Grand Lodge Of Scotland

Charters were granted to Lodges Duke oi Rothesay , South Brisbane , Oueensland ; Fassifern Kilwinning , Harrieville Queensland ; and Balfour Melville , Methil , Fife . A recommendation by the District Grand Lodge of Queensland that Bro . Thomas Mylne , Brisbane , Depute District Grand Master , be appointed District Grand Master in room of Bro . the Hon . John Douglas , C . M . G .,

resigned , was adopted . Grand Committee reported from the Consulting Committee on the Bank question . The report proceeded : Letters were read to the Grand Committee from the agents of the complainers and defenders respectively , intimating that parties had arranged that the disabilities on " honorary members " of the lodge , as regards voting and holding office , will be removed in Constitutional form . It was agreed by Grand Committee to approve the Consulting Committee ' s report , and to remit to

the Special Committee , with powers to carry out the agreement with parties in No . 52 . The minute was adopted . On the subject of " Masonic purposes on Sunday , " the minutes of Grand Committee contained the following : " Grand Secretary read a letter from the Master of Zetland , Grangemouth , No . 391 , apologising to Grand Committee for having when asked declined to give information as to the circumstances under which his lodge had been opened for work on a Sunday . A report on the case was read from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Stirlingshire .

After some conversation , it was agreed to accept the apology tendered by the Master of No . 391 ; to thank the Provincial Grand Lodge for the report , and to remit to the Provincial Grand Master to admonish the Master of Lodge Zetland for the impropriety of conferring a Degree on a Sunday . " A long discussion arose on a subject connected with the Edinburgh ( Metropolitan ) District . The minute of the Grand Committee

thus stated the situation : — " Grand Secretary reported that , agreeably to instructions , he had by circular consulted the lodges in Mid-Lothian upon the application of Portobello , No . 226 , and St . John , Corstorphine , No . 788 , to be removed from the province in question and placed within the Metropolitan District , under direct supervision of Grand Lodge ; and replies had been received from eight lodges , seven of which were favourable to the applications for disjunction from Mid-Lothian ; but while so expressing

themselves , one or two indicated their intention of asking to be placed within the Metropolitan District . It was moved by Bro . Caldwell , seconded by Bro . Dalrymple Duncan , that Grand Committee recommend to Grand Lodge to decline the disjunction of Lodges Nos . 226 and 788 from the Province of Mid-Lothian . " Grand Lodge's disapproval of this report was moved , but the report of Grand Committee was adopted , on a division , by 47 votes to 32 . The only other important business was a motion by Bro . Robert Gibson— "That it be remitted to Grand Committee to consider and

devise the best means whereby the benevolent funds of this Grand Lodge and the Provincial Grand Lodges under its jurisdiction can be increased . " The " previous question " was moved , and was carried by 74 votes to 17 .

The Grand Lodge Of New York

THE GRAND LODGE OF NEW YORK

BY BRO . R . F . GOULD . ( Continued from page 40 ) . The Standing Committees of the Grand Lodge of New York are the following : Credentials ( 3 ) , Jurisprudence ( 7 ) , Foreign Correspondence ( 3 ) , Warrants ( 9 ) , Grievances ( 3 ) , Finance ( 3 ) , Pay of Representatives ( 3 ) , Constitutions and Statutes ( 3 ) , Charity ( 3 ) , Printing ( 3 ) , Unfinished Business ( 3 ) , Work and Lectures ( 9 ) , Hall and Asylum ( 9 ) , Exemplification of the Work ( 30 ) , Deceased Brethren ( 3 ) , Antiquities ( 5 ) , and Accounts ( 3 ) .

The Grand Lodge resumed work on June 6 th , at 9 a . m ., when the reports of various Committees were received and adopted , and the Grand Master , Deputy , Grand Wardens , Grand Treasurer , and Grand Secretary for the ensuing year were elected . Additional reports were presented on June 7 th , but I shall pass at once to that of the Committee on Jurisprudence , from which I extract the following :

" At the last Annual Communication we reported that the ' Grand Symbolic Diet' [ of Mexico ] is similar to that of the Grand Lodges of If-ngland and Scotland with their Provincial Grand Lodges , and confined to the first three or Symbolic Degrees , and we should have recommended their recognition then but for the protest of Toltec Lodge , No . 520 , located in tbe City of Mexico , under Charter from the Grand Lodge of Missouri : Action

was deferred until further information could be obtained as to the character of that Grand Body and its subordinates . From information in the possession of your Committee , we are satisfied that this protest of Toltec Lodge , No . 530 , at the City of Mexico , was from a desire to retain their Charter from the Grand Lodge of Missouri , and being composed in the main of Americans residing in Mexico , desired the prestige of their position as the

