Freemasonry In 1896.

of three years , are Bro . the Hon . Sir Stafford Northcote , M . P ., P . Prov . G . Master of Devonshire , Bro . W . A . F . Powell , Prov . G . M ., Bristol , Bro . Judge Donald Grant McLeod , Dist . G . Master of Burma , Bro . the Earl of Radnor , P . G . M . Wiltshire , Bro . the Marquis of Hertford , Prov . G . Master of Warwickshire , H . R . H .

the Duke of Connaught , Prov . G . M . of Sussex , and Bro . Col . George S . Tudor , Prov . G . M . Staffordshire . We have also to announce that the post of Prov . G . Mark Master

has become vacant by the resignation of Bro . Sir C Graves-Sawle , Bart ., who during the years he has held it , has endeared himself to his Cornish Mark brethren and whose retirement is deeply regretted by them .

Two other annually recurring events remain to be mentioned . The first of them , the Annual Festival of the G . Master's Lodge of Instruction , was celebrated on the 22 nd April , under the presidency of Bro . the Earl of Euston , Pro G . Master , Bro . Sir Reginald Hanson , Bart ., M . P ., who had promised to take the

chair being , at the last moment , prevented from fulfilling his engagement . The other other event we need hardly say was the 28 th Anniversary Festival of the Mark Benevolent Fund , which was held at Freemasons' Tavern , on Wednesday the Sth July , and with a success surpassing that achieved at all previous

Festivals . The event had long been looked forward to with the keenest interest , the question uppermost in our Mark brethren ' s minds being as to whether the record would be beaten or not . Bro . C . Letch Mason , Prov . G . Master of West Yorkshire , occupied the chair and was well supported not only by the chief

dignitaries of the Order and by the members of his Province but also by a number of ladies—many of them Stewards—who seem to be greatly attracted towards this Anniversary gathering . In the course of the evening Bro . C . F . Matier , G . Secretary who is also the Secretary of the Fund , had the pleasure o ,

announcing that the total of donations and subscriptions raisedf by the Board of 170 Stewards was £ 2411 18 s . Gd ., being £ 57 17 s . 6 d . in excess of the record year of 1890 , when the Earl of Euston presided , and the total reached £ 2354 is . London , including the General Board and the Lady

Stewards , representatives of lodges and sundry unattached brethren , returned £ 630 9 s ., and the Provinces , £ 17 81 9 s . 6 d ., of which West Yorkshire was responsible for £ 75 1 5 s . ; Derbyshire for £ 112 4 s . ; and South Wales for £ 80 2 s . 6 d . The announcement was received with hearty

cheers and , while we speak in terms of admiration of this brilliant success , we must hope that as Lord Euston ' s year has been surpassed by Bro . Letch Mason ' s , so , for the sake of the Mark Benevolent Fund , the latter will in its turn be exceeded b y the total compiled under the auspices of some still more fortunate Chairman .

CHIVALRIC AND HIGH GRADE MASONRY . Under this head are included the Orders of the Temple and of Rome and the Red Cross of Constantine , the Ancient and Accepted Rite , the Grand Councils of Royal and Select Masters , and the Allied Degrees , the Royal Order of Scotland , the Rosicrucian Society , and the Order of the Secret Monitor , and ,

speaking generally , we may state that each and all of them have shared in the prosperity which has been the lot during the present year of Craft , Royal Arch , and Mark Masonry , while in one or two of them there has been exhibited a greater degree of energy and activity than has been known for some few years .

As regards the Order of the lemple , a very material change in its organisation has taken place . At the half-yearly meeting held on the 13 th December , 18 95 , Convent-General was declared to be abolished from the 19 th July preceding , the National Great Priories of England and Wales , & c . and of

Ireland , having been absolved from their allegiance to it by H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , K . G ., Grand Master , while at the same time his Royal Highness was graciously pleased to permit himself to be styled Sovereign of the Order in the United Kingdom . The result of this change was , as regards the money

standing to the credit of the now defunct Convent-General , that by an agreement arrived at between the Grear Priories of England and Ireland , the amount was divided pro rata between them , and that the Statutes of Great Priory have been most carefully revised , the final emendations having been made

at the meeting of Great Priory held on the Sth May in the present year . As regards changes in the leading personnel of the Order , E . Knight the Earl of Lathom , who had held the position of Great Prior of England and Wales since 18 77 , having

intimated a desire not to be re-elected , E . Knight the Earl of Euston was unanimously elected his successor , and installed as Grand Master on the throne of Great Priory at the meeting in May last . At the same time a special desire was felt thai the eminent services which Lord Lathom had rendered to Templary should not be allowed to pass unrecognised , and , accordingly , at the instance of Lord Euston , who was at the

Freemasonry In 1896.

