The Anti-Masonic Congress.

from it altogether . She promises the publication of revelations under the title of " Memoirs of an ex-Palladian of the Perfect Rite , " in which the meaning of many of their ceremonies and symbols will be explained . A visit to a relative in a convent , where she asked permission to be present at Mass , was followed by her conversion to Catholicism . It had been the object of many devout prayers , and the sudden death , on the very day that she left the convent in an altered frame of mind , of Pcre Delaporte , a pious priest who had offered up his life for it , gave it in the eyes of many a miraculous character . —The Tablet .

Provincial Priory Of Dorset.

PROVINCIAL PRIORY OF DORSET .

The annual Provincial Priory of Dorset was held under the banner of All Souls' Preceptory , No . 31 , on Wednesday , the 14 th instant , and was , as is usually ihe case , a most pleasant meeting . The popular and hospitable Prov . Prior , Sir Knight Sir R . N . Howard , presided , and was supported by a goodly number of sir knights from the county .

The Treasurer ' s report , wilh statement of accounts , was received and adopted , which showed a good balance in hand on both the General and also on the Alms Fund Account , and Sir Knight the Rev . W . M . Heath , P . G . Prelate England , was re-elected Treasurer . The PROV . PRIOR addressed the sir knights on the state of the Order generally , special allusion being made to the new regulations absut to take effect and issued by Great Priory .

The Provincial Officers for the year were appointed as follows .-Sir Knight H . Tizard George ... ... Prov . Sub .-Prior . ,, Zillwood Milledge ... ... Prov . Prelate . ,, Russell Patey ... ... ... Prov . Chancellor . ,, Rev . F . Mondey ... ... Prov . Constable . ,, W . Barlow Morgan ... ... Prov . Marshal .

,, H . J . Groves ... ... ... Prov . Registrar . „ Rev . W . M . Heath ... ... Prov . Treasurer . „ J . A . Sherrin ... ... ... Prov . Vice-Chan ,

„ F . W . Hettey ... ... ... Prov . Sub-Marsh il . „ B . Browning ... ... ... Prov . Almoner . „ M . C . C . Burke ... ... Prov . Capt . of Guard . ,, Sidney S . Milledge ... ... Prov . Herald . „ The Earl of Portarlington ... Prov . Std . Br . Frater Harris ... ... ... ... Prov . Outer Guard .

At the conclusion of the business , carriages were in waiting to convey the sir knights to Greenhill House , the charming residence of the Provincial Prior , where a most sumptuous and recherche repast was served , and from the terrace the weekly yacht racing of the Weymouth Corinthian Sailing Club , the arrival of a despatch vessel from the Fleet , together with the arrival and departure of steamers , yachts , and ships , were seen to great advantage . The weather was lovely , and the mealing of 1895 will long be remembered as a most enjoyable one .

An Unfortunate Complication.

AN UNFORTUNATE COMPLICATION .

The cable recently informed us that at the June Communication of the Grand Lodge of England two nominees of the Cambrian Lodge of New South VVales had been elected to the Colonial Board . It is impossible without further information to estimate the precise significance of this , further than that it shows that a most unfortunate dispute is likely to be prolonged . The dispute is one which has in it many dangerous elements likely to create

scandal , and which , unless great care is exercised by the English Grand Lodge , may produce very serious and disastrous results . As a good deal more will , no doubt , be heard of the matter , and important principles are involved , it may not be without interest if we briefly recapitulate the main facts . The dispute dates back to the time when , through the personal intervention of Bro . Lord Carnarvon , the trouble which existed between the

New South Wales Freemasons and the Freemasons working under the English Constitution in that Colony was apparently healed by the formation of the present United Grand Lodge of New South Wales . All the lodges in New South Wales formally agreed to the new order of things and joined the United Grand Lodge , as a matter of course surrendering their original

charters . Amongst these lodges was the Cambrian Lodge , No . 656 , E . C . Tne United Grand Lodge was instituted in August , 18 S 8 . A minority of the Cambrian Lodge , it . appears , dissented from the determination to transfer its allegiance , after the charter had been handed over a Past Master and 18 members asked the former D . G . M . of the E . C . that it should be returned to

them . He replied that this could not be done . The P . M . and nine of these brethren have since given in their adhesion to the United Grand Lodge , and one has died . The remaining eight , " of a more determined character than the others , " persist in claiming to still adhere to the English Constitution , althiugh it is quite clear that the Grand Lodge of England does not want them , and would be very thankful if they would save them from a difficulty

by joining the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales as the other lodges have done . The Grand Lodge of England at once recognised the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales when formed , and a Commission was sent out to Grand Master liro . Lord Carrington , authorising . him to cancel the original English charters , and then return them as mementoes to the lodges they had originally belonged to . This was done , the Cambrian charter being amongst those cancelled and returned . The cancellation was

effected by a large stamp . The Cambrian Lodge , under the United Grand Lodge , received back the cancelled charter , and held it until one day a dissentient brother called at the place of business of the W . M . and asked to be allowed to see the charter . It was handed to him for examination , but ins ' . eael of giving it back after examination , he put it in his pocket and walked off with it . It was retained by the dissentients until December , 1892 , \ hen one of them—Bro . Baskett—armed with a power of attorney from the

An Unfortunate Complication.

