Freemasonry In 1892.

with acclamation , the proposal , in its altered form , providing for the appointment of six additional G . Officers , comprising a Dep . G . Registrar , to rank next after the G . Registrar , two Deacons , two Assistant Directors of Ceremonies , and a Deputy G . Sword Bearer , it being further agreed that the same six additional ollicers be appointed in Provinces and Districts having 100 lodges and upwards ; that in those having 70 but less than 100

lodges , two Deacons and two Asst . G . Directors of Ceremonies be appointed ; and in those with 40 but less than 70 lodges , two additional A . D . C . ' s , the Provincial part of the original scheme having been thus altered so as to accord with the increase provided for G . Lodge . It was further resolved at the same meeting , and on the recommendation of the Board of General Purposes , that The annual sum granted towards the

expenses of the library be increased from £ 25 to £ 50 . The only other business worthy of being referred to was the nomination of Bro . Samuel Cochrane , P . M . No . 3 , to serve as G . Treasurer for the year 1 S 93-4 , and as no one else was proposed , it may be reasonably assumed that this worthy brother will be elected in March , and invested at the Grand Festival in April of next year .

We have already stated with reference to the late Duke of Clarence and Avondale that lodge meetings of every kind were held throughout the jurisdiction of the United Grand Lodge of England for the purpose of expressing the sympathy of the brethren with the Queen , the Prince and Princess of Wales , and the Royal Family generally in the sore affliction with which it had pleased the G . A . O . T . U . to visit them , and a glance at

our table of " occurrences" will show where and when many of the meetings were held . But there were a few tributes of respect of a special character which deserve to be specified—such as the attendance at Divine service in the church of St . Lawrence , Reading , by the members of the lodges which meet in that town ; the lodge of Sorrow held by the brethren in Antigua ; and the visit paid in the month of May of the Windsor and Eton brethren to

the Royal Mausoleum , in which lie the mortal remains of the lamented Prince . Passing , however , from what relates to the saddest event of the past 12 months , to those of ordinary occurrence , we note that on the 2 nd June a meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Bedfordshire was held in the town of Bedford , at which M . W . Bro . the Earl of Lathom , Pro Grand Master , installed Bro . Lord Ampthill as Grand Master of

the Province in succession to Bro . Col . William Stuart , who last year resigned office . In January a meeting was held in the Masonic Hall , Northampton , at which the members of the lodges located in that town presented their Provincial Grand Master , Bro . the Earl of Euston , with his portrait in oils as a mark of the esteem and respect in which they held him . A similar mark of respect was paid to Bro .

Pierrcpont Harris , Prov . Grand Secretary of Bristol , on the 30 th March , while on the 28 th July at the annual meeting at Monmouth of the Prov . Grand Lodge of Monmouthshire congratulatory addresses were presented to Bro . Col . Lyne , P . G . Master , and Bro . Capt . S . G . Homfray , P . A . G . D . C ., Dep . P . G . M ., on the occasion of their completing a period of 21 years' service in their respective offices . On the 21 st October , at the

meeting at Millom of the Prov . Grand Lodge of Cumberland and Westmorland , an address of a like nature was presented to Bro . the Earl of Bective after completing a service as Prov . Grand Master of 25 years , the presentation being made by Bro . Col , Le Gendre N . Starkie , Prov . Grand Master of East Lancashire , who afterwards installed Bro . George J . McKay as Dep . P . G . M . in succession to Bro . L . F . B . Dykes , P . G . D .,

resigned . The City of Chester was the scene of two important gatherings , the first having been held in April , when Bro . Lord Egerton of Tatton , P . G . M ., called his Prov . Grand Lodge together for the purpose of assisting him in laying the first stone of the porch about to be added to the Church of St . Mary-on-the-Hill as a memorial to Randle Holme , one of the earliest Freemasons belonging to the Count } ' of Chester of whom there

is any record . The second meeting took p lace on the 10 th November , when the porch in question , which in the meantime had been erected , was formally dedicated by his lordship , and placed in the custodianship of the church authorities . On the 6 th May , Bro . the Earl of Lathom laid the first stone of the new Masonic 1 lall at Cambridge for the use of the Isaac Newton University Lodge , No . S 59 . On the 24 th September , the same

distinguished brother , attended by his Prov . Grand Officers of West Lancashire , and in the presence of a large concourse of brethren , laid the foundation-stone of the St . Andrew ' s Schools , Eccles , while a week later he performed a like duty in the important town of Preston by laying the first stone of the Cross Deaf and Dumb School . Among other ceremonies of a like character may be mentioned that of laying the foundation-stone of

the new Science and Art Schools , Weston-super-Mare , which was performed by Bro . Viscount Dungarvan , P . G . M . Somersetshire , on the gth May ; of the new hall about to be erected at Budlcigh Salterton for the use of the I . odge of Harmony , No . 372 , at which Bro . W . G , Rogers , P . G . D ., D . P . G . M . of Devonshire , played the chief part ; and of All Saints ' Church , Ipswich , the first stone of which was laid with Masonic ceremonial by Bro .

