Provincial Grand Lodge Of Oxfordshire.

time in the province of Oxford , the great Masonic functions of the province , though I have had the pleasure of being thirty years a Mason , and lived near thc borders of Oxfordshire , when four or live years ago you , most fortunately for yourselves in this province , secured a member of the Royal family as Provincial Grand Master , who has carried on the duties to the

advantage of this province . I can only say that 1 most heartily congratulate my neighbours in Oxfordshire upon the selection they then made . In proposing "The Health of thc Grand Master , " the Duke of Albany showed us that we owed a great deal lo lhat illustrious prince ; but not only do we owe a great deal to that illustrious prince but we are very proud of his brothers ; and I may

be perhaps permitted to congratulate H . R . H . upon the safe return of his brother , the Duke of Connaught . Last time I had the honour to meet him he was presiding over the festival of thc Girls' School . I forget how many thousands were collected , but a great many more than before . Wherever any good work is to be performed some members of ihe Royal Family are sure to

be there . Fortunately for Freemasonry we have three of Her Majesty s son s members of the Craft . Since the reign of the Prince of Wales thc Masonic Charities have increased vastly . I can again say that I hope and trust that this province may long continue to have the Duke of Albany at their head , and that the Duke of Albany may give me an opportunity of paying a visit to this province on a future occasion .

The Duke of ALBANY ( who on rising was greeted with a round of applause ) said : Brethren , I rise at once to thank you most sincerely for the cordial reception which you have given to the toast of my health , and to Lord Leigh for the . flattering terms—much too flattering—( " No , no " )—in which he has spoken of me . I know you will believe me when I tell you

that , after a two years absence , it gives me great pleasure to meet you once more , and to show you thai the interest I have always felt in the province , over which I have the honour to preside , is in no way diminished . I trust that in the future nothing will occur to prevent my being present at these annual meetings , which arc so important in preserving that unanimity and

goodwill for which , I will venture to say , the Province of Oxford has been specially remarkable , and which are most precious to me , as they afford me an opportunity , though unfortunately for so short a period , of renewing many valued friendships which I formed when I was a resident among you . I am particularly anxious to seize this , the lirst , opportunity lhat has occurred to

express to you my grateful sense of the kindness which prompted you to be among the very first to congratulate me upon my engagement , and to tell you personally how highly I feel the token which you sent me as a marriage gift , and as an earnest of the good wishes for my happiness in the new life which 1 then entered . 1 can assure you , and you

will readily believe , that the sympathy and good wishes of my friends upon that occasion were specially valuable to mc , and I will ever recall your kindness on that occasion with the liveliest sentiments of gratitude and pleasure . 1 have happily heard from time to time through Bro . Bird , to whom I am most deeply indebted for the watchful care with which he has attended to

the interests of the province—I have been happy to hear , I say , of the thriving condition of the different lodges , and of the active interest which is shown throughout thc province to all matters relating to the good of the Craft . I might here specially allude to thc satisfactory manner in which thc great Masonic Charities had been supported , but that happily has become

one of the normal conditions of the province and must betaken as a matter of course . Since I have been with you a new lodge has been formed at Henleyupon-Thames , and I congratulate thc brethren on the work and wish them all possible prosperity in the future . I am extremely sorry that it was impossible for me to be present at the consecration , and 1 beg lo

assure you that if any need arises in thc future upon forming any new lodge nothing shall prevent me being present to consecrate it in person , and testify thc great interest I feel in the interests of masonry throughout every corner of thc province . Brethren , I cannot close these cursory remarks upon the affairs of the

province without alluding to the great loss we have sustained by the death of Bro . Ravenshaw , the Past Prov . Grand Chaplain , whose face was familiar lo all the members of the province and who was at the lime a member of the . Apollo Lodge . I have also to record the deaths of Bro . Ravenshaw , and Bro . F . Fcnlham Hedges , who devoted much time and

labour to the good of the Craft . Wc miss also thc face of Bro . Hobbs , who , for a quarter of a century faithfully discharged the duties of Assistant Secretary of the province , and who must have been acquainted with almost every brother in it . I am glad to find that we shall be able to show our regard by recording our votes for his widow who is a candidate for the Benevolent

Institution . Brethren , before sitting down , I have lo ask you to drink with the greatest cordialily the toasl to our visitors . I must not enlarge upon this toast as there are several who will be compelled to leave to catch the train , to whom I must say , both in your name and my own , that we feel

greatly honoured by their presence here to-day , and that we highly appreciate their kindness in coming , some of them very great distances to show their interest in the province . 1 speak of Warwickshire when 1 say that . In proposing this toast 1 couple with it the name of Bro . Lord Leigh . I give you "The Visitors , coupled with the name of Lord Leigh .

Lord LEIGH briefly responded , thanking IIis Koyal Highness and Bro . Bird for permitting the Warwickshire visitors to join in thc interesting ceremony they had witnessed ; and , on his own behalf and in the name of the Warwickshire brethren , he gave them " Hearty good wishes . 55 The Province of Warwickshire had learned that day from Oxfordshire that it was possible to have their festivities graced by the presence oi ladies .

Thc Duke of A LBANY : Brethren , I have but very few minutes in which to propose the last toast , and I fear I shall not be able to do full justice to it . It is that of my " Deputy Provincial Grand Officer , Bro . Bird - , the brethren I have had the pleasure to invest to-day , and other Provincial Grand

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Oxfordshire.

