National Great Priory.

NATIONAL GREAT PRIORY .

The half-yearly meeting was held on I'riday , the 13 th inst ., when there were present : The Very Eminent Prov . Prior for Hampshire , E . Knight W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., G . C . T ., on the throne , the Very Eminent Prov . Priors for East Anglia , E . Knight Capt . N . G . Philips , G . C . T . ; Lancashire , E . Knight Capt . C . R . N .

Beswicke-Royds , G . C . T . ; North and East Yorkshire , E . Knight Major J . W . Woodall , K . C . T . ; and Somersetshire and Monmouthshire , E . Knight Lieut .-Col . A . Thrale Perkins , K . C . T . National Great Officers—E . Knights Rev . J . S . Brownrigg , G . C . T .., as Prelate ; R . Loveland Loveland , K . C . T ., Chancellor ; Lieut .-Col . A . B . Cook , G . C . T ., as Constable ; Major Geo . C . Davie , Marshal ;

Ralph Clutton , K . C . T ., Treas . ; and Raymond H . Thrupp , K . C . T ., Reg . Officers —E . Knights C . F . Matier , Vice-Chanc . ; C . Belton , Sub-Marshal ; C . D . Hill Drury , M . D ., Std . Br . ( Beauceant ) ; J . E . Le Feuvre , as Std . Br . ( Vexillum Belli ); R . Clowes , Marshal ; Will * E . Chapman , Captain of Guards ; Major T . W Richardson , S . B . ; J . Paget Priestley , Org . and Abrahm Woodiwiss ,

Chamberlain . And the following Past Great Officers—E . Knights Rev . C . E . LWright , Prelate ; Major-General Hay , C . B ., K . C . T ., Vice-Chancellor ; Ralph Gooding , M . D ., K . C . T ., J . Balfour Cockburn , M . D , and Frederick Lawrance , Heralds ; Sir George D . Harris , Std . Br . ( Beauceant ); H . Harvey George

Std . Br . ( Beauceant ); Robert Berridge , Std . Br . ( Vexillum Belli ) ; Horatio Ward , S . G . Kirchhoffer , K . C . T ., and E . Letchworth , S . Bs . ; Arthur H . Bowles and James Hillhouse , Capt . of Guards ; " and Major J . R . Pearson , Gordon Miller , Wm . Tyrer , and F . N . Molesworth , Aide-de-Camps . A large number of sir knights were also present .

The knights having formed the Arch of Steel , the V . E . Prov . Prior for Hampshire , VV . W . B . Beach , M . P ., G . C . T ., attended by the National Great Officers , entered and took the throne . The National Great Priory was opened in ample form . The minutes of the National Great Priory held on the 14 th December last were read and declared to be correctly recorded . On motion duly made and seconded , there was taken as read the following :

REPORT OF THE COUNCIL .

VERV HIGH AND EMINENT GREAT PRIOR , Your Council have the honour to report that , pursuant to petitions presented to his Royal Highness on behalf of the National Great Priories of England and Wales , & c , and of Ireland , the Most Eminent and Supreme Grand Master has been pleased to absolve the said National Great Priories

from their allegiance to Convent General , and to declare that Convent General shall , from and after the 19 th July , 1 S 95 , cease to exist . His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales has also been graciously pleased to consent to permit himself to be named Sovereign of the Order in the United Kingdom .

There is now a sum of about . £ 270 standing to the credit of the late Convent General . This sum is entirely made up of fees of honour paid b y members of the National Great Priories of England , Ike , and Ireland , who have been appointed Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commanders of the Order of the Temple . Your Council , therefore , recommend that the balance remaining on hand after payment of all liabilities be divided between the two National Great Priories in proportion to the amount

contributed by the members of each . Your council also recommend that the p lates for patents be kept at the Printers for the use of both Great Priories . His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , as Grand Master , was pleased to appoint the following Knights Commanders of the Order of the Temple : Sir Reginald Hanson , Bart ., M . P ., G . Constable . Sir Henry Thoby Prinsep , Provincial Prior for Bengal . Augustus Frederick Godson , MP ., Provincial Prior for

Worcestershire . Rcbert Isaac Finnemore , late Provincial Prior for South Africa . Lieut .-Ccl . Alfred Thrale Perkins , Provincial Prior for Somerset and Monmouth . Col . George Montgomery John Moore , R . A ., Provincial Prior for Madras ; and Charles Belton , Sub-Marshal .

