Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS ; J 6 _ r Provincial Grand Chapter of Oxfordshire .., 566 Provincial Grand Lodge of Shropshire ... 566 Revised Mark Constitutions , 1 SS 5 567 Lodge Dues 567 CORRESPONDENCEPoints

" ' 569 Masonic Jurisprudence 56 9 A Legal " Query 570 The Position of Past Master 570 Rex-iexvs 570 The Freemason Exchange . ?? o REPORTS OP MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry , 570 Instruction 573

REI-ORTS OK MASONIC MEETINGS ( Continued)—Royal Arch 573 Mark Masonry—Instruction 574 Knights Templar 571 Red Cross of Constantine 574 Scotland 574

Turkey 574 Nexv Masonic Hall at llolyxvood , Ireland 575 Annual Uanquet of the Faith Lodge of Instruction , No . 141 S 74 The Theatres S 7 . 1 Obituarv 575 Masonic and General Tidings 57 6 Lodge Meetings for Next Week iii .

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A PLEASING illustration of the position attained of late years by the Mark Grand Lodge is to be found in the last published " Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Scotland " ( p . 90 , Vol . 1 SS 5-6 ) . It appears that some brethren had been making enquiries of Grand Secretarv LYON ; as to the status of Scottish

Mark Masons in England , and his official reply xvas that the Earl of KINTORE , Grand Mark Master of England , had assured him "that the holders of Mark diplomas issued by the Grand Lodge of Scotland , if of good standing , are recognised and received as Mark Masons by lodges under his lordship's jurisdiction . "

* # * Is not this a recognition of the Mark Grand Lodge of England by the Grand Lodge of Scotland ? At all events , on the strength of this most friendly and Masonic deliverance by the xx'ell-known Masonic author , Bro . D . MURRAY LYON , Grand Secretary , English Mark Masons xvould be

justified in remaining in a Scottish Craft Lodge on the Mark being xvorked , on the production of their certificates and other satisfactory proof . Hence the Grand Mark Lodge of England is virtually acknoxvledged by the Grand Lodge , and actually by the Grand Chapter , of Scotland . We invite the attention of English Mark Masons to this fact .

*»* IT is satisfactory to knoxv that Bro . TERRY has succeeded ^ in obtaining the services of an influential brother as Chairman at the next Anniversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution in February next . The Marquis of HERTFORD , G . S . Warden of England , has kindly

undertaken the office , and xve trust his lordship xvill receive a generous measure of support from the Craft at large . We have frequently pointed out—and we do so again xvithout offering any apology—that xvhoever undertakes a function of this kind commits himself to the discharge of a very responsible duty , particularly when , as in this instance , he has no special following of his

oxvn to back him up . The post of Chairman at one of our Festivals is not an easy or an enviable one to fill . There is an empty treasury , xvhich , come weal or woe , must be replenished lo the extent of several thousands of pounds ; there is invariably a long list of candidates axvaiting admission to the benefits of the Institution ; and the circumstances of the time at

xvhich the celebration is held may be the rex'erse of fax'ourable to large donations and subscriptions . To do the chief part in helping to replenish that treasury and enabling as many of those candidates as possible to be received into the Charity is the special business of the Chairman . If he succeeds in his part , xvell and good ; but if the result falls short of the

general expectation , there are alxvays plenty of people who xvill charitably attribute the deficiency to the weakness of his advocacy or the carelessness with xvhich—in their opinion—he must hax'e performed his task . Hoxvever , xve may safely trust to Lord HERTFORD doing his best to ensure a good average return in spite of the depressed condition of our trade and

the unsettled political atmosphere ot the moment ; and if the Craft stand by him loyally , as they are wont to do , and if , as he has no province to support him , they xvill just introduce a little extra fervour into their zeal for the good cause , there is reason to hope that Bro . TERRY ' S announcement on the day of the Festival xvill be satisfactory . It is to be regretted that the number

of brethren xvho have thus far given in their names as Stewards is beloxv the average for the time of year . But there still remain three xvhole months to work in , and if the full array of Stexvards do not come in to Bro . TERRY , xve may be sure that Bro . TERRY xvill go out to them and press them by his earnestness to act as canvassers for the year in behalf of the Institution he serves so xvell . * *

WE congratulate R . W . Bro . the Earl of HARDXVICKE , P . G . M . Cambridgeshire , and the compact little body of lodges and brethren he rules over , on the addition made last xveek to the number of its lodges . The Etheldreda , No . 2107 , Newmarket , makes up a complement of six lodges , and xvhat ,

perhaps , will be considered of still greater importance , helps to restore the area of Masonic influence in the county to something of its old dimensions , there having been in the pnc-Union days on the roll of the " regular " Grand Lodge , but noxv defunct , a "St , John's Lodge , " of Newmarket , of

