Provincial Grand Lodge Of South Wales (Western Division).

The report of the Grand Lodge Committee , which met at the St . Peter ' s Lodge , Carmarthen , on 7 th July , 1 S 82 , was next presented . This Committee stated that from the reports sent in by thc lodges for the past year , the general state of Freemasonry in the province is highly satisfactory and in a prosperous condition . The Committee recommends that W . Bro . J . Beavan Phillips , P . M . 6 71 , P . Prov . S . G . W ., be re-elected as

the Charity Commissioner for the ensuing year , and W . Bro . Aaron Stone , P . M . 671 , P . Prov . J . G . W ., as Assistant Charity Commissioner . It advised that votes of thanks be accorded them for their valuable services and for the great zeal they have displayed in the cause of Freemasonry in the province . These recommendations received the unanimous approval of the members . The Committee also recommend that Bro . Aaron Stone be elected Steward to

represent this province at the Festival of the Boy ' s School for 1 SS 2-S 3 , and that a jewel be presented to W . Bro . Edwin Thomas , P . M . 37 8 , Prov . G . J . W ., at the next meeting of Prov . Grand Lodge , in acknowledgment of the services he had rendered lo the province as Charity Steward ; also that the best thanks of Prov . Grand Lodge be tendered to Bro . Thomas for his great exertions in furthering the cause of Freemasonry in the province . A further report of the proceedings will appear in our next .

Consecration Of The St. Mary Abbotts Lodge, No. 1974.

CONSECRATION OF THE ST . MARY ABBOTTS LODGE , No . 1974 .

The consecration of this new lodge took p lace at the Town Hall , Kensington , on Thursday , the 10 th inst . The Consecrating Officers were V . W . Bros . Colonel Shadwell H . Clerke , G . Sec . ; Captain N . G . Philips , P . G . D ., as S . W . ; Robert Freke Gould , P . G . D ., as J . W . ; the Rev . A , F . A . Woodford , P . G . C ., as Chaplain ; Frank Richardson , P . G . D ., as

Director of Ceremonies ; and W . Bro . H . G . Buss , Asst . G . Sec , as I . G . In addition to the above there were present—Capt . Adolphus Nicols , W . Master Designate , P . M . 1308 , P . D . G . Supt . of Works , Punjab ; VV . Bro . F . L . Knyvett , P . M ., P . G . S . ; Bro . Capt . H . Smith Andrews , Founder ; VV . Bro . Col . Martin Petrie , P . M ., Founder ; Bro . Capt . Chas . F . Compton , Founder ; W . Bro . Francis Charles Compton , P . M ., Founder ; W . Bro . Edwin Matthew Lott ,

P . M ., Founder ; W . Bro . VV . Sadler , P . M ., Grand Tyler ; Bros . Charles Darby Reade , W . M . Carnarvon , 1642 ; H . Dehane , VV . M ., P . G . Sec . Essex ; Rev . VV . Francis , P . C . 215 ; J . W . Waldron , P . M ., 1 G 15 ; W . Cunningham Glen , P . M . 197 , and P . G . S . ; Geo .. Capper Harding , P . M . 1231 ; Reuben C . Green , 1 G 42 , W . Bro . W . H . Kempster , P . M . ; VV . Bro . J . T . Gibson , P . M . ; VV . Bro . Peter Laird , P . M . ; Bro . Alfred Williams , and many other brethren .

Ihe lodge was duly opened by the Consecrating Officer in the Ihree Degrees , and the V . VV . Brother then addressed the assembled Founders , officers , and visitors . He said that His Royal Highness the M . W . G . M . had been pleased to grant a warrant for the new lodge , though just now , for many reasons , it was not considered advisable unnecessarily to increase the number of London lodges . But , as there was no rule without an exception , in this particular case the application was granted : firstly , because all the

petitioners lived in the district , and there was every apparent probability of a successful and working lodge ; and , secondly , because there was no lodge in thc exact locality . Thus there seemed to be a reasonable and proper opening for a new lodge , and as many of the founders were old Past Masters and experienced Masons , who had done good service to Freemasonry in other times and localities , he was glad to say the warranto ! the Grand Master had

been issued , and they were here to-day to consecrate thc lodge . He felt it , however , his duty to say a few words to the members of the new lodge . He wished to impress upon them the advisibility of care and caution in thc admission of new members . Quality , not quantity , was what new lodges ought to seek for ; and he wouldjbeg to remind them , that it was very easy to admit an unsuitable member , but very difficult often to remove him .

Many Masters of new lodges erred in this , that they sought by a large numerical strength to give the appearance of prosperity to their lodges , but there was such a thing as unhealthy overgrowth ; and he had full confidence in the W . M ., knowing him to be an experienced Mason , that he would be above any such views , and would , by a careful selection of new members and candidates , make his lodge a strong , working , and harmonious lodge .

