Provincial Grand Chapter Of Essex.

Comp . A . Lucking ' , P . Z . and Treas . iooo , P . A . G . D . C . England ( ninth year ) ... Prov . G . D . C . Dr . Haskins , Org . 2256 ... ... Prov . G . Org . „ A .. E . Albert , J . 1437 ... •*¦ ¦•¦ Prov . A . G . S . E . „ A . W . Martin ... ... ... Prov . G . Janitor .

A Committee was appointed lo amend and report on the by-laws ; the sum of ten guineas was voted to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , to be placed on the list of the Provincial Grand Superintendent , who purposes acting as Steward for the ensuing Jubilee Festival of that Institution ; six guineas and the thanks of Provincial Grand Chapter were voted to the entertaining chapters ; and an announcement was made that the next annual meeting would be held at Halstead . The Provincial Grand Chapter was then closed .

A very excellent banquet was provided under the management of Comp . ] . Sadler Wood , and gave general satisfaction , the entertaining chapters being most liberal in their desire to welcome their many guests . The GRAND SUPERINTENDENT presided , and his introductions of the several loyal and Masonic toasts wcre brief and effective . In proposing that of " The Grand Officers " he pointed out that those companions as a

rule were at all times ready to be of service to their several chapters and never weary of performing their duty to the Order . As an exemplar he could not do other than name Comp . thc Rev . C . J . Martyn , the Grand Superintendent for Suffolk , then present , and who on occasions when priest , prophet , or king might bc wanted for chapter work could , and readily did , supply the want . The longer wc live , and the more often we meet such men thc more we learn their use to thc Order in their several capacities .

Comp . MARTYN responded in a most humorous speech which was much appreciated . Comp . ROWLAND PLUMBE , Prov . G . H ., proposed " The Health of the Grand Superintendent for Essex , Comp . F . A . Philbrick , " remarking that he was certainly one of the best of his class , and that members of both Craft and Royal Arch thoroughly appreciated his most valuable work in Freemasonry generally , and more particularly that which he had performed in the interests of the Royal Arch Degree .

The GRAND SUPERINTENDENT expressed his gratitude for the manifestation of feeling with which the toast had been received , and pointed to the progress made by the Provincial Grand Chapter of Essex as justifying- the satisfaction felt by its members . He considered the Royal Arch Degree an

active power for good in this country . It hacl achieved a position which is great and powerful , and which will so continue so long as its members are true to its teachings . He considered that Essex was , and is a united province in both Craft and Arch , ancl being- so united , helped forward thc best interests of the Order .

" The Provincial Grand H . and J . " and "The Provincial Grand Officers " were next toasted , the GRAND SUPERINTENDENT making a pathetic reference to the loss sustained by the Order in the recent decease of Comp . the Rev . T . Cochrane , a Past Grand Chaplain of the Craft , and Prov . G . H . of Essex .

To this toast Comps . ROWLAND PLUMBE and WHITE respectivel y responded . For "The Visitors" Comp . Col . SHADWELL H . CLERKE , CL Scribe E ., returned thanks for the kind and cordial reception they hacl experienced , and , rejoicing in the present prosperity of the province , expressed the hope for further progress in the near future .

The remaining toast was that of " The Principals o ! thc Chapters of the Province , " with warmest thanks for the support they had rendered lo those who had undertaken the pleasant duty of entertainment . This toast was received with acclamation .

With a word in praise of the excellent catering * and management , we close our notice of one of the most pleasant gatherings of Essex compjinions which has been held in the province for many years .

Grand Lodge Of Scotland.

GRAND LODGE OF SCOTLAND .

A Quarterly Communication of the Grand Lodge of Scotland was held m Edinburgh on the afternoon of the 6 th inst . Bro . Lord Saltoun acted as Grand Master ; there being also present Bros . Dr . Middleton , acting Depute

Grand Master ; J . T . S . Elliot of Wolfclee , Substitute Grand Master ; J . Dalrymple Duncan , S . G . D . ; Col . Campbell , J . G . D . ; D . Murray Lyon , G . Sec . ; David Reid , G . Cashier ; Rev . John Glasse , G . Chaplain ; Jas . Crichton , G . jeweller ; and G . Christie , G . Marshal .

