The Position Of Masonry In The Year 1875, And Its Noble Charities.

what before they thought of no account , but now worthy of their special notice . Another stone has b * cn laid in the unprecedented amount of donations to our three noble charities , as I read over £ 27 , 000 for this year . Our brethren have indeed acted well and truly ; they have done their duty nobly . There remains for us now matter of deep consideration ,

calling - forth our utmo ; t energy . " Wc must be careful who wc may admit out of the numbers seeking admission . " A moment of prosperity is witb us ! it depends un you , my brethren—aye , all of us together—to use this prosperity that it may last forever . The tid . ; ami the breeze are with us ; with a flowing sail we joyfully career on our course , we sec not

the dangers before us ; but the sentry on duty , tbe watchman in tbe forecastle , suddenly cries " breakers ahead . " AH is contusion , but the craft is sound , the officers able and efficient "; the danger may be and can be avoided , with due care anil a sharp look out . Breakers are indeed ahead of our good old Craft!—breakers of indifference ! breakers of misrule ! breakers of self-indulgence , self-love ,

sellseeking . On what is Masonry founded ? A pure system of morality ! What are its objects ? To love the Lord our God with all our hearts , our neighbours as ourselves , and to be in charity with all men ! Th esc are great lessons , which arc practical !) ' evidenced by an observance of the three great . Masonic characteristics , viz ., Faith , Hope , and

Charity . How can we gain tins strict observance ? Only by following tlie details of Prudence , Temperance , Fortitude , and Justice . To be a T'dnson in name is one thing ! lo be a Mason in deed i- ; another ' . It is not quantity that wc require , but quality . Now , my brethren , do you see the breakers ahead ?

Among the numbers seeking admission , we may ( nay , I may say shall ) find those who , baling gained the portals of our Order , from incapacity or other causes may become indifferent . How many now have we in our Order who are ignorant of our dee ]) uiyslcrics—who , in fact , never practise charity ? Others again there will be of good intentions , true and

honourable men , who , from want of temper , or other unhappy qualities , will for ever be causing disunion in the lodge ! others again who , having passed tbe portals , seek only the convivial , to the detriment of the business department of the Order ! In fact , 1 have heard it . related , that certain brethren , who were always late at business ( event when their attendance was necessary ) , coming iu for the

convivial , and , business nut being concluded , complaining , aye , complaining bitterly , that dinner or supper should be delayed because the working brethren had commenced late ! Other breakers there are ahead ! viz ., those who , having joined Masonry , seek not its high aims , but their own aggrandisement , or their own self-advantage . These are the breakers that have ever and always will

be ahead of the ( rue Craftsman , . arid what fitter occasion than the present can there be to lay down tbe chart ( not a new one ) of the real duties of a true and worthy brother ? But you may say , why bring forward these difficulties now , if they always have and always will exist ? Why ? Simply because now , with the plethora of . applications for admission , wc must duly and tiuly discriminate as to who

arc lit and worthy candidates for admission to our Order . We know tbat Masonry is now the fashion , many prompted by this , many by vanity , may come before us : we must reflect , we must discriminate , that in the future no evil shall come on the Craft . In the words of Holy Writ , then , on which we work and have our being , again I say " Watch . " Brethren of the Craft , you have numbers seeking

admission ; eschew haste , enquire diligently into the moral and actual life of aspirants to our secrets ! Consider their capabilities ! Keep not out the poor for the rich ; there are equally good candidates in both degrees ! Seek only excellence , and one stone will be well laid . I have already mentioned our three great Masonic characteristics , viz .: Faith , Hope , ami Charity j our Faith will

consjlidate our true character , and leatl us to carry out in our lives and actions our two great tluties to Gotl and our neighbour ; Hope will encourage us ; and in our Charity we can prove for ever our due and earnest endeavour to do our duty as true men and Masons . Charity comprises the whole , as we find in Scripture : but what is charity ? Charity , says the inspired apostle ,

