Reports Of Meetings.

REPORTS OF MEETINGS .

— : o : — We shall be pleased to receive particulars of ' Masonic meetings tor insertion in our columns , and where desired will endeavour to send a representative , to report Lodge or other proceedings . We do not sanction anyone attending Lodge meetings as our representative without a specific Invitation .

CRAFT : PROVINCIAL . — : o : — Lodge of Integrity , No . 163 . THE regular meeting was held at the Freemasons' Hall , Cooper Street , Manchester , on Wednesday , 27 th ulit ., Bro . Robert Race Worshipful Master .

Five ceremonies had been announced on the summons , and the Lodge was opened at an early hour of the afternoon . After the reading and confirmation of minutes , three brothers , Messrs . Alfred Assheton Haigh , Henry Septimus Haigh , and John Sydney Haigh , were initiated into the mysteries and privileges of Ancient Freemasonry by Bro . R . Alf . Hepworth P . M ., T . H . Scholfield P . M .

P . P . G . Reg . Treasurer , and the W . M . respectively , assisted by Bros . Ben Williams P . M . and R . W . Nuttall J . W . A circumstance like this , although not absolutely unique in the annals of the British Craft , is , owing to the close relationship of the candidates , deserving of more than a passing mention , and we have pleasure in recording the interesting feet .

Brothers Joseph Allen and Julian Tilley Bee were afterwards passed to the degree of F . C . by the W . M ., and a successful ballot was taken for Bro . Gangadhar Vishnu Ganu , Engineer , St . John Lodge , No . 221 , Bolton , who was desirous of becoming a joining member .

Bro . Race was installed into the chair of King Solomon at the January meeting , but owing to the lamented death of Her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria , the Festival of St . John did not take place . Happily the banquet was a function which could without much difficulty be intermitted , and it was therefore duly postponed

until the present occasion , when over fifty Brethren sat down to a substantial meal , the items of which had been judiciously selected ; the same were expeditiously and satisfactorily served , and significantly in advance of efforts we have occasionally observed in more pretentious establishments .

Loyal and Masonic toasts were interspersed with songs , recitations , etc ., the contributaries being Bros . J . E . Williams P . M . P . P . G . D . D . C , Ben Williams P . M ., Samuel Gaskill P . M ., R . W . Nuttall J . W ., Alfred Eastwood Org ., F . Simpson I . G ., Sapey , and Edward Roberts P . M . Prov . G . Tlr .

The toast of the Worshipful Master was proposed by Bro . J . M . H . Blarney i ' . M . P . Prov . G . D ., who said that it was one which above all others the Brethren would desire to honour ; they heartily hoped the W . M . might enjoy good health and prosperity during his year of Office . For seven years past Bro . Race had laboured in season and out of season for the good of Freemasonry in general , and that

Lodge in particular , and they had now , in return , conferred upon him the highest honour which it was in their power to bestow . What more could he say than that Bro . Race was deserving of that honour ; and that he would , the speaker was perfectly certain , prove himself to be an able and worthy successor to all those Past Masters of Integrity who had preceded him in the chair of King Solomon . In

18 94 when the speaker was Master of the Lodge he had the pleasure of initiating Bro . Race into Freemasonry , and he that night felt convinced that in him the Lodge was receiving one into its midst who would prove to be a good and able Mason , and one who would grasp the principles of Freemasonry and live up to them . Now , after seven years knowledge of him the Brethren were all agreed :

( istly ) That by his regular attendance upon the duties of the Lodge , ( 2 ndly ) His skilful work in all its Offices , ( jrdly ) His intimate knowledge of Masonic ritual , ( - } thly ) His uniform courtesy and kindly affection , shown at all times to its members , he had most honourably won by merit and ability the high and proud position which he now occupied . Brother Race began his reign in the chair of

King Solomon at an auspicious moment in the history of our beloved country , for he was duly installed into that chair almost upon the same clay that our New and Gracious Sovereign King Edward the VII . virtually ascended the Throne of his ancestors ! Like the King , also , Brother Race succeeded a long line of distinguished Rulers—133 Masters of the Lodge had preceded him in that chairmen of

, integrity and uprightness , links in a mystic chain binding the Brethren of the past with the Brethren of the present , into one united band of Brotherly love and arrection . Into Bro . Race ' s hands they had committed the care of their honoured Lodge during- the ensuing twelve months , and they did so gladly , and with the greatest possible

confidence , knowing that the Lodge ' s best interests would be served by him , and that its good work and honoured name would be maintained and perpetuated by him during the period of his Mastership . This speech evoked much enthusiasm and was loudly applauded throughout .