moment Great Sub-Prior , a resolution of thanks was unanimously passed and ordered to be recorded on the minutes , while it was further agreed that the said resolution should be engrossed on vellum and presented to his Lordship . The promotion of Lord Lathom to be the head of Great Priory rendered it necessary to

fill the office vacated by his lordship , and E . Knight Viscount Dungarvan wa " s appointed Great Seneschal , that being the new title of the officer of the second rank in Great Priory . Other changes were appointed , which had previously been sanctioned , and V . E . Knights Major G . C Davie , J . ., and J . Dunning Kay were installed as Prov . Priors of Devonshire and W . Yorkshire

respectively , the former on the loth and the latter on the 17 th December , 1895 , while V . E . Kni ght Viscount Valentia , M . P ., whose patent of appointment dates from 18 93 , was installed Provincial Prior of Oxfordshire on the 13 th March . Of new Preceptories a warrant was granted early in the year for the constitution

of the Preceptory of St . George , in Burma , to be located at Moulmein , while the De Tabley Preceptory , No . 100 , Altrincham , which was erased from the roll in 18 94 , was resuscitated on the 16 th May , with E . Knight the Rev . C . Chetwynd Atkinson , M . A ., as E . Preceptor . The St . George ' s

Preceptory , No . 6 , which is held in London , having been able to show a continuous existence of 100 years , was granted a centenary warrant at the Great Privy held in December , 1895 , permission being given to the Knights being members to wear the commemoration jewel . We may further mention that the Loyal

Volunteers Preceptory , No . 7 , Ashton-under-Lyne , which was warranted on the 12 th of August , 1796 , took the opportunity of celebrating its centenary on the ist of August in the present year . Of the Order of Rome and the Red Cross of Constantine there is , perhaps , less to be recorded , but from the reports that were

submitted at the annual meeting of the Grand Imperial Conclave on the 2 nd of March , there is no doubt that the present year has been one of progress , while on the 4 U 1 of September Sir Knight the Earl of Euston , Most 111 . G . Sovereign , with his officers , visited Birkenhead for the purpose of opening the Cestrian Conclave ,

No . 154 , with Sir Knight G . S . Brewer as first M . P . S . In the Ancient and Accepted Rite , we note that the Supreme Council , 33 , held its regular Convocation in May , and the report then

presented showed that the Rite continued to be as flourishing as ever . In April there was held in Dublin the fifth annual conference of the Supreme Councils for England , Ireland , and Scotland . There have also been added to the roll three new Rose

Croix Chapters , of which the Humphrey Chetham was consecrated at Freemasons' Hall , Manchester , on the 24 th of February , by Bro . Frank Richardson , 33 ° G . Treasurer-General , who was accompanied by Bro . Col . de Gendre N . Starkie , 33 , Grand Chancellor ; J . H . Matthews , 33 , Grand Chamberlain ; Gen . J . C

Hay , G . Secretary-General , and other officers , the first M . W . S . being Bro . A . H . Jefferis , the chief promoter of the new chapter . The Blackpool Chapter , No . 136 , was consecrated at the Victoria Hotel , Blackpool , on the 24 th of September , the members of the Supreme Council who attended to perform the 0

ceremony being Bros . Col . de Gendre N . Starkie , 33 ; J . L . Matthews , 33 ; Col . A . B . Cook , 33 ; Sir George D . Harris , 33 , Grand D . of C . ; and Captain C . R . N . Beswicke-Boyds , 33 , and when the Chapter had been constituted the last-named installed Bro . Thomas Forrester as the first M . W . S . The third chapter

—the Earl of Lathom , No . 137—was consecrated b y Bro . Capt . N . G . Philips , assisted by members of the Supreme Council , at the Surrey Masonic Hall , on the 13 th November ; Bro . Major G . H . N . Bridges , being the first M . W . S . Among the noteworthy events in connection with the Royal Order of Scotland ,

must be recorded the installation at York , on the 5 th of March , by Bro . the Earl of Haddington , Deputy G . Master , of Bro . Thos . B . Whytehead as Prov . G . Master for Yorkshire , in succession lo the late lamented the Rev . R . Valentine , who had held the office for the previous 10 years . Of the other bodies it will

suffice to say that the usual meetings have been held , and all would seem to have fared well during the year , sundry new conclaves having been added to the roll of the Grand Council of the Order of the Secret Monitor , which flourishes—though it appears to be involved in some differences with ether bodies—under the direction of the Earl of Warwick , S . G . Ruler ,

I hegreat central Institutionsconnecled with Freemasonry next claim our attention and , as usual , we shall deal with them in the order in which their anniversary festivals have been celebrated . We must premise , however , lhat as the popularity which they

enjoy is una great measure determined to the amount of support they collectively receive from the Craft , the present year is considerably in advance in this respect of the year 18 95 , the total raised for the three being , as far as we can tell at the moment , about £ 200—more or less—in excess of £ 54 , 000 , while last year

OUR INSTITUTIONS .