Kenning's Arcæological Library , Vol. Ii.*

and I venture to throw out this suggestion ( for what it may be worth ) , that to any brethren pining for distinction as students of Masonry , an ample field of action lies before them , in the exhumation and reproduction of the many items of printed and manuscript literature which are scattered in the half-dozen ( or more ) Masonic libraries of the first rank . R . F . GOULD .

United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

The following is the business to be transacted on Wednesday next , the 6 th instant : i . The minutes of the Quarterly Communication of the 7 th June for confirmation . 2 . Report of the Board of Benevolence for the last quarter in which are recommendations for the following grants , viz .:

A brother of the Sidney Lodge , No . S 27 , Sidcup ... £ 50 o o The widow of a brother of the Union Lodge , Carlisle ... 50 o o A brother of the Carnarvon Lodge , No . 1572 , London ... 75 o o A brother of the Fortitude Lodge , No . 2 S 1 , Lancaster ... --75 o o A brother of the Welchpool Lodge , No . 998 , Welchpool ... 50 o o A brother of the Royal Kensington Lodge , No . 1627 ,

London ... ... ... ... 50 o 0 A brother of the Prince Arthur Lodge , No . 1570 , Liverpool •... ... ... ... 50 o o A brother of the Clapton Lodge , No . 1365 , London ... 100 o o

3 . REPORT OF THE BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES . To the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England . The Board beg to report that numerous communications have been received from the Cambrian Lodge of Australia , No . 656 , on the register of the Grand Lodge of England , requesting the full recognition of the lodge as a working

Iodge . It will be remembered that Grand Lodge , on the 7 th of June , 1893 , resolved that the brethren who adhered to their allegiance to this Grand Lodge , instead of joining the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales , were entitled to recognition as the Cambrian Grand Lodge . Some delay took place in the transmission of a certified copy of the minutes ; and a difficulty arose by reason of the lodge having no Master , Past Master , or Warden , when it resumed its

meeting in 1894 , after the above resolution of recognition . The plea of the Cambrian brethren is , that they acted under a great and pressing emergency , and took immediate steps to remedy the defect , by electing one or more Past Masters as joining members , electing one of these as Master of the lodge , and having him installed in a Board of Installed Masters ; after which they proceeded as a regular lodge . Propositions , elections , and initiations of

candidates followed , together with election and installation of Worshipful Master and appointment ot officers each year . No doubt the holding of a lodge meeting in June , 18 94 , without a Master , Past Master , or Warden present , was contrary to the Constitutions and usages of the Order ; but after reading the explanations of the Cambrian brethren , and considering in fullest

detail the events and correspondence from June , 18 S 8 , to the present time , the Board felt that it would best give effect to the resolution of Grand Lodge by recognising the plea of great emergency , and acknowledging the validity of acts loyally performed in the endeavour to overcome the difficulty . It was therefore resolved , at the meeting of the Board on Tuesday , the 15 th of August last , as follows -.

" That this Board , while regretting the irregularities which have occurred in the Cambrian Lodge of Australia , No . 656 , lrom June , 18 94 , and the cause thereof , acknowledges the great emergency under which those irregularities were committed , and resolves to recognise the several elections and initiations of members , elections

and installations of Worshipful Masters , appointments of Oflicers , and other acts necessarily supervening thereon , and confirms in their respective rank and past rank all such Masters and Officers . AH returns by the said Lodge to be recognised in the usual course . " The certificates of all brethren in the lodge since 1888 have been forwarded , and a troublous matter has now been swept away ,

The Board has to report that the following presentations have been made to thc library and museum since the last meeting of Grand Lodge , all of which have been accepted with thanks :

TITLE OR OBJECT . Bv WHOM PRESENTED . The Broad Arrow ... ... ... John R . Reep , P . M . 12 ^ 0 Masonic Pamphlets ( bound ) ... ... John Armstrong , P . P . G . W . History of Lodge St . George , No . 549 ... R . A . Arnold Jenkins , Sec . The Theatrical Banquet ... •••... John G . Littlechild . The Grand Sanhedrim ... ... ... William Shurmur , Past G . Std . Br .

The Virginia Text Book ... ... ... The Grand Secretary of Virginia . Sundry Masonic Books and Pamphlets ... Mrs . Shadwell H . Clerke . Old Masonic Diploma ( facsimile ) { ^ ' Creech ' " Boston ' Transactions of Lodge of Research , No . 2429 ... John T . Thorp , P . M . and Sec . 30 Volumes of Masonic Works ... ... Frank Richardson , Past G . Deacon . Hiitory of the Old King's Arms Lodge , No . 2 S ... Albert F . Calvert , P . M .

The Board also submit a statement of the Grand Lodge accounts at the last meeting of the Finance Committee , held on Friday , thc nth day of August , 18 99 , showing a balance in the Bank of England ( Law Courts Branch ) of £ 10 , 379 13 s . 3 d ., and in the hands jf the Grand Secretary for pett y cash £ 100 , and for servants' wages ^ ioo . ( Signed ) RICHARD LOVELAND-LOVELAND , President . Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C . August 15 th , 1899 .

List of lodges for which warrants have bsen granted by the M . W . ' ¦ rand Master since the last Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge : No . 2761 , The Royal Naval College , Malta . 2 / C 2 , The Lindisfarne Loige , North Shields , Northumberland . 2763 , The Harringay Lodge , London . 2764 , The St . Olave ' s Lodge , London . 2765 , The Earl ' s Court Lodge , London .

