Royal Arch.

ROYAL ARCH .

METROPOLITAN . JEETJSALEIT . CHAPTER ( NO . 185 ) . —A regular convocation of this Chapter was helel at Freemasons' Hall , ou Tuesday , 13 th inst . Present : —Comps . F . R . Stevens , M . E . Z . ; It . AA ' atts , P . Z . ; T . Shepherd , P . Z . ; E . H . Patten , P . G . S . P ., P . Z . Treas . ; A . Overeloerffer , P . S . ; A . D . Loewenstark , P . Z . ; It . Sheen , P . Z . and S . E . ; Holhrook , S . AV . ; and several visiting companions

whose names wo were unable to obtain . Bros . Jacob Cohen , 173 , arid G . W . _ Martin , P . M . 201 , were exalted to the R-. A . degree , after being duly balloteel for . The Chapter opened , anel the minutes of previous convocation confirmed . Ten Guineas were voted to the Boys' School , to complete the amount of fifty guineas , making the Chapter a A ice-President . ASKKEW CHAPTEE , ( NO . 831 ) . —This new Chapter met last Thursday at Hammersmith for the first time since its

consecration , all its members with one exception being present . Three brethren were exalted to the R . A . degree by Comp . Lines , the new M . E . Z ., iu a most admirable manner , ably assisted by his officers , among whom may be particularly mentioned the P . S . It is not often that a new loelge or chapter is able at first to perform all its work , but the manner in which the ceremony was performed on this occasion proved how much may be accomplished by industry and perseverance . It was proposed

by Comp . Worthington , and carried , to establish a " P . P . " Jewell to be awarded to those past principals who may elischarge the duties of the chair . After some further propositions the chapter neljourued .

Knights Templar.

KNIGHTS TEMPLAR .

GRAND CONCLAVE . The Grand Conclave of the Order of the Temple and Hospital took place on Friday , the 9 th December , at the Freemasons ' Tavern . Great Queen Street , London . The meeting was originally intended to have been held at Freemasons' Hall , anel the reason for tho change in the place of meeting is explained in the Report of the Committee . Among others , the following principal members of the Order

were present : —The G . M . Sir K . W . Stuart ; the D . G . M . the Rev . J . Huyshe ; Col . Vernon , P . D . G . M . ; C J . Vigne , P . G . C , Dorsetshire ; Capt . N . G . Philips , P . G . C , Suffolk aud Cambridge ; Lord Eliot , P . G . C , Cornwall ; Capt . Gierke , P . Prov . G . C , AVest Indies ; A . C . Crookshauk , P . Prov . G . C , Ceylon ; the Earl of Limerick , Grand Prior ; the Hon . A . W . A . N . Hood , M . P ., Somersetshire , and Major IT . T . Duncan , British Burmah , ( the two newly-appointed Prov . G . C ' s . ; and R . J . SpiersD . Prov .

, G . C , Oxford . The Grand Conclave was opened by the M . E . S . G . M . in ample form , the Muster Roll being called by tho Grand Registrar . The P . G . C for Somers 3 t ; the Hon . A . W- A . N . Hood , M . P ., aud the P . G . C . for British Burmah , Major Harvov Tuckett

Duncan were then severally introduced , and performed their charge . Tha minutes of the last Grand Conclave were read aud confirmed . The G . Chancellor then read the following Report of the Committee : — Most Eminent and Supreme Grand Master : The Committee of Grand Conclave has the honour to report

that the numerical force of the Order has steadily increased since the date of tbe last meeting . The change in the place of meeting is an important event which has taken place since the last Conclave . The premises at Bedford Row having been sold , and it having been found impossible to come to any arrangement with the purchaser in any respect advantageous to , or within the means of the Oreler , tho Committee appointed ad hoc was reluctantly obliged to

recommend the abandonment of that locality . The Board of General Purposes of the Craft kindly offered the Order the use of the Da Grey and Ripon Room , at Freemasons' Hall , but it being found not only too small , but so inconveniently situated with regarel to those auxiliary rooms rermisite for the performance of the Ceremonies and the convenience of the Ollicers , the Grand

