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There is a passage in the address delivered by Bro . Lord Egerton of Tatton , Prov . Grand Master of Cheshire , at the recent annual meeting of his Provincial Grand Lodge , which , if correctly reported , is liable to very serious misinterpretation . The passage is as follows : " lie felt sure that the number of members of

the Order would increase more largely than it did if the advantages of Freemasonry were more widely known . Not only were there advantages arising from the good fellowship which Freemasonry brought about , but there were distinct advantages in the matter of provision for the aged and infirm and the education of the young . "

If this passage has been correctly reported , we have no alternative but to assume that his lordship did not express what he intended to say with his usual perspicuity . All Masons , even the youngest amongst us , know full well that every candidate pledges himself upon his honour that he is influenced in his desire to

obtain the mysteries and privileges of our Order by no mercenary or other unworthy motive . But if the words we have quoted have any meaning at all they mean this—that more men would join our Order if only they knew the advantages they would gain by joining it , the advantages specifically mentioned by his lordship being " the provision for the aged and infirm and the education of the young . "

This is so obvious that we imagine there must have been hiatus valde dejlendus in the reporter's notes and that what his lordship did say was somewhat to this effect—that more men would join our Order if only they knew that in addition to the advantages they would derive " from the good fellowship which Freemasonry brought about , " they would enjoy the further advantage of being

privileged to support our Institutions " for the aged and infirm and the education of the young . " We consider the context justifies us in this assumption , lor his lordship , after mentioning certain facts in connection with the benefits derived

from the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution by the Province in return for their numerous contributions , went on to say that " he thought those facts showed that there were many cases of distress which it should be the duty of the Province to assist . "

The annual meeting of the Prov . Grand Lodge of West Lancashire will be held in the Town Hall , Bootle , on Friday , the 20 th September . We understand that in addition to the usual business , proposals will be brought forward for granting substantial donations to the three Provincial Institutions—the Educational , the Hamer , and the Alpass .

The paragraph we quoted last week from the Chicago Legal News that Bro . T . S . Parvin , Past G . Master , and Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Iowa , had met and sat in the same lodge in the City of Mexico with his son , Bro . T . W . Parvin , and his son's wife , Mrs . T . W . Parvin , the latter being at the time W . M . of the lodge , inclines us to ask the very pertinent question—Will those

Grand Lodges which have recognised the Grand Lodge of Mexico and exchanged representatives with it continue their relations with it as heretofore ? It is clear the latter has violated the laws of the Craft by admitting women as members , and by so doing has forfeited its Masonic status . We shall wait with no small amount of curiosity to learn what will happen .

It appears from the summary of the proceedings , contained in the " Masonic Gleanings " of the Voice of Masonry for the present month , at the annual communication of the Grand Lodge of Georgia in the late autumn of 1894 that considerable progress was made during that year . Charters for 10 new lodges were granted , and three lodges under dispensation were continued . Two

charters , however , were forfeited , though the causes of forfeiture are not stated . According to the statistical returns the number of lodges on the roll is given as 398 , and the number of subscribing members as 16 , 664 . Bro . Andrew M . Wolihin remains at his post of Grand Secretary , but the newly-elected Grand Master is Bro . John P . Shannon , whose immediate predecessor , Bro . John S . Davidson , died during his term of office .

Comp . the Rev . C . H . Briggs , D . D ., G . H . P ., presided at the annual convocation of the Grand Chapter of Missouri , which was held in St . Louis on the 26 th April last , and there was present a large attendance of Grand and Past Grand Officers , as well as the representatives of 56 chapters . The proceedings appear

to have been generally of local interest , but we note that upwards of 2000 dollars have been contributed by the chapters in the jurisdiction towards the Masonic Home and Sanatorium . Comp . A . Haynie was elected G . H . P . for the ensuing year , while Comp . W . H . Mayo retains his oflice of Grand Secretary . The number of chapters on the roll is 05 with an aggregate membership of 6485 ,

Correspondence.

Correspondence .

f We ilo not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but wc wish , in a spirit ol' lair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion . !

BOARDS OF INSTALLED MASTERS . To tlie Editor of the " Freemason , " Dear Sir and Brother , 1 am excessively obliged to you for devoting so much of your last issue

to my humble self , in connection with the old-established ceremony of opening and closing a Board of Installed Masters . I must , however , demur most emphatically to your insinuation that any method of working an installation ceremony is my own ; nor do 1 claim to be " the accepted authority on ritual in this country , " nor any other country , as you unwarrantably assert .

Suffice it to say that the ceremony which you so strongly oppose has been worked in England tor at least the whole of the present century , and has never been declared " irregular" by Grand Lodge . On the other hand , if successive Grand Secretaries , who are London Masons necessarily , and as a consequence

thick and thin advocates of the Emulation working , like to condemn the opening and closing ceremony of a Hoard of Installed Alastcrs , it is entirely their own business , and can have no effect on Installing Masters in the country lodges , brethren who , no doubt , to quote your own words , duly appreciate Grand Lodge ti its being " prepared to show respect for established usage . "

Correspondence.