Ihe GRAND SECRETARY \ S remarks were received with applause , and he then commenced the familiar and normal ceremonies of lodge consecration . We do not further allude to them , than simply to say , they were duly carried out "more majorum , " as we are of opinion that the minute publication of our ritual is a most hurtful and unwise proceeding . At the proper time and place V . W . Bro . A . F . A . WOODFORD delivered the following oration :

V . W . Consecrating Officer : When I received your kind request to assist you in the interesting ceremony of to-day , though I felt I had but one course to pursue , namely to obey my superior officer , I also realized very fully the difficulty of saying anything new or interesting to my assembled brethren . Vou and 1 , Sir , have so often taken part in similar pleasant dulies , and you liavc had so many orations from time to time to listen to , that I feel sure I shall best consult vour wishes and those of mv frir . ndlv nnrlinnrp if I endeavour

to be very concise indeed on the present occasion , and to exemplify the truth of the old adage , that " brevity is the soul of wit , " and also Sir , we may w ell believe , I think , of a Masonic oration . It is my special duty today , Sir , to point out to all now gathered together the nature and cxce | leilCy of that Great Institution , ( for great it really is ) , of which we are privileged to be members , and of which and in which we arc

'issembled to found a new lodge . And here begins the difficulty of the Orator of the day . Many of us have grown old , even grey in Freemasonry . Several decades have flown over our heads since first we saw the light and heard the principles of the Craft , and what need we to be told either of its nature or its excellency ? That we are here to-day to add another to the lengthening roll of English Lodges is a sterling proof that we have realized the one a . « d tested the other . My task then would become a work of

supererogation , were it not perhaps that someaie here to whom our striking ceremonies ar e not so familiar as they are to many of us , and to whom a brief reminder 01 what Freemasonry teaches , what Freemasonry is , and what Freemasonry cloes , may not be altogether without interest . My older brethren require no words of mine to tell them of the value and importance of true ' ' eeniasonry ; how it cements the bonds of true friendship , how it increases ll |

c lellowship of sociality ; how it imparts to us great and elevating truths ; p-p ! ' '' n'is one t 0 another in ties of kindness , goodwill , and concord which , 1 - ^ 'iie seems sometimes to weaken , it can never utterly destroy . We who Sather here to-day around our Consecrating Officer are carried back in Jnemory through many long and eventful years , to old days , perhaps , and "er lands , where with a band of comrades , loyal and true , we passed on le r ° ugher or smoother pathway of life in contentment and sympathy

Consecration Of The St. Mary Abbotts Lodge, No. 1974.

with all around . I think thc feeling of most of us will be to-day , of thc oldest Masons Masons present , —that wc owe to Freemasonry many warm friends and many pleasurable hours , past seasons of our own existence and striving which we can pleasurably recall still , and which set before us in much of engaging light , our old lod ge and ancient mates , and many good workers in Masonry in times gone b y . But it is not mainly for such that our ceremonies are intended . There arc some to whrm-, n < = I w ™ - „_

, marked , a reminder of Masonic teaching may be both seasonable and welcome , and there are those without , for whom as we never are ashamed of the reality which prompts our meetings , or of the good old Order to which we cordially belong , we may well , as it seems lo me , take another opportunity of once again declaring strai ghtforwardly what are thc tenets we avow , what are thc princi ples we profess . Strange to say , our loyal , and peaceful , and beneficent Fraternity has found antagonists and depredators in past airesand finds them PVPtn-rln ,. T

, „ say nothing here of r-apal Bulls or E piscopal Excommunications ; the futile slander of Presbyterian Synods or Baptist Bodies ; open persecution and fanatic outbursts as in the United States ; nor of the many foolish attacks and incriminations of the ignorant , the prejudiced and the unjust . These all have existed since 1738 , and prevail even at this hour , though Freemasonry has been , and is , none the worse for such petulant exhibitions , which only serve to prove how far the violence of bigotry can extend , how deeply engrained in our poor human fallen nature is that base spirit of intolerance

which we profess sternly to banish from every Masonic lodce . Yes , Sir even at this hour the same feelings to which I have alluded as having been exhibited ever since 173 S , if in somewhat of altered form , are manifested as distinctly and deliberately as ever . I take up , for instance , a very recent book ot memoirs , which has had a large circulation , and has been most highly praised by the Press , and I find that , for some reason , or rather , for

perhaps , no reason , the writer lugs in what he terms his " final anathema maranatha of breemasonry and Freemasons as anti-christian ; though not indeed , ashecondescendinglyadds , " as reall y hurtful , butasafoolishorgani zation ; a Goose Club ; doing no good . " Is not this a most unjust and unjustifiable animus ! Is it not so especiall y on the part of one who confessedly , by his own words , does not understand what he is talking about ? For all this is in the face of some few facts , which I will nmvatipmni tnmnrlo CD , nri „ , i , M , i ~ . ( tijt \ 1 uiiuuii

