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T ^ IELD LANE INSTITUTIONS . REFUGES , RAGGED and INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS , CRECHE , YOUTHS' INSTITUTE , CHRISTIAN MISSION , & c . FUNDS URGENTLY NEEDED . FINANCIAL YEAR ENDS 31 st MARCH . £ 1 , 500 REQUIRED to ENABLE the COMMITTEE ' to CLOSE the ACCOUNTS FREE OF DEBT . Bankers , Barclay Si Co . ( Limited ) . Treasurer—W . A . BEVAN , Esq ., 54 , Lombard-st ., E . C . Secretary—PEREGRINE PLATT , The Institution , Vine-street , ClevkenweU , E . C .

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QPIERS AND pOND'S CTORES ( NO TICKETS REQUIRED ) . QUEEN VICTORIA STREET , E . C . Opposite Blackfriars Station ( Dist . Ry . ) and St . Paul ' s Station ( L . C . and D . Ry . ) I PRICE BOOK ( 1000 pages , illustrated ) , free on application . FREE DELIVERY in Suburbs by our own Vans . LIBERAL TERMS FOR COUNTRY ORDERS . For full details see Price Book .

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SATURDAY , MARCH 31 , 1900 .

Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

We understand that his Royal Highness , the M . W . Grand Master has been pleased to select Bro . Viscount Templetown , who has already won high distinction in the ranks of the Irish Craft as a G . Warden of its

Grand Lodge , as his Senior Grand Warden for the ensuing year . We hear also that the Grand Master intends conferring the rank of Past G . Deacon upon the Ri ght Hon . the Lord Mayor of London—Bro . Alderman Sir A . Newton , Bart . ; and that the Head

Master of the Boys' School will be one of the Grand Deacons . This latter item of news will delight the Board of Management of the Institution , and more especially Bro . J . M . McLeod , the Secretary , who has so often and so highly eulogised the important services rendered by our Rev . Bro . Hebb .

We are glad to be in a position to announce that the day for laying the foundation-stone of the new School buildings at Bushey of the Royal Masonic

Masonic Notes.

Institution for Boys has been fixed , and that on Saturday , the 12 th May , the stone will be laid , with full Masonic ceremonial , by the Duke of Connaught , K . G ., M . W . Past G . M ., Prov . G . M . of Sussex , and District G . M . of Bombay , acting on behalf of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , K . G ., M . W . G . M . There will , of

course , be a grand gathering of the Craft on so auspicious an occasion , and as considerable progress will have been made with the work , his Royal Highness and those who may have the privilege of being present , will be able to form some idea of the extent and character of the new School .

* # a It seems difficult to realise that it is barely 37 years since a similar ceremony was performed by the later Bro . Algernon Perkins , Past G . Warden , in the presence of the officers and members of United Grand

Lodge , "specially summoned for the occasion , " in respect of the existing handsome pile of buildings at Wood Green . This happened on the Sth August , 1 S 63 , and there must be still living many brethren—prominent among them being Bro . Frederick Binckes ,

who had then held the office of Secretary of the Institution for about two years—who were present at the gatljering . The building then in course of erection and which has since been enlarged to its present dimensions , was intended for the accommodation of 100

boys , the number on the establishment at the time being 70 . This School was opened by the then Dep . G . Master— the Earl de Grey and Ripon—on the Sth July , 1 S 65 , but what was then all open country has since been covered with bricks and mortar , and as the

buildings themselves were no longer large enough for the requirements of the Institution , a move to some other locality became necessary , and the Grove Park Estate , of some 66 acres , at Bushey , near Watford , in the county of Hertford , was purchased for ^ 13 , 000 .

The new buildings will accommodate 400 boys , and should the necessity arise , premises can be erected for an additional 100 . We have no doubt the approaching ceremony will pass off—as most of our Masonic functions do—successfully .

* » * It may safely be affirmed that the account of the Masonic doings in Ladysmith during the siege which will be found elsewhere , and for which we are indebted to the kindness of Bro . Capt . G . Hearn , Past G . S . B . of

England , is about the most interesting it has been our good foitune to publish . Some time ago we gave a report of the laying of the foundation stone of a new Masonic Hall in the now famous town by Bro . Wesley Francis , Dist . G . Master of Natal , and a little later of

the consecration of the Ladysmith Mark Lodge , No . 528 , of which our respected correspondent was installed the first W . Master . But these events occurred during the latter half of last September , when , though the political outlook was serious , war had not been

declared by the Boer Republics . The doings we now record have taken place since the outbreak of the war , and the most interesting of them during the siege which was so fortunately raised by General Sir Rerlvers Buller a few weeks since .

