Provincial Grand Lodge Of Nottinghamshire.

nd vocal artists , surrounded by a delicious collection of sothouse plants and mirrors . On the broad terrace outi de was placed the splendid band of the Robin Hood Rifles , which p layed at intervals during the evening . More than 800 persons were present , and when all the guests were in the Long Gallery the scene was most charming . The Masonic body were in full regalia—here and there were to

be seen the graceful robes of a Knight Templar , followed by the sombre hue of the Knight of Malta * , the glaring dress of the Rosicrucian , relieved by the blue of the Craft and mixture of the Royal Arch . The above , mixed with the rich dresses and laces of the fair sex , presented a scene of singular brilliance . At half-past nine Sir James Oldknow was received under

an arch of crossed swords , and shortly afterwards a similar ceremony was performed when the Ducal party entered , consisting of the Duke and Duchess ot St . Albans , the Earl of Carnarvon , and the duchess ' s sister , Sir Ivor and Lady Guest , and other distinguished visitors . These

remained in the rooms for an hour , regarding the proceedi * j s wilh evident pleasure , and inspecting the rare and 1 ( 'liy contents of the museum . After thc departure of the ' i-cal party , the guests gradually departed , and thus 1 1 ought to a close a day long and vividly to be remembered by those who were so fortunate as to be present .

The Ancient And Accepted Rite In Mew Zealand.

THE ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED RITE IN MEW ZEALAND .

Our nailers may recollect thKt , in thc year 18 7 6 , a communication was laid before the Grand Lodge and other governing Masonic bodies in Scotland , relative to certain steps which had been taken to i * sue a spurious charier in the British possession of New Zealand . This

communication , which was from Bio . J . Whyte Melville of Bennochy and Strathkiunes , Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Council 33 ° of Scotland , set forth that in the month of June last , he learned tbat two brethren in Edinburgh were endeavouring to obtain a charter from the Grand Orient of France , to establish a Supreme Council in New Zealand , and one of them , a brother John T . Loth , proceeded to Paris for this purpose ; that he put

himself in communication with the Grand Orient of France , and the result was that the charter was not grantee ! ; that Uro . Lath then communicated with the Supreme Masonic Conned of Luxembourg , but did not get a charter from that body either . He then applied to the Grand Orie . it and Supreme Council of Egypt , a body at that time unrecognized . From it he got all he asked . A translation of the 'De cree of the Grand Orient and Supreme Council was published , and is as follows .

A . * . G . * . D . * . G * .. A . * . D . * . M . * . GllANU OlllUNT OF Ec . Vl'T . To all the regular Masons in the Two Hemispheres .

S . * . U . * . G . * . P . * . F . " DKCKKE XLV ., We , S . A . Zola , 33 , Sovereign Grand Inspector General , Granel Master , Grand Hierofant of the Grand Orient of Egypt , Supreme Council of Egypt and its Depemlencies , ns Grand Commander ad vitam of the Supreme Council of the Thirty-third Degree , President of the Grand College

of Rile .- ' , of the Section of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite Having taken into due consideration a petition presented ( us by our Grand Secretary , under date 7 th October , 1875 , K . V ., in name tf 111 . Brother j . T . Loth , KnUht K . T . of the Thirtieth Degree , & c , etc ., and confirmed by lhe Mandate of III . Bro . Wm . Officer , Knight K . H . 30 * ,

i ! C , * ic , by which the III . Bros . John Hislop . K . T ., John H i de Harris , k . T ., William Caldwell , K . T ., William M'Cullough , P . M ., JobnHonibourne Sanders , K . T ., James Mills , P . M ., Wm . Patrick Crawford , K . T ., Frederick William Tluil , R . A ., L uis Court , K . T ., request to be promoted to the Tliirty-thitd aud last Dcgiee ol the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Hite , and to be authorised

lo work from the First to tbe L ist Degree of that Rite ; to be empowered to confer regularly all the Degrees of the Ancient ant Accepted Scottish Rite upon those brethren whom they shall judge worthy , antl finally , to empower them to constitute a Supreme Council of the Thirtythird . Considering as sufficient anil available the moral and

Masonic guarantee which 111 . Bros . Lolh and Officer offer i 11 favour of the petilioners . Considering that in accepting such petition , tbe Grand Orient of Egypt , far from injuring the rights acquired by other powers , only co-operates in tbe progress and in the splendour of Masonry , in a country where until now no Suine-aie body c-xUts .