The response of Brother Race W . M . was commenced in a low tone , but as he progressed his voice rose with a pleasant crescendo . He very warmly thanked Bro . Blarney for his kindly and eloquent expressions , and declared that while modesty forbade him to accept completely Bro . Blarney ' s generous description of his perfections he

would not discount the expressions of goodwill to himself , for from the day he entered the Lodge he had met with such uniform kindness and Brotherly feeling from every individual member that he could not sufficiently describe his gratitude to them . He had only done his duty in the various Offices through which he had passed , and his aim would be to continue to do so in his new Office . It had been

Reports Of Meetings.

his pleasure not only to strive to perfect himself in Masonic routine , but also to learn as much as possiole of the Craft , its origin and growth . As this was the dawn of a new century he would like briefly to glance backward and also to express some thoughts concerning the future . He continued : If we confine ourselves to the strict line

of historic record we cannot trace back modern Freemasonry beyond the year 1717 , when the first Grand Lodge was founded in London . Findel , in his " History of Freemasonry , " asserted that " the present Association of Freemasons is derived from the Building Corporations of the middle ages . " Of these little definite information can be obtained , except with regard to the Steinmetzen ( i . e . Stonecutters ) of

Germany , who claimed to have been formed into a Society at the building of the Madgeburg Cathedral , in 876 A . D . As , however , that edifice was not commenced until 1211 , it is evident that tradition is not reliable with respect to dates . The difficulty of establishing a connection between modern Speculative Masonry on the one "hand , and the Operative Masonry of the 13 th century on the other , is

increased when we find writers like Cleland maintaining that the Masonic Fraternity of to-day has developed from the Druids of Ancient Britain . Such divergence of opinion is not uncommon in the world of research , and is the result of taking too confined a view of the subject in hand . If we regard the internal evidence afforded by the peculiarity of our customs , teaching and ritual , in conjunction

with what we know of the principles and practices of ancient philosophic and religious bodies , as well as the methods adopted by confraternities of builders in the middle ages , we shall discover that the roots of Freemasonry extend so far back into antiquity as to fairly justify the traditional contention of the Craft that it is the most ancient Society that ever existed . Long before the story of the

" Golden Fleece" found a place in Grecian mythology , long before the cohorts of the Imperial city followed the " Roman Eagle" to victory after victory , the " distinguished badge" of a Mason was worn by the initiates of the Egyptian priesthood , as is shown by countless pictorial and sculptured representations on papyri , and on the walls of temples and monuments which , still extant , carry us back

to a hoary antiquity of at least 5 , 000 years . The Temple of Solomon , which figures so largely in Masonic tradition that it may well be regarded as one of the foundations of the Masonic system , finds a replica , again and again , in the temples of Egypt , India , Mexico , and other countries , of an age that makes the now-exploded chronology attached to the Bible of Christendom seem almost youthful .

From very early times , bordering on the pre-historic , down to the commencement of the Christian era , and even for centuries after , learning was everywhere confined to brotherhoods , who , either to retain the power which it gave , or fearful of the consequences that might attend the " casting of their pearls before swine , " carefully kept secret all that they knew , and bound their initiates by the most

solemn oaths to continue that secrecy . These brotherhoods were possessed of a religious philosophy of marvellous depth , an extensive knowledge of . the sciences of astronomy and geometry , and a skill in erecting , mighty buildings which are a never failing source of wonder and admiration to the scholars of modern days . The mysterious groups and circles of stones , still remaining in various parts of the

world and generally ascribed to the Druids , the mighty piles— -pyramid , temple , and obelisk—of Egypt , the wonderfully elaborate antique temples of India , all owe their existence to the learning and skill of such religious fraternities . These structures , wherever found , bear mute but incontrovertible testimony to the wisdom and knowledge , the skill and ability , the persevering energy and integrity

of workmanship of the builders , who , though not known as Freemasons , were undoubtedly the original founders of the Art . With them science , philosophy , religion , and architecture were intimately connected , and so continued until the early centuries of the Christian era , when , by the rapid spread of Christianity , due to the proselytising efforts of the monastic brotherhoods , laymen graduallv

assumed the work of erecting the multitudinous churches , monasteries and religious houses that sprang into existence in the south and west of Europe . During the same periods other trades formed themselves into guilds , but the building fraternities , by the necessities of their art , were the foremost in knowledge , and , by their close connection with the church , retained a more perfect understanding of

the true principles of pure religion , which enabled them to see the shallowness of what Protestants call superstitious practices which were introduced from time to time . While Rome was dominating whole nations , keeping them in subjection by the weighty fetters of ignorance and superstition , the builders preserved an independence of thought and liberty of action which justly entitled them to be

considered as Free-Masons . Here let me again quote Findel . He says : " The corporation of architects existed when the Papacy , though at the very height of its glory and probably in the plentitude of its power , had at the same time to wrestle with a widely spreading enlightenment , and with many communities of so-called heretics . * * * The votaries and adherents of these various denominations wandered

into every part of Europe , formong new communities , not only receiving noblemen , freemen , citizens and merchants into fellowshi p with them , but monks , abbots , and bishops . Reason was everywhere arming herself in silence to defend the oppressed kingdom of God , and in the midst of intellectual darkness to preserve the light of truth . * * * The Masons , bv reason of their art , were

continually brought into contact with all classes and conditions of men ; they had a personal knowledge of the nature of the church , land well knew the degeneracy of the clergy . They were far ahead of their contemporaries in general knowledge and education . * * * They had also learned to practice toleration , and their Lodges became

a sure place of refuge for those whom religious fanaticism persecuted on account of their opinions . All who were good and true , and well skilled in the art , were received among them , and were protected from the persecutions of the Church and of the bloodthirsty inquisition , which could the more readily be done bv them , as no class or condition could possibly dispense with operative Masons . "