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paper entitled " Fifty years Masonic Reminiscences briefly told , " which had been compiled by the veteran brother himself , and was read on his behalf by Bro . the Rev . C . HENTON WOOD , Prov . G . Secretary . Indeed , nothing had been overlooked or was omitted which could lend eclat to the occasion , and the day will always remain one of the most memorable in the

annals not only of the St . John ' s Lodge itself , but likewise of Freemasonry throughout the Province of Leicestershire and Rutland generally . There are not many Masons living who are able to contrast as vividly as Bro . KELLY will be seen to have done in his interesting Reminiscences the present position of Freemasonry in this Province with what it was 50 years

ago ; and there are fewer still who can point to so active and honourable and so beneficial a record of work as he can . Only two of the 12 or 13 lodges now on the roll of the Province were in existence at the time of Bro . KELLY ' S initiation , namely , the old lodge at Hinckley—the Knights of Malta , No . 50 —and his mother lodge — the St . John ' s , No . 279 ,

Leicesterand there were also at the time two others , since extinct , which were able to maintain a precarious existence . Of the lodges that have been since established , he is among the founders of six and was installed as W . M . of two of them . Again , fifty years ago , vvith the exception of Bro . Sir F . G . FOWKE , Bart ., then D . P . G . M ., there was not

a Mason resident in Leicestershire who could perform the ceremony of installation , and whenever a Master was to be installed , and the Deputy's services were not obtainable , Bro . LAURENCE THOMPSON , the well-known Prestonian lecturer , was summoned from London to perform the ceremony . But in December , 1842 , at the close of his first Mastership , Bro . KELLY

installed his successor , and for very many years past it has been the rule rather than the exception for an outgoing W . M . to discharge this important , duty . He has also filled nearly all the important offices in Provincial Grand Lodge , was Dep . P . G . M . under the late Bros . Sir F . G . FOWKE and Earl HOWE , and , on the resignation of the latter , received from the late Grand

Master , the Earl of ZETLAND , his patent of appointment as Prov . G . M . This office he resigned three years later , but he has been G . Superintendent of Royal Arch Masons since 1870 , Prov . Grand Mark Master since 1858 , and is Chief Intendant General in the Red Cross Order . He was the first recipient in the Province of a P . M . ' s jewel , and has been honoured

at different times with different testimonials of the esteem and respect in which he is held by the brethren of the Province . He was largely instrumental in bringing about the establishment , in Leicester , of a Freemasons ' Hall , and is the author of one of the best histories of Freemasonry in an English Province which it has been our privilege to read . During the

whole of his long career he has been Masonry ' s chief and strongest pillar in Leicestershire , and there is hardly a Masonic institution in that favoured Province , in the establishment , revival , or improvement , of which he has not taken a leading part . In short , there is no man living whose services to

Provincial Masonry are more worthy of recognition than those renderea by our respected Bro . KELLY , and we congratulate both him and his lodge , and the brethren of the Province generally , on the quiet , but appropriate , recognition vvhich those services have iust received .

Notes On The Ceremony Of Installation.

NOTES ON THE CEREMONY OF INSTALLATION .

BY BRO . H . SADLER . ( Continuedfrom page 650 ) . When this system of visiting the lodges officially was discontinued , I am unable to say , the Grand Lodge records throw no light on the subject , and , unfortunately , at this most interesting period of the history of our Order , Masonic Journalism was a nonentity . Probably an examination of some of the private lodge books would afford the information desired . I have

good reason for believing that no material alteration in the ordinary ceremonies of the Crait has been sanctioned by Grand Lodge since the Lodge of Reconciliation finished its labours , so thoroughly and efficiently did that lodge carry out the duties entrusted to it ; but with regard to the ceremony of Installation the case vvas apparently different , for Grand Lodge Minutes , 6 th June , 1827 , inform us that

" The M . W . Grand Master stated that finding there vvas much diversity in the Ceremonial of the Installation of Masters of Lodges , and leeling it to be most desirable that uniformity should exist , His Royal Highness had deemed it expedient to issue a Warrant to certain intelligent Brothers directing them , after due and carelul examination and consideration , to hold

meetings forthe purpose of promulgating and giving instructions in this important Ceremony that conformity might be produced , and also at such meetings to instal any Masters of Lodges vvho had been duly elected to office . That he had limited the period for the continuance of this Board or Lodge of Installed Masters to the Quarterly Communication in December next . "

The Warrant here referred to vvas printed and sent to the Masters of the lodges in the London district , accompanied by the following circular;—" Free-Masons' Hall , " W . Master , ioth December , 1827 . " The M . W . GRAND MASTER having been pleased to issue a

WARRANT ( a copy of -which is on the other side ) constituting certain Brethren into a lodge or Board of Installed Masters , authorizing and requiring them to hold Public Meetings , for the purposes set forth in the Warrant , we are directed to acquaint you that the Board has appointed the under-mentioned Days for holding such Public Meetings , at this place , when your attendance , and that of your Past Masters , is required .

" As the Names and Residences of your Past Masters must , be best known to you , it is earnestly requested that you will give them immediate Notice of the Meetings , viz .: — " Monday , the 17 th December- ) At Seven o ' clock Saturday , the 22 d December > in the evening Friday , the 28 th December ) punctually . "We are , W . M ., " Your obedient Servants and Brothers , " W . H . WHITE r r s EDW . HARPER i

The Following Is A Verbatim Copy Of The Warrant Of The Board Of Installed Masters:

The following is a verbatim copy of the Warrant of the Board of Installed Masters :

© AUGUSTUS FREDERICK G . M . To ALL AND EVERY OUR RIGHT W ' ORSHIPFUL , WORSHIPFUL , AND LOVING BRETHREN . WE PRINCE AUGUSTUS FREDERICK , DUKE OF SUSSEX , EARL OF INVERNESS , BARON OF ARKLOW , K . G ., & c „ & c , & c , GRAND MASTER OF MASONS . SEND GREETING .

