Consecration Of The Arts Lodge, No. 2751

members he hoped they would periodically visit the lodge and see its progress . Bro . G . SIMONDS , W . M ., in acknowledging the toast , said th ; duty now imposed upon him was difficult , because it was hard for him to find words to express his thanks for the kind words used by the Admiral . He supposed there were few prouder moments in a Mason ' s life than when a

brolher was called upon for the first time to respond as Master of a lodge ; btt when he was called upon to respond as the first Master of a Iodge for the first time his pride ought to be doubly great . But pride went before a fall , and while he felt — he hoped not unduly—elated by what had been said , and the applause with which the toast had been received , he also felt the responsibilities cast upon

him . Bro . St . Clair had very rightly said that tne first year or two of a lodge was * the time when it behoved that lodge to be most careful , and that the brethren should be particularly careful about the men they introduced . It was all very well to say they had an Arts Lodge , and there was no doubt that many men who were not sculptors or painters would be admitted as professors of art . If an architect was not a Mason he would like to know

who was ; he would be a very poor builder if he was not , and if a painter was not a Mason , then our Masonic buildings would run a very great risk of going unadorned . Therefore , there was a necessity for an Arts Lodge , and it was extraordinary there should have been no Arts Lodge in London or anywhere else . He believed the secret was that artists , as a rule , were not Londoners . They came from different parts of

the country , and if as young men they had been initiated in country lodges , when they came up to London , the great arena where all artists fought , and continued subscribing members of their lodges for a time , the attractions , engagements , and duties of London made it difficult for them to go to the country , and they ceased first to go to their lodges and then to subscribe to them , and so they dropped out of Masonry .

That had been the case , and it was useless to ask men who had been 30 or 40 years out of Masonry to form an Arts Lodge . But , fortunately , the Secretary of the Arts Lodge , Bro . Stirling Lee , took the matter up and such a lodge had become an accomplished fact , Bro . Lee having found argument to convince him they could get such a lodge together . He was sorry they hid no Royal Academicians among the members ; still they might have ;

but they had hard working artists with a due conception of their profession and of Masonry . What the Admiral had said was quite correct ; it jvas the wisest advice that could be given when he told them to be careful that they knew thoroughly the sort of persons whom they proposed as initiates or joining members . Those who had been proposed that evening were well known to him ( Bro . Simonds ) , or those by whom they were proposed .

Bro . J . WOODROW MATTHEWS , W . M . 23 , P . G . S ., replied to the toast of " The Visitors . " The W . M , he had known ever since his ( Bro . Matthews ) initiation . Bro . Simonds was initiated in the same lodge . He considered it a great honour to be invited to the consecration of the Arts Lodge , and he congratulated him on becoming the first Master of it . Bros . NICHOLAS , S . W ., and STIRLING LEE , Sec , responded to the toast of " The Officers . " The Tyler ' s toast was afterwards given , and the brethren brought a most pleasant evening to a close .

Provincial Grand Mark Lodge Of Cheshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND MARK LODGE OF CHESHIRE .

The annual meeting of the Prov . Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of Cheshire was held at the Mechanics' Institute , Stockport , on Saturday , the 10 th instant , the R . W . Prov . Grand Master , Bro . the Hon . Alan de Tatton Egerton , M . P ., K . C . T ., P . G . W ., & c , in the chair . Prominent amongst the large number of Grand and Prov . Grand Officers present we

noticed Bros . Col . C . A . Dean , P . P . G . M . ; Richard Newhouse , P . G . D ., Prov . G . Sec . ; Dr . C . S . Brewer , A . G . D . C , Prov . S . G . W . ; C . Edwards , Prov . J . G . W . ; James Cookson , P . P . G . W . ; John Armstrong , P . P . G . W . ; F . Broadsmith , P . P . G . W . ; H . Gordon-Small , P . P . G . W . ; J . Hammond Danby , P . P . G . W . ; Samuel Davies , P . P . G . W . ; E . Marston , P . P . G . O . ; W . F . Robinson , P . G . O . ; J . H . Jackson

P . P . G . O . ; John Lee , P . P . G . O . ; J . S . Holmes , P . P . G . O . ; F . Moore , P . P . G . O . ; John Meyer , P . P . G . O . ; John Mantle , P . P . G . D . ; James Smith , P . P . G . Std . Br . ; L . Crosthwaite , P . P . A . G . D . C . ; W . Dykes , P . P . G . S . ; J . S . Derbyshire , Prov . G . D . of C . ; the Rev . S . Nunn ; J . Powell Jones , P . P . G . Std . Br . ; W . Booth , P . P . G . D . of C . j J . Ferguson , P . A . G . Sec . ; J . R . R . Jeffrey , Prov . G . Treas . ; R . L . Bourne , P . P . G . O . ; and Capt . F . R . Ore .

