would be well . He had no doubt it would be done thoroughly in this lodge . He hoped it would have a prosperous year and that the W . M . would be well supported by the brethren generally . After thanking the brethren for electing the Consecrating Officers honorary