The Grand Lodge Of Nova Scotia.

THE GRAND LODGE OF NOVA SCOTIA .

The proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia at its annual communication in June of last year , as recorded in the very ample report with which we have been favoured , appear to have been of a more than usually interesting character , and it is evident , both from the Grand Master's

address which was delivered at the meeting , and the ' various Reports submitted by the different Executive Officers and Committees , that in this part of the Dominion the Craft is established on a sure and certain basis . It is by no means strong , either as regards the number of lodges on its roll or their aggregate membership . There are nominally 80 of the former , but the

number in full working order is 63 , and these amongst them are able to boast of an aggregate membership of 3223 , or slightly more than an average of 51 subscribing members per lodge . But the Grand Master in his address was by no means indiscriminate in the praise he bestowed upon the private lodges . The whole body has prospered , and there is every likelihood of its

prosperity being continued , but of the constituent parts of this body there were several in which he deplored—and we may be sure he did so not without cause—the lack of life and animation " which had charaterised their proceedings for some time past . " The progress and growth in some lodges , " said the G . Master , " is very marked , which may in a great measure be attributed to

the energy and ability of the Worshipful Masters and officers , assisted by Past Masters , who are , - generally speaking , the mainstay of a lodge . The material admitted into and the work done in these progressive lodges are all that could be desired . " On the other hand , however , he feels bound to confess " that several lodges in the jurisdiction show very faint signs of life

or animation , " and he expresses it as his opinion that it will be the duty of his successor in office—the present M . W . G . Master—or in the event of his being unable to do so personally , the different District Deputy Grand Masters " to make searching inquiry as to the cause of such lukewarmness and inactivity , and if possible remove such cause , and endeavour to infuse

new life and vigour into the lodges . " The advice is sound , and we hope to hear at no distant date that it has been acted upon and borne good fruit abundantly . Many a lodge has dropped from the roll because , at the critical period of its existence , when its fortunes were on the wane , but not yet irretrievably ruined , some friendly counsellor was not at hand

to tender good advice to its remaining members , and assist them by act as well as by precept in restoring the lodge to its previous healthy condition . The Grand Treasurer's Report likewise discloses a condition of things which is creditable to our Nova Scotia brethren . The Receipts for the year , including a balance of nearly 1400

dollars brought forward from the previous account , amounted to 11 , 371 . 60 dollars , of which 5529 . 68 dollars is entered as net profits from the Masonic Fair held in 1 S 93 , for the purpose of paying off a part of the mortgage on Freemasons' Hall , Halifax . The expenditure , including 6468 . 88 dollars paid in respect of mortgage and interest , amounted to 10 , 238 . 88 dollars ,

the balance remaining in hand at the close of the account being just a trifle short of 1133 dollars . Here , again , we take the opportunity of congratulating the brethren in the jurisdiction on the very large measure of success which attended their labours during the year that ended in June , 1894 , but more especially upon the

marked success of the Fair at Halifax , which resulted in so large a profit and has enabled them to reduce the mortgage on their Hall by 6000 dollars , and the interest on the amount still unpaid from 6 to 5 per centum . There is just one other point to which we deem it right to call attention . The Grand Secretary , in his Report , mentions that there are received regularly at his

office a number of Masonic periodicals such as the Voice of Masonry , the Masonic Journal , the Australasian Keystone , the South Australian Freemason , & c , & c , and he suggests that " it would be a move in the right direction if lodges would subscribe for one or other of those very interesting and instructive monthlies , and have it

read and discussed during evenings when no active work was before the lodge . " "The suggestion , " which has the merit of novelty , is one we have no hesitation in endorsing , and for obvious reasons . It would be better for the Craft generally if Masonic periodical literature were more generously encouraged . A knowledge of what is passing both in other jurisdictions and

other parts of the same jurisdiction cannot be otherwise than desirable . Even the prosiest of Masonic Magazines and newspapers is valuable to the writers of Masonic history , while it stands to reason that the more this branch of Masonic literature is patronised , the more it becomes the duty of

those who are responsible for its publication to ensure that the contents shall be as * ' interesting and instructive " as possible . Be it added , that Bro . W . F . Mac Coy , Q . C , of Halifax , is the present M . W . Grand Master , and Bro . William Ross , of the same city , Grand Secretary .

Mark Masonry In West Yorkshire.

MARK MASONRY IN WEST YORKSHIRE .

ADVANCEMENT OF THE RIGHT HON . W . LAWIES JACKSON , M . P . Under the rule of Bro . Charles Letch Mason , Provincial Grand Master , the Mark Degree has , tor some years , been making steady progress in West Yorkshire . On Saturday , the 23 rd inst ., it received further impulse by the admission of the Provincial Grand Master of the Craft . Bro . W . L . Jackson , who , as our readers will remember , succeeded Bro . Tew in that

responsible office , has from the time he assumed the sceptre , shown the liveliest interest and consideration for all that concerns Freemasonry ; and , having expressed a desire to join the Mark Degree , was proposed in the Copley Lodge , No . m , Leeds . His advancement was looked forward to by the brethren with great satisfaction , and a very large , influential , and

Mark Masonry In West Yorkshire.

representative gathering assembled to witness it . There are 12 Mark lodges in West Yorkshire , members from every one of which came together to offer a welcome to Bro . J ackson on his entry into the Order . In the unfortunate absence of Bro . Thomas Myers , W . M ., Prov . G . O . , who was unable through illness to be present , the chair was taken and the lodge

opened by Bro . Tom Tomlinson , I . P . M . He was assisted by Bros . Thomas Thorpe , S . W . ; A . G . Mabin , as J . W . ; J . Ripley , M . O . ; James Wood Blackburn , S . O . ; Alfred Dougill , J . O . ; the Rev . Manley Power , M . A ., Precentor of the Leeds Parish Church , P . P . G . Chap . Berks and Oxon , as Chap . ; Geo . Suddick , Sec ; J . Basil Mays , J . W ., as S . D . ; Geo . Hainsworth , as J . D . ; and T . G . Howell , J . W . 137 , as I . G .

