Leicestershire And Rutland.

is it alone in this respect that Leicestershire and Rutland has acquitted itself honourably . The Province is well administered , and the lodges constituting it are efficient as well as regular in the performance of their duties . Under these circumstances , it is not surprising that the proceedings at the recent annual

meeting , at Loughborough , should have passed off so satisfactorily . Bro . Earl FERRERS , Provincial Grand Master , presided in person , and there was a full attendance of Provincial Grand Officers , both Present and Past , and the brethren generally . The business did not need much in the way of discussion . The reports that were

presented told but one tale , and that was a tale of uniform success throughout the year . The Provincial Grand Treasurer ' s statement of account was favourable , and a vote of thanks vvas unanimously passed to that officer for his services . The Charity Committee Report , vvhich was of a similar nature , referred in

terms of special eulogy to the successful labours of Bro . J . H . MARSHALL , who acted as Steward forthe Province at the recent Boys' School Festival and compiled a list of £ 530 , and , after duly recognising Bro . MARSHALL ' S services , it was arranged that the support of the lodges should be given next year to the-Royal

Masonic Benevolent Institution , with Bro . A . TlNDALL as the representative of the Province . Pleasant reference was also made to the celebration during the past year of the jubilee anniversary of the initiation into Freemasonry of Bro . W . KELLY , Past Provincial Grand Master , and to the approaching

celebration by St . John ' s Lodge , No . 279 , Leicester , of the centenary of its constitution . Thus , the record of the business done at this meeting is pleasant reading throughout , and the only drawback to the pleasure of those present appears to have been

caused by the absence , through feeble health , of the veteran Bro . KELLY , who , in the course of his long Masonic career of 51 years , has rendered such invaluable services to the Province . We trust that future meetings of this Provincial Grand Lodge may be attended with a similar or even greater measure of success .

A Clerical Attack On Freemasonry.

A CLERICAL ATTACK ON FREEMASONRY .

The more important of Canon KNOWLES ' S objections to Freemasonry has been dealt with in our former articles , but the three that remain deserve some notice . The first of these , " vvhich may justly be described as puerile , is , to the effect that , being a Masons' Craft , it has not helped architecture . " Considering

that since 1717 vve have been not operative , but speculative , or Free and Accepted Masons , it is not altogether surprising that in its present form our Society has not figured very

conspicuously in the field of architecture . We are indebted chiefly , if not entirely , to the old operative Craft of Masonry for our symbolism , but the morality , which is thus symbolised , is not intended for the training * and advancement of architects . But

though we are no longer practical architects , we lose no opportunity of exhibiting our sympathy with the art they practice . We are proud of our descent as a Society from the great building fraternities of the Middle Ages . We are proud of the grand ecclesiastical edifices which remain to this day as evidences of

their unrivalled skill and ability in architecture ; and in the work of restoration , to vvhich many of them have been subjected , we have been only too proud to bear our part , if not as architects , at all events as contributories towards the expenses of restoration . We have also shown our sympathy by the part we have publicly taken in the inauguration of new edifices , the most

conspicuous among the many instances of this kind of " help to architecture " being the laying of the foundation-stone of Truro Cathedral by H . R . H . the Prince of WALES , in his capacity of Most Worshipful Grand Master of our Order , in the summer of 1880 , and the laying of the . corner-stone of the new Central

Tower of Peterborough Cathedral by Bro . the Earl of CARNARVON , Pro Grand Master , on behalf of the Prince of WALES , in 188 4 . These are instances of which it is difficult to imagine that Canon KNOWLES is ignorant , and greatly increase our

surprise that he should have included this among his objections to our Society . However , as we have already said , the reason is a childish one , and hardly worth the notice vve have bestowed upon it .

His next objection—that " its rural branches lead to drunkenness , " of vvhich he asserts he has proof—we most distinctly and emphatically deny . There are many Masons , both rural and urban , vvho yield to this and other kinds of intemperance , but the teachings of Freemasonry , like those of Christianity , are

dead against all vice , and it is as unjust on the part of Canon KNOWLES to charge the former with encouraging or promoting drunkenness , as it vvould be in us if we attempted to make Christianity responsible for the vices of professing Christians .

However , on the strength of a pretty long experience of Freemasonry , both in town and country , we venture to assert—and we think our readers vvill bear us out in the assertion—that a brother who made it a practice to indulge to excess in liquor at

A Clerical Attack On Freemasonry.

our convivial meetings would be very soon " sent to Coventry . " The last of the Rev . Canon's objections to Freemasonry is that ¦ " it-supplies no need -that the-Church duly organised and supported does not supply . " Here again have we indisputable evidence that he knows nothing of our organisation or the special

purposes which it was framed to promote , and that he is , therefore , as incompetent to criticise our Order as he is unjust in his criticisms . Freemasonry has never attempted or aspired , never will attempt or aspire , to supplant the Christian or any Church in its influence over mankind generally . It is not a religion , but

it furnishes the neutral ground on which men of all religions may meet and learn to esteem , respect , and love each other—their difference of religious faith notwithstanding . It humbly endeavours to instil into the minds of its followers a respect for that practical Charity ' vvhich is so . , ful ! v and finely

described in the New Testament , and we flatter . ourselves that our endeavours in this respect have been not quite unsuccessful . It occurs to us , therefore , that Canon KNOWLES , instead of trying

to excite a prejudice against us , should welcome the assistance we are unquestionably rendering to the world generally , by encouraging amongst men of all religions a proper observance of the duty which every one of us owes to his neighbour .

