Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS _ :, 5 Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution j ; u Provincial Grand Lodge of Leicestershire and Rutland £ 76 Masonic History and Historians 57 J Installation of the Grar . d Master of Dumbartonshire _ . ; 8

CORRESPONDENCE ( continued)—No Prov . Grand Chaplain 5 S 0 Masonic Emblems 38 a Reviews .. ; 5 S 0 Masonic Notes and Queries 581 Metropolitan Masonic Benevolent Association JSt REP - 'K TS OF MASOXIC

MEETINGSMasonic 1 eremony at Fowey j ; 8 Annual Fest . val of the Old Kent Mark Lodge of Instruction $ 79 Interesting Masonic Gathering in Liverpool 579 Amusements ; $ 79 CORRESPONDENCEThe Ritual Question 4 S 0 The Last Quarterly Communication < So

Craft Masonry .... ' .. ' SSi Instruction .. " , $ 86 Roval Arch 5 S 0 Mark Masonrv 587 Funeral o £ Bto . Capt . Sinclair ot ShoreHam Obituary « S ? Masonic and General Tidings : 5 SS Lodge Meetings for Next Week iii .

Ar00101

ALL our readers will have noted , and perused wilh much admiration , the " remarkable speech" of our Roynl GRAND MASTER , as Lord GRANVILLE termed it , which he made at the meeting- in reference to a national memorial to the late Dean STANLEY . The proceedings at that great assembly are very noteworthy , and most touching in their tribute of regard , respect , and affection for that interesting and lamented personality .

* ' * THE admirable and eloquent speech of our ; Royal Illustrious Bro . the DUKE of ALBANY at Manchester , in respect of music , its claims and charms , its history and its needs , will have been read by all the members of our Fraternity with pleasure and pride .

* * . WE rejoice to hear that our distinguished brother the LORD MAYOR will preside at thc next Anniversary Festival of thc Boys' School . He is , we understand , likely to be the W . M . of No . r . WE feel strong ! }' , with our entire Craft , that we cannot too much regret the

resignation of Bro . J . M . CLABON as President of the Board of Benevolence . His urbanity and fairness , his courtesy and consideration on all occasions , his firmness , and yet his suavity , combined to render him a most efficient and popular Chairman , while his professional acumen and his thorough

knowledge of the Book of Constitutions constituted him an " authority " for his brethren , a President whose decisions on all " moot points " it was neither safe to arraign nor prudent to challenge . His uniform kindness to all the members of the Board will often be pleasurably remembered alike by regular attendants and occasional visitants , while his services generally to our Order will long be gratefully recalled by his " brethrenin Masonry . "

* * IN Bro- J OSHUA NUNN the Board will have a most efficient Chairman , and one who is thoroughly conversant with the detail and practice of the Board of Benevolence . In all large bodies , or small committees even , conflicts of opinion will sometimes arise ; and we feel sure that if such do arise under

his Chairmanship our esteemed brother will always remember that it is the duty of a Chairman to be absolutely impartial and hold the scales perfectly even , but , at the same time , to state with clearness and precision the law upon the matter under discussion , not what it is " subjectively" to himself ,

but what it is " objectively , " according to the plain , natural , reasonable interpretation of the Book of Constitutions . Luckily , 'Bro . NUNN has an admirable model for a Chairman to follow in the patience and forbearance , and yet decision if needful , clearness and firmness , which distinguishes Bro . J . M . CLABON .

* * WE are rather inclined , we confess , to agree with Bro . BRITTEN , who said in Grand Lodge that the little "bye play" as to the nomination of the Vice-Presidents came by surprise on his Board , as it did assuredl y on the Craft , on all who were not in the secret . Wc , like many more , were

mystified until we heard the explanation of what ought not to have been a mystery at all . Several questions " crop up " which , we venture to think , have been too summarily dealt with , too hastily overlooked . But as often happens in the affairs of this world , probably the " least said the soonest mended , " and there is very little real use , whether in things Masonic or otherwise , to " cry over spilt milk . "

* # Bro . J AMES BRETT ' services on the Board of Benevolence have been very steady and effective , and have been , moreover , much appreciated by his brethren . We are sorry , we feel bound to say it , that the rule of well merited promotion was not followed in his case .

