Grand Mark Lodge.

Richardson , G . Reg . ; " Wilhelm Ganz ; Col . Clifford Probyn , G . Treas . ; Harrv Nicholls ; Sir Reginald Hanson , P . G . W .: Henry Sadler ; R . Clowes ; Major John Woodall , P . G . Treas . ; T . F . Halsey . M . P ., Prov . r M of Herts ; the Earl of Lathom , Prov . G . M . of West Lancashire ; Capt ! N . G . Philips ; E . St . Clair ; Rev . Russell Finlay ; J . H . Whadcoat ; John Songhurst ; Imre Kiralfy ; John Smith , P . G . I . G . ; and W . A . Scurrah .

While the procession of Grand Officers was entering Grand Lodge , the Grand Organist played the Dead March in " Saul . " The Grand Lodge was afterwards opened in ample form , and'the G rand Secretary , by direction of the M . W . Pro Grand Master , read the summons convening the meeting .

Bro . the Earl of EUSTON next rose and said : Brethren , we have met here to-day , as I took upon myself to call you together , because I thought it right , and not only right , but also that it was the wish of every member of this Degree , to condole with our Grand Master in his recent loss . A blow has fallen upon the Royal House , and put them in deep grief and deep mourning . But that blow has gone far beyond the Royal House ; it

has gone throughout the length and width of our great Empire , from north to south , from east to west , and even among those tribes in Africa who have been under our Queen , and have been indebted to her for their freedom . I do not think words are needed from me to emphasise the feelings we have , every one of us , for a Queen who for 60 odd years was spared to reign over this Kingdom ; for to reign over it as she did—to peeve herself not

only one of the greatest Queens that ever reigned over England , but one of the best women that ever lived in this world—a woman who , as Queen of this country , from the time she succeeded to the Crown down to a few days before she died gave her life and soul to her Empire , to bettering her Empire , and never lost sight of her faithful people , who worshipped her as she deserved to be worshipped , from the highest to the lowest .

She has set an example which it will be very difficult for anyone to follow ; and 1 am certain of one thing , that in her son we have a King who will do his best to follow in his mother ' s footsteps , Almost to the last hours of her life she looked after the soldiers when they came back wounded ; she visited the hospitals , and set an example to the whole universe . But it is not only we who look up to her memory ; we must know also that the other kingdoms

of the world knew and respected her , and thanks to her unswerving righteousness and goodness she kept England right for the past 60 years . I do not think it is necessary to say more than that , and I will move that this Grand Lodge do most sincerely present an address to his Majesty King Edward VII . condoling with him on the death of the late Queen , and giving our allegiance to him as to her who has gone before , and asking him

to accept in some small way our love and devotion for his attachment to this Degree . I will call upon the Grand Secretary to read the address , and I hope you will all join with me in it . I may say one thing before I sit down . I have a letter from Sir Francis Knollys , who writes on the subject that he has submitted my letter to the King , and he says he is very sorry that he must now resign the honour of Grand Master of Freemasons of the

Mark Degree . He will be happy to become Patron of the Degree . We must thank him for keeping up his connection with the Degree as he has done during the many years he has been our Grand Master . I beg to move a vote of condolence with his Majesty and the Royal Family , and to give him our assurance that we shall be as loyal to him as we have been to the Oueen .

The Hon . A LAN DE TATTON EGERTON , Dep . G . Master , in seconding the vote , said he felt they would all join together as Masons and feel witn the King in the sad bereavement he had sustained , because they one and all from time to time suffered these bereavements themselves , and it was only part of our common humanity and as Masonic brethren to put themselves in the same position as if such a thing had happened to ourselves . His Majesty

had been a good Grand Master to us all , and although it was with great regret they had heard the letter read by which he resigned his position as Grand Master , they felt that a precedent must rule in these matters , and it was with great thanks that they heard he would remain as Patron of the Order . During his reign in Masonry , Masonry had made the greatest

progress . It was due to his untiring work and to his devotion to it that Masonry had made the progress it had , and he thought that although they condoled with him now , they could express the sincere hope that hc would remain for many years as Patron of the Order . The motion was carried , all the brethren standing . Bro . C . F . MATIER , G . Sec , then read the address as follows :

TO HIS MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY KING EDWARD VII . MAV IT PLEASE VOUR MAJESTY , We , the Pro Grand Master , Grand Officers , and members of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons in Grand Lodge assembled , most respectfully approach your Majesty with the expression of our most heartfelt sympathy and deep grief at the loss your Majesty , the Royal Family , and the nation has sustained by the death of our beloved and much lamented Sovereign , her Majesty the late Queen Victoria .-

We would also most humbly beg to assure your Majesty of our continued loyalty and unfailing devotion to the Throne , and our moat earnest and fervent

prayer is that the Great Overseer of the Universe may grant to your Majesty a ° ng ) a glorious , and a prosperous reign . ( Signed ) EUSTON , Pro Grand Master . C . F . MATIEK , Grand Secretary Given at Mark Masons' Hall the 19 th day of February , igoi .

