Contents.

CONTENTS .

Proxincial Grand Mark Lodge of Buckinghamshire < 33 Improper Garbling of Words 534 The Visit of the Lord Mayor to the Netherlands 534

RF . I' - » UTS or MASONIC MF . ETINC . SCraft Masonry 534 Instruction $ 35 Royal Arch 535 Ma ' rk Masonry 535 Australia . ' . 53 *»

Presentation to I ! ro . Alfred Best 536 Obituary S 3 <> The Theatres 537 Music 537 Science aud Art 537 Masonic and General Tidings 53 ^ Lodge Meetings for Next Week iii .

LEADERS 527 Kex-iew 52 S Proxincial Grand Lodge of Cheshire 52 S Provincial Grand Lodge of Worcestershire 529 I . odec of Benex-olence < lo

Consecration of the Hadrian Lodge , No . 1070 , at South Shields 530 Freemasonry and Mormonism 531 Royal Masonic Institution for Boys 531 CORRESPONDENCE" 'Tis True , ' tis Pity , Pity is 'tis True " 532 The Masonic Schools 532

A Alasonic Fiiendly Society 532 Quarterage on Arrears 532 Lodge Certificates of Membership 532 Reviews 533 Masonic Notes and Queries 533

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ALL our readers , \\* e apprehend , xvill have been rejoiced to hear of the early collapse of the Egyptian Mutiny , the arrest of its ringleaders , ancl the triumphant occupation of Cairo by Sir GARNET WOLSELEY and his gallant army . The almost startling rapidity xvith xvhich the campaign so skilfully planned has been so successfully concluded speaks volumes for the

skill of the commander , and the aptitude and devotion of the soldiers and sailors employed . The fighting qualities of the British army and navy , xvhatever prophets of ill may say , are clearly not on the decline , and noxv and in the future xve may as in the past safely confide in them to achieve all

that duty may demand , all that heroism and self-sacrifice entail . Some of us may be inclined to think perhaps , that noxv the main difficulties of the situation xvill arise , and that it might all be better left for settlement to thc straig htforward action of our army and fleet , than lo the intrigues of politicians or the protocols of diplomatists .

THE " Tangerine " difficulty is still before us , and we havc sex'eral letters and communications on the subject to consider and comment upon . It is , perhaps , one of thc most complicated , and yet absurd episodes of Masonic manceuvreing that have ever come under our notice ; and as everything from the first has been done xvrong ; as everything is emphatically " meddle and

muddle ; " xve alxvays had no difficulty in predicating that such a state of things could not last , and must end in a " fiasco " or an " embroglio . " When xve sit doxvn seriously to master the facts , a sense of the ridiculous

supervenes , thongh , really and truly , to a Freemason and hreemasonry , it is very "tragical mirth . " Both the one and the other must be greatly lowered in the op inion of the outside xvorld by all that has taken place , by all that is going on still . Across the Straits , some little distance from Gibraltar , is the old

toxvn of Tangiers , ( once English ) , and some Freemasons there wished to have a lodge . It is said that political considerations prevented the Freemasons applying through the D . G . M . of Gibraltar tothe Grand Lodgeof England , as some brethren xvished to have a Spanish , some a French warrant . In this period of difficulty and doubt a " Deus ca machina " appeared

in the person of Bro . PATTERSON , xvho obtained a lodge warrant from the Grand Lodge of Manitoba , and a special commission for himself . As regards Bro . PATTERSON , giving him credit for good intentions , he seems to have acted with singular indiscretion , and ignorance of Masonic law , custom , and " good form . " There is no dispute as to the abstract right of the

Grand Lodge of Manitoba to issue a xvarrant for a lodge in Morocco , unoccupied territory . Hoxv far it xvas reasonable to go to Manitoba for such a xvarrant is a question which xve need not touch upon here . But a very serious question occurs , first as to Bro . P ATTERSON ' position , by Masonic laxv generally , and , secondly , under his special xvarrant . If " GIB . " is xvell

informed , ( see correspondence ) , Bro . PATTERSON , according to English and American law , has no " locus standi ; " and though it is quite clear that , xvhile it was possible for the Grand Lodge of Manitoba to grant Bro . PATTERSON a commission of D . G . M . in Morocco , assuming him to be qualified to act , it could no * grant him outside oi Manitoba the rank of

