Contents.

CONTENTS .

L EADERS 4 | ¦ 'Holland" Lodge , No . 8 , New York 426 Freemasonry in New South Wales 426 Consecration of the Warner Lodge , No . 32 J 6 427 Consecration of the Dagmar Lodge , No . 2362 429 Provincial Grand Chapter of Middlesex ... 429

C ORRESPONDENCELord Carnarvon and the So-called Grand Lodge of Victoria 43 i Reviews 43 ' R EPORTS OF MASONIC MSKTINOSCraft Masonry 432 Instruction 433 Royal Arch 434 Ancient and Accepted Rite 434

Board of Benevolence 434 Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution 434 A Picnic of the Hundred o £ EUoe Lodge , No . 4 69 , Spalding 434 Gallery Lodge Picnic 43 i Death of Mrs . Brackstone Baker 433

Masonic Lecture by Bro . W . J . Hughan , P . S . G . D ., at Glasgow 43 a Royal Order of Scotland 433 A Welcome Home Again 43 $ The Grand Treasurership , 1889 43 $ Masonic and General Tidings 4311 Lodge Meetings for Next Week iv .

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WE shall be greatly disappointed if last year's success is not BenevoientFund repeated on Wednesday , the 25 th instant , when the annual Festival . Festival-of the Mark Benevolent Fund will be held at the Freemasons' Tavern , under the presidency of Bro . the Marquess of

HERTFORD , D . G . M . and Prov . G . Mark Master of Warwickshire . Bro . C . F . MATIER , the Secretary of the Fund , has succeeded in organising a strong Board of Stewards , stronger even than it was last year , when Bro . Earl AMHERST , Past G . M . M . M ., presided , and the total amount of donations and subscriptions was £ 2207 . On Wednesday next the Stewards will number

about 170 , and both London and the provinces will be numerously , and to judge from the names in the list , very efficiently represented . The Marquess of HERTFORD will , no doubt , prove an admirable Chairman , and by the directness and earnestness of his advocacy will stand a very good chance of securing a generous return , while we maybe sure that Bro . MATIER will

exert himself with his accustomed energy in order to prepare the way for the success of his lordship's appeal . As for the Fund itself , on behalf of which the appeal will be made , it well deserves the support of our Mark brethren . It dispenses liberally of its means to the distressed Mark Mason ; its Educational branch clothes and educates some 26 children—13

boys , and as many girls ; and the Annuity Branch , which has been only recently established , provides permanently a sufficient sum per annum to place those who are elected to receive its benefits beyond the reach of absolute want . In time , when its means are larger , the Mark Benevolent Fund will render a still greater amount of assistance to those who need it than it does now , and we

trust that the support which will be forthcoming at next week s Anniversary will be on a scale commensurate with the number of its Stewards , so that the Fund mav be able to strengthen its regular income before there

is any serious strain on its resources . We believe — and , for very sufficient reasons , the wish is father to the thought—we shall be in a position to g ive an excellent account of the proceedings at the Freemasons ' Tavern , on the 25 th instant , in our next issue .

* # * T 1 WE do not anticipate any objection will be raised to the Boys'Schooi motion which will be submitted by Bro . A . F . GODSON , M . P ., inquiry . on beha ] f of the House Committee , at the Boys' School Quarterly General Court , on Friday next , the 27 th instant , for the

appointment of Bro . F . A . PHILBRICK , Q . C , Grand Registrar , and Deputy Prov . Grand Master of Essex , and such other brethren , who must be , at least , Life Governors of the Institution , as he may select to associate with him as a Committee of Inquiry into the "discipline and administration" of the School . The terms of the resolution are comprehensive enough to satisfy

the most exigent critic , while the brother who will be the moving spirit of the Committee of Inquiry is one of the most distinguished members of the Craft , the legal adviser of Grand Lodge , and the Deputy Grand Master and Grand Superintendent of Royal Arch Masons of the Province of Essex , from one of whose lodgesor rather from certain members of one of whose

, lod ges the recent attacks on the House Committee and executive officers of the Institution have emanated . Moreover , we understand that beyond submitting the resolution by the mouth of their spokesman , Bro . GODSON , the House Committee will studiously avoid saying or doing anything that may be calculated to influence Bro . PHILBRICK in the

choice of his coadjutors . The only limit imposed on the Grand Registrar in this matter is , as we have said , the condition precedent hat the brethren so chosen must be Life Governors of the Institution ; ut as there are some thousands of Craftsmen who answer to this escr 'Ption , Bro . PHILBRICK will have no difficulty in finding men of weight