only lodge in Mexico with an American Charter . The charges made by the Master of Toltec Lodge were so fully met by the . 'Grand Diet' that the Grand Lodge have revoked their Charter of Toltec Lodge , No . 520 , and the members petitioned for and have received a Charter from the ' Grand Dieta Symbol ' ca . ' We , therefore , recommend that the ' Grand Symbolical Diet of the United States of Mexico' be duly recognised by this Grand Lodge ,

and welcomed to the circle of Symbolic Grand Lodges . " At a later stage of the report , the Committee say : " We unanimousl y approve the action of the M . W . Grand Master in declining to grant a dispensation to form a so-called "Travelling Lodge" in France , for the use of English persons sojourning in that country , who now have no opportunity of visiting French Lodges . "

The recommendations of the Committee were adopted . That the recognition of the " Gran Dieta " by the Grand Lodge of New York will turn out to have been premature and injudicious , I shall not be so rash as to affirm . But the " information " which satisfied the Committee on Jurisprudence ( N . Y . ) that the " Gran Dieta Simbolica " was entitled to

admission into the family of Grand Lodges has been withheld ; and I can therefore only hope that their credulity has not been imposed upon to an equal extent with that of their Grand Master , whose amazing utterance with respect to English " Travelling Lodges " on the Continent , has already been recorded .

The lodges in the State of New York are under the direct supervision of 30 District Deputy Grand Masters , the 28 th District consisting of 28 lod ges working in the German language , and the 29 th of seven lodges working in French , Spanish , or Italian . The icporton Foreign Correspondence is from the pen of Bro . Jesse B .

Anthony , Past Grand Master , and it carefully reviews the proceedings of the Grand I . odges in other jurisdictions , with the skill and precision for which that worthy brother is so justly renowned . There is also a supplementary report , by Bro . Charles Sackreuter , on the Garman and other non-linglish-; peaking Grand Lodges , which is of great interest , and recalls the equally meritorious labours in a very similar field of Bro . F . de P . Villasana , whose

The Grand Lodge Of New York

admirable notes on the lodges in Spanish-speaking jurisdictions were , a few years ago , a most agreeable feature of the Report on Correspondence , Grand Lodge of Louisiana . Lastly , Bro . Jesse B . Anthony contributes a series of statistical tables of the greatest possible value . The largest jurisdiction is that of New York , consisting of 730 private ( or subordinate ) lodges , with a total membership of 83 , 287 Master Masons ; 18 , 344 Royal Arch Masons ; and 10 , 435 Knights

Templar . The total number of Master Masons ( affiliates ) in the U . S . A . is 713 , 721 ; , - of Royal Arch Masons , 187 , 311 ; and of Knights Templar , 97 , 76 5 The jurisdictions having lodges of the largest membership are in the following order : Minnesota ( 6 74 ) , New York ( 617 ) , Colorado ( 610 ) , Illinois ( 585 ) , Michigan ( 578 ) , Connecticut ( 557 ) , District of Columbia ( 546 ) , Pennsylvania ( 500 ) , Massachusetts ( 4 S 9 ) , California ( 464 ) , Rhode Island ( 450 ) , and Ohio ( 446 ) .

The more prominent of the Grand Lodges ( U . S . A . ) according to extent of jurisdiction { after the subject of the present article ) rank as follows : Illinois , Lodges 713 , Members , 48 , 222 ; Pennsylvania , Z . 414 , M . 45 , 937 ; Ohio , L . 495 , AL 38 , 123 ; Michigan , L . 376 , M . 35 , 517 ; Massachusetts , L . 232 , M . 33 , 93 6 ; Missouri , L . 561 , M . 30 , 000 ; Indiana , L . 473 , M- 26 , 266 ; Texas , L . 561 , M . 24 , 472 ; Iowa , L . 461 , M . 23 , 737 ; Maine , L . 193 , M . 21 , 487 ; Kansas , L , 350 , M . 19 , 898 ; Kentucky , L . 458 , M . 17 , 942 ; Tennessee , L . 429 , M . 17 , 826 ; and California , L . 255 , M . 17 , 006 .

The Beaumont Ms.

THE BEAUMONT MS .

