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^ MkJtj & XUL ^^^& ti ^ . t . ttibSEFi . . ' ^^^^ j ^^ r jcHBj ^ i ^ r *^^' fweyiiaBOHgl SATURDAY , J 24 , 18 99 .

Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

In announcing that the annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Kent was held at Sevenoaks one day last week , under the presidency of Bro . Earl Amherst , the Daily Telegraph remarked that " his lordship has now continuously held the office of

Grand Master of the Province of Kent for 40 years—a record . " Our contemporary does not appear to be aware that there are two Provincial Grand Masters of ° lder standing than Earl Amherst , who have continuousl y presided over the Craft in their respective Pro . vinces , namely , Lord Leigh , who was appointed Prov .

Grand Ma-ter of Warwickshire on the ist August , ' 8521 and his Grace the Duke of Devonshire , K . G ., who was appointed Prov . Grand Master of Derbyshire ° n the 9 th Hay , 18 5 8 . Doubtless , also , in former days there were Prov . Grand Masters who held office continuousl y for 40 years and upwards .

Masonic Notes.

It is a happy coincidence that the annual meeting of the Prov . Grand Mark Lodge of Cheshire should have been held a few days after the Quarterly Communication of Mark Grand Lodge , at which a resolution was adopted declaring a certain Mark lodge which meets in the Ashton district , and styles itself a United Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons ,

" spurious and clandestine . " As we said in our article of last week , we have no sympathy whatever with this lodge , and . shall be . glad when we hear that it has ceased to trouble the authorities of Mark Grand Lodge . From what passed at the Provincial meeting at Stockport on the 10 th instant , it is clear that the Cheshire Mark brethren are resolved

that the edict of Mark Grand . Lodge shall be carried out in no perfunctory manner , and that everything will be done to put an end to irregularities for which there is not the shadow of an excuse . The career of the Mark Degree since 1855 has happily been free for the most part from troubles of this kind—at all events ,

since the union of the lodges of English and Scottish origin under the supreme authority of Mark Grand Lod ge * nor , from the enlightened manner in which the Degree is administered , is there the slightest reason why the smoothness of this career should be disturbed .

« * . * We are pleased also to note that Bro . Richard Newhouse , as Prov . G . Mark Secretary , mentioned that in his capacity of Prov . G . Secretary of the Craft Prov . Grand Lodge of Cheshire he had received a communication from Bro . Edward Letchworth , G . Secretary of United Grand Lodge , requesting him " to make

inquiries from the several Craft lodges in the eastern division of Cheshire , which are alleged to have opened their lodge on a Sunday to further the proceedings of the Ashton Mark Lodge , and thus being parties to a grave irregularity , that the conduct of the several lodges so offending may be brought before the Board of Gentral Purposes of the Craft . "

» * * We regret to say that what is called " A Masonic Service" will be held at the Parish Church , Hornsey , on Sunday , the 25 th instant , " in aid of the Church Tower Building Fund , " and that " a dispensation has been obtained from the M . W . G . M ., H . R . H . the Prince

of Wales , for the brethren to appear in Craft or Royal Arch clothing . " There cannot be the slightest objection to the brethren of the Alexandra Palace Lodge , No . 1541 , doing all in their power to assist in strengthening the Hornsey Church Tower Building Fund . But this appears to us to be one of those cases against which the recent Grand Lodge circular of the 25 th May ,

which was published in the Freemason of the 3 rd inst ., is directed . It may be that the dispensation was granted btfore the issue of the circular , or there may be special circumstances which render it desirable that in this particular case a dispensation should be granted . But it hardly looks well to set at naught the instructions contained in a circular which was issued so recently .

* * There is one remark in the Utter we published last week from Bro . Emra Holmes with which , while we are referring to the subject of the attendance of brethren at church in their Masonic clothing , we are glad to express our hearty concurrence . " I believe , "

says Bro . Holmes in the concluding paragraph of his letter , " the public profession of religion in this way , " that is , by the attendance at Divine service of the Provincial Grand Lodge on the occasion of its annual meetings , " did an immense amount of good . " Our implacable enemies , the Roman Catholic priesthood ;

declare that we Freemasons are a godless body , and this attendance at Divine service gives the lie direct to that absurd charge , But it is one thing to attend church to demonstrate our respect for religion and another to permit ourselves to be used as a kind of advertispment in behalf of some local charity .