On the motion of Bro . FRANK RICHARDSON , G . Reg ., seconded by Bro . R . LovELMsu-LovELANb , K . C , President of the General Board , it was resolved that the communication from the Most Worshi pful G . Master be entered on the minutes of Grand Lodge . Bro . FRANK RICHARDSON , G . Reg ., then said he had to move ihe next resolution . The brethren might remember that at the last Ouarterly

Communication , according to ancient form , a Grand Master was nominated . B y the resignation of his Majesty this evening of the office that nomination had become inoperative , and , therefore , it was necessary for their Grand Lodge , which was a Sovereign body , to proceed to a Ircsh nomination . The Grand Lodge would be in a very great difficulty , because the Constitutions provided that the Grand Master should hold office for one year only , and be re-nominated and re-elected every year . Consequently , if a Grand Master

was not elected at the next Grand Lodge after the nomination they would be without a Grand Master and Grand Officers . Thus it became absolutel y necessary that the present Grand Lodge , which had been summoned , should proceed to business with a fresh nomination . He , therefore , begged leave to move that the previous nomination of a Grand Master having become inoperative , Grand Lodge do proceed at once to a fresn nomination .

Grand Mark Lodge.

Bro . Sir REGINALD HANSON , P . G . W ., seconded the motion . The motion was put to Grand Lodge by the Earl of Euston , and carried unanimously . Bro . Dr . ERNEST LANE ( Sancta Maria Lodge ) then rose and said it was his privilege in the month of December , 1900 , to nominate his then Royal Highness the Prince of Wales for the office of Grand Master of the

Mark Degree , and the reason why that nomination had become inoperative had already been explained . Therefore , he was again privileged to nominate one to serve as the Grand Master of Mark Masons , and the one who had been selected was his Royal Highness the Duke of Connaught . ( Applause . ) Those brethren who were present at a meeting of Masons at

the Queen ' s Hall last Friday would have marked with what enthusiasm that name was received when he was nominated to preside over the Craft , and the present meeting had just expressed its approval of the nomination . Without further words , therefore , he proceeded to nominate his Royal Highness the Duke of Connaught as Most Worshipful Grand Master of Mark Masons . ( Applause . )

Ihe Earl of EUSTON said he had received an answer written on behalf of the Duke of Connaught to a letter he had written to the Duke of Connaught—that the letter had been placed before his Royal Highness , and the Duke desired the writer to express his thanks most heartily for it , and , in reply , said if it should meet the wishes of the Mark Master Masons his Royal Highness would consider it a great honour and privilege to be nominated their Grand Master .

Bro . FRANK RICHARDSON , Grand Registrar , moved , and Bro . R . LOVELAND LOVELAND , K . C , seconded , that this communication be entered on the minutes of Grand Lodge , and the motion was carried . " God save the King " was then sung by the brethren , and Grand Lodge was closed in ample form .

Provincial Grand Mark Lodge Of Derbyshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND MARK LODGE OF DERBYSHIRE .

1 he annual meeting of the above Provincial Grand Mark Lodge was held at the Masonic Hall , Derby , under the presidency of the Prov . Grand Master , Bro . Abraham Woodiwiss , who was supported by the following Prov . Grand Officers : Bros . Jos . B . Lawson , Dep . P . G . M . ; W . Cooper , P . P . S . G . W ., Prov . G . Treas ., as Prov . S . G . W . ; Holland Rowbottom , Prov . J . G . W . ; W . H . Salter , Prov . J . G . O . ; Revs . C W . Groves and

J . 1 . Mumford , Prov . G . Chaps . ; Percy Wallis , P . G . Treas . Eng ., Prov . G . Sec . ; Thos . Shipton , Prov . J . G . D . ; Frank Iliffe , Prov . G . D . C . ; J . B . Boycott , Prov . A . G . D . C . ; A . Butterworth , Prov . G . S . B . ; W . O . Playwright , Prov . G . Std . Br . ; S . Attwood , as Prov . G . Org . ; W . H . Edmunds , Prov . Asst . G . Sec . ; J . B . Starbuck , Prov . G . I . G . ; W . Reid , Prov . G . Stwd . ; and A . Slinn , Prov . G . Tyler .

