Royal Arch.

ROYAL ARCH .

SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER .

fl ^ HE Quarterly Convocation will be held at Freemasons _ I _ Hall , London , on Wednesday next , 3 rd May , at 6 p . m . BUSINESS . Tho Minutes of the last Quarterly Convocation to be read for confirmation .

Installation of Principals and Investiture of Officers for the ensuing year . THE REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF GENERAL PURPOSES . To tha Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of England . The Committee of General Purposes beg to repcri that they have examined the Accounts from the 18 th January , to the 19 th April 1899 , both inclusive , which they find to be as follows :

To Balance , Grand Chapter £ 1 , 101 19 9 „ „ Unappropriated Account 266 1 6 „ Subsequent Receipts 692 13 7 £ 2 , 060 14 10 By Disbursements during the Quarter 368 2 11 „ Balance 1 , 439 7 5 „ „ Unappropriated Account 253 4 6 £ 2 , 060 14 10

whioh Balances are in the Bank of England , Lair Courts Branch . The Committee have likewise to report that they have received the following Petitions : — 1 st . From Companions Meyer Seehoff as Z , Robert Francis Wallis as H , Charles Alexander as 3 , and nine others for a Chapter to be attached to the Royal Georse Lodge , No . 2643 , to be called " The Royal George Chapter , " and to meet at Krugersdorp , Transvaal , South Africa .

2 nd . From Companions the Rev . John Scott Ramsay as Z , Colonel Ponsonby WiUiam Watts as H , Thomas Martin as J , and nine others for a Chapter to be attached to the Border Lodge , No . 2475 , to be called " The Beach Chaptor , " and to meet at the White Hart Hotel , Blackwater , Hampshire .

3 rd . From Companions William Briggs as Z , Joseph Reynolds Green as H , Cotterell Egerton Ward-Bough ton-Lee as J , and eleven others for a Chapter to bo attached to tho Stroug Man Lod ^ e , No . 45 , to he called " The Strong Man Chapter , " and to meet at the Holborn Restaurant , London , W . C .

4 th . From Companions Samuel Varren as Z , Simon Young as H , William Browne as J , and seven others for a Chapter to be attached to the United Chatham Lodge of Benevolence , No . 184 , to be called " The Triangle Chapter , " and to meet at the Masonic Temple , Park Road , New Brompton , Kent .

5 th . From Companions David Rees Lewis as Z , Duncan Macdonald as H , Angus Macintosh as J , and nine others for a Chapter to be attached to the Loyal Cambrian Lodge , No . 110 , to be called " The Rees Lewis Chapter , " and to meet at the Masonic Hall , Merthyr Tydfil , Wales . 6 th . From Companions Augustus Alfred Frigout as Z , William G . Simmons as H , Thomas Bugler as J , and seven others for a Chapter to be attached to the Excelsior Lodge , No . 1155 , to be called "The Excelsior Chapter , " and to meet at the Holborn Restaurant , London , W . C .

The Committee have likewise received Memorials , with extracts of Minutes , for permission to remove the following Chapters : — " The Military Chapter , " No . 2621 , from the Trocadero Restaurant , to the Hotel Cecil , Strand , London . "The St . Helen Chapter , " No . 531 , from the Masonic Hall , Hartlepool , to the Masonic Hall , Hart Road , West Hartlepool , Durham .

" The Brent Chapter , " No . 1284 , from the Masonic Hall , Topsham , to the Freemasons' Hall , Exeter , Devon . " The Savage Club Chapter , " No . 2190 , from 33 Golden Square , to Mark Mason ' s Hall , London . " The Prince Edwin Chapter , " No . 128 , from the Bridge Inn , to the Eoyal Hotel , Silver Street , Bury , Lancashire . " The Montefiore Chapter , " No . 1017 , from the Trocadero Restaurant , to the Holborn Restaurant , London , W . C .

The Committee recommend that the removal of thesa Chapters be sanctioned .

A Memorial , with particulars , has been received from Companions Cyril Plummer as Z , Chatham Ellis as H , Henry John Gardiner as J , and tbe Members of the Royal Somerset House and Inverness Chapter , No . 4 , London , for a Charter of Confirmation , the original Charter having been lost . The Committee being satisfied of the reasonableness of the request , recommend that the Charter of Confirmation be granted . ( Signed ) GEORGE DAVID HARRIS ,

President . Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C , 19 th April 1899 .

NOTICE OF MOTION By E . Companion Frank Richardson , P . Asst . G . Sojr ., Grand Director of Ceremonies" That Rules 94 , 95 , and 96 , Royal Arch Regulations , be altered to read as follows : —

Bule 94 . The Jewel of Office of Present Grand Officers of the Supreme Grand Chapter shall be suspended from a chain of gold or metal gilt of the prescribed pattern , or from a collar four inches broad of three colours , viz .: —purple , crimson , and pale blue , —such last named collar to be worn on all occasions , except in Supreme Grand Chapter , and at Ceremonials and Festivals where the Grand Officers

Royal Arch.

appear in their official capacities , when Chains are to be worn . The Jewel of Office of Past Grand Officers of the Supreme Grand Chapter is to be suspended from a Collar of the same width and colours as that before described .

Rule 95 . Grand Superintendents wear Chains or Collars similar to those of Officers of the Supreme Grand Chapter ; other Present and Past Officers of Provincial and District Grand Chapters also wear collars similar to those worn by the Officers of the Supreme Grand Chapter ; but such Collars are not to exceed two inches in width .

Rule 96 . The Jewel of Office worn by the Principals and Orficers is suspended from a orimson Collar four inches broad . Past First Principals , so long as they continue to subscribe to some Royal Arch Chapter , shall be entitled to wear on all occasions when Royal Arch Clothing may be worn , crimson Collars four inches wide with gold braid a quarter of an inch wide in the centre . Election of Committee of General Purposes for the ensuing twelve months .

Rhodesia.

RHODESIA .

DURING the past week public interest has continued in the Rhodesian share market , and there has been a rise in the price of nearly everything Rhodesian . Mr . Cecil Rhodes has said that he is determined that the railway from Buluwayo northwards , to connect with tha direct line to Cairo , shall go on , whatever happens . Cheap transport being thus assured in Rhodesia , there is every prospect of the shares of tha Austen ( Gwelo )

Development Syndicate , Limited , advancing to a very considerable premium . The Austen ( Gwelo ) Development Syndicate , Limited , with a capital of only £ 50 , 000 in £ 1 fully-paid shares , owns a farm of 6 , 000 acres , and also 507 claims in the best known and most important gold mining districts of Rhodesia . A number of the claims contain ancient workings , and are close to some of the best proved gold mines in Rhodesia . One of the largest

financial corporations in London has already placed the whole of the working capital , which is £ 20 , 000 . The shares have been bought during the past week by some of the large firms , and at the present price of about £ 1 12 s 6 d per share , at which the £ 1 fully-paid shares are now dealt in on the London Stock Exchange , they ought to be well worth the attention of the speculative investor .

¦ The London and North Western Railway Company have established direct representation on the continent of Europe , and havo opened offices in Paris and in Brussels . Mr . Thomas F . Burke , for many years attached to the staff of the General Manager's Department at Euston , has been appointed the Company's continental representative , with his headquarters at Paris . At Brussels Mr . Francis J . Wright , formerly with the London , Chatham and Dover Railway Company , will act as the agent of the London and North Western .

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