The Outlook.

THE OUTLOOK .

JT may be said that next week will see the opening of the Masonic season of 18 9 8-9 , Thursday being the 1 st of September , in which month fully one half of the Lodges which adjourn over the summer are accustomed to recommence operations for the busier time of the year in Masonic work .

Many years ago it was said : Happy the country that has no history , equally may we write at the present , happy the Craft which presents no feature worthy of comment ; and that is really the state of affairs so far

as English Freemasonry is concerned . We never remember so dull an August—speaking Masonically —as that now drawing to a close , terminating as it does an exceptionally dull recess ; but if there has been

little or nothing to record in the way of events , there has also been an entire absence of anything unpleasant or unsatisfactory , so that on the whole there would

seem to be cause for congratulation and rejoicing that the past few weeks have provided little or no material for the Masonic history maker .

With the past affording ample material for satisfaction we may reasonably look forward to the future , and see if matters there appear to present equal scope for congratulation ; in doing so we think it

is but fair to say that the prospects before the English Craft were never more satisfactory than at the present , when the steady increase of the past appears likely to be continued , with the beneficial work of the Craft widening as a consequence .

The coming season is likely to be a particularly busy one in the field of Masonic Benevolence , the heavy call made on the generosity of the Craft , in

connection with the Centenary of the Boys School , being almost certain to make itself severely felt , and render collections on behalf of either of the Funds

particularly difficult m the near future , but we must neither despair no pause in this direction , for each of the Institutions is pledged to a large amount , and it

will be a real misfortune if the receipts for the coming year fall far short of what is actually required to ensure a satisfactory adjustment between the income and the expenditure of the period .

The pope has issued an edict against the Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias . It really is an edict against freedom of conscience in matters not strictly Roman Catholic . It means absolute subservience to popery , or excommunication . There is no Christianity in his edict .

At the recent annual communication of the Grand Lodge of Masons in Indiana , the action of the Grand Secretary in displaying the flag of the country over the Masonic Temple

during the last few weeks of patriotic enthusiasm was most heartily and sincerely approved , and his words of loyal devotion to the country were earnestly commended .

Board Of Benevolence.

BOARD OF BENEVOLENCE .

THE Board of Masters and the Board of Benevolence were held on Wednesday evening , at Freemasons' Hall , Bro . J . H . Matthews President of the Board of Benevolence in the chair .

The paper of business for Grand Lodge meeting of the 7 th prox . was submitted to the Board of Masters , and after the Board of Benevolence had been opened , Bro . Henry Garrod P . G . P . referred with regret to the death of Brother

James Brett P . G . P . Past Senior Vice-President of the Board . Bro . Matthews said he was glad Bro . Garrod had mentioned the subject , because Bro . Brett having been so many years

Senior Vice-President his death should not pass by unnoticed . Bro . Brett , by his method of cross examining frequently brought out facts which were extremely useful to the Board . Bro . Matthews added that he would not ask Bro . Garrod for

amotion , as he thought an expression through the President , of regret , which he was sure they all felt , would be sufficient . The Board afterwards dealt with seventeen petitions , and voted £ 435 to fourteen of them : — £ 75 in one case , £ 50 to another , two £ 40 , five £ 30 , three £ 20 , and two £ xo .

The Prov.Grand Master Of Warwickshire.

THE PROV . GRAND MASTER OF WARWICKSHIRE .

MONDAY , the 22 nd inst ., was given up to rejoicing and festivity at Stoneleigh Abbey , the occasion being the fiftieth anniversary of the marriage of Lord and Lady Leigh . The principal event of the day was a large garden party to which the tenantry were invited . Lord and Lady Leigh

were presented with a massive silver-gilt vase , weighing over 200 oz ., on behalf of his tenants in Gloucestershire , Leicestershire , Staffordshire , and Warwickshire . An illuminated address was presented by the tenantry of the Cheshire estate . Among the many other gifts . which Lord and Lady Leigh

received were presents from their sons , daughters , and grandchildren , Lord Leigh ' s brothers and sisters , the Chairman and Committee of visitors of the county lunatic asylum , with which Lord Leigh has been officially connected for forty-six years , the officers and boys of the Warwickshire Reformatory ,

and the servants of Stoneleigh Abbey . The Brethren of Warwickshire , of whom Lord Leigh is Provincial Master , are arranging for an exclusively Masonic gift , and a county presentation is also to be made . Lord and Lady Leigh were the recipients of numerous telegrams of congratulation upon the attainment of their golden wedding .

There is a pretty story told of Lord Leigh , says the "Eastern Daily Press . " Stoneleigh Abbey is often open , without any charge , to visitors , and for some years the cicerone was an old and diminutive woman , the Abbey housekeeper . On one occasion the writer was being taken

over the dwelling , and at last the party came to a room in which there were many pictures . Having pointed to several portraits and stated whose they were , the oid lady said gleefully : " Now I'll show you the best man in England . "

Nearly all present were strangers , and knew not to whom allusion was made , and more than one asked : "Who ' s that ? " Momentarily she brushed aside the covering cloth , and revealed a fine portrait of the Lord of Stoneleigh .

Warwickshire landowners generally are not slower in the prosecution of poachers than are people in other counties ; but Lord Leigh does not swell the list , remarks the same authority . There are plentv of game and rabbits at

Stoneleigh , and we are afraid the unauthorised sportsmen go after them . Once a policeman took a poacher before Lord Leigh at the Abbey , and of course was looking for directions to prosecute the evildoer . His lordship talked to the man ,