Freemasonry In 1894.

No . 806 , the Duke of Rothesay . No . 807 , and lhc Kassiforn , No . 808 Two arc placed in the South African Republic , namely , the Douglas , No .-799 , aiid tho Gordon , No . 801 , at Jeppesfowu and Johannesburg respectively ; while the Caledonian , No . 796 , has ils home at Port Elizabeth , S . A . The remaining two are the Lodge of Unify , No . 797

licorgctown , Demerara , and the Zoroaster , No . 800 Bombay . As IA the Grand Lodgo of Scotland ils affairs have been successfully administered , while as to its proceedings , they avo marked this year b y an innovation , which , from ( he one experience we have ( nil of it , seems calculated to bc of benefit to flic (' raft in lhc Provinces .

It having been determined that , for the future , Grand Lodge should celebrate St . Andrew ' s Day in Kdinbnrgli and one of ( he Provinces alternately , the meeting on the 30 th November was held in thc Pillar Hall , Glasgow , which had been chosen as the scene of thc first , experiment under the new law . The , attendance was very lame , and ureal

enthusiasm shown over flic installation of the new Office-Bearers for the year , as well as at ( he banquet whivh followed . Ou ( his mailer we need not say more than that last year ' s Grand Alaster , Bro . Sir Charles Dalrymple , Bart ., having been re-elected for the current year , was formally re-installed in his chair by his predecessor ,

Bi * o . the Earl of Haddington . Among the numerous events iu which the Grand Alaster has been the leading figure , were the installation , in Alay , of Bro . Thomas Hope , ALP ., as Proy . (! . Master of Linlithgowshire , and the consecration of a new Alasonic Hall at Port Ellen , Islay ,. the opening of sundry bazaars in aid of the building

funds of St . John s , No . 170 , and other Lodges , and visitations to different Lodges and Prov . Grand . Lodges . In October , a statue , erected in Glasgow Cit y to thc memory of the late Bro . Sir William Pearce , Bart ., Prov . G . Master of Glasgow City , was publicly unveiled by his successor in office , Bro . John Graham , of Broadstone , while on

the 3 rd of November , a new Hall in Aberdeen was opened by Bro . James H . Forshaw , Prov . G . Alaster of Aberdeen City . In September Bro . Sir G . MacPherson Grant , Bart ., laid , with Alasonic ceremonial , the foundation-stone of a new bridge over the Spey . There have also been very successful meetings held in the Provinces , both by the Prov . Grand Lodges . and Prov . Grand Chapters , and the West of

Scotland College of the Rosicrucian Society lias exhibited a commendable degree of activity . Jn short , Scottish Freemasonry , in all its different branches , has enjoyed a full measure of prosperity during the past year , nor is there the sli g htest reason why , with such men as , for many years past ,, have presided at the helm of our Alasonic Craft , the same condition of prosperity throughout boniiie Scotian 1 and its outlying territories should not bc continued .

jRBt . AM * . The Irish Craft has not shown itself much more communicative to the -Masonic Press in the present than in former j * ears . It is still possible , as in the past , to obtain from local newspapers a good ileal of information about Provincial aud Lodge doings , but these papers

are not easily accessible . However , as there is now an Irish Alasuiue Journal , the Mnsonic Visilur , ] et us hope that mutters , in . ( his rcspeel , will mend a little , and that in future this journal will tiud . it possible to furnish more news than heretofore about ( be proceedings of lhc brethren on the other side of St . George ' s Channel . Still wc have

published from time to time some items about Ireland , such as the Annual Communication of lhc Grand Lodge on St . John the Evangelist ' s Day ( 27 lh December ) , 1893 , when , in accordance vvith ancient custom , the Duke of Abercorn , M . W . G . M ., and lhc . oilier Grand Officers for the present year were proclaimed anil saluted .

On this occasion the very unusual honour of a salute was also given to Bro . Kivas Tally , a Past Grand Alaster of Canada and the representative of the Grand Lodgeof Ireland al , thai Grantl Lodge on the occasion of his Alasonic Jubilee . The fete , in connection with the distribution of prizes to thc Masonic Orphan Schools in Dublin ,

was also held as usual , anil drew together a numerous and brilliant company , while these Institutions were further honoured on the 10 th of April by a visit of the Lord Lieutenant . The Masonic Charities in Belfast have received considerable support , and the annual Alasonic Ball took place iu the Assembly Rooms , Cork . Divine

Service was held in Limerick Cathedral on 2 Hi June , and in the Parish Churches of Warrenpoint and Loughgull on the 18 th August and 9 th September , respectively , on all which occasions there was a large attendance of brethren present . On the 24 th October a testimonial was presented to Bro . AV . E . Flavellc , Asst . G . Secretary

of Grand Lodge , on thc occasion of his marriage . Wc may add that , early in the year , we were enabled to publish in our columns some very interesting particulars , furnished by Bro . AV . J . Chotwode-Crawley , L . L . D ., D . C . ]/ ., S . G . Deacon , relating to Ihe history of three Irtish Military Lodges , Nos . 863 , 322 , and 227 , thc lirst two of

which , though their existence has not been continuous , arc still in a prosperous condition , while the last exchanged its military for a civil warrant in 1847 , and has since been absorbed Dy thc Grand Lodge of Canada . We regret that our review of the proceedings of' the Craft in'Irelaiid is so limited .

