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Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

We have received a further communication from the correspondent who some months since was kind enough to furnish information as to the character of Hungarian Freemasonry in reference to the absence oi the Volume of the Sacred Law from the altar of a newly-dedicated Masonic Hall which in a SATURDAY , AUGUST 13 , 18 9 8 .

previous article we had made the subject of remark . This communication , which is an exceedingly lengthy one , is mainly a reiteration of his earlier statements and we regret that we cannot comply with nis wish to repeat what our readers must be already familiar with . The reason for this will be obvious

enough . In the " communicated" article we published , ¦ t was stated that steps were being taken , or would be taken , at an early date with a view o restoring the Volume of the Sacred Law to its place on the altars in the Hungarian lod ges and replace the Bible in the Book of

Constitutions . It is manifestly a duty on our part as well as an act of courtesy to wait until a reasonable time has elapsed for carrying out the proposed reforms . Then the present omissions are made good , there is an end ofthe matter and Hungarian Masonry in essentials W 'H be on the same level as English Masonry .

Masonic Notes.

If , however , when a reasonable time has elapsed , we find the promised steps have not been taken or that opposition to their being taken has been raised and proved successful , we shall then ba in a position to revert to the subject and by making it clear that the principles professed by the Grand Lodge of Hungary

are not in accordance with the true tenets and principles of Freemasonry as understood by us , afford the authorities of our Grand Lodge the opportunity of inviting explanations from Hungary and , if need be , dealing out the same measure of treatment as has been dealt out to other Masonic bodies .

* * * We quite agree with Bro . Lamonby that in the event of nothing being done by the Grand Lodge of Hungary to remedy the defects to which we have called attention , it will devolve on the advisers of the

M . W . Grand Master to deal " as promptly with the Hungarian Body as they did with the Peruvian quite recently . " There is , indeed , as he justly points out , an overwhelming reason for acting impartially in a matter of this kind , namely , " that the Grand Lodge of Hungary is recognised by our Grand Lodge , and that

the two Grand Lodges exchange representatives , " while this is not the case as regards the Grand Lodge of Peru . If , as we have before remarked , the reforms which are said to be in contempla' . ion are not adopted , it will devolve upon our Grand Lodge to act towards Hungarian Masonry as it has towards Peruvian , or it will expose itself to the charge of partiality .

* The Province of Essex has done itself honour in recognising the many and valuable services which Bro . Thomas J . Railing , Past A . G . D . C . of England , has rendered it during the last 21 years . During that

protracted period our respected brother has filled the important office of Prov . Grand Secretary , and it is not too much to say , nor are we detracting from the undoubted merits of others in saying , that much of the success which has latterly attended this favoured

Province is due to the devotion he has shown to its interests and the unceasing efforts he has made in its behalf . Bro . Railing was appointed to his post in 18 77 when there were only 16 lodges on the roll . Since then the number has grown steadily and there are now as many as 38 lodges in charge of the Prov . Grand

Master . This great increase , as it has more than doubled the strength of the Province , has at the same time made the duties of the Prov . Grand Secretary commensurately more arduous . Yet Bro . Railing has proved himself equal to the increased demands upon his time and energies and has continued to discharge his duties with equal fidelity and success .

» * Again , in 1883 , when his Honour Judge Philbrick , Q . C , was appointed by his Royal Highness the Grand First Principal , to preside as Grand Superintendent over Royal Arch Masonry in Essex , it was to Comp .

Railing that he turned for assistance in the post of Prov . G . Scribe E . Then there were four chapters in the county , now there were 13 , or more than three times as many as there had been 15 years previously . But the same remark applies to Comp . Railing , as Prov .

G . Scribe E ., as we have before applied to Bro . Railing , Prov . G . Secretary ; in other words , the success of his labours , notwithstanding the augmented demand they necessarily made upon his time , has been equally pronounced .

* # # Thus there can be no doubt as to the justice of the recognition which our worthy brother ' s services received at the annual meeting the other day at Brent , wood of the Prov . G . Lodge of Essex , when an

address in album form and a cheque for £ 250 were handed to him by Bro . the Earl of Warwick , Prov . G . Master . But justice is not the only feature we associate with this presentation . The cheque and album were valuable in themselves , but as the outward and

visible evidences of the affectionate kindness and goodwill which are entertained towards him by the whole body of Essex brethren , they are simply beyond price . They demonstrate to the outer world not only that he

has discharged his duties faithfully | a . nd well , but that he has at the same time discharged them in such a manner as to secure to himself the love and respect of all . We heartily congratulate him on this latest and most gratifying incident in his Masonic career .