* * We are informed that Bro . GEORGE LAMBERT , well-known to many of our readers , though of late his attendance has not been so regular , formerly paid much attention to the working of the Board of Benevolence . Just now , for various reasons , the thorough and careful -administration of

Ar00102

the Board becomes a " sine qua non , " alike for thc welfare of our Masonic finances generally , and the claims of too numerous applicants for relief in particular . * * WE rejoice to hear and note that the " Gallery " Lodge is progressing , and now numbers thirty-two members .

WE understand that our esteemed Bro . W . T . LAMONBY , long a zealous contributor to the Freemason , is about to proceed to Australia in connexion with the Melbourne Argus and Australasian newspaper . We wish him

heartily all success in his new sphere of work . Knowing him to be a most zealous Freemason , we trust that we shall hear of him still working for the Craft , from time to time , in the old and familiar pages of the Freemason . *

GRAND Lodge has unanimously doubled the grant to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , making it now ^ 1600 per annum . Bro . RAYNHAM W . STEWART ' S speech was both very clear and straightforward . He made out a verv good case . * * ±

IT seems , that on the last occasion two appeals were dismissed , and one allowed ; not all dismissed , as we said editorially last week . , s * S ' * AFTER the lucid speech of the Grand Registrar , Grand Lodge had no option but to refuse recognition to the so-called Grand

Lodge of New South Wales . We have always said the same , and doubted and denied thc applicability of American maxims to such a case . Indeed , the American " law of recognition " proceeds on the assumption that there is a majority of consenting lodges , not a minority .

. * * WE find in one of our contemporaries , the Observer , the following - paragraph : "The Lord Mayor has telegraphed to the Burgomaster at . Vienna , on behalf of the citizens of London , their very sincere regret at the sad calamity which has befallen that city in the loss of so many hundreds of

lives by the burning of the theatre there . " We feel sure that all the members of the Craft will feel the deepest sympathy , both for the unfortunate sufferers and the mourning survivors . ' The destruction by fire of thc "Ring Theatre , " and the terrific loss of life through wanton carelessness ormalarrangements for the safety of the audience , constitute one of the most appalling calamities in our times .

* * THE readers of newspapers just now are literall y breakfasting , dining , and supping upon "horrors . " What with the " profanation " at Dunecht and the " tragedy" at Wimbledon , the mournful episode at Sheffield , the "burning of the Ring Theatre" and the "Railway Massacre "

at Highbury Tunnel , —what with Irish mutilations and sensational items generally , the newspapers find plenty of occasion for "large type" and ecstatic announcements . Indeed , all these things are enough to affect our digestion and shake our nervous system . Such repeated proofs of the ' painful " realism of life" render the closing month of iSSr alike melancholy and depressing to the serious and the thinking .

# * * CAPTAIN BROWNRIGG ' S gallant death is another very notable reminder of the unceasing devotion to duty of all classes in his great profession . "We , gentlemen of England , who live at home at ease , " are accused in the old glee , still , as ever , welcome , " How little do wc think upon the sailors on

the seas . And true it is , we fear , that we are sometimes apt to forget the amount of hardship cheerfully borne , and dangers heroically encountered in obedience to orders , by our English sailors in " far off seas . " In the discharge of his duties to suppress the iniquitous slave trade , Captain BROWNRIGG ' S death , under twenty-one wounds , reads like a tale of chivalry in the olden time .

* * WE are pleased to read that our Bro . the LORD MAYOR ' fund for , " Suffering Ladies in Ireland , " at the end of a few days now exceeds considerably . £ 4000 . We said last week that under the special circumstances of the case we thought the Grand Lodge might in humanitarian

sympathy make a grant towards the same good object . So important we venture to think , are both example and aid for poor Ireland just now , —so great is this call on our innermost feelings and personal associations , alike as members of the "* Masonic Order and as igktriotic citizens , that we are

also inclined to be of opinion that a Grand' Lodge of Emergency should be summoned to vote a befitting amount towards so good a cause , so true an effort of duty and benevolence . It will be three months before Grand Lodge meets again , and no time is like the present . That ladies living in comfort and home happiness , and filling high positions in society , should