Contents.

CONTENTS .

LBADBRS— PAGP . Freemasonry in Tasmania ... ... ... ... ... 445 The Lodge of Scoon and Perth ... ... ... ... 445 Free and Freemasonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 44 G Provincial Grand Chapter of North Wales ... ... ... ... 44 6 Provincial Grand Lodge of Worcestershire ... ... . „ . ... 447 Provincial Grand Lodge of South Wales ( E . D . ) ... . 7 ... 447

Provincial Grand Mark Lodge of Buckinghamshire ... ... ... 447 Masonry—Operative , Speculative , and Practical ... ... ... 447 Bro . Thomas M . Reed , G . Sec . Grand Lodge of Washington , U . S . A . ... 44 S Supreme Grand Chapter of Scotland ... ... ... ... 44 S The Craft Abroad ... ... ... ... ... ... 449 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 449 Royal Arch ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 449 Mark Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... . 140

MASONIC NOTESDeath of the Queen of Denmark ... ... ... ... 451 Quatuor Coronati Lodge , No . 207 G ... ... ... ... 451 Supreme Council , 33 ° , of the Ancient and Accepted Rite ... ... ... 451 Annual Convocation of the Grand Chapter of Vermont ... ... 451

Correspondence ... ... ... ... ... ... 452 Presentations to the Sheriffs-Elect ... ... ... ... ... 452 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 455 Instruction ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 456 Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 45 S

Freemasonry ' In Tasmania.

FREEMASONRY ' IN TASMANIA .

Though the muster-roll of lodges on the register of the Grand Lodge of Tasmania is b y no means a formidable one , there appears to be a praiseworthy degree of activity among the brethren . The duties of the lodge are declared by the Grand Officers at their periodical visitations to be carried out in a

manner creditable to all concerned . The monetary condition is sound , and steps have recently been taken to render the Grand Lodge Fund of Benevolence better capable of meeting present and prospective demands upon its resources . In a word , the

brethren from the highest to the lowest appear to be actuated by one harmonious desire to enlarge the prestige of the Craft and make it more and more worthy of the respect of the whole Colony . Hence the pleasure we derive from the occasional glimpses we

obtain into the proceedings of the Craft , either through the published records of Grand Lodge or the accounts which appear from time to time in the Tasmanian press , ft is indeed to one of these latter—which appeared in the Tusmanian Mail of the 6 th August — that we are

indebted for an exceedingly interesting report of the half-yearly communication of the Grand Lodge , which had been held two days previously in Freemasons' Hall , Hobart , under the presidency of the Deputy Grand Master , Bro . J . G . DAVIKS , his brother

the M . W . Grand Master , Bro . C . E . DAVIKS , being absent on a visit to England for the purpose of recruiting his health . The M . W . Pro Grand Master was also present and was received with the honours due to his rank , but at his particular request

lhe Deputy Grand Master occupied the chair of Presiding Officer and conducted the business of the meeting . The reports of the Boards of General Purposes and Benevolence were of a very gratifying character , but the chief interest centred in the

address delivered by the Dep . G . Master , who took occasion to refer to the very cordial reception which their M . W . G . Master "ad experienced during his sojourn in England , his introduction by Bro . Earl AMHERST , Deputy G . Master , to H . R . H .

the Prince of WALES , and the honour conferred upon him b y Ins Royal Hi ghness in appointing him District Grand Master of T asmania for the Mark Degree . But these remarks , though most gratifying to all who heard them , formed onl y a part of the

Freemasonry ' In Tasmania.

District Grand Master ' s address . Both he and the Pro Grand Master had officially visited a number of the lodges , and in every case they had not only met with a most cordial welcome , but they had likewise the satisfaction of reporting that , without a

single exception , the lodges visited had fulfilled their duties most admirably . In addition , the Deputy had the pleasure of announcing that in February last the Hobart brethren had hold a conversazione in order to do honour to Bro . LES SuSMAN , Past

D . G . M ., and present to that brother an illuminated address in recognition of his long and valuable services to the cause of benevolence as Chairman of the Committee of the Tasmanian Masonic Benevolent Fund , the occasion havinp- been selected in

order that it might coincide with the formal transfer of the said Fund from the Committee which till then had managed it to the Grand Officers , wlio would in future act as Trustees , invest the capital , and pay over the interest , annually accruing , to the

Board of Benevolence of Grand Lodge . The remainder of the proceedings consisted for the most part of an interchange of courtesies and congratulations among the principal Grand Officers , in which the general body most heartily joined .

We understand that Bro . the Hon . C . E . DAVIES , M . W . G . Master , will shortly conclude his visit to this country , and we feel sure that on his return home he will find the affairs of his

Grand Lodge have been most ably and successfully conducted in his absence , and will at the same time be the recipient of a most cordial welcome .

The Lodge Of Scoon And Perth.*

THE LODGE OF SCOON AND PERTH . *

Scotland has been more fortunate than England in the preservation of early Masonic records . Beyond the casual references which are to be met with in the works of Asil . MOLE , Dr . PLOT , AUBREY , and it may be in other writings of the 17 th

century , there arc few , if any , authentic evidences concerning the work of Masonry in England still . extant . We have our " Old Charges , " or " Constitutional Rolls , " which Bro . W . J . HuciiAN' has made his special study and of which he has written

so fully and so ably in his " Old Charges of the British Freemason , " but there are no minutes of lodge proceedings that go beyond the early years of the iSth century , nor have there been preserved to us any charters or similar documents pointing to

the existence of any established lodges of Masons in any part of England , while in Scotland there are many such records or documents , sundry of which , as in the case of the minutes of the Lodge of Edinburgh , N o . 1 ( Mary ' s Chapel ) , date from the

closing years of the 16 th century . Hence the difficulty which an English brother has to contend with when he essays the task of compiling the history of one of out senior lodges is to I ' md the straw with which to make his bricks ,

while the Scottish brother who undertakes a similar task in respect of an early Scottish lodge has generally a few wisps ready to his hand in the shape of a charter , statutes , or minutes wherewith to commence his brick-making . This contrast is

pointedly referred to by Bro . HUGHAN in the " Introduction " he has written to this History of the " Scoon and Perth " Lodge , nor has the able historian , Bro . D . CRAWFORD SMITH , who is Secretary of the lodge , been slow to avail himself of the greater