Masonic Notes.

Wc publish elsewhere a full report of thc proceedings at the meeting which was held at Aylesbury on Thursday , the 2 oth instant , when Bro . Lord Addington was installed Provincial Grand Master of Buckinghamshire in succession to Bro . Lord Carrington . It will be seen that in every respect the meeting was a success . The attendance of Provincial Officers , Present and Past , and of the representatives

of lodges was exceptionally large , the arrangements were admirably carried out , and when we add that the ceremony of installation was performed by Bro . the Rev . ] . { S . Brownrigg , P . G . Chap ., D . P . G . M ., the reader will have no difficulty in

understanding that the scene was a most impressive one . We congratulate our distinguished brother upon his induction into office under conditions so auspicious , and we trust his administration of the Province may be as successful as that of his predecessor .

Having thus welcomed the coming—it becomes our duty to speed the parting —ruler . On the death , in 1 S 90 , of the lamented Bro . Sir Daniel Gooch , Bart ., Prov . Grand Master of Berks and Bucks , his Royal Highness the M . W . G . M ., conceiving no doubt that the constitution as separate Provinces of the two counties , which for many years previously had been combined under one ruler ,

would be beneficial , was pleased to appoint Bro . Lord Carrington—who at the time was a Past S . G . W . of England , and had rendered signal service to Freemasonry as the first Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales—to be Prov . Grand Master of Buckinghamshire , and his lordship was installed in office in May , 1 S 91 , a few days after he had presided as Chairman at

the Anniversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls . At the date ot his installation the new Province consisted of 12 lodges , and , as showing how beneficial has been the sub-division into two parts of the old Province of Berks and Bucks , we have only to refer our readers to the Grand Lodge Calendar , in

which they will find that during the administration of Lord Carrington the number of lodges on the roll has been augmented to 18 . Such an augmentation as this in so limited an area is almost unexampled in the annals of English Provincial Masonry .

Nor is it in this respect only that the course adopted by the M . W . G . Master five short years ago has been proved to be so judicious . Under Lord Carrington's auspices , Buckinghamshire has shown itself to be a regular and generous supporter of our three great Masonic Institutions . In 1 S 91 , when , as we have already said , his lordship presided at the Girls' School Festival , the Province raised what ,

for a Province of such moderate size , must be set down as the very considerable sum of . £ 511 is . In 1892 , the year of the Benevolent Jubilee , its contributions amounted to ^ 705 15 s ., while the year following they were . £ 479 16 s . In 1894 . they reached £ 590 16 s ., while at the two Festivals which have thus far been held during this current year of grace , the sum distributed between the Benevolent The of

Institutions and the Girls' School is ^ 262 ios . total these Returns is within a small fraction of ^ 2550 . The provision of so large an amount is as creditable to the ruler in whose administration it was raised as to the province

itself which raised it , and we may be sure that Lord Carrington in his retirement from active Masonic duty will enjoy the same respect and affection among his Buckinghamshire brethren as when he presided over their Province and so strenuously promoted its interests .

Several important Provincial meetings will be held in the course of the next few days . To-morrow ( Saturday ) Bro . Lord George Hamilton , M . P ., Provincial Grand Master of Middlesex , will meet thebrethren of his Province at Teddington , and , as his lordship has promised to take the chair at next year ' s Festival of the Benevolent Institution , we may anticipate that there will be a full muster of

Provincial Officers and brethren . On Wednesday , the 3 rd prox ., the annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Kent will take place at Maidstone under the presidency of Bro . Earl Amherst , Provincial Grand Master . On this occasion a presentation will be made to Bro . J . S . Eastes , P . G . D ., Deputy Provincial Grand Master , in recognition of his long and faithful services to the Province . The

subject of " Masonic Vagrants , which has been so fully discussed in these columns during the past few months , will also be considered . On Saturday next , the 6 th prox ., as we announced last week . 'Bro . the Earl of Onslow will be installed as Provincial Grand Master and Grand Superintendent of Surrey in succession to thc late Bro . Col . G . Noel Money , C . B .

Nor must we omit to mention that opportunity will be taken of the annual meeting of the Prov . Grand Lodge of Suffolk , on Monday , the ist prox ., to present to Bro . the Rev . C . J . Martyn , P . G . Chap ., D . P . G . M ., an address , in

recognition of his services to thc Mark Degree as Deputy G . M . M . of thc Province of East Anglia . Bro . Martyn has resigned the post , and our East Anglian Mark brethren are anxious to convey to him through this medium their grateful sense of the services he has rendered to their Province .

The annual meetings of the Prov . Grand Lodge of Berkshire , at Reading , on Tuesday , the 25 II 1 instant , and of that of Lincolnshire , at Lincoln , on Thursday , the 27 th instant , have been held in accordance with the arrangements made , and wc trust we shall bo in a position to include reports of the proceedings which have taken place in our next issue .

It is unfortunate that the Festival in aid of the East Lancashire Systematic Educational and Benevolent Institution . should have been arranged for the same day as the annual Festival nf the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys . We presume the occurrence of the two meetings on lire same day was unavoidable , but

at all events , it is useless now to regret what cannot be altered . We can only hope lhat Ihe two Festivals will be as successful as they deserve to be , and lhat the East Lancashire ii ' -lc with its 350 Stewards will , in its more limited sphere , be as productive as that of the Boys' School , for which , as we mention elsewhere , over soo ladies und brethren have given Iheir services in the same capacity .

