Consecration Of The Lombardian Lodge, No. 2348.

he assents to the prayer of the petition . In the present case the effort to form a new Iodge has been successful , because a certain number of brethren / who are bound together in the outer world by ties of a business nature , have petitioned the Grand Master , and laid before him certain good and sufficient reasons why it should be granted . His Royal Highness has taken the case into his special consideration , and has , I am glad to say , given his consent that a warrant should be

issued , and we are here to-day to give effect to that warrant . The lodge has chosen an excellent brother to preside for the first year , and 1 have no fear , in entrusting the gavel into his hands , that he will rule and govern it as it should be governed . 1 always feel it necessary to say a word or two of warning to the members of a new lodge—not to be in too great a hurry to become a large lodge ,

and to assure them that quality is far better than quantity . Be careful to inquire into and wei gh the antecedents of every candidate , and make sure he is a good and proper person to be brought into it , and in the course of a few years you will have your reward , for you will have a lodge of which you will be proud . I will commence the work of the day by asking the Grand Chaplain for the benefit of prayer .

The petition and warrant were read , the founders signifying their approval of the officers named therein , and an excellent oration vvas then delivered by Bro . the Rev . R . W . M . POPE , P . G . Chap ., Acting Chap . An anthem , " Behold , hosv good and joyful , " was sung , and the ceremony proceeded with the customary formalities and solemnit y , the lodge being duly dedicated and constituted as a working body .

The Grand Secretary then installed Bro . S . J . Attenborough as the first W . M . . and the following officers were invested : Bro . R . T . Bowman , P . M ., S . W . ; H . J . Tuson , P . M ., J . W . ; R . C . F . La Feuillade , P . M ., Sec . ; W . G . Lowe , S . D . H . T . Telling , J . D .: E . E . Attenborough , I . G . ; W . F . Grimmett , P . M ., Stwd . ; and R . I . Tyler , D . C . The customary addresses concluded the labours of Bro . Col . Shadwell H , Clerke , the G . Sec

On the proposition of the W . M ., seconded by the S . W ., the Consecrating Officers were unanimously elected honorary members , and heartily thanked for their services .

The GRAND SECRETARY , in acknowled ging the compliment , said those services had been rendered with very great pleasure , and the Consecrating Officers hoped to be able to take advantage of the kindness of the members at a future date , and witness the work and success of the lodge . A hearty vote of thanks vvas accorded to Grand Lod ge , on the motion of the W . M ., for the use of the consecrating vessels .

Iwo joining members and 15 candidates for initiation were proposed , and letters of regret for non-attendance read from the Ri ght Hon . the Lord Mayor , Bros . F . A . Philbrick , Sir A . Woods , and many others . A Committee vvas appointed to frame the _ by-laws , and the lodge vvas then closed . A recherche banquet was admirably served under the personal superintendence of Bro . Ashby , the courteous manager , vvhich fully sustained the well deserved reputation of the house .

The first toasts given after the banquet were , as usual , " The Queen and the Craft " and " H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , M . W . G . M . " _ The WORSHIPFUL MASTER , in proposing " The Health of the Grand Officers , " said they all knew what the members of that bod y did in the Order and the amount of labour and energy they expended , and they , therefore , deserved their thanks and best wishes .

Bro . Rev . R . W . M . POPE , P . G . Chap ., returned thanks for the kind proposition and reception of the toast . It was sometimes thought that the Grand Officers were purely ornamental and perhaps not so useful . On behalf of those Grand Officers , while he had no intention of disclaiming their being ornamental , he would say they did their best to be useful , and one thing was certain—that they all felt and took a proper interest in the welfare of the Craft . It onl y remained for him to thank the brethren from the bottom of his heart for their kindness .

" The Consecrating Officers " was next given by the WORSHIPFUL MASTER , vvho said it vvas the most important toast of the evening . They must have all been greatly impressed with the splendid working heard upstairs , and he was sure that greater exponents of their beautiful ritual did not exist . He did not want it to go forth that he was guilty of flattery , but he vvas speaking from the bottom of his heart . They were indebted to the Grand Secretary for bringing the lodge into existence , and they would not forget it in a hurry . There was another

qualification , svhich was that that was the Grand Secretary ' s birthday , and he vvas thoroughly glad it had fallen to that lodge to have the honour of entertaining that excellent brother on the present occasion . Col . Clerke had endeared himself to their hearts , and more especially to those younger members like himself b y his very kindly manner in hel ping a young Mason . They need never be afraid of going to the Grand Secretary and asking him for advice . It had been a memorable occasion to unite in drinking the health of the Grand Secretary in a hearty manner , and convey their thanks to the excellent brethren who had assisted him that evening .

