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against a body which it has never officially acknowledged , and with which , therefore , it has never held any relations . It is impossible to suppose it can ever denounce its own lodges for obeying its own Book of Constitutions , and loyally observing the conditions under which they hold its warrants . It is out of the power of our Grand Lodge to cancel warrants for constituting

lodges when they have been acted upon , except in cases of grave misconduct on the part of the lodges holding them . The only possible solution of the present difficulty must be found in the voluntary surrender of their English warrants by our three lodges in Montreal , and there is no reason whatever to suppose that these are more

inclined to take this step , now that the edict of non-intercourse has been issued than they were before , when its issue was only threatened . In fact , the probabilities are great , that the three Anglo-Montreal lodges are more intensely hostile to the unfounded Quebec claims of jurisdiction over them now than they were two years since , and no sane constitutional Mason dare

blame them if they are . Therefore , as the Grand Lodge of England cannot cancel the warrants of its three lodges in Montreal , and as the lodges in question are determined not to surrender them , the existing deadlock must remain , and all offers to England of mediation are useless so long as the one cannot , and the other will not , take the only step which will determine

the difficulty . Many of our American friends understand the position of affairs as well as we do here , and when the circumstances are better comprehended than they are at present by others of the American Grand Lodges ,

it is probable we shall find ourselves nearer to an arrangement than we are now . The Grand Lodge of Quebec will doubtless lower its tone somewhat when the impropriety of its edict is more generally known and understood bv the Grand Lodges on the North American Continent .

Consecration Of The Argonauts' Lodge No. 2243.

CONSECRATION OF THE ARGONAUTS' LODGE No . 2243 .

The ceremony of consecrating this lodge took place at the Cromwell Hall , Putney Bridge-road , Putney , on Monday last , when there was a large gathering of Present and Past Grand Officers , founders and visitors , including a considerable number of Provincial Grand Officers .

The founders of the lodge are Bros . Eugene Monteuuis , P . M . 14 and 2060 , P . G . S . ; J . C . Radford , 777 , P . M . 1420 ; J . F . Savory , 16 35 ; Gordon Smith , J . W . 14 , W . M . 2041 ; H . J . Reynolds , G . Stwd ., P . M . 91 and 101 , P . G . S . ; G . D . Lister , P . P . G . S . of W . Surrey , P . M . 482 and 1361 , W . M .

969 ; T . W . Willis , 1601 ; E . T . Smith , J . D . 1768 : J . P . Houghton , 1768 , W . M . 2032 ; W . E . Smith , J . D . 1891 ; Valentine Robinson , S . W . 14 , G . Stwd . ; and Frank Richardson , P . M . 14 , P . G . D . ; the hrst three being the WM . designate , and the designated S . and I . Wardens .

The Consecrating Officer was Bro . Col . Shadwell H . Clerke , G . Sec , who was assisted by Bros . E . Letchworth , P . G . D ., as S . W . ; Lord John Taylour , as J . W . j G . W . Weldon , G . Chap ., as Chap . ; Frank Richardson , P . G . D ., as D . C ; and J . H . Matthews , P . G . S . B ., as I . G .

The brethren having assembled in the lodge room , the Presiding Officer took the chair , and placed his officers as above indicated . The lodge was then opened in the Three Degrees , and the hymn " Hail , eternal , by whose aid all created things were made , " was sung by the musical brethren , Bros . Bevan , Dalzell , and Brown , Bro . J . Turle Lee presiding at the

har-. The PRESIDING OFVICER then addressed the brethren upon the motive of the meeting , and pointed out that those who were associated in similar pursuits in the outer world found it convenient to be associated also in the same Masonic lodges , and on that account representative lodges were from

lime to time established . That , he said , was the case in the present instance , and though it was by no means easy in the present day to obtain a warrant for a new lodge , the M . W . G . M . had been pleased to admit that there the founders of that lodge had a substantial ground on which to base their petition , and had graciously granted the prayer of t ' ne petition , and

had issued his warrant for the formation of the Argonauts' Lodge , 2 243 , on the register of the Grand Lodge of England . He went on to say that it was his custom on these occasions to warn the founders not to be over hasty in increasing the numberof their members , but to make a careful examination of all propositions for membership , because if due care were not taken

at the outset they might inadvertently admit undesirable men , whom it would afterwards be difficult to get rid of . In the present instance , however , he believed that warning was unnecessary , as the list of founders contained ( he names of experienced brethren , who were well aware of the necessity for making searching inquiry as to those who might seek to be associated wilh them as members of the lodge .

