Provincial Grand Lodge Of Middlesex.

mipdit say as his uncle had said , that he was returned as the champion of Middlesex . He had to thank the brethren very sincerely for their kindness to him on all occasions , and for the great hospitality with wliich they received him . With regard to the discussion to which Bro .

Parkinson had alluded , he was glad it had taken place , as he believed it had simplified the question , by submitting it to a committee , who would reconimend what they thought was best to be clone , and Prov . G . Lodge would decide whether to adopt the recommendation . There

was no wish on the part of orand Lodge to centralize , but merely a desire that the whole of the province should be able to throw in their votes , and so far as tho province had the power , to return one or two candidates to the different charities . It was a pleasure to know

that they had done some little good that day . They had not met onl y for the purpose of dining together , and the brethren had evidently felt this when they so readily carried his proposition to give 1 B 31 to the Masonic Institutions . The toast of the " The Visitors " was

responded to by Bro . Thomas W . White , P . M . 21 , who said he had been exceedingly gratified by what he had seen that day , and that he had no idea that in Enfield they would have got such a superb room to meet in . Bro . J . C . Parkinson , D . Prov . Grand Master , acknowledged the special toast proposed in his

honour , and recommended co-operation on the part of the Prov . G . Officers , for bringing- and keeping the province in that position , and rank , in which , as Bro . Fenn had told them , it was entitled to be , from its geographical situation , second only to the Grand Lodge . Bro . James Terry responded for "The Charities . "

Bro . Little proposed "The Provincial Grand Stewards , " and Bros . Lindsell and Ih ythian having replied , the brethren shortly after , wards returned to town .

Supreme Grand Chapter.

SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER .

Thc Quarterly Convocation of Grand Chapter of England , was holden on Wednesday last at Freemasons' Hall . As usual with the August Quarterly Convocation , it was very thinly attende ;! , but the business

nevertheless occupied the companions much longer than is usually the case . D .. Hamilton sat as Z . ; Comp . Hugh D . Sandeman , as H . 5 and Comp . S . Rawson , as J . Among the other Comps . were John Savage ,

who acted as E . ; Major J . Creaton , N , 5 J . A . Rucker , P . S . ; Percy Leith , ist . A . ; James E . Saunders , 2 nd A . ; E . S . Snell , S . B . ; F . Pattison , H . Browse . H . G . Buss , Griffiths Smith ,

Id Binckes , W . Roebuck , C . A . Murton , James Terry , Hyde Pullen , R . Spencer , M'Dodd , Joseph Smith , Major Brownrigg , IT . J . P . Dumas , IT . Massey ( Freemason ) , and a few others .

After the opening of the chapter , and the reading and confirmation of the minutes , the report of the Committtce of General Purposes was taken as read , and ordered to be received and entered on the minutes .

The following is the statement of the accounts of the Grand Chapter for the quarter , as reported b y tlie Committee of General Purposes : — To Balance 15 th April .-. 499 6 o

,, Subsequent Receipts 370 8 6 , £ B 6 c , j 4 6 B / Disbursements during the Quarter c £ , r 6 4 „ Purchase of . ^ 200 Consols ¦ 'it . 93 and Commission , kc . 186 7 6

,, B . ilince , 530 o 8 J ? S 6 cj 14 6 which balance is in the hands of Messrs . Willis .

Percival and Co ., Bankers of the Grand Treasurer . The Committee likewise reported that they had received the following Petitions . *—

Supreme Grand Chapter.

1 . From Companions John Walsh as Z , Paul Antonio Charrier as H ., I . D . Sharp as J ., and ten others , for a Chapter to be attached to the True Brothers Lodge , No . 12 . io , Dinapore , to be called The St . Paul ' s Chapter , and to meet at Dinapore , Bengal .

2 . From Companions Harry Dawkins Eardley-Wilmot Chester as Z ., Gerard Noel Money as H ., Charles Hyne as J ., and ten others , for a Chapter to be attached to the Mooltan Lodge , No . 1307 , Mooltan , to be called the Mayo Chapter , ancl to meet at Mooltan , Punjab .

3 . From Companions Edwin Thomas Atkinson as Z ., Henry Gye Porter as H ., the Rev . James Baker Morcwood as J ., and ten others , for a Chapter to be attached to the Lodge Independence with Philanthrophy , No . 391 , Allahabad , to be called the Sandeman Chapter ,

and to meet at Allahabad , Bengal . 4 . From Companions Edward Stanton Jones as Z ., Charles Coote as H ., James Weaver as J ., and seven others for a Chapter to be attached to the Asaph Lodge , No . 1 , 319 , London , to be called the Chapter of Asaph , and to meet at Freemasons' Hill , London .

5 . From Companions Thomas Buxton as Z ., Joseph Copeland Gillman as H , John Barker as J ., and six others , for a Chapter to be attached to the Victoria Lodge , No . 134 5 , Eceles , to be called the Victoria Chapter , and to meet at the Cross Keys Hotel , Eceles , Lancashire .

