Freemasonry In England.

" brethren , honored by the presence of above 120 ladies . This hall was festroyed by fire , on the 19 th of November , 1782 , and many valuable feooks and papers were burnt . Such , however , was the zeal of the brethren , that in the following year , they commenced another hall , named Phoenix Hall , the foundation of which was laid , with great pomp , on the 5 th of April , 1784 , and in the following year finished and dedicated in solemn

& nn . Lord Petre granted deputations for Provincial Grand Lodges at Madras aad Virginia ; also for Hants , Sussex and Surrey . During this administration , several Lodges were erased for nonconformity , but many new ones were added to the register , and under the Grand Master ' s fostering care , many improvements in the government of the Society were introduced .

Lord Petre , was succeeded by the Duke of Manchester , as Grand Master , 1 st May , 1777 ; during his term of office the tranquility of the Society was somewhat disturbed . An unfortunate dispute occurred between ihe Grand Lodge and the Lodge of Antiquity , which first arose in consequence of a complaint that the members of that Lodge had attended divine service at St , Dunstan ' s Church , Fleet-street , in the clothing of the

Order , and walked back to the Mitre Tavern , in their Begaiia , without having previously obtained a dispensation for that purpose . This , after bag and repeated consideration , the Grand Lodge considered to be a violation of the general regulations respecting public processions , upon ¦ which several opinions were formed . The misunderstanding was still more increased by the interference of the Grand Lodge in the ease of three

brethren who were expelled from the Lodge of Antiquity by its members , and whom the Grand Lodge ( it was thought by some , without , due consideration , ) ordered to be re-instated . With this the Lodge refused to

sarnply , and contended that acting upon their privileges according to immemorial constitution , the Grand Lodge had no control over their proceedings , so long as they kept within the landmarks of the Order . This unfortunate dispute continued over a space of ten years , during which , the Lodge of Antiquity separated itself from the Grand Lodge in London , and united with the Old Lodge at York . To understand the principle

on which they objected to the authority of the Grand Lodge as constituted by themselves in 1714 , we must refer our readers to a former number of the " Masonic Mirror , " where it explains that , according to ancient usage , the Fraternity met by the permission of the Master of the work at convenient places during its progress , and initiated brothers and fellows , and practised the rites of Masonry without any other control than that of

their ancient charges . To the award of the Fraternity , when in general meeting assembled , all the brethren were subject , and the authority of the Grand Master never extended beyond those bounds . This unfortunate misunderstanding , which appears to have arisen by inadvertence in the first place , and to have existed only in consequence of the precipitancy of one partyand the unyielding conduct of the otherwas happdy brought

, , to an end by the kind exertions of Br . Birch , P . M . of the Lodge of Antiquity ; the Master and Wardens of that truly ancient Lodge , took their seats in Grand Lodge as formerly , and perfect unanimity was restored .