The Province Of Somerset.—(Concluded.)

W . M . of the lodge from 1850 to 1853 and in 1871 , and Bro . K . C . Else , J . P ., Deputy Provincial Grand Master , who was initiated therein , A . D . 1 S 5 8 , was the Master in 1865 , 1877 , and in the centenary year . Bro . Else was Provincial Grand Secretary 1865-9 and 1871-4 , Deputy Provincial Grand

Master 1875-92 , besides being Grand Superintendent , and ably filling other offices . Rendering such services to the province , it is not a matter of surprise to find that on his retirement as Deputy Provincial Grand Master the opportunity was taken at the Provincial Grand Lodge held in May last to present Bro . Else , P . G . D . of England , with an

illuminated address and a cheque for 500 guineas , subscribed by tlie Craft , Royal Arch and Mark Brethren of Somerset , the monetary gift to be invested as he may desire in the Masonic Charities , and marked as the " Else Votes " in perpetuity , and as a lasting memorial of their love and esteem .

The remaining twenty lodges date from 1810 to 1891 , and there are eleven Royal Arch Chapters ranging from 1782 to 1888 , the E . Comp . R . C . Else having been succeeded in 1902 by the Right Hon . Lord Dungarvan as Grand Superintendent . W . j . HUGHAN .

United Grand Lodge Of England.

United Grand Lodge of England .

G RAND Lodge held its Quarterly Communication on the 2 nd September , at Freemasons' Hall . There was an unusually large attendance of brethren for the season of the year . R . W . Bro . Charles Cookman Millan , District Grand Master for Auckland , New Zealand , presided , and was supported by the R . W . Bro . the Hon . Walter John Napier ,

District Grand Master for the Eastern Archipelago as Deputy Grand Master , and R . W . Bro . the Hon . Mr . Justice Bucknill , Provincial Grand Master for Surrey , as Past Grand Master . The chairs of Senior Grand Warden and Junior Grand Warden were occupied respectively by R . W . Bro . Robert

Grey , P . G . W ., and V . W . Bro . the Rev . H . W . Turner , M . A ., P . G . Chaplain . Grand Lodge having been opened in due form , Bro . William Lake , Assistant Grand Secretary , read the minutes of the } " > revions Quarterly Communication , which were put and confirmed .

The Report of the Board of Benevolence was , on the motion of the President , V . W . Bro . J . H . Matthews , taken as read , and the various grants were duly confirmed . On the motion of V . W . Bro . Loveland-Loveland , K . C , President , the Report of the Board of General Purposes was taken as read , and ordered to bs entered on the minutes .

The report included a recommendation that the sum of . £ 50 be made from the funds of Grand Lodge towards the cost of erecting a Parish Hall for the use of the poor inhabitants of the district in which Freemasons' Hall is situated . The fact

that Grand Lodge was the largest owner of property in the parish was the reason put forward for making the grant , and it was carried unanimously . The next business was a series of notices of motion by the Grand Registrar , as follows : — 1 st . To acid to Rule 13 , Book of Constitutions , the words— " The price of such ticket not to exceed One Guinea . "

2 nd . In Rule 39 , for " eighteen " read thirty . " 3 rd . In Rule 40 , for " eighteen " read " thirty . " 4 th . In Rule 40 , omit the words " to be presented by the former Grand Steward of that Lodge . " The effect of which would be to fix a limit of price for the Grand Festival dinner ticket and to increase the number of

Lodges , known as Red Apron Lodges , from eighteen to thirty . The Grand Registrar entered into a statement ol his reasons for proposing that the changes should be made . For a great number of years , he said , the charge for a banquet ticket for the Festival had been fifteen shillingsbut a strong feeling

, had been expressed that the Stewards ought not to be called on to pay large sums out of their own pockets in order that the brethren might dine cheaply . For himself , he perfectly agreed with them , but many others did not agree , and last year when the brethren applied for tickets much

dissatisfaction was expressed when they were told that instead of fifteen shillings they would have to pay one guinea , and it occurred to him that there should be some limitation placed to the amount and that the limit should be one guinea , otherwise future Boards of Stewards , not acting with the wisdom of the

Stewards of to-day , might make the charge virtually prohibitive . With regard to the next motion , that the number of Stewards should be increased from eighteen to thirty , he had been astounded to hear many times lately that the Grand Stewards' Lodges—the eighteen lodges which nominated the Grand Stewards—had acquired an absolute right—that it was

a privilege granted to them because they put their hands in their pockets some years ago and contributed the deficiency for building Freemasons' Hall . That was a statement absolutely without foundation . It had been made over and over again , until many brethren had come to believe it . He

had made enquiry in every direction , because if it was so , and any arrangement had been made , he , for one , should have said that whatever the arrangements made some years ago might be , they ought to be very carefully observed , and , unless for very strong reasons , ought not to be departed from . He

had the privilege of having the notes which the late Bro . Fenn had made , and Bro . Richardson had also had them , and had kindly allowed him to peruse them . If any brother in the Order in the last few years would have known of such a thing and made a note of it , he was sure Bro . Fenn would have

done it . Bro . Gould ' s history did not reveal it , nor did the records of Grand Lodge show it , and he had in his possession the list of the lodges that did pay the money . He might tell the brethren there were a very great number more than eighteen .

He had a letter sent to him by their very highly esteemed Bro . Hughan , who wrote from Torquay on August 28 th , and it was put in his hands on his return from a little holiday . Bro . Hughan said he was unable to attend Grand Lodge for a reason which the ) - all deeply deplored , and he hoped better times were coming to that family which would enable that

brother to be with them more frequently . Bro . Hughan said that but for that reason he should have been present to give his warmest support to the proposition for the increase in the number of Grand Stewards' Lodges from eighteen to thirty , and he had put into a concise form that which he ( Bro . Strachan )

had to give the brethren from the records of Grand Lodge ; that when the number " eighteen" was agreed to in 1814 , there were only 140 lodges in the Metropolis with about 4900 members ; now there were 552 and fully 25 , 000 members . In

the provinces there were 400 lodges , but now there were 1400 and over 70 , 000 members . The total in England in 1 S 14 was 540 lodges , and now there were 1980 . There were then 19 , 000 members ; there were now 95 , 000 . There was no magic in the number eighteen . For very many years it was twelve .

As early as 1728 there were twelve Stewards , and it was said there should be twelve for the future . In 1 735 there was a memorial , and certain privileges were given that when they met they should be formed into a lodge , which was now called the Grand Stewards' Lodgewith the

, honourable position of being lirst on the roll without a number . In 1771 the number of Grand Stewards was directed to be increased to fifteen , but it was not acted upon , and it went back to twelve , who were nominated by nine lodges one lodge