Lord Hennikcr , P . G . M . Suffolk . On the 27 th April a stained-glass window , which had been placed in St . Peter ' s Church , Fleetwood , to the memory of Bro . Dr . J . A . Orr , P . M ., P . P . G . D ., was unveiled by Bro . Sir Matthew W . Ridley , Bart ., M . P ., P . G . M . Northumberland . On the 19 th October the Earl of Lathom , P . G . M . of West Lancashire , was entertained at a grand banquet at the Town Hall , Liverpool , by the Mayor of that city , Bro . James

de Bels Adam , Past S . G . W . of the Province . It should also be mentioned that the following lodges had the good fortune to celebrate the centenary of their constitution , namely : the Lodge Ancient Union , No . 203 , Liverpool ; the Shakespeare Lodge , No . 284 , Warwick ; Love and Honour , No . 285 , Shcpton Mallet ; the Samaritan , No . 286 , ) i , icup ; the Lodge of Unanimity , No . 287 , Stockport ; the Lodge cf Harmony , No . 2 S 8 , Todmordcn ;

nnd the Lodge of Fidelity , No . 289 , Leeds , the customary centenary warrant having been granted to each by his Royal Highness the M . W . Grand Master . The same auspicious event was celebrated by the Provincial Grand Lodge of Lincolnshire , which was constituted in 1792 , with Bro . the Rev . William Peters as the first Prov . G . M .. while the brethren of St . Peter ' s Lodge , No . 481 Newcastle-on-Tync , celebrated the jubilee of its constitution on

, the 29 th June . There remains to be added the annual festival of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement , which was celebrated on Friday , the 26 th February , with the usual rejoicing , under the presidency of Bro . Sir John B . Monckton , P . G . W ., who with his successor as President of the Board of General Purposes , Bro . Thomas Fenn , takes the liveliest interest

in the well-being of this important School of Instruction . Of other events that have occurred of an unusual character there are not many to record , the most important among them being the appointment of Bro . Lord George Hamilton , M . P ., to the P . G . Mastership of Middlesex , rendered vacant by the death of Bro . Sir F . Burden , Bart . ; of Bro . Lt .-Col . C . J .

Freemasonry In 1892.

Bannister as D . G . M . of Gibraltar , in succession to Bro . Sir H . Burford Hancock ; and of Bro . Col . C . F . Massy in place of Bro . Edwin Parker Woodall , as Dist . G . Master of the Punjab . 'Flic vacancies in Staffordshire and Wellington , New Zealand , caused by the sudden and lamented deaths of Bros . 1-1 . C . Foster Gough and Sir W . Atkinson respectively , as well as that in Berkshire by the death of his Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence have not yet been filled .

ROYAL ARCH MASONRY . It is not often that we have much to record in connection with this branch of Ancient Free and Accepted Masonry . It reflects admirabl y what is done by Grand Lodge , and in its own special field of labour it fulfils its appointed duties successfully ; while in any increase in the number of its chapters that may take place during any given period , it will

generally be found to have kept pace with the extension of Craft Masonry . During the still current year of 1892 , his Royal Hi ghness the Grand Z . has issued warrants for the constitution of 17 chapters of which four are located in London , nine in the Provinces , and four abroad while as a set-off against these additions must be mentioned the De Burgh Chapter , No . 424 , Gateshead , which , as it has made no returns for the last

five years , has been called upon to surrender its charter ; the Victoria No . 440 , Montreal , which haa been in abeyance for years , and has been struck off the roll ; and the Albert Edward , No . 604 , Lyttelton , N . Z ., which has joined the unrecognised G . Chapter of New Zealand . The new London chapters are the Royal Somerset House and Inverness , No . 4—with respect to which the only remark we feel called upon to make is that it

surprises us that steps to constitute this chapter have not previousl y been taken ; the Rose Chapter , No . 1622 ; the Guelph , No . 1685 ; and the Selwyn , No . 7902 . The new Provincial chapters comprise the McKay , No . 1 390 , Millom , in the Province of Cumberland and Westmoreland ; the William Shurmur , No . 2374 , Chingford , Essex ; the Shalden , No . 2016 , Alton , in the Province of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight ; the James