There were also present—Bros . E . Home , P . S . G . D . Eng ., P . P . G . W ., Mayor of Derby ; John Walker , P . P . S . G . W . ; Isaac N . Woodiwiss , P . G . Stwd . Eng ., P . P . G . I . G . ; J . E . Harrison , P . P . J . G . W . ; W . W . Jeudwine , P . G . Stwd . Eng ., P . P . J . G . W . ; G . Wilkinson , P . P . G . O . ; W . Fletcher ; P . P . G . O . ; J . O . Manton , P . P . G . O . ; S . Robinson , P . P . G . O . ; C . Webster , P . P . G . D . ; W . Bougherd , P . P . G . I . of W . ; W . Baker , P . P . G . Std . Br . ; P . Stone , P . M . 503 ; N . W . Need , W . M . 373 ; W . Hart ,

W . M . 503 , P . P . A . G . Sec ; R A . Little , M . A ., LL . D ., W . M . 24 ( 0 , P . P . G . O . ; Thos . Oldham , W . M . 302 , P . P . G . I . of W . ; E . Stockton , P . P . G . D . ; W . Helliwell , P . P . G . Std . Br . ; W . Woodisse , W . M . 353 , P . P . G . I . G ; W . U . Brycien , James Roden , John Hunt , A . Seaman , J . W . 414 ; J . T . Johnston , F . Rowland , W . E . Walker , W . II . Bass , P . P . G . D . ; G . Gregory , E . Coates , P . P . G . Stwd . ; J . G . Willis , P . P . G . Stwd . ; A . Fox , P . M . 339 ; the Rev . Thos . Orrell , P . P . G . Cnap . ; S . F . Rowan , P . P . A . G . D . of C ; the Kev . J . B . le Gassick , P . P . G . Chap . Lines . ; S . E . Short , and many others .

While the brethren were assembling Chopin ' s " March Funebre " was very impressively rendered on the organ by Bro . Samuel Attwood , acting Prov . G . Org ., in memory of her late Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria . ""

After the Prov . G . Lodge was opened , the PROV . G . MASTER made a feeling allusion to the death of her late Majesty , and his remarks were ordered to be recorded on the minutes . The routine business of Prov . Grand Lodge was then transacted , after which the Prov . Grand Master appointed and invested his officers as follows :

Bro . W . Wynne Jeudwine ... ... ... Dep . P . G . M . „ F . Iliffe ... ... ... ... Prov . S . G . W . „ J . O . Manton ... ... ... Prov . J . G . W . „ J . H . Beckett ... ... ... Prov . G . M . O . „ E . Stockton ... ... ... ... Prov . G . S . O . „ N . W . Need ... ... ... Prov . G . J . O . „ Rev . J . T . Mumford ... ... ,.. " )„ „ Rev . J . B . le Gassick ... ... ... j Prov - G - P - „ Wm . Cooper , P . P . S . GW , ... ... Prov . G . Treas . „ Frederick Stone ... ... ... Prov . G . Reg . „ Percy Wallis , P . G . Treas . Eng . ... ... Prov . G . Sec . „ W . Helliwell ... ... ... Prov . S . G . D . „ W . Woodisse ... ... ... Prov . J . G . D . „ W . R . Bryden . ... ... ... Prov . G . L of VV „ S . F . Rowan ... ... ... Prov . G . D . C . „ Isaac N . Woodiwiss ... ,., ... Prov . A . G . D . C . „ Jas . RodenJ ... ... ... ... Prov . G . S . B . „ Jno . Hunt ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Std . Br ,, S . Attwood ... ... ... ,., Prov . G . Org . „ A . Seaman ,., ... Prov . G . I . G-„ F . Rowland ... ... ... ... -v „ F . P . Pembleton ... ... ... / ,, n „ . , „ A . Fox , P . M r ' - Stwds ' „ W . E . Walker ... ... ... ) „ A . Slinn ... ... ,,. ... ) ,-, r . , , W . S . Fisher , rov G

W^The PROV . G . MASTER then addressed the brethren , congratulating them on the steady progress that Mark Masonry was making in the province . He feelingly alluded to tne death ol several Dretfiren , eaiJi-. cially mentioning Bros . Gladwin and John Jones as most active workers . He also expressed sympathy with Bro . William Whiaaker , the outgoing Prov ,