A Re-Numbering Of The Lodges.

A RE-NUMBERING OF THE LODGES .

A correspondent , who has kindly favoured us with a br . ef note on this subject , is by no means the first who has made similar inquiries as to when a re-enumeration of the lodges on the roll of United Grand Lodge may be lookad for , or who has suggested that such a re-enumeration should be undertaken as soon as possible . There are , perhaps , good reasons why such a

course should be adopted . According to the sta istics contained in the Grand Lodge Calendar for the current year—which , be it remembered , was published in the very early days of December last—there were in that month J 5 ** 8 , or , including the Grand Stewards' Lodge , which heads the list without a number , 2539 lodges nominally on the roll of Grand Lodge . Of these

411 meet in London , 1251 in the country , and 445 in the Colonies and Possessions abroad . These together give us a total of 2107 lodges in active working order , and leave us a balance of lodges , which are either nonexistent or have transferred their allegiance to other Grand Lodges , numbering altogether 432 . This is , no doubt , a very considerable proportion of

the total number , and appears to offer a fair justification for the proposal which has been more than once mooted , that Grand Lodge should take an early opportunity of re-ordering its roll of lodges , and closing up the numerous gaps in the list which have been made since 1 S 63 , when the last renumbering look place . On the other hand , there are equally and , in our

humble opinion , even more cogent reasons why so important a step should not be undertaken lightly or hurriedly . Within the last few years , owing to the formation of sundry new Grand Lodges in the Australasian Colonies , there has been a very large secession of lodges , but there has also been a revolt against the supremacy of our Grand Lodge in New Zealand , and

there is no saying how or when the difficulties to which that revolt has given rise may be determined . Again , there has been on more than one occasion , and in more than one influential quarter , a scheme suggested by which the numerous lodges which are now working so harmoniously together under different Constitutions in South Africa should be amalgamated , and form one

local independent Grand Lodge ; while in Queensland a similar proposal has been discussed , though , up to the present time , it has not , so far as we are aware , found favour with the predominant partner—that is , with the more numerous English section of the Craft . These are weighty reasons which incline us to think that no harm will be done , but on the contrary , a large

measure of good , if any question that may arise as to a fresh closing * up of the lists of lodges is hung up for a time , until we are in a position to know more certainly than is possible at the present moment , whether the numerous

secessions which have latterly taken place are , or are not , to be followed by others as numerous , or even more numerous . Lastly , there i » just one other point which must not be lost sight of . It is inevitable that a certain amount of confusion will follow

upon a re-numbering of the list , while the advantage resulting horn the change will be trivial . U is better to glance along a list of numbers which follow consecutively , than along one in which there are frequent gaps . The former undoubtedly presents a more symmetrical appearance , but the lack of symmetry in the latter is no detriment to the lodges .

Warrants for new lodges are properly issued in regu / arnumerical sequence , and it matters little as to the cost of starting a lodge or its future fortunes whether it enters upon its career as No . 2500 or No . 2600 ; but it is of importance that "ie style and title of a lodge which has been constituted should not be

frequently or lightly altered , and for these two reasons especially—in the first place , because it will be some time before the members become accustomed to the change , and in the next , because it will put them to no small amount of expense to make the alterations of number 011 their banners , furniture , jewels , kc . We prefer - . hat the proposal should stand over for the present .

In the old days , before the Union of 1813 , there was only one closing up ol the lodges under the " Ancients , " and as there were but ifi lodges at the lime on the roll , when the closing up was ordered by the Grand Committee , there was little or no confusion caused by the alteration of numbers . Under the " Regular " or " Modern " Grand Lodge , as a reference to Bro . J

LINK ' " Masonic Records " will show , a change of numbers was made at 'fffjuent intervals . The lodges , as numbered from 1720 to 1730 ranged from 1 to lS 9 , and in 1740 , when the first re-enumeration took place , these 18 9 lodges were reduced to 17 S . Hy the year 1755 , when the next closing up was ordered , additional lodges had been warranted which increased the number

10 270 , and these were reduced in the year in question to - ' 04 . By 1770 , * lien the third re-enumeration was ordered , these 204 lodges had been increased to 45 H , but when the new list was compiled , there were only 393 on he roll . The next te-numberings were in 17 80 and 17 81 , and the roll was " educed in the hrmer year from 525 to ^ 30 , but some tew errors , as will be Sp en on consulting the Introductory Chapter in Bro . LANE ' work , had

A Re-Numbering Of The Lodges.

