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THE ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION OF "THE FREEMASON " is— United Kingdom . " Abrorul . Twelve Months 13 / 6 ... 16 / 6 Six Months 6 / 9 ... 7 / 9 Subscriptions may be paid in stamps , but Money Orders or Cheques are preferred .

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SATURDAY , DECEMBER 21 , igoi .

Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

We are gratified to learn , from the report we publish elsewhere of the proceedings at the annual meeting , at Melton Mowbray , on Thursday , the 5 th instant , of the Prov . Grand Lodge of Leicestershire and Rutland , that Masonry in that compact , but energetic , Province has

been prospering during the past year , as it has done for very many years past . It is unfortunate that Earl Ferrers , the respected Prov . Grand Master , is still prevented from taking his accustomed part in these gatherings , and his lordship has our entire sympathy

on the circumstance which compel his absence . However , he and all of us are aware that it would be impossible for the ruler of any one of our Provinces to have a more loyal and capable repres entative than Lord Ferrers has in Bro . S . S . Partridge , P . A . G . D . C , his worthy Deputy .

During the past year a new lodge has been added to the roll of this Province—an event that well merits the attention bestowed on it by the Acting Prov . G . Master , It is not far short of 10 years since the Gracedieu Lodge , No . 2428 , Coalville , and that thriving young literary Lodge of Research , No . 2429 , Leicester ,

were consecrated , the num . ber of lodges in the Province being then augmented to 14 . A few weeks since Bro . Partridge had the satisfaction of still further lengthening the roll by inaugurating the East Goscote Lodge , No . 2 S 65 , which meets at Syston , in the vicinity of

Leicester , and of the prospects of which he felt justified in speaking most hopefully , remarking that he believed it would have ample scope to develop in that district , and of the success of which he had no doubt . » » »

The acting Prov . G . M . was also in a position to congratulate the Province on the slow but steady numerical increase in the membership of the lodges which had taken place , as well as on the marked success of Bro . R . B . Starkey as Prov . Charity Steward at the 103 rd Festival in behalf of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys in June last , when the total of the

Donations and Subscriptions on that brother ' s list exceeded . £ 600 . Nixt year Leicestershire and Rutland will give its support to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , at whose Festival Sir A . F . Godson , M . P ., has consented to preside , and when Bro . H . T . Grace , P . Trov . G . Std . Br ., will do duty as the representative of the Province .

? * # As regards the small but steady numerical increafo from 809 to 820 , Bro . Partridge considered it was " evidence that due regard was being paid to the care which might at all times be exercised so as to prevent

the admission of ; , ny but really suitable candidates . Our leading brtthren cannot do Freemasonry a greater service than toexprcise this care , which Bro . Partridge and all in his position consider indispensable to the well-being of the Order . There is always a certain fascination about big figu res , which it is difficult to

Masonic Notes.

cope with , and newly-installed W . Masters so habitually express the hope that they may have plenty of work to do during their year of office that lodges are frequently less careful than they ought to be in the acceptance of candidates .

• » » There is one matter for regret to which Bro . Partridge deemed it necessary to refer . The Memorial Fund , which the Province is striving to form in honour of the late Bro . William Kelly , who , for a few years , presided over it as Grand Master , and who was also its

Grand Superintendent in Royal Arch Masonry for but little short of a quarter of a century , is not receiving that generous measure of support to which he considers it is entitled . Bro . Kelly was one of the ablest of English Freemasons , and was a tower of strength to

the Province with which he was connected throughout the whole of his Masonic career , and which he loved so dearly , and yet during the past year only a little over , £ 54 was subscribed to this Fund . # # »

Such a subscription as this for a whole year for a Province which numbers over 800 members can hardly be called adequate , considering the immense services rendered by the late Bro . Kelly . He , as we have just said , was a tower ol strength to Leicestershire and Rutland during well r . ig h the whole of his long and

distinguished career as a Mason , and it appears to us that the Memorial Fund should be made worthy of those services . Hence we hope that when the next annual meeting of Prov . Grand Lodge is held the Fund Committee will be in a position to report that their

appeal for increased support has been generously responded to , and in particular that the number of lodges which contribute annually—ef which at present we are given to understand there are but two—will have been greatly augmented , if , indeed , it does not correspond with the number on the Provincial

# # . * The annual meeting of the Provincial G . Lodge of Jersey , which was held on Friday , the 6 th instant , under the presidency of Bro . Col . E . C . M . de Carteret , Prov . G . Master , appears to have passed off satisfactorily . The statements of account , both in the

General and Benevolent Funds , showed balances , albeit small in amount , on the right side , and the Prov . G . Master remarked that though "for so small a Province and island no very great or startling advance could be expected annually , " yet" it appeared from the statistic s compi led from the annual returns of the various lodges , " that " the level of past years had been well

maintained , indeed , there had been a slight numerical increase . " On the other hand , he drew attention to the large number of brethren returned to Prov . G . Lodge as being in arrears , and expressed the hope that evrry possible effort would be made to bring in all outstanding dues , and to show a great improvement next year in this respect . " We most cordially echo this hope .

