Extension Of Grand Lodge Honours.

EXTENSION OF GRAND LODGE HONOURS .

WHEN , afe the bog-inning of the present month , Ave urged the desirability of an addition to the annual roll of Grand Lodge Officers , we little thought that at the next Quarterly Communication H . R . H . the Grand Master of England would submit a resolution for the

consideration of Grand Lodge , having for its object the permanent addition of a Grand Lodge collar to the number already available ; but such is happily the case , the proposed addition being in favour of the President

of the Board of Benevolence , who shall henceforth , the Grand Master suggests , be a Grand Officer , entitled to rank as a Past Grand Officer on retirement , same as with the other Officers . On the principle that we should be thankful for small mercies we

accept the suggestion of the Grand Master most cheerfully , but we cannot help thinking that had the proposition of the Prince of Wales been carried further

it would have been far more acceptable , and would have opened the road to a number of honours which are sadly wanted at the present time .

If the President of the Board is entitled to rank as a

Grand Lodge Officer , why should not the same distinction be conferred on the Senior and Junior Vice-Presidents , who , in their way , are as worthy of recognition as their chief ? We are aware that some distinction would be

necessary in regard to the matter of precedence , but that is a minor detail . Even if the Yice-Presidents had to take rank almost at the end of the list of Grand Officers the honour attached to the appointments would be coveted and

prized by some of the best Masons of the day , while if the three offices were conferred on different brethren each year , and all carried the right to Past Grand Officers rank a series of appointments would be created which might be conferred as rewards for services rendered in the cause of Masonic

Charity , which would he of inestimable advantage to the Craft in years to come , as they would offer a further inducement to brethren to practice the great Masonic virtue of Charity .

It has been the custom to recognise the Officers of the Board of Benevolence as permanent , or virtually so , but there is no reason why such a course should be continued , as there are numbers of Masons who are f ally qualified for the offices . Those who once served would no doubt lend

their support to the occupants of the chairs for the time being , much as the Past Masters of a Lodge now support the presiding Worshipful Master , so that the Board could not suffer through a lack of experience on the part of its chiefs . We trust it is not too late for the advisers of our Grand

Master to suggest an extension of his resolution in the manner we have proposed , as by that means we should have three additional Grand offices to fill each year , and a

number of most deserving brethren could receive that recognition to which they are entitled , and which , at present , it is not possible to confer on them .

North London Chapter of Improvement , No . 1471 — This favourite Chapter of Improvement held its Annaal Convocation at the Alwyne Castle Tavern , St . Panl's Road , Canonbury , on Thursday , 25 th inst . At 8 punctually the Chapter was represented by a goodly muster of the Companions . The ceremony of Exaltation was rehearsed in a very able and perfect manner by Companion W . II .

Dean P . P . G . Registrar Dorset as M . E . Z ., Comps . Wm . RadclifFe , H ., Lewis ( Z . of the Enfield Chapter ) J ., J . E . Sheffield S . E ., S . Barnet S . N ., W . A . Sproat P . S . The Andit committee read the financial report for the year ending 18 th November , and expressed satisfaction in the prosperous state of the funds of the Chapter , The

election of tho S . E . and Treasurer was then proceeded with , when Comp . J . E . Sheffield was re-elected S . E ., tho Companions complimeeting him on his prosperous and successful year of office , and trnsting he might be spared many years to occupy his responsible position . Comp . R . IT . ffall'ord was then unanimously re-elected

Treasurer , the Companions expressing their best wishes that he might continue to husband thoir funds as carefully as ho had done in the past . Ifc wa 3 proposed and carried unanimously that a vote of thanks be recorded on the minntes to tho S . E . and Treasurer for the carefnl and successful manner they had kept the accounts for the

paat year . Comp . T . C . Edmonds was spoken of as au able , kind , and courteous Preceptor , all expressing their thanks for tho pains he bestowod upon thorn in perfecting them in the R . A . Ritual . The number of Companions on the Books is 1 G 8 , and the number of Chapters represented 67 .

No Mason will urge a profane man to become a member . No mm can trust a God that ho has no faith in . Wo want true Masons . Numbers are no test : quality is everything .

Gleanings.

GLEANINGS .

Thero are 11 Lodges and 418 Masons in Prince Edward Island . Co . intrTTEE ON ANTIQUITIES . —A standing Committee or the Grand Lodge of New York is iu session once every week for th » pn pose of receiving communications , relics , and gifts or loans of antiqui . ties , & o .

