Craft Masonry.

Craft Masonry .

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METROPOLITAN MEETINGS Merchant Navy Lodge ( No . 7 81 . )—The final meeting of the year of this lodge was held on the 13 th inst ., at the Silver Tavern , Burdett-road , Bro . W . E . Turriff , W . M ., presiding . He . was supported by Bros F . R . H . Gooch , I . P . M . ; F . Robinson , P . M . ; Alfred Shepherd , P . M . j R . C . Pasfield , P . M-. '; J . H . Pringle , P . M . ; G . I . Anderson , S . W . : G . Seage , LW . j T . B . Daniell ,

P . M ., Treas . ; C . Breden , P . M ., Sec . ; T . D . Burgess , S . D . ; J . VV . Lancett , J . D . ; A . Bebrouth , I . G . j J . Grout , Org . ; A . Ellingford , Tyler ; J . J . Sutton , C . S . Nelson . T . H . EUiott . H . V Jacobs . C . ] . Carr , " l . McLean-Carvell . T . Huett , jun ., VV . ti . Thrift , W . H . Mitchell , jun ., F . W . Kendall , C . F . Hughes , G . E . Morrow , K . T . Knight , A . J . Matthews , I . T . W . Chapman , D . G . Thompson , T . Howells , H . C . Halford , C . Badcock , F . C . Richards , T . C . Cooper , J . A .

Mills , and others . Vistors : Bros . J . A . Stebbins and J . Hatfield , 2374 ; T . Warner , 1279 ; and J . Mills , 1765 . The lodge being opened , and the minutes read and confirmed , Bros . Carr , Salter , and Jacobs were raised , and Messrs . J . H . Cook and VV . Shuttleworth initiated . The usual Christmas gifts were accorded to the past recipients , and other Masonic business was transacted . Bro . J . H . Pringle , P . M ., Preceptor of the Merchant Navy Lodge of

Instruction , announced that the Fifteen Sections would be worked at the Silver Tavern on VVednesday , the 3 rd prox ., at 7 o'clock precisely , Bro . C . L . Nelson presiding , Bro . J . Lancett , acting as S . W ., and Bro . G . Seage , as J . W . It gave him great pleasure to see Bro . Nelson undertaking the duties of W . M . on the occasion . He could say it was the first time he had seen a brother of two years' standing able lo take such a position . Bro . C . L . Nelson reflected

credit both on the Iodge of instruction and his mother lodge . The lodge was then closed . The brethren , after adjourning to refreshment , duly honoured the various toasts , which were interspersed with harmony , to which those who were musical among them contributed , viz .: Bros . Nelson , with " The Village Blacksmith , " T . Burges , with " Sailing , " and others , Bro . Grout accompanying , until the Tyler ' s toast brought the meeting to a close .

Metropolitan Lodge ( No . 1507 ) . —This distinguished lodge met at Anderton's Hotel , Fleet-street , on the 20 th inst ., when there were present Bros . J . G . McEwan , W . M . j R . Alaway , S . VV . ; J . F . Saunders , J . W . j F . J . Perks , Secj J . Bates , J . D . j J . H . Moggridge , I . G . j VV . Barry , D . C . j Hawkins and E . G . Steers , Stwds . j G . Cuthbert Paine , Asst . Secj R . VV . Fraser , I . P . M . j W . M . Stiles , P . M . j VV . Davey , P . M . j C J . Scales ,

P . M . ; VV . F . Bates , P . M . ; T . C . Edmonds , P . M . ; J . G . Evans , G . F . Fry , H . II . Sporton , G . E . Spurr , Jno . Sargent , VV . Mitchell , J . Campbell , A . C . Bradley , J . Timberlake , C . P . Rosser , A . Cherry , R . L . Brown , jas . Carter , F . Wards , E . C . Beale . T . H . Ormiston , F . Salter , A . Jackson , W . Flint , E . P . Innocent , J . Stunner , and R . Whiting , Tyler . The visitors were Bros . S . Dancyger , P . M . 205 j W . E . Une , 1 G 7 ; E . Hill , P . M . 1227 , E .

Berry , J . W . 1321 ; A . E . Kipps , 1275 j and R . T . VVest , 1744 . The lodge was opened , and the minutes of the previous meeting having been read and confirmed , the VV . M . initiated Mr . A . Jackson . Other business being disposed of , " Hearty good wishes" were offered . The lodge was then closed , and the brethren adjourned to dinner .