„ , „ , - - ..--. « wUIIU .,. v ., * ,. j „ , IUII ; - strated , as I view them , that our English Masonic Order , at any rate , is one of thc most loyal , the most reli gious , the most useful , the most benevolent of earthly societies . From first to last , Sir , as you well know , its formularies breathea spirit of loyal devotion to the Throne , of faithful submission to the laws

of the land . It pronounces firml y and unmistakeabl y against every form of hurtful secret political association , those disloyal organizations , and those baneful conspiracies which antagonize lawful authority , are subversive of the rights of property , the acquisitions of industry , the peace of society , the happiness of countries and nations , public order and private moralitv .

Freemasonry , though not Religion , may ever be trul y said to be an handmaid of Religion ; in that it unceasingly proclaims the spiritual and elevating truths ot Diyine philosophy and Divine morality ; in that it ever professes reverence for al ! ministers and works of Religion ; in that it never opens or closes a meeting without prayer to the Great Architect of the Universe in that

; it is never without an open Bible in our lodges , —the Great Light of English Freemasonry . In addition to this , Freemasonry seeks , in the peacefulness and seclusion of its lodge meectings , to still the angry voices of human passions , and assuage the hurtful controversies of intestine divisions . It happily utterly ignores all sectarian diffrrenens

and all political questions , and recommends to all its members those better lessons of universal toleration and charity for all men , which tend to soften the normal struggles of the world , and smooth off the rough corners of our personal idiosyncrasies . In a word , Masons' lodges are meant to be the abodes of Friendshi p , assemblies animated by alt the gentler sentiments of amity , concord , and benevolence , fostering the cultivation of all

those social virtues and all those . esthetic and refining tastes which lend harmony and colouring to all the surroundings of life , and enable us to meet happily as brethren , and friends , and mates , bound together by those ties and links of sincere affection and mutual respect , which are such a happiness , such a good thing , such a blessing for all alike here below . Remember , I am speaking of what Masonic lodges ought to be , not what they sometimes

are ; but it is my duty to fill up for you the more perfect and happy outline , it is for you , yourselves , to fill in the more minute and careful perspective . I might have enlarged , as it would be my duty to do , on its many symbolic and sacred truths , how it is in its spiritual and profound lore a witness even against a corrupting materialism , —but I forbear . I will only add this much . English I ^ reemasonry among many other earthl y Institutions and societies and

fraternities is simply "sui generis" in respect of its great work of charity . In this respect it has no rival , no compeer . It is , indeed , ahead of any existing institution , not onl y by its Lodge of Benevolence and its Provincial and private charitable grants , but above all by its really wondrous metropolitan charities , it shews much sometimes to the astonishment of a credulous and uncharitable world , that its charity is not of brass and

" sounding tinkling cymbal , " not the mere utterance of the lips , a form of expression without energy or meaning , but is an active and living virtue , habitually practised b y the faithful members of our benevolent fraternity . The certainty that we are granting £ 10 , 000 per annum to poor and distressed members of our fraternity , who make a proper claim on our chanty , that alike from our provincial funds and private lodges we are srivine much helD for relief nnrl prlnr .-iimn rVioi- , „„ * --.,:,. ...... .... j t ——— lui ^ nieidiaiiit /

, „ ., * _ , - ...... v .. , ... ,,. ; uve-l £ 40 , 000 per annum to keep our great central charities in working order and efficiency , these , I venture to think and to say , arc little simple striking facts , which I commend confidentl y and respectfull y to the attention of all who venture to speak disparagingly of Freemasonry , urging them to amend their vocabulary and change their tone when next they affect to comment the

upon principles and acts of a society of which they reall y know nothing . Not that such assaults or assailants do any real harm to Freemasonry ; on the contrary , trusting in its own good cause and strong in its own merits , it goes peacefully on its appointed mission , laughing at childish invective , contemning impotent slanders . As we have met , Sir , specially here to-day , under your direction , to consecrate ( his lodge , St . Mary Abbotts , No . T 974 , 1 will conclude with thc expression of mv sincere

hope , in which 1 know all present will join 111 c , that this new lodge may lloiinsh and prosper . Just now , when new Lodges in the Metropolis are rather rare , lew and far between , I beg to congratulate its founders that their petition for a Charter has commended itself to the Grand Master , and I feel sure , that they will evidence their appreciation of this distinction b y a future developement of usefulness and edification , for all who form the new Lodge . One word more , Sir , and I close my address . It seems to me , that wc all need a little more carefulness as to thc composition of thc