I laving taken into account the enormous distance which scjuiiatis the petitioners from ihcir mandatories , and these from lhe- powers invoked . Having heard the opinion of our Council , consulted the General Statutes and Rtgulations of our Order , and in virtue of tbe unlimited powers accorded to us by . the Council itself and confirmed to us by the constituency .

We have decreed and we do decree . Article ist . HI . Bro . J . T . Lolh is raisctl to the Thirtythiid Degree of the Ancient and Accepted . Scottish Hite , and nominated Special Delegate from tlie Grand Orient of Kg ) 11 , for tbe purpose of communicating the same degree to tlie mandatory of the applicant , 111 . Bro . Officer . Artie le 2 nd . 111 . Bro . Officer is raised to lhe Tliirty-tliirel Degree , and authorised iu conjunction with liro . Loth to

' " > iif > r personally , or communicate by lilt r , such Degree 1 MI lhe ti"dcrsignt d petition-, r . s . Article 3 rd . The undt-rs . igiird petitioners , living in New Zealand , are invested with up tu the Thirty-third Degree , and authorised to wotk antl cause to work in all the Degrees , and to communicate llie-in to all such brethren as tlicy . shall b ' - '* ic \ e worthy of tltciii . Article 41 b . There is hereby accorded to tin u der-

The Ancient And Accepted Rite In Mew Zealand.

signed brethren petitioners , a patent by which to con stitute a Supreme Council of the thirty-third Degree , under the auspices of the Grand Orient of Egypt , and under the free denomination of Supreme Council of the thirty-third Degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite for New Zealand and its Dependencies . Article tth . The execution of the present Decree , so far

as concerns 111 . Bro . J . T . Loth , is hereby confided to our Grand Secretary—in so far as concerns the petitioners , III . Bros . Loth and Officer , are bound under the rule of Article 2 rd of the present Decree , —with the obligation of depositing in " the archives of the Grand Orient of Egypt , the

signed obligations under the form annexed of III . Bros . Loth , Officer , and the petitioners . Given fr . im the seat of the Grand Orient of Egpyt , this XVI . day of the VIII . month of thc year V . L . 000 , 875—16 th October , 1875 , E . V ., Thc Grand Master—Sov . G . Commander ad riliim ,

( Signed ) S . A . ZOLA , 33 , 9 6 ° . The Grand Secretary , ( Signed ) F . F . ODDI , 33 " , 95 , The Grand Chancellor , ( Signed ) P . L . D 1 LBER 0 GLUE , 33 ° , 95 ° , The Grand Lodge of Scotland at once sent instructioi . s to its Provincial Grand Master in New Zealand , to warn

the Scottish brethren there against having anything to do vvith the botly so irregularly constituted in New Zealand , and the same course was followed hy the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Scotland , antl the Chapter general of the Relig ious and Military Order uf thc Temple . Since then the * Supreme Council eif Egypt lias been legalised , and is How acknowledged as a lawful Council

of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite ; but being satisfied of the error previously committed , ils first act has been , in the most frank and ample manner , to express this and to undo it . lt has accordingly issued a Decree , a translation of which vra annex , cancelling the diplomas issual to Bros . Loth and Officer , creating them members of the Thirty-third De-gree , cancelling all the diplomas

issued to brethren in New Zealand , cancelling the Charter under which the body there was professing to wotk , and declaring all tlie patents , diplomas , and certifieates sent to New Zealand and Scotlanel in absence , and relating to the Ancient antl Accepted Scottish Rite , to be nullities , and that the same are eleleted from the Registry cf the Supreme Council of New Zealand . Thc following is the Decree : —

Ouua An CttA > . Ail Universi Tcrraru « n Orbis Sunimi Architect ! Gloriam . Grantl Orient of Egypt . Supreme Council of thc Thirty thirel and List Degree of the Ancient auel Accepted Scot tish Hite . Valley of the Nile . No . 152 Subject . Orient uf Alexandria ,