Director of Ceremonies , to whose discretion the Committee had remitted the matter , saw no other solution of the difficulty than to fix on the room we now occupy , anel which , with those adjacent , offers greater convenience . Your Committee will , however , not lose sight of the matter , shoulel a more suitable arrangement bo subsequently found possible . Since the Grand Conclave holelen in May , a now warrant has been grantee ! to the Moore Encampmentat Peterborough

, , Ontario , iu the Dominion of Canada . The A ery Eminent Dr . Falconer , the old and valued Grand Commander Somersetshire , having , from the great increase of his professional business as a physician , found his time too fully occupied to allow him any longer to perform the office intrusted to bim , resigned it into your hands , anel you have been graciously pleased to appoint as his successorthe

, Honourable A . AV . A . N . Hood , Member for AVest Somersetshire , eldest son of A iscoemt Bridport , a Captain in H . M . 25 th Regiment . The Committee has to report that Captain Hood has accepted the appointment and announced his intention of presenting himself to perform his homage at this Conclave . A vacancy in the Committee having thus occurred , you have been pleased , in exercise of the power conferred by the Statutes ,

to appoint the Right Honourable the Lorel Skelmersdale to supply his place during the remainder of the year . The A ery Eminent Grand Commander , Colonel Greenlaw having been removed , in the course of his military duty , from Burmah , he resigned his charge , anel you have been pleased to appoint to the vacancy , Major Harvey Tuckett , Duncan , who has accepted the appointment , and signified his intention to attend and perform his homage at this conclave . Your Committee

regrets to report that Colonel Greenlaw , who was acting on . behalf of the Grand Commander of Madras , the Very Eminent Sir Knight Arthur Macdonald Ritchie , during his absence on leave , has since departed this life . The United Piwince of Northumberland and Berwick , aud that of West Yorkshire , are still in commendan , no appropriate person having yet been found to assume their command . In consequence of a deputation from the Province of Lancashire , urging on vour Committee the advisibility of issuing

an Agenda Paper a week previous to the meeting of the Grand Conclave , for the purpose of keeping the Order in general , and the absentees in particular , better informed as to the business to be brought before it , and of any change contemplated in tho Statutes , Rules , or Ordinances of thc Oreler , your Comiuitte decided , in conformity with the above representation , to present aud recommend for the consideration of Grand Conclave a motion to carry out the views expressed by the deputation ,

which will be formerly moved , for altering the Statute regulating the distribution of the Agenda Paper . Your Committtee directed the Grand Vice-Chancellor to anticipate the decision of Grand Conclave by issuing the Agenda Paper of the business at the present meeting , according to the terms of the motion referred to , and before the same could be submitted to Grand Conclave for adoption ; and such Agenda Paper has been distributed accordingly .

Your Committee has decided to recommend the following grants from tbe lunel of Benevolence : —Sir Knight D— £ 10 , and Sir Knight AV— £ 25 . The particulars of these eases will be stated to you orally by the Grand Treasurer , by whom they will be moved . At the suggestion of tho Melita Encampment , subscriptions have been solicited for the sick anel wounded in the present Continental war . Thus challenged to carry out one of the original

objects of the Order of tlie Knights Hospitaller of St . John , those administrative officers with whom communication coulelbe conveniently hael at that season of the year , when the summoning of a Committee would have been futile , though it woulel not he easy to reject such a suggestion ; anel , in consequence , issued a circular , which has produced no very considerable result . It is now suggested by your Committee that , inasmuch as the general fund subscribed for the sick and wounded amounts to so

very large a sum , and in an indirect way may be considered as tending to nurture the war , the sum subscribed by . nembers of the Order woulel be better applied to the relief of those unfortunate persons who have , by the calamity „ of war , been rendered destitute , without any fault of their own , and who will starve should they not receive a temporary assistance . Your Committee , therefore , recommends that the Subscribers should be communicated with , with the view of obtaining their assent to