Contents.

CONTENTS .

Freemasonry in 1888 739 Occurrences of the Year 564 CORRESPONDENCE" Bro , Woodward's Motions" 767 Notes and Queries 767

> , —~ ¦* " - ^ , / uy REPORTS OF MASONIC MIITINQS — Craft Masonry 767 Instruction , 769 Royal Arch 770

Contents.

REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGS ( Continued)—Instruction 77 c Mark Masonry 770 Knights Templar 770 Ancient and Accepted Rite 770

Funeral of Bro . E . Tyrrd-Leith , P . D . G . M . Bombay 770 Theatres 770 Masonic and General Tidings 771 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 772

Freemasonry In 1888.

FREEMASONRY IN 1888.

It is almost inevitable that there should be a certain degree of monotony in describing from year to year the proceedings of a Society which has been established for a great length of time , which , in the progress of its career , has attained a high degree of prosperity , and which rarely , if ever , encounters any serious obstacle to a regular and even continuance of that prosperity . This , at all events , is the result of our experience after a long

series of annual reviews of Freemasonry and its doings under the various British Constitutions , the only substantial difference in these reviews being in the measure of prosperity which it has been our privilege to record . The enthusiasm that was aroused by the installation of the Prince of Wales in 1875 was followed by a calm which extended over several years , but during the whole of that period the Society was acquiring fresh strength—new lodges

and chapters were being constituted , new associations for the relief of Masonic distress were being established , and new centres of influence created in countries which had previously known but little of the principles of our Society . Then came the year of the Queen ' s Jubilee , and the Masonic enthusiasm of 1875 was renewed in the same magnificent Hall , under circumstances which redounded equally to the credit of the Fraternity . And

then—still more wonderful to relate !—when the public admiration excited by this second gathering had barely had time to cool , the same Royal Albert Hall was the scene of a third , and still greater triumph , and the Centenary Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls was celebrated with a splendour and success which have never been equalled , much less surpassed , at the celebration of any other anniversary of a similar character .

What the future may have in store for us it would be rash to speculate , but after a succession of such remarkable events we imagine it would surprise no one if , in the course of the next few years , alter a brief period of comparative repose , another and still more remarkable success should be in store for us . However , as we have said already , anything in the way of an attempt to forecast the future is unwise and inexpedient . We have shown

that for a number of years Freemasonry has gone on progressing marvellously , the even tenour of its course being every now and then broken , not by any serious diminution of strength or influence , but by additions to our prestige , which even the most sanguine of our friends and well-wishers can hardly have anticipated . But we will not dwell further on matters with

which our friends are already familiar . Our object is to describe the principal events of the year which has now virtually ended , and any changes that may have been made in the constitution of our Society or in the relations to each other of its several component parts ; and to this object we shall address ourselves without further preface .

CRAI ' MASONRY . In our review of Freemasonry during the year 1887 , we noted that according to the list of lodges , as published in our Cosmopolitan Masonic Calendar , " Lodge No . 2235 was the last en the roll of United Grand Lodge . We gather from the new list which appears in the same Calendar for 1888 that in the twelve months which have since elapsed the Grand

Master has granted Warrants for the Constitution of 56 additional lodges , the highest mumber on the roll being the Fairfield Lodge , No . 2290 , Fairfield , located in the Province of West Lancashire . Of these 56 additional lodges , London is in a position to claim eight , namely , the Cordwainer Ward , Tyssen-Amherst , and Argonauts—Nos . 22 4 , 22 4 , and 2243 respectively—the Chough , Barnato , and Cator—Nos .

2264 , 2265 , and 2266 respectively—and the St . Pancras and Rye Lodges —Nos . 2271 and 2272 . But though these have been all started under exceedingly favourable auspices , and appear to have a long and prosperous future before them , there is not included amongst them one that seems likel y to attain to such a position of eminence as the Empire and Anglo-American Lodges , or the Drury Lane and Savage Club Lodges . The

establishment of lodges of the character of these latter appears to have been a necessity , their popularity and efficiency , as well as the marvellous success they have achieved in their several spheres of labour , fully justifying the issue of their warrants , but the former are mostly intended to meet local , rather than general requirements , and though we are satisfied they will do all that is expected of them , we must not look to their achieving

more than they were originally intended to fulfil . The new Provincial Lodges are 22 in number , West Yorkshire having added four to its roll—Nos . 2259 , 2261 , 2263 , and 2268 , of which the lasttwoare located in Sheffield ; West Lancashire three , namely , Nos . 226 9 , 228 9 , and 2290 ; Berks and Bucks two—the Cowper and Newton , No . 2244 , and the Dagmar , No .

2262 ; and Essex two—the Philbrick , No . 2255 , and the Warner , No . 2256 , both located at Chingford ; while the following have been each of « iem strengthened by a single lodge , namely , Norfolk—the Earl of Leicester , No . 2237 , Wells ; Herefordshire—the Arrow , No . 2240 , Kington ; Surrey - -the Cyclist , No . 2246 , East Molesey ; Devonshire—the Western District United Service , No . 2258 , East Stonehouse ; Northumberland—the Ridley ,

Freemasonry In 1888.

