Masonic Disunion In New South Wales.

Wales difficulty . At the time the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales was inaugurated there were a few English Royal Arch chapters , and these were formed into a Supreme Grand Chapter . Following , a Grand Lodge of Mark Masons was founded . While these events were being consummated there

were a number of Royal Arch chapters holding under the Supreme Grand Chapter of Scotland , in which the Mark and other degrees are worked . But all these years the Scottish chapters have retained their connection with the supreme

authority which originally chartered them , and , strange as it may sound , the Provincial Grand Chapter of New South Wales , Scottish Constitution , is about double the strength of the Supreme Grand Chapter of New South Wales .

But the enthusiast for Masonic union will , no doubt , urge , "Why do not these conflicting elements amalgamate , and form a strong Supreme Grand Chapter ? " On paper this desirable climax appears simple enough ; but to those acquainted with the local surroundings , the situation will remain unchanged for many

a year to come . In the first place , the Supreme Grand Chapter of Scotland has never recognised the Supreme -Grand Chapter nor the Grand Mark Lodge of New South Wales ; secondly , overtures from New South Wales for an amalgamation have been declined by the Scottish Chapter Masons ; and thirdly , the

latter are forbidden to visit chapters belonging to the New South Wales body . Amalgamation , as I have suggested , is in the dim , and possibly very distant , future ; as a matter of fact ,

the Scottish Chapters reply : "We will admit individual members into our chapters through the affiliating medium of the ballot ; but we will never desert the Supreme Grand Chapter of Scotland . "

Doubtless , it will be presumed that there is more in this revealed antagonism than appears on the surface . So there is , and I know it ; but I conceive it would be impolitic to say more

on that head at the present juncture . . All the same , it is a curious commentary on thc Masonic autonomy that is popularly supposed to have prevailed in New South Wales since the foundation of the United Grand Lodge 11 years ago . W . F . LAMONBY .

General Committee Of Grand Lodge And Board Of Benevolence.

GENERAL COMMITTEE OF GRAND LODGE AND BOARD OF BENEVOLENCE .

The quarterly meeting of the General Committee of Grand Lodge and lhe monthly meeting of the Board of Benevolence were held on Wednesday evening at Freemasons' Hall . At the Committee of Grand Lodge Bro . J . H . Matthews , President of the Board of Benevolence , presided , and after the minutes of the May meeting had been read and confirmed , the business

paper for the next Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge in Septembar was read to the brethren , and the Committee was then closed . Bro . J . H . Matthews presided atthe Board of Benevolence ; Bro . Henry Garrod , Junior Vice-President , acted as Senior Vice-President ; and Bro . Geoige Graveley ,, P . G . P ., as Junior Vice-President . B os . W . Lake , Asst . G . Sec . ; George S . Reckntll , Lawrence , and Henry Sadler , G . Tyler , represented the Grand Secretary ' s oflice ; and the other brethren present were

Bros . George B . Chapman , Lewis Lazarus , Henry A . Tobias , E . W . Nightingale , W . Fisher , Charles Henry Stone , W . H . Caton , Wm . Bywater , P . G . S . B . ; Walter Martin , William H . Sinclair . S . G . D . ; F . W . Hancock , Henry Neville , P . A . G . D . C . ; Charles Pulman , John Strachan , Q . C , G . Reg . ; J Buckley , F . Linfoot , Wilfied A . Bowser , T . S . Mellville , R . W . Ker , C . J . Delmett , H . MasseyC . E . Wettar

, , Palmer Bryant , C . H . Webb , G . H . Lister , H . J . Abraham , A . J . Swash , F . G . Barns , F . J . Burdett , J . Woodrow Matthews , W . Athol Bray , W . W . Parkinson , W . Jlotbrow , J . D . Geddes , P . J . Machin , R . W . James , J . Lewis Morgan , D . Campbell , R . J . Coatts , Justin Allen , W . T . Wilkinson , Frederick Ashby , Richard Carey , and H . Trask .

The brethren first confirmed recommendations made at the last meeting in July that the Grand Master should approve c f grants over ^ 20 to the total amount of ^ 400 . There weie only 14 cases on the new list , and these were qualified through lodges in the London district , and at Devonport , N . Z . ; Kingstown , St . Vincent , W . I . ; St . John ' s , Antigua , Altrincham , Honiton ,

Liverpool , Colchester , and Bristol . One of these cases was deferred , lhe remainder were voted a total of £ 395 . One case was recommended to brand Lodge for £ 100 and one for £ 50 . The Grand Master was asked to confirm a grant of £ 40 , and four grants of £ 30 each ; while £ 20 was granted in each of three cases , £ 10 in two , and ^ 5 in one case .

New Masonic Hall For Leeds.

NEW MASONIC HALL FOR LEEDS .