others , produced it before the Colonial Board of the Grand Lodge of England . It then bore the cancellation stamp . The Colonial Board somewhat readily accepted the ex parte statements of Bro . Baskett and his party , and in Junes 1 S 93 , a recommendation was made to and accepted by the Grand Ledge of England , that the Cambrian charter should not have been cancelled , and that relief should be afforded to the dissentient "brethren by the

issue of a Warrant of Confirmation to ' enable them to continue working under the English Constitution . In the meantime the minority members of the Cambrian Lodge had by chemical or other means removed the marks of the cancelling stamp on the original charter , and proceeded to re-open the lodge under it , which had then been extinct for several years . Bro . Lord Jersey , then Grand Master of New South Wales , endeavoured , but without

success , to win over the minority . He subsequently informed the Grand Lodge of England that they would listen to no reason . They actually had the audacity not only to instal a Master and make Masons , but also to enter an action in the Supreme Court to recover from the United Grand Lodge £ 500 , as the value of the property of the old lodge , and damages for its conversion , hinting also that if successful they would claim the whole of the

Charitable Fund formerly possessed by the D . G . Lodge of New South Wales , E . C . ( upwards of £ 2 O , < ) , which had been transferred to the United Grand Lodge on its formation and the dissolution of the District Grand Lodge , E . C . The United Grand Lodge was naturally indignant at these proceedings , and formally complained ot them to the Grand Lodge of England . The Colonial Board , on further consideration , saw reason to

refrain from further action in upholding the dissentient Cambrian brethren . The Warrant of Confirmation was withheld on the Grand Registrar ' s advice , and a request for a grant of money to prosecute the lawsuit was refused . It was seen by the Grand Registrar and Board that to re-charter the Cambrian Lodge under the E . C . would be an invasion of the sovereign rights of the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales , and would lead to serious

complications . So when the Cambrian Lodge , claiming to be No . 656 , E . G ., sent Home returns and fees , the Colonial Board refused to recognise or register them . This gave great offence to the Cambriam sympathisers , amongst whom a Bro . Eve took a prominent position , and after some bickering between him and the Colonial Board on matters of form , he , at the Communication of the Grand Lodge of England in December last ,

asked what steps had been taken by the Grand Secretary or the Colonial Board to give effect to the resolutions of Grand Lodge of the 7 th June , 1893 , in respect to the Cambrian Lodge of Australia , No . 656 . The Grand Secretary read a long reply from the Colonial Board detailing the facts , but rather shirking the questions of principle involved , excusing inaction on the ground that the question of whether the dissentients were legally the old

Cambrian Lodge or not was pending before the Supreme Court of New South Wales , and that Grand Lodge should not prejudice this action by doing anything . Bro . Eve then moved— " That the Colonial Board and the Grand Secretary be instructed to take prompt action to assist the loyal brethren of the Cambrian Lodge of Australia , No . 656 , in upholding their rights . " On this a long debate , not altogether free from strong language ,

ensued . Bro . Lord Jersey strongly opposed the motion , and took decided objection to describing the dissentients as " loyal" brethren . "It ought not , " he said , " to be expected that those brethren who followed the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales were actuated by disloyalty to the Grand Lodge of England , and that those who did not join merit to be called the loyal brethren in contradistinction . " This opinion might be of value to

some New Zealand brethren . The Grand Registrar , Bro . Philbrick , Q . C , and the Deputy Grand Registrar , Bro . T . L . Wilkinson , also spoke strongly against the motion , which was ultimately negatived . Nothing further of importance has been done since except what the cable refers to . There were already one or two strong supporle s of the Cambrian minority on the Colonial Board , so that possibly the tlection referred to will not alter the position much . For the Grand Lodge of England to re-charter the

Cambrian Lodge would be to invade an independent Masonic territory and to violate the sovereign rights of a sister jurisdiction . Should the Grand Lodge of England do this , the United Grand Lodgj of New South Wales would be justified in resisting the action in the most decided manner , and it would , in doing so , be sure of the sympathy and support of the sister Colonial Grand Lodges . We sincerely hope that it will never be so illadvised as to do anything of the kind , —New Zealand Craftsman ,

The Presiding Genius At A Banquet.

THE PRESIDING GENIUS AT A BANQUET .

Among the ancient Mexicans , Mr . Dorman tells us , in his " Origin of Primitive Superstitions , " Omacate was the god of mirth . His image , which was that of a man , was brought in and presided at the banquets . If this was neglected , the gods could mix hairs with the food of the guests , which was a great disgrace , as well as a great discomfort , to the participants .

Every Freemason has been present , now and then , at Masonic banquets , which have had , as it were , hairs mixed with the food . The fault was not with the caterer , but the Master . The hairs were not literal hairs , not filaments growing from the skin of an animal , but metaphorical hairs , which , however , were as unpleasant mentally as the real hairs would have been physically .

Some Masters do not know how to act as the presiding genius of a banquet , and , so far as they are concerned , they might as well , or better , be absent . The proper presiding genius certainly is absent , and as a result figurative hairs are mixed with the food . A Master who takes his lodge , or High Priest his chapter , down to the

banquet hall at or near 11 o ' clock at night , has at the outset provided hairs , which will run through every course . It is impossible for the large majority of members to enjoy a late banquet . They cannot and will not give the necessary time to it to make it enjoyable . They can only eat and run . Now there is nothing Masonic about that . A Masonic banquet is not simply a

contribution of solids and fluids to a stomach that possibly is already ful ' i and that only requires at the time rest , and the entire body and mind sleep i but it is a tickling of the palate with toothsome viands in order that the social propensities may be awakened and enlivened , the hearts of all present beat in unison throughout the entire assemblage , the tongues be loosed so a 5 to break forth in pleasant speech , story , and song , and the mind prepared