Summary Of Masonic Events For 1875.

departure to India , took place , which was warmly expressed and graciously received . November saw the departure of our Royal Grand Master for India , where his journey has been , so far , one great success , and where he has won golden opinions from all . He assisted afc a Masonic

ceremony at Bombay . December brought special meetings ofthe Boys' and Girls' Schools , the former to enquire into certain alleged errors in the accounts , the latter to consider a scheme for increasing its accommodation . In the former case the Special Committee has reported that no

grounds exist for such perverse charges ; in the latter the committee has yet finally to report . Bro . Erasmus Wilson , M . D ., well known for his zeal and benevolence , was entertained at a complimentary dinner ; and Bro . the Earl of Zetland , nephew and heir of our old chief and

Prov . G . M . for North and East Yorkshire , was exalted in the Zetland Chapter , York . During the last twelve months very many lodges , alike in town and the provinces , have been added to the English muster roll , which will apparentl y soon reach 1600 . VVe note especially the

" Chaucer , " and the new lodge at the Surrey Masonic Hall , " The Carnarvon , " and many others , too many in fact to name here , where the consecration ceremonies have been marked by heartiness of tone , and effectiveness of ritual . In many of these our worthy and admirable

Grand Secretary took , most effectively , the leading part . English Masonic provincial life and work have proceeded during 1875 wilh increasing energy , and our great provinces are teeming with active and young and zealous members . A large numerical addition has been

made to our Order , but we hope that our lodges will never forget the good old motto " Festina lente . " It appears to us , that just now we want , so to say , " tightening up , " as regards the admission of members . Abroad Masonry has gone on , and still is going on , favourably and

prosperously on the whole . The Masonic Congress at Lausanne seems to have been a great success , and alike in Italy and France , Freemasonry seems to be regaining its normal position . The one great defect of much of individual and lodge Freemasonry abroad , is a tendency to deal

with very questionable subjects , and much needed reform must be introduced in many jurisdictions if Freemasonry is ever to rise to the proper level of its true mission . Freemasonry has nothing properly to do with politics , affairs of state , or religious controversies , nor

even social questions , and the sooner some of our foreign brethren realize this undoubted truth , the better for Freemasonry and for themselves . The Roman Catholic Church has continued impetuously through 1875 > hopeless and ill-advised crusade against Freemasonry , and

there appears at present no lull in the fury of the storm , no abatement in the violence of our traducers . That reli gious body has certainly evinced great " cursing powers , " and despite the deprecatory remarks of that amiable Roman Catholic , Sir George Bowyer , as regards our Order the Church of Rome has been , and still

ts , a " cursing church . " It is all excessively silly and meaningless . If the Roman Catholic authorities have to complain of the words or acts of lodges or brethren abroad , their best plan is not to notice them , but for the most part their grievances are really imaginary , and their facts utter fictions . The worst feature ofthe case to

our mind is , their deliberate " suppressio veri " and " suggestio falsi " in lumping all Freemasons together as revolutionists , conspirators , infidels , & c , whereas they know that in Great Britain , and America , and Canada , to say nothing of Germany and Holland , at any rate ,

Frermasonry is a non-political body . There may be some foolish and violent brethren , there as everywhere , but the great mass is loyal to Masonic principles . Indeed , as far as we are aware , no grand orient or governing body anywhere can be charged with interferance in political matters . If the Church of Rome

likes to continue "cursing and swearing , " persecuting and even desecrating the graves of Freemasons , she will eventuall y disgust and alienate her more enli ghtened children , and she will assuredly receive , as she will merit , the cens ure of indignant humanity . We have had to deplore the loss ofj many worthy brethren alike in th

Summary Of Masonic Events For 1875.

metropolis and in the provinces , like Bros . Savage , Llewellyn Evans , Freeman and Franklin , " cum multis aliis , " all good men and true , and " worthy Freemasons , " whose Masonic place on earth knows them no more . Peace be to them . We give

a detailed list elsewhere . Freemasonry in England leaves the old year and awaits a new , alike prosperous and peaceful , contented and united . It is moving on . Loyally and charity are emblazoned on its " Banner of Blue , " together with toleration and freedom , benevolence and

goodwill , the right of conscience , and the sanctity of honest conviction . We have no doubt as to the result of the struggle . 1876 we trust will witness a still greater manifestation of Masonic principles and charitable efforts , and our good

old Craft leaves an old year behind it , if somewhat sadly with the memories of parted comrades , yet with bright anticipations of its work and witness in the new year which lies before it .

Our Royal Grand Master's Visit To India.

OUR ROYAL GRAND MASTER'S VISIT TO INDIA .

The following interesting account from Madras appears in the " Times' ' of the 20 th : —If all goes on well , the Serapis , in company with the Osborneand the Raleigh , will leave Madras Roads before 5 o ' clock on the 19 th , Great preparations are being made . Although not in bed till past 2 ,

after a hard day ' s work , the Prince went out hunting soon after dawn this morning , and was rewarded by a nine-mile run and kill . The Princess of Tanjore visited the Prince at Government House , and was presented . to the ladies of the Duke ' s family . The Prince was introduced

at a corner screened off . The Prince put out his hand , and the Princess grasped it . Mr . Henderson interpreted , the Princess of Tanjore speaking little English . She styled the Prince her Royal brother , and spoke of the Queen as her Royal sister . Next the Prince drove to a

children s fete at the People s Park , where immense crowds had assembled . It was a pretty sight . Thousands of children sang and played games . The Prince was loudly cheered on leaving to attend the review . A vast multitude was present . Two batteries ( A and O of the

