Ar00200

John-street , and nearly ^ 1733 for fees , certificates , & : c . ; and the balance from previous year being £ 505 13 s . 2 d ., the total for the year on the Dr . side of the account is £ 3647 16 s . 8 d . The expenditure reached over £ 3042 , nearly - £ 1269 being for the purchase of stock , some £ 293 for " Charity

Donations , " and £ 1394 for salaries . The assets of the Council are set down at close on ^ 18 , 000 , and include cash , stocks , furniture , library , leases , & c . Since 1876 the Supreme Council has given = 50 guineas or pounds

annually to each of our three Institutions , its total disbursement on behalf of Masonic and other Charity from 1857 to 18 S 7—both inclusive—amounting to upwards of ^ 3127 . This is undoubtedly a bright picture , and we have no doubt it will be faithfully reproduced in the reports of future years . * * *

WE are sure that our readers will unite with us in expressing B M ° ' rJ' ^ poliT' ' syrop'thv which all who know him must feel at the serious illness which has just overtaken our much respected Bro . THOMAS TROLLOPE , M . D ., Past G . Deacon of England , and Past Prov .

G . Mark Master of Sussex . Bro . TROLLOPE has been one of the central figures in Sussex Masonry for many years , and wherever he visited has always been mcst cordially welcomed . In his professional career as a physician he has

won fame and the love of his patients , and particularly of the poor ; as a Mason , he has rendered invaluable service to its various branches , and we all hope that , though his present state may be critical , he will rally and be restored to his old condition of health .

Old Warrants.—Xviii.—Xix.—Xx.

OLD WARRANTS . —XVIII . —XIX . —XX .

COPY OF No . 163 , BIRR , A . D , 1747 . Signed By the Right W 01 shipful ancl Right Honourable Sir Marmaduke Marma . Wyvill , Wyvill , Bart ., Grand Master of all the Lodges of Free Masons in the G . M . kingdom of Ireland ; the Rt . Worshipful John Putland , Esq ., Deputy J . Putland , Grand Master , the Grand Wardens . D . G . M . Whereas our Trusty and Well-beloved Brothers William Macoun

, Thomas Ntthercott and James Armstrong have besought Us that vve vvould be pleased to erect a Lodge of Freemasons in the Town of Birr in the King ' s County of such Persons who by their knowledge and sldll in Masonry may contribute to the Well-being and Advancement thtreof . We therefore duly weighing the Premisses and having nothing more at Heart , than the Prosperity and true

Advancement of Masonry and reposing special Trust and Confidence in our Trusty and Well-beloved Brothers the said William Macoun , Thomas Nethtrcott and James Armstrong of whose Abilities and knowledge in Masonry We are satisfied : Do by these Presents , of Our certain knowledge and meer Motion , Nominate , Create , Authorize and Consti-/¦ x tute the said William Macoun , Thomas Nethercott and Tames

Arm-/ \ strong to be Master and Wardens of a Lodge of Free and Accepted ( Seal \ Maso"s , to be held . by them and their successors lawfully admitted in \ I the said Lodge for ever , And vve do hereby Give and Grant unto the V / said VVilliam Macoun Thomas Nethercott and James Armstrong and ^ - — - ^ their Successors full Power and lawful Authority , from Time to Time , to proceed to Election of a new Master and Wardens , to make such Laws , Rules and Orders , as they from Time to Time shall think Proper

and Convenient , for the well-doing and Ordering of the said Lodge ; No , 163 . reserving to ourselves and our Successors Grand Masters or Grand Wardens of Ireland , the sole Right of deciding all Differences vvhich shall be brought by Appeal before Us and our Successors Grand Masters or Grand Wardens of Ireland . In Witness whereof vve have hereunto set our Hands and Seal of Office , this fifteenth day of July in the year of our Lord God 1 747 and in the Year of Masonry 5747 . Entered by me

( Signed ) EDW . SPRATT , Seer . The above transcript has been obtained from Bro . J . E . Evans , of Birr and as it is of the year 1747 , is a good copy for the present series , even though no information is afforded of the name of a Grand Master unknown hitherto . At all events , it places on record the original founders of the Iodge which now assembles at Parsontovvn and can boast of an existence of

some hundred and forty-one years . COPY OF NO . 253 , CARR 1 CKFERGUS , A . D . 1 755 . Southwell . BY THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL , and Honourable Thomas Southwell Esqr ., Grand Master of all the Lodges of FREE MASONS in the Kingdom r / IRELAND / the Right Worshipful and honble . Brinsley Butler Esqr—Deputy Grand Master ,- the Right Worshipful and Rt . Honble . The Lord Moore and John Bury Esq . Grand Wardens .