We have now followed Canon KNOWLES through the whole of his objections to Freemasonry , and though , for reasons which must be known to our readers , vve have not replied to them all as fully as we should have done had vve been able to lay aside at

will the responsibilities we have contracted as Masons , we are content to believe that we have met them by fair and in the main convincing arguments . But even if our arguments had been less direct and the evidence vve have adduced in favour of

Freemasonry less trustworthy , vve are still able to rest our case oh the two grounds we stated in our first article and which cannot be controverted , namely : ( 1 ) , that as Canon KNOWLES is not a Freemason , he is not a competent critic either of its merits or

demerits ; ( 2 ) , that , let his private opinion of our Society be what it may , he is not entitled to sit in judgment on the members of his own cloth , vvho show by the fact of their being Freemasons that they are at least as thorough in their approval of its principles as he is in his condemnation .

Consecration Of The St. Oswin's Lodge, No. 2327. Tynemouth.

CONSECRATION OF THE ST . OSWIN'S LODGE , No . 2327 . TYNEMOUTH .

A special meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Northumberland was held on Monday last , at the Grand Hotel , for the purpose of consecrating the St . Oswin ' s Lodge , No . 2327 . The order of ceremony vvas of exceptional interest , and vvas compiled aiid arranged by the Deputy Prov . G . M . of Northumberland , Bro . Richard Henry Holmes , P . G . D . Eng .

The Prov . Grand Lodge vvas opened by Bro . Sir Matthew White Ridley , Bart ., M . P ., P . G . M ., who was assisted by the following officers : Bros . R . H . Holmes , D . P . G . M . * , Faraday Spence , P . S . G . W . ; George Simpson , P . J . G . W . ; Rev . M . Greene , P . G . Chap . ; Ralph Carr , P . G . Treas . ; A . T . Aitchison , P . G . Reg . ; Benjamin ] . Thompson , P . G . Sec ; Thos . S . Hudson , P . S . G . D . ; A . Hepburn , P . J . G . D . ; James Treble , P . G . S . of W . ; Adam Robertson , P . G . D . of C . ; W . H . Ryott , P . A . G . D . of C . ; H . R . Small and J . W . Matthews , P . G . Std . Brs . ; R . Seaton , P . G . Org . ; John Kidd , P . G . Purst . ; and Joshua Curry , P . G . Tyler .

Among the principal Past Provincial Grand Officers present were Bros . Addison Potter , C . B ., J . Spearman , H . Hotham , C . A . Bushell , J . Straker-Wilson , J . Page , and Rev . T . B . Nichols , M . A ., P . P . S . G . Wardens ; J . M . Winter , John Strachan , H . S . Bird , and T . Gillespie , P . P . G . Registrars ; J . H . Bentham , J . W . Gibson , W . M . Lyon , and A . M . Loades , P . P . G . Deacons ; Rev . H . Bott , P . P . G . C . ; R . H .

Dickinson , P . P . G . S . of W . ; S . M . Harris and T . Dinning , P . P . A . G . D . C . The visiting officers from the neighbouring Province of Durham were Bros . W . Logan , P . G . D . of C . ; John Wood , P . P . G . W . ; J . Tillman , F . R . I . B . A ., P . P . G . S . of W . ; J . C . Moor , P . P . G . D . ; Walter Ross , P . G . S . B . ; J . Barker , P . P . G . O . ; and others . The petition and warrant for the new lodge were read by the P . G . Secretary , Bro . B . J . THOMPSON .

The Chaplain , the Rev . M . GREENE , gave an eloquent address to the lodge , and the prayers and portions of Scripture during the consecration of the lodge were most impressively read by Bro . the Rev . T . B . NICHOLS , P . P . G . C . The musical portion of the ceremonial was rendered by Bros . D . Whitehead , J . Nutton , J . Walker , and J . Leatham , of Durham Cathedral Choir , Bro . Seaton , of Hexham Abbey Church , P . G . O ., presiding at the organ , the brethren of the lodge joining in the Masonic choruses in an effective manner .

The dedication and constitution of the new lodge took place in due form , those important functions being fulfilled most ably by the P . G . M ., Sir M . W . Ridley , Bart , assisted in an able manner by the Deputy Prov . G . M ., Bro . R . H . Holmes , P . G . D .

The new lodge vvas declared duly constituted b y the P . G . Dir . of Cers ., Bro . ADAM ROBERTSON . The whole ceremony , it should be added , vvas worked in the most solemn and impressive manner . After the consecration of the new Lodge of St . Oswin ' s , the installation of the

W . M . and the . investiture of officers took place , the officers of the new lodge being Bros . J . D . Gillespie , P . M ., W . M . ; W . Carnaby , I . P . M .. W . B . McLearon , P . M ., S . W . ; W . Reed , P . M ., J . W . ; J . W . D . Wallace , Treas . ; J . W . Lambton , P . M ., Sec ; Isaac Black , S . D . ; Thomas Young , J . D . ; Adam Traill , D . of C . ; I ' - Graham , Org . ; J . E . Talbot , I . G . ; E . Marshall and J . Joel , Stwds . ; and A . MustartP . M . Tyler .

, , The above officers having been invested , the proceedings afterwards terminated , and the lodge vvas closed .

The book , " Frederick , Crown Prince and Emperor , " written for the Empress by Mr . Rennell Rodd , and to which the Empress Frederick herself wrote an introduction , realised £ 400 . This sum has been handed over to the Hospital for Diseases of the Throat , in Golden-square . The Royal box at Olympia was occupied by a brilliant group on Wednesday-There were there the Prince and Princess of Wales , Prince George of Wales , ' . Marchioness of Lome and the Marquis of Lome , the Duke and Duchess of Fij > the Princesses Victoria and Maud of Wales , Sir Digton Probyn , General Ellis , t . " Hon . Oliver Montagu , the Hon . H . Tyrwhitt-Wilson , and Mr . Mackenzie .