Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
China.
brethren ' s time , and been diffident of my ability to speak in public with any chance of securing attention . Should you feel inclined to adopt my suggestion , or should yon think of some other appellation , which you would like to have put into Chinese , as more suitable than the one I have proposed , I beg you will command my services without scruple , and I shall have much pleasure either in getting the character I have thought of , nicely and properly depicted , or in trying to find out any others you
may prefer in their place . —I am , dear sir and brother , yours fraternally , AValter Medhurst . " The reading of Bro . Medhurst's letter , which was listened to with every indication of extreme interest by the brethren , being concluded , the following propositions were successively laid before tbe Lodge , put from the chair , and carried by acclamation : —By the W . M . and Bro . Nutt , Jihat the Chinese name for the Masonic Hall , as suggested by Bro . MedhurstH . M . Consulbe adoptedBBroThornePMand
, , . y . , .. the WM ., that the sincere thanks of the Northern Lodge of China , be tendered to Bro . Medhurst for the valuable communication that had just been read , evincing as it does tbe great interest he feels in tlie | weltaro ofjtbe craft in China , and believing that a subject of such vast importance as that referred to in his
very able letter would prove interesting to the Masonic fraternity at large , he be requested to allow a copy of the said letter to be transmitted to the Editor of the FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE , for publication in that journal . Bro . Medhurst briefly responded , and said his letter was at the disposal of the lodge . The ceremonial duties of the evening were then entered upon , the W . M . first passing Bros . Hutchings and Jameson , and then raising Bro . St . Croix to the sublime degree of Master mason , tbe entire
work being accomplished in the masterly style for which he is so remarkable . A vote of thanks was unanimously awarded to Bro . Horwell , for his effective supervision of the musical arrangements , which on so many occasions have enhanced the . interest of the evening's labour . The W . M . informed tbe brethren that since their last assemblage ( 11 th February ) a Lodge of Instruction had been organized , and after a brief summary of the advantages likely to accruein consequenceto the parent lodge
, , , proposed that the use of the Masonic Hall be granted , free of expense , to the Assiduity Lodge of Instruction , and Bro . Nutt seconding the proposition , it was put , and carried nem . con . Tbe Secretary was directed to order a new edition of the Bye-laws . One candidate was proposed for joining , ancl five for initiation , ancl all business being concluded , the lodge was closed .
INSTRUCTION . LODGE ASSIDUITY ( NO . 832 ) . —Tbe members of this flourishing lodge of instruction met on Saturday , March 14 th . Present : Bros . [ Thorne , of tbe Moira Lodge ( No . 109 ) , and P . M . 832 , Preceptor ; Gould , P . M . 178 aud 1045 ; Dunlop , P . M . 832 ; and ^ the following brethren as officers for the evening , Bros . MurrayW . M . : WbeelockS . W . ; EwingJ . W . Hardy
, , , ; , S . D . ; Gordon , J . D . ; ancl Campbell , I . G . The ceremony of raising having been performed , the four last sections of the 1 st lecture were worked as folloivs , Ith , Bros . Gould and Dunlop ; 5 th , Bros . Dunlop and Gould ; 6 th , Bros . Thorne and Dunlop ; 7 th , Bros . Gould and Thome .
India.
INDIA .
( F > -om the Indian Freemasons' Friend . ) BENGAL . DISTRICT GRAND LODGE . A quarterly communication of the District Grand Lodge was held at the Freemasons' Hall , Calcutta , on Saturday , the 21 st March , 1863 . Bro . Sandeman , Prov . G . M ., presided , and fiftyfour brethren were present .
