The Future Influence Of Freemasonry.

Having descanted on thc " spirit of Masonry , " without which he affirmed that England would be poorer ; which lie lauded because " it makes but little noise , it asks for no recruits . It silentl y does its own quiet work ; " and " because it aids not only its own homes touched with sorrow , where the widow and the

orphan are tendcrley cared for , not onl y its own suffering sadhearted brothers , " but because " it whispers its noble maxims to many a heart , " he went on to defend it against the charge of being a secret Order . " Yes , " said he , " secret , chiefly because it never boasts ; secret because , it carries out in silence thc

Lord's own sweet command , which , in good deeds , bids the ri g ht hand often be ignorant of what the left is doing ; " concluding tliis part of his address b y asking the non-Masons present if he was not ri ght in saving , " with no uncertain wavering

voice" that , " at least in our England these bonds of loyalty and reli g ion are indeed sacred and precious to English Masons . " " I affirm , " said he , "that in our favoured land not a few of the most reli g ious and most loyal among our citizens are brothers of our Masonic Order . " Ilavinsr said this much to thc

non-Masons , the DEAN again addressed himself to his brethren and expressed his belief that Masonry "has a noble future in front of it . " He affirmed- — -what indeed is known to every one of us —that " throughout Europe there is now a painful anxious feeling of unrest and discontent , " and that there are many people " who

know not their right hand from their left , " who , under the guidance " of unwise and reckless advisers" are becoming dissatisfied and themselves reckless . It is these who are striving " to disturb , to break up , to destroy thc present order of things amongst us . " " These poor souls , " said he , " little think that if

their wishes were granted and a great levelling of all classes was accomplished , they little think the sure result would be a poverty far deeper , a misery far more reaching than that which all p itiful loving men now deplore and long to relieve ; for if wealth were shattered , shattered too would be work . The same

fell blow which destroys capital must , at the same time , destroy labour . " But against such pernicious doctrines and the terrible consequences which would follow their general acceptance , pur brother holds that " our Brotherhood of Masons will surel y be a noble bulwark of order , for wc form a numerous company and a

strong one ; a company welded together b y bands forged in no earthly workshop ; a company made up of all sorts and conditions of men , from thc Princes of the House of England down to the toiler living on a dail y wage . " And , in the event of days of trouble and anxiety coming upon us , he exhorts us to stand shoulder to

shoulder , " resolutely teaching order and obedience , reverence for all that is higher , better , nobler than ourselves , holding fast those sublime teachings we Masons know so well , and prize so

hi g hly . " If we do this , " then in coming days , whether of sunshine or of clouds , of quiet prosperity or of stress and storm , shall we be "the noblest , truest patriot army of which men have ever dared to dream . "

I hese are weighty words , which deserve to be well pondered by our readers . They describe truthfull y the circumstances in which we are living . Whatever our political and reli g ious opinions may happen to be , we cannot disguise from ourselves the fact that a spirit of unrest and discontent exists in all

directions , that this spirit is being fostered by " unwise and reckless advisers" who consider it will be to their own advantage , if the foundations of society art ; uprooted arid all men compelled to reduce themselves to the lowest level instead of being encouraged to aspire to the highest , best , and noblest that is within their

reach ; and it is because the teachings of I * reemasonry incline its members lo indulge in these aspirations that our venerable Order may justl y be looked upon as a noble bulwark in the days of discontent and unrest which so many people consider , not without reason , are awaiting us in the future .

Provincial Grand Chapter Of West Yorkshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND CHAPTER OF WEST YORKSHIRE .

The annual convocation of thc above Prov . Grand Chapter was holden in the Masonic Hall , South Parade , Hudderslield , on Saturday , the Sth inst ., by invitation of Prosperity Chapter , No . 290 . Present : Comps . Henry Smith , P . /* * . 302 , Past G . Prin . Soj . Eng ., Prov . G . H . in charge ; Col . J . L . Hartley , D . L ., P . /* * ., 495 , P- as I ' rov . G . H , ; William Harrop , P . Z . 290 , P . as Prov . G . J . ; Allen Jackson , P . Z . 521 , P . Prov . G . L ; 1 . F . Tanner , P . Z . 337

P . Prov . G . | . ; Capt . Herbert G . K . Green , P . ' / .. 154 , Prov . G . S . E , ; J . Cooper Malcolm , P . P . G . R ., P . Z . 304 , as Prov . G . S . N . ; Henry Cowbrough , P . Z . 1042 , Prov . G . Treas . ; George Marshall , P . Z , 521 , P . Prov . G . Treas . ; Major G . Bolton , P . Z . 154 , I'rov . G . Reg . ; George H . Robinson , P . Z . 275 , !*) . Prov . G . Reg . ; Thos . Richard Vaux , P . P . G . J ., P . Z . 208 , as Piov . G . P . S . ; Henry Blackburn , P . Z . 827 , Prov . ist A . G . S . ; John Hunt , P . Z . 130 , Prov . 2 nd A . G . S . ; J . W . Monckman , P . Z .