20 th Brigade , and a detachment of the 16 th Lancers , formed the body guard . The 89 th ( Europeans ) , the Madras Volunteers , the 10 th , 13 th , 14 th , and 37 th Madras Infantry ( Natives ) , marched past . They looked well . The Prince dined with the Commander-in-Chief . All day

the people are in the streets , and remain waiting for hours to see the Prince . The preparations for the illuminations are very extensive . The people are not so demonstrative as at Bombay , nor do they clap hands as in the South , but they are not less enthusiastic . The Prince will never

see in India or elsewhere any spectacle so strange and awful as what was called the " illumination of the surf . " Neither pen nor pencil can give any idea of it . It was weirdly beautiful , exciting , grand . As if to render homage to the occasion , the wind had risen and the surf was high . The

sight was fine on the pier , through the base of which ran curling breakers . Seats were placed for the Prince , the Governor , his family , and suite out of the reach of the spray . The buildings along the beach , trans parencies , and triumphal arches , all brilliantly

illuminated , formed a background , above which rose steeples , columns , and lamps . Southwards , where the rollers swept up to the roadway , there were rows of natives with blazing torches and blue li ghts . There was occasionall y a wash of larger billows behind the multitude , and facing

seawards an ocean of white turbans . The Serapis , Osborne , and Raleigh were illuminated outside . Between the outer darkness and the beach the moonli ght now and then revealed dark objects rising and falling on the billows . The Prince having arrived from dinner with the Commander-in-Chief , after a grand discharge

from the ship Raleigh , there was one flight of 190 coloured rockets . The Osborne and Serapis vied with each other in the display . It seemed as if volcanoes were emitting volumes of coloured flames . Presently appeared fires , here and there seawards , amid waves drifting landwards , like fire ships from afar . These multiplied , dipping ,

Our Royal Grand Master's Visit To India.

rising , now and then , through the waves , while occasionall y came a light from the other side . It had an immense effect . Suddenly from the beach dashed the black forms of Masouwah boats and catamarans , which , amid the wildest yells , charged into the serried ranks of the foam-crested

breakers , and dark objects seaward were revealed , as the boats tossed violently on the outer ridge of the breakers . There never was such an awful regatta . Amid a sea now black as ink , now like fire glistening jet , in a creaming surf the catamaran men were swept off and regained their

craft , or disappeared beneath the billows . There was an awful suspense till they were landed safe on the beach . The Masouwah boats , swept from stem to stern byjthe breakers , forced their way into the smoother sea , to return still more animated . Their skill is beyond praise . These

hardy fellows , watching an opportunity , keep the top of the wave by tremendous efforts , and are borne past with wonderful velocity , yet emerge safely from each succeeding breaker . This extraordinary spectacle was renewed repeatedly . One might fancy ita combat of water gods . The people amid the blue lights , the

rockets , and the boiling surf remained almost quiet . It was midnight before the Prince drove off" to the native festival . The crowd broke in , followed , and surrounded the Prince ' s open carriage . The railway station was converted into a reception hall . The sides , pillars , and roofs were decorated with wonderful richness .

It was filled with many thousands of Europeans , Asiatics , Hindoos , and Mussulmans , who had waited two hours . The Prince was seated in a silver chair on a raised dais .

Masonic Libraries.

MASONIC LIBRARIES .

It is very remarkable how very little we Freemasons , for the most part , know of our own Masonic literature . Indeed , one of the [ objections to Masonic libraries used to be of old , that we had not books enough to fill them , and that with the exception of the sterotyped editions of

Oliver ' s Works , Preston ' s History , Ash , Calcott , Smith and Hutchinson , Laurie , and the various editions of Anderson ' s Constitutions , we had not many books worth reading , and certainly not worth buying . There were , indeed , smaller

works like " Freemasons' Companions , " and Collections of Songs , and " Ahiman Rezon " and Cole ' s and Finch ' s works , but we have heard it generally contended , once upon a time , that such works would exhaust our Masonic literature .

Mr . Heckethorn , amid his other amenities , and his lamentable caricature of our Order , has specially gone out of his way to say that we have practically " no literature . " But , in this , as in a good many other details of his recent work , he only

demonstrates to bona-fide Masonic students how very little he knows of the subject on which he so dogmatically dilates . Will it surprise our readers to be told , that Freemasonry has a large literature of its own and one that is rapidly in . creasing ? Indeed , at this moment , we may fairly

point to such works as D . M . Lyon ' s History of the Lodge of Edinburgh , Findel ' s History of Freemasonry , Steinbrenner ' s Smaller Essay , Mackey ' s Encyclopaedia , Fort ' s History of Freemasons , Bro . Hughan ' s Collection of the Constitutions , and many more , as works of which as

an Order we may all be proud , critically . In Germany especially , the writings of Kloss , Krause , Mossdorff , Winzer , Fessler , Schauberg , and many others deserve the highest commendation , archaeologically , intellectually , and scientifically . We will , therefore , leave Mr . Heckethorn in all

of contemptuous silence henceforth to his own remarkable display of knowledge of our Fraternity , whether as regards its real history , its true teaching , its literature or its habits , its endeavours or its end . Some thirty years ago Kloss published his remarkable " Biblographie der Freimaurerei , " which must ever remain the great

" vade mecum " of Masonic bibliomaniacs , and the one text book of Masonic Bibliography . That work contained close upon the names of 6000 works , and many publications have been issued yearly since from the German , French , American ( including Scotch and Irish ) , and Dutch Masonic press , to say nothing of many minor contributions from other countries . Indeed , we do not