English Knight Templary.

first charter granted b y this Body was for Rotherham , and dated 6 th July , 17 80 . It will be seen , therefore , that the Grand Encampment of

A . D . 1791 was neither the first nor the second of ifs kind started in this country , but it had an element of stability that the others lacked , and is now and long has been the only governing body for the Degree in England .

Thc volume , now happil y completed , of the " Liber Orduas Templi , " contains an immense amount of invaluable information , abl y arranged , and carefully collected and tabulated , which must have involved much labour and time to obtain , and is a <> reat credit to the courteous Great Vicc-Chancellor ( Bro . C .

Fitzgerald Matier ) , each of the five parts being conspicuous for their accuracy , thoroughness , and conciseness , the result being a volume well worthy of the Organisation , and a triumph especially as respects ample details of the Order to date , as well as containing particulars of extinct preceptories and other

interesting matter . This volume is no ordinary task to have accomplished , but one involving no little care and anxiety , as well as long continued researches , so that Bro . Matier deserves unstinted praise for the excellence and perfection of this very useful and handy work .

What may fairl y be termed the new era of Kni g ht Templary was inaugurated Sth of May , 18 9 6 , when , on the regretted resignation of thc lamented Earl of Lathom , the Earl of Euston was elected and installed as the nth Grand Master from 1791 , having , as what may be considered the permanent Officers of

Great Priory , Bros . R . Loveland Loveland , Q . C ., G . C . T ., for Great Chancellor ; Ralp h Clutton , G . C . T ., Great Treasurer ; Frank Richardson , G . C . T ., Great Registrar ; C . Fitzgerald Matier , K . C . T ., Great Vice-Chancellor ; and Charles Belton , K . C . T ., Great Marshal , each of whom is well known as a zealous Knig ht Templar .

Under such competent management , with an enthusiastic Knig ht Templar at the Head , it is not a matter for wonder or surprise to find that the Order was never so efficient or so popular in this country as it is to-day . With a number of distinguished Craftsmen appointed as Provincial Priors over provinces in

England , Bengal , Burmah , Ceylon , China , Madras , South Africa , South Australia , Victoria , & c ., & c , we may also be assured that the Society is likely lo be more prosperous as the years come and go . There are some 120 preceptories on the roll , five of these being distinguished with capital letters , A to F ( omitting

E , which has been erased ) , the remainder being numbered from 1 to 170 , leaving out those removed from the register . The " Immemorial " preceptories were at work prior to the formation

of the Grand Encampment , but there arc several which date from the last decade of the iSlh century , and six of these have obtained permission for its members to wear thc special Centenary jewel .

The volume contains full reports of all the Great Priories held during 1 X 9 6-1900 , with a complete Roll of Great Officers from 18 73 to 1 , 900 . Also a List of Provinces with their Preceptories , as well as chief Provincial Officers ; a Roll of

Preceptories , al p habeticall y arranged , with their numbers , where stationed , dates of warrants , & c . ; another with preceptories removed from the Roll ( with particulars ) , and an Alp habetical List of Members , exhibiting the Preceptories in which they were installed and those to which they now belong .

But this does not exhaust the contents , as there is a Roll of Preceptories , arranged b y seniority , with the names of the members according to the years of joining , and distinguishing those who have been installed as Preceptors . Besides which , there is a capital Index to the General Reports in the ihe parts ,

18 9 6-Kjoo , so that the work is a most reliable , handy , and complete Guide to Knight Templary under the rule of the M . E . and Supreme Grand Master , tin : Earl of Euston , G . C . T ., who presides geniall y and courteousl y over the Great Priory of England and Wales . W . J . HUGHAN .

Supreme Grand Chapter Of England.

SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER OF ENGLAND .

The quarteily convocation of Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of England was held on Wednesday evening at Freemasons' Hall . Being the August meeting , the attendance of companions was small . The Hi « ht Hon . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., G . J ., occupied the chair of G . M . E . Z . ;

Comp . Thomas Fenn acted as G . H . ; and Comp . T . L . Wilkinson , as G . J . Comp . E . I . etchworth was G . S . E ., and Comp . the Rev . H . Turner , G . S . N , 'he G . Sojourners were Comps . Major J . VV . Woodall , George W . G . Barnard , P . G . Stwd ., and Prov . G . Scribe E . Norfolk , and Baron de Ferrieies .

Among the other companions who were Grand Officers were—¦ ' omps . VV . Lake , A . G . S . E . ; George Everett , P . G . Treas . ; J . VVhitaker Burgess , cK cjtrachan , O . C ., Sir George D . Harris , Frank Richardson , E . Beaumont , VV . A . Scurrah , Sir J . B . Monckton , J . Lewis Thomas , Dr . Clement Godson , D . Mayer ,

Supreme Grand Chapter Of England.

S . Cochrane , W . Solomon Whittaker , G . E . Bowen , Col . Clifford Probyn , J . Boulton , Major ] . K . Le Feuvre , S . V . Abraham , M . Speigel , R . J . Maitland Coffin , George W . Reed , F . A . Powell , P . Z . 2416 ; H . Massey . ' P . Z . 619 and 192 S ; VV . Sergeant Lee , John Songhurst , William Dodd , A . J . Berry , R . F . Moresby White , G . S . Recknell , and E . H . Buckeridge . After the minutes had been read and confirmed ,

Comp . W . W . B . BEACH , M . P ., acting First Grand Principal , rose and said : Companions , I rise to make a motion of which no notice has been given , but I think it will , nevertheless , meet with your acceptance as it is to pass a vote of sympathy with our beloved First Grand Principal , the Prince of Wales , on the loss he has sustained by the death of his brother , the Duke of Saxe-Coburg , more commonly known in this country as the Duke of