6 oo , P . Prov . G . P . S . ; Thomas Riley , I' . Z . fioo , P . Prov . G . P . S . ; Cornelius Wheawill , P . Z . 290 , P . Prov . G . P . S . ; James Lawton , P . Z . 337 , P . Prov . G . P . S . ; Lieut . IL S . Goodyear , P . Z . 495 , Prov . G . S . B . ; VV . Harrison , P . Z . 2 ( 5 **; , D . Prov . G . S . B . ; Reuben Williamson , P . Z . 521 , P . I ' rov . G . S . B . ; C . Newsome , P . Z . 264 , Prov . G . Std . Br . ; W . Oil . l y . P . Z . 387 , Prov . Asst . G . Std . Br . ; W . Bingham , P . Z . 1042 , P . Piov . G . Std . lir . ; VV . Metcalfe , P . Z . Cicio , I'rov . G D . C . ; II . N . Crowther

Provincial Grand Chapter Of West Yorkshire.

P . Z . 27 S , P . Prov . G . D . C ; J . R . Dore , P . Z . 275 , P . Prov . G . D . C . ; E . Lord , P . Z . 495 , P . Prov . G . D . C ; Thomas Gaukrogcr , P . Z . 307 , P . Prov . G . D . C ; Alfred Gill , P . Z . 264 , P . Prov . G . D . C ; John Roberts Fawcett , P . Z . 1214 , P . Prov . G . D . C ; Jeremiah Dunnill , Org . 1019 , as Prov . G . Org . ; Thomas Chester , Janitor 904 , Prov . G . Janitor ; Joe Booth Whiteley , P . Z . 290 , Prov . G . Stwd . ; John Dyson , P . Z . 306 , Prov . G . Stwd . ; John Cass , J . P ., P . Z . 302 , Prov . G . Stwd . ; also Principals , Past First Principals , and companions from ail the chapters in the province but five .

Apologies were received for unavoidable absence from thc following Prov . Grand Officers : Comps . Col . J . E . Bingham , P . Z . 29 6 , Prov . G . J . ; Jose Rickard , P . Z . 304 , Prov . G . S . N . ; Alfred Verity , P . Z . 20 S , Prov . G . P . S . ; VV . D . Shoebri ' dge , P . Z . 448 , Prov . G . Std . Br . ; Thomas Uttley , P . Z . 307 , Prov . G . D . C .,- Thomas Lawrence , P . Z . 1001 , Prov . A . G . D . C . ; F . Simpson , P . Z . 1019 , Prov . A . G . S . E . ; Dr . Samuel J acob , P . Z . 837 , Prov . G . Org . ; the Rt . Hon . Wm . Lawies Jackson , M . P ., P . Z . 289 , and about 13 ( 1

others , many of whom were Past Prov . Grand Officers and Present and Past Principals . Comp . Henry Smith , Prov . G . H . in charge of the province , and the Prov . Grand Officers entered at 3 . 30 p . m ., and Provincial Grand Chapter was opened in form . The acting Grand Superintendent and the acting Grand H . and " [ . were saluted , and the roll of chapters called . The roll of Present and Past Prov . Grand Officers was called .

The minutes of the annual convocation , held at Leeds , on Wednesday , 23 rd May , 18 94 , were presented for confirmation , when it was moved by Comp . WM . HARROP , seconded by Comp . H . S . GOODYEAR , and resolved " that the minutes be taken as read and confirmed . " The ACTING GRAND SUPERINTENDENT then delivered the following address : Companions—I desire to assure you of the extreme pleasure it

affords me to meet you to-day , the 59 th convocation of Prov . Grand Chapter , our first being at Dewsbury ; on 5 th May , 1858 . I cannot avoid emotion when explaining to you the cause of my presiding , viz ., the severe loss we have sustained in the death of our Grand Superintendent , Comp . Thomas William Tew . He was taken from us on 29 th March , and was interred at East Hardwick on 2 nd April , in the grounds of the church of which he was

