Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS 621 Supreme Grand Chapter 621 Provincial Grand Lodge of Devonshire ... 621 Provincial Grand Lodge of West Lancashire C 22 Provincial Grand Lodge of Leicestershire

and Rutland 623 Provincial Grand Chapter of Devonshire ... 624 Provincial Grand Chapter of West Lancashire 624 Provincial Grand Mark Lodge of Kent ... 624 Notes and Queries 626

REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINOSCraft Masonry 627 Instruction 629 Royal Arch 630 Instruction 630

Mark Masonry 630 Ancient and Accepted Rite 630 Board of Benevolence 630 Obituary 631 Masonic and General Tidings 631 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 632

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IT is officially announced that the list of contributions to the testimonial proposed to be given to Miss DAVIS , in recognition of her valuable services , as Head Governess , during the last twenty-five years , of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , will be closed on the 15 th prox . We have 110 doubt

the results will be in all respects satisfactory , and that the testimonial , when complete , will be worthy alike of Miss DAVIS ' S acceptance , and the Craft ' s bestowal . But it is just as well to give prominence to this announcement , as there are , probably , brethren who would be much aggrieved if their amounts did not arrive in time to be included in the ge neral total .

* # « THE Mark Grand Lodge appears bent on following the same line of conduct , in respect of its Grand Treasurership , as the Craft Grand Lodge , by annually electing a fresh man to the office , instead of , as heretofore ,

reelecting the same man annually . At all events , there are already two candidates in the field , who will be nominated at the winter half-yearly communication on Tuesday , . the 30 th November , namely , Bro . J . L . MATHER , Vice-President of the Board of General Purposes , and

Bro . EDGAR BOWYER , a Past G . Std . Br . ( Craft ) of England . Both are good men , and both have had large experience in the conduct of Masonic affairs , Bro . MATHER being already a member of the General Board of the Mark Degree . It has been even whispered that Bro . CAMA , the present

Craft Grand Treasurer of England , may allow his name to be put forward . But , be this as it may , we know there are the two candidates we have mentioned in the field , and if the contest lies between them ultimately , we have

no doubt if will be a close one , for both these brethren are calculated to confer honour by their election to such an office , though it is , of course , impossible that both of them can be elected for service in one and the same year .

* # * BRO . BURDETT-COUTTS , M . P ., spoke to very good purpose the other day at the meeting of the Abbey Lodge , Westminster , when he insisted on the importance of accurate working in our lodge ceremonies , and brethren who

aspire to be lodge rulers will do well to take his advice to heart . A Master is paying a very poor compliment to the lodge which has elected him to its chair , when he performs his duties in a slovenly and perfunctory manner , or when , in absolute ignorance of the most important of those duties , he is

obliged to call upon some brother to perform them for him . We are not all gifted with the same power of committing things to memory , and one man may succeed in knowing his part more perfectly than another , just as of two whose knowledge is about equal , one may be able to carry it out more

impressively than the other . But it is well known there are many brethren among us who are incompetent to work either of the Three Degrees or even to open or close the lodge without some one being at hand to help them through the task , Yet they are elected W . M . 's , and at the close of their

term of office are presented with the usual jewel in recognition of their valuable services . It is quite possible , of course , that they may have rendered such services , but they have also done the lodge the disservice of setting to the members an example of laxity in work which cannot be otherwise than

prejudicial . If a brother intends offering himself as candidate for any office , let him follow the example of Bro . BURDETT-C OUTTS , and obtain a knowledge of the duties that he will be called upon to perform . If he cannot

make up his mind to undertake this small amount of trouble , then let him stand aside for others who , while they regard office as an honour that is worth aspiring to , are not unwilling to discharge its duties in a creditable or Passable manner .

Supreme Grand Chapter.

SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER .

The minutes of the last Quarterly Convocation to be read for confir * mation . THE REPORT or THE COMMITTEE OF GENERAL PURPOSES . To the Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of England ,

1 he Committee of General Purposes beg to report that they have ex * amined the accounts from the 21 st July , to the 19 th October , 1886 , both inclusive , which they find to be as follows : To Balance , Grand Chapter £ 109 S 11 By Disbursements during the

„ „ Unappropriated Quarter £ 231 1 3 Account ... 191 3 4 „ Balance 138 10 3 „ Subsequent Receipts ... 263 So ,, „ Unappropriated Account ... 194 S 4 £ 564 o 3 £ 564 o 3

which balances are in the Bank of England , Western Branch . The Committee have likewise to report that they have received the following petitions : 1 st . From Comps . Francis Alfred White , as Z . ; Henry Mason , as H . ; the Rev . Thomas Cochrane , P . G . Std . Br ., as J . ; and six others for a chapter to be attached to the Liberty of Havering Lodge , No . I 437 » Romford , to be called the Liberty of Havering Chapter , and to meet at the Golden

Lion Hotel , Romford , in the county of Essex . 2 nd . From Comps . Sir William J . Clarke , Bart ., District Grand Master of Victoria , as Z . ; Thomas Henry Taaffe , as H . ; William Frederick Dixon , as J ; and nine others for a chapter be attached to the Melbourne Lodge , No . 747 , Melbourne , to be called the Melbourne Chapter , and to meet at Melbourne , in the District of Victoria , Australia .