On the motion of Comp . J . Savage , seconded by Comp . Joseph Smith , those petitions for charters for new chapters were unanimousl y granted . The Committee also reported that they had received a

petition—6 . From Comps . John Hamlet Taylor , as Z ., Robert Beaumont Fletcher , as H ., Thomas Goggins , as J ., and seven others , for n chapter to be attached to the Zenith Lodge , No . 11 , 33 , Sandhurst , Victoria , to be called " The Zenith Chapter , " and to meet at the Masonic Hall ,

Sandhurst , Victoria . The petition was regular in form , except that the proposed J . was not registered as a P . M ., but subject to proof of that fact , the committee recommended that that prayer of the petition be granted .

The M . E . Z . said , that there was an idea in the colonies that it was not necessary for the Principals of chapters to be P . M . s before they could be installed , and it was no doubt on that account that the petition in this case did not comply with the regulations .

Comp . J . A . Rucker asked whether the petition was to be granted at once , but subject to proof of the J . being a P . M ., being sent here .

Ihe M . E . Z . said that was so . Comp . E . S . Snell wanted to know what the Royal Arch regulations said on the subject , for it was very constantly thought that Principals of foreign chapters need not be Installed Masters . Comp . Buss referred to regulation No . 2 , p . 14 , and said there was no doubt they must be P . M ' s .

Comp . J . Smith said the law was veiy strict , and it must be carried out ; until the law was repealed they had no option but to reject this petition . Comp . H . Browse observed that it had been the practice of the Grand Chapter not to grant

petitions unless all the facts connected with them were proved in due form . But he did not think they would be doing wrong if they granted this one conditionall y . It had been said that the Grand Chapter did not grant petitions conditionally at all , and it had been its custom , whilst

there was anything which was not proved , to let the matter stand over . The Committee , however , here was of opinion that the prayer should he granted , and he thought the Grand Chapter should grant it . It was entirely within its power ; but thc Grand Chapter must now take the onus npon itself , and not the Committee .

Comp . Snell assured the companions that the Grand Chapter could not grant it without first repealing the laws . Comp . Percy Leith said he thought the Royal Arch regulations made an exception in favour of foreign chapters , and did not require any Past Masters to be Principals .

Supreme Grand Chapter.

Comp . Savage : —That is not so . Comp . Snell asked again that the law relatinoto the matter might be read . Comp . Savage : —No lodge can form or hold a chapter unless it has previously obtained a chatter from the Graud Chapter . The mode of

application is to be by petition , signed by nine regular and registered Royal Arch Masons , specifying the place where the lodge meets , and the time when , and the place where , the chapter is proposed to be holden , also the names of the three intended Principals , and the names and numbers of the lodges in which they have

severally served the office of Master . The chapters in which the petitioners were exalted must be stated against their respective signatures . To the petition must be added the consent of the lodge . Comp . F . Binckes asked if there was not a special exception in favour of colonial chapters . He believed there was .

Comp . Savage said no , but we did not require that the intended Principals should be Past Masters of lodges under Grand Lodge of Englane . There was an addendum in the regulations which said " Page 16 , art . 8 , lines 7 and 8 , strike out the words ' except in the colonies , '

and add the following words at the end of the article : — ' But this regulation is not to apply to the colonies , where companions not having served a subordinate office , if otherwise qualified , shall be eligible to be elected to a Principal

chair , and where a regularl y Installed Master of a lodge under a foreign ' constitution shall also be eligible to be so elected . ' " Comp . Hamilton then proposed to put the motion that the prayer of the petition be granted , w hen

Comp . Rawson said he had been under the impression that in a foreign chapter any companion might be nominated as a Principal , in the establishment of a new chapter , without his having been a Past Master .

Comp . Sandeman thought there would be no doubt as to the reasonableness of allowing companions , who were not Past Masters , to be nominated as Principals of new chapters in forei gn parts . In the case of a colonial chapter it was not necessary that a companion should have

filled the office of Sojourner or Scribe to qualify him for a Principal ' s chair . But with reference to the case before G . Chapter he would suggest that there would be no harm in a little delay , and that the petition might stand over to be put in due form .

Comp . F . Binckes thought that the very passing of such a resolution would be tantamount to expressing the opinion of 0 * 'and Chapter that no companion but an Installed Master was eli gible for the first three chairs in a foreign or colonial chapter . If his memory served him

such qualification had been dispensed with . Comp . H . J . P . Durnas , suggested that Grand Chapter should have confidence in its Committee of General Purposes , and as it had recom mended the granting of the prayer of the petit ion , the recommendation should be given effect to , and

it might be presumed the Committee had dul y considered the question . Comp . Hamilton remembered being in the chair of the Grand First Principal , when the law that only Past Masters or Masters were qualified to fill a Principal ' s chair was rescinded ,

and again when the law was passed that in foreign parts P . M . ' s of lodges not under the jurisdiction of Grand Lodge of England should be eligible for the chair . On the occasion referred to by Comp . Binckes when numerous members spoke , it was carried that Past

Masters of other than English lodges should be eligible . That carried the first question with it , viz ., that Principals must be P . M ' s . Comp . Percy Leith thought Comp . Binckes was right , and that companions who were not Masters

of English lodges were allowed to be Principals of colonial chapters , for the very reason that we did not want to be compelled to go to lodges under foreign jurisdictions for eli gible Principals , when we wished to establish chapters in the colonies .

Comp . Browse said if the motion would be contrary to the R . A . Regulations it would be setting a bad precedent . He would like it to be