A letter was read from the Grand Secretary in England , communicating the following resolution of the Grand Lodge : — "That every Provincial Grand Master shall , by himself , bis Deputy Grand Master , or Provincial Grand Secretary , forward to the Most AVorshipful Grand Master a summary of the minutes of each Provincial Grand Lodge within one month of the holding thereof , together with the names of all brethren appointed to Provincial Grand Oflice , the names ancl numbers of the lodges to which they belong , and their respective residences . " The Provincial Grand Master addressed the brethren as follows : — " Before commencing the regular work of the evening ,
I would wish to say a few words upon the present position as well as the prospects of Ereemasonry in this province . It is important that the Provincial Grand Lodge should be kept aware of what is going on from time to time in the district , and the quarterly communication held in March of each year appears , as being the first of our annual meetings , to be a suitable season for the brethren to have a short account of the progress of the Order during the preceding twelve months .
During tho year 1862 , there were twenty-seven lodges working under tbe District Grand Lodge . At tbe commencement of the year there were , in the lodges which have sent in their returns , 492 subscribing members . Their numbers were affected during the year in the following manner : — Number of subscribing members at begin- 7 , <> ningofl 862 ) * *
Initiated during the year 174 Joined 166 340 832 Dead or resigned 154 Excluded 7 Transferred to absent list 127 288
Balance , number of subscribing members > ^ AA at close of 1862 $ ° ** As only one-half of the lodges have submitted their returns for 1862 , these figures may be deemed satisfactory ; yet it is . believed that they represent but a very small portion of the actual number of Freemasons residing in India , as many are unattached to lodges . At our special meeting of the 29 th of
October last , I reported to you that there were five lodges in . abeyance . Of these , the warrants of Lodge True Brothers ( No . 609 ) , at Dinapore , and of Lodge Stability ( No . 1138 ) , at Gonda , have been returned to tbe Provincial Grand Secretary . The Lodges Star of Delhi ( No . 1180 ) , at Delhi , and Faith , Hope , and Charity ( No . 1190 ) , at Roy Bareilly , in Oucle , are still in abeyance , without , it is feared , any hope of resuscitation . An application has been received , signed by ten
registered Masons , to remove the Lodge Triune Brotherhood ( No . 984 ) from Kussowlee to Dugshaie , as the only possible means of saving the warrant from extinction . As the application is reasonable , and no dissentient voice has been raised , it hns been complied with , and I trust that the resuscitated lodge may long continue to enjoy a prosperous career . An application has been received from certain brethren residing at Jullunder , to re-open Lodge Jullunder ( No . 906 ) , at that
station . I have , however , been obliged to decline complying with the application , because tho lodge , having been erased by order of the Grand Lodge of England in March last , can only be restored by the same authority . The brethren have therefore
been recommed to apply for a fresh warrant , and may be allowed to work under dispensation pending its receipt , should they petition the Grand Lodge as recommended . It should be noticed that the Jullunder Lodge has itself only to blame for the erasure of its number ; it had remained silent for a long time , aud the late Deputy Grand Master , having failed in his efforts to get any communication from its Master , felt obliged to report the case specially to the then Grand Master , General Boileau . No
returns for 1860 or 1861 were received , and it is a question whether the property of the lodge should not be sold for the benefit of our Fund of Benevolence , under the 27 th bye-law of the District Grand Lodge . Seeing , however , that the brethren now at Jullunder are making earnest endeavour to work a Lodge , and that it would not perhaps be advisable to throw any obstacle or impediment in their way , I would recommend that they be permitted to ietain the property , after , of course , satisfying the
dues of the District Grand Lodge , which are standing to the debit of the late Master . The Lodge Independence with Philanthrophy ( No . 550 ) , at Allahabad , has applied for a remission of the dues to Provincial Grand Lodge for 1860 and 1861 , aggregating 557 rupees . The application has been referred to the Finance Committee , ancl forms a portion of their report , which will be laid before you this evening for consideration . I will here only remark that I quite concur in the decision at which
they have arrived , and think that the purport of the 15 th Constitution , under the bead of ' Private Lodges , ' cannot be too strongly impressed upon AVorshipful Masters of lodges , viz ., that fees or dues on account of Grand and Provincial Grand
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
China.
