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VERY general and very sincere regret is felt at the sudden G . p . nradcb-tn ' k , death on Saturday last of Bro . G . PARKER BROCKBANK , P . G . Std . Br . pG | Std > Bearer o { England , one of the ablest and most experienced and at the same time one of the most genial members of the Craft in the Province of East Lancashire . Only a fortnight previously , he

had been in London in connection with the election of annuitants on the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , and had his life been prolonged he would have been again in our midst in order that he might take part in the meetings of the Craft and Mark Grand Lodges , but especially in the proceedings of the Centenary Festival Celebration in the Royal Albert Hall on

Monday and Thursday . His name figured on the list of Stewards from his Province and his list reached Bro . HEDGES by the first post on the very day of his death , so that one of the very last acts of his life was done on behalf of our senior Institution , whose iooth Anniversary , which has been observed with so much splendour and success during the week , he was eagerly

looking forward to attend . That Bro . BROCKBANK should have died in harness , as it were , and vvith all his intellectual faculties in their full vigour , will be a source of consolation to his family and the hosts of friends he had made during his long and brilliant Masonic career . But none the less will be their sorrow , that apparently wilh many years of vigorous life before him ,

he should have been called away without any premonition that his life was in danger , much less that it was to be terminated so abruptly . However , Death has claimed him , and it is something to know , that among the many and onerous duties which fell to the lot of our deceased brother , there was not one oi them which was not thorough !}** and successfully discharged .

We sympathise most deeply with his family in their bereavement , and having had the pleasure and privilege of his personal acquaintance , can better judge from our own feelings of the regrets that must be felt by his brethren of East Lancashire and generally throughout the Craft . He was a capable man and a learned , and the gap caused in our ranks by his death will not easily be filled .

Quebec V. England.

QUEBEC V . ENGLAND .

BY BRO . J . H . GRAHAM , P . G . M . No . IV . If there are good brethren in England , who are still unconvinced of the correctness of the . Quebec constitutional and historical contentions re exclusive territorial Grand Lodge sovereignty and private lodge obedience , I

would now fraternally appeal to such thoughtfully to consider the expediency of the policy of longer countenancing the claim of private lodges of their institution in the Colonies , to continuance of English Grand Lodge obedience after the regular establishment of independent Grand Lodges in , and for , the territories in which said private lodges are situated .

In view of what appears to be the uniformly evil results flowing from multiple private lodge obedience in all the Colonies and other Dependencies of the emphe , in vvhich Grand Lodges havebeen formed , and knowing that the same or like results will constantly recur under like circumstances , it does seem to me that it is now the part of good and wise brethren in England , who ( and whose predecessors ) have done so much for the extension and upbuilding of our beloved Fraternity at home and abroad ( and whose

Colonial policy may perchance have had a quasi-juslification during what may have been deemed to be the Colonial Masonic tutelage era)—now promptly and seriously to consider—not only the expediency , but the absolute necessity of to modifying their Masonic policy towards the Craft in the Imperial Dependencies that it may assure peace , harmony , and union locally , and inter-jurisdictionally , and prevent their opposites vvith all their unfraternal and other evil consequences of which , one from his "heart of hearts" may say , " horresce refermis . "

Let it also be borne in mind that by the Colonial policy hitherto followed by England , any three brethren in a Colony ( having an English warrant ) , whatever their reasons may be , may , under the auspices ot their mother Grand Lodge , maintain with all their inherited diverse and conflicting lodge and other regulations , an " imperium in imperio " vvith the jurisdiction of any newly established Grand Lodge , in opposition to the views , the wishes , and the interests of any other number of brethren , or lodges , be they ever so many !

Would such a principle of civil government be tolerated in any enlightened and well regulated State ? Can it be a fundamental principle of Masonic governance which puts it in the power of any such or such like minority perpetually to mar the harmony , hinder the prosperity , and disturb the peace of the Fraternity , not only of the jurisdiction wherein they are situated , but also the vvhole Masonic world ?

Fully realising vvhat is involved therein , I ask , seriously and most respectfully , does or dees not the Grand Lodge of England desire practically to prevent the erection of independent and extensive Masonic Sovereignties ( like the British ) elsewhere in the Empire ? Does she or does she not purpose to consider and deal with Gt and Lodges in the "self-governing " Colonies and national dependencies ( like Canada ) as her Peers ? Or does she mean the Craft in the dependencies to understand that the only way to Masonic independence is through political independence ?

In hitheno commenting on the pleasing fact that England had , vvith mutual fraternal joy and rejoicing , unconditionall y recognised , had happil y interchanged Grand Representatives , and had established fraternal correspondence with the Grand Lodges of the State of New York , and of other Federal States of the American Union , and noting that she had as yet refused such lo the Federal Province ( State !) of Quebec of the Dominion

of Canada ( one of her own dependencies !) , I made , interalia , the following official statement with , as it appears to me , the utmost moderation , " It surely cannot be the policy of the Mother Grand Lodge of England to make a distinction in her dealings vvith the Grand Lodges of separate and Independent Nations , and the Grand Lodges of her own Dependencies , and that too in any way to the disadvantage of the latter ! "

Moreover , in seeking to secure peace , perpetual inter-jurisdictional peace and union , and prevent the recurrence of discord , disunion , and alienation , which latter are so abhorrent to the fundamental principles of our ancient

Quebec V. England.

and honourable Fraternity , it seems to me that England ought not to h averse to learning lessons of wisdom re Colonial Masonic government an 1 inter-relationship , from the peculiar experiences vvhich she has had a from the improvements made during the past century and upwards in n , nni ; p ;„ , i „„ ,, „ , „ „„ .. „ c it *"„!„„ : » i .- _ . i __ . . . 1 .- _ r . . ' the political government of " Colonies" and in the

, strengthening of friend ! alliances therewith ; nor be forgetful of some of the wise methods of state ^ manlike diplomacy and action by which recalcitrant minorities have be " brought to realise that union was most desirable , and that its great an ? manifold advantages must be secured .

