Consecration Of The Clausentum Lodge At Woolston.

masonry had much to answer for in forcing into unwilling collision a body , which , if treated with confidence and consideration , would have proved itself a valuable assistant to the cause of pure religion . The part which theFreemasons of Paris were reported to have taken with the Commune during

the insurrection of 1871 , and their share in the excesses which then disgraced the page of history , could not but be a sorrow to every Mason , and to every man , but he contended that no form of association , however pure its intentions , could protect itself wholly from abuse . Human

ignorance and misconception will at all times sully the noblest fraternity of which the component parts are simply human . And the Freemasons of Paris were sinning against Freemasonry and against order and religion when they lent themselves to that blood / work . Whilst sincerely deploring

so flagrant a departure from the principles of the ar . cient Order , it was some satisfaction to be assured , as he had been by the Grand Master of England , that the English Freemasons have no sort of official communication whatsoever with the Grand Orient of France . Were it otherwise

he conceived that it would be the bounden duty of the Grand Lodge of England to express in the most public way the abhorrence of deeds which had sullied the reputation of our noble Craft . Brethren ( the P . G . Chaplain concluded by saying ) , let the errors and the excesses of some who

have belonged to our noble Crder not discourage or deter us in our pursuit of viitue . Rather let them serve as a warning to us that the true secret of preserving a community in a state of purity and usefulness is for each member to begin by making one man pure and useful and that man

h mself . Lo those about to join the Clausentum Lodge , now to be consecrated , I would say , make your Freemasonry a reality , and not a pastime . Attend , whenever possible , lodges of instruction , that you may become conversant with the real beamy and virtue of the system . Do not

consit' er it as religion ; or as a substitute for reli gion , 1 nit as co-existent with religion , and as an enco rigement to search after higher and more soul saving truths . Cultivate the sublime principles which arc so solemnly inculcated when you are admitted to the Order . Prove yourselves before

the outside world to be true and genuine brothers , that all may see and approve the benign influence of Masonry ; and above all things remember that the system of morality to which we , as Masons , are pledged is essentially for the well being of an earthly community , and as mortal beings you

cannot rest satisfied with that . This life with its interests and necessities is after all but a starting point along a road without an ending , and before us all there is a time when systems of morality shall have faded away into the past , and eternity shall have set its terrible seal upon every action of this life . In praying that the Grand

Architect of this life would vouchsafe His choicest blessing upon this newly constituted lodge , I would add the prayer that every member of the Fraternity , present and future , may so shape his course here below , that he may be admitted , through the mercy of one who loved the world and gave Himself for it , into the eternal portals of ihe Grand Lodge above . So mote it be .

The dedication prayer was then offered , and the invocation pronounced , the P . G . Chaplain reading II . Chronicles , 2 nd chap ., 1 to 16 ver ., and after the remainder of the solemn ceremony had been pel fumed , ihe following brethren were in-tailed to the offices : —W . M , Bro . Capt . T .

H . M . Martin ; I . P . M ., Bro . Wilkinson ; S . W ., Bro . G . S . Liddell ; J . W ., Bro . Walter Bowyev ; Treas ., Bro . W . A . Lomcr ; Sec , Br 0 . Davis ; Direc . Cer ., Bro . Waters ; S . D ., Bro . Stroud ; J . D ., Bro . Danells ; I . G ., Bro . Tilling ; T ., Bro . Vare .

Before the lod ge separated cordial votes of thanks were tendered to the Prov . G . M ., his officers , and to Bro . Rev . Basil Wilberforce . The number of propositions for candidates and joining was very large . At the conclusion of the

proceedings Bro . \ V . A . Lomer fraternally invited the brethren to his residence , where they were hospitably entertained . There was a banquet in the evening at the lodge room , provided by Bro . Dartnall , of Southampton , Mr . Churcher , of the Woolston Inn , supplying the wines ,

District Grand Lodge Of Victoria (Australia.)

