1877.

the Lodge of Peace , 149 , was also kept in June . J , a somewhat slack month in English Masonry , saw the foundation stone laid of the Masonic Hall , Launceston , Cornwall , by Bro . the

Earl of Mount Edgcumbe , P . G . M . There was also in this month the opening of the New Masonic Hall , Sheffield , before a numerous assembly of the brethien , and with great eclat . In AUGUST we had fo record the consecration

of the Rothesay Lodge , 1687 ; the Caradoc Lodge , 1674 : the Kingsland Lodge , I-93 ; and the United Strength Chapter , and the St . John ' s Chapter , at Timaru , New Zealand . SEPTEMBER , which hailed the Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge , also beheld the

consecration of the Evening Star Lodge , 1719 , under most auspicious circumstances , as well as that of the Corbet Lodge , 158 3 ; and the All Saint ' s Lodge , 1716 . In this month Bro . Col . McLeod Moore delivered his annual address to the Grand Priory of Canada . But September is , and will be , a memorable one in the annals of

Freemasonry , on account of the ill-omened proceedings and unmasonic resolution of the Grand Orient of France . A factitious and political agitation had caused the Grand Orient most needlessly and unseasonably to submit a certain " voeu " or . wish , to the lodges of France . This was , that " belief in God and the immortality of the soul " should be struck out of the

enactments of the Book of Constitutions . Had these hasty reformers proposed as with us , to separate the Charges from the Laws , we should not have found fault . But such was not the object of those who created and carried through this Masonic revolution .

Indeed , it was openly admitted , that the object was to facilitate the admission of certain persons into French Freemasonry whom the present " formula : " hindered or kept out . Hence it was clear that the great idea was to pave the way for the entrance either of the pure materialistic

unbeliever , or some zealous discip le of Massol ' s " Morale lndependante . " The French Grand Orient , by unwisely yielding to this idle clamour and this political movement , has inflicted one of the greatest blows on Freemasonry which it has ever received .

In OCTOBER , the Freemason started au Indian Famine Famine Fund , which was kindly supported by some lodges and brethren . October was a great month for the consecration of lodges , for it witnessed the following : New Buxton Lodge , 1688 ; New Finsbury Park

Lodge , 1695 ; Wilbraham Lodge , 17133 The Albert Edward Lodge , 1714 - Arthur John Brogden Lodge , 171 . 5 , Hartismere Lodge , 166 3 - , and the Sub-Urban Lodge 1702 ; We had also to record the consecration of three Chapters : New Concord Chapter , 813 ; Skelmersdale

Chapter , 1874 ; Islington Chapter , 1 S 71 . In October , we have also to note , the Masonic presentation to that worthy and distinguished Bro . Sir Watkin Williams Wynn , Bart and M . P . In NOVEMBER , the consecration of the Kaiser-i-Hind Lodge took place , with every

promise of a peaceful future , and the centenary of the York Lodge , No . 236 , was held at York , before a distinguished company , and with every association of success . The York Lodge is , for various reasons , well known to Masonic Students , as one of the most historic lodges in

England . DECEMBER welcomed the meeting of Grand Lodge , when Lord Carnarvon , after a most able speech , referred to the mournful question of the Grand Orient of France , which was submitted to a select committee of eleven , and

the subject will be fully discussed in March . French brethren , whose certificates date before September 13 th , can still be admitted into our lodges . The words he spoke so well , and the cheers of the brethren , must have convinced our French brethren that they had no hope of

sympath y in the smallest measure from the Grand Lodge of England , or any English brethren , and that , to use a familiar expression , they had not " a leg to stand upon . " At the same Grand Lodge Bro . R . J . Simpson

P . G . C , brought forward the question of the German Hebrews , as well as 300 petitions of English lodges , relating to the same subject . But Grand Lodge had clearly no right to interfere witb . the matter , though there was but one

1877.

opinion as to the unrighteous and unmasonic exclusion of the Hebrews . We shall hope that the German Grand Lodges may see their way to make their Masonry , as with us , Universal . During the last twelve months English Masonry has progressed in the most wondrous manner .

Indeed , we must all of us somewhat fear , that in the creation of new lodges , and the . admission of too many candidates we are somewhat overdoing it , and shall one day have to pay the penalty . We have raised in 1877 the largest sum ever given for our charities , but ifc is clear that if we

progress in numbers at the rate we do , either we must increase our Metropolitan Charities , or set up provincial " Succursales , '' to use a French word , in fact , subsidiary institutions . We leave English Freemasonry on the whole in a very satisfactory

state , and we bid farewell to 1877 , anc * we 1 °° ^ forward to 1878 with legitimate pride in our Order , and with every confidence in the onward and peaceful career of our good old Craft . We wish that we could say the same for foreign Freemasonry . We fear that a cloud is ' drawing

over it , which may one day burst and do severe damage to our Order . The unwise proceedings in France , foolishly copied in Belgium , have greatly agitated continental Freemasonry , and have lig hteda torch and thrown downa stumbling block , which seem to point to burning questions

and serious obstacles . If any other Grand Lodges seriously support the revolutionary aims and acts of the Grand Orient of France , we fear that we shall witness much confusion and disorder in Foreign Freemasonry . Under the specious cry of toleration , some are hastily

clamouring and lauding a great unwholesome " coup de change . " If the example of the French Grand Orient is followed , we think that the future of continental Freemasonry is likely to be very gloomy . Indeed , such Godless teaching and unwise proceedings can only end in the downfall

of Freemasonry . " Mole ruit sua . Ihere are , it would seem , ninety-five governing bodies in the world , and five independent lodges in Germany . This is an immense ovganization representing a large membership , though not so large as some writers unwisely put it . We should say according

