Provincial Grand Mark Lodge Of West Yorkshire.

tant meeting has detained him in town . Suffice it to say that we have four West Yorkshire children on the education list , deriving a substantial benefit from the Charities . One of our Yorkshire boys received the silver medal from the Board for proficiency . Altogether , 19 boys and 14 girls are being educated ; and we have on the annuitant list eight males and two widows . These are elected

without expense or trouble , and I for one should be glad to see these Charities more used , instead of waiting , as is often the case , for long periods , for election on to the greater Charities . Brethren , I will not detain you longer to-day ; thanking you " for your attendance , and wishing you all happiness , in your Masonic lodges is well as in the daily routine of your lives .

The PROV . GRAND REGISTRAR read a statement ol the numerical position of each lodge up to 31 st December , 1892 . The PROV . GRAND TREASURER presented his balance-sheet to 31 st Uecember , showing a balance to the credit of ^ 49 6 s . 7 d ., which was rereived and adopted .

The Deputy Prov . Grand Master , Bro . Rev . Dr . SMYTH , addressed the Prov . Grand Master , and said that owing to his approaching removal from the province to reside at Coatham , in North and East Yorkshire , he would Ue unable any longer to fulfil his duties , and felt obliged , to his great regret , now to resign the office of Deputy Provincial Gran d " M aster , which he had held for so many years with so much pleasure to himself , and he trusted iviih some little advantage to the Order .

Bro . Dr . Symth then delivered into the hands of the Prov . Grand Master his collar of office . The P ROV . GRAND MASTER , in accepting Bro . Dr . Smyth ' s resignation and collar of office , said he felt sure that he expressed not only his personal regret , but that of every brother in the province at Bro . Dr . Smyth ' s resignation of the office of Deputy Provincial Grand Master , and after paying a hig h tribute to the efficiency with which Bro . Dr . Smyth had discharged his

duties , and his character and bearing as a good clergyman , a courteous gentleman , and a hard-working Freemason , he moved the following resolution , which was seconded b y Bro . AT - THORPE , P . P . G . W ., supported by Bro . J BARKER , P . P . G . W ., and carried with unanimous and prolonged acclamation : " That the best thanks of this Provincial Grand Lodge be g iven to the V . W . Bro . the Rev . T . C . Smyth , D . D ., Past G . Chap ., for his services as Deputy Provincial Grand Master , and that the same be embodied in an address and presented to him . "

The following address , beautifull y illuminated and framed , was then read by the ACTING PROV . GRAND REGISTRAR , and formally presented to Bro . ( he Rev . Dr . Smyth by the Prov . Grand Master : PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OK MARK MASTER MASONS OI- WEST YORKSHIRE . To Very Worshipful Bro . Thomas Cartwright Smyth , Past Grand Chaplain , Deputy Provincial Grand Master of West Yorkshire .

We , the members of the West Yorkshire Provincial Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England , Wales , and the Colonies and Dependencies of the British Crown , desire , on your retiring from the office of Deputy Prov . Grand . Master , to tender you our deep and sincere thanks for all the kind assistance you have tendered at all times in carrying on the business of our Provincial Grand Lodge .

It is a matter ot great regret to us that your leaving Leeds renders it necessary for you to vacate the office you have so worthily held for so many years , and we pray that it may please the Great Overseer of the Universe to preserve your life and grant that our Order may have the benefit of your valuable services for many years to come .

Given at Bradford this twelfth day of April , 1 S 93 . ALFRED E . KIRKHA . M , Prov . Grand Registrar . C . LETCH MASON , TUDOR TREVOR , Prov . Grand Secretary . Prov . Grand Master . Bro . Dr . SMYTH , in an eloquent and feeling reply , expressed his deep appreciation of the manifestation of regard which he had received , and the great pleasure his tenure of office as Deputy Provincial Grand Mark Master of that province had afforded him . After having expressed his warm satisfaction of the appointment by the Provincial Grand Master of so well-known

and able a Mason as Bro . John Barker as his successor , he bade the brethren an allectionate farewell , with many sincere wishes for the future prosperity <> I that Provincial Grand Lodge . Bro . John Barker was then conducted to the pedestal , and alter being duly obligated by Bro . Dr . Smyth , P . G . C . England , P . D . P . G . M ., fcc , was duly invested b y the Prov . Grand Master with the collar , and his patent of office handed to him , as Deputy Prov . Grand Master of West Yorkshire . He was then saluted .