WHEREAS it hath been represented to us that , from the want of immediate source for information and instruction , there exists some diversity of practice in the Installation of Masters of Lodge ; and feeling how important it is that all Rites and Ceremonies in the Craft should be conducted with uniformity and correctness ; and with a view , therefore , to produce such uniformity , We have thought it proper to appoint , and do accordingly

nominate and appoint our trusty and well-beloved Brothers William Meyrick , G . Registrar ; William Henry White , G . Secretary ; John Bott , J . G . D . ; Edward Wellington Cleere , VV . M . of the Grand Stewards' Lod ge , Thomas R . Smith , P . M . of the Lodge No . I ; Richard Percival , Dep . M . of the Lodge No . 2 ; Thomas Cant , W . M . of the Lodge No . 9 ; Joseph Taylor , P . M . of the Lodge No . 22 ; Thomas Moore , P . M . of the Lod ge

No . 29 ; and Philip Broadfoot , P . M . of the Lodge No . 381 , to make known to all who may be entitled to participate in such knowledge the Rites and Ceremonies of Installation as the same have already been approved by us , upon the Report of a Special Committee appointed for that purpose : And in order the more effectually to carry this our intention into execution and operation , We do constitute the before-named Brethren into a Lodge or

Board of Installed Masters , authorizing and requiring them to hold meetings for the purpose of communicating Instructions in such Rites and Ceremonies , giving Notice thereof to the Masters of our several Lodges , enjoining their attendance , as well as the attendance of their several Past Masters at such meetings : And We do further authorize and empower the

said Lodge , or Board of Installed Masters , when duly assembled , to instal into office all such Masters of Lodges as may not heretofore have been regularly installed , and who shall require the same : And We do declare that this our Warrant shall continue in force for the space of Twelve Calendar Months , and no longer ,

Given at London , the Sixth Day of February , A . L . S 27 , A . D . 1 S 27 , WILLIAM H . WHITE ) rs DUNDAS , D . G . M . EDW . HARPER ) Before proceeding further , it would , perhaps , be as well if I were to offer a few remarks on the Masonic status of the brethren selected by the M . W . G . M . for the important duties specified in the foregoing document . William Meyrick , it will be remembered , was the first S . W . of the Lodge

of Reconciliation on the part of the " Moderns ; " this office he relinquished on being appointed Grand Registrar at the Union , although he occasionally attended its meetings after his promotion . He was a member of the Lodge of Antiquity , No . 2 , and served the Craft in the capacity of legal adviser to the Grand Lodge from 1813 till his decease in 1836 , a longer period than any other brother has filled that important ofiice . It is scarcely necessary to add that Bro . Meyrick enjoyed the full confidence and esteem of his

Royal chief , the Duke of Sussex , who , the writer of his obituary says , " expressed a wish to inspect his Masonic papers , vvhich vvere immediately iorwarded . " I cannot find his name amongst the visitors of the Lodge of Promulgation , a circumstance which is explained by the facts of his not having been in the Master ' s chair at the time that lodge was in session , and only actual Masters being invited to its meetings ; but , doubtless from his long connection vvith the Lodge of Antiquity , having joined that lodge in 1792 , he was thoroughly conversant with the ceremony of Installation .

Ihe next name on this Warrant is that of W . H . White , one of the Grand Secretaries appointed at the Union in 1813 . He vvas born in 1777 , initiated in the Lodge of Emulation , No . 12 ( now No . 21 ) , in 1799 . of which lodge he was Masier in 1809 , when he vvas appointed Junior Warden of the Lodge of Promulgation , and was one of the first to receive the benefit of Installation in that lodge on the 16 th November . 1810 . At the

preceding Grand Festival , he was appointed Joint Grand Secretary vvith his father ( William White ) , and was nominated by the Duke of Sussex Secretary of the Lodge of Reconciliation in 1813 , although his name subsequently appears in the list of Officers as Treasurer , the Secretarial duties devolving upon Edwards Harper , one of the nominees of the Dukeof Kent . White and Harper were appointed [ oint Grand Secretaries of the

United Grand Lodge , in vvhich capacities they officiated till 1838 , when the latter retired , the former continuing in his office down to 1857 , when , by reason of advanced age and failing health , he also was compelled to seek the retirement vvhich his long arid important services fully entitled him to . I cannot do better than quote the words of the late Earl of Zetland , vvhen referring to this event in Grand Lodge on the 29 th April 1857 :

, " Before proceeding to nominate the Grand Officers , the M . W . Grand Master referred to the eminent services that Brother W . H . VVhite had

rendered to the Craft for upwards of fifty-five years . * The Grand Master said that he knew of no Brother who better understood the mysteries of the Order and all the intricate difficulties connected with it ; and he felt assured that the Grand Lodge would , on a future occasion , mark their sense of the value of those services by joining vvith him in granting to Brother White the full amount of his salary for the remainder of his days .

I need hardly say that the suggestion of the Grand Master vvas aclopteu by acclamation at the next meeting of Grand Lodge . .. By the death of this venerablebrother ( which occurred on the 5 th A P ^ 1866 ) English Freemasonry suffered a loss which may justly be described as irreparable ; he was the connecting link between the Masonry of tO' " - ^ and that of the last century , and could speak from his own knowledge ot

all the changes and stirring events that had occurred during his long connection with the Craft . On all points of Masonic ritual , custom , or observance , his decision was , as may readily be imagined , final and conclusive , and I am fully satisfied that no such innovations as I have been given understand have recently been added to the ceremony of installation wou have been tolerated in his dav . _ -