Afler assuming the chair , the Prov . Grand Master was saluted with Grand honours according to his exalted rank , and a similar compliment was paid to the Deputy Grand Master and other Grand Officers present . 1 he roll of lodges was called over by the Prov . G . Secretary , and all were found to be represented , after which the minutes of the last Provincial Grand Lodge were read and confirmed , and the Prov . Grand Treasurer ' s accounts submitted and adopted .

On the motion of Bro . J . POWELL -J ONES , seconded by Bro . J AMES COOKSON , Bro . J . R . R . Jeffrey was unanimously elected Prov . G . Treasurer for the ensuing year . The PROV . GRAND MASTER then addressed a few words to the assembled brethren , and , after thanking them for their support , mentioned that the province was making steady progress , which was most marked in its wealthier

portions . He thought the older Mark Masons ought to impress on their jounger brethren of the Craft the charm and beauty of the Mark Degree . It was , in fact , the duty of all Mark Masons to urge all worthy members of the Craft to become acquainted with the Degree . It was a most regrettable circumstance that the Grand Master had had at last to take action against the body calling- itself "The Hon . United Grand Lodgeof Ancient Free

and Accepted Mark Master Masons , Ashton District , which operated to the detriment of regular Mark Masonry in the whole of the eastern parts of Cheshire . Their loyalty to their Grand Master , his Royal Highness the Pr ' nre of Wales , made it essential that in England and Wales at least , there must be no opposition to his sway as Supreme Ruler of the

Mark Degree . This Ashton body had been approached on several occasions , and requested to own allegiance to his Royal Highness , and the rro : t kindly consideration promised them , but all communications from the Grand Lodge they treated with silent contempt . Bro . R . Lovt land Loveland , Q . C , President of the General Board , at the last jnitl ng of the Grand Lodge , moved the following resolution , which after

Provincial Grand Mark Lodge Of Cheshire.

full discussion was unanimously agreed to : " That the body styling itself ' The Honourable United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Mark Masons , Ashton District , ' is a spurious and clandestine body , and all members of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England , Wales , and the Colonies and Dependencies of the British Crown are hereby prohibited from visiting or countenancing such body , or from receiving any member thereof as a visitor in any body of Mark Master Masons under this

jurisdiction . He must enjoin upon all the brethren to carefully act on that resolution , and to take special care neither to receive as visitor nor in any way to countenance any member of this clandestine lodge . The Prov . G . Master also referred to the circumstances which led him to accept the chairmanship of the last Mark Festival in London , in face of the Centenary Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , and was successful . He expressed his thanks for the great support he received , which was as good as he could possibly expect under the circumstances .

Bro . NEWHOUSE , Prov . G . Sec , reported that he had had a communication from Bro . Letchworth , Grand Secretary of the Craft , who , while taking no cognisance of the Mark Degree , had requested him to make enquiries from the several Craft lodges in the eastern division of Cheshire , which are alleged to have opened their Iodge on a Sunday to further the proceedings of the Ashton Mark Lodge , and thus being parties to a grave irregularity , that the conduct of the several lodges so offending may be brought before the Board of General Purposes of the Craft .

Bro . G . Hammond-Darling was re-nominated Auditor by the Prov Grand Master .

