Installation Of The Right Hon. Earl De Grey And Ripon As R.W. Prov. G.M. Of West Yorkshire.

sacrifice on his part should be wanted ; and further , that he ivould waive some other engagement to be present at the festivities . Dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , E . W . SHAW , ~ > Hon . J . H . HEELES , j Sees .

IXSTAILATIOX or THE RIGHT HOX . THE EAEI DE GBEV . AXD Rirox , R . AV . P . G . M . OF AVEST YOEKSIIIBE . Committee Room , 10 , Park ROAA- , Leeds , March 23 rd , 1861 . Sut , 1 X 0 BiiOTHJ' ]' , —At a numerous meeting of the members of . the three lodges held at the AVhite Horse Hotel , Leeds , under the Presidency of Bro . Leeming , the AV . M . of the Alfred Lodge ( 381 ) , it ivas unanimously resolved -.

—" That owing to the central position and the railway facilities , as ivell as the superior accommodation afforded by the magnificent Town Hall of Leeds , ivhich possesses an unrivalled organ , ei'ery effort should be made to secure the selection of Leeds as the place of Installation for the Right Hon . the Ear ] de Grey and Ripon as R . AV . P . G . M . of West Yorkshire . " AVe have also the pleasure to add that a sufficient Guarantee Fund ivas then formed for defraying such of the expenses as

cannot be paid out of tlie Provincial funds , ample provision being thus secured for the comfort of those present on the occasion . The following brethren ivere also appointed as a Joint Committee : —• The Rev . A . P . A . AVoodford , M . A „ P . M . 382 , P . P . G . S . W . and P . P . G . C ., Chairman ; John Pepper , P . M . 38-1 , anel William Leeming , AV . M . 38-1 , A ice-Chairmen ; Samuel Freeman , S . W . 384 , Treasurer ; Edward W . Shaw , J . W . 382 , and . 1 . B . Heeles , Sec . 361 , Secretaries .

H . Inchbold , AV . M . 361 ; T . Eagland , P . M . 361 , P . P . G . R . ; J . D . Kay , J . AV . 36-1 ; AV . Spark , 361 , P . P . G . O . ; J . B . Heeles , Sec , 361 ; J . Batley , W . M . 382 , P . P . G . R . ; Rev . A . F . A . AVoodford , P . M . 382 , P . P . G . S . W ., P . P . G . Chaplain ; AV . Perkin , P . M . 382 , P . P . G . R . ; J . Biickton , P . M . 382 , P . P . G . S . D . ; E . \ V . Shaw , J . AA " . 382 ; AV . Leeming , AVM . 38-1- ; Rhodes Dawson , P . M . 381 ; J . Pepper , P . M . 384 j S . Freeman , S . AV . 381 ; F . J . Blackburn , Sec . 381 . Favourable replies to a preliminary circular have been alread

y received from several influential loelges in neighbouring towns , and we therefore again confidently solicit your vote and active support at the approaching meeting of P . G . Lodge , to be held at Huddersfield , on AVednesday , the 10 th April , where the matter is to be decided . AVe are , Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , E . ' W . SHAW , ? u . . J . B . HEELES , j feeCTet * --

Durability Of Ancient Buildings.

DURABILITY OF ANCIENT BUILDINGS .

Mr . H . Newman , of "Winchester , in a letter on thc decay of the stone in thc Houses of Parliment , in tho Hampshire Chronicle , says : — It seems to me to be worth a passing notice as to how Ave are to account for the judgment thus displayed by those ancient builders . It appears quite certain that Freemasons in their fraternal and operative character had a good deal to elo with tbe matter , occupying ,

as they then did , their proper positions in all buildings where stone was the principal material used : and as the master , who had the management of building , was elected'by his brother Masons , there was not much fear as to the result . I imagine that much more is due to this ancient Order , with respect to the old buildings , even in this country , than there is to the Roman Catholic Church , or any other church , beyond the mere paying part , as the Popes of Rome and many of the Sovereigns of Europe Avere glad enough to

confide to their skilful hands , the work of erecting these magnificent buildings for the celebration of the ceremonies of the church , and conferring on them special privileges , and , above all ( for that intolerant church ) , allowing them the exercise of their own Masonic rites ; but no sooner were the requirements of the church provided for ivith respect to buildings , and the separate profession of architects became more established , than the fraternity of Freemasons become obnoxious to that church which had before sought their

help , and from this time the brotherhood lost its essential operative character , which was about the 11 th century . And since that period the Operative Mason has not , as ariile , hadsomuch control in building matters as the importance of that branch requires . It is true that , when Sir Christopher AVren was about to commence St . Paul ' s , he did not consult Professor This or Professor That as to the stone , but the most eminent Master Masons of the day ( Operative Masons , of course ) , and , no doubt , there were some belonging to his lodge , he himself being a Freemason . But with regard to the selection of the stone for the new Houses of Parliment , what can read more

