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Es ^^^^ s SATURDAY , OCTOBER 23 , 18 97 .

Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

A meeting of special interest of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Leicestershire and Rutland is to be heldatthe National Schools , Nirborough , on Thursday , the 28 th instant , by command of the R . W . Bro . the Right Hon . Earl Ferrers . The V . W . Bro . the Rev .

C . Henton Wood , P . G . C . P . P . S . G . W ., will be presented with Grand Lodge clothing as Past Grand Chaplain by the Province , and there is no lack of important business besides , the agendi piper issued by the esteemed Provincial Grani Secretary , Bro . Edward Holmes , P . P . S . G . W ., being full of interesting items .

• # # The annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Warwickshire was held on Thursday , the 14 th instant , when Bro . George Beach , P . G . Std . Br ., was appointed Dep . Prov . G . M ., and Bro . F . G . Swindem Prov . G . Secretary . * # *

We have been favoured with copies of a letter and certain cditirial comments , which recently appeared in the Nelson Chronicle , relating to the Nelson municipal elections . FrO ; n these it appears that Bro . Henry Whittaker the W . M . of the lodge in Nelson , has taken

exception to certain remarks of the editor of the aforesaid Chronicle as to brethren who are members of the lodge taking part in these local elections . There is no doubt about the paper having contained these remarks , for in the editorial comments which

have reached us , Bro . Whittaker is referred to as having quoted from its issue of the 24 th ultimo such passages as" Several of our allusions to that small , self-seeking clique of Freemasons who are so active at election times in thrusting themselves forward and

clamouring for additional place , more power , and greater influence in the management of the town ' s affairs . " Our contemporary allows that " it may be no fault of Freemasonry as an institution , " and it adds * ' we are sure it is none of our correspondent ' s , the

Masonic Notes.

Master of the Nelson Lodge " that " a small clique ol place-hunters , each of the same political colour , thirsting alter power and public office , is connected with them and that this same clique lose no

opportunity of pushing themselves forward and propagating their fancied or real views" about their political opponents and their doings "in their own political organ . " * * *

With every readiness to accept this disclaimer , so far as it affects " Freemasonry as an institution , " we must yet admit that Bro . Whittaker was justified in his exception . One of the passages quoted by him reads thus : "It was suggested to us the other day that two Freemasons represented Walterfield Ward , and

now lhat poor Mr . Richard Smith is retiring , we suppose his seat is wanted for a third . All this , of course , is being done in the name of the Conservative party , forsooth , and yet another Freemason in the person of Mr . Wooliscroft , licensed victualler , has been dragged into the Bindley Ward contest in the name of the

Conservative party . It ought rather to have been in that of , i well-known clique . " Other passages of a similar character are quoted by Bro . Whittaker ; but this will suffice to show that he was justified , as we have said , in taking exception to the remarks of the Nelson Chronicle . » * »

If these brethren , who put themselves forward as candidates for municipal office , did so on the ground that they were Freemasons and as representing the Masonic body , then our contemporary would have been justified in denouncing their conduct , for Masonry has nothing whatever to do with politics of any

description , whether local or imperial . But when men become members of our Society , they do not throw aside their political or religious opinions . Within the lodge they are Freemasons and nothing more ; outside the lodge they fulfil , or endeavour to fulfil , their several civil and religious duties in the manner they conceive to be right , but without any regard to their being Masons .

It would be absurd indeed , and—still worse— Instructive of the princip les on which Freemasonry is bised—if they did otherwise . Our contemporary appea-s to have forgotten—or more likely perhaps , never to have known—that there are staunch Liberals who are Masons , as well as Conservatives and conscientious nonconformists , and Hebrews who are members of our Order as well as Church of England men .

If , as we have said , the persons our contemporary refers to as having put themselves forward as candidates for office in this or that Ward of Nelson , have done so , or are doing so , on the ground that they are Freemasons , then they are acting in direct opposition to the principles of Freemasonry , which knows nothing of sectarian politics or religion . But there is nothing

to show , nor has our contemporary attempted to prove , that they have done so . As far as we are able to judge from the matter we have received , the Nelson Chronicle has mixed up politics and Freemasonry without any justification , although he disclaims all idea of attacking " Freemasonry as an institution . " Bro . Whittaker has done well in bringing him to book .

