Consecration Of The United Northern Counties Lodge, No. 2128.

1 . Clayton R . G . Smith , P . P . G . D . C . North and East Yorkshire ; C . G . L . Kipling ; K . Carr ; J . VV . Woodall , G . Treas . 5 J . W . Tew , P . G . M . of West Yorkshire ; and S . Lamb . After the lodge had been formaally opened , Bro . Col . S IICDWELL H . CLERKE , in addressing the brethren on the object of the meeting , said they were assembled on a very interesting Masonic occasion , viz ., to consecrate a new lodge , for which a warrant

had been granted by the M . W . G . M . the Prince of Wales , They knew it was somewhat difficult in the present day to obtain a warrant for a new lodge in London , on account of the large number of Masonic lodges which met in the great metropolis . Of course there were exceptions to the rule , and the present case was one peculiarly fitted for an exception in its favour . Inthepresentconditionitwasnot . aswasgenerally the case of things in London , that the lodge was established for the convenience of London

brethren , but for the convenience of many earnest and distinguished Masons who had received their Masonic light in lodges in the Northern Counties of England , who , from the exigencies of their business avocations , had come to reside in London , but who had not had an opportunity of joining London lodges . Yet these brethren felt it was a desirable thing to have a kind of rendezvous in London , so that the brethren who had worked in former days in the North of England might meet in lodge in London .

His Royal Hig hness had seen fit to recognise the claims of these brethren , and had granted a warrant for the constitution of the United Northern Counties Lodge . The brethren who had been selected to rule oyer the lodge for its first year were old and well tried Masons , and he felt that in Bros . Cumberland , Sinithson , and Masters the brethren would have officers who would manage the lodge well , and conduct its affairs aright . - At the conclusion of this address ,

Bro . the Rev . J . STUDHOLME BROWNRIGG , P . G . C ., delivered the following oration :

The rapid increase of our Order , both in numbers and in importance , is rendering necessary the existence of such lodges as the one we are consecrating this evening . We welcome it as an assurance that in all matters of importance there is an identity of feeling between this great City and the provinces , and that the most distant provinces desire to strengthen that bond of fraternal affection which binds them to the head quarters of our Order . Brethren , I emphasize the expression "inall matters of importance , " because I think it is well to remember that in our Craft , as in all other human Institutions ,

there must be differences of opinion . Each lodge has a complexion of its own , different from that of its neighbour . It is well that it should be so . Beauty is the combination of distinct and diverse colours blended by the Master ' s Hand . Strength is the union of many forces controlled by the Master ' s will . Wisdom is the result of various sciences taught by the Master's skill ; and so the harmony of our Craft is not hindered , because the voices of our lodges are not identical . Indeed , we gain , rather than lose , by freedom of opinion and debate , so long as that freedom is

k : * p ' t within due bounds by Charity . It is the stagnant water of the pool which is unwholesome , not the strong , fresh torrent of the mountain stream . _ I rejoice therefore that in our Grand Lodge , year by year , our country lodges are making themselves more heard . Every true-hearted London Mason will join with me in giving this assurance to our country brethren . We desire to . hear what they think and what they feel on all matters . If they differ from us—as they possibly may differ—we shall never forget that our legislation is for the Craft at large , and that the wants and interests of country

lodges must have an equal consideration with those of our town lodges . But let us all remember that we are human . It is very easy to impart bitterness into matters upon which we feel strongly . We are prone to forget that truth is many-sided . We may be right without our brother who differs from us being wrong ; the liberty we claim for ourselves we must allow to others . The line which separates legitimate discussion from angry recriminations is a very narrow one , and is very easily overstepped . There is

nothing so hard as to defend our own opinions without attacking those of others . The temptation to strengthen our own arguments by unfair and ungenerous imputations is an ever present and dangerous evil . It does at times find its way even into a Masons ' lodge . Let us take a lesson from the Operative Masons of old . In the quarries where the work was prepared there was the continuous sound of the mallet and the chisel . The rough ashlar received its fine polish from the continuous efforts of the workman .

