Ad00704

PIELD LANE INSTITUTIONS . REFUGES , RAGGED and INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS , CRECHE , YOUTHS' INSTITUTE , CHRISTIAN MISSION , & c . FUNDS URGENTLY NEEDED . FINANCIAL YEAR ENDS 31 st MARCH . ri . soo REQUIRED to ENABLE the COMMITTEE to CLOSE the ACCOUNTS FREE OF DEBT . Bankers , Barclay & Co . ( Limited ) . Treasurer—W . A . BEVAN , Esq ., 54 , Lombard-st ., E . C . Secretary—PEREGRINE PLATT , The Institution , Vine-street , Clerkenwell , E . C

Ad00705

OPIERS AND pOND'S OTORES ( NO TICKETS REQUIRED ) . QUEEN VICTORIA STREET , E . C . Opposite Blackfriars Station ( Dist . Ry . ) and St . Paul ' s Station ( L . C . and D . Ry . ) PRICE BOOK ( 1000 pages , illustrated ) , free on application . FREE DELIVERY in Suburbs by our own Vans . LIBERAL TERMS FOR COUNTRY ORDERS . For full details see Price Book .

To Correspondents.

To Correspondents .

S . G . B ., P . M . —A Past Grand Officer of England has no power to take the Lodge Warrant from the _ W . Master's pedestal in open lodge and tell him that if he ( W . M . ) allows a certain discussion to take placs , he ( the Past G . O . ) will take away the Warrant and immediately close the lodge .

Ar00706

S^S&sss SATURDAY , MARCH 17 , 1900

Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

The final meeting of the Board of Stewards for the recent Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , was held at Freemasons' Hallon theejth inst ., under the presidency of Bro . J . J . Thorrns , P . G . Std . Br ., The different accounts having been presented and examined were ordered to be paid , and then the

Board having passed a vote of thanks to their officers and especially to Bro . Terry , the Honorary Secretary , and his staff for the great success which had attended their labours , gracefully went through the ceremony of " happy dispatch . "

The Committee of Management of the same Institution held their regular monthly meeting at Freemasons' Hall on Wednesday , the 14 th inst ., the chair

Masonic Notes.

being occupied by Bro . Winkfield , P . A . G . D . C . The business for the most part was of the usual character , but in the course of the proceedings votes of thanks were passed with acclamation to Lord Addington , Prov . Grand Master of Buckinghamshire , Chairman at

the recent Festival , and the late Board of Stewards , for the splendid result they had helped to achieve in aid of the Charity ; in the case of Lord Addington , it was further resolved that the address of thanks should

be engrossed on vellum , and presented , handsomely bound , in album form , on such day as his lordship might see fit to appoint . A special vote of thanks was passed with similar cordiality to Bro . Terry and his staff for the success of their arduous labours .

We tender our hearty congratulations to the Right Hon . the Lord Mayor ( Bro . Alderman A . Newton ) and the Sheriffs ( Bro . Alderman Treloar and Bro . A . H . Bevan , G . Treasurer ) of the City of London on the honours which her Majesty has been pleased to confer

upon them in commemoration of her recent visit to the City . His lordship is now Sir Alfred Newton , Baronet of the United Kingdom , while the Sheriffs are Sir W . Treloar and Sir A . H . Bevan , and we sincerely trust they may long be spared to adorn the

more exalted positions to which the Queen has appointed them . It is almost needless to say that the fact of their being , all three , members of our Society adds greatly to our sense of satisfaction at the bestowal on them of these honours . The Lord Mayor is a deservedly popular brother , who has made his mark

among London Masons as principal founder and first W . Master of Lodge No . 2686 , which bears his name , and Bro . Alderman Treloar is also much esteemed ; while Bro . A . H . Bevan is on the eve of completing his year of office as Grand Treasurer of United Grand Lodge .

After the very lucid explanation given by the Grand Registrar at the recent meeting of Grand Lodge , in reply to Bro . General Laurie ' s inquiry , we think there can be doubt as to the intent and meaning of the letter addressed by Bro . Sir Albert Woods , G . D . C , to

the Board of General Purposes on the subject of Masonic clothing and precedence . In his letter Sir Albert Woods drew the attention of the Board to certain irregularities committed by English brethren who held honorary rank in foreign jurisdictions , and

not only appeared in Grand Lodge in the clothing of that honorary rank , but claimed a precedence in respect of it over other English brethren to which they are not entitled . This , says Sir Albert , is a distinct

infringement of the prerogative of the M . W . Grand Master , and at the same time a violation of Article 282 of the Book of Constitutions ; and accordingly he has given orders that English Masons , if not wearing the clothing prescribed by said Article 282 , shall not be admitted .

