Masonic Exhibition At Shanklin.

Bro GOLDING , whose name was also coupled with the toast , said that in addition to the benefits already pointed out , these exhibitions were of special value to collectors for the opportunity of comparison they afforded , and they in particular had much to thank Bro . Greenham for . The remarks of Bro . Hughan in the catalogue were of great assistance , and most matpriallv increased its value . ( Cheers . ) _ .

Bro POPHAM gave "The Prov . Grand Master of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight , the R . W . Bro . W . VV . B . Beach , M . P . ; the Deputy Prov . Grand Master , Bro . J . E . Le Feuvre , J . P . ; and Officers , Present and Past , of the Provincial Grand Lodge . " ( Cheers . ) In the course of his remarks , Rro ! Pnnham congratulated the members of Chine Lodge and the whole ot

the province in having a Provincial Grand Master who took so deep an interest in the affairs of the province , and who was ready and willing at all times to assist the lodges in any undertaking wilh which for the time they were associated . The Exhibition which had been opened that day was one of which the Province of Hampshire might well be proud , and one which „ . _ -,,. M I _ -II < T rom . iin a landmark in the historv of Freemasonry .

_ The "PROVINCIAL G RAND MASTER , responding , said it gave him very great pleasure to be present not only at the banquet , but at the opening of the Masonic Exhibition , which he should look back upon and remember as a very proud event in connection with the province he had the honour to preside over . He had received the greatest kindness from the W . M . and members of Chine Lodge , and the valuable and beautiful medal which they had been srood enoueh to present to him that day he should treasure and

value as a memento of an event which would never be effaced from his memory . In the course of further remarks , he alluded to the prosperous condition of the province , and expressed the happiness it gave him to have the honour of presiding over a province which gave so little trouble , and in which so few cases came before him for adjudication . ( Cheers . ) Bro . LE FEUVRE , acknowledging the compliment , expressed the great pleasure he had felt in witnessing the opening of an Exhibition which re-The Lod of

flected the highest honour upon Chine Lodge . Hampshire ge Emulation , which was composed of Past Masters , some two years ago entertained the idea of undertaking an exhibition similar to this , but when they became aware , on seeing the Worcester catalogue , of the vast amonnt of labour such an undertaking would involve , they at once abandoned the idea . He therefore congratulated the W . M . and members of Chine Lodge m having surpassed the Worcester Exhibition by some 300 exhibits andacatalogue of about -W additional pages . ( Applause ) .

Bro . GOBLE , responding in behalf of the working and operative Masons as distinguished from the ornamental ( a laugh ) , remarked that it had given him great pleasure to be present at the opening of the Exhibition and at the banquet . He had contributed a few of the treasures of the Harmony Lodge , No . 309 , and he hoped that the Exhibition would give an impetus to a movement for the formation of a library in connection with the

province . ( Hear , hear ) . The CHAIRMAN , remarking that they were honoured with the presence of several distinguished Scotch brethren , proposed " The Scottish Grand Lodge , " which was most cordially received . Bros . HECTOR MCLEAN , Prov . G . M . of Lanark , CONNER , a former Prov . G . Sec . of Lanarkshire , and ST . J CAWS , severally responded . Bro . Conner said in future years that Exhibition would be regarded as one of the landmarks of the Order .

The WORSHIPFUL MASTER gave the next toast , " The Guarantors of the Exhibition . " He fully recognised , at a very early date , he remarked , the responsibilities in connection with the Exhibition . To the majority of the exhibitors he was perfectly unknown , and it therefore became necessary that some sort of guarantee should be given . While Bro . George Taylor generously placed a large number of exhibits at his disposal without having that it would much

obtained any guarantors , he suggested to him give greater confidence to the exhibitors generally if he could obtain guarantors . He ( the speaker ) thereupon waited upon Bro . Past Master Dabbs , and with a certain amount of hesitation asked him whether he might use his name as or . e of the guarantors . Bro . Dabbs , without the slightest hesitation whatever and in the most ready and willing manner , acceded to his request—( cheers)—and he felt sure from that moment that every link to make the

Exhibition a success was completed . By the same evening s post he wrote to Bro . Francis VVhite Popham , who called upon him the next morning and said it would give him very much pleasure to aid and assist Chine Lodge in becoming one of the guarantors of the Exhibition . He could not speak too highly of the great interest shown by Bro . Popham in Chine Lodge since its formation . At its constitution he contributed largely as a donor , and from his high social position he had been able that day to contribute to the success of the proceedings in a way beyond his ( the speaker's ) abilities .