I influence , and iudicially minded like himself , to assist him in his task . will be seen that this proposal , as contained in the resolution of the ° use Committee referred to above , differs somewhat from the plan we ggested last week , by which the Quarterly Court would have elected its ., committee independently of all influence , whether exercised by House Committee or its accusers . But , as we have pointed 1 Bro , PHILBRICK is both the legal adviser of Grand Lodge , and

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the Dep . G . Master of the Province , from which the recent charges have emanated . He is , therefore , by virtue of these two offices , placed far out of reach of anything like a spirit of partisanship , and will deal with this case as a judge on the bench deals . with a case he is called upon to try . There is no doubt , however , that Bro . PHILBRICK , if the Court entrusts him

with the task of inquiry , will be guided in the selection of his assessors by any wishes that may be expressed by any of the members of the Court , and that by so doing he will secure for its decision , when arrived at , a degree of respect that none will venture to question . Nor have we any doubt that , when the Committee has been appointed , Bro .

PHILBRICK will use all necessary diligence in prosecuting the inquiry , so that the result may be laid before a Court of Governors at the earliest possible date . Every one will agree with us as to the importance of having a matter of this kind disposed of speedily as well as thoroughly . It cannot be too soon made clear , on authority which none will venture to dispute , either

that the government of the Institution has been wel ! and wisely administered by the House Committee and its Executive Officers , or that a change of system is desirable and should be adopted forthwith . Everything will be as it were in a state of suspense until the PHILBRICK Committee has completed its work , and it is needless to say that such a state is decidedly

unfavourable in a case in which a regular system of government is indispensable . However , these are matters which may safely be entrusted to the Court of Governors on Friday next to arrange . The House Committee , in the exercise of its undoubted discretion , has expressed a desire that there

should be this Committee of Inquiry , and we dare say Bro . PHrLBRrcK will generously interpret the duties with which he is about to be entrusted , and will ensure that his investigations shall embrace every detail of scholastic discipline and government , so that , for a generation to come at all events , there may be no occasion for the appointment of any further Committees .

The WE have already laid great stress on the necessity for having C ° of the ' t ' P P osed Committee of Inquiry into the disci pline and ar-Committee . rangement of the Boys' School constituted on a strictly

independent basis , so that Us report , when delivered , may meet with the unqualified acceptance of all parties . But a suggestion has been made to us which we consider might very well be acted upon , namely , that Bro . PHILBRICK , assuming , of course , that he is prepared to undertake the duty assigned to him , should invite one or two provincial brethren of

weig ht and influence in the Craft , to assist him in his task . It may be argued that provincial brethren , being at a distance , will find some difficulty in attending the meetings of the Committee , but as Bros . GODSON , of Worcestershire , and WORDSWORTH , of West Yorkshire , are members of the House Committee , we anticipate no difficulty on the score of distance ,

Moreover , the provinces take their full share of responsibility in providing the wherewith to support our Institutions , and it will be doing them no more than an act of justice if certain of their members are invited to take part in the inquiry . We trust , therefore , the Quarterly Court , on Friday next ,

will see its way to adopt this suggestion , especially , as we understand that it is in some parts of the provinces that the doubts as to the value of the present system of managing the School exist , which have given force to the demand for this inquiry .

* # * The Prov G ' ^ HERE is narcuy a province in England which has made such Lodge of ' solid progress as that of Middlesex , and its Provincial Grand Middlesex . Master , Bro . Sir FRANCIS BURDETT , Bart ., who has presided over it from its establishment , was fully justified in one of his speeches at

the annual meeting , at Stanmore , on the 7 th instant , in congratulating both himself and the brethren on the advancement which the province has made , both in numbers and the regularity and excellence of their work . When , in 186 9 , the then Grand Master , the late Earl of ZETLAND , bestowed on Middlesex a provincial organisation , there were only about half-a-dozen

lodges on the roll j now there are some 43 , so that , as regards mere numbers , the province has increased at the rate of about two lodges per annum since its constitution . Moreover , these lodges are models of excellence , as regards the manner in which they severally discharge their duties , and there is no one occupying a similar position in English Freemasonry to Bro . Sir

Sir F . BURDETT who can boast with truth of having under his government a band of lodges so thoroughly well-appointed , that work so admirabl y , or are distinguished by so much and such genuine enthusiasm for the Craft . Then its contributions to our principal Charitable Institutions are in every way worthy of the high character it enjoys . Other provinces give

generously and regularly ; but none more generously , according to its ability , or with greater regularity than Middlesex . All this is , no doubt , in great measure to be accounted for by the very great popularity of its Provincial Grand Master and the interest he takes in everything connected with Masonry , but it is due likewise to noinconsiderable . extent to the able men he has gathered around