Order Of The Temple.

sented a P . E . P . Cross to the E . Knight Clay Sudlow , and in doing so spoke of the great services the latter had rendered to the preceptory . The E . Knight Sudlow would , in relinquishing office , take with him the high regard and sincere esteem of every knight under his command . E . Knight Sudlow thanked the members of the preceptory

for their presentation , and V . E . Knight Kiralfy for the terms in which he had made it ; but said that , as time was very short , and much work remained to be done , he would defer what he had to say until the better opportunity that would occur later in the evening .

The preceptory was then closed . The Empress Preceptory was opened by the E . Preceptor , the Y . E . Knight Kiralfy , assisted by his officers , and the Knight H . H . Montague Smith , of the King Edward VII . Preceptory , was elected as a joining member .

The Eminent Preceptor elect , the Knight K . Palmer-Thomas , ist Constable , having been presented by the E . Knight Sudlow , was thereupon duly installed Preceptor of the Empress Preceptory and Prior in the Order of S . John of Jerusalem , Palestine , Rhodes , and Malta , the ceremony

being performed by the V . E Knight Kiralfy in his usual able manner . The new Eminent Preceptor then appointed his officers as follows : —Knights Will . O . Welsford , ist Constable ; Rev . H . Oliver , 2 nd Constable ; A . E . Kiralfy , Chaplain ; F . C Van Duzer , Treasurer : W . E . Garstin , Registrar ; G . R-

Blades , Marshal ; J . F . Langford , Almoner ; Col . Craster , ist Herald ; H . J . Homer , 2 nd Herald ; F . W . Allvey , ist Standard Bearer ; J . M . Bathgate , 2 nd Standard Bearer ; S . E . Hipwell , Captain of Guards ; A . G . Hamilton , Organist . TheE . Preceptor then said : — "A most pleasing task now devolves on me . The V . E . Knight Kiralfy having already

attained the rank of Preceptor , and being , therefore , in possession of the P . E . P . ' s Cross , I will ask him , as our ist Preceptor , to accept this silver rose bowl as a slight token of our esteem , and also of our gratitude for his untiring work , not only for us as a preceptory , but for the whole Order .

An equivalent of our debt to him we cannot offer , but we hope that he will receive this as just a small reminder to himself that he has the warm appreciation and sincere affection of his brethren of the Empress Preceptory . " The V . E . Knight Kiralfy , in thanking the E . Preceptor

and knights for their presentation , said that he would greatly value it as a testimony of their kindly feeling toward himself . What he had done in endeavouring to promote the accurate and worthy rendering of the ceremonies of the Order had been a keen pleasure to him . He thanked those knights -who had assisted him , and trusted he should long be enabled to work with them on the same lines and for the same ends .

There being no further business the E . Preceptor closed the preceptory . Subsequently the knights sat down to an excellent banquet at Freemasons' Tavern , under the Presidency of the E . Knight R . Clay Sudlow . The toast of " The King" was given and received with

the greatest enthusiasm . The E . Knight Sudlow , in proposing the toast of " The M . E . & S . Grand Master , and the Great Officers , " alluded to the special value of the services rendered to the Order of the Temple by the Right Hon . the Earl of Euston and the

delegates who accompanied him to America . The E . Preceptor expressed the satisfaction felt by all upon their safe return , and welcomed one of their number , the V . E . Knight , T . P . Dorman , K . C . T ., who had honoured the preceptory by his presence that evening .

The V . E . Knight T . P . Dorman replied , and thanked the knights for the hearty welcome extended to him . He promised that on some future occasion , if suitable arrangements could be made , he would give them an optical lantern demonstration of photographs taken during the recent tour

in America . The next toast proposed was that of " The E . Preceptor elect , the V . E . Knight Thomas Frazer , " who , on account of

"Charity Never Faileth."

