Masonic Mems.

The Lincolnshire Provincial Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons was held at Crowle this year , R . W . Bro . Jack Sutcliffe , Provincial Grand Master , presiding . The treasurer ' s report , showing a balance in hand of £ 35 , was received , and Bro . Chatles Scorer was elected treasurer , and Bro . W . Lancaster , tyler . Among

the other officers appointed were Bro . Stainforth , P . G . S . W . ; Bro . Baines , P . G . S . W . ; Bro . the Rev . L . Gassick , P . G ., chaplain ; Bro . A . Whyes , P . G ., registrar ; Bro . W . F . Morton , P . G .,

secretary ; Bro . E . Cousans , P . G . J . D . ; Bro . W . H . Roberts , P . G . D . C . ; Bro . J . F . Johnson , P . G . A . D . C It was resolved that the next Lodge should be held at Gainsbro ' , and a hanquet was subsequently provided , over which the R . W . Provincial Grand Master ( Bro . Sutcliffe , of Grimsby ) presided . # * #

At the last monthly meeting of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , the following report was made by the Sub-Committee recently appointed " to inquire into the working of the Secretary ' s office " : —

To the Committee of Management of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . The Sub-Committee appointed at the meeting of the Committee on Wednesday , the nth September last , " to inquire into the working of tlie Secretary ' s office , " have to report that they have held two meetings , namely , on the 31 st of October and 5 th of November

respectively , and the Secretary produced the minutes containing the report of the Sub-Committee defining his duties and emoluments at the time of his appointment in 1872 , and the dates of the minutes showing the various changes in the latter that have been made , also the minutes containing- the appointment of a permanent clerk , as well as the report of the Sub-Committee defining the duties and emoluments of the Collector on his appointment , all of which were

fully considered and due inquiry made as to whether each had faithfully performed his allotted task . The Sub-Committee have much pleasure in stating that they found such was the case , and that , at the instance of the Secretary , the office hours had been extended from 4 p 111 . to 5 p . m ., such extension having been rendered necessary in his opinion by the ever-increasing work of the Institution . In view of certain statements that had been made , that the

Collector had received commission on sums which had not been received by him , the Sub-Comm ' ttee desire to call particular attention to Clause 9 of the report of the Sub-Committee appointed on June 9 , 1880 , to consider the duties to be performed by him , and the commission to be paid , and which report was approved at a Special Committee on June 22 , 18 S 0 . Such clause is as follows : — " 9 That he be paid a commission of 5 per cent , upon all sums

. received by him , with the exception of those paid on the day of the Festival , and up to and inclusive of the settling-day , and also excepting any amounts paid into the office , and for which receipts are given by the Secretary or Clerk . "

On inquiry of the Secretary , he pledged himself that in no case had moneys sent to him after the settling day been handed over to the Collector , in order that he should receive a commission on the n unless the person so remitting the money requested that it might be so handed over , and , as no member of the Sub-Committee ( even including the mover of the resolution upon which the Sub-Committee was appointed ) was able to name any one case upon which

inquiry could be made , and as no complaint had been received at the office , your Sub-Committee are of opinion that all moneys which the Collector had been paid he was fully entitled to , in accordance with the terms of his appointment . Looking at the fact that the Committee of Management had latelhad so favorable an inion from Bro . Smiththe Grand

y op , Lodge Auditor , as to the mode of keeping the accounts , your Sub-Committee do not think it necessary to again travel over that ground . Dated this 13 th day of November , 1889 .

* * * The grave of Bro . Henry Jeff , in Hempstead churchyard , has been adornedj with a beautiful Norman cross in Sicilian marble , the ^ bases being in marble and Forest stone . Cut in the upper base is the following inscription , which will explain the origin and

object of the memorial : — " This cross is erected by Freemasons of Gloucestershire to perpetuate the memory of Henry Jeff , P . M ., P . L ., P . P . S . G . W ., P . P . J . G ., P . D . G . M . Mk . M . M ., who died August , 1888 , aged 6 9 years . He was a zealous Mason , a Past Master of the Royal Lebanon and Zetland Lodges , Gloucester ,

and an officer of Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons . In the year 188 3 he served the office of City Hig h Sheriff , and was highly esteemed for his antiquarian researches . "

Established but little more than four years ago , the Wilberforce Lodge , No . 2 , 134 , has made such rapid strides in membership that the accommodation to be obtained at the present premises in Charlotte-street , Hull , has been found to be insufficient , and it was determined some months ago to seek a new home for the Lodge .

Accordingly the matter was taken in hand , and eventually a large building in St . Luke-street , known as the Baptist Tabernacle , and which was originally built for a Temperance Hall , was purchased . The premises , which were copyhold , were made freehold , the purchase - money being ^" 750 , while the expense

of altering the building is estimated at about £ 400 . The working of transforming the place into a Masonic Hall is now being rapidly proceeded with . Every inch of room in the building is being utilised . The banqueting - room is on the ground floor , and is of large dimensions , being capable of seating

about 20 . A statue of Wilberforce has been presented to the Lodge by Bro . Keyworth , and this will occupy a prominent position in the banqueting-room . The Lodge-room , which is situate on the first floor , is very capacious . Highly-ornamented Corinthian pillars surround the room , and the ceiling is bracketed and panelled .

Around the room is a raised dais , and the seats will be of iron , handsomely upholstered . There are waiting and retiring-rooms on each floor , and every convenience for the comfort of the brethren . The W . M . of the Lodge , Bro . W . Woodhall , who has been well supported by the brethren , has taken a warm interest in the

undertaking , and it is intended that the anniversary of the Lodge and the consecration of its new habitation shall take place on January 29 next . A warrant for a Royal Arch chapter has been obtained . The whole of the money for the purchase and alteration of the new building has been raised from among the members of the Lodge .

* The Universe , the Catholic London weekly , says : — " The Freemasons of Portugal are much shocked at the impiety of tlie Patriarch of Lisbon , Cardinal Neta . It appears that in the course of his funeral sermon his Eminence remarked that the deceased King had need of the prayers of his subjects , as it was evident ,

notwithstanding his many virtues , that he must have committed many venial sins in his lifetime , and might , therefore , be still in , purgatory . Now , of course , no Catholic who remembered his catechism , or who attended to his religious duties , would see anything strange in the Patriarch ' s remarks : to pray for the soul of the

deceased monarch would seem to him to be the most obvious and practical way of showing his affection for him . But the Freemasons of Portugal and France are indignant at the suggestion that King Luis ' s soul did not ascend straight to eternal bliss . This is refreshing to hear from members of an Order which has expunged the name of God from its books , whose motto is Ni Dicu ni Mat / re — 'Neither God nor Master . ' "

* * * " Even our very respectable contemporary , the Paris Figaro , is horrified . Listen to its plaintive protest : — ' After having been the model of constitutional Sovereigns , after having proved himself a good son , a good husband , a good father , having left to his subjects

the memory of all his virtues , and being regretted by them as no other King could be , having died a sincere Christian with the Apostolic Benediction , and after having a whole nation regretting him and praying for the repose of his soul ; all this is of no avail , it would seem , for King Luis ' s soul is still in purgatory . ' The

Figaro is evidently much disturbed in its tonsorial soul at the possible consequences of the patriarch ' s sermon ; it might even bring about a schism in Portugal , and what grief and consternation there would be in the Lodges throughout Europe . But the most comic part of the article is where its writer explains to the public

the grave significance of the patriarch ' s utterance as being no less than a ' formal disavowal of the absolution pronounced over the dying King by the Pope's Nuncio . ' We strongly recommend this theme for development by our Protestant contemporaries in England . "