Contents.

CONTENTS .

L EADERS 553 CORRESPONDENCEThe "Humber" Lodge , No . 57 , Hull 554 The Royal Masonic Institution for Boys 559 " That Mysterious Society called Free- Notes and Queries 559 masons" 554 REPORTS OF IVIASONIC MEBTING . S—

Provincial Grand Lodge of Cheshire 55 S Craft Masonry 559 provincial Grand Lodge of Durham 555 Instruction 562 Provincial Grand Lodge of Shropshire 556 Royal Arch 562 Farewell Dinner to Bro . John Maclean 557 Obituarv 562 Masonic Presentation at Liverpool 557 Masonic and General Tidings 563 Theatres S 57 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 564

Ar00100

THERE seem to be good reasons for believing that freemasonry Freemasonry . „ , _ ,., _ .. ¦ .. .. i r n j .. u ' in South in South Australia remains to the full as prosperous under the Australia . new r ^ me as jt was un ( j the old , when the lodges were under the supreme authority of the Grand Lodges of England , Ireland ,

and Scotland , and the constitutions they obeyed emanated from Great Queen-street , London , & c , instead of Flinders-street , in the City of Adelaide . It is quite possible , and ; indeed probable , that with one uniform system of Freemasonry in place of the three concurrent systems which existed formerly , our South Australian brethren find themselves , as they certainly are ,

more compact in the matter of organisation , and having been fortunate in their choice of rulers , there is every likelihood of the Craft becoming stronger and more influential as the Colony itself grows stronger and more populous . It is true the organ of Freemasonry in the Colony—the South Australian Freemason—writes somewhat dolefully of the inattention to

duty shown by the members of some of the lodges , but we do not gather that this lack of attention is by any means general , or , in reality , anything beyond a passing sense of indifferentism , which the zeal of the W . Masters , if discreetly exercised , will speedily overcome , and which on examination may prove to be a slight relaxation from an excess of work

rather than a serious neglect of regular lodge duty . It is pleasant , however , to note that the same kindly feeling prevails on the part of the brethren of South Australia towards the Grand Lodge of England as when the bulk of their lodges were under its jurisdiction and that they are as proud of the position they

occupy towards us now as when they were a part of our Masonic system . This has been especially exemplified by their reception in Grand Lodge of the announcement that H . R . H . the Prince of WALES , M . W . G . M . of our United Grand Lodge , has graciously accepted the office of Grand Patron of the Grand Lodge of South Australia . It is evident they were keenly

disappointed when his ROYAL HIGHNESS found himself unable to comply at once with their request that he would become the Patron of their Grand Longe , but now that he has seen his way to complying with their wishes , the pleasure they feel has found expression in a resolution of thanks which is most flattering to the PRINCE . Equally pleasant is it to know that the

kindly offices of Bro . the Earl of CARNARVON , our Pro Grand Master , who was most warmly received by the brethren of South Australia during his recent visit to the Antipodes are appreciated , and thata resolution of thanks has been also passed to his lordship " for his fraternal and successful effort in support of the petition" of the Grand Lodge of South Australia to the

Prince of WALES to become its Patron . This friendly interchange of courtesies between the Grand Lodges of this Colony and the Mother Country cannot fail to exercise a most beneficial effect on the kindl y relations already existing between the two , and will reduce to a minimum the

chance of any differences arising between them in the future . It would be well if the same friendly disposition towards the Mother Grand Lodges ° i the old country were as apparent in other directions as it is among the lod ges and brethren of South Australia .

* * * Masonic Work ^ HE re P we published last week of the dedication of a s in new Masonic Hall at Johannesburg , South Africa , is evidence rlca ' enough , were any needed , of the interest which is taken in f reemasonry by the inhabitants of that distant quarter , and the ready

° eralit y with which they furnish whatever is needed in order to render its w ° fk more efficient and raise it in public estimation . The dedication of a ew Masonic Hall even in one of our most familiar provinces is an event considerable importance , and is regarded as indicating the presence of _ ° re than the ordinary amount of enthusiasm amone- the Freemasons of

e locality . In South Africa , where the lodges are comparatively few in mt ) er , the erection and dedication of a hall by the local brethren betokens "Uerest ' Masonry and its work which is far in excess of what we hear read of commonly . We wish , however , that on these occasions the breof to

° ^ devolves the duty delivering the oration proper all ceremonies would be as tender as they can in dealing with the remoter r y of our Craft . Let them be as minute as they can in describing t 0 . na Ppened during the last century or two , but let them not dwell . lrc umstantial ! y on what passed , or is supposed to have passed , in the J of EDWIN and ATHELSTAN . EDWARD III . and HENRY VI ., or even in

Ar00101

the reign of WILLIAM of ORANGE . The Masonic oration or address is most successful which treats in a kindly spirit , but lightly and in general terms , of what happened in these more remote times ; what happened but

yesterday is fair matter for searching comment . However , some latitude is permissible when a new hall is dedicated in South Africa , and that uncongenial person , the critic , is not at hand to keep the gushing orator on his best behaviour .