" thinkcth no evil , vaunteth not itself , is not puffed up . " Our nei ghbour is as ourself ! We cannot judge bim , only the great God alone ! Human words are inadequate to truly designate charity ; the glowing words of St . Paul to the Corinthians must serve for me , " that though you may give your goods , though you may offer yourself as a sacrifice , and have not charity , il profiteth nothing . " Away ,

then , with pride and envy ; be charitable and forgiving ; seek not your own good but that of others ; serve your Creator ; your neighbour as yourself ; and do your utmost to fulfil tbe duties which as a denizen of this life you are called upon to perform . I now come to the second question , viz ., our charities am ' , institutions . I have already mentioned that over £ 27 ,

has this year been contributed to these good works in England , besides other amounts given in the provinces and privately . The statistics have been published , so I need not discuss them . Even in this case there are breakers ahead , and what time can be more fitting than thc present to enlarge upon them . We have an axiom in Masonry , " that we should give our

utmost to charity without dclnmcnttoourselves or our families . " It may be answered , we do so ! but how many of those who have given—aye , willingly while their means lasted—nave thought on this subject ; have they not often given too much ; while the callous , the indifferent , and the negligent have been looking 011 doing nothing . Who are those that g ive ? 1 can answer on behalf of my brethren who these are . They are those who knowing their

The Position Of Masonry In The Year 1875, And Its Noble Charities.

duly , have done it . These good men think no evil ; they think not of themselves ; tbey sec the suffering and the destitute before them ; their large hearts are opened , anti tbey give freely : I speak of the good and true , whether rich or whether poor—those I maintain arc those who have given and do give either of their abundance or of their penury ; but what proportion of our Order belong to

tins class ? If all our brethren were actuated b y these feelings our returns would be twenty , aye , fifty , times greater . Look at the statistics and you will see how few , how very few , contributors we have in proportion to our recorded members . Let us mark this era in Masonry by laying another stone by inciting the indifferent , the callous , the negligent to come forward ; then we may feel that we

have one and all done our duty . How many have refrained from giving in this anti previous years ? how many have been callous and half-hearted ? Come forward then , ye erring brethren ; hel p in the great work ! Your institutions are before you ! Tbey are well carried , on as their success shows . This is no new call I make upon you ; remember your admission into Masonry and do your duty .

It is an acknowledged fact that Masonry 111 Great Britain is in the ascendant , I therefore implore thc Master , Wardens , and brethren of the Craft to exercise due care as to what candidates they admit , and when admitted to teach them thoroughly their Masonic duties , to urge them to seek deep into our mysteries , and to inculcate the practice of charity . This would be a fitting tribute to our Royal

Grand Master , anti make bis reign one of the greatest eras in Masonry . I appeal to you now , my newly-initiated brethren , seek information from all zealous aud well-instructed Masons , and , above all , cultivate charity , charity of mind , charity of feeling , and charity of action ! God tlie Creator has blessed your store , give freely and ungrudgingly what you are able .

I now appeal to all in England , Ireland , and Scotland . Tbe two first nations have grand institutions for thc orphans , the widows , and aged . Scotland will , I trust , soon answer to the call . In fact , I know lhat a grand institution there is now being promoted , and gaining support far and wide among all classes of the brotherhood . Think , my friends , of the good that is done . Tbe widow's heart

i-lurred in her misery , children lamenting their parents supported and educated , aged and destitute brethren relieved . Think of tbe hearty prayers offered up by the fatherless and widows ; think of the blessings invoked daily—nay , hourly—by those poor sufferers on the heads of those good and true Masons who have come to their support . Another acknowledged fact . The contributions in

England have this year reached no less a sum than £ 27 , 000 . You who are half-hearted , you who are negligent of your Masonic duties , you who , in fact , from various causes have resigned active participation in our mysteries , surely you cannot withstand the cry of thc helpless ; your hearts cannot be so hardened . Show that you are men and Masons . Freely ye have received , freely give . Have I not now proved that I here are " breakers ahead ?"

have I not proved that , spite of the large donations , we should do yet more ? We must , one and all of us , help to put our house in order . This present prosperity may make or mar our institution . We must not relax our endeavours for good , but press forward anxiously in our calling . Care , forethought , attention to our tluties , industry will swell the tide of prosperity . Negligence , apathy , carelcssncss , ' will destroy the work of centuries .