1 erry , No . 2372 , Cheshunt , Hertfordshire ; the Hutchinson Chapter , No . 3 81 , Darwen , East Lancashire ; and the Peace , No . 2269 , Wigan , in West Lancashire ; together with the following three in West Yorkshire : — The Three Graces , No . 408 , Haworth ; the Pentalpha , No . 974 , Bradford ; and the Prudence , No . 2069 , Leeds . One London Chapter has transferred its allegiance from the Universal Lodge , No . 1 S 1 ,

to the Cadogan , No . 162 , and in doing so has changed its name from " Universal " to " Cadogan . " Of the four Chapters abroad , one named the Benson , No . 1093 , has been constituted at Wellington , Madras , and the remaining three in South Africa —¦ The Apex Chapter , No . 2252 , Barkly F . ast , in the District of S . Africa , East Division , and the Charles Warren , No . 1832 , Kimberley , and the East Griqualand

Chapter , No . 2113 , East Griqualand . One chapter—the Palladian , Hereford—had the gratification of celebratingthecentenaryof its constitution , which it did with much eclat on the nth November . As regards the proceedings in Supreme G . Chapter , it is needless to say that the Quarterly Convocation in February was not allowed to pass without reference being made to the deaths of the Duke of Clarence and Avondale and Comp .

Colonel Sh . idwcU H . Clerke , Grand Scribe E . ; and Comp . F . A . Philbrick , O . C ., who presided as First Grand Principal , took the opportunity of referring in brief , but graceful , terms , to the loss which Freemasonry had sustained thereby , while in the case of Comp . Col . Shadwell H . Clerke , he spoke in befitting language of the eminent services which that able companion had rendered to Supreme G . Chapter during the 12 years he had filled the

office of Grand Scribe E . —an office in which , like that of G . Secretary of United G . Lodge , he has been succeeded by Comp . E . Letchworth . At the same meeting the sum of ^ 105 was unanimously voted as acontribution towards the J ubilee of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , while in August another sum of , £ 100 was voted as a contribution to the " Shadwell Clerke Trust Fund , " in memory of the late G . Scribe ' s services . In May

the appointment and investiture of the new Grand Officers for the year took place as usual , the one appointment which it is desirable to notice being that of Comp . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., to be Grand J . in succession to Lord Leigh resigned . Among other important appointments during the year must be mentioned those of Comp . the Earl of Radnor as G .

Superintendent for Wiltshire in succession to Comp . Lord Henry Thynne , who had held the office since 1875 ; Comp . Lt .-Col . J . Allen Bindley as G . Superintendent in p lace of Comp . Col , A . C . Foster Gough , deceased ; Comp . Col . C . J . Bannister as G . Superintendent of Gibraltar in succession to Comp . Sir H . Burford-Hancock ; and Comp . Col . Chas . F . Massy as G . Superintendent for the Punjab vice Comp . E . Woodall Parker resigned .

MARK MASONRY . The fortunes of the Mark Degree may not have been as conspicuously prosperous during the past 12 months as in some previous periods it has been our privilege to describe ; but there is little doubt that sterling progress has been the order of the day . There are times when the applications for warrants for the constitution of new lodges are made only at long intervals ,

and when the number of new members enrolled is not on a very formidable scale . Such fluctuations as these must be looked for from time to time , but there is never a period when it is not possible for good solid work to be done in the way of strengthening and confirming what has been set up during one or more preceding intervals , and this , we believe , has been the fate of Mark Masonry in 1892 . It may not greatly have enlarged its borders , but we

are satisfied it has done much good work . It has confirmed the progress it had before made , and is all the better prepared , therefore , to make further progress in the years to come . As regards the number of new lodges added to the roll , there have been issued 12 warrants by virtue of which the Duncombc , No . 438 , meets at Kingsbridge , in the Province of Devonshire , the Gloucester , No . 439 , in the Province of Gloucestershire and

Herefordshire ; the Weyside , No . 442 , at Woking , in the newly-constituted Province of Surrey ; the Elias de Derham , No . 443 , at Salisbury , in Wiltshire ; the Shropshire , No . 444 , at Shrewsbury ; the St . Swithin , at Horncastle . in the Province of Lincolnshire ; the Clarence , No . 447 , at Liverpool ; the Hampton Court , No . 448 , in the new Province of Middlesex ; an < J the Sussex , No . 449 , at Horsham , in the Province of Sussex . The remaining three arc the Lodge of Sincerity , No . 440 , located at Cairo ; the St . Michael , in

No . 441 , in Barbadoes ; and the Prince of Wales , No . 446 " , at Brig hton , the colony of Victoria . One Royal Ark Mariner Lodge—the Abraham , No . 10 G—has been also placed on the roll . On the 27 th January a Special Communication of Mark G . Lodge was held for the purpose of passing resolutions of condolence with the Queen , the Prince and Princess ol Wales , and the Princess Victoria Mary of Teck , on the sad death of the Duke of Clarence and Avondale , who had been advanced to the MarK