Officers . " Of Bro . Bird , hc does so much for me I can only say I do not know how I could be Grand Master if it were not for having Bro . Bird to help me . Of the other Grand Officers , I am certain that they will fulfil their duties as well as their predecessors did ; and I can only regret that I

have not the pleasure to be more personally acquainted with them . On account of my long residence I was going to propose the next toast , but I am obliged to leave . 1 have asked Bro . Bird to propose it in my stead ; I shall , therefore , not have the pleasure to propose lhat toast .

Bro . BIRD : Your Royal Highness and brethren—on behalf of thc Provincial Grand Officers of this province I beg to return you my very best thanks . I have to thank you , Sir , personally , for the many kind remarks you have made about me , and you know that anything I can do to prepare

the work for your hands I shall always be ready to do . The other brethren have always been ready to support the Charities whenever they had been called upon to do so . They are very glad , we know , to see so many visitors here to day . It is a veiy great feather in my cap having so many visitors to attend here to-day , and I beg to thank you most heartily .

As His Royal Highness , accompanied by the officers of Grand Lodge , left the hall , thc brethren all rose in their places cheering him with the greatest enthusiasm . Bro . BIRD , having taken the chair , said : Brethren , in the name of His Royal Highness I ask you to drink to " The Health and Prosperity of

the Cherwell Lodge . " I do this with very great pleasure , for when I was a very young Mason I was present when it was consecrated in a place where they will be glad to get out of . I was very glad last year when I heard they were going to build a new Masonic Hall . I know that the W . M . is

very well up in his work , and will do everything that is best for his lodge , and , therefore , I hope that he will last to perform the ceremonies in this new building , which has been commenced under his auspices . I wish him and the brethren of the Cherwell Lodge every happiness in their new hall , and that they may be prosperous in their new conditions .

Bro . PALMER , W . M . of the Cherwell Lodge , then said : Very Worshipful Deputy Provincial Grand Master and brethren , on behalf of thc officers and brethren of the Cherwell Lodge I wish to say how fully we ap preciate the very great honour that has been conferred upon us to-day . We are aware of the interest that His Royal Highness the Provincial Grand

Master takes in Freemasonry , especially in that portion of it which refers to this province ; indeed , if we required any further proof of this fact , wc have it since His Roya ! Highness has been graciously pleased to come here to-day to lay the foundation-stone of our new hall . For some lime past we have met in a room which has not been worthy of so noble a cause , but now

we hope soon to have a building which will not only give greater comfort and convenience to the brethren , but which will also be more worthy of the Great Architect of the Universe Himself , and of those high moral precepts which are inculcated in all Masonic lodges . During some years Freemasonry had made little or no progress in Banbury : but at the present moment

it is advancing with very rapid strides . The report that was read at the Provincial Grand Lodge this morning referred to the proceedings of last year . So far from having done little work , I am proud to be able to say that since my installation in February twenty-two ceremonies have already fallen to my lot , and I have very great reason to believe that during the

remaining portion of my year of office I shall have the pleasure of performing at least twenty-two more . Such is the present position of the Cherwell Lodge . I believe that it has a bright future in store , and that in point of prosperity it will be second to none in His Royal Highness ' s province . This has been a great day for Banbury , it is so seldom that we have the

honour of seeing a member of the Royal Family in our old town ; it has been a greater day still for the members of the Cherwell Lodge ; and I am sure that the remembrance of this auspicious occasion will be indelibly imprinted upon the hearts , not only of the members of thc Cherwell Lodge , but of all those brethren also whom I have the honour of seeing around me

to-day . 1 thank you , very worshipful sir , for the kind manner in which you have proposed the toast . I thank you all , brethren , for having come here in such numbers to honour us with your company to-day , and for the hearty and enthusiastic manner ia which you have received this toast . The proceedings then terminated .

GENERAL LAWS of MASONRY are those which affect the fraternity generally , or as under a jurisdictio n or constitution . They are to be found in the ancient charges incorporated in the Constitutions themselves , and in the constitutions of the various Ma sonic bodies throughout the world , and may be termed the " Lex Scripta" of Masonic statute law . There is also a

Masonic common law , a Lex Inscrtpta , by which much of our Masonic life and work are governed . In the Grand Lodge resides alone the power of enacting laws and regulations generally for the Craft , of altering and repealing old ones , of framing and passing new ones . It may be contended , indeed , that there are some regulations such as those of 1721 , and enlarged in 173 S ,

which are general laws , but we thank this a doubtful question , as all independent Grand Lodges can undoubt edly modify them according to their good pleasure , and they give way , eve n amongst ourselves , to the Book of Constitutions . In one sense these m . ay be termed General Laws or Landmarks ,

and they only prevail and arc in force inasmuch and in so far as they harmonize with the Book of Cons Xitutions . From several of their provisions we have long since widely and m . -aerially departed . —Kciiniirg ' s Cyclopaedia of Freemasonry .

Bro . James Lewis-Thomas , Pa st Assistant Gland Director erf Ceremonies , F . S . A ., has been appointed by the Se -crrtary of State for War to be Chief Surveyor , War Department . Bio , Lewis-Tho man has for several years filled the ofiice of Deputy Surveyor .