Bro . POPHAM acknowledged in appropriate terms , expressing his readiness to do all he could for the lodge and his pleasure at the successful opening of the Exhibition . The PROV . GRAND MASTER gave the next toast , "The Health of the W . M . of Chine Lodge . " He spoke of it as a great pleasure that he should be honoured to propose this loast , and in the course of an exceedingly

complimentary speech alluded to the enormous amount of time and the immense labour the W . M . must have given , not only in collecting the exhibits , but in arranging them , and in bringing the Exhibition to such a successful termination . He congratulated Chine Lodge on having a Master who worked wilh such earnestness and zeal for the cause , and he hoped that his efforts would be crowned with success . ( Cheers ) .

Bro . GREENHAM remarked that his reply would be necessarily brief . While the remarks of the Prov . Grand Master were most flattering to him and while his ( the speaker ' s ) own name would necessarily be brought prominently forward he must not forget to mention that he had received valuable help from the following members of Chine Lodge : Bros . Cooper , Cantlow , Matthews , Young , Conner , Rayner , Thompson , and Mew ; and

in the correspondence from Bros . Whitehill and Colenutt . He could not , howevr , refrain from specially mentioning Bro . John Bailey , I . P . M ., who had done much to make this Exhibition a success . From the very first Bro . Bailey associated himself with the arduous labours in connection with the undertaking , and whatever measure of success was attained the credit must be largely shared by him . ( Cheers . ) He had trespassed on his time to an extent unknown by many members of the lodge , and yet had never been

refused his co-operation and aid on any one occasion . ( Cheers ) . He must not , however , forget those on tbe mainland , viz ., Bro . George Kenning , who had so kindly assisted him in every way , both personally and through the columns of the Freemason , and Bro . Hughan , who appended the notes , and helped in ( he many difficulties , and whose name in connection with the catalogue would ever make it valuable . While , however , he felt he must not trespass on the next toast , he could not forbear to say how highly he

Masonic Exhibition At Shanklin.

appreciated the services of Bro . George Taylor , who had not only helped him all through , but , with a kindness which was a characteristic of him , had come all the way from Kidderminster to assist him , and without whose assistance in arrang ing the exhibits he scarcely knew how he should have done it . No words that he could use would fully express his feelings towards that brother , and every member of Chine Lodge felt as he did .

Bro . W . W , B . BEACH , M . P ., P . G . M . Hants and Isle of Wight , proposed " The Health of Bro . George Taylor , P . G . Sec . Worcestershire , " and paid a high tribute of praise for his great kindness , in coming specially from Kidderminster to help the W . M . of the Chine Lodge . It was an act , he was sure , all appreciatedand he had been asked to present him with a

, medal , the intrinsic value of which was in no way contemplated as any recognition of his services , but rather for Bro . Taylor to see that in some manner they wished to mark their appreciation of all he had done to promote the interests of the Exhibition . ( Applause . ) The P . G . M . then handed Bro . Taylor the medal .

Bro . TAYLOR , in acknowled ging the compliment , deprecated the excess of kindness he had received in return for the services he had been able to render the members of the Chine Lodge in general , and their W . M . in particular . It had found expression at this festive board , not only in the presentation of the medal , which would ever remind him of pleasant associations with the Isle of Wight , but also in singling him out as the

subject of a special toast , instead of including him with the distinguished visitors present . The inducement to place his best services at their disposal sprung from several reasons , the first being that " fellow feeling which makes us wondrous kind , " for with a lively recollection of the mountains of work the Worcester Exhibition entailed upon himself , it was only natural to stretch out a ready and sympathetic hand to one similarly circumstanced .

