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Lodge Histories.

LODGE HISTORIES .

— : o : — JOPPA LODGE , No . 188 .

( Continued from p 267 . ) A curious incident is noticed at the meeting in April 1850 . The W . Master ( Bro . Selig ) announced that he had appointed Bro . D . Josep h I . G . to tlie office of J . D ., and Brother J . Phillips to that of I . G . The Secretary very sensibly pointed out that snch a course of procedure was unconstitutional , as the resignation of Bro . Def ries J . D .

had not been received , and consequently there was no vacancy . The W . Master , however , was obstinate , and invested Bro . Phillips with his jewel of office , but at the May meeting he was under the necessit y of retiring from his false position . He had been informed in tho interim by the Grand Secretary that such appointments as he had made were , under the circumstances , contrary to the Laws of the

Craft , and accordingly so much of the minutes of the previons Lodgo ns related to suoh irregular proceedings were non-confirmed . It may be added that the absence from his post of Bro . Defries J . D . was the cause of no little inconvenience to the Lodge , and that brother was written to with a view to its being ascertained if he had any intention of taking up the duties whioh had been assigned to him . As far as

we can judge no notice of this application would seem to have been taken , and later in the year , on the remonstrance of tho W . M . in open Lodge , as to the continued absence of Bro . Defries , it was resolved to appoint a new Junior Deacon in his stead , and Bro . Phillips received the appointment . One or two other matters of consequence happened during Bro . Selig ' s Mastership . The Lodge Bye-Laws

were revised . The Secretary announced that he had discovered among the records of the Lodge " an autograph signatnre" of the late Duke of Sussex , M . W . G . M ., and a resolution was passed to the effect that snch signature should be framed and glazed and placed in the Lodge . In December a motion was made that Bro . Alexander Levy should be elected a joining member on payment of the registering fee

only . An amendment , however , that Brother Levy should pay the full amount of the joining fee was carried , and Bro . Levy then tendered his resignation , which , with a due regard to its dignity , the Lodge wisely , in one sense , deolined to accept , though it may fairly be doubted if the membership of the brother in question was in any way creditable to Joppa Lodge . At the same meeting

Bro . W . B . Aaron was elected to be Worshipful Master for the year 1851 , Bros . D . Moses and Isaacs being re-elected Treasurer and Ty ler . It was further unanimously agreed that a Past Master ' s jewel be presented to Brother Selig in recognition of his services in the chair . We must note , however , that before Bro . Selig vacated office , a resolution was adopted unanimously for

the removal of the Lodge from the George and Vulture , Cornhill , to the King ' s Head , Poultry , and this having been duly confirmed , the Lodge met at its new quarters for the first time on 6 th January 1851 , when the installation of Bro . Aaron as W . Master , followed by the appointment and investiture of Officers , took place . The Audit Committee's Report was submitted and approved . Sundry resolutions of

the Committee of General Purposes , notably that providing for one audit in the year instead of two , were accepted , while the Benevolent Fund Report was submitted , and drew from the brethren manifestations of satisfaction , which , considering it had in the short period of its existence already reached close on £ 100 , were fully justified . Bro . Carstatt was re-elected President of the Fund , and in response to his

address , a further sum of £ 23 12 s 6 d was subscribed to it . In March the joining fee was , in accordance with a recommendation of the Committee of General Purposes , increased from one to two guineas . In May a quaint Bye-Law , yet one creditable to the Lodge , was unanimously passed , that a brother who had rendered good service should be admitted a member on subscription of five shillings per

annum , his privileges to include those of voting on all occasions and being present on all occasions , without payment , at the various banquets . But the new law did not meet with the approval of the Grand Master , who considered it was inconsistent with the spirit and intention of the general laws of the Fraternity , and under those circumstances , so muoh of the minutes as related to such Bye-Law were non

confirmed . At the Emergency meeting , held in August , the somewhat unusual occurrence is noted of the withdrawal of a candidate ' s name for initiation on the ground that sundry members of the Lod ge were not on friendly terms with him . At the September meeting a statement was presented showing that the Benevolent Fund amounted to £ 155 10 s , of which £ 129 15 s were in Consols , the rest being

donations promised and subscriptions due , together with a cash balance in hands of Treasurer amounting to £ 4 3 s , On this occasion the Lodge was honoured with a visit from " His Royal Highness the Ex-King of Oude , a member of the Globe Lodge , No . 23 , " who was accompanied by his Secretary . In October , after a slight difference

betweent two members had been settled amicably , certain propositions made by the Committee of General Purposes , and relating chiefly to the expenditure of the Lodge , were dealt with , one relating to the extension of the vacation from two to three months being carried Unanimousl y . In December , the usual election of Master , Treasurer ,

Lodge Histories.