Tut : COLONIES , Ac . The space af our disposal vvill not admit of more than certain general observations as to the fortunes of Freemasonry in the Colonies and Dependencies of ; the British Crown . In the

Dominion of Canada there are , as our readers are aware , no less than six independent Grand Lodges—those of Canada ( Province of Ontario ) , Quebec , Nova Scotia , New Brunswick , British Columbia , and Manitoba . AVe receive intelligence of the proceedings of these bodies from time to time , and we are there-

Freemasonry In 1894.

fore in a position fo , sf , * i / c » 'rney ; ill y that the year litis hern a prosperous one . thai of British Columbia , having made considerable headway , while , as lo the Grand Lotlge of Quebec , if is to be congratulated on having found so able an historian of its career and of its eoustiliiciif Lodges as liro . Graham , Past . ( 1 . . Master . In the West- Indies ( here have been warranted smiic new

Lodges , while of ( hose previously existing , ( ho St . John ' s , No . 4 ! ' 2 . Antigua , celebrated the jubilee of its coustifiifion with grcal siicccstowards tlie close of Ici ' fA . A . new Lodge has been added ( o flic roll of the Dis ) .. ( i . Lodge of the . Argentine Republic , ( he Lamas do Zaniora . No . 2517 . In India ( he position of things is sound . The same kindl y feelings continue ( o prevail between the English and

Scottish Constitutions ; while the Charilablc Associations in Bengal , Bombay , ( hc Punjab , and vvhercverel . se ( hey have been established , continue to make : the most strenuous and'successful efforts in behalf of our indigent members and ( heir families Thc periodical reporls which reach us regularly make this very clear . In the two Dist . G . Lodges of China and Japan , though mere numerical progress does

not seem to be the order of the day , the reports of proceedings show that good work is being done , while in Australasia , under the newlyestablished G . Lodges , all goes well . So too . in Queensland , which has enlarged the number of its English and Scottish Lodges , but more particularly of the latter , while in New Zealand , though the so-called G . Lodge has succeeded in incrcasintr the number of its

Lodges to close upon a hundred , there is , and , wo fear we must add , there is likely to be for some time to come , the same disturbed condition as most people knew would follow upon the creation of an irregular G . Lodge . In South Africa warrants for the constitution of new Lodges , both English and Scotch , are continual )} ' being

applied for , while those in the South African Republic , numbering in all 11 , have been erected into a Disf . G . Lotlge . In fad , Freemasonry in ( he out-lying parts of the British Umpire , as in the United Kingdom itself , has been mosl successful , and our fervent prayer is that as year succeeds year , it may bc onr privilege to chronicle the eontiniurnee of this success .

The Royal Arch Degree.

THE ROYAL ARCH DEGREE .

[ Continued from page lotA ] [ ny BRO . R . r . GOULO . ] The Degree , i ( vve may credit the eleventh volume of vvhat vvas at the time—now half a century ago —the leading journal of the Craft , vvas planted ( or replanted ) with no slight-difficulty on the oilier side of St . George ' s

. Channel . According to this publication : "In 181 , 3 , Koyal Arch Misonry could scarcely have been known even by name in Ireland . For when the Earl of Donoughmore , the then Grand Master , adopted the suggestion of his illustrious col I cage , the Grand Master of England , and promulgated the direction that Craft Masonry should consist of only three Degrees , including

the Royal Arch , the ensuing Grand Lodge peremptorily demanded of his lordship what he meant by the innovation of adding to Masonry what was not understood to exist . A vote of censure was actually passed on the Earl of Donoughmore , who frankly said that he was innocent of any knowledge

whatever of Royal Arch Masonry . " (/<" . ( J . Review , 18 . 44 . ) This vote of censure , it may be added—on the same authority—was a commutation of the sentence originally proposed , which amounted to no less than thc expulsion of the Grand Master from Masonry altogether .

Ihe above story may or may not be entitled to our confidence . Several years ago 1 had some correspondence with tbe late Bro . S . B . Oldham , Dep . G . Sec . and Treas ., Grand Lodge of Ireland , on the subject , and , so far as I recollect , while distrusting the statement in the F . ( J . Review , he was unable , nevertheless , to positively affirm it to be incarrect , owing to the Minutes of

the Grand Lodge for a long period of years having been lost or purloined . A new History of Irish Masonry is , however , understood to be in course of preparation , and the able brother who has taken it iu hand , Dr . F . C . Crossle , Prov . G . Sec , Down , will , no doubt , tell us al the proper time all lhat be has gleaned from official ( or other ) documents wilh regard to the rise and

progress of the Royal Arch Degree . At lhc present moment the G . M . and the Deputy Grand Secretary and Treasurer of the Grand Lodge of Ireland , are the King and Registrar respectively of the Grand Chapter . The centralising policy which is the leading characteristic of Irish Masonry I must pass over almost without

. remark . It will be sufficient to say that , besides the ArJi , the Christian Degrees , the Encampments ( or Preceptories ) , the so-cilled Colleges of Philosophy , and indeed every Degree or Kite which—with or without reason —is recognised by the official hierarchy as Masonic , are in close touch with the Grand Lodge .

The Presiding Officer in an Irish chapter is styled King , which corresponds with First Principal in some other jurisdictions . The three principal officers are obligated , but the King is required to be an actual or Past Master . This , as Bro . Chetwode Crawley , S . G . D ., G . Lodge of Ireland , informs me , is only of very recent introduction .

Every candidate for the Degree must be a Master Mason of six months standing , and is required to become a Mark Master Mason by way of further preliminary . There is no ballot for the Mark , which is held lo be included as an honorary Degree under the chapter warrant . The Excellent and Super-Excellenl Degrees form part of the Royal Arch , and thereby differ Irom the Mark , which is usually taken a month or so before exaltation .