You having been pleased , by patent , dated 15 th May last , to appoint the V . E . Knight the Rt . Hon . William Hillier , Earl of Onslow , G . C . M . G ., Provincial Prior for Kent and Surrey , he was installed into his office by the V . E . Provincial Prior for East Anglia at a Provincial Priory htld at the Bridge House Hotel on the Sth July last .

You having been pleased , by patent , dated 15 th May Jast , to appoint the V . E . Knight the Hon . Alan de Tatton Egerton , M . P ., Provincial Prior for Cheshire , he was installed into his office by the V . E . Great Sab-Prior at a Provincial Priory held at Chester on the 4 th November last .

You having been pleased , by patent , dated 15 th June last , to appoint the V . E . Knight Thomas Cook , Provincial Prior for South Africa , he was installed in his office by the V . E . Knight R . I . Finnemore , late Provincial Prior , at a Provincial Priory held at Pietermaritzburg on the 17 th September last .

You have been pleased , by patent , dated 15 th June last , to appoint the E . Knight , J . D , Kay , Provincial Prior for West Yorkshire . You have been pleased , by patent , dated 22 nd August last , to appoint the E . Knight Major George C . Davie , J . P ., Provincial Prior for Devonshire .

You have received an application from certain members of the De Tabley Preceptory , formerly meeting at Altrincham , in the Province of Cheshire , the Warrant of which was declared to be forfeited at the Great Priory held on 1 ith May , 1894 . The former members have now obtained many promises of material

support and future assistance , and your Council would recommend Great Priory to rescind the forfeiture of the Warrant , and to remit the dues at present in arrear . , Pursuant to the resolution passed in Great Priory on the ioth May last , the Statutes of Great Priory have been revised , and your Council recommend that the Statutes as revised be adopted .

National Great Priory.

The I * :. Knight , I *' . 1 <\ Schnitger , of the Royal Kent Preceptory , hi ; kindly presented some interesting * photographs of o ! rl Warrants , Sc , I ¦> the I . ibrary . Your Council have purchased the Certificate of the l . iti- Knight Fennings , which bears date 1 Sr 2 .

The Grand Secretary General , 3 , 5 ° , having reported the Expulsion of a Brother from the Ancient and Accepted Rite , and he being alsj a Knight Templar , you have been pleased to suspend him from all privileges during pleasure .

St . George's Preceptory No . 6 , meeting in London , having established to the satisfaction of your Council that it has had a continued existence for upwards of one hundred years , your Council recommend the grant of a Centenary Warrant with permission to the members to wear ihn Commemoration jewel .

The I ' .. Knight Alajor-General J . C . H VY , C . B ., K . C . T ., has rAgucJ the office of Vice-Chancellor to which he was appointed in ISIJJ , and yoj have been pleased to appoint to that office the fi . Knight Chicles b'itzGerald Matier , K . C . T ., to whom it is requested that all communications and remittances be sent .

Your Council begs to recommend that he commence on a salary of £ u » i per annum . Your Council has to report , with der p regret , the death , on the jfitli November , of the E . Knight William Tinkler , K . C . T ., who for many years filled the office of Vice-Chancellor to the great advantage of the Order .

Your Council recommend that his pension be paid to his widj . v in full up to Christmas . The Great Treasurer has purchased £ 300 2 ] per cent . Consolidated Stock on behalf of the General Fund , at a cost of . £ 319 6 s . 3 d ., and on behalf of the Benevolent Fund £ 50 , at a cost of £ 53 4 s . sd .