DECKRE . We , S . A . Zola , Sovereign Grand Commander , Grand Master of the Supreme Council of the Thirty-third and Last Degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite for Egypt at d its Dependencies , Valley of the Nile . As the Supreme Council of Egypt , anxious always to propagate the highest principals oi the Rite , by our

Decree-, No . 45 , of 16 th October , 1875 , and subsequently No . 6 9 , of 20 th March , 1876 , exalted to the Thirty-third Degree , several distinguished Alasons living in New Zealand , and granteel to them patents by which tbey could constitute in that valley a Supreme Council of the Thirty-third Degree , and that because that territory was considered free and not subject to any regular Supreme Council .

As the Supreme Council of Egypt , moved by the same principle , by means of several of our Decrees exalted to the 33 rd Degree several Masons residing in Scotland , and that because the Supreme Council of Scotland had been represented to us as an irreguUr and illegitimate body . We being now satisfied and convinced of the legal and 1-gitimale existence of the Supreme Council of England ,

Ireland anil ScotUnd , of the right of the first or of all the three over New Zealand considered as a dependency of tbe British Crown , and in consequence being satisfied if the grave error into which we had , to then injury , involuntarily fillen . I laving consulted the Grand Constitutions of 1876 . Wishing , as much as in us lies , that the nio .-. t perfect harmony should reign among all the Supreme Councils of

the two hemispheres . Requiring for us , and for all the Masonic powers , the most scrupulous reciprocity in questions relative to territorial Jurisdictions . Desiring , above all , that any , even the least pretext of schism or division on our part maybe avoided with the universal Masonic brotherhood . Having heard the opinion

of the ailivi- members of the Supreme Council . In its own name , have decreet ! and do decree . Artic ' e 1 . Our Decrees , No . 45 , of 16 th October , 18 75 , and No . 69 , of 25 th March , 1876 . E V ., by which there were raised to the Thirty-third Degree several ) Masons living in New Zealand , and according to them the power to constitute themselves into a Supreme Council of the

Thirty-third Degree , is definitively abrogatec . 2 . AU our Decrees by which several Masons living in Scotland were exalted in absence to the 33 rd are annu ' . leel . 3 . All the patents , all the diplomas , and all the certi ficatcs remitted , be it to New Zealanl , be it to Scotland , iu absence and relating tn the Ancient and Accepteei Scottish Hite , are deleted from the registry of the Supreme Council auel declaretl null .

4 . The present shall be communicated to the parties interested immediately to the Supreme Councils of both hemispheres , and shall be published by means of out Official Bulletin . Given from the Grantl Orient of Cairo , Valley ofthe Nile , this 8 . h rtayTieii A . M . 5 6 3 8 , Vulgo the 7 th September , 18 7 8 . ( Signed . ) S . A . ZOL <\ 33 * - Sov- G- Commander . V . F . ODDI , if . General Giand Chancellor .

Masonic And General Tidings.

Masonic and General Tidings .

The consecration of the " Royal Hanover Lodge " No . 1777 will take place at the Town Hall , Hounslow , on Friday the I ith October , the ceremony being performed by Bro . Col . Francis Burdett , the Prov . Grand Master for Middlesex , assisted by Bro . H . G . Buss , Asst . Grand Sec . of England , and Prov . Grand Treasurer of Middlesex .

The Town Commission of Mulhngar , county Westmeath , have , according to the Standard , passed a lesolution condemning the proposal to erect a Masonic hall in that town . A Grand Council of the Illustrious Grand Elected Knights K . H . Thirtieth Degree , will be held at the Masonie Hall , 33 , Golden-square , London , W ., on

Wednesday week , October 9 th , at 4 . 45 p . m ., prompt . On Friday , October 4 th , the Annual Meeting and Banquet of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Sussex will be held at the Royal Pavilion , Brighton , Sir W . W . Burrell , Bart ., M . P ., Prov . G . M ., presiding . Brethren intending to be present should at once obtain tickets of the following Stewards ;—Bro . J . Farncombe ( 311 ) , Lewes ;

