Freemasonry In 1894.

Anglia ; and to the Studholme , No . 197 , London The proceedings in Grand Lodge have been less formal thaw usual and will , doubtless ; help materially to strengthen the Degree . At the Quarterl y Communication in March Bro . R . Turtle Pigott , D . C . L ., was elected G . Treasurer for the ensuing year , and in June when the new G . Officers were , as usual , appointed and invested , it was announced that Bro .

Robert Berridge , who had held the office of Grand Director of Ceremonies for 17 years , and had , in other ways , rendered important services to the Degree , had expressed his desire , to be relieved of further active service , and a cordial vote of thanks was passed to him accordingly . The new organ , which has been erected in the Great Hall as a memorial to the late Bro . the Rev . Canon Portal , Past G .

Alaster , was unveiled by the Pro G . Alaster , after which , a portrait of Bro . the Marquis of Hertford , . Past Pro G . Master , and Prov . G . Alark Alaster of Warwickshire , was formally presented to Grand Lodge by the bi * ethren of his Province , and gracefully acknowledged by the President . In September it was agreed , on the recommendation-of the General Board , that the Book of Constitutions , the last

edition of which was exhausted , should be completely revised before being re-issued , and the work was done with such promptitude , that at the Communication held early in the present month , the amendments which had been made were submitted and approved b y Grand Lodge , the most important change being in the rules of the Annuity Funds , by which male annuities are increased from £ 26 to £ 40 per

annum , and the widow annuities from £ 21 to £ 32 , thus placing them on the same footing as the male and widow annuities granted by the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . At the same Communication , on the 4 th inst ., the customary nominations were made for the offices of Grand Alaster and Grand Treasurer , those proposed for the latter being Bros . Percy AVallis , Captain T . C . AValls , and AV . F .

Lamonby . But in addition to these regular meetings the Mark Brethren , following the example set them by the Craft Grand Lodge , held aSpecial Communication onthe 12 th July , when addresses of congratulation were voted by acclamation to the Queen and the Prince of AVales , M . AV . G . M . M ,, on the birth of a prince in the direct line of succession to the throne , the replies to the said addressss being read in

open Grand Lodge on the 4 th September , and ordered to be entered on tne minutes . As for the changes that have taken place among the rulers of the Mark , the most notable is that caused by the loss of Bro . AVilliam Kelly , who for 36 years had presided over the fortunes of the Degree in Leicestershire , Rutland , and other counties , and to whose valuable services due honour was paid in Grand Lodge when

his death was formally announced . On this sad event taking place , the Grand Alaster was pleased to authorise a rearrangement of the counties which our late brother had so long and so ably administered , and by incorporating other counties which had not previousl y enjoyed the privileges of a Provincial organisation , it was found possible to create the following three provinces , namely r ( 1 ) that ; of

Leicestershire and Rutland , with Bro . the Earl of Euston , as Prov . G . Alaster ; ( 2 ) that of Derbyshire , under Bro . A . AVoodiwiss , as P . G . AI . ; and and that of Northants , Hunts , and Beds , under Bro . the Earl of Euston , as P . G . M . As for the Province of Dorsetshire , it is now in charge of Bro . AA . 15 . Brymer , M . P ., as P . G . M ., rice Bro . the Rev . AV . Mortimer Heath , who lias resigned . The only changes abroad

have been made in India , where Bro , the Hon . Sir . John Edge , Q . C , Chief Justice , has succeeded His Highness the Maharajah of Kncli Behar , as Dist . G . Alaster of Bengal , while the Lodges in the Punjab have been erected into a District Grand Lodge , under Bro . E . Woodall Parker , as Dist . G . Alaster , But as usual the great event of the year has been the celebration of the Anniversary Festival ol

the Alark Benevolent Fund , which was held at Fremasons' Tavern , on AVednesday , llth July , under the auspices of Bro . the Earl of Yarborough , Prov . G . Alaster of Lincolnshire . His lordshi p was very strougly supported by the Pro Grand Alaster , the Deputy Grand Master , and other Mark notabilities and in the course of

the evening Bro . 0 . F . Alatier , G . Sec . and Secretary of thp Fund , had the satisfaction of announcing that the sum raised by a Board of Stewards , consisting of 154 ladies and brethren , amounted tu £ 1894 , which , though considerably less than the total of tin * previous year ' s Festival , is unquestionabl y an ample Return for the present requirements of the Charity .

CiiiVAi . iuc AND HIGH GRADK MASONRY . There is not much to be said in connection with the several Orders and Degrees which , for the sake of convenience , we have grouped together under this head . They have prospered so fav as ouv information goes to about the same extent as the branches of Alasonry which have so far occupied our attention ; while in the case of the

Ancient and Accepted Kite , and the Order of the Temple , there has been , in both , a greater degree of activity than in many past years , and as the result of such activity , a very fair extension of their respective spheres of influence . As regards the Ancient and Accepted Rite we note theaddition to the roll of its Rose Croix Chapters of the following , namely , the Rose of Sharon , No . 128 , Lahore ; the Tuscan , No . 129 ,

London ; the Eton , No . 130 , Eton * , the Salween , No . 131 , Moulmeiu , Burmah ; mid the Ctimden , No . 132 , London . As for the position of the Supreme Council both as regards its personnel and its funds , it remains substantially what it was last year , and we know that , monetarily , it was then most prosperous . On the llth Afav

meetings of Convent General and Great Priory were held under the presidency of Sir Knight the Eaxl of Enston , who , after the consent of his Royal Highness , the Grand Alaster , to the alterations and additions to the Statutes of Convent General in 1890 had been read , proposed a resolution that a Commission of Inquiry should be issued