By Order of the Council , R . LOVELAND LOVELAND , Chancellor . 281 ) 1 November , 1 S 95 . On the motion of Sir Knight C . R . N . BESWICKE ROVDS , it was resolved that the report be received and taken as read .

The Chancellor , Sir Knight LOVELAND LOVELAND I beg to move the first resolution arising out of the report . It will tvave been observed that there is a sum of about . £ 270 now standing to the credit of Convent General . This sum is made up of fees of honour paid by members of the National Great Priory of England and the National Great Priory cf Ireland . His Royal Highness the Grand Master has been pleased to abolish Convent General , and this sum has therefore to ba divided . We have been in

communication with the Great Priory of Ireland , and they are of the same opinion as ourselves , that the amount should ba divided as stated in the agenda . I have therefore to move " That the balance , standing to the credit of the late Convent General , be divided pro rata between the National Great Priories of England and Ireland . " Sir Knight BESWICKE-ROYDS . * I second that . The motion was agreed to .

The Chancellor , Sir Knight LOVELAND LOVELAND : With regard to the second motion , most High and Eminent , it will be also in the recollection of Great Priory , that pursuant to a resolution passed seven months ago , it was the duty of the Council lo revise Ihe Statutes . Convent General having been done away with , we have lost the bsnefit of the book which formed , up to the time that Convent General was dissolved , the great portion of our

law . Therefore it was thought expedient at the earliest possible moment that we should revise our Statutes so that we may have laws b y which to work . Your Council have had many discussions , they have gone not only into the present Statutes of Great Priory , but they have looked up a great many of older dates . The draft has been distributed to every Preceptory and Provincial Priory , and we have had the benefit of a great number of

suggestions , all of which I hold in my hand . A great number of these we have been able to adopt at once , but there are certain questions which your Council think of such vital importance that they would like to take the opinion of Great Priory upon them before they are finally settled . With these few remarks I beg , as a matter of form , to move " Tint the Statutes of Great Priory , as finally revised by the Council , be adopted . " The Registrar , Sir Knight THRUI-I * : I beg to second that .

In the very long discussion which ensued , Sir Knight Major RICHARDSON drew attention to sundry points , but a motion of his " that Great Priory Officers do not wear collars " found no seconder . However , an amendment by Sir Knight Major L . E . Li : FEUVRE , "That the consideration of the Statutes as revised be deferred till the next meeting in May , and that meanwhile a copy be sent to each Preceptory in the Kingdom , " wilh a rider , ' * and the Great Officers , Patt and Present , " suggested by Sir Knight BESWICKE-ROYDS , and seconded , was declared to be carried .

The Chancellor , Sir Knight LOVELAND LOVELAND ; The next motion I have to make is— "That the forfeiturejof the warrant of the Dc Tabley Preceptory be rescinded and the dues remitted to date . " The warrant was declared forfeited in May , 1 S 94 , but since then material assistance has been promised to lhat preceptory , and we have every icason to hope lhat it will now become a strong and nourishing one . Sir Knight GOODALL seconded the motion . The motion was put and carried .

The CHANCELLOR : We have had an application from the St . ( learge ' s Preceptory , No . 6 , meeting in London , aiking for a centenary warrant . The Council recommend that the warrant be granted , it having been established that the preceptory has had a continuous existence for 100 years . I thtrefoe move— " That a centenary warrant , with permission to the members to wear the commemoration jewel , be granted to the St . George ' s PreceptoryN j . 0

, meeting in London . " Sir Knight Major RICHARDSON * . I second that . The motion was put and earned . Sir Knight Captain PHILIPS . * I now beg to move that the report be adopted , with the exception of that part referring to the revision of the statutes .

Sir Knight BESWICKE-ROYDS : I beg to second that . The motion was put and carried . Sir Knight Charles Bslton , Sub-Marshal , was then conducted before the throne by Sir Knight Gordon Miller , and received congratulations on his appointment as Knight Commander of the Temple . Alms amounting to £ 3 15 s . 6 d . were then coll . cted , Great Priory was closed in ample form .