Consecration Of The Sandgate Lodge, No. 1436.

Tomltn , solemn music being performed during the procession . The consecrating officer performed the whole of the highly-imposing ceremony in the most efficient manner , after which the following anthem was sung : —

O Praise the Lord , and thou my soul , For ever bless His name , His wondrous love , while life shall last , My constant praise shall claim . After the anthem , the distinguished brother to whom the important duty of consecration had

been entrusted then rose , and delivered a most impressive address , solemnly dedicating the Lodge to God , Masonry , and to benevolence and universal charity , and constituted it in form , concluding his remarks by asking the brethren to imitate the virtues of John the Baptist , and St .

John the Evangelist , also wishing them every success . The National Anthem was then sung . This brought the consecration to a close , after which the installation of Bro . Charles Coutes , the W . M . designate , was proceeded with . After being duly installed as W . M . of 1426 , he

was saluted m due form . The W . M . appointed the officers for the ensuing year as follows : — Bros . J . Day , S . W . 3 Gosby , J . W . 3 R . B , Genner , Treas . 5 C . H . Clements , Sec . ; S . Davies , S . D . ; Woodman , J . D . 5 Farren , I . G . 3 Davey , Tyler . Bro . Adamson then explained to

each of the officers their respective duties . Bro . Tomalin said he had great pleasure in proposing a vote of thanks to Bro . Adamson for his assistance in consecrating the lodge , and he was sure that the brethren fully endorsed his sentiments by having them recorded on the

minutes . The W . M . seconded the motion which was put and carried unanimously . Bro . Adamson returned thanks , and said he was glad to assist at the consecration of the lodge , and he wished them the highest

prosperity . Thanks were then given to Bro . Hill for the able manner in which he performed the ceremony , which was put , and agreed to unanimously . Bro . Hill thanked them for the compliment

which they had been pleased to pay him . He was glad to have the opportunity of giving his service , and wished them every success . ( Cheers ) . Thanks were then given to the brethren for

their attendance , the lodge was closed in due form , and with a solemn prayer . The brethren adjourned to the Assembly Rooms , where a most profuse banquet was served , and which gave satisfaction .

On the withdrawal of the cloth , the W . M . proposed the following toasts— " The health of Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen and the Craft , " "Most Worshipful Grand Master of England , the Marquess of Ripon . " " The Most

Worshipful Past Grand Master , His Royal Highness the Prince' of Wales , K . G . " " The Provincial Grand Master , Prov . Grand Officers , Past and Present , P / esiding Officers , Rev . W . A . Hill , M .. \ . P . G . S . " The toast was cordially responded to .

Bro . Hill in responding said , Masonry is nourishing abundantly , I think it is convenient that there should be Prov . Grand Lodges , should our brethren here need any help , I will come to your assistance . The W . M . proposed "The Health of Bro , Adamson .

Bro . Adamson . I rise with the greatest of pleasure to return you my thanks for the honour you have conferred upon me . Everything that I can do for the benefit of a brother Mason , 1 am always willing to come forward to help . I am pleased to say that Masonry is flourishing in

Kent , in J 868 there were 16 lodges , now there are about 34 . I am glad to see a new lodge formed here , it is convenient for you , I know you prefer getting near your own place . I congratulate the W . M . to-day , on the grea ^ number of persons he has been surrounded with ; on all

future occasions I shall be happy to serve you , I wish you prosperity to the lodge and originators . ( Cheers ) Bro . Day proposed "The Health of the W . VI . " The W . M . responded in a very able manner . "The Health of the Visitors" was then drunk . Bro . Sherwood returned thanks for the visitors

Consecration Of The Sandgate Lodge, No. 1436.

the W . M . next proposed " The Health of Bro . Goodban , Organist . " This toast being drunk . Bro . Goodban returned thanks to the brethren for the compliment which they had been pleased to pay him ; he said , I thank you heartily , and my assistance is always at your service .

Bro . Day next proposed " Bro . Past Master Slack . " Bro . Slack responded in a very able manner . Bro . Clements gave "To all poor and distressed Masons . " Bro . Clements gave great pleasure by one of his gallant songs , " The

grasp of an honest hand . " The whole of the fittings of the lodge , as well as the clothing of the officers , were provided by Bro . George Kenning , and were greatly admired .

Not a single hitch was made during the ceremony , and so good a start speaks well for the success of the lodge .

The Royal Charter.

THE ROYAL CHARTER .

BY BRO . J ACOB NORTON . Preston informs us that the " most remarkable occurrence during the administration of the Duke of Beaufort was the plan of an incorporation of the Society by Royal Charter . " The plan was approved , not only by a majority in the

