Thb Age Of Lodge No. 119.

THB AGE OF LODGE No . 119 .

CONSIDERABLE excitement has been caused J among Freemasons in the north of England , in consequence of a controversy which has been carried on for some time past as to the actual age of the Sun , Square and Compasses Lodge , No . 119 , of "Whitehaven . The Lodge is in possession of a Centenary Warrant , granted hy the Grand Master in 1885 , and

this fact alone should have been sufficient to convince the world that the Lodge had a just claim to antiquity , for the authorities of Grand Lodge are as particular in the matter of granting Centenary Warrants as in any part of the business they have to transact , hut private historians have in this case challenged the

action oi Grand Lodge , and nave sought to prove that the Sun , Square ' and Compasses Lodge only dates from 1807 , instead of from 1768 , as claimed by the Lodge itself , and confirmed by Grand Lodge . The controversy on the subject has been a lengthy one , and the opinions of the brethren who sought to upset the traditions of No . 119 are no doubt of a character deserving careful consideration . This they have received , with a result which clearly proves them based

to nave been on erroneous ideas , and we nope that they will accept the verdict , now that it has been delivered against them by the highest authority from whom an opinion could have been secured . This verdict is contained in a letter from the Grand Secretary , of which the following is a copy ;—

United Grand Lodge of England , Freemasons' Hall , Great Qneen Street , London , W . O . 13 th January 1890 . SIR AND BROTHER , —With reference to yonr letter of the 13 th No . vember , requesting information as to the actual antiquity of Lodge

No . 119 , Whitehaven , respecting which a serious question has recently been raised . In the first place , I havo to refer you to the Centenary Warrant , granted to the Lodge by the M . W . Grand Master in the year 1885 , wherein you will find the actual history of the Lodge and its date of

formation ; and in the second place , I have to inform you that having , in consequence of the controversy which has arisen , carefully reviewed all the facts of the case , and having consulted the records of the Grand Lodge and the old minute book of your Lodge , no doubt

whatever remains in my mind as to the fact that , as recorded in the Centenary Warrant" , the present Lodge is the same that was established in the year 1768 , and that the old Lodge was not erased and the warrant handed to a now Lodge in the year 1807 as alleged . I am returning yonr minute book to-day . I am , Sir and Brother , yours fraternally ,

( Signed ) SHADWELL H . CLEEKE , Col ., G . S . The W . Master Sun , Square and Compasses Lodge , Ne . 119 , Whitehaven . The settlement of this disputed question is of itself a satisfactory event in English Freemasonry , but it also opens up questions which are not of quite so

satistactory a character . The Sun , Square and Compasses Lodge has been fiercely assailed , and it is only because its members included some energetic and zealous Masons that victory has been secured . In many quarters the evidence that has been adduced would have frightened the members into submission ,

and the question naturally arises if our historians have been proved to be wrong in this particular case , in how many more are their rulings open to amendment ? Grand Lodge has very justly stepped in and authoritatively settled tlie matter in a way we should

like to see adopted m connection witn otner subjects which at present appear confusing to the general body of the Craft , and no doubt the action of the Whitehaven brethren will prove an incentive to others to appeal to the ruling power of the Craft in all similar cases of disagreement , should they unfortunately arise .

The members of the Lodge itself are naturally pleased at the result of their efforts to maintain the reputation of their Lodge , and are somewhat concerned to know why the attack was ever made on their claim to Centenary honours : however , all ' s

well that ends well , and now they are congratulating themselves , and particularly their Bro . K . W . Moore , who has really upheld the claims of the Lodge , on the result arrived at , and which we hope they will live to enjoy for many years to come , while for the Lodge we wish a continuance of its past long period of prosperity .

Gossip About Freemasonry; Itshistory And Traditions.

GOSSIP ABOUT FREEMASONRY ; ITSHISTORY AND TRADITIONS .

A Paper read by Bro . S . Vallentine , P . M . and Z . No . 9 , to the Brethren of the Albion Lodge of Instruction , 2 nd November 1889 .

( Continued from page 36 . )

IN addition to this he had not hesitated to alter tho scriptural version . Thas in Genesis iv . 9 and 10 we read , " And the Lord said unto Gain , where is Abel thy brother ? And he said , I know not : Am I my brother's keeper ? And he said . What hast thou done ? The voice

of thy brother ' s blood crieth unto me from the ground . " Now let us read from Josepbus , " God knowing what had been done , come to Cain , and asked him what was become of his brother , because he bad not seen him of many days

whereas he used to observe them in conversation together at other times . Cain said first , that he was himself at a loss for his brother ' s disappearance . God , in return ,

convicted Cain as having been the murderer of his brother , and said , I wonder at thee that thou knowest not what has become of a man whom thou thyself hast destroyed . "

Notwithstanding the strong opinion against me , I do not think that Cain -was the monster of iniquity snch as he has been represented . That the murder of Abel was a cruel and wicked deed cannot be denied , bat there is

no Biblical evidence that Cain was by nature a cruel man , nor except in this particular instance impious ; indeed , reading Genesis iv . 6 , 7 , we find that after the sacrifice

God deigns to remonstrate with Cain , even as a parent would to a child whom he wished to save from falling into error , in words more persuasive than threatening . I take Cain to have been a moody and discontented man : discon-