Freemasonry In 1900.

Lodge , No . 6 9 , New Brompton , in Kent , and consecrated by Visconnt Dungarvan , Prov . G . AI . AL , on the 7 th November ; and the Leopold , attached to No . 235 , in the Province of Berks ancl Oxon . The other two lodges are located Abroad , namely , thc Courtenay Luck , attached lo the Mark Lodge No . 526 , in the

District o ' f Queensland , and the Antiquity , No . < S 2 , at Bangalore-, in that of Aladras . The number of Alark certificates issm-d during the period under observation is 154 8 , raising the numbe-r of registered Alark Alaster Alasons lo 42 , 000 , while the Royal Ark Mariner certificate's are 281 . and the total number

registered trom the beginning , 6337 . The proceedings in Grand Lodge have been of the usual character , with the exemption of the Movable Grand Lodge , which has already been mentioned , in connection with the Ashton District T . I Lodge . In Alarch , liro . John Dimsdale , as the only

candidate nominated , was elccU-d ( irand Treasurer feir the e-nsumg vear . On the 27 th April a Special Communication was held lor the purpose of voting an Address of Congratulation to his Hoyal Hi g hness the AI . W . G . AI . AL on his providential escape from assassination , and a letter of thanks from the Prince ' s Secretary

was read at the' regular Communication on the 5 th June , when the Grand Ollicers were appointed and investe-d , and Alark Alasonry held its annual Grand Festival . In September , a vote '

of condolence with his Royal Hig hness the M . W . G . AI . AL on the death of his brother , the Dukeof Saxe-Ceihurg-Gotha , vvas passed , while subsequently Bro . C . V . Matier , ( irand Secretary , on bchall of the Board of Ste-vvards for ( he Mark Be-nevoli'iit Fund

Festival , at which ( he- Pro ( irand Alaster had presided as Chairman , presented Lord Euston with an address of eongralulalion in album form on the record . success then achie-ve-d . On thc 4 th December the vole of condolence lo lhe Grand Mark AlasteT , which was

lllin . TIIK I'AKl . HI' K'I'STdX , JI . IV . I'ldt G .. M . passed at lln- previous mee-ling , was ae-knowieelged , the- otlu-r business , inelueling the- re-nomination of the Prince- e > l Wales as Grand Master , and the nomination ol Bro . llarrv Alanlie-ld lor the ' office ol Grand Treasurer . Nor should vie- omit to mention

among I lie lew changes lhat have taken place in lhe personnel ol the Degree among ils chief dignitaries was the invi'stiture , •in June , ol Bro . the lion . A . de Tatton Egerton as Deputy G . AL , in succession to Viscount Dungarvan , who is content with his ollice of Prov . G . M . M . of Kent . '

But be-vond all question the greatest and most important event of the ve : ar has be-cn , as heretoloiv , tin- celebration of the annual Fi'stival in behalf of the Mark lie-nivole'iit Fund . This vvas held al Free-masons' Tave-rn on VVVdnesdav , the llth July , unele-r the presidency oi lhe Earl of Euston , M . W . Pro G . A ! ., and a resolute

alte-mpt to be-at lhe- rerorel having be-e-n de-tcrmined on , a strong bodv ol Stewards , vvhich 11 ) 1 imalley musle-re-d 302 ladie-s and brethren , wis lorme-d . ' with the result that when the eventful dav arrivi'd , the Chairman had the p leasure ol hearing Irom the- Secretarv ol

the Board a gr . ind total ol donations ami subscriptions amounting to / , 51 13 bs . Towards raising ihis sum Lord Euston himself lovn pih i | . 1 list , of £ >)] b 5 s , while London contributed £ 887 8 s ., auel tin Pioviiui ;¦ - a . many as * jd cmt ol * ; 4 ol which we-re t '

e-pre-sented — vv ith Foreign Stations , e ^ 'c , / , 4 , 22 <* j iSs ., ituhtsive , ol course , ol the Chairman ' s list . The principal items in the- lastnamed total w .-ri' £ 6 JJ IOS . from West Yorkshire' / , J 2 o 5 s . and

Stewards full y recognised the greatness of the success liv presenting the Chairman with an illuminated address ol " thanks for his services , and all we- can say further is that we trust that future Festivals will be the nu-ans of raising if not as large- totals , at all events , totals dial will hel p to maintain the Fund in its present condition of efficiency .

