Freemasonry In 1893.

additional Prov . nnd District appointments are classified as follows : in Provinces and Districts comprising too lodges and upwards , a Deputy P . or D . G . Registrar , two Prov . or Dist . G . Deacons , two Prov . or District Asst . G . D . Cs ., and a Deputy Prov . or District G . S . B . ; in those with 70 but less than 100 lodges , two additional Prov . or District Grand Deacons , and two

Prov . or District Asst . G . D . Cs . ; and in those with 40 but less than 70 lodges , two additional Prov . or District Asst . G . D . Cs . In the case of the Grand Lodge , the newly-sanctioned appointments were made on the day of the Grand Festival on the 26 th April , while as regards the Provinces and Districts affected bv the new lodges , they were authorised to be made at the

first annual meeting held after the passing of the law . Our next duty is to record that at the March Quarterly Communication two sums of ^ 210 and ^ 105 respectively were voted from the Fund of General Purposes , of which the former was granted towards the relief of brethren who had suffered by the conflagration which destroyed nearly the whole of St . John's ,

Newfoundland—a sum of ^ 315 having been voted in September , 1 S 92 , towards the Mansion House Fund for the alleviation of thegeneral distress thereby caused —while the latter was for the relief of the sufferings caused by the earthquakes in Zante , to be paid to the Consul-General of 'Greece . In September , a third sum of £ 315 was voted to the

brethren in Queensland who had suffered by the disastrous floods which had visited that Colony in the preceding February . a very urgent entreaty having been forwarded by the District Grand Secretary to Grand Lodge , in which it was shown firstly how great was the distress prevailing in consequence of such floods , what thc District Grand Lodges and

brethren under the English , Irish , and Scottish Constitutions towards alleviating that distress ; and how the sufferings had been still further aggravated by the suspension of many of the Australian Banks . All three grants were made unanimously , and in such a manner as to make manifest the deep sympathy of thc brethren with the sufferers . At the June

Communication Bro . Richard Eve , Past Grand Treasurer , brought to the notice of Grand Lodge the case of the Cambrian Lodge , No . 656 , Sydney , New South Wales , and moved a resolution tothe effect that the cancellation of its warrant was in diiect contravention of Article 219 of the Book of Constitutions , as well as of the terms on which the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales had

been recognised , and that under these circumstances the minority of thc members of thc said lodge , who had elected to remain in allegiance to our Grand Lodge , should be recognised as the lodge . The case was argued wilh great skill , and though the Grand Registrar opposed thc motion , it was carried by an overwhelming majority . In September , however , a motion , bearing

somewhat on the same class of Colonial question , was brought forward by Bro . W . V . Lamonby , to the effect that Grand Secretary do call upon thc District Grand Secretaries of the lately dissolved District Grand Lodges in Australasia to furnish certain returns to our Grand Lodges . Grand Registrar , however , pointed out that the motion was distinctly out of order as Grand

Lodge , though by the Book of Constitutions it had thc power to require that certain returns as specified , should be made by the District Grand Masters , had nothing whatever to do with District Grand Secretaries , and further , that it could not call upon bodies which had been dissolved , and therefore no longer existed . The Dep . Grand Master—Bro . the Earl of Mount

Edgcumbe -who was acting Grand Master on the occasion , supported the contention , and the motion , therefore , was ruled to be out of order . Subsequently , however , Grand Secretary expressed his willingness to communicate with the brethren who had been serving as District Grand Secretaries at the time the District Grand Lodges had been dissolved , wilh the view to

obtaining thc information desired by Bro . Lamonby . At this Communication there was also considered a resolution in which Grand Lodge offered its sincere congratulations lo his Royal Highness thc M . W . Grand Master on thc marriage of his son the Duke of York , and this was passed by acclamation ; a graceful letter of thanks from the Prince of Wales being read at thc

Communication held early in the present month . It only remains for us to add that at the same December meeting a revised scale of salaries for the Grand Secretary ' s clerical staff , which had been carefully prepared by a Subcommittee of the Board of General Purposes and adopted by the Board , was

submitted and unanimously agreed to . A note of opposition was sounded by Bro . Past Grand Treasurer Eve , but it entirely failed to elicit any sympathetic response from the brethren , and the scheme , which undoubtedly benefits the brethren concerned , was passed , as we have said , with unanimity .

