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States , and , though there are some honourable exceptions , especially among the older organisations , we seldom take up one of these reports without being struck with consternation atthe mass of legislation , or suggestions for legislation , it contains . There is almost an infinity of provisions for almost every possible or impossible contingency , and if we do manage to

get through the report , vve never lay it down without congratulating ourselves that under the Grand Lodge of England there is not the slightest tendency on the part of the brethren to court the dangers of over-legislation . We trust our American readers will take these remarks in good part . It is

because we are so proud of their English orig in and hold them and their really good works in such sincere respect , that we invite them to bear in mind that those Grand Lodges are not the best models of good government which have the longest and most matter-of-petty-detail codes of laws .

Provincial Grand Chapter Of Wiltshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND CHAPTER OF WILTSHIRE .

The annual meeting of this Provincial Grand Chapier was held at the Masonic Hall , Salisbury , on Wednesday , the 7 th inst . The Grand Superintendent , Comp . Lord Harry F . Thynne , presided , being supported by

Comps . T . S . Futcher , P . G . H . ; Robt . Stokes , P . P . G . H ., as J . ; William Nott , P . G . Treas . ; Henry C . Tombs , P . A . G . Soj . England , P . G . S . E . ; Rev . J . A . Lloyd , P . G . Reg . ; John V . Toone , P . G . P . Soj . ; Alfred Parry , P . A . G . Soj . ; John Chandler , P . P . G . H ., D . C ; and others .

The roll having been called and the usual routine business completed , the report of the Charity Committee adopted at a meeting held the same morning vvas read . This Committee recommended the acceptance of the offer of Comp . W . J . Mann , of Chapter 632 , Devizes , to act as Steward for the

Royal Arch Province of Wiltshire at the next Festival of the Boys' School , and that a grant be made from the Provincial Charity Fund of £ 21 to be placed on his list . These recommendations were , on the proposition of Comp . FUTCHER , seconded by Comp . STOKES , adopted unanimously .

Comp . J . CHANDLER , as one of the Auditors , reported a satisfactory audit of the Treasurer ' s accounts . Comp . the Rev . J . A . LLOYD , P . G . Reg ., read his report as Registrar , from which it appeared that Arch Masonry in Wiltshire still continued to

flourish , the number of members having increased to 122 ( constituting five chapters ) , the principal increase being in the Chapter of Harmony , No , 632 , Devizes . The proportion of chapters to lodges and of Arch to Craft Masons was in both cases above that in England generally .

In reference to this report , Comp . TOMBS , P . G . S . E ., called attention to the fact that he had been unable to get it printed and issued with the summons for the meeting owing to the Registrar—through delay on the part of one or two chapters in sending in their returns to him -not having been able to complete it in time .

The GRAND SUPERINTENDENT expressed a hope that attention having been called to the consequences arising from this neglect , it would not again

occur . Comp . TOMBS , P . G . S . E ., presented the report of the Committee ap pointed last year as to the revision of the provincial by-laws . The Committee had gone thoroughly into the matter vvith a view to bringing about

an accordance with the present regulations of the Order , and vvith what it believed to be the requirements of the province , and had framed a set of by-laws which it now recommended to Prov . Grand Chapter . A discussion took place , and eventually the by-laws as presented , with a slight amendment in a minor detail , were unanimously adopted , on the proposition of

Comp . FUTCHER , seconded by Comp . bTOK . ES . Comp . Lord H . F . THYNNE , the GrandSuperintendent , congratulated the companions on the facts brought before them by the Registrar in his report , and also upon the fact of there having been no loss through death during the past year . He also congratulated the Devizes Chapter on its flourishing

condition , and , alluding to a wish of the Trowbridge companions to have a chapter in that town , which had been expressed to him , he stated that he was very pleased indeed to hear of it , but that neither could he , as Grand Superintendent , nor could Grand Chapter move in the matter until it had

been formally brought before him by the companions locally interested . He concluded by thanking the M . E . Z . and members ol Chapter Elias de Derham , 586 , the receiving chapter , for their cordial reception of Provincial Grand Chapter that day . He then declared all offices vacant .

Comp . Lord HARRY F . THYNNE then proposed , and Comp . Dr . RINGER seconded , the re-election of Comp . William Nott as Treasurer . This was carried by acclamation , and Comp . NOTT suitably thanked the companions for this renewal of their

confidence . The Grand Superintendent then appointed and invested the officers for the ensuing year , the following being the complete list : — Comp . James Sparks , 632 ... ... ... Prov . G . H . „ Ambrose Tucker , 5 86 ... ... ... Prov . G . J .

„ Henry C . Tombs , 355 ( re-appointedj ... Prov . G . S . E . „ John V . Toone , 1478 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . N . „ William Nott , 632 . ( re-elected ) ... ... Prov . G . Treas ,, Rev . J . A . Lloyd , 1533 ( re appointed ) ... Prov . G . Reg .

„ Dr . Theobald Ring .-r , 1 533 ... ... Prov . G . P . Soj . „ E . E . Bartlett , 586 ... ... ... Prov . G . ist A . S „ John Chandler , 355 ( re-appointed ) ... ... Prov . G . 2 nd A . S „ W . S . Bambridge , 1533 ( re-appointed ) ... Prov . G . Org . „ John Savory , 355 ( re-appointed ) ,., ... Prov . G . Janitor .

The u ^ ual collection of alms was made , the proceeds being devoted to the Salisbury Infirmary . After Prov . Grand Chapter was closed the companions adjourned to a banquet at the White Hart Hotel ,

Provincial Grand Lodge Of New York Under The "Ancients."

