Grand Lodge Of Mark Masters.

Grand Lodge was then closed , and the brethren adjourned to a superb banquet . After dinner the toasts were proposed . Lord HENNIKER , in proposing the first toast of the evening , " The Queen and Mark Masonry , " referred to the fact that three of Her Majesty ' s sons were already distinguished Masons , and that it had that day been made known that another son , the Duke of Albany , was made a Past . Grand Master of the Order .

Earl of LATHOM : I rise to propose the next toast to you , but before doing so I hope you will allow me to make a very few observations . Our Grand Master has shown me an excellent example of being brief in the toast he has just proposed . You also know well that I am never long , but there are some among you who have met with me in Warwickshire , where , I regret to say , I departed from my usual custom of brevity . The matter ,

however , was taken up with such effect b y my hearers that I cannot but say that I thank those brethren who took up and acted on the words I spoke on that occasion . Mark Masonry , during the time I have had the pleasure lo rule over you , has prospered ; during the past three years seventy-two new Mark lodges have been consecrated , which is double the rate of increase of

former periods , and , in proposing " The Health of my Successor , Lord Henniker , " I cannot do better than express my hope that he ma ) ' find at the end of a similar period that instead of seventy-two , a hundred and fortyfour new lodges have been added to the roll . Trusting that he may have a prosperous term of office , I now ask you to drink his very good health .

LORD HENNIKER : I thank my respected and worshipful friend , the Past Grand Master , for the kind manner in which he has proposed this toast , and I thank you for the cordial and kind way in which you have replied . I appreciate your kindness , and I appreciate it in this way—for your feeling towards your Past Grand Master , who has proposed this toast , for his past services to you , and for your promise to support me in the task I have

undertaken . I shall not easily forget this occasion . I shall remember il as not only the occasion of a great pleasure , in having been so cordiall y received , but also as a rather conspicuous occasion in Mark Masonry ; and I am fortunate that my day of installation is what Bro . Binckes has called the silver wedding of Mark Masonry . Among men and women who have passed periods of five and twenty years together in social happiness and

social usefulness the silver wedding mark . ' ; that they possess in a great degree , in a marked degree , the social quality , the quality we most admire in Mark Masonry . I think , brethren , that this Grand Mark Lodge may possess something of these qualities . You have heard what your late Master has said about the increase of Mark Masonry during his year of office . This is a matter of pleasure and satisfaction , for we must have a

feeling of triumph at the success of the Order . I was talking to my friend , Bro . Sandenian , from my own piovince , and he was telling me lhat when he was made a Mark Master he was one of the first of those who had joined Lodge No . 7 . That is eighteen years ago , and now we have thirty-one provinces , 290 lodges , and 15 , 000 members r and , as your Past Grand Master has told you , not only have we increased enormous ) ) ' lately , but we arc increasing more rapidly now than we have ever increased before . It is

something to say , and something for me to think of , that you have placed me oyer this large portion of the Craft . What I can say , brethren , is this , that I will do my very best to preside over you in a manner which may be satisfactory to you during my term of office , and I only hope that I may be so successful that the good wish of your Immediate Past Grand Master , that his number of new lodges may be doubled during my term , may come true . All I can say is to repeat that I will do my best to arrive at that result , and your kindness to-night enco urages me to the task .

Bro . BROADLEY : It is the twenty-fifth anniversary of this Grand Lodge , and I may be pardoned if I say that the toast of "The M . W . Past Grand Mark Master Masons " is almost the toast of the evening , and we have to congratulate the Grand Mark Lodge of England that it has become what it is to-day . 1 rise to propose " The Health of the Past Grand Masters of the Order , " a list of eight , beginning with Lord Leigh and ending with ( he Earl of Lathom , who have as Grand Mark Masters devoted their time to the

interests of the Order . We have had a great gathering this evening and have many distinguished brethren amongst us , not only from all parts of the country but also from a foreign country , which 1 am sorry to say is politically under a cloud at present , but where I can tell you the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England will never be forgotten . It is my privilege to propose "The Health of the M . W . Past Grand Masters , " coupling therewith the names of Bro . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., and Bro . the Rev . Raymond Portal .

Bro . PORTAL : I feel it is a proud position to have to return thanks for a body of Masons composed of such illustrious names as stand on the roll of the Past Grand Masters of this Grand Lodge , and to have assisted one whose rule has been confessedly most able and deservedl y most popular .

