Freemasonry In India.

FREEMASONRY IN INDIA .

A COMMUNICATION" was held some time since of the District Grand Lodge of Madras , at -which Right Worshipful Brother Major A . W . 0 . Saunders District Grand Master presided , the attendance being worthy of the occasion . Perhaps the most important part of the bnsiness transacted had reference to the conduct and government

of the Grand Masonic Charity "Fund of Southern India , a variety of alterations in the Bye-Laws of which were brought under notice , with a view to be considered at the

next Communication of District Grand Lodge , a Special Committee consisting of the President and members of the Board of General Purposes being requested to report thereon in the interim . The address of the District Grand Master

was for the most part couched in terms of satisfaction at the state of Freemasonry in his District , bnt he expressed his regret that the Lodges of Instruction were not better attended , and that certain grave irregularities had occurred in connection with the supply of refreshments in a

particular Lodge . Bro . Saunders further sought to impress upon those present the absolute necessity for observing most strictl y the laws relating to the admission of members , and further commended to their notice the Booh of the

Lodge , by the late Dr . Oliver , a new edition of -which had recentl y been issued by Bro . Spencer , of 2 B \ Great Queen-street , W . C . The following are the District Grand Officers for the new year ,

namely—Bro . J . W . Handley 150 . . Deputy Grancl Master Major G . B . Weston 1049 . Grancl Senior Warden Rev . P . G . Lys , M . A ., 1285 Junior Warden Rev . J . F . Browne 1043 - Chaplain Hon . J . G . Coleman 150 - Treasurer ( elected )

A . Champion 150 . . Registrar A . M . Saunders 150 - - President Bd . Gen . Purposes J . T . Greatorex 273 - - Secretary J . Hills 434 - - - Senior Deacon J . Smith 1043 - - . *

__ „ JJ D . McCartney 1049 - - Junior Deacon P . W . Kceueman 260 . . „ Major A . Curtois 500 - Superintendent of Works

W . E . Schmid 1285 . . Director of Ceremonies CowasjeeEdnljee 273 - Assist . Dir . of Ceremonies Captain H . P . Law 1406 - Sword Bearer Misquith 1198 . . . Organist G . L . Winch 1198 - . Pursuivant J . S . Dring . . . Tyler

District Grand Lodge was shortly ' afterwards closed . The accounts for the past year , both of the Grand Masonic Charit y Fund and the District Grand Lodse were .

both of them highly satisfactory . The former , with nn opening balance of over 1 , 669 rupees , showed recei pts amounting to 2 , 739 rupees , the expenditure being only 943 rupees , so that the balance in hand at the close of the

account was over 1795 rupees . The latter set out with a balance from former account of over 503 rupees , the receipts being in excess of 1 , 013 rupees , making a total on the recei pt side of over 1 , 517 rupees . Tlie expenditure wns onl y 782 rupees , so that the balance remaining to the good

was as nearly as possible 734 | rupees . Ifc should be added that the Madras Masonic Institution has stock amounting to 5 , 000 rupees . At the Regular Communication of the Provincial Grand

Lod ge of Mark Master Masons , held at the Masonic Hall , Vepery , Bro . Major Saunders Provincial Grand Mark ¦ Master Mason presided , bufc the attendance was limited . J-he Grand Lodge accounts showed a balance on the right side of the account amounting to over 341 rupees . The

Freemasonry In India.

address of the Prov . Grand Master waa less encouraging than might have been hoped for , but Bro . Saunders was very far from despairing of a recovery of the Degree in the District , especially as the other branches of Freemasonry were in so flourishing a state . The following are the Prov , Grand Officers for the current year : —

Bros . Lieut .-Col . R . H . Cunliffe 61 - D . Grand Master Lieut .-Col . A . H . E . Campbell 81 Grand Senior Warden W . Grant 106 - - - Junior Warden Captain H . P . Law 81 - - Master Overseer Cowasjee Eduljee 61 - - - Senior Overseer

J . Smith 82 Junior Overseer P . Shaw 106 - - - - Registrar Surgeon R . Harvey 61 - - Treas . ( elected ) J . T . Greatorex 61 - Secretary M . L . Wilkinson 81 - - - Senior Deacon

E . Grant 160 ... - Junior Deacon H . Reuben 82 - Supt . of Works J . J . O'Plynn 160 - - - Dir . of Ceremonies J . H . Ellis 61 ... Asst . Dir . of Cers . Captain J . J . Ross 82 - - Sword Bearer

H . M . TJpshon 61 - - Standard Bearer D . Jesadusen 61 Organist A . Johnson 61 ... Inner Guard G . L . Winch 160 - - - Steward Captain P . S . Watts 82 - - „ J . S . Dring .. .. Tyler

The regular Convocation of the District Grancl Chapter of Royal Arch Masons was held in the same Hall about the same time , ancl under the presidency of M . E . Comp . Major Saunders District Grand Superintendent . The District Grand Treasurer ' s account showed a balance in

favour of the District Grand Chapter of only a fraction less than 163 Rnpees . The District Grand Superintendent expressed himself well satisfied with the state of ^ things in R . A . Masonry in Madras . The following are the new Officers of the District Grand Chapter : —

Comps . H . B Bernard - - - Grand H . Lieut .-Colonel R H Cunliffe J . J . T . Greatorex . - Scribe E . W . Grant .... Scribe N . J . Hills .... Principal Sojourner

J . Smith .... 1 st Asst . do . Surgeon R . Harvey . - 2 nd Asst . do . . Hon . J . G . Coleman - - Treasurer ( elected ) . A . Champion - - - Registrar

A . Gerdes - - Sword Bearer Captain H . P . Law - - Standard Bearer Cowaejee Eduljee ¦ Director of Ceremonies J . Jesadusen - - - Organist J . S . Dring - - ' Grand Janitor

M . E . Comp . the Hon . H . T . Prinsep , District Grand Superintendent , presided at the Annual Convocation of the . District Grand Chapter of Bengal , held a few months since at , Freemasons' Hall , Calcutta . After the usual confirmation of the minute ** , Comp . Prinsep delivered his address ,

in the course of which he expressed his satisfaction with the progress which Royal Arch Masonry had made during * the year . A new Chapter—Faith , No . 1526—hacl been opened at Jamalpore , raising" the nnmber of Chapters on the roll to ten . The Star of Gwalior Chapter , No . 1066 ,

Merar , hacl resumed working tinder M . E . Comp . Lieut . Col . G . B . Wolseley Past District Grand Scribe N . Moreover , in spite of no returns having been forthcoming from two Chapters , the number of Companions had increased

from 156 to 172 . Later in the course of tho meeting , the recommendation of the Committee of General Purposes to the effect that a donation of 100 Rupees should be given to the Bengal Masonic Association for the Education of the Children of Indigent Freemasons was carried unanimously .