The Grand Lodge Of Tennessee.

THE GRAND LODGE OF TENNESSEE .

The Grand Lodge of Tennessee , which was founded in the earl y part of the . second decade of the present century , held its 83 rd annual communication at Freemasons' Hall , Nashville , on the 27 th-2 oth Januarv last , under the presidency of Bro . PHILIP

N . MATLOCK , M . W . G-. Master . There was , as is usual on these occasions , a full attendance of Grand and Past Grand Officers as well as of the representatives of private lodges , and from the printed report of the proceedings for which we are indebted to

the courtesy of the Grand Secretary—Bro . JOHN B . GARNETTthe meeting passed oft' most satisfactorily . Bro . MATLOCK ' S address , in which , as Grand Master , he reviewed the events of the past vear , is very far from being a lengthy one and the bulk of

what he stated is of local interest only . But among the matters which he was called upon to render decisions are sundry of sufficient importance to claim our attention . Here , for instance , is a question— " What is an answer to a summons ?"—to which ,

as it seems to us , the aggregate wisdom of the whole world might find it difficult , if not impossible , to give a satisfactory answer . Yet , Bro . MATLOCK appears to have taken infinite pains to explain his views on the subject . Having examined " the

Tennessee Text Book and Masonic Code , and " CHASE S Digest of Masonic Law , " he was unable to obtain any li ght from these comp ilations , nor could he recall any ruling of his Grand Lodge that would help him . He , therefore ,

answeredvery wisel y , as we think — oracularly , and replied that " a respectful response to a summons ought to be treated prima facie as an answer , its sufficiency to be determined by the lodge in each case . " But how is the

unfortunate lodge to determine the point at issue in these cases , namely , the sufficiency of the reason given for non-attendance at a lodge meeting . And if we assume that a lodge takes upon itself the unenviable task of inquiring as to the reason alleged

and determining its sufficiency , where is there set forth in any code of Masonic law any standard of sufficiency b y which the lodge will be in a position to arrive at a satisfactory decision . Grand Master MATLOCK appears to have overlooked the fact that

to pry into the private arrangements of a member of any one ofthe lodges under his jurisdiction is an act of the most inquisitorial character , such as no amount of zeal on the part of a lodge to have full meetings would or could justify . In our opinion , it is

enough that the member of a lodge is courteous enough to furnish a reason wh y he will be unable to attend a meeting ; for a lodge to go beyond that and take upon itself to test the sufficiency of the reason assigned is an impertinence , which ,

with all their respect for lodge discipline , 99 out of every too reasonable Masons would justl y feel called upon to resent . Most of the other decisions are of little or no importance , but , as usual , the " non-affiliate " has a place assigned him in these

dicta , and in No . 26 Grand Master MATLOCK lays it down that " non-affiliates are subject to the rules of the Fraternity , and may be discip lined b y the lodge within whose jurisdiction they reside . " In other words , a man who has withdrawn from the

Fraternity is subject to its laws , and may be tried for anything he may do , which , in the opinion of the lodge which is nearest his place of abode , and with which he has legall y nothing whatever to do , is in any way objectionable . How is it that American brethren

are so blind as not to realise that the best way to treat thc nonaffiliate is to abstain from saying or doing anything that shall cause him annoyance . If they are desirous he should re-enter

their ranks , they must treat him with thc consideration to which he is entitled . He has left , as he joined , the Fraternity , freel y and voluntarily , and there his connection with it ceases .

We cannot close these few remarks without congratulating our brethren in Tennessee on the strength and prosperous condition of their lodges , of which there are 425 on the roll with nearl y 18 , 000 subscribing members . Moreover , they have a

Masonic Home , in which nearly 100 widows and orphans are taken care of , and which , besides being unencumbered with d ; bt , is liberall y supported by the Craft in the State . Such an Institution does them the greatest credit , and as the strength of

the Masonic body increases in Tennessee , so , no doubt , will the Home be enlarged and still more liberall y supported , so as to illow of the ever-increasing claims upon its resources being tdequately met ,

United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

The Quarterly Communication of Uniled Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of England was held on Wednesday night at Freemasons ' Hall , Great Queen-street . The Earl of Lathom , Pro G . M ., presided ;" Earl Amherst , Deputy G . M ., sat on his right ; and Bro . W . W . B . Beach M . P ., Prov . G . M . of Hants and the Isle of Wight , on his left , as Past G . M . ; Bro . Sir John B . Moncklon , P . G . W ., acted as S . G . W . ; and Bro . Robert Grey , P . G . W ., as J . G W .

Among the other brethren present were Bros . Gen . Laurie , Prov . G . M . of South Wales ( Western Division ); Dr . Balfour Cockburn , Prov . G . M . of Guernsey and Aldemey ; Thomas Fenn , P . G . W . ; the Marques , of Hertford , P . G . W . ; Frank Richardson , P . G . D . ; C . W . C . Hutton , P . G . D . ; W . E . M . Tomlinson , M . P ., P . G . D . ; Sir J . C . Dimsdale , Richard Eve , Samuel Cochrane , George Everett , and W . M . Stiles , P . G . Treasurers vV . Heap

Bailey , G . Treasurer ; J . C . Malcolm , G . D . ; F . A . Philbrick , Q . C , G . Reg . ; Richard Horton Smith , Q . C , Deputy G . Reg . ; R . Loveland Loveland , President of the Board of General Purposes ; E . Letchworth , G . Sec . ; Wm . Lake , Asst . G . Sec . ; W . F . Smithson , P . G . D . ; 1 ennox Browne , P . D . G . D . C . ; H . Lovegrove , G . S . B . ; R . Clay Sudlow , P . G . Std , Br . ; Rev . C . J . Martyn and Rev . R . J . Simpjon , P . G . Chaplains |; J . E .

