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him and pressed into the service of the province . With such a succession of Deputies as Bro . Sir GEORGE ELLIOT , Bart ., —now Prov . G . M . South Wales ( Eastern Division)—the late Bros . Sir CHARLES T . BRIGHT and R . WENTWORTH LITTLE , and Bro . RAYMOND H . THRUPP , and such men as thelate Bros . R . WENTWORTH LiTTLEand H . C . LEVANDER . and Bro .

WOODWARD as successive Prov . G- Secretaries , it was impossible the administration of Bro . Sir F . B URDETT could be otherwise than successful , even had the latter not possessed in so conspicuous a degree the qualities which go towards making a successful and popular ruler . However , most of what we have just written is well known to the majority of our readers , and

though it is fitting that we should remind them from time to time of facts with which they are more or less familiar , it is not necessary we should do so at inordinate length . It is enough that Middlesex is one of the most prosperous among our English provinces , and that it is indebted for the greater part of that prosperity to the kindly government of Bro . Sir F .

BURDETT , and the ability of those who have borne the chief part in assisting him in his work . Nor is it the mere conventional expression of a hope when we say that we trust the Masonic government of the Metropolitan county of England may remain for very many years vested in the hands of its present Prov . G . MASTER , that the present Deputy P . G .

Master , Bro . RAYMOND H . IHRUPP , and the present Prov . G . Secretary , Bro . WOODWARD , may long continue to give him the benefit of their able assistance , and that there may always be brethren as well qualified for Prov . G . Office as those who were appointed and invested at Stanmore on the 7 th instant .

* * * We have been requested by Bro . THOS . R . RUSSELL , W . M . of with the York Lodge , No . 236 , to publish in our columns a resolution T ans ' passed by lhat lodge at its regular meeting , on the 16 th inst .,

on the subject of the Boys' School management . We must remind Bro , RUSSELL that the resolution in question is based on the contents of an anonymous circular , and it will be time enough for us to accede to his wishes

when the authors of that circular have the courage to append their names to it , and thereby take upon themselves the responsibility , as all respectable members of society , whether Masons or non-Masons , are in the habit of doing , of the statements it contains .

"Holland" Lodge, No. 8, New York.

" HOLLAND" LODGE , No . 8 , NEW YORK .

This well-known lodge completed its centenary in 1887 , having been chartered on 20 th September , 1787 , and , therefore , a few words about its history will not be amiss , especially as the materials for a sketch , in brief , are at hand , in the history of the lodge by Bro . Balestier ( W . M . in 1862 ) , and the reprint of the proceedings of the Grand Lodge of New York , 1781 -1 S 15 ( 1876 ) .

In all probability the lodge was the first warranted in the city by the independent Grand Lodge of New York , of "Ancient" origin , and , as its name indicates , was promoted by Dutch brethren , who desired to work in their own language in New York . The first petition was dated May 30 th , 1787 , and was presented on June 6 th , its ' consideration being postponed " until next regular Grand Lodge . " At the next Communication these persistent brethren were ready with another petition , promising "to keep

their proceedings both in the English and low Dutch languages . " This " sop " appears to have had the desired effect , only that the warrant was granted " on condition that their records be kept in English , " which , to say the least , was an ungracious response to the reasonable offer of the founders of the Holland Lodge , which was so named in the petition . In an innocent manner the originators of the lodge had their revenge , as their premier minute book is labelled outside in Dutch , and their seal is " covered with Dutch inscriptions , " the early summonses being also in their national

tongue . It will be seen that there is no evidence whatever in favour of the lodge having " come from the Prince of Orange , " or any other foreign prince , as many have supposed . It is solely American in origin and constitution , and continues on the roll of its Grand Lodge down to the present time . No number was granted it until an agreement was arrived at on April 4 th , 1789 ,

by members of eight lodges , convened by order of Grand Lodge , in " Holland Lodge room . " To settle the precedence of some of these lodges was a matter of considerable anxiety and difficulty , two being of " Modem " Constitution . Apparently , the representatives went mainly by the dates of the warrants , so that No . 2 of New York , of December 5 th , 1757 ( No . 272 originally on the English register—see Bro . Lane ' s " Masonic Records , " p . 75 ) , was chosen as No . 1 . The second position fell to the " Royal Arch