" Many a blow and biting sculpture Polished well those stones elect . " In the clay ground between Succoth and Zartham , where the ornaments of the Temple were cast , the blaze and heat of the furnaces were incessant , but * ' The house when it was in building , was built of stone made ready before it was brought th . ther , so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron , heard in the house while it was in building . "

So our brothers of old laboured under the guidance' of an earthly architect . The work was fashioned by many hands , not without the din and turmoil of a busy workshop , but all worked not on their own but on the architect ' s plans ; and when each Mason had done his work honestly and laboriously it was brought to be placed silently in the place for which the architect hadldesigned it . So , my brethren , let us labour . There must be , as of old , some din and clamour in the work , but that will not mar its excellence if we

work , not for our own selfish ends , but in accordance with the plan of our Heavenly Architect , who has given to each of us our own especial task to be done with energy and humility ; with honest zeal to complete what he has given us to finish , without hindrance to the work which he has given others to do , leaving to Him the completion of the whole , the combination of our poor efforts and those of others , into a Temple of Beauty for the Honour and Glory of His Most Holy Name .

The ceremony of consecration was then regularly proceeded with , and on its completion Bro . J . S . Cumberland was installed as Master of the lodge ; Bro . Thomas VV . Tew was invested to act as P . M . ; Bro . T . W . Sm ' ithson was invested as S . W . ; Bro . Masters , as J . W . ; Bro . Wright , Treas . ; Bro . J . L . Cooke , Sec . ; Bro . VV . H . Bullock , S . D . ; Bro . Almond , J . D . ; Bro . Potts , l . G . ; Bro . Lamb , P . M ., D . C . ; Bro . Clayton , W . S . ; and Bro . Edward Mills , Tyler .

After the delivery of the addresses , Bro . CUMBERLAND , W . M ., proposed , and Bro . T . W . T EW , P . M ., seconded , a vote of thanks to Bros . Coi . Shadwell H . Clerke , Thomas Fenn , E . Letchworth , the Rev . J . Studholme Brownrigg , Frank Richardson , and Edgar Bowyer for acting at the consecration , and also that the honorary membership of the lodge should be conferred upon them . The motion having been unanimously carried , Bro , Col . SHADWELL H . CLERKE acknowledged the compliment .

Bro . CUMBERLAND informed the brethren that the officers of the lodge had presented the official collars and the jewels , which were of silver ; that the Karl of Zetland had presented a beautiful set of working tools ; the Grand Treasurer a valuable lodge banner ; Bro . Smith the toast lists ; and Bro . Tew a box of working tools and the columns . Thanks were voted for these gifts .

A Committee was appointed to frame the bye-laws , and letters of apology for inability to attend were read from the Lord Mayor of York and the Dean of York . A telegram from the Eboracum Lodge congratulating the brethren was also read . Names of candidates for initiation and joining were given in , proposed , and seconded .

The S . W ., Bro . T . W . SMITHSON , proposed a gift of 10 guineas to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , hoping that the VV . M . or some other brother would take a Stewardshi p for that Institution . Bro . TEW seconded the motion , which was supported b y the W . M ., and carried . Bro . JAMES TERRY , Secretary Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution ,

Consecration Of The United Northern Counties Lodge, No. 2128.

offered for the acceptance of the lodge a black-letter Bible , 250 years old , which had come into his hands only a week ago . The Bible had belonged to the Deringer Royal Arch Chapter , Newcastle-upon-Tyne , which became extinct in the year 1 S 14 . He thought no better home in London could be found for this curious volume than in a lodge composed of brethren from the Northern counties .

The W . M . gladl j' accepted the gift on behalf o ! the lodge , and moved a vole of thanks to Bro . Terry . Bro . SMITHSON seconded the vote , and said he could hardl y find words to thank Bro . Terry sufficiently , as the presentation had come upon him quite by surprise .

Ihe motion was carried " nem . dis ., and after the usual greetings , the lodge was closed , and the brethren adjourned to the Holborn Restaurant , where a choice banquet was provided . After banquet the toasts were honoured , and under the direction of Bro . E . M . Lott , Grand Organist , who was assisted by Bros . E . VV . Collins , T . Tremere , Arthur Weston , and C . W . Pearce , Mus . Doc , a charming selection of music was performed .