Among other noteworthy events , which may properly be referred to in this portion of our narrative , must be mentioned thc installation at Teddington early , in the month of May , of Bro . Lord George Hamilton , M . I' ., who had been appointed the previous year as the successor of the late Bro . Sir Francis Burdett , Bart ., as Prov . Grand Master of Middlesex , and at Leeds ,

on the 27 th September , of llro . the Right Hon . W . L . J ackson , M . P ., as Prov . G . Master of West Yorkshire , in succession to Bro . T . W . Tew , M . P ., the feeble state of whose health had rendered it necessary that he should resign the office . In both cases the ceremony was performed by Bro . the Earl of Lathom , Pro ( i . Master , and , as may well be imagined , the scene

at the later of the two installations was on a scale of splendour commensurate with the extent and importance of lhe Province ; the Albert Hall , Leeds , in which the meeting was held , being crowded with brethren from all parts of West Yorkshire , who must have mustered to the extent of from 140010 1500 . Be it added that the vacancy caused last year by the lamented death

of llro . A . hosier Gough , LL . D ., Prov . G . Master of Staffordshire , lias been filled by the appointment of Bro . the Karl of Dartmouth . In June the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe , as Dep . Grand Master , laid the

foundationstone of thc new Infirmary at Halifax , there being again a large concourse of West Yorkshire brethren present in honour of the occasion . A few days later a like ceremony was performed in connection with the new Church of St . George , Stockport , by Bro . Lord Egerton of Tatton , Past Grand Mastcr of

Freemasonry In 1893.

Cheshire , while Bro . Col . Caldwell , P . G . M . Cambs , consecrated the new Isaac Newton University Lodge Mall , at Cambridge . On thc 12 th July Bro . thc Duke of St . Albans , P . G . M . Notts , laid the first stone of Bryant's Technical Schools at Mansfield . In September Lord Mount Edgcumbe , in the capacity of Prov . G . Mastcr of Cornwall , laid the foundation-stone of a new church at Millbrook , while in November Bro . R . Percy Clowes had thc honour of being

installed as W . M . of the Earl of Sussex Lodge , No . 2201 , Brighton , by H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught , Prov . G . Mastcr of Sussex . It should be mentioned that Bro . the Earl of Yarborough , the S . G . Warden of the year , was installed W . M . of the Ermine Lodge , No . 2351 , Lincoln , in May , and that among the many brethren to whom testimonials have been presented in recognition of their services to the Craft were Bro . Sam . Cochrane ,

who was elected G . Treasurer for the year in March , and Bro . Horatio Ward , who was appointed the month following to the newly-created office of Dep . G . Sword Bearer , the testimonial in each instance taking the form of a complete set of Grand Lodge clothing . Lastly , there have been granted centenary warrants to the following lodges , namely : to the Lodge of Israel , No . 205 ; the Royal Lodge , No , 207 , Kingston , Jamacia ;

the Huddersfield Lodge , No . 290 , Huddersfield ; the Rural Philanthropic Lodge , No . 291 , Highbridge , Somersetshire ; the Lodge of Sincerity , No . 292 , Liverpool ; the King's Friends Lodge , No . 293 , Nantwich ; the Constitutional Lodge , No . 294 , Beverley , Yorkshire ; the Combermere Lodge of Union , No . 295 , Macclesfield ; thc Royal Brunswick Lodge , No . 296 , Sheffield ; thc Lodge of Harmony , No . 29 S , Rochdale ; thc Lodge of

Emulation , 1 ^ 0 . 299 , Dartford ; and thc Lodge of Minerva , No . 300 , Ashton-under-Lyne . In each of these cases the lodge has been able to prove to the satisfaction of thc Grand Lodge authorities that it has been in a state of continuous working for the past hundred years , and it is almost needless to say that in each case the lodge has celebrated thc auspicious event with a considerable amount of eclat , the Prov . G . Lodge of Somersetshire having been held in connection with the centenary celebration of Rural Philanthropic ,

No . 292 , at Highbridge , while at that of the Constitutional Lodge , No . 294 , Beverley , Bro . the Earl of Londesborough , the newly-installed W . M ., presided , thc event being further distinguished by thc presentation of a Masonic silver loving-cup from the Lodge of Liberty , meeting at the town of Beverley , Massachusetts , U . S . A ., in recognition of an act of courtesy , which the latter had received from the lodge held under the shadow of the famous Beverley Minster .