Laying The Foundation Stone Of The Grimsby Masonic Hall.

LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE OF THE GRIMSBY MASONIC HALL .

Monday , thc iGth , was probably the most important , and more deserving to be remembered , of any day in the modem history of Grimsby Freemasonry , for seldom indeed is it that a public demonstration of the character and ceremonial surrounding the proceedings that then took place

is witnessed in this town ; and though much of the extraordinary interest manifested in the events of the day arose from curiosity , yet the magnificence , combined with the solemnity of the display , lent its peculiar attractiveness to the occasion . Thc " Pelham Pillar" Lodge was established at Chapman ' s Hotel in September , 18 59 , and having been for three years conducted at that house , the lodge was for

various reasons , and during the Mastership of Bro . Whalley , removed to premises in Bullring-lane , where it is still held . It was in 186 7 , when Bro . Copeland was Worshipful Master , that the necessity for having a Masonic Hall was first mooted , but at that time the site required could not be obtained , and the question laid dormant until a fresh movement was started in 1873 by Bro . Hadfield , who

was then the Worshipful Master , and who manifested a special interest in the matter . Since then the proposal has gained in strength , until a few months ago the " Pelham Pillar" Masonic Hall Company was formed , the chief promoters being Bro . Hadfield and thc other P . M . 's . The site of the proposed hall is at the junction of George-street anti Osbornc-strcet . [ On this site , as many old inhabitants

of Grimsby will remember , stood a hawthorn tree , in whose branches the school boys of bygone years have disported themselves . Additional historic celebrity will henceforth attach to this tree , now removed , in the fact that the working tools , and the box containing them , used in the stonelaying ceremony of Monday last were manufactured out of it . The brethren on this occasion permitted the uninitiated in Masonic mysteries to be present , and for the

special convenience and accommodation of ladies a platform was kindly provided , from which about 300 fashionabl y attired ladies viewed the proceedings , adding a charm to their picturcsqueness and brilliancy . A profuse display of flags also enlivened the scene . The hall is estimated to cost £ 283 *; . Mr . T . G . Barker is the architect , and Mr . Thomas Drew the builder . Mr . Hasten Clark has been appointed secretary lo the company , anil Mr . A . Bates solicitor . A glass jar deposited in a cavity cut in the stone

Laying The Foundation Stone Of The Grimsby Masonic Hall.

contained copies of thc " Grimsby Observer , News , and Herald , " a memorandum of the articles of the company a programme of the day ' s proceedings , and some current coins of thc realm . After a Provincial Grand Lodge of Emergency had been opened at the Mechanics' Hall , the brethren formed and marched to the site of the proposed building .

The procession was a very large one , and had an im . pressivc and imposing appearance . Arrived at the entrance to the site , the brethren divided to thc right and left , facing inwards , leaving an avenue for the Prov . Grand Standard Bearer , the Prov . Grand Sword Bearer , Bro . Sutcliffe , and the deputy of R . W . Prov . G . M ., who passed up to the foundation stone , foi .

lowed by the officers of Prov . G . Lodge and other actin « officers . The inscription is as follows : — " This stone was laid by Bro . John Sutcliffe , P . M ., P . P . S . G . W ., August 2 nd , 1875 . " Thc officiating brethren having duly taken their positions round the stone , the Prov . Grand Chaplain invoked a blessing on the undertaking , the Chaplain and brethren alternately reciting the psalm , " Except the Lord

build the house , " & c . The R . W . D . P . S . M ., Bro . W . H . Smyth , having read his dispensation appointing Bro . John Sutcliffe to officiate in laying the stone according to ancient Masonic custom , Bro . Sutcliffe stated that they were assembled to lay thc corner or foundation stone of a building to be hereafter erected , and which was specially intended to accommodate Masons , the Craft in Grimsb y