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1773 creation . The addition , if xve regard it from another point of viexv , is still more gratifying . The junior Cambridge lodge—the Alma Mater , No . 1492—belonged originally to the Province ol Berks and Bucks , having been consecrated in 1874 , and had its quarters at Bletchley . But it xvas founded , xve believe , chiefly by Light Blue University brethren , and last year migratsd

to xvhat under such circumstances may justly be considered its natural home —in Cambridge . The junior but one lodge in the province—the Isaac Newton University Lodge , No . 859 , Cambridge—xvas consecrated in 1 S 61 , so that the consecration last xveek of the Etheldreda Lodge is the first that has taken place for 24 years . This gives it a far greater degree of

importance than belongs to an ordinary consecration . For , xvhether xve take it by itself or in conjunction xvith the nexv lodge acquired by the province last year , through the migration from Bletchley of the Alma Mater , No . 1492 . it is very evident there is an increasing amount of activity and zeal in the province , xvhich augurs well for the future . If we may be allowed to offer

a suggestion , xve xvould bring to the notice of our Cambridge friends that before the Union both the " Regular " and "Atholl " Grand Lodges xvere represented in the city of Ely ; while the former had a lodge—St . Andrexv ' s —constituted at Whittlesea in 1 S 09 . VVe imagine these txvo localities are strong enough to do again toxvards the close of the nineteenth century xvhat

they did during the close of the eighteenth . Thus if it should happen during the next few years that additional lodges are established in Ely and Whittlesea , the former area of Masonic activity will be restored , and

Cambridgeshire xvill be the stronger and the better able to hold its oxvn as compared xvith other provinces . Howex'er , it is something to knoxv that Nexvmarket has once again its home of Masonry , and hence our congratulations on so auspicious an event .

* * * ABOUT the most important feature in the October number of the " Free mason's Repository" is an article by Bro . J . H . DRUMMOND , P . G . M . Maine , entitled " Masonic Law and Practice , as approved by the Grand Lodge of England . " Bro . DRUMMOND speaks in very complimentary

terms of the influence exercised by our Grand Lodge in the Masonic world , and in one paragraph remarks that " it ( the Grand Lodge of England ) has always been a conservative body and may xvell be expected to have preserved ancient Masonic usages—the source ( to a great extent ) of Masonic laxv . " He then proceeds to note sundry points of importance for the

edification of his readers , so that they may be in a better position to judge of the character and value of certain threatened or proposed innovations in the laxvs and usages of the Craft . With the general purport of his remarks it is not our intention to concern ourselves . But there is one position he appears to have taken up xvhich , if xve understand him ri ghtly , xvill not

stand the test of strict examination as regards the deduction he would have his readers make . Lender his sub-head 11 he says truly , that it is provided in our Constitutions that " neither lodges nor brethren can appear in public , in Masonic clothing , xvithout permission ,- " and under sub-head 12— "The ceremony for laying corner-stones is g ' n'en . The Grand Lodge does the

xvork , -while open as a Grand Lodge . " He then remarks " in these txvo particulars , the laxv and usage of that Grand Lodge "—that is , of England — " are in direct conflict xvith the doctrine recently promulgated in Pennsylvania , viz . : That the Craft has no public Masonic ceremonies , and hence , that no Masonic Body appears in public while open as such ; " and he

adds . " It is quite gratifying to Masons in this section of the country to find that their laxvs and usages in these important respects have the sanction of the Mother Grand Lodge as shown in her laxvs and usages . " Now , if our surmise is correct , that Bro . DRUMMOND xvould have his readers infer , from his description of our English law against lodges and brethren

appearing in public in their Masonic clothing xvithout permission—as pointed out in his Sub-Head n—and his statement as to the ceremony of laying the corner-stone being carried out xvhile the Grand Lodge is open as such—see Sub-Head 12—that the Pennsylvanian Masons xvho condemn the practice xvhich prevails in some of the American jurisdictions of publicly installing

lodge officers are xvrong in their condemnation , xve must join issue xvith him at once without the slightest hesitation or reserve . We have no fault to find xvith his version of our law against the public appearance of brethren as Masons , or of the manner in xvhich the ceremony of laying a corner-stone is carried out . But xve protest emphatically against his offering this law

and this method as a justification for the new-fangled idea which prevails in some American jurisdictions that the public installation of lodge officers is in accordance with Masonic laxv . There is not a xvord in our Book of Constitutions—either in the laxvs he refers to or elsexvhere—xvhich warrants

any such inference being drawn . Indeed , the inference seem to us to be quite the other way , namely , that all Masonic xvork must be done in a closetyled lodge , except in the case of laying a corner-stone ; and that no brother must appear in his clothing as such in public xvithout the sanction of the