Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS ,.,.., ¦ 681 Provincial Grand Mark Lodge of Lincolnshire 682 Tbe Duke of Connaught and Indian Freemasons 68 a Masonic Calendars for 1888 683

Dedication of the New Masonic Hall at Mirfield 6 S 3 " Masonic Facts and Fictions " 6 S 4 Bro . Judge Donaldson 684 Prescntaiion to Bro . James Hill Sillitoe , of Manchester 68 j Masonic Presentation to Bro . J . Page

, Treasurer 177 ( S . C . ) 683 Presentation to Bro . Jesse Collings , P . M . 1585 Mi Annual Supper of the Clapham Lodge of Instruction , No . 1365 68 $ The Old Masonians 6 S <

The Order of the Temple in Victoria 6 S $ C ORRESPOND ENC g—Attendance Books at Provincial Grand Lodges 687 The Charity Committee of East Lancashire 687 6

Good-Fellowship S 7 Recent Meeting of Grand Lodge 687 Reviews 6 S 7 REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 688 Instruction 6 gc Royal Arch 691

Mark Masonry 691 Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution 691 Christmas Cards 691 Obituary 69 ' Masonic and General Tidings 69 * Lodge Meetings for Next Week iv .

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WE must all of us congratulate the Grand Lodge of Scotland The Grand Lodge on its achievements of the past ten years . It seems almost co an ' incredible that so much should have been accomplished within the compass of so short a time . Our readers must remember that in the days

anterior to 18 77 , though there was plenty of enthusiasm for Masonry in the country north of the Tweed , and though on the occasion of any great Masonic ceremony—as , for instance , when the Prince of W ALES laid the foundation-stone of the new Post Office at Glasgow—the muster of lodges and brethren was always considerable , the affairs of Grand Lodge itself

were ill-managed , and , as a consequence , in a very precarious position . Since then , however , all has been changed . The business of Grand Lodge is admirably carried on . The Craft has increased and multiplied both at home and abroad , and , what is still more important , the feelings of doubt and disgust which prevailed formerly have now been replaced by one of

absolute confidence in the wisdom and ability of the Executive Grand Officers . This much has been known in general terms for some time past , but it is probable that until the speech delivered by Past Grand Master Bro . Sir M . SHAW-STEWART , on last St . Andrew ' s Day , appeared in print , few among us were in a position to judge how great and how substantial was

the progress which had been made since 1877 , when Bro . D . MURRAY LYON was elected G . Secretary of Scotland , and it was determined once and for ever to close the era of mismanagement . In the first place , during those ten years , Grand Lodge has freed itself from a vast liability , amounting with the money paid in interest to upwards of £ 22 , 000 .

Then the Fund of Scottish Masonic Benevolence has a capital of ^ 6500 , and it has disbursed in relief during this period some ^ 5000 . Lastly as many as 153 new lodges have been warranted , and the number of intrants or initiates is 47 , , the number recorded in the books of Grand Lodge for the last 12 months being 4442 . It is no wonder that , under these

circumstances , the Craft should have confidence in its G . Officers , that the lodges should now send in their returns punctually , and the torpor of the past should have been succeeded by a rare activity in all sections and subdivisions of the Craft , whether in the capital city of Edinburgh under the immediate eye of Grand Lodge itself , in the provinces , or in the Colonies .

And Past G . Master Sir M . SHAW-STEWART explains that this great change has come about mainly through the instrumentality of that able and indefatigable Bro . MURRAY LYON , who is as much at home in conducting the affairs of the G . Secretariat as he is in delineating the fortunes of Scottish Freemasonry , and who has never allowed himself a respite from the cares

of office while there was anything left him to regulate and amend in the conduct of Grand Lodge business . He has been loyally supported by the Grand Cashier , Bro . D . KINNEAR , by the Finance and General Committees , and , above all , by the distinguished brethren who have successively presided over the Grand Lodge of Scotland as Grand Masters . In fact , all ,

from highest to lowest , who have had any part in the government of the Craft in Scotland , have made it their duty to labour zealously together in order to free it from the discredit of past years , and revive the old feeling of confidence in its rulers . We can well imagine the pleasure it must have

given Bro . Sir M . SHAW-STEWART , who himself has rendered valuable assistance in this good work , to recount these things , and we trust that each succeeding year will witness the same , or even a greater measure of prosperity .