Bro . Col . SHADWELL H . CLEUKE , Grand Sec , said he thanked them very exceedingly and gratefully for the kind way in which they had just received the toast of his health coupled with that of bis colleagues . As far as he vvas concerned , he could assure them that he was very grateful for the mark of their fraternal feeling , and especially for the kind mention of the W . M . about the fact that that vvas his birthday . Tie could not help saying he felt it a great pleasure

to have had the opportunity on that particular day of launching another boat into existence , one he had no doubt would bear a useful name , and be a power and strength when he had passed away . It had been a pleasure to him to perform the dut y he had , not only in furthering the interest of a Iodge , but in taking the part of the leading official at the consecration of a lodge . He felt that the lodge vvas wanting , and although he would not go into the details of the application he

thought the case vvas a fair one , and was glad the M . W . Grand Master svas good enough to take the view he did . They had started the lodge in their own business , and had a large field for working , so that it would be their own fault if they did not make it the success they all desired . He thanked the W . M . for coupling his name with the toast , and he must , before sitting down , thank the excellent brethren , the Grand Officers , who had assisted him in the performance of the

work , for without them he could not have been able to carry out the work he had . Fie had most excellent brethren to assist him—towers of strength—vvho were all distinguished men and Masons , vvho had played their parts exceedingly well , and he hoped that with their assistance they had brought this new child into existence properly . He would now go on to speak of a toast vvhich was more important and which must be of far greater interest to the members , and that vvas the health

and prosperity of the worthy brother whom the founders had unanimously agreed to be the best man amongst them to take the chair during the first year . There were many of the founders vvho had alread y filled the chair . The Worshipful Master had not gone through that position , but it was quite evident his merits and qualifications were well known , because he was selected to preside at that the most important part of their career . From what he knesv of the Worshipful

Master that confidence was well founded , and he was sure that brother would prove all the founders thought of him and would carry out the work of the lodge skilfull y , so that they would all say , " We have made no mistake , but have put the right man in the ri ght place , for he has brought the lodge into that perfection we thought he would . " He would ask the brethren to drink " The Health of the first Worshipful Master of the Lodge , " wishing him the success and prosperity he so thoroughly deserves . Bro . STANLEY J . ATTENBOROUGH , W . M ., thanked the Grand Secretary for the kind and more than kind way in which he had proposed the toast , and the brethren

Consecration Of The Lombardian Lodge, No. 2348.

for the hearty reception with vvhich they had greeted it . He assured them he esteemed it a high honour to be placed in the first chair of that lodge . It vvas an honour that any Mason might be proud of , and particularly a very young Mason like himself . As he had just interrupted a song— " The boys of England "—he would simply say , as one of the boys of Masonry , that he begged to thank them most heartily for their kind reception . That lodge would always have his best

attention . It vvas a lodge in which he took a great interest , and had taken since it was first proposed , and as long as he was able to assist in the working he trusted their assistance would be such as would commend itself to their esteem . He was a man of few words , and thanked them again for the hearty reception , and whatever work he might be called upon to do , he should do with kindl y feeling and to the best of his ability .

Bro . R . EVE , P . G . Treasurer , in replying for "The Visitors , " said he felt a deep responsibility lay upon his shoulders , as every one of the large number of visitors was more able to return thanks . He vvas delighted to be present at the consecration of that lodge , and thought it augured well from the manner in which it had been consecrated by one of the most distinguished officers they had in the Masonic world , and also as the founders had chosen a brother to preside who ,

although never in the chair , had made himself felt in Masonry . The W . M . had at heart the desire to further the lodge to the best of his ability , and that ability was of no mean order . He had the pleasure of consecrating a lodge some 25 years ago , but had never had the privilege of assisting in the consecration of a London Iodge . He always looked upon it as one of the greatest events of a Masonic career . They would no doubt find the lodge would be a great credit to the Craft and useful in all Masonic work .

Bro . BLANCO WHITE said that any words he might add would be superfluous after those of the worthy brother who had responded . He would only remark on what the W . M . had already done . Bro . S . J . Attenborough had been a founder oi the St . Andrew ' s Chapter , the London Scottish Lodge , and the Mount Moriah Chapter , and now came for the fourth time as a founder , and entered the chair in the most important time possible for a brother to enter it .

The WORSHIPFUL MASTER next said he was about to ask them to drink the health of the brother vvho had been the life and strength of that new lodge— "The Secretary . " Bro . La Feuillade had worked ni ght and day to carry out the idea to a successful issue . He tendered warm thanks to that brother on behalf of himself and the founders , for they were fortunate in having ? P . M . to be the Secretary .