The D . C . then addressed the Presiding Officer , who directed him to range the founders before him and to read the petition and warrant . This having been done , and the founders having signified their approval of the officers named in the warrant , the Chaplain , Bro . Rev . G . W . WELDON , G . Chap ., delivered the following oration :

W . M . and Brethren—The oration which I am called upon to deliver in the discharge cf my official capacity as Chaplain will , I trust , commend itself to your approval , by possessing three essential features which , on such an occasion as the present , ought to be distinctly prominent . It ought to be short , modest , and to the point . ¦ ' ¦ is modest

u r > " < " ¦ - ' *¦•= ' - < - " -cieniuiiy along one— , because I am adressing - brethren who know more about the nature and principles of the Institution than I do—and to the point , because we are assembled under such solemn circumstances , that a few salient and appropriate facts connected with Freemasonry may have the effect of reminding us all 0 . the high and , I may truly add , the holy , privileges which by Masonic heritage falls i iirat point 1 wouia aesire to

. u uu . , u . _ ne bring under your notice is the principle of Unity which so pre-eminently distinguishes the Craft throughout the world . And , togethtr with this special feature of our Institution , we should not lose sight of the extraorlmary Variety of the brethren who are membersof our Order . Now see the kind ol evidence this presents to us . Here are men who are separated by continents and by

Consecration Of The Argonauts' Lodge No. 2243.

countries—who have never seen each other ' s faces—differing in language , religion , and laws—of nationalities as wide as the two poles—ot political principles of " the ' mosr opposite schools of thought—and yet they are all bearing their united testimony to thp power and efficacy of that moral cement which binds together in brotherly love an „ harmony Christians , Jews , Mahomedans , Parsees , and many other races , creeds , and casts . Putting together these two phases of Masonic character we may formulate

sentiment that may be said to belong peculiarly to Freemasonry , and that is the prin ciple of Unity and Variety . The second feature of our Institution is one whicli all true Masons will heartily endorse , and that is that Masonry is a reli gion All our services are intenvoven with prayer , in every lodge properly constituted there stands in the most conspicuous position the Volume of the Sacred Law and every address given by the Worshipful Master in every Degree from

, that of an Entered Apprentice to the highest and most honourable in the Craft is based upon the cardinal virtues of Faith , Hope , and Charity . The creed of Masonry has only two articles—one is belief in the existence of the one true God and the other in a future life after death . Virtue is depicted in its most beauti ! ful colours , and the duties of morality are everywhere strictly enforced . No Institution can boast a more solid foundation than that on which Masonry rests

the practice of every moral and social virtue . We are reminded of our special duties to God , to our neighbours , and to ourselves . And , if it should so happen that any brother may forget his sacred obligations , we must not attach blame to the Masonic Institution , for it is a well known principle in logic that we must never argue from the perversion of a principle , but from its general tendencies . The third and last feature to which I venture to direct your attention is the fact which no one denies

namely , that Freemasonry is a secret Society , but , as it was so aptly and tersely expressed by our Most W . the Grand Master , " it is not a dangerous Society . " Masonry when rightly understood and consistently carried out is the bulwark of the public order of the State , and the safeguard of the private liberties of the people . Brethren such are the genuine tenets and principles of our Order—may they be tranmitted through your lodge pure and unsullied through all generations .

The ceremony then proceeded , the musical brethren singing the anthem . This was followed by the dedication prayer , the invocation , the consecration , and dedication , the constitution of the lodge terminating with the final benediction . The lodge was then resumed in the Second Degree , and Bro . Monteuuis was duly installed into the chair of K . S .

The whole ceremony was very ably performed , Col . Shadwell Clerke performing his part impressively , and his assistant officers doing theirs with the precision to be expected from such efficient workers . The W . M . then proceeded to invest his officers , the following being the

list of officers for the year -. Bros . J . C . Radford , S . W . ; J . F . Savory , J . W . ; Frank Richardson , Treas . ; Gordon Smith , Sec . ; H . J . Reynolds acting I . P . M . ; G . D . Lister , S . D . ; T . W . Willis , J . D . ; E . T . Smith , LG . ; J . P . Houghton , D . C ; W . E . Smith , Stwd . ; and F . G . Mitchell , Tyler .