brethren ' s time , and been diffident of my ability to speak in public with any chance of securing attention . Should you feel inclined to adopt my suggestion , or should yon think of some other appellation , which you would like to have put into Chinese , as more suitable than the one I have proposed , I beg you will command my services without scruple , and I shall have much pleasure either in getting the character I have thought of , nicely and properly depicted , or in trying to find out any others you
may prefer in their place . —I am , dear sir and brother , yours fraternally , AValter Medhurst . " The reading of Bro . Medhurst's letter , which was listened to with every indication of extreme interest by the brethren , being concluded , the following propositions were successively laid before tbe Lodge , put from the chair , and carried by acclamation : —By the W . M . and Bro . Nutt , Jihat the Chinese name for the Masonic Hall , as suggested by Bro . MedhurstH . M . Consulbe adoptedBBroThornePMand
, , . y . , .. the WM ., that the sincere thanks of the Northern Lodge of China , be tendered to Bro . Medhurst for the valuable communication that had just been read , evincing as it does tbe great interest he feels in tlie | weltaro ofjtbe craft in China , and believing that a subject of such vast importance as that referred to in his
very able letter would prove interesting to the Masonic fraternity at large , he be requested to allow a copy of the said letter to be transmitted to the Editor of the FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE , for publication in that journal . Bro . Medhurst briefly responded , and said his letter was at the disposal of the lodge . The ceremonial duties of the evening were then entered upon , the W . M . first passing Bros . Hutchings and Jameson , and then raising Bro . St . Croix to the sublime degree of Master mason , tbe entire
work being accomplished in the masterly style for which he is so remarkable . A vote of thanks was unanimously awarded to Bro . Horwell , for his effective supervision of the musical arrangements , which on so many occasions have enhanced the . interest of the evening's labour . The W . M . informed tbe brethren that since their last assemblage ( 11 th February ) a Lodge of Instruction had been organized , and after a brief summary of the advantages likely to accruein consequenceto the parent lodge
, , , proposed that the use of the Masonic Hall be granted , free of expense , to the Assiduity Lodge of Instruction , and Bro . Nutt seconding the proposition , it was put , and carried nem . con . Tbe Secretary was directed to order a new edition of the Bye-laws . One candidate was proposed for joining , ancl five for initiation , ancl all business being concluded , the lodge was closed .
INSTRUCTION . LODGE ASSIDUITY ( NO . 832 ) . —Tbe members of this flourishing lodge of instruction met on Saturday , March 14 th . Present : Bros . [ Thorne , of tbe Moira Lodge ( No . 109 ) , and P . M . 832 , Preceptor ; Gould , P . M . 178 aud 1045 ; Dunlop , P . M . 832 ; and ^ the following brethren as officers for the evening , Bros . MurrayW . M . : WbeelockS . W . ; EwingJ . W . Hardy
, , , ; , S . D . ; Gordon , J . D . ; ancl Campbell , I . G . The ceremony of raising having been performed , the four last sections of the 1 st lecture were worked as folloivs , Ith , Bros . Gould and Dunlop ; 5 th , Bros . Dunlop and Gould ; 6 th , Bros . Thorne and Dunlop ; 7 th , Bros . Gould and Thome .
India.
INDIA .
( F > -om the Indian Freemasons' Friend . ) BENGAL . DISTRICT GRAND LODGE . A quarterly communication of the District Grand Lodge was held at the Freemasons' Hall , Calcutta , on Saturday , the 21 st March , 1863 . Bro . Sandeman , Prov . G . M ., presided , and fiftyfour brethren were present .
