Mark Masonry.

MARK MASONRY .

— : o : — . GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND AND WALES , & c .

THE regular half-yearly meeting of this Grand Lodge was held on Tuesday , 3 rd inst , in the large hall of Freemasons' Tavorn , London . It was with great regret that tbe brethren heard that a severe accident prevented the attendance of their Grand Master , Lord Henniker , whose conduct of the affairs of the Mark Degree has won

for him the esteem of Mark Masons throughout the jurisdiction . The Earl of Kintore , Right W . Depnty Grand Master , occupied the chair , and was supported by Sir Pryce-Pryce as Deputy Grand Master , Capt . N . G . Philips Senior Grand Warden , Colonel Shadwell H . Clerke as

Junior Grand Warden , William Roebuck as Grand Master Overseer , E . C . Mather as Grand Senior Overseer , Captain Kirchboffer as Grand Junior Overseer , Rev . C . deCrespigny Grand Chaplain , F . Davison Grand Treasurer , Levander Grand Registrar , Fred . Binckes Grand

Secretary , George Cooper Senior Grand Deacon , Railing Junior Grand Deacon , Robert Berridge Grand Director of Ceremonies , George Dalrymple and Edward Friend Grand Assistant Directors of Ceremonies , S . G . Bake Grand

Sword Bearer , W . Watkins Grand Standard Bearer , Lott as Grand Organist , Banks Grand Inner Guard , Taylor , Tomkins , March , and Cumberland Grand Stewards , ancl Speight Tyler . There was also a brilliant assemblage of Past Grand Officers and brethren who had attained

distinction in the Provinces . The first business on the agenda was the confirmation of the minutes of the Grand Lodge held on 4 th December last , of the Special Grand Lodges held on 8 th December and 25 th April , and of the Moveable Grand Lodge held at

York on the 9 lh May , and this . having been done the Report of the General Board was brought forward ; this "was taken as read , received , and ordered to be entered on the minutes . Among the recommendations arising out of this Report were ( a ) " That the Collars of Present and Past

Grand Officers be distinguished by gold embroidery , or other distinctive mark , to be approved by the Board . " On the proposition of Brother Robert Berridge , seconded by Brother Alfred Williams , this was approved by Grand Lodge ; ( b ) " That £ 50 be voted from the Benevolent

Fund , to the widow of the late Brother D . M . Dewar , Assistant Grand Secretary . " Brother Rev . Canon Portal moved this proposition , stating that it was contemplated that in addition to this grant a subscription should be opened for tbe benefit of Mrs . Dewar . Donations to

which Fund were to be limited to one guinea , and it was anticipated that about £ 800 would be realised . Referring to the proposed grant from Grand Mark Lodge , he felt that the brethren could not better show their appreciation

of Brother Dewar ' s services than by voting it . Brother F . Davison seconded the motion , which was also supported by the Earl of Kintore , and eventually carried unanimousl y ; and ( c ) grants from the Benevolent Fund , as follows : —

£ 20 to the Widow of a Brother of the Thistle , No . 8 , and Keystone , No . 3 , Lodges . £ 20 to the Widow of a Brother of the Eclectic Lodge , No . 39 .

£ 15 to the Widow of a Brother of the Royal Sussex Lodge , No . 177 £ 15 to the Widow of a Brother of tbe United Service Lodge , No . 69 £ 15 to a Brother of the Sfc . John ' s Lodge , T . I ., Bolton . £ 15 to the Widow of a Brother of theCanynges Lodge , T . I ., Bristol .