The WORSHIPFUL MASTER then said that he thought it his first duty to return his thanks to the consecrating officer , Bro . Col . Shadwell H . Clerke , for the great trouble he had taken in coming such a distance to construct the lodge . They owed a greater degree of gratitude on this occasion , because they had very great reason to believe that the interest he had taken in the lodge had been very conducive to their obtaining their warrant . He

thought if it had not been for the good friend at court they had had in Bro , Col . Shadwell H . Clerke they might have had a difficulty in obtaining it ; they had therefore to thank him doubly for the trouble he " had taken . Their thanks were also due to Bros . Weldon , G . Chap ., Letchworth , Lord John Taylour , Richardson , and Matthews for their kind assistance , and he must not omit his acknowledgments to Bro . Williams , who had signed their

petition ; and he had now to propose that Bros . Shadwell H . Clerke and Williams be elected honorary members of the lodge ; but before that proposal was proceeded with he had to ask Bro . Col . Shadwell H . Clerke to receive a little souvenir , in the shape of a consecration jewel , with the best wishes of the brethren of the Argonauts' Lodge , and the hope that if he could find room for it among the many jewels he had already wore he would sometimes wear it in remembrance of the lodge he had that day consecrated .

Bro . Col . SHADWELL H . CLERKE , in reply , said that he and his assistant officers were delighted to have had the opportunity of doing what they could to set this young lodge on its way ; and he thanked them for the compliment they had paid him in making him an honorary member of the lodge . He had still more words of thanks to express for the very beautiful jewel which had been given him as a memento of that day , and when he wore it he should look back with pleasure to the day when he consecrated the Argonauts' Lodge .

Propositions for initiation and joining membership were received to the number of seven . A Committee for compilation of by-laws was appointed . The W . M . was elected to stand as Steward for the lodge at the forthcoming Centenary Festival of the Girls' School . Several letters of regret from eminent brethren who had been invited to attend the consecration were read by the Secretary . The lodge was then closed , and the brethren dined together in the same building .

After the removal of the cloth the customary toasts on such an occasion were dealt with . The first formal toast , that of "The Queen and the Craft , " having been disposed of , the WORSHIPFUL MASTER said that the next toast he had to propose was that of "The M . W . G . M ., H . R . H . the Prince of Wales . " He was sure that the brethren would drink this health with great enthusiasm , and he would not dwell on the merits which mig ht

make H . R . H . very dear to them , but would rather remind them that five-and-twenty years ago last Thursday a crew of the London Rowing Club started from Putney and went down to the Lower Reach to g j H . R . H . the Princess of Wales on her coming to these shores . They rowed down to Erith , joined the procession , and when they saw the Princess they tossed their oars , and the Princess waved her handkerchief in reply- Tna "

was a tradition in the London Rowing Club . Some of that crew had gone to their rest . The Captain was Charlie Slatell , then came Frampton May ' then little Innes , then Geo . Ryan , Gulston , Tom Bowles , and old By da ^ Those were the only members of the crew of the London Rowing < -luD that he could recollect , that five-and-twenty years ago went down to greet the bride of the Prince of Wales * fcywuiwi Lljti 11 \ tWCb

. b " v « v , .-, . ULC JL VV . f ) In proposing " The Health of the Present and Past Grand Officers , the WORSHIPFUL MASTER said that he had only had the pleasure of m jc ing the Pro Grand Master and the Deputy Grand Master where many ° those present had also seen them , and must have admired the very dignine manner in which they occupied the chair . Thev took the greatest mtere

in the Craft , which might congratulate itself on having such a Pro , Deputy Grand Master . Of the other Grand Officers he was happy a " proud to say that he knew a little more , and he found that the ^ ore knew them the better he appreciated them and their love of the Craft , that occasion they were honoured by the presence of several GrandP s He would have to divide the toast into two parts , and in the meantime pLn , over the Consecrating Officers . Among those present were Bros , l