Again , the pecuniary object of the Chine Lodge was to assist in liquidating their Hall debt , and Masonic Halls , one of which he had been the chief promoter at Kidderminster , had always his strong approval and encouragement . There was also the deeper and wider question involved , that of the furtherance of Masonic research and the fostering of ideas and pursuits allied with the intellectual side of Freemasonry , and its disassociation

from all tending to invite or give material for reproach . Though the elements had not been propitious that day and the attendance had fallen below anticipations , yet a noble work had been bravely attempted and successfully carried out to the pleasure and profit of all participating . Bro . Taylor in heartily thanking the brethren for the warmth of their reception and their appreciation of his help

, expressed a certain conviction in the robust Masonry and generosity of Hampshire and Isle of Wight , brethren not permitting the pecuniary object of the Exhibition to suffer from any untoward circumstances connected with the weather , but that Bro . Greenham's efforts would be as richly rewarded in that direction as they had been in all else connected with the great Exhibition opened that day .

" The Past Masters , " proposed by Bro . RAYNER , had a competent respondent in the I . P . M ., Bro . BAILEY . " The Visitors " was proposed by the WORSHIPFUL MASTER , but the hour prevented many from responding at length . Bro . STONE , P . M ., being called upon by the W . M ., remarked that it gave him great pleasure in being present at the opening of the Exhibition ,

which he trusted would be a great success . He regretted , however , being asked to reply as a visitor at such a late hour of the evening , as there was much he would like to say , and being a prosy speaker in all probability would go on for an hour instead of one minute which was all the time left for visitors to remain ; if , therefore , he attempted to crowd into one minute what might usefully extend over 60 , brethren would pardon the velocity .

He then thanked the brethren of Chine Lodge for their hospitality , and stated that the Province of Worcestershire thought so much of Bro . Taylor ' s collection that Committee had been appointed with the object of inducing him to sell it to the province , to form the neuclus of a Masonic library and museum . In this the Committee had been successful , and so henceforth the loaning of this exhibit would be difficult from the fact of being tied with

knotty red tape . He then referred to the zeal and support of the Past Masters , and paid a high tribute to their sustaining powers , insomuch as they were the backbone of the lodge , and being such , they necessarily were also the brain of the lodge , for it being a well-know fact that the backbone properly constructed , contained always a considerable portion of the brain . Bro . Stone resumed his seat amidst much applause . The brethren then separated , having spent a very enjoyable evening .

We are favoured with the following notes on former Exhibitions and an Analysis of THE CATALOGUE , BY BRO . W . J . HUGHAN .

The reception tendered by the York and Eboracum Lodges , Nos . 236 and 1611 , to the visiting brethren who were members of the British Association holding its jubilee meeting " within the walls of the ancient capital of the North , " inaugurated the series of exhibitions of ancient documents and relics , which have made York famous , Masonically as well as archa ; ologically .

Bros . A . Buckle , B . A ., and J . S . Cumberland were the energetic Secretaries , and Bro . T . B . Whytehead the efficient Director of Ceremonies throughout the proceedings . This was a remarkable gathering in many respects , the distinguished savants on September 5 th , 1881 , laying aside for the time their scientific studies , and " aprons put on , " to take part in the Masonic duties of the evening . Bro . J . Todd read an interesting paper on the records , & c , preserved by the York Lodge , No . 236 ; Bro . Thomas W . Tew ( now Prov .

Grand Master of West Yorkshire ) delivered an address— " A Parallelism between Science and Freemasonry "—appropriate tothe occasion ; Dr . J . Pearson Bell ( the veteran Deputy Prov . Grand Master ) gave an excellent sketch of the rise and progress of the Yorkshire Craft ; followed by Bro . Hyde Clarke , who descanted on the relation between Freemasonry and Druidism , & c . ; and Bro . T . B . Whytehead concluded the rich fare by referring to the position of the ancient city of York as a Masonic centre of activity during the last century .

The Exhibition comprised 180 lots sent by some 31 collectors , some being of considerable value ; and a racy account of the meeting , with particulars of the various exhibits , was published by Bro . Whytehead , who was assisted by Bro . Cumberland . The second Exhibition was held by the members of the " Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia" ( York College ) on February 20 th , 1884 . Frater Charles L . Mason , V ., was then lhe Celebrant , and the collection was admirably arranged in the Masonic Hall , Duncombe-place , the catalogue being edited