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ARMFIELD'S SOUTH PLACE HOTEL , FINSBURY , LONDON , E . G ., This new and handsomely-furnished Hotel is now FULLY I ICE ^ CED . Its position is central , and charges are nio nVrate . the sanilatii n is perfect . Passenger lift to SPECIAL CONVENIENCE FOR MASONIC LODGES , 3 DINNERS AND ClNDERELLAS .

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NORTHERN ASSURANCE COMPANY . Established 1836 . LONDON : 1 , MOORGATE S TREET , E . C . ABERDEEN -. 1 , UNION TERRACE . INCOME AND FUNDS ( 1894 ) . Fire Premiums £ 701 , 000 Life Premiums ... ... ... ... 232 , 000 Interest 171 , 000 Accumulated Funds - . £ 4 , 444 ,

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I ^/ i ^^ feKJCKgf ^ Sia ^^ S ^ gAft ^ i l R ' ; 'WsW'iT a £ S ^ ^ s Ifwreemasonjl < % . ial n 1 iiinniwuiiii 1 .. frf ( fe ^ ' ^^ aja ^^ rogeRj ^ gg ^ 3 ja £ XxaxSB SATURDAY , AUGUST 22 , 1896 .

Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

With reference to Bro . Lamonby ' s remark in the concluding paragrp ph of the letter of his which appeared in our columns last week , that some seven or eight years ago he made a suggestion in the Freemason similar to that which will be found in the fader which appeared a fortnight since on " Article

- ' 9 , Book of Constitutions , " we had no recollection his having done so , and i ffered our suggestion , for « it was worth , in complete ignorance of his having d e a similar one some years since . We are pleased , owevcr , to find that his views on the subject are in ^ rmony ^ . ^ ^^ ^ ^ ^ , Q { opinion tha | . r , cle 219 should be amended somewhat in the ma "ner indicated by us .

Masonic Notes.

As to the question whether the time has or has not yet arrived for the recognition of " the new body called the Grand Lodge of New Zealand , " we take leave to point out to Bro . Lamonby that his Royal Highness , the M . W . G . Master , expressly stated in his message to Grand Lodge , on which the Pro Grand Master ' s motion was based , lhat he ( the M . W . G . M ) had

"informed hims' . If of the general state of Masonic feeling in the Colony . " From this we infer , not unnaturally , that the general feeling throughout Masonry—English , Irish , and Scotch , as will as New Zeala d—in the Colony , is in favour of recognition of the new lodge . If so , why need we prolong the present discord ? * * «

Whenever a new lodge is consecrated in London or the Provinces , the Consecrating Officer , be he the Grand Secretary or the Grand Master of the Province in whicli the new lodge is located , almost invariably makes it a rule to enjoin on the founders the necessity for exercising the strictest caution as to whom they

accept as candidates for initiation and membership , and it is gratifying to know that , whenever an opportunity presents itself , the leading members of the Fraternity in the United States make it their business to impress on others the same necessity for caution . Bro . J . B . Anthony in his portion of the New York

Report on Correspondence , in objecting to the exercise of the prerogative which some Grand Masters claim of making a Mason at sight , lays it down that '' the necessity of ' due inquiry ' is of the same importance now as in the old days , ai . d the perpetuity of our Institution depends largely on the care exercised in this particular . "

* * * He argues rightly enough that " while we should exercise greater caution in the case of one who has been rejected , ytt any carelessness upon this important pre-requisite will tend to the detriment of our Fraternity . " As he justly says , also , "' Due inquiry ' is

indispensable , and its exercise is the prerogative of the lodge in whose jurisdiction the candidate resides . " For this reason he holds that " in assuming to ' make a Mason at sight , ' a Grand Master not only violates the essential of ' due inquiry' and ballot , but also the jurisdiction of a lodge . "

» » * All Masons will be delighted to know that " the Home " which was established a few years since by the Grand Lodge of New York " has proved ' no Utopian dream , '" but , on the contrary , that " the blessing of the Almighty and the liberality of our

noble Fraternity have made it a great , a practical , and a permanent Charity . " The statistics submitted to the Grand Lodge at its annual communication in June show that the receipts for the Masonic Hall and Asylum Fund during the past year amounted , in round figures , to 84 , 811 dollars , the total of the same , including , we presume , the balance brought forward

from the previous account , being 120 , 503 dollars , while the expenditure reached 7 8 , 793 dollars . The Reserve Fund is set down at 190 , 000 dollars , and " the cost of the Home and Appurtenances " at 26 7 , 93 8 dollars . The cost per beneficiary of the Heme is given at 212 . 25 dollars per annum or 4 oS dollars per week . * * *