Le Feuvre ; C . J . R . Tijou ; W . M . Bywater ; W . A . Scurrah ; J . J Thomas ; J . M . McLeod , Sec . R . M . I . B . ; J . A . Farnfield ; Major Wordall , P . G . Treas . ; Wilhelm Ganz , P . G . Organist ; Major T . C . Walls ; A . Lucking , P . G . P . ; T . J . Railing , Prov . G . Sec . Essex ; S . V , Abraham ; and T . Hastings Miller . Some 600 brethren were present .

Grand Lodge having been opened in ample form , the minutes of December 2 nd , 1896 , were read and confirmed . The Earl of LATHOM then rose and said : Brethren , it is now my duty to make a motion which stands in the name of the Most Worshipful Grand Master . The motion needs no words from me . We all know the appalling disasters which have happened in the past and are happening in India at the

present time . We all know that throughout England and the Colonies , and in every English-speaking nation , the people are coming forward to relieve the distress caused by those disasters , and I think it behoves us Freemasons to do our pa * t , I therefore , without any further words , beg to move " That the sum of One Thousand Guineas be voted to the Indian Famine Rplipf

Fund . " ( Applause ) . Earl AMHERST , D . G . M .: Most Worshipful Pro Grand Master , I beg to second the motion . The motion was carried unanimously amidst loud and general applause . Bro . WILLIAM HEAI * BAILEY , Grand Treasurer . * Most Worshipful Pro Grand Master , I shall have the greatest pleasure in paying the amount at

once , and not wait for the confirmation of the grant at the next Grand Lodge in June . ( Renewed cheering ) . Bro . GEORGE LANCELOT EYLES , P . G . S . . * Most Worshipful Grand Master in the Chair , to me has fallen , this evening , the honourable duty of proposing the re-election of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , as Grand Master of our Order . Twenty-two years ago , his Royal Highness was first elected to fill that office , and we have only to compare the

place Masonry then held with its position now , to realise what an advantage that has been to the Craft . Our numbers have increased by leaps and bounds , and we now count within our ranks many of the most distinguished in the land , amongst them being some of the greatest ornaments of the Church and the Judicial B mch . some of the most gallant and distinguished members of the Naval and Military Services , and several of

those who have been selected by the Queen to assist her Majesty in the government of this great Empire—thus helping to bring all classes of our land into the common Brotherhood . There is one thing dear to every Masonic heart , and thatis Charity , and we may well point with pride to the magnificent advance which has been made in our noble Charities under our Grand Master . Fortunately , in this favoured land loyalty to the gracious

Sovereign who has reigned over us longer than any ruler in the long history of our race is a feeling shared by all , and we Masons yield to none in our loyalty to the Throne . It is therefore a double-prized honour that the heir to that Throne should have been graciously pleased for long years now to rule over our ancient and beloved Craft . I formally propose the election of H . R . H . the Piince of Wales as M . W . G . M . ( Applause . )

Bro . MALCOLM ALEXANDER MORRIS , P . G . Steward : M . W . Pro G . Master , Grand Wardens , and Brethren , —It falls to me to have the honour lo secend this motion which has been so ably proposed by my brother on my left . It is not necessary for any words from me to any Mason in this room in order that it should be carried unanimously . We have for years past conferred the highest honour of the Order on his Royal Highness

the Prince of Wales , but he has conferred the greater honour upon the Craft in accepting the office . His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales has by his _ personality spread Freemasonry into every part of the British Dominions , and has caused Freemasonry to do more than politics can do , and has brought together the Colonies nearer to the Mother Country , and

has carried out an international federation it would have been imposs'ble to carry out in any other way . M . W . Pro G . Master and Brethren , — Without any further words , I second the motion that his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales be again elected as the Grand Mas . erof our Order . ( Applause . )

The Eirl of LATHOM put the motion , and it was agreed to unanimously amidst general cheering . Bro . J . D . LANGTON , D . G . D . C , then proclaimed the Prince of Wales as duly elected . Bro . J AMES STEPHENS , P . M . 2308 , proposed the eleclion of Bro . Alderman Vaughan Morgan , P . M . 96 , as Grand Treasurer . He said that at the last Quarterly Communication he had the honour of nominating that

worthy brother to the high position , and at that time there being a certain opposiiion , it was necessary he should go at greater length into the qualifications of that good brother than was necessary at the present moment , because the brethren would be delighted to hear that that opposition had been withdrawn . He must , however , say that Alderman Vaughan Morgan was initiated into Freemasonry 30 years ago in the Burlington Lodge , No . 9 6-He had been held in such affectionate and high regard and esteem in that lodge , that en no less than three occasions he had been chosen as W . M-