There was a large muster of brethren , amongst whom were : Bros . R . V . Allison , P . M ., P . P . G . W . ; W . Flockton , P . M ., P . P . G . O . ; and H . Bonsor , in ; F . D . Harrison , W . M . Old York Lodge ; John E . Craven , P . M . 14 , P . P . G . O . ; George Wragg , W . M ., H . J . Garnett , P . M ., P . P . G . W ., P . G . D . of Eng ., F . Cleeves , P . M ., P . P . G . W .,

P . G . Std . Br . of Eng ., and M . J . Dodworth , I . P . M ., all of 53 ; H . S . Holdsworth , P . M . 58 , P . P . G . W ., P . G . Std . Br . of Eng . ; Charles Woollens , P . M ., Prov . J . G . W ., Herbert G . E . Green , P . M ., Prov . G . Treas ., Joseph Matthewman , S . W ., Prov . G . Sec , and G . H . Parke , P . M ., P . P . G . W . Lanes ., P . P . G . D ., of no ; Charles Lingard , W . M . 127

J . F . Dyson , I . P . M ., and W . E . Smithies , P . M ., Prov . S . G . W ., 137 ; J . B . Parkin , W . M ., and Dr . Samuel J acob , P . M ., P . P . G . Std . Br ., 352 ; G . H . demons , W . M ., W . W . Clayton , P . M ., W . Postlethwaite , J . W ., and J . W . Smith , Sec , of 374 ; S . Pegler , W . M ., and W . Langbridge , P . M ., P . P . G . Reg ., 398 ; and G . F . Carr , P . M ., P . P . G . Treas ., 457 .

There were many apologies for non-attendance , amongst others from Bros , the Rev . T . C . Smythe , D . D ., P . P . D . G . M ., P . G . Chap , of Eng . ; W . S . Blackburn , P . M . 374 , Prov . G . Reg . ; and Thos . Myers , W . M . 111 , Prov . G . O . Bro . Charles Letch Mason , P . M ., Prov . Grand Master , accompanied by

Bro . John Barker , P . M . 137 , P . G . I . of W . of Bng ., Dep . Prov . Grand Master , and escorted by the Prov . Grand Officers already named , entered the lodge and assumed the chair . The ballot was at once taken , and being favourable , the candidate , Bro . W . L . Jackson , entered , attended by the Deacons and was advanced to the Degree of Mark Master Mason . The

ceremony was performed by the Prov . Grand Master , Bro . C . Letch Mason , who was most ably assisted by his Deputy , Bro . John Barker . It was a striking and impressive scene , one to be long remembered by all who witnessed it , every detail being carefully attended to and conscientiously rendered . The historical lecture was obliged to be omitted as the time was brief .

In rising to close the lodge , Bro . MASON expressed the pleasure he had experienced in admitting Bro . Jackson into the Order of Mark Masons . He assured him that in addition to the heartiest of welcomes which he himself personally offered , that of the brethren generally was equally sincere . When he told him that many of those present had travelled long distances

in order to take part in that meeting , and that there were representatives of every lodge in the province before him , he could not but feel that his joining their Order had given great satisfaction and pleasure to the Mark Masons of the province . Loyally attached to him as they all were in his capacity as head of the Craft in West Yorkshire , they felt that day that there was an

additional tie between them , and that they had bound themselves more closely to him in Masonic sympathy and attachment . On the other hand when he informed the brethren that under great pressure of Parliamentary and other business Bro . Jackson had found time to come amongst them , and

had in fact journeyed from London on purpose , returning at half-past five that afternoon , they must perceive how great an interest their newlyadvanced brother had taken in their Order , and how willing he was even at great trouble and inconvenience to be admitted amongst them .

After the lodge was closed , dinner was served , of which upwards of 40 brethren partook . After the loyal and Masonic toasts , Bro . MASON , in proposing " The Health of Bro . Jackson , " made some interesting observations bearing upon the allegorical character of the Mark

Degree . He showed how the progress of the candidate in the various stages of his advancement was closely emblematic of the varied and sometimes disappointing results which are obtained during man ' s course of life , and pointed out that even if failure attend honest effort , yet if that effort is sincere its recognition must at one time or another be attained .

Bro . J ACKSON , in reply , thanked the brethren for the honour they had conferred upon him by admitting him to membership in their Order . He was , he said , a man with many calls upon his time , one for whom there was , he was afraid , but little leisure , yet it had given him great pleasure to be able to get away from business that afternoon , and especially when he found

himself welcomed so cordially . There was little , he feared , he would be able to do in the interest of the Order , but if any effort of his could tend in any small degree to its advancement that effort he would freely extend . Following up Bro . Mason ' s remarks , Bro . Jackson said that though life , perhaps , was not without its disappointments or even its failures , yet should

we not despond , but honestly and to the utmost of our ability discharge such duties as lay to our hands , not caring too much for the future , but faithfully and courageously meeting the difficulties which , day by day , might be presented to us . Only thus could our lives be useful , and therefore happy i only by thorough consistent determination to do our best could we look for the satisfaction which good work invariably brings .

To the toast of " The Visitors , " Bro . F . D . HARRISON , W . M . Old York Lodge , Bradford , replied . Bro . H . J . Garnett , P . M . 53 , and Bro . Frederick Cleeves , P . M . of the same lodge , gave some excellent recitations , whilst the musical portions of