A vidimus of the accounts for the quarter ending 25 th July showed that the income had been £ 1266 , or ^ 648 in excess of thc expenditure . There had been 1319 entrants to the Order ; £ i __ hacl been distributed by the Committee of the Fund of Scottish Masonic Benevolence .

l ' rom the annuity branch it was reported that one new annuity of ^ 20 and three of ^ " 10 each had been granted to a Mason and a widow and the jamilies of others . It was reported that the Grand Master had arranged to install early in the month of October the newly-appointed Prov . Grand Masters of Banff and El gin and Moray respectively .

Grand Lodge postponed consideration of thc resolution as to thc issuing oj circulars relating to its proceedings . A resolution was adopted for the alteration of the constitution by the substitution of 21 years of age for 18 as the age at which candidates may be entered to the Order , with a reservation * n favour of the sons of Masons . 1 he other business was routine , but Glasgow brethren gave notice of nnpoitant resolutions as to the working of Provincial Grand Lodges and the present proxy system in Grand Lodge .

- ft u * —^ - ^ amous Scribe who re-arranged the Canon of the Old Testament g r the return from Babylon . It vvould almost seem as if Calmet was right , that ret " W ! i nt or ' ' 2 inal -y with Zerubbabel and his father Seraiah to Jerusalem , and then idpil Babylon - We ma X observe that Bishop Patrick also leans to the wheth Ezra was twice at Babylon . An Ezra went up with Zerubbabel , but ¦ ^ hJ "Q \} , lc lizra is uncertain . Dr . Oliver ' s solution of two Ezras may be correct

exc-1 A \ . as account of his subsequent going up to Jerusalem does not little J ? I > oss '' D ''' ly ° f ¦ *" - previous presence . But whether it be so or not , matters lewih •<*; ra was * ' * Scribe "par excellence , " and as such attendant on the that f hedr ™ - his name and that of Nehemiah probably only point to corre ^ ' t ?*^ neec " be su PPOsed necessarily to be treated as chronologically cx - ~ -Kenning ' s Cyclopedia of Freemasonry .

History Of Freemasonry And Concordant Orders.*

HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY AND CONCORDANT ORDERS . *

We doubted that a new History of Freemasonry could be issued at this time that was not made up largely from Gould ' s admirable work , but are agreeably surprised to find that the new history published by Lee C . Hascall , of Boston , of the Fraternity Publishing- Company , is largely original , and at the same time comprehensive . He has accomplished this by assigning the

different topics to the ablest Masonic writers in England and America , and paying them liberally for their work , ancl the task is well done . Thus William James Hughan , of England , furnishes 20 pages of introduction , treating of the old lodges and kindred topics , on which he is the acknowledged authority . Then William R . Singleton , of Washington , follows with 80 pages on the Ancient Mysteries . William Stevens Perry , Bishop of Iowa , gives 38

pages to the Ancient I emplars and Orders of Chivalry . Henry Leonard Stillson , of Vermont , thc editor-in-chief , treats of the Documentary Early History of the Fraternity in 40 pages . John Lane , of England , gives a list of American lodges chartered by British Grand Lodges , 18 pages . Charles E . Meyer , of Pennsylvania , furnishes a history of American Grand Lodges for thc First Meridian , So pages , a part of the Second Meridian , 34 pages ; Charles E . Gillett , of Oakland , California , for the remainder of the Second

Meridian , in 44 pages ; Edwin A . Sherman ( assisted by Gillett ) for thc Third Meridian , 52 pages ; Sereno D . Nickerson , of Massachusetts , gives the First Glimpses of Freemasonry in North America , 16 pages ; J . Ross Robertson , Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Canada , treats of British America in 15 pages ; John H . Graham , of Richmond , Quebec , follows with

