Contents.

CONTENTS .

L EADERS 433 Provincial Grand Lodge of Cheshire 434 Provincial Grand Lodge of Cornwall 435 Consecration of the Hcsketh Chapter , No . i 3 < o 436 The Late President Garlield 436 Movable Grand Mark Lodge 437 The Funeral ot the Late Grand Master of

Holland , 43 J The Late Masonic Reception at York 437 CORRESPONDENCEReferences to Freemasonry 43 S Admission to Provincial Grand Lodges ... 438 The Grand Lodge Library 43 S

The Belgian Freemasons and Mr . 13 radlaugb 43 S Masonic Uniforms 43 S Masonic Impostors—a Warning 43 S Greatest Mason in thc World 439 The Oldest Freemason 430

Reviews 439 Masonic Notes and Queries 439 Dedication of a Lodge at Chacewater , Cornwall 439 Roval Masonic Institution for Girls 440 Presentation to YV . Bro . Magnus Ohrcn , P . G . A . D . C . England , by the Frederick Lodge of Unity , No . 4 J 2 . ' . 440

Marriage Presentation to a Worshipful Master 440 Thc Forthcoming Royal Visit to Swansea 440 Disappearance of a Valuable Painting 440 REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry T . 441

Instruction 442 Royal Arch 442 Mark Masonry 442 Knights Templar 44-Masonic and General Tidings 443 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 444

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THE accounts of the laying in state and of the funeral preparations for the interment of our lamented and late distinguished Bro . General GARFIELD are most touching and impressive . It is a remarkable fact , that the whole of the Anglo-Saxon race to-day , with other incorporated and friendly nationalities , is in mourning for the murdered President . We note that the

Masonic Knight Templars , of whom he was one , have taken an active part properly in these solemn proceedings . Since we wrote the above the accounts of the funeral have reached us in England by telegram , and most affecting they are . In England and among English Masons the sympathy with our late lamented Brother ' s mourning family , and the American people , has been universal and deep .

* * BRO . TERRY has secured Colonel LLOYD PIIILIITS , Provincial Grand Master of Wales ( Western Division ) , as the Chairman of the next anniversary festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . Wc congratulate

the Institution and Bro . TERRY on thc fact , and trust that in 1882 thc anniversary gathering of that most excellent Institution , a most true Charity in every good meaning of thc word , —may show that the sacred fire of Masonic benevolence burns as brightly in the hearts and minds of the brethren as ever .

THE funeral of the late GRAND MASTER of Dutch Freemasonry , of which we give an account elsewhere , passed over with much proper ceremony , and amid many just manifestations of regret . It is given to few Grand Masters

to preside over a Grand Lodge for sixty-five years , and we trust that the memory of their good old GRAND MASTER will long survive in the Dutch Grand Lodge , and among Dutch Freemasons , and keep them steady to the time-honoured landmarks of true cosmopolitan Freemasonry .

Is our last issue thc following paragraph appears— "Some of the Christian churches in New York are adopting the Chicago plan of excluding Freemasons from membership . " We could hardly believe our own eyespretty good ones , too—when wc saw such a statement . Well , Freemasonry has outlived the terrors of Romanist Bulls , Presbyterian Synods , and

Baptists assaults , and , we venture to think , it can afford now to laugh at the " childish aberrations " of nondescript bodies . As far as we ourselves can profess to decide thc question , the " true religion " of the Masonic body in America is on a far higher level than those of their assailants and excommunicators , if we may judge by the " outcome " we constantly see in word

and act , remembering the good old proverb , " the proof of the pudding is in the eating of it . " A more uncharitable , intolerant , and we will add "semi-educated " body of antagonists , than those who seek to " ostracize " the American Freemasons , we have never before met , either in controversy , or in actuality . ,

* * * OUR contemporary , the Sydney Freemason , takes us to task in its issue of August 10 th for thc expression of our opinion with respect to the so-called Grand Lodge of New South Wales . We confess that , —though , to say the truth , the question has but little interest comparatively for our readers , —yet ,

'f somewhat unwillingly , we recur to the subject , it is more on account of the peculiar line of argument of our " confrere" than from any regard for the merits of the case or the results oi the movement . We congratulate our contemporary on the somewhat " spicy" and somewhat "Jesuitical" words he thinks well , " Masonically speaking , " to indulge in . We would ask him

respectfull y to remember that we only professed to deal with " the facts of 'he case . " We neither recognized sentiment , nor local opinions , nor cxtrane ° us matters , nor " ad hominem" arguments , but we sought to treat facts" qua "facts , " and only qua " facts" moreover , however they affected him or us , whatever the " upshot" might be , and , therefore , we

re peat , calmly and unhesitatingly , that oar statement is correct and that of our critic is incorrect . The first point to be settled between us is , How was " js so-called Grand Lodge formed ? We repeat that it was composed " ab origine" of lodges of only two jurisdictions out of three existing , and of one 01 the two very sparingly . It is in vain for our contemporary to seek to