"CHARITY NEVER FAILETH . "

THE LIHERATOR KELIEK FUND IN ITS ELEVENTH YEAR . The very word " Liberator " brings with it a train of memories . First of all , what appeared to be a gigantic industrial scheme , then a terrific crisis and a horrible fiasco . Afterwards , a great and prolonged moan from hundreds and thousands of hardworking souls

who had invested their all in what was now an abyss of failure . Probably , in the whole of financial history there has never been so sweeping a failure as this , certainly never a more cruel one , or one involving representatives from so many classes .

To main-, the most appalling part of the whole thing lay in the fact that those who had organised the scheme were prominent in their professions of Christianity . And certainly from a moral point of view this made the matter all the more serious . It is therefore the more beautiful and touching to find how full of faith many of the most hardly hit of the victims still remain , plainly showing that they have indeed stored their treasure where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt .

The Rev . J . Stockwell Watts , in the moment when the heartbreaking cry was first heard , gave up his cure , and came to the rescue of the thousands who , it would seem , had been swindled under the very cloak of religion Perhaps it was fitting , whilst it was also very brave , that a minister of religion should undertake this mission . But Mr . Watts had a very definite and practical idea in his head . Many people had a superfluity of this world ' s goods , everybody was overflowing with sympathy for the victims . Both these classes must be asked to practically show their sympathy with those who had lost , unfortunately in many cases , their earthly all .

A Fund was started , a very responsible Committee watched over the development of the work , and the Rev . J . Stockwell Watts became honorary secretary , as he was also the founder . H . R . H . Prince Christian graciously consented to be the patron , and the General Committee consists of many well-known public men . Steadily for over twelve years this little ship of refuge has been ploughing the troubled sea wherein the victims of the crudest

commercial disaster of the nineteenth century were being submerged . One by one the most heartrending tales were unfolded , looked into and proved to be correct . Aged clergy , spinsters who had taught whilst health and strength lasted , and lost all their savings in this cruel scheme , and hard-handed sons of toil -one and all came to the Relief Fund for assistance .

L ' p to the time of writing no less than 20 . 26 grants have been made , and these were always to people in dire financial straits . The total expended during the last year was £ ( 1 , ( 154 '< ° f tn ' - ' -- ° 7 grants were to cases of over seventy years of age , and 6 9 S grants were to people mostly over sixty , generally invalids , and these are mostly treated as Annuitants .

Alas ! as the years go on ever fresh cases come to light . These latter have , so far , nobly abstained from asking for help , though many of them were far on in life's journey , because they still hoped to be able by hard work to retrieve a little of their lost savings . But no . that disease from which every creature is born to suffer , the coming of old age , has overtaken them , and their heroic struggle is of no avail . Indeedto read of those cases in a hlet issued b

, pamp y Mr . Watts makes one ' s heart ache . This , then is why the work must still go 011 , because the aftermath of suffering is so inconceivably greater than one had any idea of . The annual grants are very small—only about an average of £ y—which as a help to existence does seem a small sum . and it would be a blessing indeed to be able to enlarge this .

I would suggest to all my readers that they write to the Rev . Stockwell Watts , at 2 . St . David ' s Road , Southsea , enclosing fid ., and a stamped addressed envelope for his little brochure entitled " The Meaning of the Mystery . " This booklet cannot fail to excite their sympathy , and show them why the Fund requires continued and enlarged support . And . by the way , the proceeds of the sale of this book go towards helping the Liberator Relief Fund .

In conclusion , may we hope that at the time when peace and goodwill is preached from every pulpit , when our hearts receive again the old merciful lesson , this truly Christian charity may be remembered by all who love their fellow men . For it is an old and time-honoured saying that " It is more blessed to give than to receive . "

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Cheques and P . O . ' s should be made payable to the " Liberator" Relief Fund , crossed " The London City and Midland Bank , " and sent to the Sec , Rev . J . Stockwell Watts , 16 , Farringdon Street , E . C .