Rome was not built in a day ; Sir Christopher Wren lived to see the completion of his work ; but we shall not live to see the completion of ours , though we have had the satisfaction to see the vast progress it has made . In linies past we have endeavoured to do our best for the Order , and we shall continue to do what we can lo conduce to its success .

Bro . W . W . B . BEACH , M . P ., also responded to the toast . Bro . Sir E . LECHMERE , Bart ., proposed "The Health of the R . W . D . Grand Master , and the Grand Officers , Past and Present . " Bro . Lord KINTORE said it was with no ordinary feelings that he , a Scotch Mason , had assisted there that night , and listened to the toast in which he was concerned . He spoke of the coldness with which Mark

Masonry was , only a few years since , looked upon by the Grand Lodge of England , and contrasted it with the more cordial fcelings-that now prevailed . He hoped the good feeling would goon increasing ; that the English and Scotch Masons would work together , and draw the bonds of brotherhood closer . This had been a very great day for them all , and he felt that all their efforts in the past had been amply rewarded by that day ' s success .

The toast " Success to the Mark Benevolent Fund " was proposed by Bro . BEACH , and responded to by Bro . MATIER , who spoke in so low a tone that only disjointed fragments of sentences reached our reporter . " The Health of the Ladies " concluded the list of toasts ; and Bro . BINCKES , who had been all the evening assisting in entertaining the fair visitors , was summoned from the other room to reply to the toast , " which he did with his customary genial exuberance of language .

The musical arrangements were under the direction of Bro . Edwin M . Lotc , P . G . Mark Organist , assisted b y Madame Thaddetis Wells , Miss Hebe Barlow , Miss Mary Morton , Bro . John Stcdman , Bio . E gbert Roberts , Bro . Schuberth , and Bro . Stedman ' s choir boys .

Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS .

We arc pleased now to be able to give a detailed list of the contributions from the Province of Gloucestershire announced at the festival . Bro . Henry Godfrey , J . P ., who now serves his third Stewardship with an aggregate amount of . £ 446 , nobly heads the list with £ -2 iS 8 s ., followed b y Bro . Clement Tudway with £ ISI 13 s ., and Bro . J . Brooksmith with £ " 142 14 s . To Bro . Col . H . G . Basevi , although the modest sum of £ 30 9 s . only appears against his name , a great portion of the success achieved by the province is due , and we congratulate him and the Province of Gloucestershire on the splendid result of their efforts .

Lodge . £ s . d . Lodge . £ s . d . S 2 Bro . Col . I-I . G . Basevi ... 30 9 o 493 Bro . G . W . Haines ... 43 1 o S 2 „ Baron de Ferrieres , 493 „ A . V . Hatton ... 10 10 o M . P . 10 10 o 493 „ Samuel Moss ... 10 10 o S 2 „ Henry Godfrey , J . P . 21 S S o 493 „ R . A . Matthews ... 550 S 2 „ Ernest W . Godfrey ... 10 io o 592 „ John Mullings ... to 10 o S 2 „ W . H . Gurnett ... G 3 o o 592 „ Clement Tudway ... 1 S 1 13 o Chapter . S 39 „ ] ames Bruton ... 10 10 o

S 2 Comp . J . Brooksmith , S 39 „ John Bryan 10 10 o D . P . G . M 142 14 o S 39 „ li . Vassar Smith ... 96 1 o S 2 „ W . Forth 27 0 o S 39 „ Robert W . White ... 15 15 o S 2 „ W . R . Porcher ... 15 15 o 900 „ Edward J . Gregory ... 22 1 o Lodge . 10 G 7 „ W . C . Heane ... n 11 o 24 G Bro . Edwin Lawrence ... 26 5 o 7067 „ Cranstoun Kerr ... 16 16 o 24 G „ George Norman ... 10 10 o Total £ 1000 o o

Masonic History And Historians.

MASONIC HISTORY AND HISTORIANS .

BY MASONIC STUDENT . As an illustration of the real difficulty of Masonic history still , I take up a contribution to it in 1 SS 1 lrom a new Body at the Antipodes , calling itself the Grand Lodge of New South Wales . In its proceedings at p . 25 occurs the following passage , which is a "gem " in its way .