Bro . R . LA FEUILLADE , Secretary , thanked the W . M . for the kind appreciation of his services , and the brethren for the hearty reception given the toast . One of the visitors had remarked upon the excessive modesty of the W . M ., and he would also remark upon it . He could assure the brethren that notwithstanding the fact that the W . M . had not occupied that proud position before , he had afforded a very great amount of assistance in bringing together that large assemblage

and getting together the Lombardian Lodge . The W . M . was , no doubt , the moving spirit in getting the warrant . He could tell them that some tsvo or three years ago that lodge was spoken of , and the matter remained in abeyance , but Bro . Attenborough and he met , and the W . M . readily entered into the idea , and no time had been lost since . The work done had been a very great deal , as those who had assisted in the formation of new lodges knew . The larger portion of the work necessary the W . M . had fully taken as his share , and the rest had

fallen upon the Secretary . He took a great interest in the lodge , thinking it of great importance to bring the members of their trade together . It seemed to him that if he vvas introduced to a gentleman whom he did not know was a Mason , he treated it as a matter of course , but directly he heard he vvas a brother the feeling altogether was different . He thought the lodge vvas started on a good basis , and it had been a successful evening—far more successful than had been anticipatedowing to a great extent to the energy and perseverance of the W . M .

"The Officers" was given , and responded toby Bro . BOWMAN , P . M ., S . W ., and the Tyler's toast concluded what all agreed to be a very successful and interesting occasion . The musical arrangements during the ceremony and in the banquet room were carried out in an excellent manner , under the direction of Bro . Herbert Schartau , assisted by Bros . Hy . Guy , P . M . ; Wm . Coates , Fred . Bevan , and J . Hawkins , P . M . Bro . Mackney also kindly rendered two songs in his well-known inimitable style .

Consecration Of The Easterford Lodge At Kelvedon.

CONSECRATION OF THE EASTERFORD LODGE AT KELVEDON .

On Wednesday , the 16 th ult ., a further addition vvas made to the list of lodges in Essex by the consecration of the Easterford Lodge at Kelvedon , the ceremony being performed in an able manner by the Deputy Provincial Grand Master , Bro , Philbrick , Q . C , Grand Registrar , and Recorder of Colchester , in the much- * regretted absence , through continued indisposition , of the Provincial Grand Master , Lord Brooke , M . P .

The event had been looked forward to with much interest , the result being a very large gathering of Masons from every part of the province , and when all were assembled in full regalia in the Public HaU , where the ceremony of the day took . place , the scene vvas a brilliant one . The hall itself was tastefully adorned vvith flags lent by friends from Maidon and Tollesbury , while on the dais ivere some handsome flowers and ornamental plants sent by Mrs . Watson , from Felix Hall , and Mr . A . W . Ruggles Brise , from Durwards , Mr . Hill , gardener to the latter gentleman , arranging the same most tastefully .

The proceedings commenced at two o ' clock , the D . P . G . M . presiding , and the other offices were occupied as follows : Bros . Lennox Browne , P . S . G . W ., S . W . ; E . H . Baily , P . J . G . W ., J . W . ; the Rev . W . Quennell , Prov . G . Chap ., Chap . ; T . J . Railing , P . A . G . D . C . Eng ., Prov . Grand Sec , Secretary ; A . Lucking , P . G . P . Eng ., Prov . G . D . C . ; and Richard Clowes , P . P . S . G . W ., I . G . The lodge having been duly opened , and a hymn , " Hail Eternal , by whose aid , " having been sung .

The D . P . G . M . briefly addressed the brethren on the object of their being gathered together . He said they were met on a very interesting occasion , as it must be of a real interest to all true brethren to be gathered upon an occasion of that kind , when a new lodge was about to be added to the roll of the Grand Lodge of England , and also to the banner of their beloved and esteemed Provincial Grand Master , Lord Brooke . Generally speaking , occasions of that kind were compara ^

tively rare , for although some new warrants had of late been granted , he could , from personal knowledge , testify to the difficultly there is novv-a-days in obtaining a warrant , owing to the natural reluctance ofthe M . W . G . M . to increase the number of lodges , unless they are likely to obtain adequate support , without weakening lodges already established ; and svhere they would form rallying points for Freemasons residing in a district already insufficiently supplied . These

remarks might appear somewhat singular in the face of the fact that only that day week they were assembled , in a neighbouring part of the Province , consecrating a new lodge , viz ., the Mistley . But those two warrants would not have been granted had not the M . W . G . M ., on the recommendation of the P . G . M ., felt that a need existed . Unhappily , he had again on tbat occasion , in the

much-to-beregretted absence of the P . G . M ., to act as his deputy . He held in his hand a letter from his lordship , in which , after mentioning that he had been sent by his medical adviser to the seaside , that he vvas only able to crawl out a little while each day , and could therefore hardly yet feel much better , his lordship added , " Tell the Kelvedon brethren how disappointed I am , as there are many of my