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gaaat ^ T . * *^ - * - A ^ . -Ti :.- -. ' ^ £ ^ ram ^ - _ * kA - ^ W ^ r ^^^^^^^ e ^^ fW- ^ MSOMll SATURDAY , AUGUST 18 , IQOO .

Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

The Grand Lodge of Scotland mikes a point of showing its appreciation of the services rendered to it b y the distinguished brethren who successively occupy the chair of Grand Master . Accordingly , prior to the meeting held on the 2 nd instant , a number of members assembled in the board room at Freemasons' Hall for

the purpose of presenting Lady Saltoun with a bust of her husband in token of the Craft's appreciation of Lord Saltoun ' s services as Grand Master Mason during the preceding three years . The presentation was made " 1 Bro . the Hon . James Hozier , M . P ., the present

Grand Master , in a graceful speech , in which he referred not only to the uniform kindness and courtesy as well as ability which his lordship had exhibited while occupying the chair of Grand Lodge , but also to the veiy grca | sympathy and support he had received Irom

Masonic Notes.

Lady Saltoun in the discharge of his duties . The bust , of which a replica will be placed in Freemasons ' Hall , having been unveiled , Lord Saltoun , on behalf of his wife , acknowledged the gift . Subsequently , Lord

and Lady Saltoun entertained thebrethren at luncheon and with this and several rounds of hearty cheers for " Lord and Lady Saltoun and their fireside , " the pleasant little function came to an end .

* * * There never has been , never can have been , any doubt as to the strength of the position which Freemasonry holds in the Province of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight . Even if our brethren in this part of

the country were less enthusiastic in their support of Masonry and its institutions , any indifference on their part would be overborne by the enthusiasm of Bro . the Right Hon . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., than whom no more sincere and fervent Mason is to be found in

England , and who for more than 30 years has ruled his Province with such brilliant success . Hence it is not surprising that at the recent annual meeting of the Prov . Grand Lodge all the reports that were submittedVshouId have been of the most satisfactory

nature , and all the speeches that were delivered instinct with gratitude to the chief for the progress that has been made under his auspices . The Prov . Grand Secretary reported the total membership of the Province at 3917 , and as the number of lodges on the roll stands , as last year , at 48 , the average number per

lodge is slightly in excess of Si . The Prov . Grand Treasurer ' s accounts were also most encouraging , the balance in hand being within a fraction of ^ 1670 , and showing that the duties of the Treasurer could not be in better hands than those of Bro . J . W . Gieve , who has held the office for a long , term of years , and had the honour of being re-elected .

# * One drawback there was from the general satisfaction that characterised the meeting , and this was due to the sorrow felt for the loss of Bro . Richard Eve , Past G . Treasurer of England , who had been connected with the Province for well-nigh 30 years , and during all

that time had never missed an opportunity of doing what he could to promote thc interests of Masonry both in the Province and generally . In proposing that a record of regret at the death of Bro . Eve should be entered on the minutes of their proceedings , the Provincial Grand Master referred to Bro . Eve ' s

services , more particularly in connection with the Boys School , of whose Board of Management he had been the Chairman since its formation , and expressed his fears that it was his zeal for that Institution which had cost him his life , Bro . Eve having risen from a sick bed in order to be present at the ceremony of

laying the foundation-stone of the new School at Bushey by H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught , M . W . Past Grand Master . It is needless to say that the motion , which was seconded by Bro . J . E . Le Feuvre , P . G . D ., P . D . P . G . M ., was adopted item . con . in silence , the brethren present being all upstanding .

* With this solitary exception , the proceedings at this annual meeting were most gratifying , and the day terminated with a conversazione at the Town Hall , to

which Bro . H . R . Pink , the Mayor of Portsmouth , who is W . M . of the United Brothers Lodge , No . 106 9 , and had the honour of being appointed Prov . Senior Grand Warden , invited the brethren in the evening . * # #

It will be seen from our report of the annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Cheshire at Stockport , on the Sth instant , that : our announcement as to the contemplated retirement of Earl Egerton of Tatton from the oflice of Provincial Grand Master

which he has held with such dignity and so greatly to the well being of Cheshire Masonry for the last 14 years , was conect . In acknowledging the congratulations of the brethren on his appointment to the Lord-Lieutenancy of Cheshire in succession to the late Duke

of Westminster , his lordship said that in consequence of that appointment and the other pressing duties now devolving upon him , he felt it incumbent upon him to tender his resignation as their Provincial Grand Master to his Royal Highness the M . W . Grand Master .

Hc held it to be his bounden duty , he siid , to do thoroughly and to the best of his ability whatever task hc undertook , and he would no longer have the time and the leisure to bestow that attention upon Masonry which it deserved .