2766 , The Putney Lodge , London . 2767 , The Lord Kitchener Lodge , London . 2768 , The Kosmos Lodge , Johannesburg , Transvaal . 2769 , Tne East Surrey Lodge , Oxted , Surrey . 2770 , The Karl < f Yarborough Lodge , Grimsby , Lincolnshire . 2771 , The Yorick Lodge , London . 2772 , The Richard live Lodge , London . 2773 , The Lodge of Assistance , London .

United Grand Lodge.

2774 , The Vernon Lodge , Doomfont ein , Transvaal . 2775 , The Perth Lodge , Perth , Western Australia . 2776 , The Richmond Lodge , East Fremantle , Western Australia 2777 , The Diamond Jubilee Lodge , Perth , Western Australia . 2778 , The Kalgoorlie Lodge , Kalgoorlie , Western Australia .

2779 , The Boulder Lodge , Boulder , Western Australia . 2780 , The Finnerty Lodge , Kalgoorlie , Western Australia . 2781 , The Katanning Lodge , Katanning , Western Australia . 2782 , The Duke of Albany Lodge , Perth , Western Australia . 27 S 3 , The Golden Square Lodge , Kalgoorlie , Western Australia 2784 , The Legge Lodge , West Bromwich , Staffordshire .

Mark Grand Lodge.

MARK GRAND LODGE .

The following is the business to be transacted on Tuesday , the 5 th instant . 1 . Read and , if approved , confirm minutes of Quarterly Communication of 6 th June , 1899 . 2 . The following Report of the General Board : During the three months ending 30 th June , 1899 , there have been issued

Mark certificates , 251 ; total registered , 40 , 223 . Since the last report one warrant for a new lodge has been granted , viz . No . 526 , Courtenay Luck , North Pine , Queensland . Royal Ark Mariner certificates , 79 ; number registered , 6014 . A warrant for one Royal Ark Mariner Iodge , viz .: East Sussex , attached to the East Sussex Lodge , No . 166 , Hastings .

His Royal Highness the Most Worshipful Grand Master has been graciously pleased to appoint R . W . Bro . Sir Reginald Hanson , Bart ., M . P ., to be Provincial Grand Master for Middlesex , vice R . W . Bro . Colonel A . B . Cook , deceased ( by patent dated 21 st April , 18 99 ); and R . W . Bro . Emanuel Xavier Leon to be District Grand Master for Jamaica , vice R . W . Bro . William Andrews , deceased .

FUND OF BENEVOLENCE . The 31 st annual festival was held at Freemasons' Tavern , on the 12 th July , under the presidency of the R . W . Bro . the R ight Hon . the Earl of Warwick , Prov . Grand Master for Essex . The sum of £ 2064 was announced as having been paid and promised . The Board have great pleasure in congratulating the Chairman and the Board of Stewards .

The 32 nd annual festival will be held in July , 1 9 , under the distinguished presidency of the Pro Grand Master , M . W . the Right Hon . the Earl of Euston , and the Grand Secretary will be happy to receive the names of ladies and brethren willing to act as Stewaris . The following cases have been relieved : A brother of Lodge No . 236 with £$ , and a brother of Lodge No . 10 with / 20 . R . LOVELAND-LOVELAND , President .

FRANK RICHARDSON , Vice-President . C . FITZGERALD MATIER , Grand Secretary . 3 . A motion will be made that the Report be taken as read . 4 . A motion will be made that the Report be received and entered on the minutes . 5 . A motion will be proposed that the Report be adopted .

Interesting Masonic Meeting.

INTERESTING MASONIC MEETING .

At the monthly meeting of the Hatherton Lodge , held at the Stork Hotel , Walsall , on the 24 th ult ., Bro . Fred W . Lavender was unanimousl y re-elected W . M . for the ensuing year . This is only the second time in the history of Walsall Masonry , as we learn from Dr . Willmore ' s work on the subject , that any gentleman has been re-elected immediately at the close of his first year of ollice . A very gratifying and unique feature of the evening was the presentation of a massive sterling silver loving cup , given by ladies interested in the lodge , and it bore the following inscription :

THIS LOVING CUP Was presented to the Worshi pful Master , Officers , and Brethren of the HATHERTON LODGE ( No . 2474 ) , By their Wives , as a token of goodwill and esteem .

The cup is a perfect work of art . It stands upon three lions' claws , and has three handles . On one side is the inscription , on another the coat of arms of the lodge artistically inlaid in colours , and on the third side the square and compasses . Tne cup was received by the W . M . on bshalf of the lodge , and a very hearty and cordial vote of thanks was accorded to the ladies for their valuable gift .

A Prominent Visitor.

A PROMINENT VISITOR .

Gen . John C . Smith , of Chicago , prominent among the Masons , Odd Fellows , and politicians of the State , is a visitor to our city . He is making the round of Southern Illinois in the capacity of Grand Scribe of the Grand Encampment of the State , a position he is now filling for the 25 th time . Last night he visited both our local and subordinate lodges , and was most heartily welcomed by the brethren and patriarchs .

Gen . Smith has twice filled the position of State Treasurer , and served one term as Lieutenant-Governor . He has filled every position known to Masonry and Odd Fellowship . He has visited Masonic lodges in every part of the world , and Odd Fellows' lodges in all the countries where they have been established . He is known to more people , and can call by name more people , than any man in the State . It goes without saying that he is

immensely popular . Once Gen . Smith has circumnavigated the globe , and has recently returned from his fourth visit to the countries of Europe , Asia , and Africa . Being a close observer and a superior conversationalist , there are few who surpass him as an entertainer .

Since his arrival here , we regret to say , he has not been well , and , as a consequence failed to meet many of his old friends . He goes this morning to Harrisburg . Carboudale Herald .