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^ M ^^^^ M : SATURDAY , MARCH 20 , 18 97 .

Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

We have received , but too late for an extended review this week , the second Fasciculus of Bro . Dr . Chetwode Crawley ' s " C . cmentaria Hibernica . " A nast y glance at its contents has sufficed to satisfy us that

11 will equal , if , indeed , it does not surpass in interest and importance the first Fasciculus which was issued "i 18 95 . There is in it a mass of matter relating to | he earl y and hitherto most obscure history of the Craft ln Ireland , and most of this is new , not only to the general body of the Craft , but also to the great

Masonic Notes.

majority of Masonic Students . Among this matter is the evidence which Bro . Crawley has been so fortunate to discover and to which , if we remember rightly , we referred a few weeks since in our short article announcng the early publication of this Fasciculus—of the existence of the Grand Lodge of Ireland in 1725 , that is to say , four years earlier than the date ordinarily

assigned to its foundation . However , we need not prolong our remark here , as we promise ourselves the pleasure of looking closely into the new Part of Bro . Crawley ' s work , and placing the result of our investigations before the readers of this journal . It is enoug h that we express our thanks to Bro . Crawley for his courtesy in favouring us thus early with a copy of his Fasciculus II .

East Lancashire , we regret to say , has sustained a severe loss by the death of Bro . J . H . Sillitoe , Past G . Std . Br . of England , and one of the most prominent Masons in that large and influential Province , who late on Tuesday evening succumbed to a stroke of paralysis that overtook him a few days previously . Bro . Sillitoe

was one of the ablest and most indefatigable members of our Society in his Province . He was , for instance , a leading supporter of the East Lancashire Systematic Masonic Educational and Benevolent Institution , had Occupied that position for many years , and took a very active part in connection with the Festival which was

held in Manchester in aid of that Institution on thc ist July , 1895 . He was also a foremost member of the Provincial Grand Lodge , but it was in Royal Arch Masonry that he rendered his most important services , nor is it so very long since we published in these columns an account of the presentation to him of a

testimonial in recognition ot those services . His energy and ability , and the valuable assistance he was able to render to Freemasonry in consequence of his possession of those qualities , will be sorely missed and it is with a mournful sense of satisfaction that we lake this opportunity of tendering our sympathy as well

to the Prov . G . Master and Grand Superintendent of East Lancashire and the lodges and chapters under his charge , as to the family and numerous circle of friends of our deceased brother , whom we had the privilege of knowing well , and for whom , as a result of that knowledge , we entertained the greatest respect .

# * » Our attention has been called to a letter which appeared a few days since in one of our daily contemporaries , and in which the writer suggests that the Masons of this country should take some opportunity of expressing our sympathy with the brethren of Greece

over the Cretan business . The writer fully realises that the matter over which we are to express our sympathy is of a political nature and he is fully aware that Masonry is a non-political society . This , of course , makes his proposal all the more absurd and ought , indeed , to have prevented him making this

suggestion . If there are brethren who sympathise with Greece in what she is doing in Crete , by all means let them take any and every opportunity that may seem good to them to express that sympathy , but let it at the same time be distinctly understood that they do so not as Masons—in which capacity it is forbidden by the fundamental rules of our Society to take part in

the political controversies of the day—but as private individuals . We have but to remind the originator of this extremely foolish proposal , that there are lodges in Constantinople and Smyrna , which are not unlikely to include some Turks amongst their members , and if some Masons , as such , express their sympathy with the Greek brethren , others might feel justified in expressing the same feeling with their Turkish brethren .

* * We have much pleasure in announcing that the date for the consecration of the Skelmersdale Chapter , No . 1658 , has been fixed for Wednesday , 12 th April , at 5-3 ° p . m . The ceremony will take place at the Surrey Masonic Hall , Camberwell New-road , and will

be performed by Comp . E . Letchworth , F . S . A ., Grand Scribe E ., assisted by other Grand Officers . The Principals designate are Comp . J . Hill , P . Z . 1329 , as M . E . Z . ; Comp . Sidney F . Mackway , M . E . Z . 1216 , as H . ; and Comp . L . V . Durrell Anley , P . Z . 1201 , as J . # * *

We publish elsewhere a letter from a correspondent who signs himself " P . P . G . Warden , " and , taking it for granted that his Royal Highness , the M . W . G . Master , intends conferring Past rank as Grand Officers of United Grand Lodge of England on distinguished brethren in commemoration of the Queen ' s Diamond Jubilee , as was done iii 1887 in commemoration of her

Masonic Notes.