The remarks of Bro . A . S . Wait on the powers of a Grand Lodge , as quoted by the Voice of Masonry , irom his Report on Correspondence submitted to the Grand Lodge of New Hampshire , are very much to the point . He does not consider " Grand Lodges as sovereign in any such sense as that they have a right to assume or

exercise despotic powers . " He rightly describes them as " representative bodies , their members being bound by the instructions of the lodges which they represent . " He further says , in illustration of his opinion , " At the formation of tie first Grand Lodge of England , the thought entered the mind of no one that it was anything more than a union of the lodges for the

better government of the Craft in matters pertaining to the general welfare . There is no reason why they should be anything more to-day . We have much higher respect for the Grind Lodge whi : h consults its constitutional lodges before acting in great matters of general interest than for such as assume to act upon the idea that their so-called subordinates have no rights which they are bound to respect . "

» » » It does not often happen that the minutes of a Grand , Prov . Grand , or Distiict Grand Lodge are the subject of so much discussion as those of the District Grjnd Lodge of Queensland encountered at its Quarterly Ctmmunication on the 3 rd June last . On the usual motion made and seconded that the minute * , printed

Masonic Notes.

copies of which had been sent to every member , be taken as read , the Master of one of the lodges inquired whose duty it was to compile the minutes , by whom they had been compiled , and whether they had been approved by the District Boird of General Purposes .

I his inquiry was objected to as being out of order , and was so ruled by the District Grand Master . The same Master then moved that they be read , and the motion being seconded , they were read in full by the District Assistant Grand Secretary . * * *

This step in advance having been made , the further progress of business was stopped by objections raised by the aforesaid Master to the general inaccuracy of the minutes , and the District Grand Master having

called upon him to specify the inaccuracies he complained of , this was done , and the District Grand Secretary having offered the necessary explanations , certain remarks of that officer were , on motion made , seconded , and carried " excised from the minutes . "

But still the end was not yet . A Past District G . Warden then rose and moved that a certain portion of the minutes be non-confirmed , and the motion having been seconded , objection was taken to it on the ground of irregularity . However , the District Grand Master ruled that the motion was in order , and after a long discussion , it was carried , with the result that

the poition of the minutes objected to was non-confirmed . It is , possible , however , that we have not heard the last of this matter . In spite of the District Grand Master ' s ruling , to which he still adhered , the proceedings wore still declared to be out of order , and a brother respectfully gave notice that he would appeal to Grand Lodge . Then , and not till then , the minutes as amended were confirmed .

* * It is difficult to say what strange things may or may not happen in Freemasonry in the jurisdictions of some of the Grand Lodges in the United Stites , but there is one strange practice which prevails in Iowa and of which it is impossible to speak in terms of

commendation . According to Bro . George B . Van Saun , Visiting Custodian , as he is quoted in this month ' s Voice of Masonry , a non-affiliate from a sister Grand Lodge jurisdiction moving into that of the Grand Lodge of Iowa , "has no right of visitation , no right of Masonic relief from the lodge , and in case of

death no right of Masonic burial . He has committed the great crime ( Masonic ) of taking a dimit possibly to join a lodge in another State , and is accordingly denied the courtesy of visiting with his brethren in the tyled precincts of the lodge . " The sooner this practice is done away with , the better will it be for the credit of Freemasonry in Iowa .

* * We are glad to find that the Grand Lodge of Indiana at its annual Communication , in May last , is reported in the Voice of Masonry to have " totally but fraternally dissented from the Wisconsin reimbursement of Masonic relief proposition , and declined to take any

steps towards an inter-jurisdictional enactment of such a law . " The Grand Lodge , indeed , maintains " that it has at all times contended and held that a Mason in distress is entitled to aid and assistance from the Fraternity , wherever he may be at the time of his need , and that , as a matter of law , his lodge is not bound to

make any restitution , though it may always do so at its own option . " We have before now spoken in terms of the strongest condemnation of this Wisconsin proposal , and we are pleased to find that our views are supported by so influential a Grand Lodge as that of Indiana . * * ?

Our view on this proposal is that which is so clearl y set forth by Bro . William Commons in his report on Indiana Correspondence . Says that able brother " the true rule of Masonic relief is , when you find a worthy brother in distress you must contribute for his relief as liberally as you can do without inconvenience "—that is , of course , without detriment to yourself and your

belongings— " and this , too , without expectation or hope of remuneration . " Where comes in the Jiasonic Charity if a brother doles out help to a distressed Mason with the deliberate expectation that the lodge to which the latter belongs , or belonged , will reimburse him his outlay r * * <

According to advices received from South Africa , Bro . C . T . W . Mouat has resigned the office of District Deputy Grand Master of the Western Division of South Africa , and is succeeded by Bro . John B . Wheelwright , District Grand Secretary , the office of the latter being taken over by Bro . G . E . O . Bennett , I . P . M . 3 ^ 4 ,