ROYAL ARCH STATISTICS POR 1886 . —The total m ° mVrsh ' p is 142 , 191 , against 140 , 960 in 1885 ; the exaltations are 7 . 839 , against 9 , 469 in 1885 ; tho admissions and resrorarions are 1 , 822 , against 2 , 029 in 1885 ; the dimisaions are 3 014 , against 2 , 985 in 1885 ; the

expulsions are 74 , against 92 in 1885 ; the suspensions ( inclnding suspensions from membership and names dropped fmm the roll ) are 2 , 925 , against 2 . 771 in 1885 ; and the deaths are 1 , 854 , against 1 , 516 in 1885 . — Neiv York Freemason ' s Journal .

The end and moral purport of Masonry is to subdne oir passions not to do our own will , to make daily progress in a laudable art , to promote morality , charity , good fellowship , good nature , and humanity . —Anderson , 1721 . FRANCE . —Qnr readers will recollect that for somo yeirs past the

French Grand Orient has been refnsed correspondence hy the English-speaking Grand Lodges of the world on account of its official refusal to longer make belief in the Great Architect of the Universe a condition precedent to initiation . We learn that there ig

considerable excitement among the French Lodges , looking to an abrogation of the foolish regulation which removed their organization beyond the pale of regular Masonrv , nrgaing that without God there can be no Freemasonry . —TJtica Herald .

Statuary For Flood's Building.

STATUARY FOR FLOOD'S BUILDING .

BRO . MORTON A . EDWARDS , a sculptor , who recently oame to San Francisco from London , is making two groups of statuary

for Flood s building on Market street . The group that Bro . Edwards is now engaged upon is for the Fourth-street side . It will rest on the pediment , which will be eightv-five feet from the ermnd . The group consists of three figures . In the centre is the goddess of Fortune , whioh will' be fifteen feet high . This is a fine figure . The

form of the Goddess is strong and graceful . The faoe is of Grecian type and the drapery is an antique tunic . She has a wheel of fortune in one hand , whioh hangs at her side , nnd an olive branch in the other . A cornucopia overflwing with fruits lies at her side . On

the right sits Ceres , with a sheaf of grain in her lap and a sickle in her right hand . The pose of Ceres is remarkably beautiful . On the left is Bacchus seated on two wine skins . This figure ia full of life . The group will be east in white bronze .

The Committee of the Royal Masonic Institution f > r Girls met on Thursday at Freemasons' Hall , undir the presidency of Bro . J . A . Rucker P . G . D . There wai an exceptionally large attendance of brethren , the principal business of the meeting beino- the election of two members

of the House Committee , one to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Bro . Joshua Nunn , and the other to snpp ' y the place of Bro . Col . Peters , who is now one of the Trustees of the Institution . There were three

candidates : Bro . Thomas Fenn , President of the Board of General Purposes , Vice-Patron ; Bro . F . A . Philbrick" , Q . C ., Grand Registrar , Vice-Patron ; and Bro . Alderman

Savory , Life Governor . Most elaborate , and , as it proved , efficient arrangements had been made for the e ' ection , which was conducted without a hitch . Upwards of four hundred votes were recorded on behalf of the several

candidates , Bros Fenn aud Philbrick being ultimately declined elected . The other business of the day comprised the consideration of five petitions—all of which were approvedand some genera ! matters . A vo : e of thanks to the chaiiman concluded the proceedings .

The following names have been added to the Committee of the Frederick Binckos Presentation Fund , viz . : — Bro . Samuel Pope , Q . C ., S . G . D . Rtn . . T K T , o Foavre . Danntv P . G . M . TTints and Tsln of Witrhfa

J . G . D . Bro . James Lewis Thomas P . G . A . D . C . and tho following additional subscriptions from Lodges have been received , viz .: —•

£ s d Constitutional , No . 55 - . . - - 10 10 0 Oil Kent Mark , T . I . - - - - - 5 5 0 P . G . L . Northumberland and Durham - - - 2 2 0 Lodge of Israel . . . . - - 2 2 0

Members of Lodge of Israel in small sums - 8 14 6 Cheltenham and Keystone Mark , No . 10 - 2 2 0 P . G . L . West Yorkshire , M . M . M 2 2 0 Pearnley Lodge of M . M . M ., 50 - - - - 1 1 0 Angel Lodge , No . 51 - - - - 1 1 0