The Supreme Councils Of England And Scotland.

THE SUPREME COUNCILS OF ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND .

General satisfaction will be everywhere . felt that the dissensions which for some time past have existed between the Supreme Councils of the Ancient and Accepted Rite for England and Wales , of the one part , ancl Scotland , of the other part , have been amicably settled , in a manner which reflects the utmost

credit on both bodies , and especially on those among their officers , on whom has devolved the chief labour in determining the feud . As to the original cause of these unfortunate relations nothing need be said here . It has been mutually agreed that all differences shall be consigned to oblivion . What concerns us chiefly

is the terms of the concordat , which has been most carefully drawn up , and will render the occurrence of future differences well nigh impossible . These terms , or conditions , are three in number , and may be summarised as follows : Firstly , it is provided That no private chapter under either of the aforesaid

Supreme Councils shall confer the i 8 ° for a fee of less than three guineas ( £ 3 3 s . ) , or upon a brother hailing from a sister jurisdiction , unless by special permission from the Supreme Council of the country to which his Craft lodge belongs . The second condition provides 0

" That the 30 ( or higher Degrees ) shall not be conferred on any brother unless he is specially elected thereto by the Supreme Council of his allegiance ; and that no Consistory abroad shall be held , except for the purpose of conferring the Degree on brethren so elected , and under special authority from the said

Supreme Council . " The third and last provision is to the effect "That a brother having sworn allegiance to either Supreme Council , shall not receive any of the Degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Rite from any other Masonic body without the permission of the Supreme Council to which he has originally given

such allegiance . " ' These terms are so clearly defined ancl so easy of fulfilment that any disturbance of the friendly relations thereby renewed between the Supreme Councils of England and Scotland may be regarded as being , if not impossible , most improbable , and we gladly offer our congratulations to the

brethren by whose diplomatic skill and ability this restoration of friendshi p between the two bodies has been effected , in a manner , as we have said , so satisfactory to both , and so likely to

prove beneficial to the interests of the Rite generally . As a consequence of the renewed fraternal relations ) Bro . H . D . SANDEMAN , G . Sec . Gen ., has been appointed Grand Representative of the Supreme Council of the A . and A . Rite for Scotland .

The Craft In Bombay.

THE CRAFT IN BOMBAY .

it is evident from the published proceedings we have recently received of the District Grand Lodge of Bombay , at its halfyearl y communication in the spring of this year , that the Craft made satisfactory progress during the period to which they relate . In the various East Indian Districts there is o-nnprallv a fair

number of lodges , but the lodges themselves are not , except in a icw cases , numerically strong . This is in a great measure to be accounted for by the fact that members are every now and then moved from one station to another , according to the exigencies ot military or civil duty . Moreover , in up-country stations , the

communities from which lodges are ordinarily recruited are by no means numerous . But , notwithstanding the disadvantages wus caused ,- the lodges in the District of Bombay appear to have . not only maintained , but even to a slip-Jit extent tn have inr-re-i ' sprl

iheir- number * during the six months to tlie end of Mafchj I 6 ^ 9- In all other respects they seem to have clone exceU ent y well . Bro . HAROLD R . KING , P . G . D ., D . D . G . M ., who , n the unavoidable absence . on duty of his Royal Highness the "uke of CONNAUGHT , D . G . M ., presided at this communication , ° ngratulated the brethren on the harmonious working * of the

ages and the satisfactory state of the various funds connected 'th the District Grand Lodge , the accounts to the close of 1888 towing that an increase had taken place in the balances

standclf ? , P ectlvel y to their credit - Thus the District Grand Lodge osed the year with 9548 rupees : in hand . The Fund of the th m * - ¥ ^ Association now amounts to over 30 , 151 rupees , e increase in 1888 being , in round figures , ' 2820 rupees !

The Craft In Bombay.

while the Fund of Benevolence'hacl increased by 1182 rupees , the total amount to credit being upwards of 9202 rupees . Again , as regards the Hall Committee's accounts , the Deputy District Grand Master was in a position to show that though " the Hall Committee is not supposed to make any profit out of the lodges

that use the hall , " there was an increase during the year of 141 rupees , the receipts having amounted to 9225 rupees , and the expenditure to 9084 rupees , the amount carried forward to the new account being 497 8 rupees . There were other subjects referred to by Bro . KING in the course of his address , the steps it

was proposed to take in order to carry out the scheme suggested some time previously for the extension of the Masonic Library in Bombay being onex > f them . He also alluded to the position of affairs as regards the proposed new Masonic Hall , the whole of the estimated cost having been subscribed , while the application for a site had been sent in to the Government , and the

Hall Committee were anxiously awaiting the reply . Bro . KING then passed to subjects less pleasant to refer to , and paid an eloquent tribute of respect firstly to the memory of their late District Grand Master , Bro . E . TYRRELL LEITH , who died in December last , and whose virtues and great services to the

district he was confident the brethren would always affectionately and thankfully remember ; and then to that of the late Bro . LANG , Past Dep . G . M . of the Grand . Lodge of all Scottish Freemasonry in India , whom he described as " a Mason of singularly clear and straightforward principles , " who , as he took leave to remind his

audience , had rendered them most valuable assistance in relation to their proposed new hall ' only a short time previous to his death . Lastly , he stated in graceful terms that the English Craft were working on the most cordial terms " with all other Masonic bodies in India and in other parts of . the world , "

but more particularly with their " immediate neighbours , the Grand Lodge of A . S . F . I ., which is so ably presided over by its present Grand Master , Sir HENRY MORLAND . " Therefore , as we have pointed out on several former occasions , whatever may be the evils or difficulties which are alleged

to be inherent in the system of concurrent jurisdiction in other British Colonies or Dependencies , these evils and difficulties are not found to exist in the Bombay Presidency . However , this is a subject which does not concern us just now , and , therefore , we

shall content ourselves with congratulating his Royal Highness the District Grand Master , his officers , and the brethren generally of this distant branch of English Masonry on the success which has attended their labours during the past year . May their future progress be as satisfactory !

The Grand Lodge Of Liberia.

THE GRAND LODGE OF LIBERIA .

It is not often that we are favoured with news about the condition of Freemasonry in this little African State . It is mentioned , indeed , in the report we have received of the Proceedings of its Grand Lodge during the year 1888 , that " owing to a combination of untoward circumstances , the proceedings of

our Grand Lodge have not been printed for several years past . " Our readers , therefore , will no doubt excuse us if we have been silent upon a subject of which it was well-nig h impossible we could possess any knowledge , and will be of the same opinion as Hotspur when , addressing his wife on a certain occasion . He said , " I well believe Thou wilt not utter what thou dost not know . "

There is , however , a Grand Lodge of Liberia , a Grand Lodge on a very modest scale—if such a paradox be possible—as becomes a modest little State , whose political and commercial relations with other States we hear little or nothing about . It has also a full complement of Grand Officers , with Standing Committees on

Foreign Correspondence , Finance , ancl Jurisprudence , though what knotty problems these several Committees may have to consider does not appear from the record with which we have been favoured . Certainly , the Finance Committee is not likely to strike on behalf of greater freedom from exacting duty and a

lower degree of responsibility . There are six private lodges on the roll of this Grand Lodge , ancl the Grand Lodge tax fees due from them—but in respect of what service and for what period is not stated—is given as 131 dollars , or about 25 guineas of our money . At the Annual Communication on the ioth December last , the Grand Master delivered a long and somewhat poetic