District Grand Lodge Of Natal.

DISTRICT GRAND LODGE OF NATAL .

THE annnal meeting was held on the 28 th March , at the Masonic Hall , Smith-street , Durban . The R . W . District Grand Master Bro . R . J . Fionemore , presided , and there was a very large attendance of brethren to support him . The District Grand Lodge was opened shovtly after five o ' clock , and after the customary routine business had been disposed of , the District Grand Master said : Brethren , I have , as your District Grand Master , convened yon to-day for

several reasons . In the first place , this is the anniversary of the formal opening of onr District Grand Lodge , and it is necessary to appoint new Officers . In tbe next place , it is desirable that no farther time should be lost in passing Bye-laws . I drafted a code in 1882 , which was printed and circulate *! amongst the Lodges ; but owing to impending changes in onr Constitutions it was thought advisable , and

recommended by Col . Clerke , the G . Secretary , that we should postpone the settlement of this matter nntil the final revision of the new Book of Constitutions in England had been completed . I have not yet received a copy of tbe new Constitutions ; but from a summary of alterations whioh has been published , and which I have carefully studied , I have been enabled to ascertain in what respeots the eld

Constitutions bad been amended , and with tbis knowledge I have now carefully drafted a second code , whioh I shall lay before you to-day for your consideration and approval . In preparing the new code , which I have made as brief and simple as I conveniently could , I have adhered as far as possible to the resolutions which were passed at the last regular communication of Distriot Grand Lodge , whioh was held

under my presidency in Pietermaritzburgh in September last . Beyond the necessity for appointing new Officers and finally passing the Bye-laws , subject to the approval of the Most Worshipful Grand Master , there is also another reason why I wished to meet you here to-day , namely , that being about to leave the colony for some months , after a residence of nearly thirty-four years , for the purpose of

revisiting the mother country , I was desirous of bidding adieu to my Masonio brethren , and of arranging sundry Masonic matters of importance preparatory to my departure . Daring my absence from the colony the Masonic government of the district will devolve upon the Deputy District Grand Master , assisted by the District Board of General Purposes ; and I feel sure that you will accord

to my Deputy daring my absence the same hearty support and ready co-operation which it has been my privilege to experience at your hands . As to the amended Constitutions , I find that I am now empowered to appoint the President of the District Board of General Purposes , who will rank next to the District Grand Registrar . The appointment of two District Grand Standard Bearers is also authorised

and the offices of Distriot Assistant Grand Secretary is now provided for and recognised by the new rules . I think it well also that 1 should exercise the power of appointing two District Grand Chaplains , as there are so many candidates desirous and deserving of holding office in District Grand Lodge that it is difficult , if not impossible , foi me to adequately recognise the claims of all of them . I would

recommend that the District Board of General Purposes be constituted without further delay , as there will be many matters arising for their consideration . From the reports of Lodges for tbe past year , it will be seen tbat the state of Freemasonry generally in the district is eminently satisfactory and encouraging . It is true that no new Craft Lodges have been opened in the district daring the past year , as it

was anticipated they would be . Unfortunately difficulties arose whioh prevented our Newcastle brethren realising their wish to obtain a charter ; and I understand that the brethren at Ixopo have abau . doned for the present the expressed intention of establishing a Lodge at their place , because it is considered that the Carnarvon Lodge at Richmond will saffice , for some time to come , for the wants of the

brethren iu the locality . The recent erection and dedication of two new Masonio halls , one at Richmond , the other at Greytowu , and the position generally of the existing Lodges , however , furnish satisfactory evidence of the vitality and progressive character of Freemasonry iu the district , and is a subject of congratulation . Sundry matters of detail connected with the Craft-have at different times during the year been submitted for my decision and action . Thus , there was one

appeal to me from the decision of a private Lod ^ e ; one application for permission to temporarily change the place of meeting of a Lodge ; Beveral application for my ruling on points of order or practice ; sundry amendments of bye-laws of private Lodges submitted for my approval ; and various other matters , including , I regret to say , a few applications for pecuniary relief or assistance . All these matters have been dealt with by me as they arose , and in such a manner as

circumstances would enable mo to deul with them . Business of tbis nature , as well as necessary communications with the Graud Secre . tary in London , the Deputy District Graud Master , and the District Grand Secretary from time to time , has entailed upon me an amount of correspondence which is not inconsiderable ; but notwithstanding my official and other duties I have endeavoured

to settle all points as they arose and to ensure as far as possible that there should be no delay in answeving letters . The experience of the first year of our District Grand Lodge has thus shown that the home authorities rightly judged that the time had arrived when local government of the Order in the Colony had become necessary . I may here mention that W . Bro . George Russell