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF NEW YORK UNDER THE "ANCIENTS . "

BY BRO . G . B . ABBOTT . As regards the points adduced by Bro . F . G . Fincke in the course of his critical examination of the " Original Charter of the Grand Lodge , " and stated by Bro . Findel as proving " almost to a certainty that it vvas a forged one , " it is perfectly true that "John , third Duke of Athole , was not

Grand Master at the time cited , and still less likely to have brought it about 'in the seventh year of his Grand Mastership . '" John , third Duke 0 J Athole , died in the autumn of 1774 , and John , fourth Duke , was installed G . Master of the " Ancients " at the Half Moon , Cheapside , on the 25 th March , 1775 . But in their hurry to condemn what Bro . Findel speaks of a

little further on in his narrative as " this very equivocal Constitution , " Bro . Fincke and he appear to have overlooked the possibility that men like Dermott , Dickey , and Bearblock were not likely from their station in life to be well posted in the various stages of the succession to a Scotch Dukedom which had been created only in 1703 , or less than 80 years previously ; and

though a mistake is undoubtedl y a mistake , that for one or all of them to have spoken or written of John , fourth Duke , as John , third Duke , was under the circumstances a pardonable error , the commission of vvhich ought not to be allowed to vitiate a document which , in all probability , had been transcribed from a printed or written copy kept in the office of the Grand

Secretary to serve as a model for all similar warrants . Be this as it may , I am in a position to furnish evidence from the minutes of the " Ancient " Grand Lodge of this identical mistake in describing John , fourth Duke of Athole , as John , third Duke , having been committed in a most important letter drawn up at a meeting of Grand Lodge for the

purpose of being addressed to the Grand Lodge of Scotland . The circumstances are as follow : W . Preston ( " Modern " ) had written to the Grand Lodge of Scotland on 7 th August , 1775 , asking for a list of its Grand Officers and Lodges to be inscribed in " an Annual Publication vvhich goes to Press about a month hence , " and in reply had been referred by VV .

Mason , Grand Secretary oi Scotland , to W . Dickey , Grand Secretary of the " Ancients . " On this Preston had written denouncing the " Ancients , " and the Grand Secretary of Scotland forwarded the correspondence to W . Dickey and requested full particulars , so that he might lay the whole matter before the Grand Lodgeof Scotland at its " next Quarterly

Communication , which happens on the 13 th Prox . " ( November . ) On the ist November , Grand Lodge met at the Half Moon , the D . G . M . ( Dermott ) being in the chair , and the Grand Secretary ( Dickey ) present , for the

purpose of meeting the calumnies of Preston ; and a letter to be submitted for approval to the Grand Master ( John , fourth Duke of Athole ) , and if so approved , signed by the Grand Olfcers , was drawn up , the heading being worded thus

;—Grand Lodge of the Most Ancient and Honble . Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons according to the old Institution , and at this time under the sanction of the R . W . and Most Noble Prince John ( the third ) Duke of Atholl , etc ., & c , & c , Grand Master

held at the Halt Moon lavern , Cheapside , London , November ist , 1775 , in Ample Form assembled . To the Right VVorshipful Grand Lodge of Scotland . Greeting .

I have been precise in this state-runt , i ; i order to show the importance of the occasion on vvhich the letter wit ' i the above heading was written , and how extremely careful , as we may well imagine , the ' •Ancient" Grand Lodge would be that its letter should be as accurate in every particular as possible . At all events , here is the mist ike in black and white in the minutes

of the "Ancient ' Grand Lodge , and my contention is that , if in this important letter , which was to be submitted to lhe Duke himself for his approval , and then forwarded to the Grand LoJge of Scotland , the Executive Grand Officers of the " Ancients " misdescribed their chief as John , third Duke

of Athole , instead of John , fourth Duke , it is not surprising that the same mistake should have been made in a mere warrant of Constitution , which was either printed or transcribed from an approved original form of words intended to be used in warranting all lodges .

I should no doubt expose myself to the charge of offering a somewhat farfetched explanation were I to suggest that , as the Duke of Athole of 17 81 , though he vvas the fourth Duke , was the third of his famil y having the Christian name ot John who bore the title , there is , in [ act , no misdescription at ail in the alleged New York warrant . Men speak of Henry Villi

Edward VI ., William IV ., Kings of England , meaning thereby the eig hth Sovereign bearing the name of Henry , the sixth bearing the name of Edward , the fourth bearing the name of William ; and why should they not say John the third , Duke of Athole ? seeing there had been at the period referred to three Dukes bearing the name of John , and one bearing the

name of James . We should thus have John the 1 st , James , John the 2 nd , John the 3 rd—all Dukes of Athole . But in suggesting this , I should probably be crediting Dermott , Dickey , and Bearblock with a more intimate knowledge of the Scotch peerage than I imagine they possessed . There are , however , some other very material circumstances which justify me in objecting to the theory of

Fincke and iMndel that this Provincial Grand Lodge of New York warrant of Constitution was a forged one . In the first place , the date it bears is that of the day on which the Grand Lodge "Ancients" met in regular Quarterly Communication , Bro . Jones , S . G . Warden , being in the chair . At this meeting the Duke of Athole vvas re-elected Grand Master for the

ensuing year , and received the usual vote of thanks for his services during the past year . Moreover , as he had been first elected G . M . in March , 1775 ' the year 1781 was the seventh of his G . Mastership , so that " this very equivocal Constitution " is correct in its statement that , as it bore the date of " 5

September , 1781 , " it was granted by the Most Noble Prince John , P ^ of Athole , in the seventh year of his G . Mastership—the said Most Noo Prince John , however , being described as third Duke , when in tact he vv the fourth . Then as to the further point on which Bros . Fincke and Findel lay sir ^ A namely , " Neither does this charter contain , as is customary , the sign at