Durability Of Ancient Buildings.

like a romance than the manner in which this ivas done . One can scarcely imagine it to be true that a commission should be appointed that should he composed of anything but the right sort of men—¦ men , I mean , who had had long experience in working different sorts of stone , and who knew from that experience AA-hat sort of stone AA-as best for the purpose intended—who knew well that such and such quarries produced good stone to stand the weather , and that the same quarries produced stone that would not stand tlie

weather-There are thousands of masons who can tell what beds are best in a given quarry , and how much of some blocks even may be used AA'ith safety , and how much should be rejected as not to be depended on ; and what chemist upon earth can decide such a matter in a practical point of view ? And the architect is much in the same situation . The chemist can specify the nature and some of the chemical properties of a piece of stone , and he may give tests to prove it ; but though the architect may submit specimens of stone to these tests , and make his specification accordingly , yet he is still s \ ibject to the mortification of getting what lie did not intend .

Masonic Dedication.

MASONIC DEDICATION .

[ Bro . Tweddell has dedicated the forthcoming second edition of his book , Shalcspere , his Times and Contemporaries , to the Craft in the following terms ] : — " To all true brethren of that most worshipful , ancient , and widely-spread of all fraternities , the FKEE AXD ACCEPTED MASONS , whatever their rank in life , political party , or religious creed , and wherever they be dispersed around the lobe ; who have not

may g only been initiated in the body of a lodge , just , perfect , and regular—subscribed to the Craft funds and noble charities of the Order—made themselves familiar with the Boole of Constitutions , and the By-Laws of the lodge or lodges to w-hich they belong—and learnt by heart our sublime ritual , —but who also reduce to daily practice the sacred precepts constantly inculcated from the pedestals when , the lodge is properly tylect -. not to those false and

perjured brethren ivho , having freely and voluntarily offered themselves as candidates for the mysteries and privileges of Freemasonry , and solemnly declared that ( unbiassed hy the improper solicitations of friends against their own inclinations , and uninfluenced by mercenary or other unworthy motives ) , they were prompted to solicit those privileges from a favourable opinion preconceived , of the institution , a general elesire . of knowledge , and a sincere AAISII to render themselves more extensively serviceable to their fellow-creatures ,

nevertheless lead mere animal lives , basely false to their Masonic obligations : but to those genuine Masons to whom our distinguishing badge ( more ancient than the Golden Fleece ov Roman Eagle , and more honourable than the Star anel Garter , or any other Order in existence ) , is indeed the emblem of innocence and the bond of friendship ; and more especially to all true Freemasons of the United Kingdom and her Colonies , and of the United States of America , —' ivho speak the language Shakspere spoke , ' —the following pages are respectfully dedicated , by a humble but earnest

brother of the Craft ; who , whilst he holds himself alone responsible for the opinions expressed in this volume , at the same time hopes that there will not be found in the work , now once more offered to the public , anything ojiposed to the important duties ivhich every ' brother of the mystic tie' is taught that lie oives to God , to his neighbour , and to himself . — "' To God , by never mentioning His holy name but with that awe and reverence which are due from the creature to his Creator ,

and by imploring His aid on all your lawful undertakings , and by looking up to Him in every emergency for comfort anil support ; to your neighbour , by acting ivith him upon the square , by rendering him ei-ery kind office , which justice or mercy may require , by relieving his distresses , by soothing his afflictions , anel by doing to him as , in similar eases , you would wish him to do to you ; and to yourself , by such a prudent and well regulated course of discipline as may best conduce to the preservation of your corporeal and

mental faculties in their fullest energy ; thereby enabling you to exert the talents wherewith God has blest you , as ivell to His glory as to the Avelfare of your fellow-creatures . ' "The foregoing extract , though it can give to the uninitiated hut a faint idea of our beautiful system of morality , ' veiled in allegory , and illustrated by symbols , ' may , nevertheless , in the language of that true Mason , George AVashington , * tend to convince mankind that the grand object of Masonry is to promote the

happiness of the human race . ' " That we may so carry out the three grand principles of Freemasonry—Brotherly Love , Relief j and Truth—that ' when a man is said to be Mason , the world may know that he is one to AA-hom the burthened heart may pour forth its sorroivs , to Avhom the distressed may prefer their suit , whose heart is guided by justice , and whose hand is extended by benevolence , ' is the earnest prayer of " GEOEOE AIASKHAJI TAVEDDELL . "