Freemasonry In 1894.

489 . On the 16 th May the corner-stone of a . new Masonic Hall at A eovil was laid b y Bro . B . AVhitby , the AV . M . of the Lodge of Brotherly Love , No . 329 , which meets in that town , and on the 22 nd November , Bro . Viscount Dnngarvan , Prov . G . Master of Somersetshire , had the satisfaction of dedicating it to the purposes for which it had been erected . Among other events of a similar character

may be mentioned the laying of the foundation-stone of a new Alasonic Hall in Lincoln by Bro . Major AV . H . Smyth , Prov . G . Master of Lincolnshire , on the 27 th June , and of a new chapel at AVolverhampton by Bro the Earl of Dartmouth , P . G . M . Staffordshire , on the 2 nd August , and the dedication of New Masonic Halls at Kelvedon , Essex , and Exmonth , in June and September respectively ,

the ceremony in the former case having been performed by Bro . Sir AV . N . Abdy , Ravt , AV . M . of the Easterford Lodge , No . 2342 , and the present Prov . S . G . AV . of Kssex . But , undoubtedly , the most important gathering for this purpose was that which assembled in Newcastle-on-Tyne on the 25 th July , when Bro . Sir JL "White Ridley , Bart ., M . P ., Prov . G . Masterof Northumberland , assisted by

the chief ofiicers of his Province , laid the foundation-stone of a central Masonic Hall , which it is estimated will cost some £ 15 , 000 . A special Prov . G . Lodge was called for this purpose , and for the consecration of two neu * lodg * es , Nos . 2497 and 2520 , as alread y mentioned , and there was a very large attendance of the brethren of the Province , as well as of the neighbouring Province of Durham .

Large crowds of people assembled along the line of route to witness the Masonic procession , and all around the site of the pi'oposed hall was thronged with spectators , eager to witness the splendid and unusual spectacle . Such a , day had been long unknown to the present generation of brethren in the northernmost Province , and we trust the triple event which they met to celebrate will exercise a

beneficial influence on its future career . It remains for us to record under the head of " Craft Masonry " that His Royal Highness the M . AV . Grand Master has been pleased to grant Centenary Warrants to the following four lodges , which , fortunatel y for themselves , have one and all been able to prove to the satisfaction of the authorities ,

that their duties have , been discharged continuously for a period of 100 years . The four lodges are the Apollo Lodge , No . 301 , Alcester , in the Province of AA arwickshire ; the Lodge of Hope , No . 302 , Bradford , and tho Philanthropic Lodge , No . 304 , Leeds , both in the Province of AVest Yorkshire ; and the Benevolent Lodge , No . 303 , Teigiimonth , in the Province of Devonshire .

ROYAI , ARCH MASONRY . The reduction of the qualifying period for the exaltation of Master Masons to the Royal Arch Degree , which was agreed to at the Quarterl y Convocation of Supreme Grand Chapter in November , 1893 , was only confirmed in February after very considerable discussion and by the not over formidable majority of 18 votes , the

numbei'S voting in favour of and against the proposition being 83 and 65 respectively . The time , therefore , that has elapsed since the resolution became law is too short to enable us to form any opinion as to its effect on the fortunes of this branch of " pure and antient " Masonry . However , the number of Chapters for which warrants have been granted during the year is 22 , as against 19 in 1893 , the

new London Chapters being six in number , the new Provincial Chapters nine , and the new Chapters Abroad seven . The London six are the Jordan , No . 201 ; the Canterbury , No . 1635 ; the Imperial , No . 1694 ; the St . Leonard ' s , N . j . 1766 ; the iEsenlapius , No . 2410 ; and the Hiram , No . 2416 . The nine new Provincial Chapters are distributed as follows * . the AVellesley Chapter , No . 1899

meeting at Crowthoriie , has been added to the roll of Berkshire , and another—the Herschel , No . 1894 , Slough—to that of Buckinghamshire . Gloucestershire is strengthened b y the addition of the Sherborne Chapter , No . 702 , Stroud , while the number on the i * oll of Kent has been increased to 25 b y the constitution of the Montreal , No . 2046 , and the Royal Naval and Military , No . 2404 , which meet

at Maidstone and Chatham respectively . West Lancashire has gained one , the Makerfield Chapter , No , 2155 , meeting at Newton-le-Willows , and Lincolnshire one , in the shape of the Edward Albert , No . 985 , Sutton Bridge . The remaining two are located in the Eastern and AVestern Divisions respectively of South Wales , the Marmaduke Tennant , No . 1992 , so named after the Grand

