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THE MASTER MASON'S HANDBOOK , by Bro . FRED . J . W . CROWE , with ar Introduction by Bro . W . J . HUGHAN , P . G . D ., & c . Th * Master Mason ' s Handbook is a compendium of all informa . tion necessary to a knowledge of English Masonry , conv prising—An Historical Sketch of F reemasonry—The Granc Ledge : Its Origin and Constitution—Private Lodges Metropolitan and Provincial—Visiting Private Lodges-Titles , their uses and abbreviations—The Great Masoni ' Institutions—The " Higher" or additional Degrees , ant how to obtain them . PRICE la . G ROROK KKNNINU , Ifi A 10 A . OT . QUKI * I * ST .. W . O

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OPIERS AND DOND'S OTORES ( NO TICKETS REQUIRED ) . QUEEN VICTORIA STREET , E . C . Opposite St . Paul ' s Station ( L . C . and D . Ry . ) PRICli BOOK ( 1000 paj * es , illustrated ) , free on a [ plication . FREE DELIVERY in Sulurbs by our own Vans . LIBERAL TERMS FOR COUNTRY ORDERS For full details see Price Book .

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——— ? ^^regmaggiS SATURDAY , NOVEMBER II , 1899 .

Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

The following is an extract from one of several letters icccived relating to the various funds for relieving the distress caused by the war in the Transvaal :

" Many Lodges and Lodges of Instruction are anxious to contribute towards the Mansion House funds for the widows and orphans of the Transvaal soldier , but they all think the Freemason ' as Ihe official organ , ought to follow thc example of the Daily Telegraph . "

If it be the general wish of the Brethren , we should be glad to fall in with their views and open a fund on behalf of the widows antl orphans of our soldiers , acknowledging receipt of remittances in our columns , and to forward thc amount to the Daily Telegraph A full list of the lolges , chapters , & c , already contributed appears on page 567 .

* * It is very good news we were able to publish last Week to the effect that the Duke of Connaught , KG ., Past G . M ., Prov . G . M . Sussex , Dist . G . M . Bombay , has graciously consented to preside as Chairman at thc 102 nd Anniversary Festival in behalf of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys . His Koyal Highness ,

Masonic Notes.

had already arranged to lay the first stone of the new School buildings at Bushey in May nexf , on a day to be fixed in the interim , so that the Institution will be doubly indebted to the Duke for the assistance he has undertaken to render it on these important occasions We have no doubt the Craft generally will , appreciate

his Royal Highness's kind consideration , and in particular that , as the Festival will be held at the Royal Pavilion , Brighton , on a day , not yet arranged , in July , the Province of Sussex , which has almost invariably taken a prominent place among thc contributing Provinces , will put forth unprecedented efforts to support the chairmanship of its Provincial Grand Master .

* * * His Royal Highness has already fulfilled the duties of Festival Chairman for each ot our Central Institutions- for the Boys' School in 1878 , lor the Girls ' School in 1 S 92 , and for the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution in 1 S 97 . On the first and second occasions tbe amounts subscribed just exceeded £ 10 , 000 , the

totals to which we have become accustomed during the last-seven or eight years not being known in 1 S 7 S , while in 1892 the Benevolent Jubilee naturally carried all before it , and the School Festivals were accordingly below their averages . In 1 S 97 , however , his Royal Highness had tho pleasure of presiding at an anniversary which ultimately produced upwards of £ 19 , 000 .

* * * There is , yet , another reason why our news of last week will have been received with a sense of satisfaction . It is always a subject for regret when any one of our Institutions experiences any difficulty in enlisting the services of some distinguished brother

to preside at its next Festival . Not a few cases will recur to our readers in which Festivals have been , comparatively speaking , unproductive , owing to the delays which have occurred in announcing the name of thc intending Chairman . Nor has this happened as regards any one of our Institutions in particular

for all have had the same unfortunate experience The Secretaries , however , are in a position to con ^ gratulate themselves on having secured Chairmen at an early date for the Festivals of 1900 , it having been known for some time past that Lord Addington , Prov

G . Master of Buckinghamshire , will be in the chair at the Old People ' s Anniversary in February ; that the Earl of Dartmouth , Prov . G . Master of Staffordshire , will render a like service for the Girls' School ; and , lastly , that the Duke of Connaught will do duty for the Boys' School in July .