3 rd . From Comps . John Edward Wordsworth , as Z . ; Frederick Cleeves , as H . ; James J enkin , as j . ; and six others for a chapter to be attached to the Phcenix Lodge , No . 904 , Rotherham , to be called the Phcenix Chapter , and to meet at the Ship Hotel , Rotherham , in the County of York ( Western Division . )

4 th . From Comps . the Right Hon . James Ludovic , Earl of Crawford , as Z . ; Maskell William Peace , as H . ; Richard Atherton Ffarington , as J . ; and nine others for a chapter to be attached to the Lindsay Lodge , No . J 335 > Wigan , to be called the Lindsay Chapter , and to meet at the Masonic Hall , King-street , Wigan , in the county of Lancashire ( Western Division ) . The foregoing petitions being in all respects regular , the Committee re- » commend that the prayers thereof be respectively granted .

remove to the Masonic Hall , Abbey-road , Barrow-in-Furness . The Committee being satisfied of the reasonableness of the requestSj recommend that the removal of these chapters be sanctioned . ( Signed ) ROBERT GREY , President , Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C , 20 th October , 1886 .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Devonshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF DEVONSHIRE .

WEDDING GIFT TO LORD EBRINGTON .

The Provincial Grand Lodge of Devonshire held its annual meeting on the 20 th inst ., in the Town Hall , Devonport , under the banner of Friendship , the oldest lodge in the borough . The meeting was very largely attended , about 500 brethren from all parts of the province being present . The R . W . Prov . G . M ., Viscount Ebrington , presided , and was supported by Bros . Rogers , D . P . G . M . ; Brewer , Secretary ; John Dodge , Treasurer ; the Rev . W . Whittley , of London ; Gover , Frederick Binckes , P . G . Stwd .

of Eng . j and W . J . Hughan , of Torquay , Past G . S . D . Bro . W . Derry was in his place as P . G . S . W ., and nearly all the other officers of Prov . Grand Lodge were present . Among the brethren signing the book were the following Past Provincial Officers : — Bros . I . Moysey , 70 and 223 , P . P . G . A . D . C ; R . H . Rae , 189 , P . P . G . D . ; E . T . FulforcT , 1254 , P . P . G . Treas . ; F . Palk , 1358 . P . P . G . P . ; J . Bradford , 135 S and 357 , P . P . G . S . B . Oxon ., and P . P . G . C . Berks and Bucks ; I . Du Pre . 7 ± . P . P . G . D . C . ; S .

lew , 105 , 1205 , and 18 47 , P . P . G . C ; E . J . Knight , 202 , P . P . G . P . ; J . Lynn , P . P . G . S . B . ; W . Foxwell , 10 7 , P . P . G . J . D . ; W . Bradnee , 1402 , P . P . G . S . D . ; J . B . Brice , 202 , P . P . G . S . B . ; J . Rendle , 1247 , P . P . G . S . B . ; W . B . Maye , P . P . G . D . C . j W . Vicary , P . P . G . K . ; A . Bodley , P . P . G . D . C . ; R . Pengilly , 70 , P . P . G . A . D . C . ; T . Goodall , 954 and 1550 , P . P . G . O . ; W . H . Gillman , 1009 , P . P . G . A . D . C ; H . F .

Smith , 954 , P . P . G . S . W . ; T . B . Patterson , 1125 , P . P . G . S . of Wks . ; I' \ T . Browninir , 105 , P . P . G . Treas . ; G . Whittley , 156 . P . P . G . O . ; G . Townsend Warner , 138 , P . P . G . C . ; J G . Bake , 372 , P . P . G . S . D . Cornwall ; VV . E . Warren , 135 S , P . P . G . O . ; J . W . Cornish , 223 , P . P . G . Treas . ; F . Hooper , 1212 and 2025 , P . P . G . IXC ; H . Welch , 202 , P . P . G . P . ; J . Ripon , 1212 , P . P . G . S . B . ; T . S . Bayly , 1 S 9 , P . P . G . Treas . ; C . H . Cooper , 105 , P . P . G . J . D . ; J . P . Phillips , 223 , P . P . G . D . C ; and H . J . HearJe , 156 , P . P . G . A . D . C .

The SECRETARY reported the number of members in the province to be 2604 , against 2564 , showing an increase of 40 on the year . Lodges 70 , 250 , and 954 had each subscribed ten guineas , which , by the regulations , had to be supplemented by equal sums from the Prov . Grand Lodge Funds , in order to entitle those lodges to become Life Governors of the Charities . Lodges 70 and 250 were , by seniority , entitled to the grants , and 954 would have to wait for awhile ,