« » The Jfoei Zealand Craftsman for the 1 st ult ., contains an article , entitled " Uniformity of Working , " from which it appears that since April , 1892 , when the so-called Grand Lod ^ e of New Zealand , adop ' . ed a resolution ion the subject , "a large amount of

confusion of working has arisen and spread , producing blends of the most unique character , and in some instances in direct opposition to the accepted working of any recognised form . Herculean efforts have occasionally been made in the institution of ' Lodges of Improvement , ' but invariably the hopes of the

promoters have been dispelled , and their well-meaning effoits upset . " Hence the complaint which our contemporary appears to have inserted in one of its previous issues from Bro . Dr . BilJ ^ in , of Auckland , who wrote to the effect that " Here in A't Aland you see differences in every lodge you go to , and very annoying it is to find such differences . " Very

annoying it must be , and it will become still more so if the authorities of the so-called Grand Lodge of New Zealand do not take upon themselves , after consultation with the recognised experts , to formulate some kind of ritual that shall take the place among the lodges of the New Zealand Constitution of what is known here as " Emulation working . " # * *

On the 17 th August a deputation from the so-called Grand Lodge of New Zealand , consisting of Bros . H . D . Bell , P . G . M . ; H . J . Williams , P . D . G . M . and

Masonic Notes.

Grand Superintendent of the Wellington District ; R . C . Hamerton , P . G . W . ; G . Wilson , P . G . Treas . ; and R . Fletcher , P . M . ; waited upon his Excellency Bro . the Earl of Ranfurley , Governor of New Zealand , at Government House , and presented his lordship with an address of welcome from the Grand Lodge of that

body as the representative of her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen . The address , which was dated the 2 nd August , 1897 , and signed by the Grand Master ( Bro . W . Barron ) , the Past Grand Master ( Bro . H . D . Bell ) , the President of the Board of General Purposes ( Bro . Alfred H . Burton ) , and the Grand Secretary ( Bro . W . Ronaldson ) , was very graciously

received by the Governor , who thanked the delegation very heartily for their kind wishes . His lordship mentioned incidentally that he was initiated at an early age in a lodge at Cambridge University , but had not since taken any active part in Freemasonry and that after having given the matter due consideration , he had resolved on not renewing his active connection with the Craft while resident in the Colony .

* « » It is most creditable and a matter that cannot b ; m ade known too widely , that New Zealand Pacific Lodge , No . 2 , is maintaining , with the assistance of the Craft in the Colony , the three children of the late Bro . Heighton , who was killed at the Torpedo Station , Shelly Bay , some years ago . The children have been

placed in charge of a very worthy family at Ashurst , and in August , when they were visited by the W . M . of the Pacific Lodge , and the G . Superintendent of the District , were found to be most happy and comfortable , and miking steady progress in their education , their moral training being made the subject of special attention . » * »

We gather from the Indian Masonic Review that the Sind Masonic Benevolent Association , Karachi , cannot show quite as satisfactory an account for the year ending 30 th June , 18 97 , as in the preceding year . In 18 95-96 the receipts amounted to 1164 Rupees , in 1896-97 to 1065 Rupees . The expenditure in the

former year was 1343 Rupees 13 Annas ; in the latter 112 9 Rupees 12 Annas , the diminution unfortunately being in the amounts expended on relief and the education and maintenance of children . There has also been a slight falling off in the invested capital , which amounted on the ist July , 18 95 , to 17 , 301 Rupees ;

on the ist July , 1896 , to 17 , 530 Rupees ; and on the 1 st July , 1897 , to , i 7 , 2 62 Rupees . But after all the falling off is not to be wondered at considering that " business and all other works " in Karachi were paralysed by the existence of the bubonic plague and the very large

exodus from the ctty . During the period the Association has been in existence it has done excellent work , having expended on relief to widows and for the education of children up to June last 18 , 550 . Rupees .

* * * It seems that Bro . T . S . Parvin , the veteran Grand Secrttary and Grand Librarian of the Grand Lodge of Iowa , has just entered upon the 51 st year of his Grand Secretaryship and the 48 th of his Grand Librarianship . From the very outset of his career as a Mason , he has worked most assiduously in promoting the work of the

Order , and it is solely , at all events chiefly , to his efforts that the Grand Lodge of Iowa is indebted for its Masonic library , which is , beyond question , one of the finest and most complete libraries in existence . We cordially echo the hope expressed by several of our contemporaries that Bro . Parvin maybe spared for many years to continue his splendid work .

* * * With its issue for the month of September , our respected contemporary the Freemasons' Repository , of Providence , R . I ., completed its 26 th volume , and with it the 26 r . h year of its existence . For 22 years of this period it has been edited by Bro . the

Rev . H . W . Rugg , who , during the last 12 months , has fulfilled the role of publisher as well as that of editor . It has always been a most excellent , well-informed , and most ably-conducted Masonic periodical . Its information may always be relied upon , while its opinions—whether we agree with them or not—have been always expressed most courteously , and with

every appearance of sincerity . We are glad to hear that since our Rev . Bro . Rugg has become publisher as well as editor , the Freemasons' Repository has strengthened its subscription list , and we trust that the Repository may continue on its present course of prosperity , as one ol the ablest exponents of the principles and practice of Freemasonry , with which it is our privilege and pleasure to be associated .