ROVAL ARCH MASONRY . There is no doubt that during the last two or three , years thc endeavours which have been made to increase thc popularity of this branch of Masonry —which , by thc first Article of our Book of Constitutions , is , in accordance with thc Act of Union of 1813 , an essential part of " pure Antient Masonry " —have been attended with a considerable amount of success , and it is more

than probable that if the measures adopted by Supreme G . Chapter during the present year are attended by anything like the result anticipated , the Royal Arch will become still more popular , and fill thc position which naturally belongs lo a Degree that has been solemnly declared to bc a part of our constitutional Masonic system . As for the chapters which have been added to the roll during the year , they muster in all 19 , of which six are

located in the Metropolis , eight in thc Provinces , and the remaining live abroad . Thc new London chapters arc thc Duke of Fife , No . 2345 ; the Warrant Officers Chapter , No . 2346 ; the St . Pancras , No . 2271 ; the King Solomon , No . 2029 ; the Rye Chapter , No . 2272 ; and the Earl of Mornington , No . 2 DOO . Of thc eight warranted in the provinces , one—the Chigwell , No . 453 , Chingford—has been added to thc roll of Essex ; one—the Chapter

of Unity , No . 2341 , Oldham—to that of Iiast Lancashire ; the Percy Chapter , No . 1347 , Morpeth , to that of Northumberland ; the Dungarvan , No . 973 , Frome , lo that of Somersetshire ; nnd the St . Oswald , No ! 910 , Pontefraet , to that of West Yorkshire . The remaining three meet in places situated in the Province of Surrey , and are named and numbered the Alfred , No . 777 ; thc Lome , No . 1347 ; and the Chertsey Abbey , No . 2120 , which meet respectively

at Guildford , Sutton , and Chertsey . Of thc live chapters abroad , two , the Albion , No . 2220 , and the Woodstock , No . 2379 , are located in Woodstock , in the Western Division of South Africa ; two—the Acacia , No . 876 , Monte Video , and thc Rosario , No . 1553 , Rosario de Santa Fe , are located , the former in thc Uruguayan Republic , and the latter in thc Argentine Republic ; while thc fifth—the Perak Chapter . No . 2225 , meets at Pcrak , in the Malay

Peninsula . A petition for another chapter , known as thc St . Maughold , and to be held at Ramsey , in the Isle of Man , was submitted to Grand Chapter , but not granted , because among the 23 petitioning companions were included in , who , on inquiry , were found not to be registered in the books of Grand Chapter . As lo the meetings of Supreme Grand Chapter , it must be remarked , in the first place , that the appointment of a number of

additional Grand Officers , as well as of Provincial and District Grand Oflicers has been sanctioned , with a view to placing Grand Chapter on a footing of equality with Grand Lodge in the matter of dignities . Thc newly created Grand Offices include those of Deputy Grand Registrar , Dep . Grand Sword Bearer , two additional Grand Standard Bearers , and two additional Assistant Grand Directors of Ceremonies . As regards the new appointments

created in the larger Provinces and Districts , it was , in the first instance , proposed that the additions should be governed by the number of lodges , but thi ; more sensible course was adopted of regulating them by the number of chapters , and at the Quarterly Convocation in May , a scheme was adopted by which in Provinces and Districts numbering 15 chapters but less than 20 , thc Grand Superintendents should be empowered to appoint two

additional Provincial or District Grand Standard Bearers ; in those numbering 20 but less than 30 , two additional Provincial or District Grand Standard Bearers , and two Provincial or District Assistant Grand Directors of Ceremonies ; and in those numbering 30 chapters and upwards , a Deputy Provincial or District Grand Registrar , and a Deputy Provincial or District

Grand Sword Bearer in addition to lhe Standard Bearers and Directors of Ceremonies . At the same Quarterly Convocation , a motion submitted by Comp . C . N . Mclntyre North for the appointment of a Committee to revise thc ritual was negatived , Comp . Thomas Fenn , who took the principal part in opposing the motion , pointing out that though the ritual might contain inaccuracies and anachronisms , it had been carefully revised in 1834 , under the