DISTRICT GRAND LODGE OF VICTORIA ( AUSTRALIA . )

The regular quarterly communication of the District Grand Lodge of Freemasons , under the English Constitution , was held in the Masonic Hall , Camp-street , Ballarat , last Monday evening , at which the Rig ht W . District Grand Master , Captain Standish , and many of his officers attended .

The handsome and el egantly furnished hall was crowded by brothers attracted by the novelty of the occasion , which created great interest in the district , owing to the meeting being , it is stated , the first of the kind ever held out of Melbourne .

At the conclusion of the business of the District Lodge , the annual meeting of the Yarrowee Lodge of Freemasons , No . 713 , E . C . was held , the Right Worshipful District Grand Master and officers of the District Grand Lodge remaining , in addition to the W . M . and Wardens

of the St . John ' s Lodge , Orion Lodge , Havilah Lodge ( Creswick ) Buninyong Lodge , All Nations Lodge ^ Chines ) , Sebastopol Lodge , and Prince of Wales Lodge ( Smythesdale ) , and Past Masters Henry Cuthbert , R . Valentine , Henry Davies , Richard Gibbings , J . Josephs , H . H . Radcliffe ,

J . T . Sleep , D . Thomas , Thos . Aldred , J . M'Cartney , J . T . Weickhart , C . Megson , Rd . Kent , Thomas Purves , Revs . Bros Innis and Goldreich , and many distinguished members of the Craft . Unusual Masonic interest was { shown in this meeting consequent on the compliment

paid to the district by the R . W . D . G . Master Captain Standish , and his officers coming from distant places at some inconvenience and expense , and this was rightly appreciated and acknowledged by the Fraternity , who mustered in great force , and made the spectacle grand and imposing—one long to be remembered .

Ihe installation ceremony was most abl y given by the V . W . District Grand Senior Warden , Bro . Wm . Strachan , when the following brethren were installed in their respective offices : —Br . Wm . Little , W . M ., W . D . G . J . W . ; F . M . Claxton , S . W . ; Chas . B . Finlayson , J . W . ; Chas .

Salter , Treasurer ; Henry PI . Peake , P . M .. Secretary j Robert \ V re ford , S . D . ; Fred . J . Gomm , J . D . ; H . A . Nevett , I . G . ; John Rae , Tyler ; John Allender and S . J . Morgan , Stewards . On the conclusion of the ceremony , the lodge was closed , and the brethren atljourned to Hawthorn ' s

Royal Hotel , where about 100 members sat down to a very sumptuous repast prepared by host Hawthorn . The W . M . occupied the chair , supported on the right by the R . W . D . Grand Master Bro . H . Cuthbert , P . M ., and the D . Grand Secretary ; on the left b y the V . W . D . G . Senior Warden .

During the evening the following toasts were given : — " The Queen , " by the W . M ., followed by " God save the Queen , " by the musicians and company , and cheers j "H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , P . G . M . of England ; " song and chorus , " God bless the Prince of Wales ; " " The

Fraternal Memory of the Earl of Zetland , " which was drunk in solemn silence ; "The Three Grand Masters under the English , Irish , and Scotch Constitutions—Marquess of Ripon , Duke of Leinster , and Earl of Rosslyn . " Bro . Henry Cuthbert , P . M ., proposed "The

District and Provincial Grand Lodges of Victoria , " coupled with the name of the R . W . D . G . Master , who , with his officers , had that day for the first time held a regular District Grand Lod ge out of Melbourne . He considered that it should be recorded as a red letter day in Ballarat ,

that the D . G . M ., who was the sovereign or the supreme ruler of the Craft in this colony , had condescended with his officers , at great personal inconvenience , less of time , and some cost to themselves , to come so far to honour them with their presence .