* * At the same meeting at which Bro . Railing ' s services w ^ re thus honourably recognised , the reports printed for the consideration of the Prov . Grand Lodge , and unanimously adopted , were of the most satisfactory kind . Naturally enough , the leading feature of the year to which the Prov . Board of General Purposes

Masonic Notes.

referred in its report was the generous support given by the lodges in the Provinceat the Boy ' s School Centenary , The total subscribed by Essex was not far short oE ^ 4000 , or rather more than , £ 100 per lodge , Prov . Grand Lodge itself contributing 100 guineas from its own funds . The number of heavy lists was

considerable , there being as many as seven that ranged fro n . £ 205 to as high as . £ 525 . The same report also showed that there had been a small increase in the number of subscribing members—from 2015 , as stated at the same meeting in 18 97 , to 2089 , while more satisfactory still , there was a further reduction in the number of brethren in arrears—from iqo in 1896 to 16 a in 1807 ,

and to 142 on this occasion . Moreover , upwards of . £ 200 had been disbursed during the year in Charity , there having been voted from the fund of Prov . Grand Lodge , in addition to the Centenary gift of . £ 105 to the Boys' School already referred to , a grant of . £ 52 ios . to the Essex Hailstorm Fund . Our Essex brethren have good reason to be proud of their doings during the past 12 months .

* * » The proceedings at the recent annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Devonshire were of a highly gratifying character . The reasons for self-congratulation , apart from those arising out of the handsome part played by the Province at the Boys '

Centenary , were numerous . All the lodges on the roll were declared to be in a prosperous state ; there was a substantial balance at the close of the year ' s account , and the Provincial Annuity Fund , known as the Fortescue , had received far more than the average

measure of support . The receipts of the General Fund , including a balance from the previous year of £ 260 amounted to close upon £ 751 , while the payments were in round figures , 6492 , the balance remaining being £ 259 , or virtually the same as the closing balance of 1897 .

* # The report of the Fortescue Annuity Fund to the 31 st May , 189 S , as presented by Bro , E . H . Shorto , showed that the actual income was £ 6 $ 8 , while the working expenses amounted to only a little short of

. & 16 ios ., or barely two and a half per cent , on the income . An addition of . £ 300 had been made to the invested capital , which now amounts to £ 4000 . The number of annuitants provided for during the past year was 12 , and the number now permanently on the Fund was 14 .

+ * f There was , however , one drawb ? ck from the general sense of satisfaction which the brethren must have experienced on hearing so favourable an account , namely that 22 lodges , or about two-fifths of those on

the roll had contributed nothing during the year , and that as many as 13 lodges— -say 25 per cent of the total number—whicii had done nothing during the last four years . We trust these shortcomings will be made good in the near future .

* » The proceedings at the meeting at Market Drayton of the Prov . Grand Lodge of Shropshire on the 35 th ult ., though treating of matters on a smaller scale , were nevertheless most creditable to the Province .

Here there are not 50 or 60 lodges to deal with , but only a dozen , with an aggregate membership , all told , of 370 in 18 97 , as compared with 354 in 1891 . But , though few in numbers , our Shropshire brethren have good reason to be proud of this record year . A Province which , notwithstanding the paucity of its

members , has subscribed not so very far short of , £ 1200 to the Boys' Centenary cannot be otherwise than in the best of form . In addition , the Provincial Charitable Association has been doing excellent service , while the Prov . Grand Master mentioned ,

towards the close of the meeting , that the manner in which "the Iodge minutes and accounts were kept " had b 2 en greatly improved . In short , the past year appears to have been one calculated to give pleasure to the Prov . Grand Master and his ollicers and the brethren generally .

¦ > * * It seems almost unnecessary to remark that the Province of Hertfordshire , which has been doing splendid service for many years past had a most successful annual meeting at Hemel Hempstead last month . The Prov . G . Treasurer ' s statement of

account , as audited by the Finance Committee of the Province , showed a substantial balance in hand and there was at the end of the year a sum of about , £ 370 invested in Consols . But while the Province itself is sound to the core and in every wiy flourishing , whether we have regard to the able manner in which it is

administered or the support it gives to our Institutions , we notice with regret that quite a number of the Prov . G . Ofiicers fer the year were absent from the meeting . The Wardens , the Chaplains , the Executive Ollicers were there , but there were many absentees

and we hold that the least an appointed Prov . G . Officer may be reasonably expected to do in order to show his appreciation of the honour conferred upon him by his Prov . G . Master is to be present in hia place during the time he is in office ,