Freemasonry In 1900.

the Provinces , and iq Abroad ; in 18 9 S , for 50 lodges , namely , 18 in London , 23 in the Provinces , and nine Abroad ; while last year , the n imber warranted was 5 8 , London being strengthened

by 20 , the Provinces by 19 , and Districts and Stations Abroad by 19 lodges . During the 12 months ending the 30 th November there was a considerable decrease in tlie number , from 5 8 to 44 , the last lodge contained in the Calendar for 1900 being the Assheton-Egerton , No . 2793 , while the latest on the paper of Agenda for the 5 th instant is the Sir Walter Raleigh Lodge , No . oRryr , T l . rp'mnnl Df t-hp < u * A i Inrlorpc . in have their nu .-irters —¦ ft 1

""" O / l * " . ' •- *[^«« .- ---- ~~ TT " ) " - _ in London , 17 in the Provinces , and 17 in Colonies or at Stations Abroad . This places the total number of lodges on the roll at 2374 , of which 497 meet in the London district , 1373 in the Provinces , and 504 Abroad , but at no very distant date this last figure will be substantially reduced , when the lodges , which

early in the year placed themselves under the banner of thc Grand Lodge of West Australia are removed from the roll . As , however , we have accorded recognition to this newly-formed Grand Lodge , this removal from our register will be no loss to Masonry , but only a removal from one sphere of Masonic

usefulness to another . Still , the effect it will have on our registcr will be that the net increase in the number of lodges during 1900 will not carry as much beyond thc total at which they stood last year . In any case , we have not far short of three times as many lodges under our banner as any other Grand Lodge .

Wc have said that nine additional lodges have been warranted in the London district , and of these L'Entente Cordiale , No . 279 6 , was consecrated on the 30 th January by Bro . E . Letchworth , Grand Secretary , assisted by Bro . J . W . Woodall , Past G . Treasurer , and other Grand Officers . In 188 4

Lodge La France , No . 2060 , was constituted for the convenience of French gentlemen desirous of enrolling themselves as members of the English , the membership being restricted to those who have fulfilled their military obligations to their native countrv . The duties of the lodge are carried out in strict

accordance with the English ritual , but in the French language . Tin ' s lodge has greatly prospered , and with a view to affording facilities for the numerous friends and visitors , irrespective of nationality , who were thus debarred from joining it , his Royal Highness the M . W . G . Master , was pleased to grant his warrant

for the formation of the " L'Entente Cordiale" Lodge , No . 2796 , as we have stated , on the 30 th January , and of whicli Bro . Captain Henri Mondehare , a P . M . of thc La France Lodge , No . 20 G 0 , was installed the lirst W . Master . Jn June . the

Capital and Counties Lodge , No . 2809 , was consecrated by the Grand Secretarv , with Bro . E . IL Merriman as W . Master , while on ( he 91 J 1 July ' the Kirby Lodge , No . 2818 , so named after the late Bro . Kirby , the respected Preceptor of the Kirby , originally the Clarence Lodge of Instruction , No . 263 , and intended for

DRO . KI-WAKH T . KTCHWOItTII , ( IRANI ) SKCRKTARY . experts in our ceremonial work , was ushered into existence under thc * auspices of Bro . Sir Forrest Fulton , Q . C , Recorder of London , as its first W . M . On the 23 rd of the same month was inaugurated , for the special benefit of . brethren engaged in

tinprofession of journalism , the St . Bride Lodge , No . 2817 , the first Master being an experienced Past Master of two lodges in the person of Bro . C . J . Drummond . Two other lodges were consecrated before the month of July ended , namely , the Horistic Lodge , No . 2822 , with Bro . Thomas M . Wood as W . M ., and the

Grove Park Kent Lodge , No . 2824 , with Bro . Edward Lc May as W . M ., the ceremonv being performed in the- former case * by the Grand Secretarv , and in the lalleV , in the unavoidable absence of that ollicer , bv Bro . Frank Richardson , P . G . D . On the Sth

