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SATURDAY , AUGUST 26 , 1899 . ?

Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

Considerable progress has been made in Devonshire during the three years Bro . the Hon . Sir H . Stafford Northcote , Bart ., M . P ., has presided over the fortunes of the Craft in that Province . As many as seven new lodges have been constituted in that brief space of

time , and by these additions the number un the roll has been increased from 52 to 59 . The roll of subscribing members is also a formidable one , the number reported at the recent anntul meeting at Tiverton being 3 S 72 or 202 in excess of the previous year ' s return , while the average per lodge is 65 . The amount received in dues and fees during the year was stated at ^ 430 .

* » But tie progress under Brc * . Sir SulTord Noithcote ' s auspices has not been restricted to figures . There has been manifested a far greater degree of

Masonic Notes.

activity among the lodges , and , above all—though in this respect there is still room for improvementgreater efforts have been made in behalf of our Charitable Institutions . Last year the Province raised not far short 01 X 2000—the actual figures

being £ 19 61 4 s . iod . —of which the bulk was subscribed towards the Boys' Centenary . This year , too , it has taken part in all three anniversary Festivals , and though its contributions leave much to be desired from so strong a Province , yet they show a distinct

advance on the far scantier returns of former years . There are , of course , the Provincial Annuity and Educational Funds which , as they have a first claim upon the support of our Devonshire brethren , are responsible to a certain extent for the smaller support tbat is given to the Central Institutions . But a

Province with close on 60 lodges and 4000 subscribing members is in a position to help both the local and Central Charities , and doubtless this all-round support will be forthcoming when the efforts of such Masons as Bro . F . B . Westlake come to be more generally understood .

« - * * * It does not often fall to our lot to record so important a gathering of our Irish brethren as that which was recently held at Lurgan , when the foundation stone of the new Masonic Hall about to be erected

in that town was laid with befitting pomp and circumstance by the Deputy Grand Master of Ireland . Not only was Bro . Sir Jas . Creed Meredith supported by several officers of the Grand Lodge , but there were likewise present in considerable force the officers of

the Prov . Grand Lodges of Antrim , Down , and Armagh , together with the representatives of the private lodges . The ceremony was carried out most impressively , and in strict accordance with ancient

usage . Moreover , the townsfolk , and , in particular , thc ladies , thronged the streets throi gh which the brilliant procession wended its way to the site of the new Hall , so that Lurgan itself was en fete , not merely Lurgan as it is constituted Masgnically .

Nor must we pass unnoticed the very cordial welcome which the Deputy Grand Master , Bro . Sir J , Creed Meredith , received from the assembled brethren not only on the score of his high rank in the Grand Lodge of Ireland , but also as one whom our gracious

Sovereign had herself delighted to honour . At the luncheon which followed the ceremony , special reference was made by Bro . R . J . Hilton , J . P ., Deputy Prov . Grand Master of Antrim , to the Queen having created Sir Jas . C . Meredith a Knight in recognition

of his great public services , and universal expression was given to the hope that he might long be spared to discharge his Masonic duties and enjoy the proud distinction so recently conferred upon him by his Sovereign . * *

It appears from the Canadian Craftsman that Bro . John Leslie , of Winnipeg , has just bee » elected M . W . G . Master of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba . Bro . Leslie served as Dep . G . Master during the year 1896-7 , and well merits the honour whicli has been conferred upon him .

* » * According to Masonry , of Melbourne , Bro . S . T . Bonner , W . M . of the Robert Burns Lodge , New South Wales Constitution , recently invested his father—W . Bro . James Bonner—as D , of C , and his brother

— Bro . Frederick Bonner—as J . D . In performing the former ceremony it devolved upon the son as W . AL to admonish his father as D . of C . to be regular in his attendance ut the meetings of the lodgp , & c . So unusual a circumstance caused a smile to appear upon the faces of the brethren present .

Statistics show that during the last 10 years there has been an average per year of 302 petitions for relief laid before the Board of Benevolence of the United Grand Lodge of Victoria , and that the average number of applicants relieved has been 22 s , at an

annual outlay of £ 1275 , the total sum thus distributed in the court-.- of the 10 years bein-j . £ 12 , 750 . This is certainly no inconsiderable sum , having regard to the fact that it was only in 1889 that the United Grand Lodge of Victoria was constituted .