D . G . M . And , assuming that Bro . PATTERSON xvas competent to act at all , he could not create a Territorial Grand Orient or Lodge , xvhich it is averred he onl y did to consecrate the Lodge Al Moghreb Al Aksa , but xvhich it is quite clear he could equally consecrate without any such organization . But still he did it , and here the matter stands . Whether Bro . PATTERSON

or the D . G . M . and G . S . of Manitoba are correct , lime alone can shoxv ; but , anyhow , it is as pretty a little quarrel as ever unmasonic feeling has encouraged , or as Masonic petulance has continued . We do net think that

the English authorities in Gibraltar have acted either hastily or unfairly in the matter . Seeing their laxvful jurisdiction invaded , they naturally protested , and they as naturally object to a hy brid creation at Tangiers , which appears to be now , " ipso facto " an illegal body . We are very sorry for out

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xvorthy brethren in Tangiers . They seem to have meant xvell ; they xvished to carry on the peaceful , ' and humanizing , and beneficial xx-ork of Freemasonry , and they have taken , unfortunatel y for themselves , unsound advice , they have been misled by injudicious counsels , and their position in the matter , now , and for some time , must be one of great dilficulty , requiring

much caution and care to " bring the ship ' s head round . " In America , and Canada , and Manitoba the action of Bro . PATTERSON seems universally g iven up and repudiated ; and , indeed , it could not be otherwise , seeing , as xve have always said , that in creating a Territorial Grand Lodge or Grand

Orient of Morocco , ( call it what you will ) , Bro . PATTERSON set deliberately at nought the most cherished " canon " of Masonic law on the subject , as upheld alike in the United States and Canada . In Great Britain there has nex'er been but one opinion on the subject , equally shared in by the Grand Lodges of lingland , Scotland , and Ireland .

THERE is one point xve xvould impress on some good friends of ours at Tangiers . Before you go a step further obtain the sanction of the authorities for your meeting , if you havc not done so . No Anglo-Saxon Grand Lodge can properly grant a xvarrant for brethren to meet as a lod ge a < rainst the wishes of the lawful rulers of the country . Obedience to laxv is a duty incumbent on all true Freemasons everywhere .

SOME facts relative to Scottish Masonry havc been brought before us b y tho reviewer of a little serial elsewhere , which we think it well to mention here . In seems that in the district of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire there are noxv cighteecn lodges , of xvhich the hi ghest initiation fee is ^ 3 3 s ., the lowest £ 1 6 s . fid ., and that thc ax-erage initiation fee of the ei ghteen

lodges is a little over £ 2 ros . The joining fees arc very unequal for those joining from the province , the highest is £ 2 2 s ., the lowest 7 s . fid . ; from outside the province , thc highest is £ 2 4 s . Gd ., the lowest 7 s . fid . In four lodges , however , an exception is made for non-Scottish Masons , the highest amount being £ 2 ios ., the lowest iSs . fid .

As regards annual subscriptions , three lodges have none ; three lodges have as . fid . ; one lodge has 2 s ., and eleven have is . per annum . We apprehend that this one fact , xvhich we beliex'c is symptomatic of all the Scottish Masonic districts , more or less , constitutes a great mistake , and a greater weakness for Scottish Masonry , and forms the basis of that

complement of Masonic mendicancy of xvhich our brethren in Yorkshire and Lancashire hax'e such good cause to complain , not only as a serious tax on their resources , but as a standing scandal and-running sore for Freemasonry . There are so many worthy and zealous brethren in Scotland , and under

the able and effective administration of Bro . D . M . LYON , the Grand Lodge of Scotland , has so " picked up its crumbs" that we feel sure a little patience and precaution xvill initiate a reform in this respect , calculated to do good both to Scottish and English Freemasonry .

* * VVE are glad to note that there is all probability of Bro . D . M . LYON , Grand Secretary in Scotland , becoming Grand Scribe E . of the Scottish Grand Chapter . It xvill be a proper concentration alike of the duties of the offices and the official responsibility , and xvill xvork well xve feci persuaded , as with us , both for Craft and Royal Arch Masonry .

A STATEMENT is made in the report of the Grand Lod ge of Nebraska at p . 338 , on the authority of a Bro . N . H . GRIGGS , and which we presume refers to German Lodges in America , as to the introduction of a goat into the lodge ceremonial . At first xve treated it as a joke , but seeing that it

is deliberately printed under the head "Grand Lodgeof Nebraska Report of Foreign Correspondence , " xve feel constrained to call thc attention of several good friends in America to the print . We cannot believe that any such ridiculous or degrading nonsense is permitted in any respectable lod" -c , and

we shall be glad of a refutation of xvhat xve feel sure is a slander on our brethren in America . Hoxv it came to appear in a Grand Lodge report passes our comprehension . It xvill be seen that an allusion is made to the "American mode" and the " German mode . " It is needless to add that our only motive in calling attention to the matter is the credit of our Craft .

* * THE report of the Masonic Orphan School , Dublin , is a very interesting one . It has now thirty-six girls in the Orphanage , two having recently left , xvhom it has educated well and given a comfortable home to , and i