Bro . W . T . Fell ( 315 ) , Brighton ; Bro . A . R . Croucher ( 40 ) , Hastings ; and Bro . W . G . Sharp ( 1141 ) . Thc banqueting room of this building is one of the handsomest in the south of England , and there is little doubt but that there will be a large and influential gathering on the occasion . We learn from the Broad Arrow that Bro .

thc Right Hon . Lord Waveney , R . W . G . M . Suffolk , has intimated his intention of giving a sword as a prize annually at the Oxford Military College for proficiency in riding and s'vord exercise . Bro . George Burt , Sheriff-elect of the City of London , is to be entertained at a congratulatory dinne-r ,

given by thc well known Contractors Messrs . Mowlem and Co ., at Freemasons' Hall , Great Queen St ., London , on Saturday next the 3 th proximo . * The installation meeting of the Liverpool Dramatic Lodge , No . 1609 , took place last Tuesday , the 24 th inst ., at the Masonic Hall , Liverpool . A full report of the proceedings & c . will appear in due course .

Bro . H . G . Colville has been presented with a silver salver and tea service , weighing in all thirty ounces , by the members of One and All Lodge , Bodmin . FREEMASONS' TAVERN . —The liquidators of the company which formerly carried on this establishment have made a return of £ 2 per share to the shareholders . The tavern is now being successfully carried on by Bro .

A . Best , who purchased it from the company . Bro . F . G . Faithfull announces that a report which has been circulated that he has withdrawn his candidature for thc appointment of City Remembrancer is incorrect , as he has " every intention of going to the poll . " The Whitehall Review of this week contains a list of the converts to Romanism .

A report of the consecration of St . Thomas s Chapter , No . 142 , will appear in our next . T RINITY C OLLEGE L ODGE No . 1765 . —A report of the proceedings at the consecration of this lodge is in type and will appear in our next . The Consecration of the Clarendon Lodgo , No .

1769 , took place on Tuesday last , the 24 th inst , at thc Guildhall Tavern , Gresham-street . Bro . Col . Francis Burdott , R . W . G . M . Middlesex , has returned to Ancaster House , Richmond , from Aberdeen . The annual court of Governors of the West

Lancashire Masonic Educational Institution , will be held ( immediately after the Provincial Lodge Business ) at the I'hilharmonic Hall , Hope Street , Liverpool , on Wednesday , October 2 nd , at 12 o ' clock in the forenoon , to receive and determine the several recommendations of the general committee , and for the transaction of thc general business cl the institution . CHECK ON OMNIBL * S CONDUCTORS . —Bro

A . G . Church , Secretary of the London General Omnibus Company has invented an apparatus containing continuous rolls of numbered tickets for checking the receipts A ticket , with the fare printed plainly upon it , is given to each passenger at the time payment is made , and the apparatus being so contrived that it is impossible to return a ticket when once withdrawn , the conductor will have to account for as many fares as there are t'ekcts gone from the roll in the box .

The Emperor William of Germany was initiated , passed , and raised , on May 22 nd , 1840 , more than thirty-eight years ago . AN INCREASING FAMILY . —The United States of America in 1822 contained nearly 80 , 000 members of the Masonic Fraternity ; in 1878 , the State of New York contains many more , and the United States 600 , 000 . We are asked to state that one-half ofthe

roadway of London Bridge will be closed for repairing from Monday next until November 2 nd , during which period one line of tr . ifli . * only can pass . The following reports unavoidably stand over * . —Lodges 205 , 862 , 1273 , 1288 , 1557 , 1580 , 1597 , I ? 44 i Chapters 311 and 5 68 ; Red Cross Conclave 53 .

Constitutions of the Ancient Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons , containing the Charges , Regulations , E . A . Song , & c . A copy should be in the possession of every brother . It may be obtained for 2 S . at the oflice of the Freemason , or will be sent post free to any part of the United Kingdom on receipt of twenty-ft *' - penny stamps . Address , Publisher , 19 8 , FJcct-strcct , Loiulou , — Auvx .