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diminish the force of this argument by saying that the members of the third jurisdiction would have joined the new body had they " dared , " or could they safely have done so ; that their hearts were with the movement , but that they were intimidated by their D . G . M . We wonder that our antipodean censor does not see what a reflection he is casting , by his distinct and

dogmatic assertions , on the loyalty , honour , and Masonic principles of the brethren of the " absent Constitution . " Had there been any real feeling in favour of the change , they had nothing to do but to petition Grand Lodge , respectfully and clearly , in their lodges , through their D . G . M . ; and we feel sure of this , that there is no body in the wide world less willing than the

English Grand Lodge to retain under its time-honoured jurisdiction by "force majeure , " recalcitrant , or dissatisfied brethren . But we do not believe the assertion in itself , and feel certain that when it again reaches Sydney , or even before , it will receive an indignant contradiction and refutation from our loyal brethren in New South Wales . Our illustration of a similar position

of affairs m America is perfectly to the point ; indeed , our contemporary does not affect to dispute its applicability or validity ; and we may well bear in mind that the American law of Masonic recognition is purely American , and is based on views and precedents applicable to , or prevalent in , America alone . There in " unoccupied country" any Grand Lodge may grant

" charters , " and if eventually a Grand Lodge is formed , to ensure recognition , a " majority " of lodges of some kind must be patent . But if in a new country there were , say , ten lodges existing , —three of one Grand Lodge , three of another , and four of another , —it would be idle , by American law and custom , to attempt to form a Grand Lodge if only two of one jurisdiction , one

of a second , and none of a third , made up the proposed new Grand Lodge , And here we leave the question to-day . We have written openly , honestly , and clearly , we trust , and certainly with our " best lights " on the subject ,

having given to the study of Masonic law and customs much careful and lengthened study . So we neither speak unadvisedly , nor write hastily , though our utterances are delivered in a Masonic spirit , and in all fraternal goodwill .

* * . IT is sometimes amusing to note how the errors of Masonic incautiousness and incorrectness historically repeat themselves , even to this very hour . In the reply of the Sydney Freemason , quoted above , two very grave blunders are to be found , two most unhistorical assertions are made , and which , for

fear they will " pass muster " with the many , we think it right to advert to here . One is that in 1717 York had thirty-two lodges owing allegiance to it , and that the London lodges were only four ; secondly , that the English Grand Lodge of 1717 was " rebellious " and " schismatic . " Wc have often pointed out theabsolute absurdity of such statements , their absolute inaccuracy

and incorrectness , as matters of fact . 1 . York had not in 1717 thirty-two lodges attached to it , —it never had . 2 . The movement of i 7 i 7 wasnot a rebellious or a schismaticai one . What the position of Freemasonry in York was in 1717 is a very difficult matter to decide . What the exact state of activity the York Grand Lodge then upheld is involved in much doubt

and obscurity . As far as we know , until 1776 no formal claim of authority over the Grand Lodge of London was made by York , and in the famous " manifesto" itself , it is clear to-day that many of its statements must be taken " cum grano , " such , for instance , as the creation of a " Grand Master South of the Trent , 1567 , " and similar averments . If the early missing

minute book of the York Grand Lodge could be found much light would be thrown upon York Masonry from 1705 to 1734 . Unless W . PRESTON was at York himself , his history rests on the statement of Bro . W . BASSEY . Our able and zealous Bro . WHYTEHEAD can probably tell us the earliest date on the " roll " of a lodge meeting , and no pains ought to be spared to try and

recover this precious minute book for the York Lodge . It is just possible that it is still among those many " minute books " in the Grand Lodge Offices at Freemasons' Hall . Our excellent Grand Secretary would , we are certain , permit a special search . One thing is clear , that in 1717 Freemasonry was dormant in the South . Whether up to the end of the seventeenth century there

had been two Grand Lodges or only one is a most " moot point , " and , curiously enough , DRAKE himself placed himself at the head of a " Revival" in York towards the close of the eighteenth century , just as at the beginning , the four London lodges had "revived" Freemasonry South of the Trent . It is , therefore , we beg to repeat , a remark founded on a

most superficial view of Masonic history , and treating the facts of the case purely as a " sciolist , " to state that the brethren of London in 1717 were either in " rebellion " or " schism , " as regards the old Grand Lodge at York . If ever there was a legitimate movement , Masonically in the world , it was the Revival of Freemasonry in London in 1716-17 .

WE congratulate Bro . MCCALLA heartily on thc 15 th volume of the Philadelphia Keystone . All of us who peruse that admirably edited periodical , know how much it owes to our kindly and intellectual confrere . There is no Masonic paper in existence which more deserves the sympathy and support of all classes of Freemasons .