Provincial Grand Lodge Of Durham.

3 ro . R . M . Wilkes , in ... ... ... Prov . G . Reg . M R . Hudson ( re-appointed ) ... ... Prov . G . Sec . , I . Lawrence , 1307 ... ... ... ) a c n ,-. ;; If . Palmer , 124 | Prov . S . G . D . , G . Harland , 1970 ... ... „ . 1 D , ' R . Appleton , 2104 j Prov . J . G . Ds . .. Richard Todd 80 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . of Wks . —

--------, ft Thomas Dunn ( re-appointed ) ... ... Prov . G . D . C . , W . J . Jobson , 48 ... ... ... Prov . D . G . D . C . .. f . H . Johnson , 1 S 62 ... ... ... Prov . A . G . D . C .

, i G-J- Christopher , 2135 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . B . ., G . Barnet , 241 = ; ... ... ... ) u < - * O . J u ;; John Monkmln ? 764 ... j Prov . G . Std . Brs . „ T . Hutchinson , 2039 ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . Fl J . Joel ( re-appointed ) ... .. ... Prov . A . G . Sec .

„ H . Soderberg , 1119 ... ... ... Prov . G . Purst . ,, F . Toogood , 661 ... ... ... Prov . A . G . Purst . „ Adam Dodds , 48 ... ... ... " 1 „ R . Cowey , So ... ... ... j „ T . H . Leech , 97 ... ,. ; ll i ... ! „ r . J ' T . Gibson , 1418 ... :..: ¦ - ' ; ¦•... ^ roy . G . Stwds .

„ J . M . Chisholm , 1932 ... ... ! ... I „ Geo . Murray , sen ., 21 35 •••—J „ T . Grieve ( re-appointed ) ... ... Prov . G . Tyler . Provincial Grand Lodge was afterwards closed . The annual banquet of the Provincial Grand Lodge took place at the King ' s Head Hotel , Darlington , where a sumptuous menu was served to a

arge number of the heads of the Craft . Bro . Sir Hedworth Williamson , Bart ., P . G . M ., presided , and was supported by Bros . Lord Barnard , P . S . G . W . ; Dr . C . D . Hill Drury , P . P . S . G . W . ; Babington Boulton , P . P . G . T . ; Robt . Richardson , P . P . G . R . ; G . W . Jennings , P . P . G . W . ; Rev . E . Drage , P . G . C ; Henry Lawrence , P . P . G . W . ; W . Logan , P . P . G . R . ; F . Wade , P . G . T . ; T . Watson , P . P . G . T .: R . Hudson , P . G . S . B . England , P . G . Sec . ; and others .

Provincial Grand Chapter Of North Wales.

PROVINCIAL GRAND CHAPTER OF NORTH WALES .

By direction of Comp . Col . the Hon . W . E . Sackville West , Grand Supt ., a Royal Arch Chapter of North Wales was held on Fridiy , the 21 st inst ., at the Masonic Hall , Portmadoc . There was a fair attendance of brethren . The Grand Superintendent appointed his officers as follows :

Comp . Col . Henry Piatt , 606 ... ... Prov . G . H . „ R . J . David , 606 ... ... ... Prov . G . J . „ J . G . Tuxford , 1 590 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . E . „ T . M . Taylor ... ... ... Prov . G . S . N . ,, Edward Roberts , 606 ... ... Prov . G . Reg .

„ Griffith Jones , 1 590 ... ... ... Prov . G . P . S . „ J . J ones ... ... ... ... Prov . G . D . C . „ J . G . Pritchard , 4590 ... ... Prov . G . Org . The banquet was serVed at the Royal Sportsman Hotel , a splendid menu being provided by Miss Hudson .

West Yorkshire Library.

WEST YORKSHIRE LIBRARY .

The Report ol the West Yorkshire Masonic Library for 1892-4 , presented to the Prov . Grand Lodge at Huddersfield , April i 8 ih , 1894 , has now been published by the author , Bro . William Watson , the Honorary Librarian . It is a most interesting and instructive production and will be eagerly and doubtless profitably perused by a large number of brethren at home and abroad , for its circulation is , Masonically speaking , world-wide .

