United Grend Lodge Of England.

property of the United Grand Lodge , on a lease for 49 years , at a rental of £ 300 per annum , and with an expenditure for repairs and improvements of £ 3 , 000 , was agreed on the proposition of W . Bro . Thomas Fenn , President of the Board , seconded by R . W . Bro . the Earl of Euston , Prov . G .

Master for Norths and Hunts . The Auditor ' s report was received and accepted , and the Grand Lodge was closed in form . Shortly afterwards the result of the ballot for Grand Treasurer was announced to the acting Grand Master , and W . Bro . Edward O'Connor Terry was declared

elected , having polled 841 votes , as against 617 secured by W . Bro . George Everett . It may interest our readers to compare the polling with that in 1888 , when the office of Grand Treasurer was contested by W . Bros . A slier Barfield and Stephen Barton Wilson . On that occasion 809

brethren voted ; on this so many as 1 , 458 . Last year Bro . Barfield was elected by 643 and Bro . Wilson received 166 votes . This year , as will be noted , Bro . Everett sustained defeat although polling within 26 votes of the successful candidate in 1888 , whilst Bro . Terry , the present Grand

Treasurer elect , obtained 198 votes more than his predecessor ( now in office ) and 32 more than the total of voters at the last election . Surely the only office it is in the power of the members of the Grand Lodge to bestow , other than that of the Grand Mastership itself , may justly be considered the " Craft ' s distinctive purple . "

Masonic Wedding.

MASONIC WEDDING .

The beautiful new church of St . George ' s Jesmond , Newcastle , was , on the 5 th inst ., the scene of a thoroughly masonic wedding , the bridegroom being Bro . William Faucett , shipowner , Newcastle , the bride Miss Laura Renwick , youngest daughter of the late John N . Renwick , Esq ., of this city . The ceremony was performed by Bro . the Rev . T . B . Nichols , P . M . of Priory Lodge 1863 , P . P . G . S . W .

( of which lodge the bridegroom is S . D . ) , assisted by Bro . the Rev . Canon Pennefather , P . P . G . chap ., vicar of the parish . The bride was given away by her brother ( Bro . George Renwick , J . P . ) . Bro . C . II . S . Sherlock presided at the organ , and played th <> Wedding March . A large number of masonic brethren were present , amongst whom were Bros . John Coull , W . M . of Priory Lodge 1863 ; H . Bott .

S . W .. P . G . chap . ; J . 0 . Wallace , I . P . M ., Priory 1863 ; J . M . Winter , P . M .. P . P . G . R . ; C . Roope , P . M ., P . P . G . O ., sec . ; C . W . Henzell . P . M . ; R . Jackson , P . M . 1712 , P . G . P . ; H . E . Hollis , J . D . ; E . Green , W . Frazer , J . A . Waitt , R . H . Wesencraft , E . F . Dodds , W . Fisher , J . Renwick , J . Bowman , 1557 . After the ceremony the bridal party ,

accompanied by the brethren , returned to the residence of Bro . Geo . Ronwick , where the wedding breakfast was provided , to which ample justice was done . The happy pair left by the 1 . 15 p . m . train for London to spend their honeymoon . Among the presents , which were both numerous and costly , may be mentioned a beautiful drawing-room timepiece , from the brethren of Priory Lod ^ e 1863 .

Punjab.—The Craft Ritual.

PUNJAB . —THE CRAFT RITUAL .

In the " minutes of the proceedings of the District Grand Lodge of the Punjab at a special communication to celebrate St . John ' s Day ( 27 th December , 1888 ) , " at which R . W . Bro . E . Woodall Parker , District Grand Master , presided , and a large number of grand officers , representatives , and other brethren attended , addresses were delivered by the District Grand Master , and W . Bro . Dr . Brij Lai

Ghose , 11 . B ., P . D . D . G . M . An address was also to have been delivered by W . Bro . H . Whymper , P . D . D . G . M ., but in his unavoidable absence his paper was read by W . Bro . Col . 0 . Menzies , D . D . G . M . From this we extract a paragraph relating to the ritual of the three first degrees in Freemasonry , which , we think , will be of interest to many of our readers .