. * * * THANKS to an esteemed Correspondent , we give a reprint Freemasons •. a Dangerous of a letter published in the " Gentleman s Magazine of 1737 . iety . The copy has been carefully made , and is an exact reproduction as respects the verbiage of the original . There were several articles

and letters on Freemasonry in that noted series , the one of 1737 , now printed in the Freemason , and another of 1815 , relative to the " Old Charges , " being the most valuable . Having been written some 150 years ago , and by a shrewd observer , the references to the Craft are neither lacking in interest nor importance , and several of the statements are of

considerable value in relation to that period . Possibly the writer was familiar with Dr . Plot of 1686 , and certainly knew of Anderson ' s " Book of Constitu . tions , " besides a few of the class of publications known as " exposures , " of which a few had been circulated from 1723 to that year . The Society in that day is declared to be composed of men of " all Nations , Parties , and

Religions , " the "Sword of State alluded to was presented by the Duke of Norfolk in 1730 ( and is still in use ) , and the allusion to " a higher Order of Cabalists , who keep the grand secret all to themselves , will be " nuts " for the Rosicrucians . We almost fear to have the latter portion printed , as it recommends the imposition of " a double tax upon all Free-Masons , "

for even now " great sums of money are wanted , " just as then . There is one thing , the ladies would appear to be more favourable to our Society at the present time , so we must depend on their influence to prevent any excessive taxation . Seriously , however , the letter is worth attention as well as reproduction .

* * * WE gather from the Australasian Keystone that in Queensland 0 ^ . Wlse it is an instruction from the District Grand Lodge to the Worshipful Masters of all private lodges that they shall communicate to brethren in open lodge the Masonic information contained in the

published " Proceedings of the District Grand Lodge , and that they shall consider any ruling therein recorded as a definite instruction , to be followed in all cases to which it is applicable ; and we heartily concur in opinion with our worthy contemporary that it is very desirable such an ordinance should be generally adopted by Provincial and District Grand Lodges . It is the

more necessary that such a rule should be established , seeing that in our English system of Masonry there is no recognised authority on Masonic Jurisprudence , and no safe guide , therefore , for Worshipful Masters to follow in matters of doubt and difficulty . Considering this lack of any authoritative exposition of Masonic law , the rulers of our private lodges are

to be congratulated on the generally successful manner in which they discharge the powers with which they are invested . Moreover , they know they may rely . with confidence on the support of their officers and members , who are only too pleased to help their superior officers out of a dilemma . But it is inevitable that every now and then cases will arise which can onl y be

determined by the experts , and in the absence , as we have said , of any recognised legal guide , it seems to us that the decisions of Provincial and District Grand Lodges , but especially of United Grand Lodge , would always prove a safe counsellor to be followed . If , as our Australasian contemporary points out , this practice of reading and explaining these decisions

in open lodge , and recording them for future guidance , were observed , it " would prevent a Worshipful Master from making grave mistakes in the government of his lodge , and enable him to keep himself and the members under his care' in touch' with all his brethren . " It is on the recorded decisions

of Grand Lodge and the District or Provincial Grand Lodges that the future work on Masonic Jurisprudence will have to be based in order that its exposition of our laws may possess a real value , and until that work appears —and , indeed , even when it has appeared—it seems desirable that the advice of the Australasian Keystone should be followed .

* * * IT is not suprising that , with an independent Grand Lodge in established in South Australia , and with steps being taken in New Zealand . th colonies o £ New South Wales and Victoria to establish

G . Lodges of their own , some of our New Zealand brethren should already be contemplating the possibility of setting up a Masonic government in that colony ! Here , as in the other Australasian colonies , the Grand Lodges of England , Ireland , and Scotland hold concurrent jurisdiction , and in spite of all we have read to the contrary , we believe the system has in the