• » Ir . reply to the question with which Bro . " T , May , 754 , " concluded his Utter of last week— " What is the etiquette or rule in those matters ? " that is as to the publication of lodge proceedings . We beg to state that the publication of " the proceedings of any lodge

or any part thereof , " " without the consent of the Grand Master , or Provincial or District Grand Masters " is forbidden by the Book of Constitutions . As regards the illustration , which appeared in Black and White of the oth instant , and in this journal last week—of the

installation at Preston of the Earl of Lathom , as Prov , G . Master of West Lancashire , we need say no more than that illustrations have been published of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales ( 1 ) on the occation of his being present in Grand Lodge in 1869 and having conferred

Masonic Notes.

upon him the rank of Past G . Master ; and ( 2 ) on that of his installation as M . W . Grand Master in the Royal Albert Hal ! in April , 18 75 . These illustrations , as they disclose no Masonic secrets , are quite harmless .

* * The address delivered by R . W . Bro . the Hon . Sir H . Thoby Prinsep , Dist . Grand Master of Bengal , at the Quarterly Communication of this Dist . Grand Lodge , on the 21 st March last , is , on the whole , pleasant reading . After paying a compliment to Bro .

H . M . Rustomjee , Past A . G . D . C . England , Dist . G . Secretary , for the zealous manner in which he discharged the duties of his office , as evidenced more particularly by the punctuality with which the lodges send in their returns and dues , the Dist . G . Master expressed his satisfaction at the increased number of lodges in the District , there being now as many as 44

on the roll , with an aggregate of 1234 subscribing members , there being a substantial increase in this respect , though the average membership per Iodge is not quite so high . Of the whole number of lodges , there are 20 with 30 members and upwards , the strongest being Star in the East Lodge , No . 67 , Calcutta , with 63 members , and the -next the Lodge of Saint John , No . 486 , Calcutta , with 53 members .

The District Grand Master further reported that he had " no complaints of any breach of harmony" and that " the brotherly feeling on which we justly pride ourselves " was being " maintained everywhere . " He also referred with satisfaction to the financial state of the different District Grand Lodge Funds , of the

Bengal Masonic Educational Association , and the Masonic Hall Building Fund , there being in respect of the last named , more than enough to meet the cost of the site , though the purchase account had not been closed in consequence of the depressed state of the money

market preventing them from realising their securities . But no further steps had been taken towards erecting the Hall as the amount of the donations and subscriptions received was small compared with the 15 , 000 rupees which it had been agreed should be the minimum in hand before making any move in this direction .

* » * As regards the visitations he had made to several lodges , the Dist . G . Master declared that many acts of omission and commission had come under his notice to which he had contented himself with calling attention , as the condition of the lodges was generally to his satisfaction . The point on which he laid the

greatest stress was the omission of W . Masters to see that their lodge By-laws were duly enforced , while in one instance he found " that the Lodge had incurred for its current expenses a considerable debt to its Charity Fund , thus using money which had been expressly subscribed only for Charitable purposes , and which could not properly be otherwise appropriated .

« * » The District Grand Treasurer ' s accounts for the quarter to 28 th February last showed in every case a balance to the good—on the General Fund of 5072 rupees ; on the Masonic Hall Sustentation Fund of 4841 rupees ; on the Musical Instrument Fund of 440 rupees ; and on the Fund of Benevolence of 3616

rupees , in addition to a sum of 3000 rupees in Government Securities , On the recommendation of the District Board of General Purposes , a sum of 4000 rupees was ordered to be transferred to the Masonic H ; ill Building Fund , namely , 2000 rupees from the General Fund and 2000 rupees from the Freemasons' Hall Fund . *

* It was also resolved on the recommendation of the District Board , that" The District Grand Master may present medals to Brethren who had rendered valuable help" to the Bengal Masonic Association ; a gold medal to be annually awarded at the March Quarterly Communication of District Grand Lodge " to tho

Donors who shall have presented to , or the Stewards who shall have collected the largest amount for , the Bengal Masonic Association during the preceding calendar year , provided that the amount presented or collected is not less than 1000 rupees ; " and twosilvtr medals for amounts presented or collected of not less than sco rupees . We trust the new rule wi | l he attended with successful results .

» * * A recent number of the Masonic Review , of Cincinnati , contains a highly interesting sketch of the Masonic career of Bro . George W . Atkinson , who was initiated in Kanawha Lodge , No . 20 , W . Virginia , in September , 1866 , and presided over the Croft in that

State as M . W . Grand Master during the years 18 7 6 and 1877 . Jn 1885 he was elected G . Secretary , and has acquitted himself most creditably in that office ever since . Bro , Atkinson is also Governor of West Virginia , and is highly esteemed in public and private life as well as by the brethren of his State ,