The toast of " The Queen " gave the W . M . the opportunity of alluding to Her Majesty ' s womanly sympathies in all sorrow , as evidenced b y her message to the widow of King Alfonso . In proposing "The M . W . Grand Master , " the W . M . said that 600 lodges had been consecrated during the Prince of Wales ' s reign over Freemasons , and this showed the immense amount of life there was in the Craft , as he hoped there was in the lodges , because , as it was once said by the

late Lord Zetland , Freemasonry did not consist so much in the number as in the quality of brethren who entered it . If they took the 600 lodges as a basis for calculating the number of new members of the Order since the Prince of Wales was installed , he thought they might reckon that at least 20 , 000 brethren had in that time been added . At any rate , the prosperity of the Craft was most marked under His Royal Hi ghness' auspices . In the words of the old Masonic song : "Long may he reign , the cause maintain , and lodges flourish thro' the land . "

The VV . M ., in proposing "The Pro Grand Master , the Deputy Grand Master , and the rest of the Grand Officers , " said that when they knew a preat part of the work of Grand Lod ge devolved upon the Pro Grand Master , the Deputy Grand Master , and the other Grand Officers , he thought there was due to them a debt of gratitude for giving so much time to the interests of Masonry . That the Pro G . M . and the D . G . M . took such a

deep interest in it was a singularly fortunate circumstance , as it augured well for its stability , and put ' to shame those who railed against the Order , and fulminated anathemas upon it . When there were clergymen of the Church of England , and of other denominations , as members , it gave the Order some standing , as it proved that the only object they had , as far as . Masonry was concerned , and the teachings it gave , was that they should be faithful . to God , country , and laws .

The Rev . J . STUDHOLME BROWNRIGG , P . G . C , replying , said that under ordinary circumstances he believed the proper thing to say was that he regretted it had not fallen to other hands to respond ; but he was not going to say anything of the kind , because , although it mi ght seem to be somewhat egotistical , it was not on account of his eloquence , but on account of the position he occupied , that there were no other hands into which it

could have better fallen , as he was distinctly a London Mason and a provincial Mason . As a London Mason he was extremely glad to see a new country lodge in London . He was not saying anything in irony , because it would bring up , especially the day when they met , a large number of provincial Masons . He was sure London brethren would welcome them most heartily to their legislative assembly . As a provincial brother he could say that " Northern " was only a relative term . He claimed from the Northern

counties because he happened to be a member of the Province of Berks and Bucks , which was distinctly north of London . He was united in Berks and Bucks by a very distinct tie , and was a United Northern country brother because he voted for Bro . Woodall , as Grand Treasurer , who was proposed by Bro . McDowell , a Berks and Bucks brother present that night . They carried their man , and they were , from the position they took , distinctly United Northern counties brethren . ( Laughter . )

Bro . Col . SHADWELL H . CLERKE proposed "The VV . M . of the United Northern Counties Lodge ( Bro . J . S . Cumberland ) , and Prosperity to the New Lodge . " In doing so , he said it was a great honour and compliment to be elected for first W . M . of a new lodge . The position of this lodge was exceptional , but he was sure that all London Masons heartily welcomed this friendly invasion from the north , and hoped that the brethren would

settle down among them . The lod ge had a very great future before it . It might draw into its fold at the proper time all those good brethren who came from the north on business , and took up their abode in London . The members of the lodge must only be careful to bide their ttme , and not fill their ranks with everybody who wished to come in . If they would only be

content to wait a little , they might become one of the greatest lodges in London . Bro . Cumberland was a brother who had been very many years a Mason , and had already gone through the chair of a distinguished lodge in the north , and the members of the present lodge had exercised prudence and wisdom in selecting him as their W . M .

Bro . CUMBERLAND , in acknowledging the toast , said the brethren were not anxious to build their lodge up except with proper persons . The chain of Masonry should be strengthened , and the strongest part of a chain was only equal to its weakest link . In the new lodge they would try that every link added to the Masonic brotherhood should not be weak ! He was

certain he should have the kind support of the brethren , the founders of the lodge , as well as the officers . It had been a great source of pleasure to him to see so many old faces present . On the other hand , he was very pleased to find so many brethren there who until that night had been strangers to him and the brethren forming the lodge . They were heartily welcome , and their presence was a great gratification to Yorkshiremcn .

Bro . THOS , W . TEW , Prov . G . M . for West Yorkshire , in proposing " The Sister Lodges , Metropolitan and Provincial , " said that although the lodges were so many they were one in sentiment and in ambition to do their best . It gave Northern counties men great satisfaction to find a home in the metropolis , and he could not but think that this lodge would meet a great want long felt outside the metropolitan area where they could have a

central meeting place . To Northern counties men like himself it was very gratifying to see the kind and friendly reception they had had in the establishment of this lod ge . They would do their best to maintain its integrity , and he believed that in time to come it would be as great an ornament to London as any of the other lodges . They would probably see in those rooms a vast number of Northern counties brethren who had long wanted a central place of meeting . This lodge wished to work with the