Freemasonry In 1894.

into the relations existing between the National Great Priories and Convent General , to consist of seven members from each of the Great Priories , and the resolution having been seconded and supported by-Sir Knights Captain Philips and Captain Beswicke-Royds , as well as by Sir Knig ht Colonel MeCammon of the Great Priory of Ireland , was declared duly carried . Sir Knight the Earl of Euston

announced that the Grand Master had appointed him Seneschal , the the Right Hon . H . E . Chatterton , Arch Chancellor , A iscount Dungarvan , Great Marshal , and It . Loveland Loveland , Arch Registrar , while Sir Knight Ralph Clutton was elected Arch Treasurer . It was also announced that his Royal Highness had been pleased to confer the distinction of Knight Grand Cross on

Sir Knights AV . AV . B . Beach , AI . R , Prov . Prior of Hampshire , Captain N . G . Philips , Prov . 'Prior of East Anglia , and AVilliam E . Scott , D . L ., and Colonel Robert A . J . Cosby , D . L ., and that of Knight Commander on Sir Knights Ralph Glutton ( England ) , and AVakefield H . Dixon . Colonel Thomas A . MeCammon and Robert AValker ( Ireland ) . Subsequently , at the meeting of the National

Great Priory , Sir Knight the Rev . Canon Tristram , D . D ., was introduced and did homage as Prov . Prior of Northumberland , Durham and Berwick-on-Tweed , and the ofiicers for the ensuing year were appointed . It was also resolved as the result of a long correspondence between the National Great Priory and the Sovereign Great Priory of Canada , that the resolution of the 9 th December

1887 , be rescinded , and that friendly relations be resumed between the two bodies . On the 14 th instant the winter meeting of the Order was held . It should be added that Sir Knight Rear-Admiral A . H . Markham has been appointed Prov . Prior for the Alediterranean , and Sir Knight A iscount Valentia , Prov . Prior of Oxfordshire ; and that the Royal Edward Encampment , No . 76 , Dukinfield , has

been resuscitated , with Sir Knight John Clayton as E . P ., and the Temple Court Preceptory , No . 162 , AVoking , consecrated , with Sir Knight Colonel G . Noel Aloney , as first E . P . . Tn respect of the Order of Royal and Select Alasters there have been warranted two new Council ' s , the Calcutta , No . 20 , Fort William , Bengal , and tbe Ceylon , No . 21 , Colombo , while tlio Lanka Council , No . 23 , Allied

Degrees has been warranted for Colombo . In the Order of Rome and Red Cross of Constantine , several new appointments appear to have been made among the chief and divisional Inteiidants-General , and there fignre on the roll the following new Conclaves—namely . La A allette , No . 151 , Alalia ; the Royal Kent , No . 152 , Newcastleon-Tyne ; and the Maritzburg , No . 153 , Pietermaritzbnrg .

OUR INSTI ' ITTIONS . It must be very gratifying to the whole of the English Craft to know that the great Central Institutions which have been at different periods in our history established for the benefit of our indigent brethren , their ; widows , and children , have fared most prosperously during the year 1894 . The aggregate of the sums

raised for their maintenance has greatly exceeded that which was obtained in 1893 , while the strain of the Benevolent Jubilee was still felt by the lodges and brethren , while , if a comparison be instituted between the Returns of the present year and those of previous ordinary years—that is to say , of years in which there has been no special call upon the Fraternity , or anything in the nature of

commercial or other depression—those who had a share m procuring them will have good reason to be satisfied with the result of their labours . The first of the annual Festivals , in behalf of the R . Ar . B . L , was held , as usual , at the Freemasons' Tavern on the 28 th February . Bro . Col . Gerald Noel Aloney , C . B ., Provincial G . AIaster of Surrey , occupied the chair , and the Board of

Stewards , which consisted of some 300 ladies and brethren , compiled the very excellent total of £ 12 , 658 14 s . 6 d ., which , by subsequent augmentations , was increased to upwards of £ 13 , 000 . Both London and the Provinces bore their part bravely in this good sum , the amount contributed by the former being £ 5549 , while the latter were responsible for the balance , towards which the " Chairman ' s

Province" of Surrey contributed within a fraction of £ 1400 , and West Yorkshire £ 1837 10 s ., in which was included a sum of £ 1260 paid by Rro . George Heaton , with a view to furnishing his Province with a Perpetual Presentation to the Male Annuity b ' nnd of the Charity . Such a result in the second year after the memorable Jubilee Festival of 1892 , may not have been anticipated , but whether

it was so or not , it reflects the greatest credit on the Stewards and the Secretary and his staff , and cannot have failed to afford the greatest pleasure to the Chairman , whose debilt in this capacity had proved so successful . It was not , however , of such a character as to justify the Committee of Alanagement in recommending any addition to the fixed establishment of either of the two Annuity

Funds under their charge , and , therefore , on the 18 th Alay , when the annual meeting of thc Governors and Subscribers was held , there were elected from the list of candidates onl y such a number of Old Men and Widows as would suffice to fill the vacancies that had occurred , together with the three men and three widows ready , as provided by the laws of the Institution , to enter upon the next three vacancies that should occur on

the two Funds . Hence , including these deferred annuitants , the numbers elected were 27 men , from a list of 05 candidates , reduced by four deaths , a removal , and a withdrawal , to 59 ; and 16 widows , from a list of 54 , reduced by death to 53 , the strength of the two establishments remaining at 194 men—increased hy the W . Yorkshire presentation to 195—receiving each £ 40 per annum ; and 24 U widows , at £ 32 per annum . There is but little to add to this record . The usual summer and winter entertainments vvere given to the