to the best calculations , that the number of Masons in the world may be approximately stated at 300 , 000 . Is it too much to hope or to expect that this great body of Masons in the world will carefully adhere to our ancient landmarks , and avoid , with one consent , revolutionary

changes and irrelig ious theories ? The progress of the Craft in Canada and the United States is most wonderful . There is in that enormous continent a brotherhood of 700 , 000 Masons zealously upholding the tenets and working out the principles of true Freemasonry . We

have not thought it needful to go here into detail on these matters , as the repetition of an " oft told tale" is apt to be very tedious to our readers . We might protract these columns and weary our kind friends by a reproduction of many events in continental and transatlantic Masonry

but we confess that we cannot see the use of such a pre-Raphaelite sketch of a history well known to many . There are some little minds which never can be satisfied unless they have a meaningless repetition of dates , which are valueless , and facts which are without importance . We ,

therefore , always lean to a via media , and abhoring " pompous preludes , " and avoiding monotonous imbecility , seek to lay before our good friends all , a short and sufficient resume of our Masonic work in 1 -77-1877 has seen many attacks , and not a few

maledictions on our venerable brotherhood ; but they all have fallen happily , harmlessly on our devoted heads . We heed them not , nor are we alarmed by menace or discomforted by anathema . On the contrary , we gain strength by all such puerile attempts at intimidation or censure , and we march on , our good old banner over our

heads , borne aloft by stalwart arms and faithful hearts , the banner , let us remember always , of a religious , a loyal , a beneficent and a united Order , which bids defiance to every foe who seeks to bar its way or stop its progress . May all of good in the wise providence of T . G . A . O . T . U . attend our Universal Order in 1878 . So mote it be ! Before we announce our general obituary for

1877.

1877 , we wish once more to express our sense of the loss entailed by the Craft , in the prema ture removal from amongst us of our lamented Bro . the late Earl of Shrewsbury . His zeal and worth as a Mason will be acknowlsdged by all , while his geniality and kindly heart endeared him ,

not only to his province and the Craft , but to a large circle of attached friends , by whom he has been sincerely mourned , and by whom he will long remain a much " missed man . " We have had to record during the last twelvemonths the lamented decease of Bros .

Williams , W . H . Francis , J . Gundry , R . W . Prov . G . M . of Dorsetshire , W . Lane , W . R . Baker , Henry Matthews , Sir Donald Maclean , Rev . R . J . M . Vaughan , Quarter-Master Moon , Montague Scott , the Right Hon . Earl of Shrewsbury , Major Hamilton Ramsay , F . Pattison ,

Frank G . Gouley , F . Ellen , G . A . Bond , Lieut-Col . Pilsworth , C . J . Vigne , H . Newman , John Emmens , the Rt . Hon . G . Ward Hunt , Rev . H . V . Palmer , Moore , Beatty , W . Kibble , Rev . W . Lake Onslow , G . C , J . Thornton , R .

f . Spiers , Dr . Whittle , Edward Harris , Superintendent James Mott , G . W . Wheeler , James Goodall , W . Puishon , Rev . W . Beeby , R . Dodson , J . S . Pullen , J . Redfern , M . Thomas , J , Thornton , W . Myatt , and W . P . Leleiohoku

The Closing Year.

THE CLOSING YEAR .

Before we meet our readers again , 1877 will have passed away , and 1878 will be with us ? And though we keep back our special remarks on this subject until we are in 1878 , we think it right to point out that this season of the year , while a happy period of rejoicing and domestic

reunion , is not merely to be kept as a purely earthly rejoicing time , or degenerate into untoward Saturnalia . We want a little more at this time of the year than the mere love of the good things of this world . We live in an age of much brass and more hypocrisy . We have the " high

moral line ' and " extempore falutin " crammed down our throats " usque ad nauseam " by the Pecksniffs and Joseph Surfaces of the hour . Humbug and cant and "bottled moonshine " seem to be in high public favour just at this moment , and we make speeches and offer

sentiments which do not represent our real principles , and are as unreal and deceptive as anything well can be . Hence we must not be surprised when we meet with day by day , abounding proofs of the hollowness of profession , of the insincerity of life .

There are a great many would-be teachers of this or that , who like to hold forth , to hear themselves talk , and , as they think , to improve the occasion . They never , poor souls , can travel out of their own narrow , very narrow grooves , and so they lay down for us laws of morality ,

which are a ridiculous parody on all things true and sacred , and they indulge in flights of personality which are as undesirable as they are ludicrous . In the very midst of a mission of peace , of a Christmas sermonette , comes the barbed arrow and the unseemlv taunt , and the

reader , wearied with much petty meaningless malice , and ashamed of much unmasonic feeling , turns away disgustedly from words which are a discredit to the head and heart of the senile or juvenile writer . We want , we venture to say and to think , a little more charity—a little more

brotherly feeling amongst us . Didactic essays are very fine and magnificent , profession is very beautiful , but we should like , we confess , practice rather than profession , acts rather than words . What is the use of talking of brotherly love , when we only seek how to wound another

person ' s feelings ? Where is the good of boasting of Christmas rejoicing , when we make a fellow creature uncomfortable by unkind words or pitiable personalities ? So let us look matters clearly in the face , and let us get rid of fustian and frivolity , of peevishness and personality . The world is a very good world on

the whole , despi . te man ' s " bassesse , " if only we will use it and not abuse it . Let us therefore clear our brains of the " shoddy" which seems to fill them , and emancipate our minds from those hateful prejudices and those petty animosities which disgrace us as men , and discredit us as Masons . With the closing year let us rise above the conventional meanness and littleness of hu-