There is one other important function which must not be overlooked , though we referred toil last week—the consecration in the great hall of St . Bartholomew ' s Hospital to-morrow ( Saturday ) of thc Raliere Lodge , No . 2546 . At this ceremony , which will be performed by the 1 '™ Grand . M , rater , II . R . II ., the Prince cl Wales , M . W . G . M ., will be present .

Correspondence.

Correspondence .

I We ilo nnt hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed hy onr correspondents , lint we wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within eertain necessary limits—free discussion . |

THE COLONIAL BOARD ELECTION . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , As " Observer" has personally alluded to me as " one of Bro . Lamonby ' s nominees , " and to my low position on the poll , allow me in fairness to

explain .-1 . I never sought election . 2 . I was not nominated by , or in consultation with , Bro . Lamonby : who , I may remark , did not nominate any one . 3 . I was nominated , with three others , by my own lodge , the " Cambrian of Australia , No . 656 , E . C . "

We were nominated , I believe , as a protest against the treatment of my lodge by the late Board—a treatment which my lodge rightly , or wrongly , consider to have been illegal and unjust . We have not canvassed for support , and as Grand Lodge voluntarily elected two out of our four nominees , the lodge will , I have no doubt , be as grateful as I am for this continued proof of Grand Lodge ' s determination to support us in the cruel difficulties under which we have been , without fault of our own , so long suffering . —I am . Dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally ,

S . R . BASKETT , June 25 th . P . M . 656 .

Tothe Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , I trust you will permit me the privilege of replying to a correspondent , in your last , who signs himself " Observer . " Brother " Observer" is entirely wrong when he asserts that I nominated any one for a seat on the Colonial Board .

His gratuitous—and , possibly , authoritative—assurance that I might have been elected on the Board , had f not done certain things , is valueless , for two cogent reasons . Firstly , during my 30 odd years' connection with the Craft I have never asked for a single vote , and , on that account there is no slur in my being at the bottom of the poll at the recent election . It would be as well if

some other candidates , whose figures ran into hundreds , could say the same . And , secondly , I have never hesitated to condemn existing abuses . On these two grounds , thertfore , let me assure your correspondent that the odds are a thousand to one against my coming successfully out of a contested election for either the Colonial or any other Board .

In one sense I do agree with " Observer , " and that is , as to the touting and circularising which , unchecked as it is by those in authority , is a scandal on English Masonry . Before the recent elections I received several circulars , and it may interest those who sent them to know that they did not get my vote . Were a geneial stand like this made agaist the pernicious system , it would disappear

from our elections . As it is , the condemnatory remarks uttered in Grand Lodge years ago by the late Lord Carnarvon , seem to have dropped out of remembrancB . In conclusion , I would humbly suggest that " Observer , " should he reply to this communication , will have the courtesy and courage to sign his name instead of hiding his light under a nim d ; plume . —Fraternally yours , W . F . LAMONBY . June 22 nd .

THE GRAND TREASURERSHIP . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , While agreeing with the first portion of Bro . Lovegrove's letter in your last issue , I feel sure it will be the wish of a very large majority of thc brethren to see a provincial brother elected next year .

As candidates we have Bro . C . W . Hudson , who has already contested two elections , and Bro . VV . H . Bailey , both of whom are certainly brethren of good means and social position , old and experienced Masons , ardent supporters of all our Charities , and in every way qualified to maintain the dignity of the Craft , and prestige of the oflice .

It is greatly to be hoped that one of these brethren will for the present gracefully retire , so that in the event of no London brother being nominated , one of these provincial representatives may be elected without the turmoil and many disadvantages of a contested election . —Yours fraternally , A PROVINCIAL . June 24 th .

To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sii and Brother , Thc suggestion of my good friend , Bro . Henry Lovegrove , in you issue of the 22 nd inst ., cuts thc Gordian knot with a vengeance . Here are the provinces suffering under a manifest injustice already ; the very reason which brought about the opening of the correspondence ; and yet Bro . Lovegrove calmly suggests that this disfranchisement shall be perpetrated for another year . Truly an admirable manner of redressing a grievance !

r or three consecutive years a London brother has filled the coveted office , and now or never is the turn of the provinces . A Committee has been formed , with the Prov . Grand Master of Staffordshire ( Bro . the Right Hon . the Earl of Dartmouth ) as its Chairman , to secure the return of Bro . W . H . Bailey , P . S . G . W . Staffordshire , 1894 . 5—and a Staffordshire Mason of over 20 years' standing—who is as well known in London as in the provinces ; and I might also venture to say with every prospect of success .

With my own strong convictions as to the indefeasible rights of the provinces to representation next year , I have not hesitated to undertake most willingly ' < ollice of Honorary Secretary on Bro . Bailey's behalf . May 1 be permitted to add , that I do not for a moment say one word against Bro . Vaughan Morgan , or his claims to thc position t on the contrary , he is » gentleman for whom I have the greatest possible regard , and , but for the reasons above stated , would have supported to my utmost . —Yours very faithfully ,

JAMES STEPHENS . Elads , Maida Vale , W ., June 26 th .

"OLD MASONIANS '" CRICKET CLUB . To the Editor of the "Freemason " Dear Sir and Brother , Might I be permitted to point out to you that our old Associat ' " has taken a new departure , and we have formed among ourselves a Cricket Cl" ' I am glad u , say it has met with a very good response un the part of our inciii uer * ant ! we shall , I feel sure , form a club which will be a credit to the Association-