Superintendent , meeting at Cardiff , in the former , and the Loyal AVelsh , No . 378 , at Pembroke Dock , in the latter . The Chapters Abroad are the Jumna Chapter , attached to the Star of Agra Lodge , No . 1936 , at Agra , in the District of Bengal ; the Cyrus , No . 1359 , Bombay , and the Clarence , No . 1065 , at Jubbulpore , in the District of Bombay , and the Jullnndnr Chapter , No . 1999 , Jnllnndnr , in the District of the

Punjab . A third Chapter has been Warranted in the Sonth African Republic , the Gold Fields Chapter , No . 2478 , Johannesburg , and as the Republic has just been erected into a District Grand Lodge , we may hope to see it furnished ere long with a Provincial organisation for the Royal Arch as well . Charters Towers , No . 1546 , and the Raphael Chapter , No . 1850 , meeting at Charters Towers and

Rome respectively , have been established in Queensland , under Comp . the Hon . Augustus O . Gregory as Grand Superintendent . As for the proposed St . Manghold Chapter , No . 1075 , to be held at Ramsay in the Isle of Man , the petition for which was in November , 1893 , deferred for further consideration ; Lodge St . Maughold has

since withdrawn its sanction , and in consequence of this and the withdrawal ' of those among the petitioners who were members of that lodge , the scheme has fallen through . The AVarrant of the Rose of Sharon Lodge , No . 1006 , St . Day , has been returned to G . Chapter by request of the Prov . Grand Scribe E . of Cornwall , there

Freemasonry In 1894.

having been no exaltation in if for the last 10 years , while the Pythagorean , No . 447 , Corfu , and the AVellington Union , No . 537 , ' Wellington , N . Zealand , have been struck off the roll , the former having made no returns since 1865 , while in the latter case there have been no returns since 1882 , and the lodge to which it was attached was erased in September last from the books of Grand Lodge . Two '

Chapters—the Shakespeare , No . 284 , AA arwick , and the Trinity , No . 254 , Coventry , have been transferred from the lodges respectivel y bearing those names and numbers , the former having * become tho ' Chapter of Temperance . No . 739 , Birmingham , while the latter rejoices in the new style and title of St . Michael ' s , No . 1630 , Coventry . A petition for a new Chapter attached to Lodge 254 , has , however

been since granted , and tbe Chapter consecrated . One Centenary AVarrant has been granted to the Sione of Friendshi p Ezel Chapter , No . 287 , Stockport , which has been able to demonstrate to tho satisfaction of the authorities ( he continuity of ils working during the lust hundred years . As for the proceedings in Grand Chapter , we have already referred to the one subject of importance , the confirmation in '

February of the minutes of the Convocation in the November previous so far as they related to the reduction of the qualify ing period for the exaltation of Alaster Masons , nor are we aware of any other matter of moment having been brought to the notice of tho companions , unless , indeed , it be the election in Alay of Comp . AV . M .