hav ' mg made great progress , and their numbers and importance now rendered a Masonic Hall desirable and necessary . The superintendent of works then presented the plans of the proposed edifice to the officiating officer , wdio after examining , approved and returned them to the superintendent . The Secretary ( Bro . H . Clark ) next read a copy of the document placed in the phial deposited in the

cavity of the stone . The officiating officer having spread the cement , the stone was slowly lowered to its bed , thc band playing " Rule Britannia . " A flourish of trumpets then indicated that the stone was placed on its base . " God bless the Prince of Wales " was then played . The officiating officer then directed the bearers of the plumb rule , the level , and

the square to the performance of their respective duties . The first declared the stone to be perfect and trustworthy , the second well founded , and the third that it was true . The O . O . " having full confidence in their skill in thc Royal art , " proceeded to complete the work , knocking thc stone thrice with a mallet , anti declaring it properly laid in accordance with the ancient rules of architecture . After a performance

by the band , corn in a cornucopia , wine in an ewer , and oil and salt in vessels , were handed in turn to the O . O ., and poured by him on the stone . In doing so he said : — " 1 scatter corn upon this stor . e as an emblem of plenty , and may the blessings of bounteous Heaven be showered upon us , and may our hearts be filled with gratitude to the Giver of all good gifts . " — " 1 pour wine upon this stone ,

the emblem of joy and gladness . May our hearts be made glad with the influence of Divine truth , and may virtue flourish as a vine . "— " I pour oil as an emblem of peace . May peace and harmony , goodwill and brotherly love , abound amongst us all . "— "I scatter salt , the emblem of purity , of hospitality , of fidelity , and of friendship ; and I dedicate this building to the peaceful pursuits of

Freemasonry . " —After each ot these formalities the Chaplain read an appropriate text of Scripture , and concluded with a brief prayer . The Treasurer ( Bro . M . Dawson ) placed some current coins of thc realm in the phial , which he deposited in the cavity of the stone , which the officiating officer saw properly secured with cement . Bro . Acey ' s band was in

attendance and played a solemn dirge whilst the stone was being lowered by three distinct drops , thc last leaving it suspended about 10 inches from its bed . Bro . John Hadfield , advancing to the officiating officer anti presenting him with a beautiful silver trowel , said : Right Worshipful Sir , you are very well aware that the room in the old Masonic lodge in Grimsby has now

become far too small to accomodate the brethren ; therefore we propose to erect this building in order to make room for more gentlemen who wish to become members ; and I , being chairman of the company who are about to erect this hall , have been requested by my brother directors to present you with this trowel for the purpose of laying the foundation stone . In presenting you with this trowel I

am simply paying you the compliment which the brethren of the province think you deserve , knowing as they do how long you have been a good and faithful Freemason ( hear hear ) , how long you have fought the battles of the Craft , and how long you have always done your best to assist the sufferin g widows and orphans . In presenting you with this trowel , and in wishing you health , long life ,

and prosperity , I am sure a responsive throb of joy will emanate from every Mason in this assembly . ( App lause . ) The trowel , which was supplied by Mrs . Webber , widow of Bro . Webber , bore the inscription— " Presented to Bro . John Sutcliffe , P . M ., P . P . S . G . W ., on the occasion of laying the foundation stone of the new Masonic Hall , Grimsby . Monday , August 2 nd , 1875 . "

Bro . Sutcliffe then addressed the assembly , saying : Brethren , ladies , and gentlemen—We have met here to-day for the purpose of laying the foundation stone of a new house in which thc Freemasons of this town and ancient port may assemble . It has devolved upon mc—unworthy though I am—as thc oldest Freemason in the town , to discharge this duty . This must be to me a very proud day ,

and one which I shall ever remember with gratitude to my brethren for their selection of me to perform this office . I " the outer world the principles of Freemasonry are a good deal criticisctl by men who do not thoroughly understand or even know our precepts or our practices . We are generally dcscribetl as a party of men who meet together for social enjoyments . Admitted wc do , is there anything improper in that ? I say no . But we have higher , higher