Consecration Of The Rahere Lodge, No. 2546.

all the evening , and if they attend a lodge they must attend in : the afternoon . I have a bar lodge also . The next one may not be a professional lodge , but it is a Jewish lodge ; it is professional to some extent j there is a reason why there should be a Jewish lodge ; Jews do not eat the food Christians do—food not killed trie same way as ours . That is a very good reason for a | cwisVi lodge . Then there are navallotlges ; there are several

most admirable instances in our naval stations and sea ports , and men comcin with their ships and ask where is there a lodge . Then there are military lodges ; there are several of those too . And then I come to another lodge that I consecrated not very , very long ago , which is a nourishing lodge — a cycling and athletic lodge . I am a cycling man . Now , that is why I say I ' approve of

professional lodges , and I say they are extremely useful to the Craft , and I am very glad when I hear of anything of the sort being constituted . I congratulate you , Sir , on the inauguration of this lodge . Kverything has gone on well . It is very pleasing to me to see how you conducted it . I am sure it is in safe hands ; the officers worked and showed they knew . their work . You have put old hands in—which you had a right to do—io teach

others . I congratulate you most sincerely , and wish the lodge long life and perfect success , and may all brotherly love always remain in it . Bro . Dr . GODSON then said : Brethren , the next toast is " The R . W . the Deputy Grand Master and , the rest of the Grand Officers , Present and Past . " I hold a letter in my hand from Lord Mount Kdgcumbe expressing his-deep regret at not being present ; he was obliged to be away on some

very serious business . ( Dr . Godson read a list of distinguished brethren who were not able to be present . ) We have been fortunate enough , however , to have many distinguished Grand Officers with us , and we heartily welcome them . We are exceedingly fortunate in having our Senior Grand Warden , Lord Roberts , with us ; and I very deeply regret that the Junior Grand Warden , Lord Barnard , has been prevented coming by a

most serious illness , and we express the hope that he may soon recover . We know he is now in a most critical condition . We are glad to have among us Lord Skelmersdale , Past Junior Grand Warden , who acted as Junior Warden ; he is a worthy son following in the footsteps of his noble lather . Without further remarks 1 give you the toast , coupling with it the name of Col . Starkie , Prov . G . Master for East Lancashire .

Bro . Col . LE G ENDRE N . STARKIE , in reply , said : On behalf of the Grand Officers , Present and Past , of the Grand Lodge of England , I beg to return to the new lodge and to you , Worshi p ful Sir , our most grateful acknowledgments for the fraternal reception you have given us on the present occasion , and to express to you that while wc regret others were unable to attend , we feel that by seeing such a commencement of a lodge it will be an honour on the roll of England , and will carry out those principles

on which Masonry is founded . We wish it success in every possible way . This is not , but it may be an age of enlightenment , and though that peculiar mystic lig ht which first shed itself so beautifully on Rahere , and was the cause of the commencement of the building of this institution , which is alleviating the pains of mankind , may not anew shine upon us , still let us hope that light from heaven may never depart from this lodge ,

and may it be a signal to us that the good the hospital has done to humanity by curing their ailments and diseases , by this new collection of intellectual , kind-hearted , charitable persons may be worthy of the hospital so munificently founded , and may various other advantages and benefits to mankind accrue . One cannot but feel that this lodge is a great addition to our

Order , and we trust that as it has begun so auspiciously it may continue , and that the noble institution of St . Bartholomew ' s Hospital , which in the past has done so much good in various ways , now may obtain for itself a name in Freemasonry , and equally distribute the benefits of our Order for the amelioration of the condition of mankind , and become an ornament to

free masonry . 13 < . the Earl of LATHOM : Brethren , —by permission of the W . M ., 1 propose the next toast to you : it is one that will be drunk , I know , with enthusiasm by all of you , for it is " The Health of the W . M . of the Rahere Lodgf . " Bro . Godson has been connected so long with this great institution , St Bartholomew ' s Hospital , that he must be well known to all who are associated with it . I will not attempt to describe what good he has done ,

what wr > tk he has performed ; that is not my province : but I congratulate the Rahere Lodge most sincerely on having at its head a man and brother who has done so much not only for Freemasonry but for the alleviation of the sufferings of humanity . Without any other preface , I give you " The Health of the Worshipful Master , Bro . Dr . Godson , " and lam happy in that he has set the example , which is an augury for good for the future of the Rahere Lodge , of brevity in making speeches . If that will not carry on the lodge I do not know what will .