The all-important Masonic questions now are : —Which shall prevail ? Local and inter-jurisdictional peace , or turmoil ? Union , or disunion and alienation ? It appears to me that England must decide ! With her alon now rests the issue ! England alone , as I think , prevents the Craft Grand Lodge confederation of the world !

But , says a good English brother , the United Grand Lodge of England has never acted on the principle that " foreign " lodges of her institution must become of obedience to a territorial Grand Lodge ( or choose the alter . native of dissolution ) when such a Grand Lodge ( as Quebec ) has been

regularly and rightfully established ; that there is no precedent , therefore & c . Well , even * if so , it appears to me , considering all the circumstance- ' it is time that England should make a precedent , in re , as ( we have shown ! so many regular Grand Lodges did long before the present Grand Lodge of England vvas formed ! °

And now , in order to prevent some esteemed brother from wronging the cause of peace , which I have at heart , by misconstruing certain official and personal acts of mine , in re , I beg to be permitted to say that , in declining ' in behalf of Quebec to accept the qualified and conditional " recognition " preferred by England , I was actuated by vvhat I deemed to be for the best and highest interests of England , as well as of Quebec , and of the Craft

universal , because I believed that quasi-recognition vvould sanction and perpetuate wrong , and be productive oi renewed evils , and that permanent inter-jurisdictional peace , union , and harmony must rest upon the acknowledged rights , privileges , and prerogatives of Masonic co-equals , or peers . I desired peace wilh honour and right . In the same spirit , and for the sake of those who novv know or may be informed thereof , I also beg to say that

the personal English "knightly" Masonic and other preferred "home " honours were also respectfully and gratefully declined—not for want of personal or other devotedness to " the powers that be , " but because it did not appear that it would be consistent and honourable for me to accept such unless the "Quebec question , " which involved so much , were adjusted on principles which I firmly believed to be in accord with and promotive not only of the local , but also of the imperial and general good and welfare .

In having thus briefly and imperfectly presented what is termed the case of " Quebec v . England , " and in making my appeal to our good English brethren to aid in securing peace and unity , 1 have not deemed it necessary to speak of what have been called the England-Canada-Quebec treaty matters , nor to express an opinion on the Quebec-England edict of noninteicourse , because , after all , these are , as it were , but minor issues , or incidental outcomes , and about which contrariety of opinion

unavoidably exists even amongst those who are in . accord as to what is more fundamentally important ; and because , personally , I desire to avoid mere discussion , and wish rather to give , if possible , more emphatic re-expression to any earnest , heartlelt desire that the difficult Masonic inter-jurisdictional problem under consideration may speedily and happily be solved ; thai peace , blessed peace , may soon prevail ; and that such terms as " England v , Quebec , " and " Quebec v . England " may be blotted out the vocabulary ot Craftsmen . So mote it be . Richmond , Quebec , Canada , May 15 .

United Grand Lodge Of England.

UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND .

The Quarterly Communication of United Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of England was held at Freemasons' Hall on Wednesday evening . The M . W . Bro . the Rt . Hon . the Earl of Carnarvon , Pro Grand Master , occupied the throne , and on his entering Grand Lodge for the first time since his visit to Australia he was received with loud applause . Bro . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., R . VV . Prov . G . Master Hants and the Isle of

Wight , occupied the position of Deputy Grand Master , and R . VV . Bro . Sir Francis Burdett , Prov . G . Master of Middlesex , acted as Past Grand Masterj Bro . Col . Sackville West acted as Grand Senior Warden ; Bro * Lord John Taylour , Grand junior Warden for the year , filled the chair of Grand Junior Warden ; and there was a very large attendance of brethren . Grand Lodgehaving been formally opened , the minutes of the last Quarterly

Communication of March 7 th were read . Bro . J . S . CUMBERLAND wished to know before the minutes vvere put for confirmation whether the vote passed in Grand Lodge , relative to tn

illness of the Emperor and Crown Prince of Germany , had been transmitted to his Majesty , and also if sent whether a reply had been returned . Bro . Col . SHADWELL H . CLERKE said if the worthy brother vvouW wait a little he svould read the particulars vvhich the worthy brother require

The minutes vvere then put and confirmed . The minutes of Grand Festival of 25 th April vvere then read by t <• Grand Secretary , and were put and confirmed . Bro . Col . SHADWELL H CLERKE then said that , with reference to thei resclution proposed at the Grand Lodge , in December , 1887 , by the ' * . W « . ^ i . w ^/ u ^ wu o . cm . uiaiiu *_ . \ JJ ^ .., ... a-r \*\*^ ... ± i \ .. , . w / , -j r

Deputy Grand Master , respecting the Silver Wedding of her Royal rug ness the Princess of Wales with the M . W . Grand Master , he had t honour to report that a deputation , consisting of the Deputy Grand Mas > the Grand Director of Ceremonies , and himself , waited on her ) Highness at Marlborough House , on the ioth March last , and presen ^ her Royal Highness wilh the address of Grand Lodge , and a butter y

diamonds and silver . . . L 5 Her Royal Highness said she vvas pleased to accept the souven offered by Grand Lodge , and requested the deputation to express her ^ and aooreciation of the kind words with which it was accompanie ..

had also to report that the address voted to his Imperial Hig hness , ^ Crown Prince , now the Emperor of Germany , was presented by t . i , ^ Worshipful Grand Master personally to the Crown Prince at Berlin .