* 9 ¥ We have just received copy of a " History of Freemasonry in West Cornwall from 1765 to 1828 , " by Bro . Joseph G . Osborn , P . M . 330 and 450 , P . P . S . G . D ., and P . P . G . Soj ., with an Introduction by Bro . W . J . Hughan , P . G . D ., P . P . S . G . W . Cornwall . Ths work is

dedicated to the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe , Past Dep . G . M . England , and Prov . G . M . and G . Superintendent of Cornwall , and from the very slight glance we have had leisure to obtain of its contents , we consider that Bro . Osborn has done his work of compilation well , and that it will prove a welcome addition to the

rapidlyincreasing number of Provincial and lodge histor ies that have been published during the last few years . Bro . Hughan , indeed , tells us in his Introduction that " about many of these old lodges and sowe of the chapters , Bro . Osborn has given considerable information , based upon actual records , and has done his

best to make known the chief features of Freemasonry in West Cornwall . " We shall take an early opportunity of reviewing it , and our regret is that it did not reach us in time to be mentioned in our review of " Freemasonry in 1901 " in the Christmas number of the Freemason , under the head of "Masonic Literature . "

# # # We havi also to acknowledge receipt of a i opy of lie Report , in pamphlet form , of the Lodge of Sorrow held by the Sussex Lodge , No . 7 on the register of the Grand Lodge of New Brunswick , on the 3 rd February

last , " in memory of our late Most Gracious Sovereign Lady Queen Victoria , Patroness of the Misonic Order , " the presiding officer being the W . Master , Bro . Julius T . Whitlock , P . G . M . Most of the officers and members of this lodge were present , and , in addition , there was a large gathering of brethren from

Masonic Notes.

other lodges and many Grand and Past Grand Officers , including Bro . James Gordon Forbes , M . W . G . Master . In all there must have been between 120 and 130 brethren in lodge , and the proceedings throughout appear to have been most deeply impressive . A most eloquent address was delivered by Bro .

George J . Clarke , P . M ., and when the Lodge of Sorrow was closed , and the M . M . lodge had resumed its labour , it was resolved , on the suggestion of the M . W . G . M ., and on motion duly made and seconded , that a Committee should be formed for the purpose of drawing up an address of condolence with the King , to be

signed by the officers of the lodge , and forwarded through the proper channel to his Majesty . It remains for us to add that the little pamphlet is beautifully printed and neatly put together , and that it is , in all respects , a most worthy memento of a most solemn Masonic function .

# # # It is with sincere regret that we announce the death on Saturday , the 14 th instant , of Bro . Adam J . Berry , P . M ., P . Z ., of the Grand Secretary ' s office . Only two days previous Bro . Berry was at his post and apparently in his usual health ; on the Saturday mentioned he was

dead . Our late brother had attained the ripe age of yj years , and had been a member of the Grand Secretary ' s staff for the best part of the last quarter of a century . He proved himself competent to discharge the duties entrusted to him , and during his service had

won the esteem and respect of his superiors as well as of his brother clerks . The funeral . is fixed for to-day ( Friday ) at St . Marylebone Cemetery , East Finchley , at 2 p . m . We offer our most respectful sympathy to the family of our deceased brother .

* * * Wo regret we are unable to insert , as requested , the the letter from " A Past Master of m my year ' s standing " on the " Appeal of the Regent ' s Park Lodge . " It reached us on Thursday , the 12 th instant , and could not , therefore , be dealt with in time for our last week ' s issue . But even if we had received it earlier , we

should , as we do now , have declined to insert it . The question of dismissing or allowing the appeal was discussed calmly and in a dignified manner , and having been so discussed , we see no reason why the victorious majority should crow in unseemly fashion over the vanquished minority . To put the matter mildly , it is un-Masonic . * *

It is otherwise with Bro . Last ' s letter , which will be found in our Correspondence columns . We think he is wrong in his opinion as to the result being due to the sympathy of the majority with the brother in question and that the decision was " somewhat

accidental . " Nor do his arguments , which are for the most part a repetition of those which Grand Registrar used in his speeches in Grand Lodge , throw additional light on the question at issue . On these and other points we may perhaps have a few observations to make next week .

* * * We congratulate Bro . R . F . Gould , P . G . D ., on the compliment which has been paid him by naming after him what may properly be called the overflow lodge of Inhabitants Lodge , No . 153 . The compliment is richly merited . In 1858 , Bro . Gould , then a subaltern

in the 31 st Regiment , was mainly instrumental in reviving , alter several years' dormancy , Lodge No . 153 , which now musters over 200 members ; and it having been thought desirable , for obvious reasons , to form another lodge , so that brethren might have better and more opportunities of making advancement in the Order , Bro . Gould ' s services were remembered , and it

was resolved to use lib name as the title of the new lodge . Since 1858 Bro . Gould has become a far more distinguished Mason than he then wa ? . He is now a Past G . Deacon of United Grand Lodge , and , more than this , tbe author of ihe best and nijst complete history of the Craft that has ever been written . Thus , by the adoption ot his name for its title , No . 2 S 74 receives as well as confers honour . * * .

Our Christmas Nu / nbur is njw published , a-iJ w _ - trust ' will be found instructive as well as pleasant reading . In addition to the usual review of " Fretmasonry in 1901 " and the Table of Occurences of the Year , from 1 st December , 190 a , to 30 th November , 1901 , there arc quite a number of admirable

conlributions by Bro . W . J . Hughan , P . O . D . ; Bro . the Rev . J . T . Lawrence , P . ist D . s \ G . W . M idras j Bri . James Smith , and others , togethtr with onj of his usual exciting stories from the pen of our Bro . Majjr T . C . Walls , P . G . Std . Br . We trust the efforts of these brethren will be appreciated .