WHEREAS our trusty and well-beloved Brothers Robert Dalway Esqr ., George Bowman and James Cunmgham have besought Us , that ive should be pleased to erect a Lodge of FREE MASONS in the Town of Carrickfergus and County of Antrim ( illegible * of such persons who by their Knowledge and Skill in MASONRV , May contribute to ihe Well-being and Advancement thereof . WE therefore duly weighin " thc Premisses , and having nothing more at Heart than the Prosperity and . true

Advancement of MASONRY , and reposing special trust and Confidence in our Trusty and Well-beloved Brothers the said Robert Dalway , George Bowman , and James Cuningham , of whose Abiliites and Knowledge in Masonrv , We are satisfied : Do by these PRESENTS , of OUR certain Knowledge , and meer Motion , Nominate , Create Authorize , and constitute the said Robert Dalway , George Bowman , and James Cuningham to be Master Wardens of a Lodge of FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS

to be held by them and their Successors lain fully admitted in the said Loelge , for ever . AND WE do hereby give and grant unto the said Brethren Robert Dalway , George-Bowman , James Cuningham , and their Successors , ftill Pcwer , and lawful Authority from Time to Time to proceed to Election of a New Master and ' Wardens to make such Laws , Rules and Orders , as they from Time to Time shall think Proper and Convenient , for the well-being and Ordering of the said Lodge ; reserving to

Ourselves and our successors , GRAND MASIERS or GRAND WARDENS of IRELAND the sole Right if deciding all Differences which shall be brought by Appeal before US and our Successors , GRAND MAbTERS or GRAND WARDENS of IRELAND . IN Wll NESS whereof , we have hereunto set our Hands and Seal of office the — Day of Febiuary in the . Year of onr Lord God , 1 755 , and in the Year of Masonry 5755 . - '

Entered by me EDWD . SPRATT , G . Sec . . Bro . James McConnell ( of Belfast ) has forwarded a capital copy of the warrant No . 253 , of A . D . 1755 , vvhich is in an excellent state of preservation , and the seal is intact . It is written on parchment , and is kept in an old

oak frame , arched and carved . The seal appears to be of the " Mossop " design , as noted by Bro . Sadler , and is as No . 7 , A . D . 1781 in the illustrations of seals , in his " Masonic Facts and Fictions , " so that it is not the original of 1755 , lhat having been removed or lost , the " slits " being still left for the ribbon ; '

Old Warrants.—Xviii.—Xix.—Xx.

COPY OF No . 409 , ARMAGH , A . D . 1763 . Westmeath By the Rt . Worshipful and Right Honble . Thomas Nugent Earl of G . M . Westmeath G . M of all the Loderes of Freemasons in the Kingdom of J . Putland Ireland the W . Jno . Putland , Esq ., D . G , VI ., the W . Henry King & D . G . M . Mathew Bailie Esqrs . G . Wardens . Whereas our trusty and well . beloved Bros . Wm . Marshall , Arthur Quinn and Wm . Reilly have / - v . besought us that we vvould be pleased to erect a Lodge of Freemasons

/ \ in the town of Armagh ot such persons vvho by their knowledge ci skill Seal ' Masonry , may contribute to the well-being & advancement thereof I 'J We therefore duly weighing the Premisses and having nothing more at X ^___^ / heart than the prosperity and true advancement of Masonry and re . posing special trust & confidence in our trusty and well-beloved Brothers the said VVm . Marshall Arthur Quinn and Wm . Reilly of whose abilities No , 409 . & knowledge in Masonry vve are satisfied do by these presents of our

certain knowledge and meer motion Nominate Create Authorize and Constitute the said W . Marshall A . Quinn & Wm . Reilly to be Mr . & Ws . of a Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons to be held by them and their Successors lawfully admitted in the said Lodge foi ever and vve do hereby give and grant unto the said Wm . Marshall A . Quinn and Wm . Reilly and their successors full power and Lawful Authority from time to time to proceed to election of a new Master & Wardens

to make such Laws Rults & Orders as they from time to time shall think proper and convenient for the Well-Being and ordering of the said Lodge reserving to ourselves and our successors , Gd . Masters or Gd . Wardens of Ireland the solo right of decid ng all differences which shall be brought by appeal before us and our successors , Gd . Masters or Gd . Wardens of Ireland . In witness whereof We have hereunto set our hands and Seal of Office this first day of December in the year of our Lord God , 176 3 and in the year of Masonry , 5763 . Entered by me , J . W . CALDER Gd . Secy .