To the number of Masonic MSS . now missing , but known to have been in existence within a comparatively recent period , must be added the one of which the text here follows , bearing the title of " The Beaumont MS . " To W . Bro . Cocking , P . M ., of Huddersfield , I am much indebted for

the copy of the M . S ., which he has kindly placed at my disposal for the benefit of the Craft , and also for other information bearing on the subject . Bro . Cocking , it should be remembered , was the generous donor of the priceless " T . W . Tew MS . " to the West Yorkshire Library , and the thanks of all Masonic students are due to one who has furnished so much valuable

material for thought and research . The last trace of the original document appears to have been on _ the occasion of its being copied by the late Mr . Thomas Dunderdale , of Whitley Beaumont , near Huddersfield , Yorkshire , since which time it has been missing . The rightful owner is Henry Frederick Beaumont , Esq ., of Whitley Beaumont , aforesaid , in whose muniment room the document should now be

resting . In the absence of the original manuscript it is difficult to form an accurate opinion of its character and value . As to the correctness , or otherwise , of the copy , we can only be led by the reputation which the copyist may have had for care and exactness . In reply to my enquiries on this point , Bro . Cocking says " I should say a most careful copyist as he was a splendid surveyor , which makes one note small matters . " This view appears to be concerned

fairly reasonable and sound . So far , therefore , as the text itself is , the copy may be accepted as a tolerably safe guide for the commentator , notwithstanding that Charge No . 11 is omitted . It may , possibly , also have been absent from the missing original . We have not the caligraphy ( nor any facsimile ) , which is almost the evidence necessary for us to form anything approaching to an accurate opinion of the period of the Manuscript ; nevertheless , my feeling is that the date is about the middle , say , of the 17 th century , or earlier .

It will be noticed that the opening of the Invocation is very unusual . There are also other peculiarities in the text , which doubtless Brothers Hughan , Speth , and other learned brethren , will at once observe . May we venture to hope to see , at an early date , their views in the Freemason respecting the " Beaumont MS . f" May we be more sanguine in another direction , and look forward . to the speedy recovery of the missing document itself , towards which object I feel this publication of the text will render valuable aid .

WILLIAM WATSON , P . M ., Leeds , July 31 , i 8 g 4 . Honorary Librarian of West Yorkshire O Lord God ffather of Heaven w the wisdom of the Glorious Sonn through the grace & goodness of the holy Gost w are three psons in one God , be with us now at our begininge & guive Us grace to Governe us heare in this Life , Liveinge that wee may come to the heavenly blisse which never have Ending . Amen .

Good Brethren & Fellows : our purpose is to tell you in what sorte r \ manner this Craft of Masonry was first founded & afterwards mentained & upholden by many Kings , Princes k other worshipfull men k also to them yt bee heare , we shall declare y charges w belongeth to every true Mason to Keepe , for it is a Sience that is worthy to be Kept , for a worthy Craft & verteouse Sience , for it is one of the seaven Liberall Siences , & : these be the

names of them , the first is Grammer & y * teacheth a man to speake & write truly , the second is Retorick & y teacheth a man to speak & write in subtill tearmes The 3 is dialectics k y teacheth a man to diserne & Know truth from falshood The 4 "' is Arithmatica & y' teacheth a man to recon & count all numb rs ye 5 th j s Geometria & y' teacheth a man to mete & measure y earth k all other things of w > is Masonry The sixt is Musick cv t

yteacheth a man y Craft of songe & voyce of tongue , organ harpe fc Trumpett . Thus you may know y * all the Siences of the world weare Grounded on this Sience of Geometry the seaventh is Astronomy & that teacheth a man to know ye Course of y Sunn , Moon , & Starrs , these be the seaven Liberall Siences w be all founded by one Sience w > is Geometry , for it teacheth mete & measure ponderation k weight of all manno of kindes

in ye earth , for there is no man that worketh by some mete or measure , nor any man y buyeth or Selleth , but he may use mete , measure or weight & belongeth to Geometry & these Marchants or Crafts of Geometry , do finde all other of y « Six Sciences , espetially ye Plowman & tiller of y Grounde for all mannC of corne , wir . eplanters , & setto of other fruites , for Grammar nor Musick , Astronomy nor any of ye other Sciences can find mete ,

measure or weight without Geometry wherefore y' Science may well be caled y most worthy of all ye Sciences w findeth mete or measure to all y rest ; if you aske how this science began 1 shall tell you . Before ye flood of Noa there was a man caled Lameck as it is in y 4 th Chap tr of Genesis , in y Byble k this Lameck had two wives the name of ye one was caled Adah & ye name of yf other

Zillali-By his first wife Adah he had 2 sonns y name of ye one was caled Jaball N y name of ye other Juball : k by his other Zillah he had a sonn caled Tubal ' k a daughter caled Naamah . These 4 Children found oute ye begininge of all ye crafts in ye worlds y eldest sonn Jaball found out ye craft of Geometry & departed flocks of sheepe , Lands in ye field and first wrought a house oi stone & timber as is noated in y chapter afoaresaide and his brother Juball found y crafte of Musick Song of Tongue , Harpe , Organ and Trumpett