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^^gg SATURDAY , MAY 20 , 1899 . -+- —

Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

The Masonic Hail at Torquay will be the scene of an interesting ceremony on TueEdiy , the 23 rd inst ., when a new chapter tu be attached to the Jordan Lod ge , A'o . 140 J , and to bear the same name , will be

consecrated . The ceremony will be performed by A- \ i . Comp . the Hon . Sir Stafford Northcote , Barf ., C . B ., M . l ' ., Grand Superintendent ol Devonshire , who will be assisted by the officers of his Provincial Grand Chapter . The Principals designate are Comps . John ''¦ "ie , l ' . A . G . D . C . Eng ., M . E . Z . ; Thomas Henry

W ' » - « , I ' . Z . No . j ., j , II . ; and William Wingct , J ., "nd when the chapter has been constituted , they will be dul y installed i „ their respective chairs . Up to the Present time the St . John ' s Chapter , No . 32 S , has been 'be onl y Royal Arch chapter in Torquay , but from uesday next both the Torquay lodges will possess

Masonic Notes.

facilities of their own for the exaltation of their members . The proposed new chapter has our best wishes for its success and we doubt not will work harmoniously with the St . John ' s Chapter , as have the members of the Jordan and St . John's Lodges .

» » We publish elsewhere a full report of the proceedings at the- Annual Convocation of thc Prov . Grand Chapter of N . and E . Yorkshire on the 3 rd instant . In that report it will be noticed that the G .

Superintendent , M . E . Comp . the Marquis of Zetland , expressed his regret " that the members of the Craft lodges do not proceed to the Royal Arch in such numbers as might be desired . " In this , as his lordship pointed out he was but echoing the remarks made by the

Grand Superintendent of West Yorkshire—M . E . Comp . the Right Hon . W . L . lackson , M . P . —in Novembei , 1897 , when the latter said : " I know there isa very general feelingamongst thosr-in the Provinces who have taken the Royal Arch Degree , and have

given their best efforts to its proper working—there has been some disappointment—that its position has not been more satisfactory , and there has not been that enthusiasm with respect to it which one might expect . "

His lordship reminded his audience that in 1 S 93 Supreme G . Chapter icduced the qualifying period for the exaltation of Master Masons from 12 months to four weeks , in Ihe belief , or at least in the expectation , that it would lead to a con iderable strengthening of

the chapters ; but , added the Crand Superintendent , ' * in this Province , at least , such does not appear to have bcen the case , " there being ' •less than one-third of our Master Masons " who " enter the Royal Arch . " Now in North and East Yorkshire there are as many as 16 chapters to the 34 Craft lodges , and in West

Yorkshire 45 chapters to 81 Craft lodges , the proportion be ing in the case of the former Province rather less than one to two , and in that of the latter rather more than one to two . And yet , if we compare these with other Provfhces we shall find that , with some notable exceptions , the proportion of chapters to Craft lodges is satisfactory rather than otherwise .

* » * Thus taking the two Lancashire * , which are beyond question , our strongest Provinces , we find that the Western Division has only 46 chapters tc I 2 t Craft lodges , and the Eastern Division 41 to 113 , so that

here the proportion more nearly approaches 1 to 3 . In Kent , which ranks fourth among the Provinces in the number of its Craft lodges , there are 27 chapters to its 64 lodges , while in Devonshire ( 58 lodges ) there will bc on Tuesday next 29 chapters , and in lfampshire

and the Isle of Wight 25 chapters to 48 lodges . In Cheshire there arc only 21 chapters to 52 lodges ; in Durham , 13 chapters to 37 lodges ; in Essex , 13 chapters to 41 lodges ; in Gloucestershire , only four chapters lo 17 lodges ; in Lincolnshire , eight chapters to 24

lodges : in Middlesex , 13 chapters to 42 lodges ; in Surrey , 17 chapters to 42 lodges ; in Sussex , nine to 32 lodges , and in Warwickshire , II to 32 lodges . If then , there are justs grounds for regret that Royal Arch Masonry is not more favourably circumstanced

in comparison with Craft Masonry in the two Yorkshire , how much greater cause is there for regret in the foregoing Provinces , the returns for which we have taken from Grand Lodge Calendar for the current year .

lt does not , of course , follow that thc numbers wc have quoted are in all cases to be taken as trustworthy evidence of thc relative strength of Royal Arch to Craft Masonry . The smaller proportion of chapters in this or that Province may be sufficient for

its requirements by reason of the Chapters themselves being stronger in respect of membership . Still , thero is no dou ' nt that the reduction by Grand Chapter of the qualifying period has no * , produced the effect that was

desired , and there are doubtless many other Provinces than N . and E . Yorkshire of which thc G . Superintendent , equally with Lord Zetland , may with reasn complain to have " less than one-third" of iu M •. > ¦ . ;< Masons " cn ' ur thc Royal Arch . "