The Earl of Westmeath , K . P ., succeeded Sir Edward King , Bart , ( afterwards ist Earl of Kingston ) , in 1764 , according to the official Calendar ! The foregoing transcript of No . 409 proves that his lordship vvas Grand Master in 1763 , so that the list is not accurate in this respect , as well as in

others . My impression is that , in the absence ot the old records , a roll of Grand Masters was prepared , which could only be termed an attempt at accuracy , and therefore we should all gladly welcome the particulars now being obtained through the publication of old warrants , thus rendering rt correct list possible . W . J . HUGHAN .

Grand Lodge Of Iowa.

GRAND LODGE OF IOWA .

The Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Iowa for 18 SS , running to some 500 pages , are of a most interesting character , and form a volume of permanent value and importance . The frontispiece consists of a portrait of the Grand Master , who has been re-elected , as he well deserved to be . This steel engraving of M . W . Bro . E . C . Blackmar is by our old friend and brother , John Sartain , of Philadelphia , whose work is always good and true .

On the title page the library medal is represented in gilt , obverse and reverse , but not much to the credit of the engraver , the obverse especiall y doing scant justice to that excellent medal . The building itself , for the largest and most valuable Masonic library in the world , is the only one of the kind devoted exclusively to that purpose . Philadelphia , New York , and other Grand Lodges , however , have special portions of their Grand Temples

set apart for the custody of their extensive Masonic libraries . This grand library is the creation of two brethren— Parvin and Bower . The latter , alas ! has left us , and is deeply lamented by a large circle of friends ; but Bro . Parvin is still amongst us , and is as active and industrious as ever . Indeed , never more so , though age approaches , and infirmities with most people , under the circumstances , lead to their "taking it easy . " In

commemoration of his Masonic Jubilee , and 44 years as Grand Secretary , a draft for 1530 dollars was handed to him at the Grand Lodge , June 7 th , 188 S , the speech of Bro . Clark Varnam , who made the presentation , on behalf of the numerous donors , being one of great excellence , and most appreciative of our veteran Grand Secretary . The following estimate of

his labours is just , and , in fact , within the truth , as more still might fairly be claimed on Pai vin ' s behalf : "Asa Masonic litterateur , as a Masonic jurist , and as a writer of reports on correspondence ; in short , in the whole literary and Masonic world his name is recognised as being one among the foremost . " Our opinion is that , taking all the circumstances into consideration , he has no equal .

The Grand Master s address reads well , and is both able and exhaustive . We dare not begin quoting from it , not knowing vvhen we should end , so vve forbear . We say the same , but still more emphatically , of Bro . Parvin ' s report on Masonic Correspondence , extending to nearly 200 pages . We wish the latter could be reproduced and circulated in this country in

evidence of the learning , discrimination , and truly Masonic sentiments which prevail in America , and which especially are so conspicuous in all the reports of Grand Secretary Parvin , his last effort , to our mind , being by far the best of the noble series , vvhich are an honour to him and his Grand Lodge , and a credit to all concerned .

As " there ' s no rule without an exception , " we relax our decision as to refraining from extracts , to allude to Bro . Parvin ' s deliverance on the Quebec question , lie is not in favour of the edict of non-intercouse issued against the Grand Lodge of England , against which he cites several cogent reasons , one being that vvhen the Grand Lodge of Canada was formed , the American doctrine of Grand Lodge Sovereignty did not obtain or prevail in

that Colony . He also quotes the agreement made by the Grand Lodges of Canada and Quebec respecting the rights of the three English Lodges which has since been broken by the Quebec authorities , for it distinctly provided for their continuing under Ens-land , if they so felt inclined . He , however , terms them "troublesome lodges , " and hopes that they will soon seek peace and harmony " rather than the discord which now prevails from their wilful disregard of public opinion . "

The deliverance of the accomplished Bro . Wait , of New Hampshire , is also alluded to , who evidently favours the belief , as some other Grand Officers , "that the three lodges in question may lawfully retain their allegiance to the Grand Lodge of England , " and vvho , whilst sympathizing with Quebec on its difficulties , as all must who have studied the questionstates it as his opinion that the Grand Lodge of New Hampshire will do well to keep out of the matter . It is now for the members ol the lodge m question to cut the " gordian knot" and for them alone .

, We have already referred to the election of Bros . Hughan , Gould , and Lane , of England , Bro . Lyon of Scotland , and Bro . Findel of Germany » 3 honorary members , with the rank of Past Senior Grand Wardens . - compliment thus paid to these prominent European Craftsmen will doubtless be much appreciated ; as the Grand Lodge of Iowa is at the head 0 .