» » * This is clear enough , but the explanation of the Grand Registrar makes it clearer still . If , said that Grand Ollicer in effect , an English Mason , who is a Past Grand Master or Past Grand Warden of some

foreign jurisdiction , visits our Grand Lodge , in his foreign capacity , he would wear the clothing to which his rank entitles him and be received with the honours that are his due . But if he takes his seat in United Grand Lodge as one of its Present or Past Grand

Officers or as the W . M ., P . M ., or Warden of a private lodge , in that case he must wear the clothing of his rank as prescribed by Article 282 Book of Constitutions , nor does the fact of his holding rank under the

jurisdiction of a foreign Grand Lodge , give him any precedence over his English brethren in respect of the pjsit ' ons which he or they may relatively occupy in the English order of precedence . » ? *

We have much pleasure in calling attention to the very interesting address delivered by Bro . R . F . Gould , P . G . D ., at the installation meeting of the Lodge Fortitude and Old Cumberland , No . 12 , on the 5 th instant . It may not be generally known , certainly it

is not as widely known as it deserves to be , that our lodge , No . 12 , is by direct continuity of descent , No . 3 of the Four Old Lodges which founded the Grand Lodge of England . After the removal earl y in 1723 of this No . 3 from the Apple Tree Tavern ,

Charlesstreet , Covent Garden , to the Queen ' s Head , Knave ' s Acre , owing to some difference , its members accepted a new constitution , though as Dr . James Anderson , quoted by Bro . Gould , says in his Constitutions of

1738 , " it needed it not . " By so doing , it voluntarily abdicated its proud position ot a Time Immemorial Lodge , and though some years later an attempt to recover that position was made , it proved unsuccessful The demonstration of this fact was the purpose which

Masonic Notes.

Bro . Gould set himself in this address , and one may be sure that in the members of our present No . 12 , which is the lineal descendant of the Original No . 3 , our respected brother had an absolutely sympathetic audience . The address is in every respect worthy of its author , and well deserves the close attention of our readers .

It is always a delicate matter to intervene in a question of taste . The writer of the interesting " communicated " articles , which appeared a few weeks since , on " Masonic Clothing , " remarked that it was " not good form for the officers of a private lodge to wear aprons suitable for Grand or Provincial Grand

Lodge while engaged in their own lodge work ; " and we take it that " not good form " is merely a euphemistic mode of expression for " in bad taste . " But as to what constitutes good or bad taste in a matter of this kind we must leave each and every of our readers to be his own judge . Our correspondent , " C . A . L . " whose

letter on the subject appears elsewhere , tells us that , in reply to his inquiry , the Grand Secretary told him he was " perfectly in order in wearing a District Grand Lodge apron and the light blue W . M . collar . " What is declared by so high an authority to be " perfectly in order" cannot be " bad form . " but it does not

necessarily follow that what is " perfectly in order" is always and in all circumstances in good taste . We think the Grand Secretary was wise in contenting himself with the answer he gave , and for the reason we have already stated—that every one must be his own judge of what is good or bad taste or " form "—we follow his example . #

* Royal Arch Freemasonry is not very strongly represented in Burma , but from the remarks of Comp . J . Copley Moyle , Grand Superintendent , at a convocation of the District Grand Chapter , held in the Masonic Hall , Rangoon , on the 26 th December

last , it would appear that during the preceding halfyear there had been a slight increase in the number of companions on the register , and that all returns and dues had been received from the chapters . Unfortunately , there are but three on the roll that are working , a fourth being apparently in abeyance , and , consequently , the General and Benevolent Funds of

the District Grand Chapter , though they both have balances in hand , are of no great strength . However , the G . Superintendent expressed a hope that this might in some measure be remedied when the new chapter—the Fort Dufferin at Mandalay—for which he had recommended a warrant should be granted , was constituted . We trust the hope expressed by Comp . Moyle may be realised .

* * * The Freemason of Toronto , on the authority of the St . Louis Globe-Democrat , mentions the case of a Judge Thomas H . Boyd , of Carrollton , 111 ., who was recently initiated into Freemasonry when he had " almost reached his 83 rd birthday . " Such cases are no doubt

extremely rare , though we remember to have met with such a one in the returns of one of our lodges , who , if our memory serves us , was 85 years ot age . We can , however , cite the case of Bro . William Harrison , Q . C . —who was Grand Registrar both of Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter in 1840-1—who was 71 years of age

when , on the 21 st September , 1836 , he was initiated in the Salisbury Lodge , now No . 435 , then No . 630 , and meeting at Waltham Cross , in the Province of Hertfordshire . Bro . Harrison served as W . M . of the lodge for two years—in 18 39 . 40 and 1840 . 41—and was M . E . Z . of Mount Lebanon Chapter , No . 435—then

No , 630—at the time of his death—on the 4 th October , 1841 . Bro . Harrison was also Prov . Grand Registrar of Hertfordshire , so that during his five years of membership of our Society he took honours in his private lodge and chapter , Provincial Grand Lodge and Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter .

The friction at present existing in New South Wales , between the Supreme Grand Chapter and Mark Grand Lodge in that Colony on the one hand , and the Provincial Grand Chapter under the Scottish Constitution on the other hand , Jhas arrived at a critical stage . Both of the local Grand Bodies have

again sought recognition from the Supreme Grand Chapter ot Scotland , which , having referred the m . itter to its Provincial Grand Chapter , the latter reply " declining to recognise these so-called Grand bodies . " The Provincial Grand Chapter has furthered compiled and forwarded to Edinburgh an exhaustive report , which closes in the following terms : " The treatment

of S . C ., B . C ., and I . C . Masons by the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales , has so disgusted the Scotch Royal Arch Masons that they decline recognition or amalgamation . " , This unhappy state of affairs , it may be stated , has prevailed ever since the inaugura tion of the present Grand Lodge of New South Wales nearly 12 years ago . '