The usual loyal and Masonic toasts having been duly honoured , Bro . R . W . Fraser , the I . P . M ., in giving "The Health of the W . M ., " said that he wished him everything he could wish himself . 'The VV . M ., on rising to respond , was well received . He thanked the brethren for their kind reception . He hoped to do his best in the working of the ritual to keep up the

great standard of the lodge , and , in conclusion , he wished them all thc compliments of the season . In proposing " 1 he Past Masters , " the W . M . stated that it would be impossible for any lodge to have a better band of Past Masters . He made special reference to Bro . W . M . Stiles , who had been nominated as Grand Treasurer . He was present at Grand Lodge , and the ringing cheers with which his name was received was , he thought , a good

omen . Il would be a high honour for the lodge tohave one of ils members a Grand Officer . Bro . Stiles had been 20 \ eais in Ihe Craft , and no one had worked harder for Masonry , and it would only be passing him a lilting tribute to elect him as Grand Treasurer . Bro . VV . M . Stiles , P . M ., responded and said the Worshipful Master had touched on a subject very dear to his IT ait . The reception he had on thc nomination at Grand

Lodge was one he should never forget . It was his good loitune to have a splendid Committee , who were working lheir hardest lo cany him in with a very large majority . He had loco plrdgi-d premises , but with the powerful candidates in the field he hoped his friends would not relax their efforts on his behalf . It was a great honour to him to have been nominated , and he ventured lo think that on

the night of the election , in March next , Freemasons' Hall would be fuller than ithad ever been before , lnconclusion , lie remarked that on the iSth in ? t . an enthusiastic meeting was held at that hotel , at which there were 300 present , and it was stated to that meeting that if necessary a great num . ber would come up specially from the Provinces to vote in his favour .

Bros , rraser , Scales , Davey , W . F . Bates , and Edmonds , also replied in suitable terms . The W . M . gave the toast of " The Initiate , " observing that he thought Bro . Jackson would be an honour and a great acquisition to the Metropolitan Lodge . Bro . Jackson , in reply , thanked the members for the honour they had conferred upon him by accepting him as a brother , r . nd he hoped to become a useful member of the Craft . In eloquent terms the W . M . proposed " The Visitors , " to whom he gave a hearty welcome . Appropriate responses

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were made by Bros . E . Hill , S . Dancyger , E . Berry , W . E . Lane , and R . T . West . " The Officers " having been duly honoured and suitably responded to by Bros . R . Alaway , S . W . j J . F . Saunders , J . W . j J . Bates , J . D . j and J . lH . Moggridge , I . G ., the much

latter gave a humorous speech which elicited laughter , and the Tyler ' s toast brought the happy meeting to an end . Bros . Moggridge , Cherry , Barry , Stiles , and Jackson vocally entertained the brethren , the last named rendering his song with marked effect .

Gallery Lodge ( No . 1928 ) . —The installation meeting of this lodge was held at Anderton's Hotel , Fleetstreet , on Saturday , the gth inst ., when there was a large attendance of members , including Bros . C . K . Moore , W . M . j E . Peacock , I . P . M . ; J . Manning , S . W . j C . Lock , J . W . ; J . S . Barras , Chap . ; W . M . Duckworth , P . M ., Treas . ; Thos . Minstrell , P . M ., Sec . j Percy VV .

Husk , S . D . ; Bert ; Striem , J . D . j H . Massey , P . M ., D . C ; Geo . Tarran , l . G . j G . Peachey , Org . j S . James , R . S . Masson , and Frederick Brodie , Stwds . j VV . T . Perkins , P . M . j J . J . Fretwell , Kirby , ] . H . While , Gowing , Baines , Bell , Scott , A . F . Robbins , G . H . Ribbons , Dodds , Fisher , Emmery , Lane , Drogrez , Kent , Melin-Boyle , Martin , C . B . Cooke , Saunders , and Rendle .

Among the visitors present were Bros . R . D . Burnie , P . M . 1323 J W . P . Dickinson , LP . M . 2046 J W . H . Kitson , 2395 j H . Joyce , I . P . M . 2424 '; H . S . King , P . M . 1962 j W . J . Fisher , VV . M . 2190 ; E . L . Horme , P . M . 227 j W . Chancy , 507 j J . Hurdle , P . M . 154 S ; D . Christie Murray , 2190 j VV . E . Chapman , 2190 , P . S . G . W . Bucks j T . Bello , 2100 J Richard Eve , P . G . Treas . j F . C . Maude ,

1 ( I . C ) j F . Bevan , W . M . 1706 ; James A . Brown , 22 G 4 ; Joseph Coliings , Org . 1 G 93 ; Robt . Hilton , 2000 ; Richard Tuffin , 2207 ; and E . C . . Massey , P . M . 1297 . The only business reserved for the meeting was the installation of Bro . J . C . Manning ( late S . W . ) as W . M . for the ensuing year . Bro . C . Kerr Moore , the W . M ., having opened the tadge , the VV . M . elect was presented

to receive at his hands the benefit ot installation j whereupon , after addressing the brethren as to the practice of the Order in regard ( 0 the succession of Masters , the W . M . adminstered the first obligation to the VV . M . elect , after which a Board of Installed Masters was formed , Bro . Scott being requested to occupy the Senior Warden ' s chair and Bro . VV . J . Fisher that of the Junior Warden , lhe

ceremony proceeded through all its stages , and Bro . John C . Manning was duly installed into the cnair of K . S . I he lay brethren were then re-admitted , and the new VV . M . was proclaimed and saluted in the Three D grees . Bro . Manning t en proceeded to appoint his officers , of which the following is a list : Bros . C . Lock , > . W . j P . VV . Husk , J . VV . ; VV . M . Duckworth , P . M ., Treas . ; VV . T .