The DEI 1 . PROV . GRAND MARK MASTER briefly acknowledged the compliment , expressing his deep appreciation of the importance and dignity of lie office he had just received , and his intention to endeavour to follow in tie steps of his eminent predecessors , in their efficient discharge of the duties thereof . b

. Y Dr - Smyth retired from Provincial Grand Mark Lodge , escorted by the Deacons , and all the brethren rising in their places . I he W . M . of Truth Lodge , No . 137 , Bro . W . K . SMITHIES , tendered a 'earty invitation for the holding of next Provincial Grand Lodge at luddersfield , under the banner of his lodge . iie

» 1 ROV . JRAND MASTER , in accepting it , expressed his great pleasure 'it the improved and satisfactory progress Truth Lodge was making . It was moved by the PROV . GRAND SECRETARY , and seconded by the 'ii'i'Ti- PROV . GRAND MASTER , and carried unanimously : " That the best wnks of this Prov . Grand Lodge be accorded to the W . M ., Officers , and "lethren of the Old York Lodged ' . ! . ) , for their cordial and hospitable 'weplion of Provincial Grand Lodge this day . " TI i \ V- ^'" ol tlle lod ^> - I ' ATTINSON , briell y responded . Hie 1 rovincial Grand Lodge was then closed .

Freemasonry In Quebec.

FREEMASONRY IN QUEBEC .

tor f r ' nas writtcn a " ol ) le volume , entitled " Outlines of the Hisi' » m ecmasonr y i" the Province of Ouebec , " and collected therein an vin ^" num ' ° f particulars concerning the Craft , not only in the prol'iitlu ! , anicd , but also elsewhere . It is a monument of research and „_ . . . ' i and thoutrh not nlwavs r . irefiillv rlirrpsted and arranged , vet

consirj n ' ) ff "' ' s the first real nisto O' ° f t , lc k' » di deals with matters spread ( l > 'ite Cra ¦ ° century anc ' covers more than 600 pages . One can ev ' n ] cn mi ' ' ! tnat tnc wealth of material , the numerous facts , and much embark l Was a , nl '' cli | 1 K '" . character must have been at times worl " assin £ and bewildering to the historian and author of this grand

tli c u ' ranam lias wisel y given a few particulars of the old Grand Lodges , ''' Siand | f ° ^ re tf ' Freemasonry throughout the world . As respects ''' iic ' or ' - & . , e correctly names four Grand Lodges which were at one tanaj ., ano . tnc'' i" existence during the last century , only two concern 1 > ur , indeed , any lodge or Grand Lodge outside England . These

Freemasonry In Quebec.

are the original Grand Lodges , formed in 1717 , and known later on as the " Moderns , " or " Prince ' s Masons , " and the Grand Lodge , started in 1751 as a rival organisation and called " Ancients " or " Atholl Masons . " In December , 1813 , these joined and constituted the " United Grand Lodge of England , " which continues , happily , to this day .

The York " Grand Lodge of all England was not so termed until after the ori ginal Grand Lodge of 1717 had long been at work , ( or before 1725 it was but a single Iodge of "time immemorial " antiquity , and its chief officer , from time to time , was not termed "Grand Master" but " President . " The title of G . M . was not used until 1725 at York . This body and its London subordinate , or creation , had died out before the

century ended , and neither , at any time , granted any warrants out uf England , neither did they in any measure recognise the "Ancients , " so that all the talk about "York Masons" in Canada and other parts of America was , and is , wholly without any authority whatever . There never were any " Ancient York Masons " ( A . Y . M . ) in America or anywhere out

of England , all called so being " Ancient Masons , " hailing directly or indirectly from the Grand Lodgeof 1751 , formed in London . All the warrants of the so-called "Ancient York Masons " are not dated at York , but London , England , or signed b y Prov . G . M . ' s , appointed by the latter body , so long known as the " Ancients " aforesaid .

The interesting facts relating to early Freemasonry , and also as to the province , as collected and described by Dr . Graham , form an excellent introduction to the general subject , and place the readers of the volume in a favourable condition to appreciate the surrounding circumstances of the period Masonically and historically . When Freemasons first entered Quebec it is impossible to say , or when

Freemasons' lodges were first held in that province , or , indeed , anywhere in British North America . Undoubtedly brethren who owned the Lodge of " Edinburgh " as their Alma mater emigrated to Canada early in the 17 th century , and possibly met Masonically in lodges . Rcbold is in error , however , as to English Freemasonry being taken to Canada in 1721 , for it was not really introduced into France through a regularly constituted lodge until 1732 , though evidently irregularly worked before .