£ 214 2 s . from Lord Fusion ' s Provinces of ( 1 ) Leicestershire and Rutland and ( 2 ) Northants , Hunts , ancl Beds ; ancl £ 26 7 iSs . from Derbyshire . There is no need to write at length about a success which speaks for itself , and which , as we have alread y said , there will be great difficulty in beating . The Board of

CHIVALRIC AND HIGH GRADE MASONRY . Of the several Rites , Degrees , and Orders , which are included in this group , the most influential is the Ancient and Accepted Rite , of which the governing body is the Supreme Council , 33 ° . The year has not been an eventful one , but it has fully

maintained its position both as regards members and financially . One new Rose Croix Chapter has been added to the roll , that of St . Augustine , No . 144 , Chatham , vvhich has commenced its career under the auspices of Bro . Commander J . D . Davvtree , R . N ., as its lirst AI . W . S . This raises the number on the roll to

144 , of which , however , 26 are returned as not working . There do not appear lo have been any changes among the members of the Council , while the addition to the rolls of members of the 32 , 3 F and 30 are about as usual , and there has been a considerable accession of members of the iS . Anions the donations

made b y the Council vvill be found £ 50 to the Century Fund in behalf of thc Masonic Orphan Boys' School , Dublin ; 100 guineas to the Transvaal Refugees Fund ; and 100 guineas to the "Daily Telegraph Fund " for ' Soldiers' Widows and Orphans ; the total of tlie benefactions in 1900 being ^ 281 . In the Order ol

the Temple the most important event has been the annual conference of delegates fram the Great Priories of England and Ireland and the Chapter General of Scotland , which was held in London , and timed to meet as nearl y as possible to the halfyearly meeting of our Great Priory in ' Alay , when new oflicers

are appointed , and there is necessaril y a stronger muster of members of thc Templar body . We have also much p leasure in recording that a new preceptor )*—the Bernard de Tremclay , No . 170—was consecrated at Walsall b y the liarl of Euston , ALE . and Supreme Grand Alaster , on the 22 nd February , and

lhat to judge from the more numerous meetings of the Provincial Priories which have been reported in our columns , there is decidedl y an increase of energy and activity in the Order , which bodes well for thc continuance of its prosperity . On the 5 th Alarch , the Earl of Euston , AL 111 . G . Sovereign , presided at the :

annual meeting of the ( irand Imperial Conclave of the Order of Rome and the Red Cross of Constantine , when the Executive reported very favourably , and declared there had been a stead y increase during the previous year . In February , the Dungarvan

Council , No . 25 , of the Royal and Select Alasters , vvas consecrated b y Comp . C . F . Alatier , Grand Recorder , and Comp . the Rev . C . E . L . Wri ght installed as T . LAI . in Alay , the annual Grand Fes ' . ival of the Order of the Secret Alonitor was held

under the presidency of the Earl of Warwick , G . S . R ., but later in the year , the Order had the misfortune to lose its founder , Bro . 1 . Zacharie , Past G . S . R ., ancl on the 22 nd October , a Ali'inorial Service was held b y the ( irand Conclave as a fitting

tribute of respect to his memory . Other events of lesser importance might , perhaps , be recorded in this summary , but generall y it may be taken for granted that the systems included in this brief account have fared , at least , as prosperously as in past . years . OUR INSTITUTIONS .

1 here arc but very lew of our readers who will nol agree ' wilh us that the year now drawing to a close has been , as regards the fortunes of the Central Charities , one of the most successful on record , excluding , of course , the years ' 1888 and 1 S 98 , when our Scholastic Institutions celebrated their respective

Centenaries , and i 8 ej 2 , when the Benevolent Institution held its Jubilee . Fewer still are there who will not readily allow thai having regard to the circumstances of the year—the war thai has been raging in South Africa , the increased taxation rendered necessary in orderto meet the expenses of that war , and the heavv

calls that have been maele upon the whole community—it would not have been ve-ry surprising had the fates been far les .-propitious , and the Fe ' . stival Returns on a far le-ss abundant scale . As a matter ol fact there is , so far as our memory serves us

hardly a year in which the aggregate of the Donations and Subscriptions at the anniversary gatherings in behalf of our three Central Charities has exceeded those of 1900 , Last year the total raised for their support amounted in round figures to £ 50 , 000 , a capital return if only we bear in mind that lhe Boys