Donations have come from far and near , and so numerous have been the gifts that over 20 pages are occupied in brief descriptions of the treasures . The special words of thanks from Bro . Watson introduce the particulars of these presents , and , as usual , he leads off with an appreciative reference to

Ihe R . W . Bro . Thomas W . Tew's munificence , for notwithstanding my esteemed friend ' s " regrettable withdrawal from the high position of Prov Grand Master on account oi ill-health , yet his interest has never flagged ••. . and West Yorkshire is again deeply indebted for the splendid requisitions shewn in the accompanying list . "

" There are several items of striking and special value : ' The Stanley MS ., a parchment roll containing the Ancient charges and Constitutions of 'he Fraternity and dated over two centuries back ; the French Masonic Works which , added to those already presented , form such a group of this Particular class of literature , as few Libra'ies can show the equal ; and The

'nos . W . Tew Collection of Masonic J / enWf f beautiful and rare specimens . ' " Another donor deserves and receives special mention , viz ., Bro . J . Morrison McLeod , the esteemed Secretary of the R . M . I , for Boys , for his gift of the extremely valuable 1787 of the " Ahimin Rezon . " Bro . Watson

trul y declares that " This work is so rare that not many years ago its very - existence was doubted . " Only the edition of 1801 is now needed to complete 'he . set . Surely some brother has one he could easily spare and thus gratify tne zealous Librarian , who , of course , would be most willing to purchase , though copies are not scarce like that of 1787 .

S ympathetic words are written about the decease of our diar Brothers Henry Josiah Whymper , CLE ., and Thomas W . Embleton , frequent donors 0 the Library , both being in the subjoined list ; particularly the latter amented Craftsman for his latest contributions include the manuscript called he "Thomas W . Embleton" in his honour ; the Cole ' s Constitution of

' 731-4 . the "Blue Blanket" ( first edition ) , and "Long Livers , " both of 7-2 , and the rare " Plain Dealer " in two editions of 1730-4 . Another esteemed donor has now also to be numbered with the great ma jority , our beloved friend William Kelly , F . S . A ., P . Prov . G . M . of Leicester " Rutland , and another honoured and lamented Craftsman—Bro . Bjntley

West Yorkshire Library.

Shaw , P . D . Prov . G . M ., —is also represented by additions to the Library from his Family . Bro . J . T . Thorp , the energetic and zealous Secretary of the " Lodge of Research , " Leicester , sends the Transactions of his Lodge for 1892-3 . Bro . Watson observes of this lodge established for the prosecution and promotion of Masonic study and research that its " foundation and successful position speak well for the zeal and enterprise of the Leicester brethren . "

I see that Bro . John Yarker had kindly sent several old Grand Lodije Calendars . Surely brethren can be found who would gladly forward copies of editions i 860 , 1 S 62-3 , 1865-6-7 , 1 S 69 , and 1 S 70 . Older ones are al . sa needed . A complete set is unknown . Whilst on the subject of wants , it may be as well to note that the Library needs the Grand Chapter Regulations

for 177 8 , 1782 , 1796 , 1 S 07 , and 1 S 17 . The list is inserted by Bro . Watson quite innocently enough , just as if a mere matter of a few months to wait , but I fear those publications will not be all obtained between now and the next report , as they include all before 1823 . However , the Librarian of this collection has achieved such extraordinary success that it occurs to me that it would have been as well for me to refrain from predicting !

It is most pleasant to note so many gifts from the United States , the wellknown veteran Librarian , M . W . Bro . T . S . Purvin being to the fore of necessity , followed closely by General J . C . Smith , of Veteran ' s fame , and his excellent Recorder , Bro . G . W . Barnard , of Chicago . Another devoted student in the list is M . W . Bro . S . D . Nickerson , now the Grand Secretary

of Massachusetts , and still another from across the big pond is Bro . Frederick Webber , the respected Sec . General of the 33 . A copy of Bro . Bain ' s " Catalogue of his magnificent collection of Masonic Books , Jewels , Curios , & c , " is also acknowledged . This is a most valuable work , but really my friend requires to issue one annually , . so rapidly does his important Library increase .