Rev . Canon Portal also formally moved these grants , which were agreed to . He then proposed " That the report of the General Board be adopted . " He would first of all ask Grand Lodge to assent to the proposal of the Grand Master that the replies to the addresses voted in the Special Grand

Lodge recently held should be entered on the books as soon as received ; the absence of the Prince of Wales abroad having so far delayed them . He quite agreed with the Grand Master , who wished they should be recorded . He had also to express his very great regret—which he was

sure would be shared by all—at the unfortunate differences which bad arisen between their Grand Lodge and tbe Grand Chapter of Quebec . He had no wish to open up a very disagreeable subject , but must say , in the Grand

Mark Lodge of England ' s defence , that if the Graud Chapter of Quebec had approached them in a different spirit , and used different language , that the differences might long ago have been adjusted ; he still hoped that as

Mark Masonry.

soon as tbat body bad placed itself in a legal position as regards the law of the Dominion , and had got itself sanetioned , that it might be possible to arrive at a reasonable solution of the difficulties which at present exist between them . No efforts on the part of the English would be

wanting to secure this , and either by the aid of the United States' Chapters , which would be gladly accepted , or by the intervention of the Grand Ladges and Chapters of Ireland and Scotland , it was hoped a settlement could be made . He did not desire to move the adoption of the report

without stating his wishes on this subject , which he believed were endorsed by every other member of the General Board . The motion was seconded by Bro . Williams , and carried . The Acting Grand Mark Master then proceeded to confer the rank of Past Grand Warden on Bro . Davison Grand

Treasurer . He felt very great regret that the Grand Master was not able to be present , for he would have been the very first to express the high appreciation and regard which ho had for the services Bro . Davison had rendered to Grand Lodge during the ten years he had occupied the

position of Grand Treasurer . The system of accounts of Grand Lodge had been placed on a different basis to that formerly in force . Brother Davison waa anxious to inaugurate the new work , and whatever might happen after that , they on their part were anxious to grant him the honour for the services he had already rendered .

The President of the General Board ( Rev . Canon Portal ) bore testimony to the careful way in which . Bro . Davison had watched the accounts and supervised them , suggesting anything that could be urged towards their better arrangement . He had pleasure indeed in seconding the motion .

As had been stated Brother Davison had inaugurated a different system of keeping the accounts . That was the last year they would see him with the Graud Treasurer ' s jewel on his breast , and thoy all felt that the honour which

Lord Henniker wished to bestow npon him , but which he could not unfortunately personally bestow , could not be given to a worthier brother . The motion was carried , and Brother Davison was invested by the Earl of Kintore as a Past Grand Warden .

The Earl of Kintore then quitted the chair for the purpose of being installed as Grand Mark Master Mason . He was presented by Sir Pryce-Pryce to the Rev . Canon Portal , who assumed the chair and said it gave him very great pleasure indeed to receive the presentation , and he

should immediately proceed to give the benefit of installation to their most worthy Deputy Grand Master . It would , he was sure , be especially agreeable to Grand Lodge to see the brother then before them installed upon the throne , because he was the representative of Scotch

Masonry , to which the Mark Degree owed so much . At a time when the Mark Degree was at a very low ebb in England , kept alive by some dozen or so of Time Immemorial Lodges here and there , it was worked in Scotland with very great efficiency , both under the Grand Chapter and

the Grand Lodge . Tt was perfectly -well-known , and would be in the rememberanco of several of those present , that in times gone by , when they were a far weaker body than at present , that they had considerable cause of complaint against the Grand Chapter of Scotland .

That was a page which all were glad to turn over and to forget . But wbat they should not forget— -on the contrary , should find great pleasure in remembering—was not only that the Degree owed very much to Scotch Masonry for its continuance , but that when once the

Grand Chapter of Scotland had seen that they were well able to maintain the degree in England they were foremost in giving the right hand of fellowship and acknowledging them as a Grand Lodge in England and Wales and the Colonies and Dependencies of the British Crown . He

would also add that in these times , when they heard so much of the Monro doctrine , that there should only be one supreme authority in any one country , a principle which is all very well in a way , but which may be ridden too hard , it was gratifying to find that the Grand Chapter of

Scotland had stood firmly by the Time Immemorial and historical principle that yon may have Lodges nnder different jurisdictions in one place , all working in perfect harmony with one another , just as they once worked in England in harmony with Lodges and Chapters under the

Scotch Constitution , as well as in the Time Immemorial Lodges , ancl now with Scotch and Irish Lodges in tho Colonies . All this the Grand Chapter of Scotland had freely granted , and it was satisfactory , ho said , to place upon tho throne that night so distinguished a Scotch