It is not , of course , the first time that meetings such as those so vividly described by Bro . Hearn have taken place to the accompaniment of the roar of cannon and the rattle of musketry either in besieged towns or in the lines of besieging armies , but we doubt if a lodge

meeting ever before took place in a building that was exposed at the time to the fire of the enemy , or that during the proceedings the place of meeting was wrecked by a shell and one of the visiting brethren killed . However , our Ladysmith brethren do not appear to have been deterred from their Masonic

duties either by the deadly fire of the enemy ' s " Long Toms" or the bullets of their Mauser rifles ; and now that the Boer armies have retired towards their own frontier we shall , doubtless , hear more of the Masonic gatherings of the brethren in Natal . * *

The list , which appears in another column , of the additions made during the week to the total of I hi ; Donations and Subscriptions announced at the recent Benevolent Festival , will be the last of its kind we shall publish , and any further amounts that may be

forwarded will be entered in the reprint of the Report and Analysis , wlrch will be issued in due course . In the meantime , as we remarked last week , it must be a source of satisfaction to the Committee ot Manage .

mcnland the Secretary to have had so large an increase to report , the total as uriginally announced being £ 20 , 220 iCs ., while ihe augmented total stands at , £ 21 , 744 iGs . Gd ., the excess of the latter amount over the former being , £ 1524 os . Cd . There was more than

Masonic Notes.

the usual array of lists outstanding on the night 01 the Festival ; but both last year and this the Benevolent Institution has been extremely fortunate in the amount of the additions it has had occasion to acknowledge . * * *

We are pleased to be in a position to announce that the total of the contributions received from all sources towards the Masonic Service held in St . Giles ' s Cathedral , Edinburgh , on the 4 th February last , in aid of the Widows and Orphans of Scottish Soldiers who

have died on service in South Africa , reached a gross total of about £ 6 20 , and that after deducting expenses , the nett sum received to the 21 st instant , was . 6540 . There are still some contributions outstanding , which will raise this total by a further £ i $ or ^ 20 .

The Secretary of the Lodge of Edinburgh ( Mary ' s Chapel ) , No . I—Bro . R . W . Hawks—has received letters from Bro . the Hon . James Hozier , M . P ., M . W . G . Master Mason of Scotland , and Bro . General J .

Corson Smith , Past G . M . of Illinois , acknowledging , with thanks , bound copies of the order of Divine Service which were sent them as memorials of the gathering , Bro . General Smith ' s letter containing also a small contribution to the Fund as a mark of his

sympathy with his " Bnther Scots . Bro . Hawks has also been favoured with a letter from Bro . Major the Hon . North Dalrymple Hamilton , who was seriously wounded at the battle of . Belmont , expressive of his gratitude to the lodge , of which he is a member , for the sympathy expressed for him in his wounded condition .

* * It is no news that Mark Masonry is in a flourishing state ; but the fact is emphasised by the reports we published last week of the consecration of two lodges of this Degree in localities as far removed from each other as Haworth , in the Province of West Yorkshire ,

and Howrah , in the District ot Bengal . Taking the Bengal lodge first , as it stands first in the order of numerical seniority , we find that it was inaugurated on Tuesday , the 13 th February , the leading founders including Bro . H . M . Rustomjee , the District Grand Mark Secretary , who is a tower of strength in all the

branches of Masonry in his District . The ceremony of consecration was performed by Bro . E . G . Sinclair , Past District Grand Warden , and the lodge having been constituted as the Orient Lodge , No . 531 , Bro . H . M . Rustomjee was installed in the chair of A . as the

first W . M ., nor have we theshghtest doubt that under his able arid experienced guidance the new lodge will speedily find itself established on a firm basis . Lodge Orient augments the number of Mark lodges under the rule of Bro . the Hon . Mr . justice Burkitt , District G . M . M ., to 20 .

* * * In the case of the Bronte Lodge , No . 535 , Haworth , the ceremony of consecration was performed b y Bro . C . Letch Mason , Prov . Grand Mark Master of West Yorkshire , who was assisted in his important duties by Bro . G . H . Parke , Past Grand Treas ., P . Prov . G . W .,

in the absence through illness of Bro . John Barker , D . P . G . M . M ., and other officers of the Provincial Grand Mark Lodge , and when the lodge had been constituted , Bro . Mason delivered a highly interesting address explanatory of the reasons which had led to the selection of Bronte as the name for the new lodge .

Bro . H . S . Holdsworth , P . G . Std . Br ., P . Prov . G . W ., was subsequently installed as the first W . M ., and the officers for the year having been appointed and invested and the Prov . Grand Master having expressed his sincere wishes for the well-being of a lodge which had

started on its career under such favourable auspices , lodge was closed , and the brethren dined together in honour of the event . We trust the hope and expectations of the founders and their well-wishers may be realised to the fullest extent .

» * » We acknowledge with thanks copy of the minutes of the Proceedings of the Dist . Grand Lodge of Northern China at the regular communication which was held at the Masonic Hall , Shanghai , on the 6 th January last , under the presidency of Bro . Lewis Moore , Dist .

G . Master . There appears to have been a full atten - dance of brethren , and , in addition , a number of visitors from the Scottish and Massachusetts Constitutions , the former including the Master and Wardens of Cosmopolitan Lodge , No . 428 , and the latter Bro . A . W . Danforth , Dist . Dep . G . M ., and members of

Ancient Landmark Lodge , No . I . In the course of his address the Dist . G . Master reviewed the chief events i . l the past year , and warmly congratulated the brethren on the progress that had been made . He had visited the lodges and found them one and all performing their duties satisfactorily . He expressed

regret at the absence of Bro . C . I home , Past . Dist . G . M ., without whose attendance Masonry in Northern China , he remarkefl , did not seem to be itself . He hoped , however , that it would not be long before his health was restored and they should again have the pleasure

of greeting their respected brother . New District Grand Officers for the ensuing year were appointed , and , on the motion of the District Grand Master , 250 Taels , being one half of the balance in hand , were voted to the South African War Fund .