Freemasonry In 1900.

"were generally held , may be-noted the following , which arc recorded in order of date . Thus , on live 28 th January , Bro . J . Percy Fitzgerald , P . AL , Secretary of the Logic Club , was the reci pient of a gift from the members , who were desirous of showing their appreciation cf his efforts in behalf of the Club .

In February a similar compliment , and for a like reason , was paid to Bro . John T . Loader , P . AL , Secretary of the Rose Lodge , No . 1622 , and also to Bro . J . E . Robeson , I . P . M . of thc Lion and Lamb Lodge , No . 192 , while the brethren oi Durham

gave proof of the deep respect and affection they entertain for Bro . the Rev . Canon Tristram , D . D ., P . G . C . of England , Dep . P . G . AI . in the Craft , the new G . Superintendent in Royal Arch Masonry , and Prov . G . M . AI . of Northumberland and Durham , b y presenting him and Airs . Tristram with sundry gills in

comme-BRO . CAPT . J 01 IX BARLOW , J . P . moraliori of their golden wedding . On the 1 illi April Bro . Capt . John Barlow , J . P ., who is one of the candidates for the Grand Treasurershi p for the ensuing year , had a special presentation made to him on vacating the chair of W . AL of tlu * John Hervey Lodge , No . 1260 , while on the 22 nd of the same month Bro . J .

Weaver was presented witli his ( irand Lodge and Grand Chapter clothing on his appointment as G . Std . Br . of Grand Lodge and A . G . D . of C . in Supreme Grand Chapter . In Alay , Bro . N . Barbenson , P . AL , Prov . J . G . W' . of Guernsey and Alderney , presented a chair to the St . Anne ' s Lodge-, No . 59 8 , Alderney , in

memory of his father , who was one of its founders and a Past Mastet . In September , Bro . G . R . Langley had his services as Secretary of the Bushey Park Lodge ' , No . 2381 , worthil y recognised , and on the 2 nd October the Tivoli Lodge , No . 2150 , made Bro . W . J . Alason a present of his clothing on his appointment as

G . Std . Br . Other eases of a like- character have already been mentioned , and doubtless there- an * many others thai have occurred , but they all help to point the : same moral—that signal services lo Alasonry in any of its brandies are rarely , if ever , allowed to pass unrecognised , and with this somewhat ( rite remark we close our survey of " Craft Alasonry " during the year .

ROYAL ARCH MASONRY

It is a very nice question and one 1 hat wc should have some difficulty in answering , whether the- Roval Arch has made any progress during the year that is now rapidl y approaching its close , There is no doubt that strenuous e Torts have been made in

several quarters , and more especially in lhe Province- of West Yorkshire , to arouse for it a greater amount of interest among Craft Alasons and encourage them to enter its chapters , and it \\ 'ould be the- height of rashness to assume that these efforts

havebeen entirel y without success . () n the other hand , as regards new chapters—and the question of mere numerical strength must be taken foi" what it is worl ' i—there has been a mosl divided billing off . In our summary of " Freemasonry in 18 99 , " we vvere at the

pains of going somewhat into figures and gave the number ol warrants granted year bv vear from I 8 < 4 inclusive . In that year the number issued was 22 , of which six were for the London district , nine for the Provinces , and seven lor Abroad In 18 95 , the total was 17 , of which London claimed two , the Provinces I r , and Abroad four . In 18 9 6 , only 16 were

granted , namely , six for London , ei g ht' Provincial , and two Abroad ; while , in 18 97 , there was a sli g ht reduction lo 15 , London and the Provinces e-ach obtaining seven warrants , and the odd one- being p laced Abroad . In 18 9 8 , there was a further reduction , live warrants being

issued for chapters in the Provinces , and se : ven for Abroad . Last year there was a substantial recovery , the number granted being 18 ,. comprising four in London , eig ht in the Provinces , and six A !) road ; but this year there has been a return to the total of 1898 , namely , 12 , of which four are located

m London , five in the Provinces , and three in Districts Abroad . Moreover , the Phcenix Chapter , No . 914 , Port Royal , Jamaica , which was struck from the roll last year in consequence ol ils

failure to make- the necessary returns to Grand Chapter for a long time , has resumed work , and been restored to its place , on the register . These then are the figures for 1900 , and we leave il to our readers to deride : for thenise-lves whether thev indicate

a diminution of activity and interest in Roval Arch Alasonry or whether , having regard to the- wry large- increase in the roll of chapters that has take-n p lace' since the beginning of 1 S 75 , they may not be ample to meet the present requirements . The following are' the London Chapters for vvhich warrants

have been issued , nami-lv , the Guildhall School ol Alusic Chapter , No . 2454 , with Comp . XV . 11 . Cummings—the Principal ofthe School—as lirst Al . E . Z . ; the Grafton , No . 2347 , with Comps . the Earl of Euston , Viscount Dungarvan , and Sir J . C . Dimsdale , as Al . E . Z ., II ., and J . respectively ; thc : Cavendish

Chapier , No . 2620 , with Comp . F . Lawrence as first Al . E . Z . ; and the Engineer Chapter , No . 2599 , with Comp . C Walker as Al . E . Z . The five new Provincial Chapters are the Salebeia Chapter , attached to the St . Germain Lodge , No 566 , Selby , in ' . he Province of North and East Yorkshire : ; the St . Michael's ,

attached to the Apollo Lodge , No . 305 , Beccles , in Suffolk ; the Wansfell , attached lo the Ambleside Lodge , No . 2749 , in the Province of Cumberland and Westmoreland ; the Granville , attached to the Lord Warden Lodge , No . 1016 , Walmer , in Kent ; ' and the Clarendon , attached

to the Earl of Clarendon Lodgc / j ^ o . 1984 , Watford , wilh Comp . F . Sumner Knyvett , Prov . G !' H . " as its first Al . E . Z ., in Hertfordshire . Of the three new chapters abroad , the Southern Cross , No . 1315 , Toowoomba , and the Cleveland , No . 2503 , Townsville , are located in Queensland , and increase the number of chapters

on the roll of District Grand Chapier to ei g ht , while thc Fort Dufferin Chapter , attached io the Alandalay Lodge , No . 2219 , will meet in the cit y of Mandalay , and increase the roll to live , of which , however , we believe one is for the present in abeyance . Sundry of these new chapters have alread y been consecrated , and are doing well ,

eo-tr . VISCOC . VT lJl'XC-AHVAX . ! The proceedings in ( irand Chapter have- been neither more nor less eventful than usual . 111 February , the 1 'heenix Chapter , No . 914 , Jamaica , which , after a dormancy of some vears , had ,

as we have before i ^ cnlioned , bern resuscitated before the knowledge reached it of ils removal Irom the Grand Chapter roll , vvas restored to ils place . In . May , Past Rank was conferred on a number ol companions who hael been similarl y honoured in Craft Alasonry , and recognition was accorded to the

newlvformeei Grand Chapter ol New Zealand as the Supreme Royal Arch authority in that Colony , with the usual proviso that the ri g hts and privilege's of private chapters thai elect to remain on the roll ol England are safeguarded , ami on the understanding

that our Grand Chapter issues no lurthei warrants 111 the Colony . In August , a vote of condolence was passed with his Royal Hig hness the Grand First Principal on the death of his brother , the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Golha , K . G . ( the I hike uf Edinburgh ) , and was gracefully acknowledged at the November Convocation ,