Bro . Dr . GODSON , W . M ., in reply , said : Brethren , you may imagine that after the 20 years comeculivc work in the wards of St . Bartholomew ' s 1 lospital , and 16 years on the permanent staff , I did not sever my connection with the hospital without the deepest regret and pain ; and therefore it is with the heartiest rejoicing that I find myself again connected with my Alma Mater , which I love so well , by being on the governing body , and

being in the proud position in which you have p laced me this evening . I shall love the hospital as I have ever done , and I shall love this lodge . I thank you , brethren . The next toast which is always well received in our lodge is that of " The Visitors . " On account of the short notice of this consecration , many could not come . We have , however , many distinguished brethren as visitors , but I shall couple with this toast the name of Bro .

Smith , P . G . M . of Illinois . Bro . ]< 111 NC OKSON SMITH , inrcply , haid : WorshipfulMasterand Brethren , —Did 1 follow the dictates of my own mind , I would do as the priest did in Convention in which he was a candidate for a Minister of State or Finance , in appealing to the Almighty before the opening of the Convention , he said " Do thou endow this Convention with wisdom to select the best man , and

then , oh Lord , do Thou help elect him . It is unnecessary to say that the speaker was nominated and elected by a large majority . That advice will serve you in the coming campaign for members of your Parliament . Select the best men , and the good Lord will help you elect them . But , brethren , this lodge has started in the right direction . There is nothing that will give a greater reputation to a lodge than courtesy to visitors . When a

visitor enters a lodge and no one speaks to him , the W . M . docs not come near him , no brother asks him who he is or whence he rones , he feels as though he was among strangers , and wishes he was outside of that lodge . Now , as the W . M . of a lodge for five years , 1 made it my il . ity to speak to every visitor that entered , learn who he was , where he came fr . i : n , and introduced him to the members . This lodge has commenced in lUal direction , and royilly received the visitors . Coming as I do , brethren , from one of

Consecration Of The Rahere Lodge, No. 2546.

the States of the Federal Union—the greatest Republic on the face of the earth—I was the Grand Master of 50 , 000 true and ancient Craftsmen , and I give you their greetings . Coming from that Grand Prairie State of Illinois , I may say the annual products of which from field , farm , and mine are more than thrice the gold and silver output of the entire United States , its plant , stock and ( arm products are more than three times the

entire gold and silver output , and in that estimate we do not value the blood of our boys and girls . Now , then , I bring you the greetings of these 50 , 000 true and tried Craftsmen , and as a member of all the lodges of the United States , when I return in August , I shall say I brought the greetings of one million tried Craftsmen of the Federal Union . I love Freemasonry because it teaches me to reverence the one Almi ghty and Supreme Architect

of the I Inivcrse , and also I love it because it teaches me to be loyal to my country , and to bravely defend its flag . We were taught that by you , the Mother Grand Lodge of England . Our genealogy is correct . We received our parentage from . Pennsylvania , and Pennsylvania from England , and as the son of one born in Scotland , and a mother that reared me born in the border city of Carlisle , I come among you as a brother in the llesh and the

blood , and a brother of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons . As I said , I love Freemasonry because it teaches me lirst to reverence God . In one address which 1 had occasion to make to some Freemasons in the Orient but a few weeks ago , I said that were I the Sultan of Turkey or the Shah of Persia I would connect myself with a lodge of Freemasons under the Grand Lodge of England ; and why ? Because they would teach

them to reverence Allah , and to be loyal to their country and devoted to their flag . But a few days after that a Col . Risk Allah Bey , educated in this country forty years ago , was informed that a Freemason had been arrested because he had spoken disrespectfully of the Sultan . He was thrown into prison , and he sent for Risk Allah Bey because he was familiar with the Governor of the province . He told him there was not a word of truth in

the story , that it was an enemy who had so reported him , and that he was loyal to the Government . The Colonel , a distinguished medical officer of the British Army , went to the Governor of the province and he quoted . my speech before those Freemasons as an evidence of the loyal teachings of the Freemasons ; and the brother was liberated . But , brethren , a word more and I am done . A distinguished statesman of America once said that the drum-beat of England accompanied the rising sun around the globe . I

will say to you that Freemasonry has preceded the drum-beat of England—that the Freemasonry of the Grand Lodge of England has preceded civilisation around the world , and with the Royal Standard of Great Britain and the Union Jack , its battle flag , it has carried civil and religious freedom around the entire globe . I thank you , brethren , for your courteous reception of myself and the other visiting brethren whom I represent on this occasion .