The information afforded respecting military lodges is most valuable and important , for clearly the Canadian Craft is indebted to our military brethren for their first insight of warranted lodge Freemasonry , and mainly from the year 1756 . The British Craft appears to have been planted on Ouebec soil in 1 759 , and from that year the Canadian Craft has been

directly or indirectly indebted to the military lodges for much of its knowledge of the Fraternity . In those days much that was considered " regular " would not pass muster now , but in judging of the period 1759-1791 we must apply the test then generally accepted , in deciding as to the hona fide character of organisations that were started , rather than those adopted by Grand Lodges of the present era .

Bro . John Lane , of Torquay , has done much to educate the various debatable points concerning the period named , and in his grand " Masonic Records , 1717-18 S 6 , " and on his admirable table on the " Fraternity G >' s . " Masonic history has exhibited correctly and chronologically the lodges in

Canada which were placed on the English roll . The misfortune , however , is that the names and other particulars of the lodges thus constituted , more or less , under English authority , were not forwarded in all cases—in fact rarely so—promptly as they should have been , and hence the dates of ori gin ascribed to such lodges , in our registers , are often later than they actually

were . The remarkable letters discovered by Bro . Henry Sadler , Freemasons ' Hall , London , and first made known in his able " Life of Thomas Dunckerley , " have thrown a flood of light on this subject , and I am glad to see that Dr . Graham not only quotes them , but duly credits Bro . Sadler with this important find .

It is evidently an error as to Colonel Sir Guy Carleton ( afterwards Lord Dorchester ) being appointed ( provisionally ) Prov . G . M . in succession to John Collins . It was Lieut .-Col . Christopher Carleton who was so appointed in 17 S 6 , and the draft of his patent has lately been found by Bro . Sadler .

The same brother was also Grand Superintendent for the Royal Arch of Canada , as noted in my "Origin of the English Rite of Freemasonry . " Doubtless the Christopher Carleton , J . G . W ., referred to in the Quebec History , re " Warrant No . 6 , " is the same brother that became subsequently Prov . G . M ., i . e ., provided he did succeed Collins as was intended .

There are a few points of difference between Dr . Graham and myself , of which the present Albion Lodge , No . 2 , originally No . 9 , "Ancients" is an instance . When the "Ancients " revived a number that had lapsed , and a Iodge by purchase thereby secured a much higher position , such lodge still dated from its original warrant , and not from the year of origin of the lapsed lodge . So that No . 2 , Quebec , really has precedence from the year

1781 , being the year of issue of its first charter No . 213 . This explanation must suffice for any others so circumstanced , and is selected because our Grand Lodge , unfortunately , granted a centenary warrant from a misconception of the facts . Had our No . 17 ( which was once " Ancient " y , and formerly 213 ) been still on the roll , 1 have no hesitation in stating that its special centenary jewel warrant , on petition , would have been changed for an ordinary one , as from the year 1881 ( 1781-1881 ) as was done under

similar circumstances by and for No . 153 , Gibraltar . The extracts from the minutes of so many old lodges are most interesting as well as curious and valuable , and render the massive volume most welcome to us in England , as well as to our Canadian brethren . Nothing like it or approaching it in value in these respects , has ever appeared before . Beyond question Dr . Graham has done a most important work for his Grand Lodge , and one that will not only live , but well deserves the great success it is receiving and will receive .

When Bro . J . Ross Robertson ' s history of the Grand Lodge of Canada is written , we shall then be circumstanced and able to rightly understand the origin and progress of the Craft in I Ipper as well as Lower Canada , and then I hope to have a few words to say on Canadian Freemasonry as a whole .

As to Royal Arch and Knights Templar Freemasonry in Canada , Bro . Robertson is doing a grand work to make their early history both readable and thoroughly well known . As to the Templars , he has ably succeeded , and will , doubtless , do the same good service for the Koyal Arch . But time and space forbid my saying or writing more now , save to most

sincerely congratulate the Grand Lodge of Ouebec on the noble work of their historian , and to express my thanks for an official copy of Dr . Graham ' s handsome volume-. I do not make any mention of the sore point at issue respecting the three lodges on English register , at Montreal , as I hope they will soon join the Grand Lodge of Ouebec—W . J . HUGHAN , in I lie " Canadian Craftsman , "