The Liverpool Cathedral.

by Masonic influence , may perhaps serve to account for the continued hostility of the old historic church . Of one thing Ave are certain , that no proceedings of the craft in this country , or sanctioned by Grand Lodges with Avhich Ave are in communion , could by any possibility account for the attitude described . Some feAV years ago , certainly , a writer

in the Church Times tried to interest English churchmen in the forthcoming Trent Congress , but he did not succeed in creating even a ripple on the surface of the contentment with Avhich the craft is regarded by both political and ecclesiastical authorities . He was most ably answered by Bro .

Horsley , who shoAved the ignorance and the fallacies which underlay most of his contentions . When Ave remember that the sovereign head of our church is also the Protector of the Order in this country , that the Chaplain ranks next to the rulers of the lodge and holds the

highest of the executive offices , that the Avoid of God is the first great light , and that any attempt to depose it would be folloAA'ed by prompt extinction of the offending lodge , and that every Masonic ceremony is opened and closed with prayer ; when Ave look around at cathedrals built by our brethren of old time and reflect that the sign manual of the

Mason is everywhere in evidence , when bishops and archbishops are only too glad to welcome the Grand Master or his deputy at a stone laying , and when Ave add to this the example we display of the first requirement of religion pure and undefiled , "To visit the widows and fatherless in their affliction , " and , last of all the fact that inspired this article ,

that we are about to spend £ 10 , 000 in perpetuating the memory of a great and good man , ad gloriam Dei , Ave may Avell be content to disregard the denunciations which proceed from ignorance , even though they do proceed from a body Avhose motto is " ad inajorcin Dei gloriam . "

At The Sign Of The Perfect Ashlar.

At the Sign of the Perfect Ashlar .

The meeting of Grand Lodge on the 2 nd March Avas more distinguished for the length of its proceedings than for the importance of the subjects it AA'as called to discuss and determine . Grand Lodge Avas opened at IAVO o ' clock by the Pro Grand Master , and it is quite safe to say that for

the whole seven hours during Avhich it remained open , the one absorbing topic of interest in the minds of those present was as to which of the IAVO most estimable brethren should for one year hold the office of Grand Treasurer . For this some 2000 sober citizens left their desks in the

City , their businesses in the provinces , and in many cases travelled a distance of hundreds of miles ; an effort and a personal sacrifice on their part which we confess appears to us sadly out of proportion to the work accomplished .

© © © What appears so futile in these elections is that no principal Avhatever is involved that it is necessary to determine by popular vote—it is simply the bestowal of one Grand Lodge collar out of some thirty besides , all of which are most contentedly left by the Craft in the hands of the M . W . Grand Master and his advisors .

© © © The origin of this method of selecting the Grand Treasurer is clear enough . In the early clays of Grand Lodge the appointment entailed a real responsibility for the safe custody and distribution of the funds of Grand Lodge , and it was only right that the brethren should have , as in private lodges , a voice in the matter ; but in recent years the

duties have become almost nominal ; confined , in fact , to the signing of the feAV cheques for sums required to be dealt Avith by Grand Lodge itself , instead of by the Board of General Purposes . -s ? «> ©

Unless , therefore , any principle is involved in election as against appointment in the selection of Grand Officers generally , there is no sufficient reason for the retention of the present method in the case of the Grand Treasurer . To adopt the American method of election all round would be a course ,

feel sure , that would be repugnant to the great body of the Craft . It cannot be denied , however , that this would be the logical outcome of the argument . We shall hope in the near future to see a movement initiated that would have the effect of abolishing the present ponderous and unsatisfactory

method , which in the present day possesses no advantages , and is necessarily provocative of much un-Masonic feeling , amounting in some instances to positive rancour , greatly out of harmony with the principles we all profess to admire .

© © © The Board of General Purposes exercised a Avise discretion in withdrawing the recommendation made to Grand Lodge in December last that Wardens of private lodges should in future be excluded from the Quarterly and other

Communications . The interval betw . een the meetings served to develop a strongly antagonistic feeling in regard to the proposal , and Ave have little doubt that if it had been submitted to a vote the resolution would have been negatived by a large majority . The solving of the problem of providing proper

accommodation for those AVIIO desire to attend Grand Lodge lies in the direction indicated by the President of the Board when moving the reception of the report , namely , the acquiring of land contiguous to Freemasons' Hall for the erection of a Temple more in accordance Avith the dignity and requirements of the Order than the present building .

© © © The Morning Leader of the 8 th March offers the Grand Secretary birthday congratulations in the following terms : — "Many happy returns to Sir Edward Letchworth , who is to-day celebrating his 71 st birthday . He began life as a

solicitor , but is IIOAV one of the best-known men in the world as Grand Secretary of the English Freemasons . He was at one time a keen promoter of the volunteer movement , a sportsman AA'I rowed and rode , and , in spite of his age , he is spoken of as still a hale and hearty young felloAV . "

© © © The announcement of the appointment of Bro . J . D . Langton , P . Dep . G . D . C ., as Deputy Provincial Grand Master of Surrey , has given equal satisfaction to his many Masonic friends in London and to the brethren of the proA'ince . He

has done excellent Avork , more especially in connection with the Charities , indeed , the Province of Surrey OAVCS the establishment of its Charity Committee and Charity Fund to Bro . Langton , who from the first has acted as Secretary , deA'oting much A-aluable time unsparingly to the Avork ; and

the recognition of his services by the Provincial Grand Master by his appointment to the highest office which it is in his power to bestow marks the estimation in which he is held by that distinguished brother .

< 2 » © © Although still young , Bro . Langton has more than a quarter of a century of Masonic life behind him . As a leAvis he AA'as initiated by dispensation Avhile still a minor in the Welcome Lodge , 1 V 0 . 1673 , on the 30 th May , 18 77 , and from

that date has occupied so many offices and filled so large a space in the Masonic life of the metropolis , as to render it impossible to record in any detail his Masonic career within the space at our disposal . It must suffice to say that his merits have been recognized by his appointment to important office in both Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter , and that no

more popular or useful member of the Craft exists in metropolitan Masonry to-day than Bro . Under-Sheriff Langton