Knights Templar.

on so nu-Masonic a feeling as that of rivalry , except it bo in the act of doing- good . ( Cheers . ) Sir Knt . JOE" II . LAW , Grand Chancellor , spoke thus : — Most Eminent and Supreme Grand Master , —You have just heard from the Very High and Eminent Deputy Grand Master the expression of his pleasure that , at last , our ancient and noble Order lias found a hall , where we have entered to-day for

the first time , which , in its arrangements , is so appropriate to our wants . As year Grand Chancellor , I take the liberty of adding the expression of my approbation to everything I see around us . Rather than comment further upon the subject , at this moment , I beg leave to read and present to you a petition signed by tlie Very High and Eminent Deputy Grand Master ,

and by many other Grand Officers , Eminent Commanders , and Knights Companions , praying that you , Most Eminent Sir , will now perform the ceremony of consecrating this hall , for the purposes of Knight Tempkry , according to ancient custom , feeling that such an act will be the most appropriate commencement of the business proceedings of this day . ( Hear , ear . ) The petition , which was then presented by Sir Knt . Law , G . Chancellor , was as follows : —

" To the Most Eminent and Supreme Grand , Master , William Stuart , Esq ., of Aldenliam Abbey , in the county of Herts , c $ - c . " The humble petition of Colonel George Yernon , the Very High and Eminent Deputy Grand Master , the Grand OfRcers of Grand Conclave , the Very Eminent Provincial Grand Commanders , the Eminent Commanders of Encampments and other

Knights Companions of the Orders of Masonic Knights Templar and Knights Hospitallers of Saint John of Jerusalem , Palestine , Rhodes , and Malta : — "Sheweth , " That for many years past the meetings of Grand Conclave have been held at the Freemasons' Tavern , in Great

Queenstreet , by the permission of those holding authority under the Grand Lodge of Freemasons in England ; that the accommodation which has been there provided , as well for the meetings of the Grand Conclave as for the convenience of the Most Eminent and Supreme Grand Master , and the Grand Officers has , upon the last two or three occasions , been so much lessened , that at last it was not sufficient for the proper performance of the ancient ceremonies of our High and Exalted Order . "That , the subject of the future home and accommodation to

be provided having been left to the Committee for General Purposes , appointed at the last Grand Conclave , they took the same into their serious consideration , and the premises in Bedford-row having been taken by the Masonic Union Companj' , and that company having erected the hall , and other adjoining rooms , and made other suitable accommodation , the

committee have , in the pursuance of the power vested in them , purchased handsome and appropriate furniture and other necessary additions , and have made certain arrangements with the company for the future accommodation of the Grand Conclave . "Your petitioners , therefore , humbly pray that you will be pleased to consecrate the new hall according to ancient custom ,

with such ceremony as you may think fit . "And your petitioners will over pray . " George Vernon , D . G . M . George Francis , Prov . G . Com . for Hertfordshire . II . H . Burchell-Iierne , P . E . C Stuart Encampment , P . 1 st G . Captain .

AV . A . F . Powell , D . P . G . M ., Bristol . Tlios . Hoskins Low , Baldwyn , Bristol , 2 nd Capt . John Huyshe , Prov . G . Com . for Devon and Cornwall .

Frederick Charles Smethurst , E . C United Encampments , Lancashire . Charles D . Humbert , Stuart Encavn \ ira . en , fc , Watford . C . Miller Layton , E . C Stuart Encampment , Watford . George Chick , 1 st Capt . Baldwyn , Bristol . W . Bird Herapath , P . 1 st G . Capt . Baldwyn , Bristol .

Scipio Brizzi . Jas . Davy , P . E . C . and G . Prior for Devon . Thomas Harfoot , E . C , 2 nd Grand Captain . Chas . Swan , A . G . D . of Cers ., E . G ., Mount Calvary . Frederick Binckes , E . C , elect , Mount Calvary . Richard Kodda , Loyal Brunswick Encampt . G . Chancellor for

Devon . Thomas Mills , Loyal Brunswick , G . V . C , Devon . Alexander Ridgway . J . Gibbs , P . Prov . D . G . Com . Bombay ; P . E . C , Mount Zion ; St . George . R . Robinson Rodd , 1 st G . Standard-Bearer , E . G ., Loyal

Brunswick . Henry AVilliam Spratt , P . 1 st G . Capt . and P . E . C , Observance . Matthew Cooke , Grand Organist , Kemeys Tynte . William . J . Meymott , G . D . of Cers . ; P . E . C Faith and Fidelity . Sir Knt . AV . SrUAUT , Most Eminent and Supreme Grand Master , said , in reply , —Sir Knights , having listened with great gratification to the remarks of my Very High and Eminent Deputy , and also to what has been said by my Excellent Grand

Chancellor , as well as having seen and considered the import of the petition just presented to me , I willingly consent to act as requested . But I should he doing injustice to my own feelings if I did not take this opportunity , before I proceed to consecrate this hall for the purposes of Masonic Knight Templary , to say how gratified I am to find our High and Exalted Order meeting

in a place more worthy of its antiquity , renown , and importance than the place in which we last assembled . ( Hear , hear . ) AVithout venturing to allude to any reasons that may have brought to pass the circumstances that compelled our removal from Great Queen-strest—if , indeed , any good reasons do exist—and without alluding to anything I may have

done , on my own . part , to further the object , suffice it to say wo are here . ( Loud applause . ) AVith unalloyed feelings of pleasure I congratulate you and myself , as your elected head , that at last we have , as his been said , a place of meeting worthy of the exalted Order to which we have associated ourselves . I regret much that any cause of difference should

have arisen between another branch of Freemasonry and ourselves . I deplore the cause for any secession , as it mayseem , by one body of Freemasons from another , but wo could scarcely , with any regard to ourselves , continue in our late position without expecting to receive even additional affronts offered to us beyond what we have already submitted to . ( Hear . ) That this elegant and appropriate hall and adjoining rooms have been erected —that wo now have furniture and other necessaries of our own

—of a class and description with wliich I am perfectly satisfied , is a source of great pleasure and satisfaction to me . The fact that we , as Knights [ Templar , have taken the lead , as it were , in carrying out the plan is merely a matter of accident , and is not to be considered in any way as an attempt to assume the proprietorship of the building . I cordially endorse the observations of my very high and eminent Deputy upon the subject

of a uniform system of working our beautiful and interesting ceremonies , and trust that now wo have this hall , with the other adjoining and convenient rooms , the various encampments meeting in London will soon make arrangements to assemble here , and so be induced to conform to one uniform system of work , based upon the " Constitution and Regulations" by which