" The second class of Masonic literature , to which I referred at the commencement of this address , that of the Rituals and Lectures , may be shortly dealt with . It may now be subdivided into three classes , the one following the Oxford working—the second Emulation working , and the third almost anything the publisher of the Ritual pleases . The second is perhaps the most consistent , and it

is the most popular , but to those who study rituals I would commend ' the revised Ritual of Craft Freemasonry , by an old Past Master , ' published only this year—its notes are of the highest value . I personally belong to the number who regret our literature does not possess any authorized ritual , and that there are not any genuinely authorized lectures published , the latter being principally

the irresponsible productions of Masonic enthusiasts . It is true that Dr . Hemming was authorized by the United Grand Lodge , soon after the Union in 1813 , to revise the system of lertnrrts , and it is true the Prestonian lectures were authoritatively used in the last century , but we can hardly be said to possess any Lecture under

authority at the present time , although the great American authority , Mackey , holds that Hemming or " Union " Lectures are to be considered as still under authority . The safest plan to follow when placing a Literary value on published Lectures , is to sec that they are in harmony with the most perfect Ritual obtainable . "

We desire to call the attention of our brethren , particularly those concerned in banquetting arrangements , to a very novel and elegant form of menu card which our printers are now producing , and which we feel assured will meet with unqualified success . An inspection of their novelty list of similar productions would repay a visit to 59 , Moor Lane .

The Grand Treasurership.

THE GRAND TREASURERSHIP .

The great masonic contest of the year is over , and fortune and a majority of votes have declared in favour of an estimable candidate for the office in the person of W . Bro . Edward O'C . Terry , so well known in masonic circles , and also as the proprietor of Terry ' s

Theatre in London . A no less estimable candidate of well-known repute for earnest work in Freemasonry , and as a supporter of our Charitable Institutions—Bro . George Everett—has sustained honourable defeat . Now the fight is o ' er , we offer congratulations to the victor ( as we should have done in any case ) and sympathy with the

vanquished ; in addition to an expression of admiration of the extremely gentlemanly and truly masonic manner in which both brethren have conducted their respective candidatures . We heartily

wish our Bro . Terry a pleasant year of office , —we are sure it will be one . of usefulness and credit , —and hope that Bro . Everett may not be altogether disheartened , but will manfully persevere . We

THE GRAND TREASURER ELECT ,

W . BRO . EDWARD O'CONNOR TKRRY , P . M ., & c , & e . notice an intimation of his disposition to again offer himself for the honourable appointment which it is in the power of his fellow craftsmen to confer upon him in reward for his past labours . And now arises an opportunity of testing the practice of masonic brotherhood upon those principles which unfortunately arc too

frequently only theoretically considered . Let us avoid a contest which , no matter how courteously and kindly conducted , must naturally divide the members of Grand Lodge into parties , and , even if only slightly , cause heartburnings and disaj > pomtment . If there be another brother desirous to seek the suffrages of his brethren in this direction , and we believe there is one such already

disposed to take the field for 1890 , —one upon whom honourable distinction has lately been conferred by his fellow citizens , and who must even now have his hands full , —let him " bide a wee !" He'll not lose by it , and his withdrawal need be but for the year . If he should persist in permitting his nomination , there is a prospect of the division of a certain interest which would cause failure to both , and enable a third , and at present unknown

candidate , to carry off the prize . It should , indeed , be a very bright exemplar of the Order who can now enter the lists and expect victory . We hope that good counsel will prevail , and that it may come to be considered that the provocation of a contest in 1890 will not be regarded with favour by those who desire to see Freemasonry carried out upon its truest principles , and its order , peace , and harmony effectually maintained .

The Royal Masonic Institutions.

THE ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTIONS .

At the last general committee meeting of the R . M . I , for Boys , on the 2 nd inst ., there were two petitions accepted and the names placed on list of candidates , and an application from an ex-pupil for a grant towards outfit was favourably entertained .

At the last general committee of the R . M . I , for Girls , a notice of motion was given by Bro . Morley for appointing a sub-committee for consideration and report of all petitions before presentation to the General Committee for their further consideration and recommendation . Bro . Morley ' s object is to secure full discussion of the merits of each particular case before the Quarterly Court of Governors and Subscribers make their final decision .

The Board of Stewards at the recent festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , held their final meeting at Freemasons Hall , on the 7 th inst ., Bro . Sir Lionel Darell presiding . All accounts having been passed and settlement directed , votes of thanks were accorded , to the several officers of the Board , and the thanks of the meeting were also accorded to Bro . Sir Lionel Darell for presiding .