November , I h < - ( irand Secretary had the pleasure of inaugurating the Devonian Lodge , No . 2834 , which , as its name implies , i . s intended for brethren who are Devonians by birth or Devonians resident in London , who may be desirous of joining our Society . The brother who originated the idea of starting

such a lodge i . s Bro . J . Cockram Tavlor , honorary solicitor of the Devonian Club , to whom has been assigned the post of Secretary , but all the founders , to the number of 14 , are Devonians , among them being the Earl of Halsburv , Lord High Chancellor of

England , Past G . W ., who was installed in the chair of Master ; Lord ( Thurston , P . M ., P . Prov . G . W . Devonshire ; Bro . W . Wellsman , C . C , Past A . G . D . C . Eng ., the lirst S . W ; Bro . the Rev . W . Whittlev , Pasl G . D . Eng ., ' lhe lirst J . W . ; Bro . George Lambert , M . P ., the first S . D . ; Bro . the Rev . Harry ' Hebb , Past

l ! KO . KARI * . IIALSIirRV , P . G . W . G . D . Eng ., Head Master of the Boys' School , Chaplain ; and Bro . Dr . W . H . Cummings , * Past G . Organist , Principal of the Guildhall School of Music , Organist . There was , as we may

imagine , a large attendance ot brethren , among whom were many Grand Ollicers ; the ceremonies wen * carried out most admirably , and we doubt nol lhat the . iodge , which has started under such brilliant auspices , will have a long career of

prospentv . Of the 17 new Provincial lodges West Lancashire has live , thereby increasing the number on her roll from 122 to 127 , Buckinghamshire , Cheshire , and Warwickshire gain two each , the numbers on their respective registers being now 22 , 55 , ancl

34 . The remaining six are distributed among the six Provinces of Cumberland and Westmoreland , Devonshire , Essex , Northumberland , Suffolk , and Guernsey and Alderney . The five West Lancashire lodges comprise the Fleetwood Lodge , No . 2814 , located at Walton ; the Southport Temperance Lodge , No . 2815 ,

which meets in boutliporl , and raises the number of lodges in that town lo eight ; the Widnes Lodge-, No . 2819 , meeting in the town from which il lakes its name ; the St . John ' s Lodge , No . 2825 , which was consecrated at Blackpool by Bro . Robert Wylie , P . G . D ., D . P . G . M ., on the afitli September , ' and started on

its career under the auspices of Bro . John Wray as its first W , Master ; and Ihe Sir Waller Raleigh Lodge , No . 2 S 37 , "'Inch . will have ils quarters in Liverpool , the number of lodges located in lhat city being thus augmented to 45 . The Alston Lodge , No . 2794 , which meets al the ( own of that name in the Province

of Cumberland and Westmoreland , was fortunate in being consecrated on the 2 nd November b y Lord 1 * 1 . Cavendish-Bentinck , M . P ., Prov . G Master , and with Bro . W . Brown for its W . Master , will , we are encouraged to hope , make considerable headway during the most critical period of its career . The

two new Cheshire lodges were both consecrated b y Bro . Sir Horatio Lloyd , P . G . D ., 1 ) . Prov . G . Master , the ceremony being performed in the case of the John Brunner Lodge , No . 2799 , Over Winsford , on tin- 131 I 1 January , when Bro . Sir John Brunner , after whom lhe lodge is named , was immediately afterwards installed W . M . ; and in that of the Birkenhead

Lodge , No . 282 ( 1 , making the seventh that meets in the town , on the 251 !) August , the lirother installed as ils first Master being Bro . the Rev . R . Edwards Ofthe two new Warwickshire Lodges , the G . Secretary was invited to consecrate ; the * St . John ' s Lodge ,

No . 2 S 11 , Coventry , and Wwd the 9 th October for the performance of the ceremony ; while the Seymour Lodge , No . 2 S 04 , which meets at Redditch , and bears ( he name * of Lord Ernest Seymour , its first W . M ., was consecrated by the Dep . Prov . G .