The Province Of North Wales.

THE PROVINCE OF NORTH WALES .

It must have been hi ghly gratifying to Bro . Lord HARLECH , P . G . M . of North Wales , to preside at a meeting so successful as was that of his Provincial Grand Lodge , which was held at Barmouth , on the 22 nd ult ., under the auspices of the Mawddach Lodge , No . 1988 . Not only was the attendance larger than

usual , all the lodges but two in the province being represented , but the various reports that were submitted to his lordship and Provincial Grand Lodge showed that a very considerable amount of headway had been made during the past year . Thus the

Provincial Grand Secretary was able to report that a marked improvement was observable in the working of the lodges , and in the manner in which they generally fulfilled their duties . The Provincial Grand Treasurer's statement of account showed that

in respect of the Provincial Grand Lodge funds there was a balance in hand of £ 90 and upwards , while the " B" Fund of the Charitable Association had a balance of ^ 251 remaining , after relieving all the cases which had been referred to it throughout the past year . But the most satisfactory report of all was that of

the D . P . G . M ., Bro . Col . H . PLATT , who was able to announce that his scheme for the purchase of a Life Presentation to the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls had been completed , and

that subscriptions amounting to more than the required £ 525 had been promised , while only about £ 28 was wanted in order to complete the purchase This sum was at once voted . A discussion ensued as to the manner in

which this Charity should be administered , and it was ultimately decided that a Committee , consisting of the Deputy Provincial Grand Master , the Provincial Grand Treasurer , and the

Provincial Grand Secretary , should be appointed to make the necessary arrangements for selecting the most deserving cases , it being further agreed that the Masters of lodges should be invited to attend the Committee when the selection of first candidates

came forward . It is evident , therefore , from their several reports , that the Province of North Wales , though it has not been separately constituted for more than about four years , has prospered exceedingly under the able administration of Lord HARLECH . It must be remembered that North Wales is a large

Province , its area embracing several counties ; and though there is a fair complement of lodges , which are 18 in number , they are widel y scattered . This greatly enhances the work of government , and the credit , therefore , that is due to the Provincial Grand Master and his worthy and most popular Deputy and the

Provincial Grand Officers , is all the greater for this very reason . We therefore congratulate our North Wales brethren on the success which has attended them during the past few years , and the

bri ght prospects which are apparently in store for them in the years to come ; and we sincerely trust it will never be their lot to listen to reports less favourable than those which were brought under their notice at their recent annual gathering at Barmouth .

Mark Masonry In Sussex.

MARK MASONRY IN SUSSEX .

Sincere as is the regret experienced b y our Sussex Mark brethren at the unexpected death of their Provincial Grand Mark Master designate—the late Bro . GERARD FORD —and great as is th e loss they have thereby sustained , the good news that was

announced to them at the meeting of their Provincial Grand Lod ge , at the Royal Pavilion , on the 23 rd ult ., is well calculated 0 afford them consolation . They have lost a distinguished and deservedl y popular brother whom Sussex or any other Province could » l afford to lose , the worthv Denutv of their absent Chief in Craft

^ asonry , the Grand Superintendent of their Royal Arch companions , and their Chief in prospective in the Mark Degree ; and , ° > 'n the midst of all their sorrow comes the iovous news that the

p < e of CONNAUGHT , who already presides over them as Craft •"ovincial Grand Master , has graciously accepted his election as iark Provincial Grand Master ; and as his Royal Highness will turn to England from his military duties in India at no very st ant day , our Mark brethren in Sussex have now before them

Mark Masonry In Sussex.

the agreeable prospect of welcoming their new Chief , and taking part in his installation . In the meantime it is satisfactory to know that under the administration of Bro . Lord A . HlLL , their retiring Provincial Grand Master , the Mark Degree has made satisfactory progress , and that in Bro . T . TROLLOPE , Past Provincial Grand

Master , Bro . C . J . SMITH , Deputy Provincial Grand Master , who , but for the lamented death of Bro . G . FORD , would have retired from office , and other zealous and energetic members , the Duke will find brethren as ready and willing as they are capable to advise in the more difficult duties of administration . It is now

just 15 years since Sussex was constituted a Mark Province under the presidency of the late Bro . Sir J . CORDY BURROWES , and Ave note with satisfaction that it has on its roll some halfdozen lodges , each and every one of which is in a fair condition of prosperity . Two of them—the Royal Sussex , No . 75 , and the

Hova , No . 168—are located in Brighton . The Southdown , No . 164 , and the East Sussex , No . 166 , meet at Hay ward's Heath and Hastings respectively , and the remaining two—the Adur , No . 3 86 , and the Lewis , No . 391—at Henfield and Lewes respectively . There is , therefore , every reason to suppose that

Sussex , which has fared so well in the past , will have a still more prosperous career under a Chief who is so highly respected —• apart from the respect which is his due as a son of our •most

gracious SOVEREIGN—and so universally popular . We congratulate the Province on its good fortune , and with all the greater heartiness , because it has followed so closely on the heels of a very serious and regrettable loss .

A Clerical Attack On Freemasonry.

A CLERICAL ATTACK ON FREEMASONRY .

As a rule , we are chary of noticing the attacks which are constantly being directed against the Society of Freemasons . In the first place , there is nothing to be gained by slaying the slain , and the charges which have been made against us on the score of our infidel , socialist , and other alleged evil tendencies have been

again and again refuted ; in the next , it is no good attempting to reason with people who deliberately shut their ears against all reason . Our attention , however , has been recently called to a circular addressed by the Rev . Canon KNOWLES , Principal of the Theological College of St . Bees , to the young men studying there

as candidates for Holy Orders , and as the clergy of the Anglican Church are , as a body , men of broad and generous views , as well as men of education and culture , we consider ourselves warranted in replying , to the best of our ability , to those " Objections to

Freemasonry" which the Rev . Canon has stated to his pupils , the more especially as the latter , if they find the allegations of their Principal are allowed to pass unchallenged , may very excusably assume that no answer or defence is possible .

There are two preliminary objections to the Canon s statements which , as they deprive them of all force and efficacy , may reasonably be taken . Firstly , as he is not a Mason , it is impossible he can know precisely and accurately what is the inner life of the Society he so utterly condemns . Secondly , it is difficult to

imagine that a man of his knowledge and experience can be ignorant of the fact that in times past , as in the time present , a very considerable number of his clerical brethren have been , or are , members of this same Society . Many of these clerical Masons have attained to or hold positions of the greatest

distinction in the Church , while all of them are esteemed and respected by all classes of the people among whom they severally move and have their being . Therefore , Canon KNOWLES , in condemning wholesale the Society of Freemasons , condemns likewise the conduct of all those Anglican or other clergy who

have sought and obtained enrolment amongst its members . For if the Society itself is as guilty of those charges he brings against it as he would have his pupils believe , it follows that all his brother clergymen who are members of it must be participes

criminis . If the Society is infidel and socialist , then they as constituent members must be tarred with the brush of infidelity and socialism . If " the prayers of its formularies are unchristian , " then all clerical Masons must be censurable when