The announcement appears to have come upon the brethren somewhat as a surprise , and we feel confident that the Deputy—Bro . Sir Horatio Lloyd , P . G . D . — and Biui . Col . Dean and Gee correctly interpreted the

Masonic Notes.

mind of the Province when they earnestl y invited his lordship to reconsider his decision , and retain office for some time longer . The Deputy Provincial Grand Master , in particular , pointed out that it would be easy for him and the other executive officers of the Province so to arrange business matters as to render unnecessary any serious demand upon his lordship ' s

time . Whether the appeal , by which Lord Egerton must have been greatly touched , will prove successful , remains to be seen ; but there can be no doubt that his lordship ' s retention of office will be a benefit to Cheshire , which has already so greatly prospered under his rule . » *

A regular Quarterly Communication of the Dist . Grand Lodge of Canterbury ( N . Z . ) , was held at the St . Augustine Masonic Hall , Christchurch , on the 19 th April . Bro . Rich . Dunn Thomas , Dist . Grand Master presided , and five out of the eight lodges on the roll were represented . It was unanimously

resolved that the congratulations of the Dist . Grand Lodge should be forwarded through the G . Secretary to the Prince of Wales , M . W . G . M ., on his providential escape from assassination . It was also recommended that the Board of Benevo lence should vote a sum of money to the South African Masonic

Relief Fund , and when District Grand Lodge had closed , the Board met and voted a donation of 10 guineas . The balance on the General Fund was declared to be close on , £ 60 , with £ 225 on fixed deposit ; while that on the Fund of Benevolence was

£ 3 g , with £ 350 on fixed deposit . Letters of condolence were ordered to be sent to the widow and the Grand Lodge of New Zealand on the loss which they had severally sustained through the death of Bro . J . J . JI . Hamilton , Grand Superintendent of the Canterbury District under the New Zealand Constitution .

« * » The South African Masonic Relief Fund appears to be making slow , but steady , progress , and now amounts to upwards of £ 9000 . Among the late noteworthy amounts which have found places in our weekly lists are 20 guineas from the Provincial Grand Lodge o £

Middlesex and a like amount from that of Berkshire ; 100 guineas from the District Grand Lodge of Queensland ; 50 guineas from the Provincial Grand Lodge of West Lancashire ; several sums from the Provincial Grand Lodge and sundry of the private lodges in Gloucestershire , amounting together to £ 52 17 s .: 25

guineas from the St . Nicholas Lodge , No . 1676 , Newcastle-upon-Tyne ; 50 guineas from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Somersetshire j ^ 28 6 s . 6 d . trom the Phmnix Lodge of Namaqualand , No . 2082 ; £$ o from the Zetland Lodge , No . 525 , Hong Kong ; 20 guineas from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Essex : ^ 20 fro m

Adam s Peak Lodge , No . 2656 , Ceylon ; 10 guineas from the District Grand Lod ge of Auckland ( N . Z . ) 5 £ 110 14 s . jd . from the District Grand Master , the District Grand Lodge , Grand Chapter , and Grand Mark Lodge , and sundry private lodges in the Punjab ; 34 guineas from members of the Jubilee Masters '

Lodge , No . 2712 ( second list ) ; and 10 guineas from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Norfolk . The contributions we have specified show that the Fund is being well supported throughout the jurisdiction of United Grand Lodge . * * B

We learn from the statistics referred to by Grand Master Malone in his address at the recent annual meeting of the Grand Lod ge of Canada ( Province of Ontario ) that during the past year the number of lodge subscribing members has increased from 2 4 . 9 S 7 in J " . i 8 99 > to 26 , 195 at the present time , the

net increase being 1238 . Tne funds also are in a stable position , the total of invested capital and cash balance at bank being 9 6 , 28 7 dollars , of which 80 , 405 dollars stand to the credit of the General Fund , and 16 , 082 dollars to the Asylum Fund . We are also told

that during the same period nearly 26 , 000 dollars were dispensed in relief of deserving brethren , widows , and orphans , of which 14 , 085 dollars were paid by Grand Lodge , and 11 , 901 dollars by private lodges . These statements are most creditable to the brethren in this Province of the Dominion .

It has long been known that in Mew South Wales Royal Arch Masonry has been divided against itself . On the one hand , we have the Supreme Grand Chapter which appears to have been formed by the chapters attached to the lodges holding under the Grand Lodge of England prior to the formation of the United

Grand Lodge of New South Wales . On the other hand , there is the Provincial Grand Chapter holding under the Grand Chapter of Scotland , the private chapters constituting which appear to have declined to have anything to do with establishing the Colonial Supreme Grand Chapter . Those who take an interest

in these matters will lind a long account of the origin and development of the dispute between the two bodies in the May issue of the Freemason , ' Chronicle of Australasia . Though there are undoubtedly one or two points which cannot be arranged off-hand , we do not , after reading the account carefull y , and bearing in mind that it does not give the whole of the

circumstances as seen through English and Scottish R . A . spectacles respectively , consider there is any just cause or impediment why a settlement that shall b < - honourable to both parties , should not be arrived at . Wc certainly hope the day is not far distant when R . A . Masonry , like Craft Masonry , in the Colony will be constituted as a united body .