* * * It will bu well also il brethren will take more generally to heart Lord Zetland ' s reminder that " whatever may be the merits ol other system- * which have been evolved from the ancient Craft , "

'the Royal Arch i-, the only O . vler iiil ' mntely connected with the Master Mason ' s Degree , and the only system directly practised under . the auspices of the same governing body . " We trust , also , that it will not bc in North and East Yorkshire alone that his

Masonic Notes.

lordship ' s advice—that the meetings of the chapters should be held regularly , and the work done reverentl y —will be followed , and that " the Principals and members of the chapters " will bring the Royal Arch " moreprominently before the attention of their brethren in the Craft who have not as yet aspired to that exalted Order . " * * *

We occasionally differ with the Canadian Craftsman in matters of opinion , but it rarely happens that our worthy contemporary attributes to us statements we have not made . In its April issue , in reference to some "Notes" of ours on the address delivered by M . W . Bro . Chambers at the recent annual

communication of the Grand Lodge of Quebec , the remark , " Nothing further would seem to remain to us than to await with patience the healing effects of time , " was made by Bro . Chambers , but appears to be ascribed to us . What makes the slip the mare incomprehensible is that the Craftsman reproduces the note , in which

Bro . Chambers ' s remark appears as a quotation . However , no great harm has been done , as we heartily endorsed Bro . Chambers ' s view , on the ground that a union of all the lodges in Quebec under one supreme head is far more likely to result from waiting patiently than from issuing edicts of non-intercourse .

* * * Wh-it our contemporary expected to find " when in Montreal visiting lodges on St . John ' s Day about a year ago" we know not , but there is nothing surprising in the fact thit " few m ; m--Ts ot the English lodges were present who w ; re mrjmSirs of the Crilt before the Grand Lodge of Quebec was formed . " That

Grand Lodge was formed on the 20 th October , 1869 , and it does not seem strange that those who were members of the three English'lodges in Montreal some 28 or 30 years ago should be few in number . As for the kindly wish of our contemp orary that we may live long enough to congratulate the rival , but not unfriendly , sections of the Craft in the Province on their union under one Grand Lodge , we recip rocale it most heartily .

* * The instances must be few indeed in which a Grand Ledge or Chapter feels called upon to hold a special meeting on the ground of an alleged irregularity in the ballot . Yet it was on this account that the Grand Chapter of Canada met in special convocation at the

Masonic Hall , Hamilton , on the 7 th April , for the purposeof electing a Grand Scribe E . "Great interest , " says the Craftsman , " was evinced in the proceedings . ' M . E . Comp . W . G . Reid , Grand Z ., presided , and was supported by Comp . W . Gibson , M . P ., Grand H . ;

Comp . A . Shaw , Grand J . ; and several Past G . Z ' s-The total vote was 371 , and the result was the election of Comp . George J . Bennett , who received 240 votes as against 131 cast for his competitor , Comp . W . J , Robertson . •* *

The District Grand Lo j ge of Burma met in Quarterly Communication at thc Freemasons' Hall , Rangoon , on the 13 th March . In the unavoidable absence of Bro . J . Copley Moyle , Dist . Grand Master , thc chair was taken by Bro . E . Muller , Deputy Dist . Grand Master . The attendance was not Iarg ^ , nor was the business transacted of great importance ; but we

gather from the reports that were pres . nted that Masonry in the District is fairly prosperous . The Dist . Grand Treasurer was able tr ^ show balances in hand of 1052 Rupees on the General Fund and 668 Rupees on the Benevolent Fund , while the Returns for the 10 lodges in active workingshowa membership of over 300 brethren . ?

We have received an elaborate memorial record of the late Bro . Joseph Eichba-im , Past G . Master uf Pennsylvania , who died very suddenly at his residence in Pittsburg on the 15 th April . Bro . Eichbaum , who was born on the 4 th March , 1827 , and had , therefore , not long entered upon his 73 rd year , was a brother of

over 45 years' standing , having been initiated in the St . John ' s Lodge , No . 219 , P . ttsburg , on the 20 h December , 1853 . In i 860 he was elected VV . M , and served for two consecutive years . In 1 S 80 he was ili-cted J . G . Warden of thc Grand Lodge of Pennsyl-V . 1111 . 1 , in 1882 S . G . Warden , in 188 4 Deputy G .

Master , and in 1880 u . Master ; and on his retirement Irom the last-named ollice wis presented by the members of hii lodge with his portrait in oils . He was also a Royal Arch M isjn , a Royal and Select Master , a Knight Templar , and hid laken the 33 in thc Supreme Council ol thc A . and A . Rite lor the

Northern Jurisdiction , U . S . A . In all tho ollices hc had held -and they were many in number—he hid so discharged the du . ies devolving upon him as to secure the esteem and respect of ihe whole body of Masi ns in Pennsylvania , and we sympathise with our brethren in that jurisdiction in the heavy loss they have sustained by his death .