chief founder . His gracious and noble services to the Craft and this Supreme Degree will not soon be forgotten , and I venture to assert that no man ever merited or obtained warmer sympathy or more hearty appreciation . We have now to look for his successor , and I believe it will be shortly announced that our distinguished Bro . the Right Hon . William Lawies Jackson , has been appointed as our future ruler . There has been a sad

fatality amongst our friends in Pontefract . About a week after Comp . Tew ' s death , viz ., on the 6 th April , Comp . W . H . B . Atkinson died , and was buried at sea . On April 7 th , Comp . Isaac Kaberry , P . P . G . Reg ., and then holding that office in the Craft ; and on May 30 th , our esteemed friend Samuel Slack . All the above-named companions were active members of Chapter 495 Wakefieldand had recently obtained a charter for a chapter

, , to be attached to St . Oswald Lodge , No . 910 , Pontefract . Unhappily , this does not end our list , and , without detracting from the merits of the abovenamed , I must mention Comp . Thomas Bateman Fox , P . Z . 208 , P . P . G . J ., who succumbed to an attack of influenza , followed by rheumatic fever , on ioth May , after several weeks of great suffering * . Comp . Bateman Fox had been a leading light in the Craft for some years , and had just retired from

the chair of the Charity Committee after four years' devoted service . We are fortunate in obtaining the services of our esteemed friend , Comp . Wm . Harrop , to discharge the duties of the chair . Occupying as I do the office of Prov . G . H ., the duty is cast upon me of discharging all the duties of Grand Superintendent , and until a successor is appointed and installed , which 1 can confidently assure you will not be delayed beyond our usual

half yearly meeting in November , I refer you to Royal Arch Regulation , No . 40 . It will be satisfactory to know that we have on our roll 1335 members , an increase of 37 . During the year 101 new members have been admitted , an increase of six . The resignations , I am sorry to say , number 39 ; the deaths are 19 , against 31 in previous years , a reduction , I am glad to say , of 12 ; the exclusions for non-payment number 17 , about the same ;

the members in arrear are 58 , against 56 . By promptitude and diligence on the part of Treasurers and Scribes working together I am convinced this list might be easily reduced one half . I have frequently heard that an impression exists , perhaps to a very limited extent , however , that subscriptions can be paid any time within the year . The sooner Treasurers disabuse the minds of the negligent of this

unreasonable idea the better . All Masonic contributions are due in advance , and if not paid within a week or two of the time should be applied for and secured . It is my pleasing duty to thank the retiring officers for their services , and to invest their successors whose appointment has been made on the lines adopted by our late Grand Superintendent . 1 will now ask your attention to the business of Prov . Grand Chapter .

Comp . Major BOLTON , P . Z . 154 , Prov . G . Registrar , moved : " That this Grand Chapter desires to record on the minutes its deep sense of the great loss it has sustained by the death of its beloved and lamented Companion Thomas William Tew , J . P ., Past Assistant Grand Sojourner ( Grand Superintendent of this Province from 1885 until his death on 29 th March , 1895 ) ; also to record its sympathy and condolence with Mrs . Tew and the

members of the family . " He said : M . E . and Companions—In moving this resolution I am deeply conscious of the utter insufficiency of any words of mine adequately to express our high estimation of the noble character of our late Grand Superintendent , and the deep sorrow with which his death has filled our hearts . Comp . Tew may , without any exaggeration , be said to have been one of those who are ' the salt of the earth . ' A man of the

highest culture and mental attainments , and of unblemished character , he was fitted to adorn , and did adorn every sphere of life in which he moved . Blessed with a competency of this world's goods , he also possessed what , alas ! does not always accompany the means , viz ., a tender heart and a generous disposition , which prompted him to employ his wealth in alleviating the distress and promoi . in'g the happiness of all with whom he

came in contact . Such being his disposition , he naturally threw himself ' heart and soul' into Masonry , and the world indeed saw in him ' one in whom the burdened heart might pour forth its sorrows , to whom the distressed might prefer their suit , whose heart was guided by justice , and whose hand was extended by benevolence . He not

only subscribed liberally to the Masonic Charities , but Comp . Tew did not content himself with giving of his means , he gave , what was even more valuable , his time and talents ungrudgingly to Masonry , and was never wearied in working for its welfare . Our esteemed Comp , Henry Smith could , I am sure , bear witnets to this , whilst the admirable addresses g iven from time to time by our late Grand Superintendent will ever remain testi-