Lodge , ' known as No . 8 , of December 15 th , 1760 , which was never on our register , though started under the auspices of the Prov . G . M . of the " Moderns" ( New York ) . Then the five "Ancient" lodges were given numbers according to their respective dates of origin , and the " Holland Lodge , " as the junior , took No . 8 . No . 212 , "Ancient , " voted against all the propositions , and , of course , objected to its being fifth in rank . Later on , the Dutch lodge was lowered to 16 , in 1819 ; raised to 13 in 1830 ; but became again No . 8 in 1 S 39 .

It is gratifying to note thatthe earliest minutes are preserved , and I share the regret of its W . M . and members thatthe records from December , 1812 , to November , 1846 , have been consumed , and also a lot of valuable papers . For some little time the members met at a private house , but on June 12 th , 1795 , it is stated that on next St . John ' s Day the lodge would remove to their new lodge room " erected for their particular accommodation . " The hall was duly consecrated by the officers of the Grand Lodge , a long and interesting

account being given in the Minute Book of the ceremony . A copy of the address delivered by the Master in 1787 , on his installation , printed , was presented to the historian of the lodge , and is doubtless a rare thing to meet with now . The W . M . then was Bro . Vanden Broek , who seems to have been a second Lawrence Dermott , in his ability to converse in different languages with his brethren . In 1794 , in consequence of the "Holland Lodge " becoming so very large , Bro . Broek formed a new one , calling it the " Howard , " which took No . 9 .

" The most illustrious man ever connected with Holland Lodge was De Witt Clinton , who successively filled the offices of Secretary , Warden , and Master . " He was proposed on June 24 th , 1790 . Of him the historian

"Holland" Lodge, No. 8, New York.

asks in reference to his career , " Is it not written in letters of li ght in th annals of our country ? Is not his Masonic fame sufficiently blazoned in th Grand Lodge , over which he so long presided as Grand Master ? " John Jacob Astor was another of the distinguished members . "on examining the minutes I have been surprised to see how regularl y this wonderful man , whose enterprises were on a scale of grandeur which dwarfed all rivalry , attended the meetings of the lodge and devoted himself to its interests . "

Nearly all the old New York families were represented in this lodg- its muster roll containing an extraordinary number of city worthies of whom many scores are specially named by Bro . Balestier , besides which the whole of the members are duly noted from 1787 to 1862 , as also the names of the Masters and the members on the register in 1862 .

The lodge worked the Mark Degree at least as early as 1794 , and certainly for years afterwards . In the "New York Directory" for 1701 occurs " Holland Mark Lodge . The same officers by the Constitution as preside in Holland Lodge . " Unfortunately I cannot discover by what authority the Mark lodge was held under the wing , and in part , as an

appendage of No . 8 , but of the fact there is no doubt , and in 1817 a charter was granted for its work being recognised , by the Grand Chapter of the States , so the historian tells us . One of the summonses in 1802 has noted at foot , "A Mark lodge will be opened . " In the minutes the " Holland Mark lodge " is mentioned as a tenant of the lodge , and in another part a fee is noted as paid for " a mark . "

The " regalia " of the lodge was green , but subsequently changed to orange . The jewels are massive and of solid silver , manufactured by Bro , Boyce , who became a joining member in 1846 . The lodge has furnished several Grand Masters , Deputy Grand Masters Grand Wardens , Grand Treasurers , and Grand Secretaries , and in one year all the elective officers to which the City was entitled , were elected

from " Holland , " No . 8 . The " Charities" disbursed by the lod ge have been many and often in large sums , " its liberal and catholic spirit in the olden time cannot fail to excite the admiration of all who peruse its records . " I have alluded to the loss of records , & c , from fire , which occurred in 1833 , and again in 1861 , when the old Dutch Bible was burnt , "upon whose sacred pages so many of our venerable and eminent brethren had assumed their Masonic obligations . "

A wood engraving of the medal struck for the lodge is given on the las t page of the History , but when it originated is not quite clear . Possibly in 1852 . but it appears to be of an older date from the cut . In Bro . Marvin ' s " Masonic Medals , " 1880 , under cccii , one of the Holland Lodge Medals is described , but as it is not in exact agreement with the engraving inserted in the History , it is just possible that the latter is the elder of the two .