You advise me to carefully study Bro . Sadler's " Notes on the Ceremony of Installation . " I did so when the book was published , and thought then , as I do now , that the author ' s conclusions as to the origin of the ceremony in question were and are mere assumptions ; while , much as I value Bro . Sadler ' s herculean labours and his natural abilities as a Masonic student , he will , I think , be ready to admit that his most interesting compilation is written from a purely Emulation point of view , and for the especial delectation of Emulation enthusiasts .

It may interest you to know that , many years since , when the guest of the late Bro . Rev . A . F . A . Woodford , P . G . C , in the Lake District , this very subject cropped up , and hegave it to me as his opinion that the ceremony belonged to the " Ancients , " who installed their Masters in a very complete way , whereas the " Moderns , " up to the first or second decade of the present century , practically

had no installation ceremony , but simply and formally placed their Masters in the chairs , as was the custom in Scotland up to a very few years ago , I can add to this , that an old Past Master , about the same time as the foregoing incident , assured me that he had been told , in his younger days , by an eighteenth century Mason , that the ceremony was very common in the North of England .

Is it not possible that Bro . Sadler might ferret out the truth or otherwise of these assumptions , by searching the records of the Atholl Grand Lodge ? And , by the way , there was a most interesting discussion on the point in the Freemason some 15 or 16 years ago . As to the attitude of the Grand Lodge of Victoria on the subject at issue , it

is as well to explain that the ceremony of opening and closing a Board of Installed Masters practically stands where it did . That is to say , the ceremony has not been prohibited in that territory ; the Grand Lodge merely deprecates the practice , which makes all the difference . —Fraternally yours , W . F . LAMONBY . August 24 th .

Reviews.

Reviews .

" IHE FREEMASONS' CALENDAR AND DIRECTORY FOR THE PROVINCE OF LINCOLNSHIRE , 1895-96 . " — Though small compared with many of the provincial Masonic annuals , it is so well arranged that much valuable information is compressed within the 34 pages of this ably edited directory , compiled by Bro . 3 . Vickers , Prov . G . Secretary , assisted by Bro . William Dixon , the Honorary Librarian of the Prov . Grand Lodge . Being published at a later date than many , the calendar contains the Grand

Officers of England ( Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter ) for April and May , 1895 , as well as the roll of officers for the Prov . Grand Lodge of Lincolnshire , the Earl of Yarborough , Prov . Grand Master . There are 24 lodges in the Province , eight Royal Arch chapters , and eight Mark lodges . There were 12 more lodges meeting in the county , dating from 1726-30 , of which a list is given , but full particulars as to these and all other

matters appertaining to the province , whether Craft , Arch , or any other Degrees , as also the Charities , & c , may be obtained by consulting Bro . Wm . Dixon ' s " History of Freemasonry in Lincolnshire , " published at half a guinea . _ This large work is one of the best of the kind ever published , and moreover has an introduction by Bro . W . J . Hughan , P . G . D . of England , & c , who has made a special study of such works , and speaks very highly of this handsome volume , which treats of the progress of the Craft for over a century and a half . The early minutes are of a most valuable character .

The Recent Burglary At Bros. George Kenning And Son's West-End Branch In Great Queen Street, W.C.

THE RECENT BURGLARY AT BROS . GEORGE KENNING AND SON'S WEST-END BRANCH IN GREAT QUEEN STREET , W . C .

We briefly notified the fact last week that a burglary was successfully committed on these premises some time during the small hours of Wednesday evening and Thursday morning , the 21 st and 22 nd instants , respectively . The premises were secured as usual on the Wednesday evening , and the resident manager of the Jewellery Department , before

retiring to rest , made his customary round of inspection , and found everything safe and in order . Nor was he in any way disturbed during the nig ht . But on descending into the shop between 6 and 7 a . m ., he found sundry of the jewel trays and cases had been moved from the counter , while the glass shades and contents of others were on the floor or in other parts of the shop . A further examination showed that an entrance had been effected at the rear of

the premises in Parker-street by removing the panel of a window . This gave the burglars access to the machine room , whence they made their way through the composing room into the shop . Here it is evident they must have at once set about appropriating whatever was worth carrying off . Four trays filled with rings and other jewellery were found to have been emptied

of their contents , while a large case was moved into the machine room and similarly rilled . Apparently they must have been in some way disturbed in the course of their operations , there being another large case which bears marks showing that attempts had been made to force it open , while in yet another instance the glass shade which covered a valuable set of solid

silvergilt consecrating vessels had been placed on the ground , while the vessels themselves were fortunately left intact , the burglars being doubtless under the impression that as another receptacle in the case whicn they tested was brass , the others were made of the same metal . The thieves must have gone about their work deliberately , as there was plenty of evid - nce on the jewel cases and elsewhere that they had with them lighted candles .

It will be seen from the list of articles taken that the loss to Bros . George Kenning and Son is very considerable , and must amount to between £ ( ) 0 ° and ^ 700 . Indeed , it does not need to be an expert in the trade to realise

that when gold and silver-gilt jewels , ranging from two guineas to 10 guineaSi gold rings , gold and silver-gilt charms , gold and silver jewels , are carried off by twenties , forties , fifties , and the hundred , the mere intrinsic valuei to say nothing of the labour bestowed upon them , will soon foot up to sue "

an amount . We may add , that immediately on discovering what had happened , W manager placed himself in communication with the police , but as yet tn e latter have been able to discover no trace either of thc goods or the burg lar 5 ' The following is the list referred to :