Spiteful Blackballing.

SPITEFUL BLACKBALLING ,

THE Deputy Prov . Grand Master of West Yorkshire devoted a portion of the annual address delivered at his Grand Lodge meeting last week to the question of Blackballing—not that judicious use of the negative vote which it is the right and privilege of every

Mason to exercise , whenever he knows it is right to do so , but the malicious use of the ballot which not unfrequently happens when some member is disappointed or offended at the action of his fellows in the Lodge , and

adopts the cowardly course of making innocent people suffer for what he imagines to be the fault of others , whereas , in reality , it may be they deserved

commendation , for having exercised their right , and , perhaps , acted in the best interests of the Craft at large , and their own Lodge in particular , by voting against an undesirable candidate .

Bro . Smith , in the course of his remarks , quoted largely from the utterances of the Grand Master of Iowa on this question , and we have reproduced some of the comments in our report of the meeting , which appears

in another column ; we should have liked to give more , but for pressure on our space . The line of argument adopted by the American ruler is that when such a Brother as is here referred to is " disappointed because a friend is not received into the Lodge , he straightway

forgets the Brethren whom he already has , in his desire to obtain another ; he forgets his vows and his duty to

his Lodge ; forgets that every Brother has the same individual choice that he himself possesses ; his heart turns to revenge , and he decides that none shall join the Lodge until he .. has forced in the one rejected . "

This clearly discloses the position of affairs that has brought disaster on many a Lodge in this country , as well as in America , and as its existence is clearly recognised it leads one to ask whether it would not be better

to have some official record made of rejections , so that the authorities might be at once apprised of any systematic Blackballing , and when they were of opinion that anything of the sort was being carried on , then some

regular inquiry should be instituted , with the object of putting an end to the spiteful practices referred to , which not only bring trouble on those intimately concerned , but discredit on Freemasonry as a whole .

United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

THE annual Installation and Festival of Grand Lodge was held on Wednesday , under the presidency of the Earl of Lathom Pro Grand Master . Lord George Hamilton , M . P ., acted as Senior Warden , and Sir John

Monckton as Junior Warden . About 500 Brethren were present . The Prince of Wales was unavoidably absent , but he was declared duty reinstalled as Grand Master ,

United Grand Lodge.

and proclaimed as such by Sir Albert Woods Grand Director of Ceremonies . The Earl of Lathom then announced , amidst much applause , that the Grand Master had been pleased to confer on Prince Frederick Leopold of Prussia the rank and dignity of Past Grand Master . The Earl of Lathom next informed Grand

Lodge of the other appointments , all of which were well received , and the investitures followed . The Earl of Lathom was again appointed Pro Grand Master , and the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe Deputy Grand Master ,

while the remaining appointments were as follow : Marquis of Tweeddale - - Senior Warden Lord Skelmersdale - - - Junior Warden Archdeacon Sinclair - - - ) Ghanlains ' Canon Kynaston - - - ) " " Alderman and Sheriff Dimsdale - - Treasurer F . A . Philbrick , Q . C . - - - Registrar T . L . Wilkinson - - - Deputy Registrar Edward Letchworth - - - Secretary W . B . Coltman W . M . 2456 - -. .

Lieut-General C . W . Randolph - - r Senior Deacons Alfred Cooper - - - - ' John Thornhill Morland - - j His Honour Judge Masterman - - [ Junior Deacons Lieut-Colonel J . A . Bindley - - ' R . St . A . Roumieu - - - Sup . of Works Sir Albert W . Woods ( Garter ) - - Dir . of Ceremonies

Lennox Browne - - - Deputy D . G . E . Wallaston Stanton - - -. James Salmon - - - ' - Assistant D . C . J . Flower Jackson - - - ' Major-General F . Gadsden - - Sword Bearer Lieut-Colonel J . T . Ritchie , R . A . - Deputy Sword Br . Ca pt T C w " alls I - ' - ' } Standard Bearers W . S . Hoyte - Organist

Alfred A . Pendlcbury - - - Assistant Sec . Abraham Green - - - Pursuivant Frederick Hilton - - - Asst . Pursuivant Heury Sadler - - - Tyler

The rank of Past Senior Grand Deacon was conferred on Colonel Alfred Mordaunt Egerton , Equerry and Controller to H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught . The Annual Festival was held at Freemasons' Tavern ,

the Earl of Lathom again presiding . In the course of the proceedings he stated he had very good ground for saying that another member of the Royal Family would shortly join the Order . This was generally understood to refer to the Duke of York .

West Yorkshire.

WEST YORKSHIRE .

rjlHE Annual Meeting of this Provincial Grand Lodge JL was held in the Masonic Hall , South Parade , Huddersfield , on the 18 th inst ., under the banner of Thornhill Lodge , No . 1514 , Lindley . The Rt . Hon .

William Lawies Jackson , M . P ., P . M . 289 P . P . G . W . Prov . G . Master presided , and was supported by Bro . Henry Smith P . G . D . Deputy , together with a large number of other Provincial Officers and Brethren ,

including , as Visitors , Bros . Charles E . Keyser , M . A ., J . P ., P . G . D ., Treasurer R . M . I , for Boys , James Morrison McLeod P . P . G . W . Derbyshire Secretary R . M . I , for Boys , Joseph Hewson P . M . 792 P . P . G . D . Lincolnshire .

The Roil of Lodges was called over , when it was found that all but three of the seventy-six in the Province were represented , and then the Minutes of the last meeting were confirmed . The Prov ; G . Master , in the course of his address .