No . 2260 , Newcastle , so named after its respected Prov . Grand Master ; Bristol—the Powell , No . 2257 , named after the Deputy P . G . Master ; East Lancashire—The Thornham , No . 2279 , Thornham ; Northants and Hunts —the Euston , No . 2283 , St . Neots , thus named in honour of Bro . the Earl of Euston , Prov . G . M . ; Herts—the Kingswood , No . 2279 , Elstree ; Lincolnshire—the Smyth , No . 2284 , Grimsby , after Major . Smyth , Prov . G . M . ;

and Cumberland and Westmorland—the Eden , No . 2285 , Workington . The remaining 26 lodges are located in the Colonies or Dependencies of the British Crown , the great Australasian Colonies being in a position to claim no less than 17 out of the number , that is to say , Victoria , seven ; New South Wales and Queensland four each ; and West Australia two . New Zealand has obtained three new lodges ; India two , one having been

added to the Dist . u . Lodge of Bengal , and the other to that of Bombay ; the East Division of South Africa one ; and the Fiji Islands , Barbados in the West Indies , and Cyprus one each , the St . Paul's Lodge , No . 2277 , Limassol , being the first that , so far as we know , has ever been established in the last-named island . From these 26 lodges abroad , we must deduct the four in New South Wales , that colony having just set up for itself an

independent United Grand Lodge of its own ; and , in all probability , there will shortly be a further reduction from our roll of the seven Victoria lodges . The latest news from that colony is calculated to induce the belief that it has followed the example of New South Wales , and established a United Grand Lodge of its own , under Bro . Sir W . J . Clarke , Bart ., as M . W . G . Master . If so , the lodges which have been warranted by our Grand

Master during the year 1888 will not be able to boast of any lengthened connection with the United G . Lodge of England , any distinction they may consider themselves entitled to claim from their English connection being on the score of their warrants having been the latest issued for the Colonies of New South Wales and Victoria while they were yet part and parcel of the English section of the Fraternity . However , the circumstances will be

more fully described in their proper place , under the head of Colonial Masonry ; but it may be as well to point out that , as the Grand Lodge of New South Wales has been already established and recognised by us , and as there is every reason to anticipate that , if or when an independent G . Lodge is set up in Victoria , we shall adopt a precisely similar course

and recognise it as fully as we have the sister G . Lodge in the neighbouring colony , the lodges on the roll of the G . Lodge of England will be diminished by the 82 in New South Wales and 103 in Victoria , or , at all events , by all but a very small minority of them ; so that , though the enumeration of our lodges may remain unaltered , the number actually on the roll will not exceed about 1900 .

As regards the proceedings of Grand Lodge , we note that , at the Quarterly Communication in March , on the motion of Bro . the Earl of Lathom , Dep . G . Master , who presided , seconded by Bro . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., Prov . G . Master of Hants and the Isle of Wight , a resolution of sympathy was unanimously passed with his Imperial Hi ghness Frederick , Crown Prince of Germany , and Deputy Protector of

Freemasons in that country , in the terrible illness from which he was suffering , and which , a few months later , terminated fatally . Subsequently , the Prince of Wales was unanimously re-elected Grand Master , while Bro . Asher Barfield , who obtained a vast majority of votes over his rival , Bro . S . B . Wilson , became Grand Treasurer elect for the ensuing year . Three days after this meeting a deputation from Grand Lodge , headed by

Bro . the Earl of Lathom , waited upon their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales at Marlborough House , and presented to her Royal Highness a diamond butterfly , as the gift from Grand Lodge on the occasion of her "Silver Wedding " with his Royal Highness the Grand Master , the gift being most graciously acknowledged , on her behalf , by the Prince . In June , the chair was occupied by the Earl of Carnarvon , Pro G . M ., who ,

a short time previously , had returned from his visit to the Australian Colonies , and who was greeted with hearty cheers as he entered and was conducted to the throne . It was then announced that his Royal Highness had personally presented the address of sympathy , already referred to , to his Imperial Highness the Crown Prince , who , by the lamented death of his father , the venerable Emperor William of Germany , had himself become

Emperor , and that he had further taken upon himself to address , on behalf of Grand Lodge , a letter of condolence to the new Emperor on the death of his aged and august predecessor . This letter and the reply it evoked from the Emperor Frederick were read in open lodge amid the sympathetic applause of the brethren present . A further communication from the Grand Master was also read , to the effect that his Royal Highness was desirous

that Grand Lodge should reciprocate the kindness shown to himself by the King of Sweden—who happened to be on a visit to this country at the time , and who in the year 1868 had assisted the late King in introducing him into Freemasonry . TheG . Master , therefore , recommended that his Majesty should have the rank of Past Grand Master of England conferred upon him ; and a motion to this effect having been proposed and seconded , was at once carried

by . acclamation . The Pro Grand Master likewise stated that the Grand Master had been pleased to accept the position of Grand Patron of the Grand Lodge of South Australia , in accordance with the expressed wish of that body as officially conveyed to his Royal Highness , and he further intimated that steps were being taken by the brethren of the various Constitutions in New South Wales to bring the lodges in the Colony under ths banner of a United Grand Lodge , and by so doing to put an end once and for ever to

the discord which had for so many years and so largely prevailed amongst them . At the same meeting a resolution was unanimously agreed to , " emphatically condemning" any entertainment or other inducement being "given to influence brethren by any candidate for office in Grand Lodge . " In September , there was , as usual , but little business except what was of a formal character to engage the attention of Grand Lodge , though the