Perkins , P . M ., bee . ; G . tarran , S . D . ; Bert . Stviem , J . D . ; Saml . James , I . G . ; the Rev . S . Barrass , Chap , j E . E . Peacock , P . M ., D . C . j G . Peachey and R . S . Masson , A . D . Cs . ; Krodie , Gowing , Bell , and Ribbons , Stwds . Bro . C . K . Moore , as Installing Master , then delivered the customary addrerses to the newly-installed Master , the oflicers , and the brethren , and brought the

ceremony to a conclusion with a very efficient rendering of the oration on the principles ot Masonry . The VV . M . then , in the name of the lodge , presented Bro . C . K . Moore with a handsome Past Master's jewel , which Bro . Moore acknowledged in suitable terms . The lodge was then closed , and the brethren adjourned to the banquet room .

At the conclusion of the repast , which was admirably served , the customary list of loyal and Masonic toasts was proceeded with . After the toasts of "The Queen and the Craft" and "The M . W . G . M ., the Prince of VVales , " had been duly honoured , Bro . Manning proposed the toast of "The Health of the Grand Officers , " coupled with the name of Bro . Eve ,

P . G . Treas . Bro . Eve , in reply , said that he felt it a great honour to be amongst them again . He had had the privilege of attending these meetings for some years , and he always came with renewed pleasure among ; a bod y of men who made themselves so useful to the " fourth Estate " of the realm , and who had justified the granting of their warrant by gathering together so strong a lodge in such a few years

from the date of the consecration . They had some good officers like Bro . Massey , who was so well up in Masonry that , while he was in the lodge it might be taken for granted that it was all right . Some might think that he ( Bro . Eve ) put himself too much in evidence in Grand Lodge , and he admitted that there were many there who hesitated to express views which he had thought it his duty to place before

them , and he thought an examination of the previous Wednesday ' s proceedings would show that he was not wrong . He was sorry that the Press was not more strongl y represented among the Grand Officers . Other professions had been duly recognised . The law had had plenty of consideration ; physic also ; divinity likewise ; two Grand Officers from that class being Appointed every year ; the

drama also was represented in Bro . Edward Terry ; but he had had a difficulty in finding that there was anyone really representing the Press until recently . The drama was not indebted to the Grand Mastcr , but to the Craft at large , for their representative . 'The Grand Treasurer's office was one of the most important , and , for himself , he would say that he would rather be the elect of the hundreds and

thousands of the brethren , than be the selected of one , however eminent he might be . There were some noblemen of position amongst the Grand Officers , and there were some who would scarcely deign to attend in order to receive their collars . He thought the preference should be given to those who would attend . On behalf of the Grand Ollieers , he thanked the brethren for the cordial manner in which that toast had been received .

Bro . C . K . Moore , in proposing "The W . M . ' s Health , " said that he remembered an occasion at a Gallery Ludge installation that the outgoing Master wittily compared his position to that of the outgoing Lord Mayor on the gth November , when the new Lord Mayor proceeded down Fleet-street in all the bravery of a gingerbread coach ,

preceded by bands of music and the glittering gaudiness of a civic show , while the old Lord Mayor brought up the rear unnoticed in the crowd of carriages that followed . His present position in the Gallery Lodge taught him to be meek , humble , and resigned . He was happy to be able to produce what was called the Masonic recorefof theW . M . Bro . Manning was a very old Mason ; as long ago as 18 G 3

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he . was advanced to the position of Master of the Keystone Lodge . On leaving South Wales for business purposes he was present at Bro . Manning ' s first visit to that lodge , when he was his ( Bro . Moore ' s ) guest , and he was so pleased that he begged to be proposed as a member ; and it was a matter of no ordinary pleasure and pride that it had been his lot not only to be the first brother who brough ' . their Master to the lodge , but had also bsen the Master tojinstall

him . Bro . Manning took a great interest in the lodge , even before he took office . He presented the lodge with a banner , which by some mistake was not now waving over his head . They had had plenty of English Masters , but last year they had a Scotch one , and now they had a Welsh one , and only further required an Irish Master to make the union of hearts complete . He was ashamed to say that Parliament had robbed the banquet of the presence of

several brethren . The House of Commons was too apt to act thus towards the Gallery Lodge , as they had more than once before sat on a Saturday when the lodge had an installation meeting . He only hoped that they would not do much business . The lodge was doing good work in the Gallery , where it was making its influence felt . They had two initiates proposed that evening , one the son of P . M . Peacock , and when he came into the lodge the office of