occurred in the re-number . ng , and what had been 430 in 1780 became 131 in 1781 , while the list in the laiter year was extended by the creation of new lodges and the re-introduction of some which had been accidentally omitted , to 43 8 . ln 1792 , a further re-numbei ing took place , and the list , which in the meantime had been extended to 5 SK , was again reduced to 497 . In 1 S 13 , when the Union was effected between the two Societies , there were nominally on the respective rolls of ihe two Grand Lodges , 359 " Ancient " and 640

" Modern " lodges . The following year these were re-numbered—jmitting Grand Stewards' Lodge , which for many years had enjoyed precedence of all the "Modern" lodges and had no number—from 1 to 6 47 . In the S 2 years that have elapsed since the Union , there have been only two alterations in the numeration of the lodges , namely , in 1 S 32 , when the roll which had been ( xtended to S 65 was reduced to 594 ; and in 186 3 , when the roll of 127 ( 1 lodges was reduced to 974 .

But there is a further reason why , in our opinion , there should be no great hurry in re-numbering the present roll of lodges . If our readers will be at the pains of consulting the " List of Lodges removed from the Roll since the last closing up of numbers in the year 1803 , " as set forth in Grand I . odge Calendar , pp . 170-178 , they will notice that out of the first ion lodges only one has dropped lrom the roll ; out of the first 350 , only six ; out of the

first 500 only . 16 ; out ot the 504 on the amended list ot 1 S 32 Oo ; and out of the 974 on the amended list of 1 S 63 , only iS ~ . Hence of the 1565 lodges which have been placed on the roll bince " the last closing up of numbers in the year 1863 , " only . yj have been removed from the roll . We therefore ask our readers the very natural question : —Is it worth while to cause so much confusion among nearly five-sixths of the lodges which remain on the

roll merely to fill up the gaps in the lists created by the removal of the other sixth ? Will it not be far better to let things remain comfortably , if somewhat unsymmetrically , as they are now ; or , at all events , to postpone all idea of ordering a fresh closing up of numbers until we know with some approach to certainty whether any , and if so , what further secessions are likely to take place ? It will be far better if we wait a little before putting the lodges to the trouble and expense of altering their numbers .

The Punjab Masonic Institution.

THE PUNJAB MASONIC INSTITUTION .

It must be very gatifying to the brethren in the Punjab district to know that their Masonic Institution for the education of the children of deceased and indigent brethren is in so prosperous a condition . The report of the Trustees for the past year , which was to be submitted to a meeting of the Governing Board on Saturday last , shows that the total income for 18114 , as compared with that of any previous year since its foundation , was mo «

satisfactory , amounting , as it did , to 21 , 702 rupees , while the total for 1893 was 12 , 527 rupees . That portion of the income which took the form of donations and subscriptions amounted to 14 , 9 ( 10 rupees , and is the largest on record , the credit being mainly due to Lodges Himalayan Brotherhood , No . . 151 ) , Simla , and Stewart , No . 19 60 , Rawal Pindi , whose Stewards had the satisfaction of raising between them more than one half of the amount . It is

also noteworthy that the District Grand Lodge contributed as its annual donation to the General Fund 500 rupees , and to the temporary Relief Fund 157 . ' rupees , while the interest 011 invested capital was 3670 rupees . The expenditure reached r 1 , 259 rupees of which 943 d was in respect of those children who are wards of the Institution , and 1106 rupees on children for whom temporary provision is made , while the amount

expended for office establishment was only 120 rupees . As to the numbers benefited , there were at the beginning of last year 34 wards on the establishment , of whom 2 ( 1 remained at its close , while the number of those to whom temporary relief was given was 11 , The budget estimate for 1895 amounts to 11 , 828 rupees , a sum which it is reckoned will enable the necessary provision to be made for an establishment of ' 8 wards , and as there are ,

as already shown , 20 children on the list , there will be elected 12 during the current year . The large balance remaining from last year will be in due course invested , and help to swell the permanent income of the Charity . The amount of this capital is 85 (> oo rupees , to which must be added a cash balance in hand available for investment ns favourable opportunity may offer , amounting to 14 . 842 rupees . If we bear in mind that the Institution

was only founded in 1871 , we cannot speak too highly either of the generosity of our Punjab brethren , whose support has been so regularly , and to so large an extent forthcoming , or of the admirable manner in which the Governing Board has administered the affairs entrusted to its charge . We hope the prospmty of ihe Punjab Masonic Institution will be so maintained and extended that its ability 10

provide for the Educational needs of the children of deceased or indigent brethren belonging to the District will be even greater than it is at the present moment , and , above all , that those lodges which have contributed but little or nothing to its support may become , in time , as enthusiastic in its behalf as the Himalayan Brotherhood and Stewart Lodges have shown themselves to be during the past year ,