Edinburgh . It was not a very long time ago that we were congratulating ourselves that our First Grand Principal had escaped the hand of an intended assassin . But there are other blows which wound not less when the death of a near relative occurs , and the death of a near relative of our First Grand Principal having occurred , I think we should express our sympathy fitly with the Prince of Wales on his loss sustained by the death

of his brother . Many years have elapsed since the death of the Du '< eof Albany , his youngest brother , who was well known to Masonry and to the brethren ; but although many years have elapsed the Duke of Albany has not been forgotten . The Duke of Coburg was not a member of our Order , but still he was so nearly connected with our First Grand Principal and with the Royal Family that we naturally deplore his loss , and sympathise with the

Head of our Order on the death of so near a relative . I am sure it will be the unanimous feeling of the Freemasons of England , whom we may be considered by our meeting to represent to-day , that we should express one and all our sympathy with the First Grand Principal , H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , in the loss he has sustained by the death of his brother , the Duke of Saxe-Coburg .

Comp . THOMAS FENN , as G . H .: Most Excellent and companions , I rise for the purpose of seconding the motion , and I hope it will be received as all such motions are received among Masons . All the brethren rose when Comp . Beach put the motion , and signified their assent to the proposition in silence .

On the motion of Sir GEORGE DAVID HARRIS , seconded by Comp . FRANK RICHARDSON , the report of the Committee of General Purposes , as printed in the Freemason last week , was taken as read , and ordered to be received and entered on the minutes .

Charters were granted for chapters to be attached to the Apollo Lodge , No . 305 , Beccles , and the Engineer Lodge , No . 251 ) 3 , London . Permission was given to remove the Truth Chapter , No . 145 S , fro-ri Moslty Hotel , to the Freemasons' Hall , Cooper-street , Manchester ; the Henry Levander Chapter , No . 204 S , from the Railway HotelHarrow

, Station , to the King ' s Head Hotel , Harrow-on-the-Hill ; the Victoria Chapter , No . 2184 , from the Phiunix Hotel , 'Rainham , Essex , to the King ' s Head Hotel , Chigwell , Essex ; and the Eastern Star Chapter , No . 95 from the Ship and Turtle Hotel , Leadenhall-street , to the Queen ' s Hotel , Leicester-square , London . ~'

A charter of confirmation was granted to the Dartmouth Chapter , No . 662 , West Bromwich , the original charter having been lost . Comp . F . R . POWELL , P . Z . 2416 , moved— " That Comp . H . A . Tobias be elected a member of Grand Chapter Committee , in place of the lata George Graveley . " Comp . Tobias , he said , had done good work in Masonry in past years , and , therefore , he made the motion . He was following Rule 261 of the Book of Constitutions . Comp . J . SONGIIUUST seconded the motion .

Comp . j . STRACHAN , Q . C ., G . Reg ., said that , by the rules of Grand Chapter , notice must be given by a member of the Committee . Comp . BEACH said in that case it would not be in order at that meeting to make the motion .

Comp . E . LETCHWORTII said he was not present at the last meeting of the Committee ; but he was told b y his deputy that the notice was ' not given . Comp . POWELL said then he would withdraw the motion , and give notice if necessary . Comp . E . LETCHWORTII said it would come to the same thing if it stood over till the next meeting . Comp . Powell then withdrew his motion , and Grand Chapter was closed in ancient and solemn form .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Surrey.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF SURREY .

The annual meeting of the Prov . G . Lodge of Surrey was held at the Public Halls , Croydon , on Thursday , the 26 ih ult ., under the presidency of the Right Hon . the Earl of Onslow , G . C . M . G ., Prov . G . Master . The G . Officers present included Bros . Fred . West , P . G . D ., Dep . Prov . G . Master ; Sir W . Marriott , Q . C ., M . P ., Dep . Prov . G . Master Sussex ; V . Freeman , P . G . D ., Prov . G . Sec . Sussex ; H . Lovegrove ; James Terry , P . G . S . B ..

Stc . R . M B . L ; J . M . McLeod , P . G . S . B ., Sec . R . M . I . B . ; J . D . Laugton , P . D . G . D . C ; the Rev . II . C . Turner , G . Chap . ; and the Rev . E . R , Parr , P . G . Chap . Amongst the large gathering of Prov . G . Officers and other brethren were Bros . C . 'T . TylerProv . G . Sec . j J . H . HawkinsProv . G . D . C

, , C . Greenwood , P . P . G . W . ; W . A . Latham , Prov . Asst . G . Sec . ; T . H . Roberts , P . P . G . Treas . ; H . F . Bing , Prov . G . Stc . Middx . ; I . L . O'Connell , P . P . G . S . B . ; VV . Pile , P . P . G . Treas . ; E . L . ikrry , P . P . G . D . ; G . J . Allen , P . M ., Deputy Mayor tf Croydon ; Walter Dennis , John Ellinger , John Mayo , and many others .

Prov . G . Lodge was opened , the Prov . G . Master saluted , and the minutes confirmed . The roll of lodges was called , and all were represenled , with one exception . The Piov . G . Treasurer ' s acccunts were adopted , showing balances of // 50 S 3 s . yd . and ^ 387 7 s . id . on the General and Charity Funds .

A sum of 10 guineas was voted to each of the following Cnarities : Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution ( Male and Female ) , Royal Masonic Ins ' . itution for Bojs , Royal Masonic Institution for Girli , and Croyjon Hospital , and two guineas to the Home for the Dying . A very satisfactory year ' s work by the Charity Committee wai re 0 toi by Bro . J . D . Langion , P . D . G . D . C , the Secretary .