"Now let us see how the Grand Lodge of England was established . It was not established in thc _ same regular and cons : itutional manner that the Grand Lodge of Canada was , nor is there any analogy between their proceedings and ours . We have chosen to follow the good example of our Canadian brethren , and we have not seccdeel as the four London Lodges did from the Grand Lodge of York . At the time of this

secession we find that there was the Grand Lodge of England established in the year 92 G at York , and having at that time jurisdiction over thirty-two daughter lodges . Notwithstanding that there was a Grand Lodge of England , we lind thai ; the Masonic Body in the south of England or London , then numbering four lodges , formed themselves into a Grand Lodge in the \ ear 1717 . "

There are , perhaps , in this one passage more errors than one could think possible to be found in a Masonic historical statement of 18 S 1 , and which will startle Bro . Hughan , as they have startled me , inasmuch as they seem to set at defiance all the careful researches and competent criticisms of these later days . Let us take the statement in its details .

1 . The declaration that in 1717 the Grand Lodge of York , established in 926 , was in full jurisdiction at York over thirty-two lodges is , indeed , a wonderful one . The whole question of 926 is pre-historic , at any rate , depends solely on a Guild legend , and how far the Grand Lodge at York in 1717 was in activity is a matier of very grave doubt indeed . The thirty-two lodges " non sunt . " Even Bro . Hughan or Bro . Gould will be puzzled at such a statement , and would like , with me , to sec their names and numbers . This is the way wc write Masonic history to-day .

2 . I am not aware that until the patent to the Lodge of Antiquity , late in the iSlh century , the Grand Lodge of York , revived b y . Drake , ever claimed or exercized authority South of the Trent . If it did the proof of it has yet to be found ; I know ol no such exercize , and I am quite sure Bro . Hughan does not , or he would have told me of it .

3 . In no sense , as far as I know , is it true that the London lodge seceded from the Grand Lodge of York . Whatever had become of the Lodge of Warrington in 1646 , or the Lodges in Staffordshire in [ 1667 , or of the Masons in London , assembled in Masons' Hall , Basinghall-street , in 16 S 2 , it is quite clear that earl y in the iSlh century Masonry in London was in a

dormant stale . There is not the slightest proof that in any way the London Masons had any connection with York . On the contrary , if our Masonic writers can be depended upon , there was a synchronous list of two sets of Grand Masters for the North and South , running " pari passu , " side b y side .

But leaving this point , out , the Masons of 1717 were no seceders , they were acting " pleno jure " in reviving a dormant Grand Lodge , which they sought , remember , 10 do , ( what Drake did at York later ) , and if the argument is good for anything , ( which , however , il is not ) , the York Grand Lodge , confessedly in abeyance—asjthe French say " en sommeil , " sleepmi ght with equal justice be contended to be a " secession" from the London Grand Lodge , then in full activity .

Bui the truth is all such arguments are out of place , and wide of the mark , and practically " nihil ad rem . " The York Masons acted on their full right later , just as the London Masons acted on their full ri ght earlier , and all the known London lodges existing met , and unanimousl y agreed to revive the Grand Lodge , and to set up the Quarterl y Communications , & c . Anderson , in his ori ginal account , 1723 , says : "And now the freeborn

British nations , etc ., having cf late much indulged their happy genius for Masonry of every sort , revived the drooping lodges of London , this fair metropolis llourisheth as well as other parts with several worthy particular lodges that have a Quarterl y Communication and an Annual Grand Assembly , wherein the forms and usages of the most ancient and worshi pful Fraternity are wisel y propagated , and the Royal Art duly cultivated , " & c . In 1723 there were in London twenty lodges .

In 1 73 S there were 106 London lodges and 47 in the country , and Anderson thus enlarges on the proceedings of 1716 : " The few lodges in London , finding themselves neglected by Sir Christopher Wren , thought fit to cement under a Grand Master , & -c , they constituted themselves ( that is the four lodges mentioned ) " pro tempore " in due form , and forthwith revived the Quarterl y Communication of the officers of lodges , called the Grand Lodge , kc .

I do not stop to enquire how far Anderson is absolutel y correct in all his particular statements , but I merely use his words to shew that no idea of a " secession from York " ever entered into the heads of the Masons of 1716-17 . Indeed , in the nature of things it could not be so , and I have , for my part , never understood how or why any writer could talk of a secession from