Grand Lodge , but , " from the return of the different lodges , it appeared that one hundred and sixty-eight had voted for the incorporation , and only forty-three against it . " "In 177 r , a bill was brought into Parliament by the Hon . Charles Dillon , D . G . M ., for incorporating

the Society by Act of Parliament ; but , on the second reading of the bill , it having been opposed by Mr . Onslow at the desire of several brethren who had petitioned the house against it , Mr . Dillon moved to postpone the consideration of it sine die , and the design of incorporation fell to

the ground . " The same author also says that Arthur Beadmore , the then Grand Treasurer , who was opposed to the scheme of incorporation , went even so far as to refuse handing over £ 1 , 300 entrusted to his keeping , and that a lawsuit for

the recovery of the money was contemplated . Bro . Findel , in his history of Freemasonry , gives an insight into the rancorous feeling of the opponents to the incorporation scheme . A Bro . Muller , Master of the Caledonian Lodge , wrote to a friend at Frankfort , " We are woefully

plagued with Jesuits . Dillon , who abjured his religion a short time ago that he might get elected into Parliament , and his father confessor , de Vignoles , have unlimited power in the Grand Lodge , which they maintain by innumerable intrigues , and an esxeessive abuse of

influence which Dillon ' s position of Deputy Grand Master affords him .. He wearies the patience of many upright Masons who oppose him , disgusts others , em ploys force to expel those who ' . will not suffer themselves either to be wearied out or disgusted -when the welfare of

Masonry is at stake , and blinds the rest . The old documents , & c , submitted to my inspection by the P . G . M . Lewis , in 1869 , gave me a still further insig ht into the mischief then brewing . Among those documents I found a letter from G . S . French , and several letters

from G . S . Hesseltine , together with the printed documents issued by the Grand Lodge of England in 1769 , & c . From all these sources I learn that excitement in both ranks run high , and that a split in the Grand Lodge would have ensued if the parties then in power had insisted

in carrying their contemplated measure of incorporation . So far the history of the period is clear enough ; but still I cannot understand all . For instance , if a clique in an American Grand Lodge proposed the building of an extensive temple , and I found some

mystery about why , or wherefore the measure was strenuously opposed by a majority , or even by a minority of the brotherhood , I would naturally conclude that the said clique ' s motives were suspected , the brethren who opposed the

scheme probably believed , and with good reason U > o , that the schemers designed to make a job o it of the operation . Such , however , could not have been imputed to the English authorities , and I firmly believe that the Duke of Beaufort , as well as D . G „ M . Dillon , were

The Royal Charter.

actuated by purely disinterested and honourable motives , and that their sole desire was to elevate the standard of the society . They , in common with all other Masons of that period , no doubt sincerely believed that Adam , Noah , Nimrod ., Moses , Solomon , Julius Cassar , Herod the

Great , Edward tne Third , & c ., & c , were each or all either Grand Masters or Grand Patrons of the ancient brotherhood , and consequently thev were fired with a laudable ambition of restoring ( as they imagined ) , "the fraternity to its grandeur , " and there may have been another cogent

reason for their contemplated project . We all know that the so-called " Ancients , " as well as the so-called " Grand Lodge of all England , " not only pretended to superiority , but each even denounced the Grand Lodge of England as a spurious body . A Royal Charter at that time

would certainly have served to put a stop to their audacity ; with such a charter , the Grand Lodge of England would have become a Grand Lodge , de jure , in every acceptation of the term . It seems therefore to me that all its sincere adherents ought , and should have rallied around

its grand officers in support of the measure . Supposing , however , that some wiseacres foresaw that such a charter would not be necessary ; yet , I ask , what harm could have been feared from its adoption to have caused such a furious uproar ? One reason only suggested itself to my

mind , viz ., perhaps there was something very objectionable in the conditions of the charter , but whereto look for a copy of the said charter , I did not know . Last week , however , amongst a lot of old books that were about to be disposed of at

auction , I noticed a small old volume called , "The History of Masonry , or the Freemasons' Pocket Companion . Printed by William Auld , Edinburgh , 1772 , third edition . " In the appendix to the said edition I found the following : — " Since printing the foregoing work , we have been

favored with a copy of the Charter of Incorporation granted by his present Majesty to the Grand Lodge of England , " which is followed by a copy of the Charter . The words , " granted by his Majesty , " are undoubtedly erroneous , but as the Grand Lodge

of England , ( according to Preston ) had printed the contemplated charter , we may reasonably suppose , that the copy in the aboved-named work is genuine . This , however , only served to increase my puzzle . The document itself , is a verbose piece of flummery , such as lawyers , and lawyers alone , love to revel in , but I could

see nothing in it that could give rise to such unheard of , determined opposition . I therefore , threw out the above hints , not only to call attention to the whereabout a copy of the document , which produced such a ferment in the Craft a century ago , may be found by Masonic Students ; but also to ask for information as to the real

cause , or causes of that ferment . Yours fraternally , J ACOB NORTON . Boston , U . S ., April 21 st , 1873 .

The New Masonic Temple At Philadelphia.

THE NEW MASONIC TEMPLE AT PHILADELPHIA .

In August last The Press gave to the public a full account of the exterior of the new Masonic Temple at Broad and Filbert streets , which was then approaching completion , and in the present article it is proposed to give a general description of the interior as it appears at present .

The various rooms are now all in complete order , except that the furniture and carpets are not yet completed or in place . The plastering and painting are finished , the gas , water , and steam fittings are all in , and the ventilators are in wnrk ' msr order . Around the outside a wide slate

pavement is being laid , and a handsome iron-plate fence will surround the whole structure . Three ornamental lamps will be placed on Broad street three on Filbert street , and three on Juniper street . There will be three entrances to the temple , one each on Broad , Filbert , and Juniper streets , surroundinsr the building .

The edifice is the only ona in the world devoted exclusively to Masonic uses , and it is the most magnificent as well as the largest and