Stiles , P . Z ., to be Grand Treasurer , after a close contest with Comp . Sir Lionel Darell , Bart ., siuh election having been rendered necessary b y the ineli gibility of the brother who had been chosen ' Grand Treasurer of Grand Lorlge to fill—ex-officio as he would have done , had he been qualified—the corresponding oilice in Grand ' Chapter . There are , however , sundry changes in the hi gher ranks of the Degree to which it is desirable ' we should call attention . On '

the 10 th November , Comp . W . AV . B . Beach , AI . P ., Grand J . and G . Superintendent of Hampshire ancl the Isle of AVi ght , installed Bro .. Lord George Hamilton , M . P ., in the office of G . Superintendent of * Aliddlesex , which had remained unfilled since the lamented death of ' Comp . Col . Sir Francis Burdett , Bart ., while the offices of G . Superintendent in Northumberland and Leicestershire and Rutland , which ' had been made vacant by the deaths of Comps . Lt .-Col . Addison

Potter and AVilliam Kelly , have been filled by the appointment of " Comp . Sir M . AVhite Ridley , Bart ., to the former , and of Comp . Earl Ferrers to the latter . By these changes , the government of both Craft and Arch Alasonry in these Provinces has been placed in the ' same hands ; Abroad there have been formed two District Grand ' Chapters ; both of them are located in South Africa , that of Natal , with four Chapters , having been placed in charge of Comp . R . I . ' Finnemore—who is District G . Mastei—as G . Superintendentand that

, of the AVestern Division of South Africa , with four Chapters , under Comp . the Very Rev . C . AV . Barnett , who thus becomes G . Superintendent as well as G . Master of the District .

MARK MASONRY . It is not to be expected that a prosperous and popular branch of Alasonry , such as the Mark Degree has undoubtedl y been for the ' past ten years , and even longer , should invariably maintain the same rate of progress , and our readers , therefore , will feel little , if any ,.

surprise when they learn that during the past year the number of warrants issued b y the M . W . Grand Alaster has been somewhat ' limited . In all other respects , howevei ' , iu the work of the several . lodges , in the efficiency of its administration , in the number of fresh certificates issued , and in the maintenance of its prestige throughout

the sphere of its influence , as well as in its monetary position , the Mark ' has held its own , and is far stronger in all things essential to its ' well-being than it was when we compiled onr review of "Freemasonry in 1893 . " The new Alark Lodges which have been warranted since then are 11 in number , while , as regards two of the

lodges comprised in the District G . Lodge of Bengal , which have not met for several years , and are looked upon as practically extinct , the last known Masters have been called upon to show cause why they should not be struck off the roll . The new lodges include the ' Savage Clnb Lodge , No . 469 , and the Jusficia , No . 476 , which are

located in London ; the Southport , No . 473 , and the Bootle , No . 478 , in the Province ot . Lancashire , whose roll is thereby increased to 35 ; the Lilford , No . 471 , Thrapston , and the Fifzwil ' liam , No . 477 , both in Northamptonshire , and within the limits of the newly organised Province of Northants , Hunts , and Beds . Three new

lodges have been added to the District of Bengal—vi */ .., the Quarries , ' No . 468 ; the New Capcstone , No . 472 ; and " the Ashlar , No . 474 ; ' meeting at Jhansi , Mozuffnrpore , and Dnm Dum respectively . The Henry Byrde , No . 475 , has been consecrated at Kandy , Ceylon , and is on the roll of the District G . Lodge of Madra ' s ,

while the Ballarat Lodge , No . 470 , Ballarat , raises the number of lodges in the district of Victoria , Australia , io 10 . The number of Alark certificates issued during ( ho year is 1588 , increasing the total number of registered Mark ' Alasons from the beginning to 33 , 365 . In respect of tho Royal Ark Mariners

Degree , which is associated as closely with the Alark , as the Royal Arch is with Craft Masonry , 272 new certificates have been issued , making the total number registered from the beginning 4290 , while Royal Ark Alariners Lodges have been attached to the following Lodges , namely •to the Portsmouth , No . 17 , Portsmouth , and the

William Hickman , No . 320 , Sandown , in the Province of Hants and the Isle of Wight ; to the Gladsmuir , No . 367 , High Barnet , in the Province of Hertfordshire ; to the Royal George , No . 456 , Bermuda ; to the Avondale , No . 460 , Antigua , in ' the Dist . G . Lodge of the West ' Indies ; to the Albert A ictor , Wo . 70 , Ipswich , in the Province of East