• » We publish elsewhere a full account of the Masonic career of Bro . Asher Barfield , Past Grand Treasurer , by whose lamented death on Monday the Craft in

London and the Province of Hampshire and the Isle of Wig ht has sustained a heavy loss . Our deceased brother had been a member of our Order for considerably more than half a century , and in the course of his

Masonic Notes.

career had divided his affections between town and country , having served as Worshipful Master in the Province in which he first saw the light of Masonry and in more than one London Iodge . He had done good service as a lodge and chapter Treasurer , was a Past Provincial Officer , and in iSSS had the honour of

being elected Grand Treasurer of England . He was also among the most generous supporters of our Institutions and showed by the large number of Stewardships he served in their behalf that he was ns ready with his advocacy as with his purse to do what lay in his power to promote their interests . He was ,

indeed a veteran of whose services the Craft has reason to be proud , nor should we be discharging our duty becomingly if we allowed his death to pass without tendering our sincerest sympathy with his relatives and the numerous body of brethren who were privileged to call him friend .

• # » " R . M ., " jun ., in the Masonic Journal relates an anecdote of the late General Andrew Jackson , formerly President of the United States , the record of which he he found among the papers of the late Bro . Dr . Rob . Morris . It bears date , Troy , Tennessee , September 1 ,

1855 , is signed with the initials T . B ., and tells how the writer was , in 182 S , one of a deputation of Past Masters told off by Lodge No . 60 to wait on Andrew Jackson at the hotel at Brownsville Pa , at which he was staying en route to Washington to take his seat as President , and invite him to visit their lodge . The President elect , at

the moment the deputation were ushered into the room was engaged in conversation with two gentlemen , who , it appears , were staunch supporters of the Anti-Masonry Crusade then raging throughout the States . Jackson was told the purpose of the deputation ' s call , and at once and most cordially accepted the invitation , and having called for his hat and cloak , roseand left

with the P . Masters , but not without apologising to the Anti-Masonic gentlemen he had been conversing with , telling them he had been invited to visit Lodge 60 , and that he always took great pleasure when he could make it convenient " to join in the labours of the Craft . " The feelings of his Anti-3 Iasonic visitors may be more easily imagined than described .

A correspondent of the Masonic Standard , as quoted by the Kansas Freemason , states that last mouth foreigners in Japan were to come under Japan laws , and as , according to those laws , secret societies are forbidden , there were at one time fears that Masonry

would be under the necessity of clearing out . Pressure , however , says the writer , had been brought to bear at Tokio , and the belief had gained ground that , though there was no absolute certainty in the matter , the brethren would be allowed to carry on their work . The writer likewise mentions that there is a llourish .

ing Masonic Lodge at Kobe , styled the Hiogo and Osaka , " No . 49 8 , which he opines is under the Grand Lodge of England . * * # As regards the suggestion that the lodge No . 49 S referred to in the preceding Note is under the English

Constitution , we remark that it is the senior of three lodges warranted by the Grand Lodge of Scotland , and was founded in 1870 . The other Scottish lodges are the Star in the East , No . 640 , Yokohama ; and the Nagasaki , No . 710 , Nagasaki , which were warranted in 1878 and 1 SS 4 respectively . In addition , there is a District

Grand Lodge of the English Constitution , of which Bro . W . H . Stone ha-i been District Grand Mast : r since iS 8 < 5 , and which was constituted in 1873 with the late Bro . C . H . Dallas as the first District Grand Master . On the roll of this District Grand Lodge ae four piivate lodges—the Yokohama , No . 1092 , founded

in iSC 6 , and thc O'Tentosama , No . 126 3 , founded in 1 SG 9 , both meeting in the city of Yokohami ; the Rising Sun , No . 1401 , Kobe , founded in 1872 ; and the Tokio , No ^ ois . Tokio . datingfromtbeyear i 882 . Thusa period of 33 years his elapsed since the senior English lodge was established and now there are four English

ones presided over by a District Grand Lodge and three Scottish lodges and for aught , we know to the contrary , there may be other lodges which have been warranted under other Constitutions . The Japanese , therefore , must know something of our Masonry , and we do not tear that they will place a veto upon our wort .

The third installation meeting of the Yeatman-Biggs Lodge , No . 2072 , which was held in Freemasons ' Hall , Calcutta , appears to have been a great success , and Bro . C . H . M . Rustomj : e , the second son of Bro .

H . . 11 . Rustomjee , P . A . G . D . C , Prov . G . Sec . Bengal , was installed VV . M . by his respected father , at a lloird of 33 Installed Masters , among whom was included the District G . Master—Bro . the Hon . Sir H . Thoby Prinsep .