The R . W . D . G . Master , in reply , thanked the brethren and the members of the Yarrowee Lodge for the handsome manner in which they had been received in Ballarat , and said now railway communication had been established throughout the

colony , he should feel it not onl y a duty , but a pleasure , to periodicall y visit the great centres of population in the country districts , and regretted much the absence of the representatives of the Irish Constitution , Bro . Wm . Scott , P . M ., who ,

District Grand Lodge Of Victoria (Australia.)

he was sorry to hear , was prevented being present through sickness . The R . W . D . G . Master proposed the health of the W . M ., Bro . William Little , and " Prosperity to the Yarrowee Lodge , " and in doing so congratulated Bro . Little on the confidence displayed towards him by the

rnembers ] of thellodge in having re-elected him a second time , that being the highest honour the lodge could confer . He also alluded to his having recognised the enthusiasm with which Bro . Little had worked in the cause of Freemasonry ,

by having appointed him to the highest office in the District Grand Lodge ever conferred on any member cut of Melbourne , viz ., the D . G . Junior Warden , and congratulated the lodge , which he considered the leading lodge in the district , on having again selected such [ a worthy

representative . Bro . Little responded . Bro . F . M . Claxton proposed "The Sister Lodges , " coupled with the names of W . M . and f ast Masters present , with three times three . The W . M . ' s of the St . John ' s , Buingyong , Havilah , All Nations , Orion , Sebastopol , and

Prince of Wales Lodges replied . Bro . Valentine , P . M ., proposed— " The Health of the Installing Master , the V . W . G . D . Senior Warden , Bro . Strachan , " and said that the very pleasing and impressive manner in which the installation ceremony had been given , would leave a lasting impression on the minds of the brethren present .

: The D . G . S . W ., in reply , thankecfBro . Valentine for the compliment paid him , and said that he was only too happy at any time to render any Masonic service which he was capable of , and and felt gratified at being present at such a large and influential gathering of of the Masons of this District .

Bro . Lempriere , D . G . S ., proposed— "The newly-installed Officers of the Yarrowee Lodge , " coupled with the names of the S . W ., J . W ., and Treas ., who severally replied . The V . W . D . G . S . W . proposed " The Past Masters and Past Officers of the Yarrowee

Lodge , coupled with the name of Bro . Davies , P . M ., and stated that the present position the lodge held must naturally be , in a great measure , due to the good government of the lodge by its Past Masters . Bro . Davies replied .

Bro . Henry Davies , P . M ., had much pleasure in proposing the health of the visiting brethren present , coupled with the names of the W . M . ' s of the Clunes , Creswick , Smythesdale , Buninyong , and Sebastopol Lodges . Bro . Davies said this meeting recalled to his mind earlv

associations of unmingled nappiness and pleasure . He was a thorough believer in the good old system of English Freemasonry , and the beneficial effects from the frequent rubbing of shoulders together of intelligent men , and felt sure the social and moral progress of the world was

largely indebted to such causes ; he therefore hoped the system might long continue . Bros . Lempriere , Caselli , and Megson severally returned thanks . Bro . Finlayson , in a facetious speech , proposed "The Ladies , " to which Bros . Josephs and

Trenerry replied . The health of the " Musicians " was proposed by the W . M ., who stated that a great portion of his Masonic success was due to the kindness of his musical friends , who at all times had rendered

their efficient services . Bros . King , Lamble , and Austin T . Turner replied . " The . T yler ' s" toast brought a very successful and pleasant meeting to a close at an earl y hour in the morning .

Consecration Of The Bard Of Avon Chapter, No. 778.

CONSECRATION OF THE BARD OF AVON CHAPTER , No . 778 .

Phis new „ Chapter was consecrated at the Greyhound Hotel , Hampton Court , on Monday , the joth inst ., by Comp . R . Wentworth Little , P . Z ., Prov . G . S . E ., assisted by Comp . Colonel Burdett , Prov . G . Supt . as H ., and yEneas J .

Mclntyre , Q . C ., G . R ., as J ., in the presence of about twenty companions , including manyeminent R . A . Masons . After the consecration , the M . E . Z . designate , Comp . George Elliott , M . P ., was installed as J ., H ., and Z ., respectively , by the Pre-