Bros . E . Marston , W . M . n , and Peter Davies , W . M . 165 , were elected Auditors by Prov . Grand Lodge . A vote of condolence to the family of the late Bro . John Clayton , P . P . S . G . W ., was unanimously agreed to , on the motion of the Prov . Grand Master , and the Prov . Grand Secretary was requested to communicate it in proper terms . The Prov , Grand Master appointed and invested the Prov . G . Officers as follows :

Bro . Col . C S . Dean ... ... . .. D . Prov . G . M . ,, James Cookson ... ... ... Prov . S . G . W . „ Frank W . Moore ... ... ... Prov . J . G . W . „ R . L . Bourne . ... ... ... Prov . G . M . O . „ L . Crosthwaite ... ... ... Prov . S . G . O . „ R . G . Jones ... ... ... ... Prov . J . G . O . „ Rev . J . R . Nunn ... ... ... Prov . G Chap . „ J . R . R . Jeffrey ... ... ... Prov . G . Treas . „ J . Laurische ,.. ... ... Prov . G . Reg . „ R . Newhouse ... ... ... Prov . G . Sec .

„ A . Ferguson ... ... ... Prov . A . G . Sec . „ A . Rutherford ... ... ... Prov . S . G . D . „ W . J . Newton ... ... ... Prov . J . G . D . „ Stewart Edwards , M . A . Oxon . ... ... Prov . G . L of W , „ J . Derbyshire ... ... ... Prov . G . D . C . „ W . Dykes ... ... ... ... Prov . A . G . D . C . „ Captain F . R . Ore ... ... ... Prov . G . S . B . „ J . H . Benyon ... ... ... Prov . G . Std . Br ,, Wm . Hudson ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . „ I . Hawker ... ... ... , „) D / - c . J " ' { . Walkden j Prov . G . Stwds . „ A . Huxley ... .. . . ... ... Prov . G . Tyler .

On the cordial invitation of Bro . Frederick Boadsmith on behalf of the Altrincham Lodge , No . 148 , the Prov . Grand Master decided to hold the next annual meeting of Prov . Grand Lodge at Altrincham . The brethren afterwards dined together at the-Warren Bulkeley Arms Hotel , under Jhe presidency of the Hon . Alan de Tatton Egerton , Provincial Grand Master , the vice-chairs being occupied by Bros . James Cookson , P . S . G . W ., and Frank Moore , P . J . G . W . All the usual loyal and Masonic toasts were fully honoured .

The greatest credit is due to Bro . J . Powell Jones for the admirable manner with which all the arrangements were carried out .

Provincial Grand Mark Lodge Of Middlesex.

PROVINCIAL GRAND MARK LODGE OF MIDDLESEX .

INSTALLATION OF BRO . SIR REGINALD HANSON , BART ., M . P ., AS PROV . G . MASTER .

A large and representative gathering of Mark Master Masons assembled at the Midland Grand Hotel , on Monday , the 12 th inst ., at the meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Middlesex . Provincial Grand Lodge was opened by Bro . H . R . Graham , M . P ., Prov . S . G . W ., assisted by other Prov . Grand Officers , and the minutes were read and confirmed .

The report of the Committee of General Purposes was adopted and Bro . W . M . Stiles was unanimously re-elected Prov . G . Treasurer . The Dep . Grand Master , Bro . Lord Dungarvan , then entered , escorted by the Grand Officers , assumed the chair and was saluted . Bro . Sir Reginald Hanson , Bart ., M . P ., the Prov . G . M . designate , was

announced , and his patent of appointment having been examined , he was introduced , obligated , invested , and duly installed into thc chair . The Prov . G . M . was proclaimed and saluted , and then announced the appointment of Bro . Sir John Monckton , P . G . W ., as Dep . Prov . G . M ., who was obligated and invested in proper form . The officers of Provincial Grand Lodge were invested as follows :

Bro . J . C . Fitzroy Tower , 504 ... ... Pro v . S . G . W . ,, J . Irvine , 494 ... ... ... Prov . J . G . W . ,, Major-General Astley Terry , 448 .. ... Prov . G . M . O . ,, N . Sherwood , , ... ... ... Prov . S . G . O . „ C . H . Ferryman , 284 ... ... ... Prov . J . G . O . ,, Rev . Russell Finlay , 44 S ... ... l'rov . G . Chap „ W . M . Stiles , 494 ... ... ... Prov . G . Treas ,, A . H . Scurrah , 494 ... ... ... Prov . G . Reg . ,, A . Stewart Brown , 44 S ... ... P . ov . G . Sec . ,, E . B . I'Anson , 504 ... ... ... Prov . S . G . D . „ J ames Hill , 181 ,,. ... ... Prov . J . G . D .