Organist would be no longer vacant . The other initiate proposed was Mr . Hobson , who came into the Gallery with a bad opinion of Masonry , but from what he had heard of the Gallery Lodge , and what it had done in regard to the Charities , and noting the brotherly feeling there was amongst its members , was now not only willing but anxious to join the lodge . Bro . Moore went on to say that he had known Bro . Manning in

business , he had known him in private life , at the club as a public friend j in all these positions he had always known him as a good Mason , and as a good man , a man of good report , true and trusty , and held in high estimation amongst them , and in giv . ng them the toast of the health of their W . M ., Bro . Manning , he trusted that the great Architect of the Universe would give him health and strength to rule the lodge with credit to himself and satisfaction to the

brethreji . In reply , the W . M . said that among the many pleasing remarks that the LP . M . had made about him , there wasone little mistake with regard to his nationality—he was not a Welshman , though he had been made a Welsh Mason . He was initiated in a Welsh lodge , and he was not ashamed of the land of his adoption j but he was not a VVelshmah . He thought in any speech he might make that night he could

say little beyond making promises , and promises were made to be broken , and as he could only promise what he would do as Master of the Gallery Lodge , he thought he had better leave his conduct as Master to speak for itself during his year of office . He could only thank them very sincerely for having placed him in that position . It was a position which he never dreamed of holding when he first became a member of the Gallery Lodge . On attending the lodge he was

pleased j he seemed to have got into his element j he felt that the brethren about him had the same profession , interests and hopesj and as a journalist he felt that that was his home . The result was they had been good enough to respond to his desires j and having made him Worshipful Master he thanked them for doing so , and felt very proud indeed of his position . He had omitted to say that the lodge was founded in 1 S 81 by seven founders , some of

whom were present and some not , that seven had become 70 , a mark of the prosperity of the lodge , and he hoped that nothing would be done by him to lessen its popularity , or endanger its _ progress , or prejudice its prosperity . Nothing conld give him greater pleasure than to do everything in his power to ' further the interests of the lodge and the interests of the brethren in it . He thanked them for the cordial reception which they had given to the

toast . The next toast proposed by the Worshipful Master was "The Health of the I . P . M ., " whom he had known for the past ten years . Bro . Moore had been an excellent Mason , in saying which he did not refer to the mere mechanical part of Masonry . He was not only an excellent mechanical Mason , but a man who observed the moralities of Masonry —an excellent Mason and a faithful friend , and it he met

him for a hundred years more he should meet him the same excellent Mason and faithful friend that he had met him in thc past . He had every pleasure in proposing the toast . In reply , Bro . Moore said that the W . M . had spoken of the future ; it onl y remained to the I . P . M . to speak of the past . His office had ended , and he thought he might say that the past year had been one of the most successful the lodge had ever had . Would they forgive him , as a

Scotchman who looked at the " saxpences " and the " baubees , for referring to the fact that they had a balance of £ 50 , and he thought that during the year no brother had wanted tor anything . After dealing with further details interesting to the members , he concluded by thanking them for thc cordiality with which they had drunk his health . The next toast was " Success to the Masonic Charities , " to which Bro . Robbins , the Secretary to the lodge

Benevolent Fund , responded in an eloquent and practical speech . The W . M . next proposed " The Health of the Visiting Brethren , " in doing which he said that it was a pleasure to him and the brethren to see numerous visitors fitting down and enjoying their hospitality . That was the true Masonic spirit . Sir Charles Dilke had said that the worst that could be said of Freemasons was that they ate good dinners , and were recognised all the world oyer as " iolly good fellows . "

But the Gallery Lodge did not wish to be recognised as jolly good fellows , but as persons guided by thc true Masonic spirit of hospitality . He found they had 21 visitors that evening . He would not read them all , but would ask them to couple with the toast the names of Bros . Joyce , LP . M . St . Stephen's Lodgej Verney , Col . Moore , and Christie Murray . Each of the brethien named responded at considerable

length , Bro . Christie Murray affording considerable amusement by recounting incidents which had occurred within his former experience of the House when a member of the Gallery staff . A standing toast on the list of this lodge is " The Sister Lodge , " which is No . 2190 , the Savage Club Lodge . This

was the next toast proposed , and with it was coupled the name of Bro . Fisher , its W . M ., who responded , and , in doing so , suggested even a closer association of a few kindred lodges that already existed . The other toasts proposed were " Thc Past Masters , for whom Bro . H . Massey responded ,- "The Ollieers of thc Lodge , " for whom Bros : Hook , J . VV ., and Peachey , on behalf of the S . W ., replied .