and Tyler took place , Bro . J . A . Ellis being so fortunate as to be chosen for tho tirst-named office , whilo Bros . D . Mosoa and Isaacs were re-chosen to tho other two . The Committeo and Trustees of the Lodgo Benevolent Fund were appointed , and a Past Master ' s jewel was voted to Bro . Aaron for his valued services as W . M . A captaiu iu tho Hungarian service , who had been initiated in Hamburgh ,

received a small sum in relief of his iiuine liute necessities . We have noted that at the close of 1 S 50 uiotiou was made aud carried that the Lodgo should remove from the George and Vulture , Cornhill , where it was located iu March 1841 , to tho King ' s Head , Poultry . Wo presume tho latter hostelry can hardly havo given satisfaction , as at two successive emorgoucy meetiugs in December 1851 it

was unanimously agreed that tho Lodge shonld bo removed to 39 Finsbury-square , which at the timo appears to havo borne tho designation of the City Masonic Hall , and thero it was that in January 1852 Bro . Ellis received the benefit of installation as W . Master , Bro . Aaron subsequently receiving his Past Master's jewel . At the February meeting Bro . H . M . Levy , of Lodge 291 , Edinburgh , who is now

a very active Past Master of the Lodge , was elected a joining member of the Lodge . At the meeting on lst March announcement was made that , in accordance with the unanimous vote of the Lodge , a letter of condolence had been addressed to the widow of Bro . J . A . Jones , one of the trustees of the Lodgo Benevolent Fund , and that it had been most gratefully acknowledged by tho family of tho deceased

brother . It was further announced that Mr . A . A . Jonos , tho de « ceased's brother , had presented fivo guineas to the Fund . In June , in conseqtionce of a notice from the landlord of the house , it became necossary to seek frosh quarters , and after duo consideration , at an emergoncy meeting assembled for the purpose , a Sub-Committoe was appointed with a view to making tho arrangements ; and in Octobor

the Lodgo resumed its meetings at its new quarters , tho White Hart , Bishopsgate-street , the principal event of the meeting boing a motion that Bro . D . Moses , who had held the office of Treasurer for over forty years , should be requested to sit for his portrait , as the Lodge was anxions to be possessed of such a memorial of one who had so long and faithfully served it . The request

was acceded to by Brother Moses , and a Committee for carrying out the necessary arrangements was appointed . Nothing further of any moment oocurred during Bro . Ellis's term of office ; and when , in the course of things , the election night came round and Bro . Beyfus had been elected his successor , while Bros . D . Moses and Isaaos were re-elected Treasurer and Tyler respectively , the usual satisfactory

compliment of a Past Master ' s jewel was voted to him in recognition of his great services to the Lodge , while , in addition to this , it was unanimously agreed that a vote of thanks be recorded on the minutes to Bro . Ellis for the zeal and ability he had displayed , aud for his readiness on all occasions to promote the welfare of the Lodge . The proceedings at the installation were of an eminontly satisfactory

oharacter . There was a balance in favour of the Lodge , after reckon , ing its assets and liabilities , of upwards of £ 26 , while tho Benevolent Fund Report showed that , when the promised subscriptions had all been paid in , the total sum was over £ 240 . In the course of tho evening a hearty appeal was made on its behalf by the W . Master , in response to which subscriptions wore annonnced to the extent of

£ 45 3 s . In the course of this Lodge petitions for relief wore presented on behalf of two brethren , who were inmates of tho " Hand-in-hand Institution , " but the Lodge ruled that , as " that asylum afforded every comfort to its members , " the petitions were not deserving of consideration . At the meeting on the 2 nd May 1853 , among other can didates for initiation , occurs the name of Bro . E . P . Albert , now P . M .,

Secretary , and P . G . P . EngIand , who is thus within a few days of having completed a connection with the Craft of over twenty-eight years . It may be a 3 well to add that the election was unanimous , and that his initiation into tho mysteries of the first degree followed as early aa possible the same evening . On the same day the sum of £ 5 was voted from the funds of the Lodgo towards the portrait of Bro . D . Moses ,

Treas . Later in the year this portrait , handsomely framed , was pre . sented to the worthy Treas ., the following inscription being placed on a tablet attached : — "Presented to Bro . D . Moses , by the Members of the Lodge of Joppa , No . 223 , as a mark of their esteem for his valuable services as Treasurer 43 consecutive years , A . L . 5614—A . D . 1853 . " The presentation was made in open Lodge by the Worshipful Master ,

and most gracefully acknowledged by Bro . Moses . In tho interim , a rude letter of resignation was sent to the Lodge by two of ita members , which , for reasons best known to itself , the said Lodge did not think proper to receive . Later in the year , steps were taken for the purpose of obtaining long leasehold promises where a Masonic Hall might be erected , and a Committee to that end was appointed ,

without , however , being able to effect what was desired . In November occurred another case of the rejection of a candidate , the nnmber of black balls being seven . In December the ballot for a candidate was deferred till the next meeting , becauso different statements were made by two brethren as to whether the candidate had said it would seriously inconvenience him to attend and take his

degrees , m the event of the ballot being successful . In the case of a certain brother from Liverpool , who applied iu the course of the same meeting for relief , and whose case proved to be a very distressing one , the Lodge Bye-Law restricting the amount was suspended , and the poor brother wa 3 assisted to the extent of three guineas . After this the election for Worshipful Master took place , and resulted

in favour of Bro . A . J . Jones S . W . Bros . D . Moses and Isaacs were re-elected to their old offices of Treasurer and Tyler respectively . The Committee and Trustees of the Lodge Benevolent Fund were chosen , and a Past Master's jewel was unanimously voted to the retiring Master , Bro . Beyfus , the terms of the resolution respecting the testimonial to that worthy brother being more than usually

complimentary , and a sum of over £ 30 was at once subscribed by tho members for the purpose of giving due effect to the resolution . Nor need any one be surprised at this . After making every allowance for outstanding liabilities , the balance . < x > per the report of the Auditors , showed a sum of £ 54 5 s Gd i . i favour of the Lodge , while the Benevolent Fund had increased during Brother Beyfua ' s year of office