Majesty's Jubilee , expresses the hope that the choice will not fall upon favourites , as happened in 1 SS 7 , but that the Dep . Grand Masters , Grand Secretaries , and—in the event of their being already Grand Officers of England—Grand Officers of high standing of the Provinces should have these honours conferred upon them , so that there may be no heartburning , as in 1 SS 7 . # #

* It is to be regretted that our correspondent , before addressing to us this letter , did not take the trouble of scrutinizing carefully the names of those upon whom Past Grand rank was conferred in commemoration of the Queen's Jubilee . They are included in the lists of Grand Officers from the Union in December , 1813 , to

the present time , which are to be found at pp . 76-98 of our Grand Lodge Calendar . Had he taken this much trouble . he would have been able to satisfy himself that the Provincial and District celebrities who were honoured with Past Rank in 1 SS 7 , were chosen , not by any system of favouritism , but because they had—one and all—been appointed to offices of high rank in their several Provinces and Districts .

* * * We shall not take the trouble of citing all the Provincial and District brethren who were thus honoured , We will , however , furnish enough instances to show how utterly unwarranted is the suggestion he makes that , to use a familiar phrase , "kissing went by

favour " in the selection of the brethren for Past Grand Rank from the Country and Abroad . Amongst those who received rank as Past G . Wardens were : Bros , Sir Charles B . Graves-Sawle , Bart ., D . Prov ; G Master Cornwall ; Sir Gabriel Goldney , Bart ., D Prov . G . Master Wiltshire ; the Hon . W . T . Orde

Powlett ( now Lord Bolton ) , Dep . Prov . G . Master N . and E . Yorkshire ; and H . St . John Clarke , Dep . Dist . G . Master Victoria . Among the Past G . Deacons were : Bro . Col . Robert H . Lindsell , Dep . Prov . G . Master Bedfordshire ; L . F . B . Dykes , Dep . Prov . G . Master Cumberland and Westmoreland ;

Walter G . Rogers , Dep . Prov . G . Master Devonshire ; Charles Hambro , M . P ., Dep . Prov . G . Master Dorsetshire ; John Brook-Smith , Dep . Prov . G . Master Gloucestershire ; Richard H . Holmes , Dep . Prov . G . Master Northumberland ; Col . Henry Piatt , Dep . Prov . G . Master North Wales ; Frederick West , Dep .

Prov . G . Master Surrey ; Col . John Maclean , Dep , Prov . G . Master Warwickshire ; A . F . Godson , M . P ., Dep . P . G . Master Worcestershire ; Henry Smith , Dep . P . G . Master West Yorkshire ; W . H . Fit / . e , Dep . Dist . G . Master Bengal ; Lt .-Col . W . H . Hutton , Dep . Dist . G . Master Montreal ; and Barron L . Barnett , Dep . District G . Master Queensland .

» There were other Deputy Grand Masters of Provinces and Districts who were honoured with Past Rank , while among Provincial and District Grand Secretaries may be enumerated Bros . Robert Bradley ( Berks and Bucks ) ; W . Naylor ( Derbyshire ); Robert Hudson

( Durham ) ; Edgar Goble ( Hants and Isle of Wight ) ; Alfred Spencer ( Kent ) ; John Chadwick ( East Lancashire ) ; W . Goodacre ( West Lancashire ) ; and John F . H . Woodward ( Middlesex ) , who were all made Past Grand Sword Bearers . We trust this list will satisfy our correspondent .

# # # In our recent article on the School Elections we took no heed of the candidates whose petitions had been accepted but whose names have been since withdrawn from the list for the Boys' School Election next month . These are four in number , two—Nos . 13 and 51—being noted on the voting papers , while thc

other two—Nos . 33 and 48—have been withdrawn since the voting papers were issued . These withdrawals reduce the number of candidates for this Institution from 60 to 56 . As one of these ( No . 48 ) was a last case , his withdrawal reduces the number of boys who have only this chance of admission from five to four .

* * * It will be seen from a report we publish elsewhere of Bros . Sir J . C . Dimsdale , Past G . Treas ., and C . E . Keyser , P . G . D ., joint Honorary Secretaries of the Guy's Hospital Re-endowment F ' und that a considerable portion of the sum required to make up the balance of the / Tiooo needed for the permanent

endowment of a " Freemason's Bed " has been subscribed , upwards of 120-lodges and other Masonic Bodies having contributed the guinea solicited . The amount still needed to complete the endowment is by no means large , and we trust that not long hence we shall be in a position to announce that it has been obtained ,