Marvin s consists of a shield , the motto being DEVGD , ZY , UVV , CIERAAD , on a scroll , below being two right hands clasped . Thirteen stars are depicted around the "All-seeing eye . " These , in some respects , differ from the drawing , on the latter there being only five stars , the hands are not below , but on the scroll , and divide the motto , and below the latter is the legend Sit tibi Virtus Gemma , which is another form of the Dutch

motto noted [ Let Virtue be your ornament or Jewel ] . Bro . Balestier says nothing as to the reverse , which , however , Bro . Marvin gives , and states that the one he describes was made for the " Medal Club of New York , " from a design by Wood , the dies being cut by Lovett . -The seal , somewhat similar to the obverse of the medal ( its prototype apparently ) was struck in 1788 by Peter Maverick , who became a member in 1789 .

The obverse of the medal has been " muled" with the "Old Masonic Temple , New York" ( Marvin ' s xxxvi ) and with another composed of various emblems ( Marvin's xxxvii ) , these making DCCIXand DCCX in the work on " Masonic Medals . " One of the old Handbills is in the appendix , dated June 24 th , 1789 , and gives the order of Procession of the lodge on St . John ' s Festival , in which the Grand Master and other distinguished Masons took part , and attended St . Paul's Chapel , the Knights Templars forming the escort .

But enough has been said to exhibit the interesting character of the proceedings of " Holland Lodge , " No . S , which , I trust , has a brilliant future in store for its members accordino ; to its deserts . W . J . HUGHAN .

Freemasonry In New South Wales.

FREEMASONRY IN NEW SOUTH WALES .

So much has been said about the progress of Freemasonry in the colony of New South Wa ' es , that it may be interesting to examine briefly into the nature of that progress—as to what it really consists of . Freemasonry was introduced into the colony in the year 1821 , a lodgethe Australian Social Mother—being erected in that year under a warrant

from the Grand Lodge of Ireland . The Irish Constitution has now practically ceased to exist , most of its lodges having transferred their allegiance to the ( at present ) unrecognised Grand Lodge of New South Wales , the English Constitution was introduced in 1828 , and has now 79 lodges on its roll ; and the Scotch , which followed several years afterwards , has 50 lodges . The total membership of the English Constitution is now about 4000 brethren , and the Scottish Constitution 2500 . These figures do not include tne numerous unaffiliated brethren and those under the Grand Lodge of New

South Wales—of which more anon . With respect to the Eng lish Constitution , it is worthy of remark that the last 11 years have seen an inci * eas ^ ° 50 lodges on its ' roll . As regards funds , the English District Grand Lodge assets are about ^ 20 , 000 , including the Benevolent and Orphan run , and the Scotch something like £ 4000 . When the progress of Free mas 0 ! M is thus considerednnmerinallv anrl finanriallv . nparlv all is said for it t — ~ j — ww--j j

, - . _ .. „ ........., - . vvhat can be said . The questions lhat now present themselves to us are v public good has Freemasonry done here ? What has it accomp lisliecl the specially recommend it to notice ? To what extent has it contributed to ¦ " cultivation and improvement of the human mind ? " It may have assl haV e to keep alive the loyalty of colonials to the British Crown ; it may ,, helped " to imorove the morals and correct the manners of men in socie y ,

it has doubtless done its fair share in the bestowal of eleemosynary re > but other contemporaneous associations have done the same , and ec p it . There are no Masonic " Charities ; " no Benevolent Institution ; no D ^ or Girls'Schools ; no Temple ; no Masonic home in which to > " welcom adl coming" or " speed the parting guest ; " only a very uncomfort ai ) le ' . h J unii

ventilated room , as much unlike a Masonic lodge as it is ^ c - ^ and this in the Metropolis—Sydney ! Again , what does the w ? ;| QSophy , lodges consist of ? Makings , passings , and raisings ; the science , p ' ^ jaSon jc and history of the Institution are untaught , and all but unknown . a literature is not popular . There may be a few who , as a recrea 1