Freemasonry In 1899.

one of our strongest Royal Arch Provinces , a Province in which the Chapters are to the Craft Lodges in the proportion of about five to nine . But if Comp . Jackson is dissatisfied with the position of Royal Arch Masonry , relatively to the Craft , in his

Province , how much more dissatisfied must be the rulers of those Provinces in which the proportion of Chapters to Craft Lodges is far less favourable ! Let us hope that these and similar remarks by Comp . Jackson ancl others may have the effect of strengthening our Chapters generally .

MARK MASONRY . * The Mark Degree has bcen greatly in evidence during thc present year , anel though we have known times when the registers of Mark and Royal Ark Mariner lodges have shown a greater increase , and though it is quite possible that the number of certificates granted may have been as great or even greater , still there

can be no question as to this popular branch of our Masonic system having enjoyed its full share of thc general prosperity . Dealing with the statistics of the year first , we note that warrants for io new Mark lodges and seven Royal Ark Mariner lodges have been granted by his Royal

Highness , the AI . W . Grand Mark Master . Of the former five are located in the Provinces , namely , the Wilbraham , No . 523 , Widnes , in the Province of Lancashire ; the Kyrle , No . 524 , Ross , in that of Gloucestershire and Herefordshire ; the Haywra , No . 525 , Harrogate , in West Yorkshire ;

the , No . 526 , , in •: the Dunmow , No . 527 , Dunmow , in the newly-formed Province of Essex ; and the Scarsdale Lodge , No . 529 , Chesterfield , Derbyshire . Of the five located in foreign parts , Nos . 521 and 522 arc in Queensland ; No . 528 , Ladysmith , in the District of

Natal , and the Irrawaddy , No . 530 , Sagiang , in Burma ; ancl in reference to this group , it is only necessary to mention that No . 52 S was constituted at Ladysmith only a few weeks before the war was declared and the Colony invaded by the Boers . The ceremony was performed by Bro . Cook , Dist . G . Master , and

Bro . Capt . Hearne was installed in the chair as first W . M . As it was stated at the time that there was every prospect that the Iodge would have : a large membership , we must hope that when peace is restored our Mark brethren will be able to realise the encouraging prospects which appeared in view at the

inauguraltion meeting of this lodge . Of the seven new Royal Ark Mariner lodges one is in London , three are Provincial , ancl three Abroad , namely , the Menalschim , attached to the Mark Lodge , No . 224 , ancl bearing the same name ; the Noel , attached to Xo . 505 , in Surrey ; the Bridgman , attached to the Walpole

Lodge , No . 92 , Norwich , m hast Anglia ; and the East Sussex , at Hastings , attached to the Lodge , No . 166 , of the same name , in Sussex . The three Abroad are Nos . 521 ancl 522 , attached to the Mark lodges of the same numbers in Queensland , and thc Burkitt , attached to the Cyprus Lodge , No . 232 , Benares , in the District of Benirah The Mark certificates issued during the

year were 1421 , and increased the number of registered Mark Masons to 40 , 452 , while there were 313 R . A . M . certificates issued , raising the number registered to 6056 . Among the more noteworthy changes that have taken place in Mark Masonry will be found the substitution of the present ,

for the late , Ear ! of Lathom , as Prov . Grand Mark Mastcr of Lancashire , the ceremony of installation having been performed bv thc Earl of Euston , P ' ro G . M . M . On the 24 th April Bro . Sir E . Stock Hill , M . P ., was installed at Cardiff Prov . G . M . M . of South Wales by the Earl of Euston , and on the 12 th June

Freemasonry In 1899.