» ? * VVe shall probably be not far wrong in suggesting that the event wc had the pleasure of recording a fortnight since as having occurred at Ladysmith , in thc Colony of Natal , is unique in the history of British Colonial Masonry . The empire over which Her

Gracious Majesty reigns so gloriously is so vast that hardly a year passes but there is , at all events , a little war being waged , and wherever thc British flag flies tliere are sure to be found members of our Order , more or less , numerously established . But we cannot call to

mind a single instance in which in the midst of war ' s alarms , and as it turned out , within three weeks of war actually breaking out , the first stone of a new Masonic Hall has been laid with full ceremonial in the most important stronghold of a British Colony . •» »

Wc have all read of Masons practising their rites , when thc regiment with which they wore associated was engaged in warlike operations . VVe have also often read of thc services to humanity which Masonry has been able to render on the field of battle . It is , too , on record that a relative of our present Prime

Minister was initiated into Freemasonry in 1855 in the trenches before Sebastopol during the progress of the Crimean War . But there is no case within our knowledge of a District Grand Lodge holding one of its periodical meetings in a garrison town , whither , in view of thc war then threatening , our troops were being hurried with thc utmost expedition . Yet , as recorded

in our columns of the 28 th ult ., this is just thc very thing that happened to thc District Grand Lodge of Natal on the 20 th September , when Bro . Wesley Francis , District Grand Master , with the assistance of his ollicers , laid the lirst stone of the new Hall about to be erected for the use of thc Klip River County Lodge , No . 2 4 , which is located at Ladysmith .

••• The occasion was not marked by any unusual incident . There was not as may well be imagined , a very strong muster of the brethren from the other lodges under Bro . Wesley Francis ' s tharge . The lodge it-

Masonic Notes.

self seems to have been pretty numerously represented , and in the evening there was an emergency meeting of No . 2401 , at vvhich the W . M ., Bro . A . G . N . Harwood , raised three candidates to the Sublime Degree . Moreover , durinsr the meeting of

Dist . Grand Lodge , Bro . Francis felt himself in a position to congratulate the brethren , not only on the harmony—that would naturally be looked for in a time of war—but also on the progress which Freemasonry had latterly been making , as evidenced by

the fact that only within thc previous few days he had received an application for a warrant for a new lodge to be held in Basutoland . How it has since fared , with the Hall about to bs erected , and whether for

the present the warrant for the proposed new lodge will bo needed , are matters which be beyond our ken ; but one thing is clear—that thc prospect of war had not damped the ardour of our Ladysmith brethren when this meeting was held .

* * But this is not all . Not only have our Ladysmith brethren been able to start a Temple of their own , but with the largely increased garrison they have been able to open a Mark Lodge , a want that has been felt for a

considerable time . There beine no Mark Lodge nearer than Maritzburg or Bethlehem in the Orange Free State , owing to the unsettled state of affairs , the Dist . G . Master , Bro . T . Cook , deemed it advisable to grant a dispensation to open the lodge pending the receipt of the warrant from England , and he

accordingly went up to Ladysmith and installed Bro . Capt . G . Hearn , P . A . G . D . C , as the first Worshi pful Master , the Wardens being Bro . Robert King of Newcastle , and Bro . A . C . McLachlan , Lieut . iSth Hussars . As the lodge already numbers some 50 members its success , apparently , is assured .

» » * The Committee of Management of the Roya 1 Masonic Benevolent Institution held their regular monthly meeting at Freemasons' Hall , on Wednesday , the 8 th instant . Bro . J . A . Farnfield occupied the

chair , and in the course of the proceedings four petitions of which two were from candidates for the Male Fund and two from candidates for the Widows' Fund were carefully considered , thc result being that all were accepted , and thc names ordered to be placed on thc

lists for the elections in May , 1900 . We must also mention that a vote of sympath y with the family of our late Bro . Lt .-Col . A . Durrant , to whose recent death and the consequent loss to the Institution we referred last week , was passed unanimously .

••* A new lodge , under the style and title of the St . Albans Lodge , is about to be added to the roll of the Prov . Grand Lodge of Hertfordshire . The consecration will take place at St . Albans , on Wednesday !

the 29 th instant . The ceremony , as usual , will be performed by Bro . T . F . Halsey , M . P ., Prov . G . Master , who will doubtless be assisted b y Bro . George E . Lake , P . G . D ., D . P . G . M ., and other ofiicers of the Province . The Worshipful Master Designate is Bro . C . O .

Burgess . This will make the 16 th lodge that has been consecrated since the Prov . G . Master was installed in office in April , 1874 ; and as the number on the roll is only 24 , it follows that the list has trebled itself during the period of Bro . Halsey ' s Prov .

G . Mastership , the earliest of the ; , lodges he conse crated being , appropriately enough in this instance , the Halsey , No . 1479 , which meets at the Town Hall , St . Albans , and has thus had a prosperous existence coeval with Bro . Halsey ' s tenure of office .

* * * We heartily congraulate the Masonic Journal , of Liverpool , on the very satisfactory progress it has made . With its issue for the current month it entered on the third year of its career , and it retains , but in a more pronounced degree , all the characteristics of

excellence which distinguished it at the very outset . It is well-furnished with news , its Notes are well and crisply written , and the portraits with which it is cmbellibhed are extremely well executed . We trust it may have before it a long and still more properous future . * *

We regret to add that Bro . Lieut . McLachlan , who is mentioned in the preceding note as having been invested as the first J . W . of this new Mark lodge , is among the wonuded ollicers reported in Thursday

evening s papers as having been sent into Lad ysmith from Dundee under a Hag of truce . We trust that our gallant Bro . J . W . may soon be restored to health and active service with his regiment .