Bro . Tew ' s donations would require several paees of the Freemason to even fairly describe them , for they include the " Waistell MS ., " the rare "Book of Constitutions , " 1746 ( 1738 , with new title-page ) , the "Stanley MS ., " of A . D . 1677 , the life of Elias Ashmole ( the rare first edition of 1717 ) , Bro . Marvin's Masonic Medals , and Le Clerc ' s Architecture , 1723-4 , besides a marvellous collection of French works , old , valuable , and curious , rarely to be seen in one library . The " Thomas W . Tew Collection of Masonic

Medals" has placed the West Yorkshire Library in the front rank in regard to rare and important pieces , to many of which I hope to refer later on in a separate article , especially those which are either unique or of extreme rarity . Bro . Watson is justly proud of having now secured a complete set of the Book of Constitutions of England for the Library from 1 723 to iSSS . and taking the report all round , I think he may well be proud of it also , for , to my mind , it excels all previous ones . I hope , however , the next may beat it . W . J . HUGHAN .

Wanted-An Evangelist.

WANTED-AN EVANGELIST .

Religion—the pivot of all civilisation—no matter of what denomination , requires from time to lime an evangelist . No matter how the word evangelist may be interpreted from a Johnstonian point of view , it means , in plain English , someone who speaks his views without hesitation , and with the object of bettering the subject he deals with . An evangelist is a man who is the prize fighter of theories and who hits hard with the object of striking home .

Now Masonry , most particularly Victorian Masonry , requires an evangelist . Masonry , that grand religion without dogma , although numerically daily gaining in V . ctoria , is also daily losing its power . The fact is Masonry in this colony , and we may fearlessly state throughout Australasia , is becoming too cheip . This cheapness is not a cheapness of money ; not a question of five or seven guineas , but it is a question of lodges existing , or having to

exist , where there is no necessity . Taking the population of this part of the globe in comparison with that of England , the number of lodges on the United Grand Roll of Victoria is ridiculously in excess with all possible demands of the interests of the Craft . Alone in the metropolis we find such a number that they simply survive the present depressed time by directly or indirectly canvassing for members .

The result of this must of course be quantity and not quality , and we regret to say that many lodges have received candidates with open arms , knowing full well that they had been refused admission , or withdrawn previous to ballot , at some sister lodge . In some cases that refusal may have been caused by questions of personal spite and pique , but such causes of refusal are , we are sure , lew and far between .

No Order mare calls for a hard hitter at the present time than does that great and grand Order of Freemasonry in Victoria . Time after time we see young members on the floor of the lodge unwillingly led astray by those occupying the chairs . A young man naturally thinks that those who have passed through the Master ' s chair are not only the willing , but in every way the able directors of their lodge . But time after

time ideas ( hat would be expressed and earned out , to the benefit of the Craft in general , are suppressed in deference to the wishes of the past or present rulers of the society . Expenditure on the refreshment board , which has been so largely discussed of late , has the preference to expenditure on Charity . We do not for a moment advocate the abolition of the social gatherings customary after every lodge meeting . We fully appreciate the social advantages which

accrue lo the Craft by the brethren being brought together on a social footing , which the laws and bye-laws of the Order do not admit within the lodges , but what we do say is that hospitality should be extended at aii times in accordance with the means of the lodge , and never to the neglect of the exercise of that great and glorious tenet of the Order , aye , the very foundation stone of Freemasonry—Charity . Time after time , year after year , a sum is voted out of the lodge funds to cover the expenses of the supper table , which , in the true spirit of Masonry , should have been expended in the relief of distress .

He would indeed need to be a Hercules who would undertake this evangelistic work , but even as Hercules was once champion for Apollo , so would he be a champion for the noblest institution on the face ol the earth . It is almost impossible to get such a man , but yet rulers and members can , individually and collectively , do a lot in the direction indicated , not by learning off the ritual and delivering it in an impressive manner , but by acting Freemasonry ; by carrying its glorious principles into daily life , and by inculcating them into the brethren , making " truth , honour , virtue the euidintr stars of every action of vour life , " Australasian Keystone .