Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS , $ 91 Provincial Grand Lodge of Sussex 59 S Provincial Grand Lodge of West Yorkshire 599 Provincial Grand Lodge of South Wales 600 provincial Grand Mark Lodge of Hertfordshire 6 or

Provincial Grand Mark Lodge of Lanca- . shire dor The New G . Superintendent of Cheshire ... 601 Formation of the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales 601 C ORRESPONDENCEThe Royal Masonic Institution for Boys 603

Contents.

Reviews 604 RKPORTS OF MASONIC MJBTINGSCraft Masonry 604 Instruction 609 New Zealand 609 Royal Arch 609

Instruction 61 c The Centenary of the Girls' School 610 Installation Address as M . E . Z . No . jO , Glasgow G 10 The New Masonic Hall at Plymouth 610 Masonic and General Tidings , 611 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 612

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IT is a truism to say that West Lancashire is one of the chief mLp frsft in West strongholds of Freemasonry in this country , and that whenever Uncas ire . ^^ w her ever the brethren of that important Province meet ,

in anything like considerable numbers , the general public take a lively interest in their proceedings so far as it is possible for them to be known . At Southport , however , on the 3 rd inst ., when the annual meetings of both the Provincial Grand Lodge and Provincial Grand Chapter were held , the attendance of brethren was considerably above the average , and the

interest in the proceedings was proportionately enhanced . Both meetings were held under the personal presidency ot Bro . the Earl of LATHOM , but that of the Provincial Grand Lodge , which is necessarily the more important of the two and was the more numerously attended , took place at the Winter Gardens , while the Provincial Grand Chapter met at the Masonic Chambers

in Lord-street . The reports submitted at both were eminently satisfactory , that of Bro . W . GOODACRE , in his capacity of Prov . G . Sec , being especially so . He pointed out that three new lodges had been added to the Provincial roll and that warrants for others had already been granted . He was in a position to announce that the membership of the Province had

been increased , and that its contributions to the various Masonic Chanties had likewise been enlarged , and it must have been to him a subject of lively satisfaction to find that his forecast of the returns that would be forthcoming during the year from the lodges had been more than realised . He referred with natural pride to the success of the special effort made

by the Province to support its chief as President ot the Board ot Stewards at the recent Centenary Festival of the Girls' School , and was further enabled to congratulate the brethren on the great progress made by the various Provincial Charities , and particularly by the Educational and HAMER and ALPASS Funds . Lord LATHOM , too ,

in the course of the speech he delivered , expressed his thanks to the brethren for having assembled in such numbers , for the manner in which the duties of the various lodges were carried out , and for the generous support which was accorded to him on all occasions , and also to the Central and Local Masonic Chanties . His lordship subsequently announced—and the

announcement was made and received with general manifestations of regret—that Bro . Lord STANLEY of PRESTON , who for so many years had held the office of Deputy Prov . Grand Master , had been compelled , owing to his appointment to the Governor-Generalship of Canada , to resign his post ; but when it was found that the Prov , Grand Master had selected to

nil the vacancy thus caused a brother so able and so deservedly popular as the Earl of CRAWFORD and BALCARRES , the feeling of regret was diminished , and it was recognised that one good Mason had been replaced in office b y another . The banquet which followed was of the usual character , and afforded ¦ many less conspicuous , but worthy , brethren an opportunity of

adding their testimony to the generally fortunate condition of Freemasonry throughout the Province , while the brilliant musical harmonies with which the more sedate utterances of the various speakers were interspersed would seem to have been a tolerably true reflex of the harmony which prevails among the lodges and brethren of the Province over which Bro . Lord LATHOM so worthily presides .

* # * B'o . Tew . p . G . M . There are but few among our Prov . G . Masters who possess shire Lodge "" '" conspicuous a degree as the ruler of the Province of Consecration . ^ est Yorkshire , the faculty of speaking at considerable

en gth , not only without wearying their audience , but in such a manner as 0 enchain their attention and enlighten their minds . It is within every-0 cl y s experience that in the case of many speakers—not necessaril y asonic—to be required to sit and listen to them during a ten minutes ' Peech , is to be required to undergo a ten minutes' purgatory . They are ble

a to sort and arrange their ideas , and what they say is a mere mass of or ds which for all the sense they contain , might as well have been spoken ckwards or upside down or in any other eccentric fashion . But Bro . li t W ' . even wnen he addresses you for an hour by Sheffield clock , is worth Skhflu t 0 ' ^ e 'nvar'aD ' y "as something to tell you that is enlightening . d he tells it welli At Sheffield , for instance ; at the consecration of the