Since the Masonic Hall in Great George-street was acquired some months ago for conversion into business premises , a large section of Leeds freemasons have been in some doubt concerning their permanent home . From the beginning of the year eight of the nine Leeds lodges have held

their regular meetings in the Carlton Hill Hall , but this is necessarily only a temporary arrangement , for that building , though convenient enough for a limited number of lodges , is obviously unequal to meet practically the whole of the Masonic requirements ofthe city . One scheme for the erection of a new hall , suggested a little while ago , fell through , but now the

New Masonic Hall For Leeds.

difficulty has been overcome by the inauguration of an entirely fresh project . A plot of land , covering about 650 yards , on the south side of Great George-street , between Woodhouse-Iane and Cookridge-street , has been secured by the Leeds Masonic Hall Company ( Limited ) , which has recently been registered with a nominal share capital of £ 10 , 000 , and of which Bro . J . Barraclough , W . M . of Philanthropic Lodge , No . 304 , is Chairman .

The site , which is opposite the new buildings in course of construction in connection with the Higher Grade Schools , is centrally and conveniently situated , and yet has the advantage of being sufficiently removed from , the main streets to ensure the quietness which is supposed to be the necessity of Masonic gatherings . The directors have offered premiums of ,- £ 50 , ^ 20 , and / Tio for designs of premises , which , apart from furnishing , are to cost It is to be

about ^ 6000 . intended have a building which will ample for all the lodges ( Craft and Mark ) , chapters , and meetings of other Digrees now existing in the city , together with six or more additional lodges which might be formed in future . The building is to be so planned that if it should be decided to remove to the new premises the offices of the Prov . G . Lodge , which were transferred from Wakefield to Leeds last year , suitable

accommodation can be found for them . Provision is also to be made for adapting certain of the rooms for balls , receptions , and similar social functions , and there will likewise be apartments available during the day for arbitrations , shareholders' meetings , and like gatherings . As to the style of the building , that is to be left to the competing architects . A good outline , in consonance with the improving character of the locality , is , of course , indispensable , but the internal arrangements will be the first consideration ..

Physical Qualifications And The Old Charges.

PHYSICAL QUALIFICATIONS AND THE OLD CHARGES .

Bro . Hughan , the English historian , writes as follows to the Corres * pondence Writer of the Grand Lodge of Colorado : Dunscore , Torquay , England , February nth , 1899 . Dear Bro . Greenleaf , —In consideration of the subject of " Physical Qualifications " in your able " Report on Correspondence , Grand Lodge of

Colorado , " and my article thereon in " Proceedings Grand Lodge of Manitoba , " you observe , " Bro . Hughan in his letter intimates that the law has been ignored since the formation of the Grand Lodge of England , in 1717 . . . The burden of proof , therefore , rests with those who contend that the physical requirement belonged to the operative craft , and that it has no place in speculative Masonry . "

In reply , allow me to point out that the so-called " Charges of a Freemason , " as arranged by Dr . Anderson , and printed in the premier " Book of Constitutions " of A . D . 1723 , never existed before , but substantially the one in question as to physical qualifications occurred in all the veritable " Old Charges" of the Operative Fraternity , as I explain fully in my two works on the subject , 1 S 72 and 1895 ,

Now it is an undoubted fact , from 172310 the present time , that the Grand Lodge of England has never accepted these " Charges" as possessing any legislative authority or as representing the laws for the government ofthe modern Brotherhood , * but only as indicative of th ; character of the obsolete " Old Charges " of the operative regime . With occasional alterations the " Charges" of 1723 have been inserted in all our Books of Constitutions from 1723 to 1 S 96 , but never as Regulations passed for the guidance and control of the Craft .

This being so , it is clear that tlnse " Charges are simply and exclusively intended as specimens , archie llogically considered , of the usages an d customs of the society anterior to the Grand Lodge era , but which , even prior to thc last century , were looked upon as obsolete and were not used as obligatory laws , as formerly .

" Free-born ' * has been altered to " freemen by the Grand Lodge of England—one indication that the " Charges" were not considered binding , and , as a matter of fact , no Grand Lodge accepts ( or ever has ) these " Charges" in their entirety , because unworkable . Wardsns were to be selected front Fellow Crafts , Masters must have served as Wardens , and honest parentage was a condition of initiating a candidate . Even the age of admission has been altered , and other serious chaiges might be cited .

Absve all , the "Old Charges" before 1717 , and even br sometime after , as circulated , required all candidates for Freemasonry to be Christians . Dr . Anderson altered that condition in his fanciful digest , and the Grand Lodge accepted his summary to insert before the Laws that the members agreed to , doubtless because they intended that the Craft sfiDiild no longer be confined to that narow basis . With all good wishes , fraternally yours , WM . JAMES HUGHAN . —Masonic Tidings .

Royal Arch.

Royal Arch .

Patriotic Chapter , No . 51 . At the quarterly meeting of the above chapter , on the ioth inst ., the following were elected as oflicers : Comps . H . G . Giles , M . E . '/ .. ; Claude E . Egerton-Green , IL ; Harry E . Baker , J . ; W . F . Reed , S . E j A . S . B . Sparling , Treas . ; George F . Wright , P . Soj . j J . E . Cheese and George Gardiner , Asst . Sojs . ; and Arthur Wright , Janitor . ^

BRO . SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BHACH , M . P ., and Viscount Casllercagh will lay the foundation stones of new docks at Seaham Harbour to-morrow ( Saturday ) . On the same day the Marchioness of Londonderry and Lord Castlereagh will cut the first sods of two new collieries ot Seaham .