JJ -G . S . W . is compiling for publication a history of Freemasonry in the district , more particularly with reference to the Port Natal ^ edge , No . 738 , with which he has been so long and honourably connected j and I have no doubt but that this publication will be touDd to be of great interest to members of our Fraternity . J have the pleasure also to announce" to you that W . Bro . M . H . Emanuel . Of

Lod ges 738 and 1192 , P . M . 1069 , has kiudly made a present to t ° e District Grand Lodge of a handsome silver gquaic and compasses , which I now submit for your acceptance . Tbe District Urand Secretary will read to you the letter whioh accompanied the presentations . I am sure I am only expressing the unanimous * eehng of members of District Grand Lodge when 1 say that we sincerel y appreciate the gift ; and for my own part I value still more

District Grand Lodge Of Natal.

the kindly expressions towards myself as District Grand Master which accompanied it . My sincere thanks are due to the outgoing Officers for their a'tent ion to their duties during their tenure of office ; and I thank you all , brethren , for your salutations and reception of me to-day . I will not now detain yon from the more important business of the meeting with any further preliminary

remarks , but will conclude with the time-honoured wish that as the labours of our Distriot Grand Lodge have been begun in order , and the blessing of the Great Architect of the Universe has been invoked on our proceedings , so may they be conducted in peace and with a true regard to tho best interests of the Order , ancl bo closed in love and harmony .

The following brethren were subsequently duly invested Distriot Grand Officers : — Bro . W . Francis ... ... ... Grand D . G . M . G . Russell ... ... ... Senior Grand Warden J . Smith ... ... ... Junior Graud Warden

Rev . J . Reynolds ... ¦• ) fi „« j ni , «„ i « i „ a Rev . A . Ikin , LL . D ., Mus . Doo . ... ) Grand 0 ta P «« A . 0 . Dalcken ... ... ... Grand Registrar T . J . Hill ... ... ... Grand Pres . Bd . Gen . Pur . E . H . Wiltshier ... ... Grand Secretary A . J . K ^ eler ... ... ... Grand Assistant Secretary

S . Maniott ... ... ... Grand Treasurer J . Crowe ... ... ... Senior Grand Deacon G . 0 . Matterson ... ... Junior Grand Deacon S . Starnack ... ... .. Graud Supt . of Works W . A . Voysey ... ... ... Grand Director of Cer . W . Sink ... ... ... Grand Asst . Dir . Cer .

W . A . Smith ... ... ... Graud Sword Bearer D . Deeves ] Grand Standard Bearers 1 . Cook ... ... ... ) E . S . T . Stantial ... ... Grand Organist W . H . Kinsman ... ... Grand Pursuivant B . Ireland ... ... ... Assistant Graud Pursuivant

S . Ford , P . Flett , W . F . Stanton . ~\ R . Willis , D . Crabbe , and > Grand S'ewards J . 'Sohulz ... ... ... ) At the conclusion of business a banquet was served , and on the removal of the cloth the customary toast list was gone through .

Justice Lodge of Instruction , No . 147 . —On Thursday , 24 th instant , at the Brown Bear , Bigb-street , Deptford . Present—J . Bedford Williams W . M ., Coen S . W ., Greener J . W ., S . R . Speight P . M . Seo ., Stringer S . D ., Penney J . D ., Catt I . G . ; . Bros . Freeman , Church , & o . After preliminaries , the ceremony of initiation was

rehearsed , Bro . C . H . Freeman candidate . Lodge was opened in the 2 nd , and the ceromony of pas-ing was rehearsed . Lodge was then closed in due form . The first annual banquet of this Lodge of In . struction will be held on the 28 th Aagnst , at the White Swan Hotel , Deptford , under the presidency of Bro . B . R . Bauks W . M . of the mother Lodge .

The members of the Hyde Park Lodge of Instruction , amongst whom are several Volunteers , have invited such of the Canadian ( earn , now at Wimbledon , as are Masons to their meeting on Monday next , the 28 th insb , at the

Fountains Abbey Hotel , 111 Praed street , Paddington . Brother Andrews P . M . 77 will occupy the chair , and a numerons attendance is anticipated . L _> dge will be opened at 8 p . m .

POPULAR EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIA . —The New South WaleB Minster for Ptiblic Instruction says , in a recently published report , that there are very few chiUren in the Colony who do not for some period of each year receive instmction , either in schools or at home . Tbe greater number of exceptions are amongst children from 12 to 14 years of age , whose laboar is of value to their parents . Many of

these , however , especially those m the conntry , learned to read , write and cipher before they left school . In places where State Schools are open for the first time , it mi'jjht be supposed that the children to attend them had previously been without schooling , bat in most cases the necessity for a school in any locality has been caused by a recent movement of population thereto from other settlements , and the children when enrolled are generally found to have been at school elsewhere .

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