Viscount Dungarvan , the Dep . G . M . M ., did a like service for Bro . Sir Reginald Hanson , Bart ., M . P ., as Prov . G . M . M . of Middlesex , in succession to the late Iamentee Bro . Col . A . B . Cook . There has also been founded a new Province , Essex being deemed sufficiently strong to be separated from the other

counties constituting the old Province of East Anglia and placed under the rule of the Earl of Warwick , who was formally installed in office , to the great gratification of the brethren , by the Pro G . M . Master at Colchester , on the 24 th May . Several of the Provincial and District G . Masters have had their patents continued

for a further term of three years , so that in all directions the organisation of the Degree has been strengthened . But there are two particular events which are always looked forward to by our Mark brethren , the annual Festival of the Grand Master ' s Lodge of Instruction and the Festival in aid of the Mark

Benevolent Fund . The former of these was held on the 17 th May , and hael the advantage of being presided over by the Pro . G . M . M ., while the latter took place at Freemasons' Hall on Wednesday , the 12 th July , when the Earl of Warwick , in his new capacity of Grand Master of the Province of Essex , occupied the chair , and

had the satisfaction of hearing a total of subscriptions amounting to £ 2073 , the number of ladies and brethren who acted as Stewards being 150 . Thus all has gone well in the Mark , nor woulei there have been a single circumstance to disturb the serenity of the proceedings had not the Mark G . Lodge at its

Quarterly Communication in June seen fit to declare spurious ancl clandestine a Time Immemorial Lodge which had been working independently in the Ashton-under-L yne District , its offence being that it had so worked for some 40 years past under the title of a Grand Lodge , but claiming no jurisdiction outside

its own particular district . We are , however , fortunatel y in a position to announce that the difficulty has been arranged . The old Ashton Lodge has dissolved itself and presented thc funds at its disposal to be used for charitable purposes in Cheshire and Lancashire . At the same , time a warrant of confirmation has

been applied for and granted to 36 members of the defunct lodge , ancl this will henceforth rank as the Ashton Mark ( T . I . ) and take precedence as No . 5 on the roll of the Mark G . Lodge Moreover , it is stated that the Earl of Euston , the Pro G . M . M ., will hold a moveable Grand Lodge early next year at some place

in Cheshire and constitute the lodge afresh . There is , thus , every prospect that when this arrangement has been carried out , any little soreness that may have existed in Mark Masonry in the neighbourhood will be removed , and harmony will resume its

sway . Be it added , that at the Quarterly Meeting on the 5 th December , the Mark G . Lodge voted 100 guineas to the Daily Telegraph Shilling Fund for the Widows and Orphans of the men killed during the war now raging in S . Africa .

CHIVALRIC AND HIGH GRADE MASONRY . Under this head , as we have explained in former reviews of the year ' s Freemasonry , are included thc Ancient and Accepted Rite , the Orders of the Temple and of Rome and the Red Cross

of Constantine , the Royal and Select Masters , the Allied Masonic Degrees , the Royal Order of Scotland , the Rosicrucian Society , and the Order oi the Secret Monitor , and in respect of each and every of these we are glad to be in a position to report more or less favourably of the proceedings during the year . The

Ancient ancl Accepted Rite has added four to its roll of Rose Croix Chapters , raising the total that have been warranted since the Supreme ' Council , 33 , for England ancl Wales , & c , has bcen constituted to 146 . It lias

Ad00802

UrgentDistress:WrecksandLossofLife. " There is Sorrow on the Sea . " SHIPWRECKEDMARINERS'SOCIETY, WITH OVER 1 , 000 AGENCIES ; 11,010PersonsRelievedEastYear. The Rescued Sailor , Fisherman , & c , instantly cared for on the spot and sent home ; the Widow , Orphan , & c „ of the drowned immediately sought out , the distressed seafarer of every grade at once charitably assisted . © atl-on : ~ HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN ( sinco 1839 ) . Chairman cf Committee :-ADMIRAL E . S . ADEANE , C . M . GL ( Viiitrilmtions thankfull y received by tlie Secretary—GERALD E . MAUDE , Esq ., 20 , Suffolk-street , Pall Mall East , S . W .