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Hallamshire Lodge , No . 2268 , on the 3 rd instant , the address he delivered contained much interesting information about Hallamshire and its past worthies in addition to some excellent advice as to the manner in which the affairs of the lodge should be administered . He descanted at some length on the responsibilities which the brethren had undertaken in founding

the lodge , and gave some excellent advice to the W . Master designate in particular as to the manner in which it was necessary he should discharge his duties . He impressed upon him the necessity he would be under to observe strictly the laws and regulations of Grand Lodge , the Prov . G . Lodge , and the lodge itself , and how important it was that he should

preserve the ancient landmarks of the Order , and faithfully guard Us ancient usages and customs . He quoted passages from some of our ancient charges as to the character of a lodge , and the duties of brethren towards each other—as to the former , that it " must be for good and true men , not scandalous men , but of good report—men actuated by a spirit of humility ,

reverence , alacrity , and brotherly love ; and , as to the latter , that one brother " shall not discover envy of another brother , nor supplant him , 'nor put him out of his work and lodge ; nor exclude a candidate if of good report , nor interrupt the harmony of one lodge with another . " There is no denying that these reminders as to the character of a lodge and the duty

which brethren owe to each other are occasionally necessary , and that one of the most suitable occasions for bringing them to the notice of Craftsmen is at the consecration of a new lodge , when every one is sincerely anxious for the future well-being of the body that is being organised . Those who have noted most carefully the vicissitudes of fortune which have atttended

Freemasonry in different localities are well aware that when new lodges find themselves beset with difficulties , on the brink of dissolution , or Under the necessity of subjecting themselves to the process known among the Japanese as "the happy dispatch , " the origin of their misfortunes is traceable , in nine cases out of ten , to the non-observance by brethren

towards each other of the injunctions quoted by Bro . TEW . from our ancient Charges , or , more likely still , to a lax observance of the rules as to the admission of candidates . Every now and then we hear of cases in which , owing to a feeling of spite on the part of a member or members , candidates of the highest repute are systematically blackballed , and , on the other hand ,

thereare we know men in the ranksof our Society , who , if due inquiries had been instituted into their character and antecedents , would have been rejected . Our lodges , as a rule , fare well , but they would fare still better , if greater importance were attached to the character of those who are accepted as members . However , the Hallamshire Lodge has started on its career

under favourable auspices , it has the goodwill of the other Sheffield lodges , and its members will know well how to guard their own interests . Still , the advice in this , as in all the other matters of lodge duty and Masonic usage

to which the Consecrating Officer on this occasion thought proper to refer is undeniably sound , and Bro . TEW is to be commended for having included in his address so much that was valuable in the way of counsel and interest ' ing as information . # .. *

Th p inc'ai SUSSEX , besides being highly favoured in having the Duke of Grand Lodge of CONNAUGHT for its Prov . G . Master , has many advantages , ussex . 0 j w | n : i jt may justly be proud , and which it is certainly doing its utmost to deserve . In the first place Bro . GERARD FORD , whom the Duke selected as the successor of the late lamented Bro . HENDERSON

SCOTT in the office of Deputy Prov . G . Master , is one of the most energetic as he is likewise one of the most capable of Masons . He is most popular in the Province , and his experience has been a long and varied one . Then the Prov . Grand Officers are , one and all , good men and true , while the Masters and members of the various lodges are only too anxious to take

example from their chiefs , and do all in their power to strengthen the Province and increase its prosperity . We had an illustration of this at the recent meeting at Brighton of the Provincial Grand Lodge . There was a full attendance of the brethren , the reports of what had taken place during the past year were in all respects favourable and

most encouraging , and though Bro . FORD , m the address which it is customary to deliver at these gatherings , had occasion to lament the removal from the roll of many well-known and distinguished members of the Order , and the serious illness of others , he expressed his belief that the brethren who were coming forward would be found worthy to fill the vacant

places . But as to the events of the past year , Bro . FORD was able to point with pride to the Masonic celebration in the Royal Pavilion of the Silver Wedding of the Prince and Princess of WALES , and the grand success—in which Sussex had borne itself worthily—of the Girls' School

Centenary . He expressed his hope and belief that the Earl of Sussex Lodge , which was consecrated only a few months since , would prove a credit to the Province , and he congratulated the brethren on the fact that , in spite of their losses by death and removal , the membership of the Province showed a slight increase , and that the funds of the Province were