17 pages on the same subject ; Alfred A . Hall , of Vermont , gives 10 pages on European Grand Lodges ; Hughan gives five pages to Australasia and New Zealand ; and Graham four to New South Wales . Jesse B . Anthony , of New York , give an exhaustive account of the Morgan Excitement in 30 pages . Josiah H . Drummond , of Maine , devotes 16 pages to a history of

Masonic jurisprudence , on which he has heretofore shown himself to be the ablest authority . Alfred F . Chapman , of Massachusetts ( now deceased ) , devoted 88 pages to an excellent account of the chapter Degrees , Edward T . Schultz , of Maryland , supplementing it with three pages on the Order of High Priesthood . Eugene Grissom , of North Carolina , gives a history of

the Cryptic Rite m 2 S pages ; supplemented by two pages on the Cryptic Rite in England by Hughan . Charles T . McClenachan , of New York , writes a "Eulogiiim of the Ancient Craft , " in 19 pages . John IT . Graham another on Symbolic Masonry , seven pages . Frederic Speed , of Mississi ppi , treats of the Chivalric Degrees in his usual forceful style , 40 pages . Grand

Master Wm . J . McL . Moore ( now deceased ) follows with 54 pages on British Templary , including many other subjects . Josiah H . Drummond gives a history of the Scottish Rite , 34 pages . Hughan treats of the Royal Order of Scotland in 22 pages ; this is new and very valuable . Edward T . Schultz follows with four pages on the Royal'Order of Heredom of

Kilwinning as it existed in Baltimore early in the century . Willis D . Engie gives a history of the Order of the Eastern Star , in 12 pages . Charles T . McClenachan , a history of the Rosicrucians in five pages . Twenty-two pages of statistics furnished by Grand Secretaries and others complete the 904 imperial octavo pages of the work .

Wc have given this long list of authors to show exactly the amount of skilled labour which has been put into the book . The labour has evidently been conscientious and earnest . Some of the theories will doubtless be controverted , especially those of Grand Master Moore , who repeats some of his statcmentswhich have been repeatedly disapproved , such as that American

1 emplars can claim no title to the name because they have departed so far from the British ritual , when he has himself shown that the British ritual has been revised two or three times while the American is so close to the old Dunckerly ritual as to show a common origin . In many others of his statements he fits the facts to his theories , but still his paper is interesting as showing the summing up of his long- study of Freemasonry .

Thc book answers mostol the questions which the reader will ask . There are certain mooted questions which must be left to future students because they cannot be answered with our present knowlege . Some of these are : —¦ I . Where did the Craftsmen of the operative lodges of the Middle Ages get their Masonry ' !¦ IL Where did the Druses of Palestine get theirs ?

III . Who invented the Third Degree ? IV . Who invented the Royal Arch , and where was it practised before ^ 53 ? V . Where did the British regiments who brought the Templar Orders to Boston in 1769 get them ? VI . Where did the Red Cross Order come from ?

Able men are studying these subjects , and 1 * 10 doubt we shall get some light on them in time , and meanwhile this book may be accepted as an able history up to the present time , valuable and interesting . It has many good illustrations , including quite a number of Dore ' s pictures of the Crusades , and the printing is excellent . —Mnsonic Token , Portland , Maine .

An Extraordinary Record.

AN EXTRAORDINARY RECORD .

In the Freemason for J une 27 th , 1891 , I alluded to a lodge minute of December 22 nd , 1753 , which refers to the Royal Arch Degree being then conferred , and that I had written Bro . Quinn , the Historian of the lodge in question , at Fredericksburg , Virginia , for more particulars . He has promptly responded , and favoured me with a photographic

reproduction of thc record of that lodge meeting , which will bc duly facsimilied in Part 111 . of the Transactions of the " Quatuor Coronati" Lodge , No . 2076 , London , the editor , Bro . G . W . Speth , having expressed his desire to make such au important minute known to the Craft through the medium of that excellent publication . There will also be an article by me to accompany such reproduction , for the subject is one of the utmost consequence to all who desire thc latest facts respecting the early history of Royal Arch Masonry . W . J . HUGHAN .