Bro . Dr . GODSON , in proposing " The Officers of the Lodge , said at present very few of them have had the opportunity of doing any work , but he knew they had good stuff in them and that excellent work will be done . There are two , however , who have done an immense amount of work , and they are our Treasurer and our Secretary . I do not think the brethren can realise exactly what work has come upon them during the last 10 days ,

It is just 11 days ago that we had notice from the Grand Secretary that he had heard from Lord Lathom that the Prince would come and do the consecration . We thought it would be impossible , but we said we would strain every nerve possible in order to get ready . It has been done by enormous work on the part of the Treasurer and Secretary . 1 do not want to make a long speech , but I had intended to give you some account of the origin of

the lodge ; I will , however , call for our Junior Warden—the Senior Warden , Bro . Cooper , a most excellent Mason , having gone—to respond to this toast . Bro . WALSIIAM , J . W ., in replying , said : Worshipful Master and Brethren , —In the absence of our first S . W ., I return you thanks on behalf of my brother officers for the very kind words you have used in proposing this toast . No doubt we shall have a strong bond of union in that word

which the founders of this lodge have the honour and the privilege of taking for their name , and we hope that this lodge which has been consecrated in such a charming way may strengthen those bonds of friendship , which I trust will always exist among those who have been educated in our borders . We are all proud of our hospital ; we love it ; we have attached to it the most flourishing and the largest medical school ; we believe it to be the

b , ; st ; and last , but not least , have we got as our President the Grand Master himself . Such , sir , as it is possible , we desire to make this lodgesecond to none—worthy of our ancient institution , worthy of our founder—Rahere—whose name wc bear ; worthy , indeed , of our President , the Grand Master . If , sir , the labours , the energy , the zeal which have been brought

to bear on the formation of this lodge by our Treasurer and our Secretary may be taken as an earnest of what your officers will do , then , sir , I am sure the lodge during your year of office will be a success , and it will not be the fault of your officers if it fail to be so . The Tyler ' s toast closed the successful proceedings .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Kent.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF KENT .

The annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Kent Was held at the Palace , Maidstone , on the 3 rd inst ., under the banners of the Belvidere , Douglas , and Robinson Lodges , when the Prov . Grand Master , Lord Amherst , presided , and was supported by between 300 and 400 brethren . Amongst those present were Bros . J . S . Eastes , Dep . Prov . G . M . ; Sir

John B . Monckton , P . G . W . ; E . Letch worth , G . Sec , Sir F . Seager Hunt , G . D . ; Jas . Terry , P . G . S . B .. Sec . R . M . B . I . ; C . F . Matier , I' . G . Std . Br . ; F . S . W . Cornwallis , M . P . ; Rev . A . Jackson , M . A ., Prov . G . Chap . ; W . Russell , Prov . ( i . Treas . ; A . Spencer , P . G . S . B . ; R . Clay Sudlow , P . G . S . B . ; and many others .

Prov . Grand Lodge having been opened , and the minutes confirmed , the Treasurer ' s report was received and adopted . Bro . W . llvssv . u . was then unanimously re-elected Prov . G . Treasurer , and in tendering his thanks , expressed gratification at the increasing sum placed in his hands . The sum of live guineas was voted to the Rev . Dean Payne Smith Memorial Fund .

Bro . Li'i-ri . i : drew attention to a circular drawn up by the Kent Almoners , with reference to the subject of Masonic vagrants , and on his proposition , a copy was ordered to be sent to each lodge . The Prov . Grand Master was authorised to re-nominate Bro . W . Russell , Prov . G . Treas ., as a member of the Board of Management fot the Boys' School .