A letter was read from the Grand Secretary in England , communicating the following resolution of the Grand Lodge : — "That every Provincial Grand Master shall , by himself , bis Deputy Grand Master , or Provincial Grand Secretary , forward to the Most AVorshipful Grand Master a summary of the minutes of each Provincial Grand Lodge within one month of the holding thereof , together with the names of all brethren appointed to Provincial Grand Oflice , the names ancl numbers of the lodges to which they belong , and their respective residences . " The Provincial Grand Master addressed the brethren as follows : — " Before commencing the regular work of the evening ,
I would wish to say a few words upon the present position as well as the prospects of Ereemasonry in this province . It is important that the Provincial Grand Lodge should be kept aware of what is going on from time to time in the district , and the quarterly communication held in March of each year appears , as being the first of our annual meetings , to be a suitable season for the brethren to have a short account of the progress of the Order during the preceding twelve months .
During tho year 1862 , there were twenty-seven lodges working under tbe District Grand Lodge . At tbe commencement of the year there were , in the lodges which have sent in their returns , 492 subscribing members . Their numbers were affected during the year in the following manner : — Number of subscribing members at begin- 7 , <> ningofl 862 ) * *
Initiated during the year 174 Joined 166 340 832 Dead or resigned 154 Excluded 7 Transferred to absent list 127 288
Balance , number of subscribing members > ^ AA at close of 1862 $ ° ** As only one-half of the lodges have submitted their returns for 1862 , these figures may be deemed satisfactory ; yet it is . believed that they represent but a very small portion of the actual number of Freemasons residing in India , as many are unattached to lodges . At our special meeting of the 29 th of
October last , I reported to you that there were five lodges in . abeyance . Of these , the warrants of Lodge True Brothers ( No . 609 ) , at Dinapore , and of Lodge Stability ( No . 1138 ) , at Gonda , have been returned to tbe Provincial Grand Secretary . The Lodges Star of Delhi ( No . 1180 ) , at Delhi , and Faith , Hope , and Charity ( No . 1190 ) , at Roy Bareilly , in Oucle , are still in abeyance , without , it is feared , any hope of resuscitation . An application has been received , signed by ten
registered Masons , to remove the Lodge Triune Brotherhood ( No . 984 ) from Kussowlee to Dugshaie , as the only possible means of saving the warrant from extinction . As the application is reasonable , and no dissentient voice has been raised , it hns been complied with , and I trust that the resuscitated lodge may long continue to enjoy a prosperous career . An application has been received from certain brethren residing at Jullunder , to re-open Lodge Jullunder ( No . 906 ) , at that
station . I have , however , been obliged to decline complying with the application , because tho lodge , having been erased by order of the Grand Lodge of England in March last , can only be restored by the same authority . The brethren have therefore
been recommed to apply for a fresh warrant , and may be allowed to work under dispensation pending its receipt , should they petition the Grand Lodge as recommended . It should be noticed that the Jullunder Lodge has itself only to blame for the erasure of its number ; it had remained silent for a long time , aud the late Deputy Grand Master , having failed in his efforts to get any communication from its Master , felt obliged to report the case specially to the then Grand Master , General Boileau . No
returns for 1860 or 1861 were received , and it is a question whether the property of the lodge should not be sold for the benefit of our Fund of Benevolence , under the 27 th bye-law of the District Grand Lodge . Seeing , however , that the brethren now at Jullunder are making earnest endeavour to work a Lodge , and that it would not perhaps be advisable to throw any obstacle or impediment in their way , I would recommend that they be permitted to ietain the property , after , of course , satisfying the
dues of the District Grand Lodge , which are standing to the debit of the late Master . The Lodge Independence with Philanthrophy ( No . 550 ) , at Allahabad , has applied for a remission of the dues to Provincial Grand Lodge for 1860 and 1861 , aggregating 557 rupees . The application has been referred to the Finance Committee , ancl forms a portion of their report , which will be laid before you this evening for consideration . I will here only remark that I quite concur in the decision at which
they have arrived , and think that the purport of the 15 th Constitution , under the bead of ' Private Lodges , ' cannot be too strongly impressed upon AVorshipful Masters of lodges , viz ., that fees or dues on account of Grand and Provincial Grand