V ? A FORTNIGHT since we published reports of the meetings of Freemasonry in the North of two Provincial Grand Lodges in the North of England , and England . . . . , , ... , . . ,., ' .-.,...

lt is evident that in both cases the position of thc Craft is in all respects satisfactory . The Provincial Grand Lodge of Northumberland , which met at Newcastle-on-Tyne on the 23 rd ult ., under the presidency of Bro . Sir M . WHITE RIDLEY , Bart ., M . P ., was more largely attended than usual , while the several reports on Finance and from the different lodges

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were of a most satisfactory nature . Indeed , there was only one drawback from the pleasure experienced by all present , and that was caused by the loss sustained since the last annual meeting through the death of Bro . E . D . DAVIS , G . Std . Br . of England , who for a long succession of years had been one of the most active and respected brethren in the contiguous

Provinces of Northumberland and Durham . To the memory of this able brother the PROV . GRAND MASTER paid a well-merited tribute of respect ; but , with the exception of this one reference , there was nothing either in Bro . Sir M . RIDLEY ' S address or in the business transacted which was not listened to and regarded with satisfaction . The half-yearly meeting at

Manchester , on the same day , of the Provincial Grand Lodge of East Lancashire , like the yearly meeting of Northumberland , had its solitary drawback from the general pleasure which the brethren experienced in transacting the business appointed to be done . There was a large attendance , and ihe reports of every description , but

especially that relating to the affairs of the Provincial Charitable Association , gave the utmost satisfaction . But Bro . J . L . HINE , who till quite recently and for so many years had presided over the Charitable Organisation of the Province with such signal ability , drew attention to what must strike every one as a proposed irregularity in

connection with the filling up of the Boys School Perpetual Presentation presented to the Province by the late Bro . STEPHEN BLAIR , P . G . M . It seems that at one time it was in contemplation by the Charity Committee to present a West Yorkshire Boy under the " Blair" nomination , but the proposal fell through , and ultimately the son of an East Lancashire Mason

was presented . Of course , any such departure from the limitations prescribed by the late Bro . BLAIR would have been irregular , though we are glad to see , from the letter we published last week of Bro . J AMES A . BIRCH , the present Chairman of the Charity Committee , that the irregularity would have effected the letter rather than the spirit of Bro . BLAIR ' presentation ,

and that in the end it would have amounted to nothing more than an exchange of nomination or election with West Yorkshire . Still , Bro . HINE was justified in drawing attention to the circumstance if he imagined , as we suppose he must have done , that East Lancashire ' s right of presentation had been momentarily in danger of being applied otherwise than as the

founder of the right had proposed . However , it is sufficient to know that no harm has resulted ; and , while we all appreciate the sleepless vigilance with which Bro . HINE looks after the welfare of East Lancashire , we think he need not have the slightest fear that any harm will befal it , under the

firm and able rule ot Bro . Col . STARKIE , the present ruler of the Province , With this exception , nothing occurred at Manchester to mar the even tenour of the proceedings , and the brethren separated as they had assembled in perfect harmony .

_ . _ IT is to be hoped that the news from San Remo as to his Ihe Crown Prince of Imperial Highness the Crown Prince of GERMANY having ermany . j ^ d a se rious relapse will not , in the long run , be confirmed ,

and that Bro . Sir MORELL MACKENZIE ' journey to visit his illustrious patient was undertaken in the ordinary course of things , and not from any fresh or additional danger which may be threatening his Imperial Highness . When a life on which so much depends is even remotely affected , people ' s alarms are apt to get the better of their self possession , and what is only an

ordinary symptom is afterwards exaggerated into something of a most terrible character . We trust this will turn out to be the case in this instance , and that the hopeful sratement reported to have been made by his Imperial Highness himself as to the condition of his health , which every one read with such satisfaction a few days since has more of truth in it than the alarmist rumours which have been current more recently . #

»„ WE purpose issuing , as usual , a Christmas Number of the Christmas Freemason . It will be published early next week , and will Number . contajn taies from ( -fog pens 0 f foe we [[ known writers of fiction—Messrs . R . E . FRANCILLON , G . MANVILLE FENN , and J PENDLETON

together with Masonic articles by Bros . R . F . GOULD , P . G . D ., W . J . HUGHAN , P . G . D ., and G . B . ABBOTT , the contribution of the firstnamed brother on the subject of "Signs" being likely to prove most interesting , while Bro . HUGHAN discusses learnedly , as is his wont , the Colne M . S ., and Bro . ABBOTT treats of the Grand Master ' s Lodge , No . 1 .

Bro . WALLIS MCKAY will furnish a page of sketches in which the Adventures of a Masonic Apron , are described very humorously , while the principal illustration is most appropriate , giving , as it does , an ideal sketch of a Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls—which will celebrate its

Centenary in the course of next year . This illustration is from a rare print by Bro . BARTOLOZZI , who was a contemporary of the Chevalier RUSPINI , and was a member of the Lodge The Nine Muses , now No . 235 , which the latter had the chief hand in founding . We trust the number will prove as acceptable to our readers as its predecessors .