Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS , Sg Consecration of the Grand Masters Chapter , No . r go Provincial Grand Chapter of the Province of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight or

REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGS ( Continued)—Instruction 101 Royal Arch roi Allied Masonic Degrees 102 Ancient and Accepted Rite 102

Grand Lodne of Scotland 91 The " Probity MS . " 92 Centenary , No . 43 , Lancaster , Pennsylvania 93 Notes and Queries 95 REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 06

Turkey 102 Gibraltar 102 Royal Masonic Institution for Hoys 102 Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution 102 Norwich Masonic Association , Limited ... 102 Masonic and General Tidings 103 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 104

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As our readers are aware , the Anniversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution will take place at Freemasons' Hall on Wednesday , thc 24 th inst ., when the chair will be occupied by Bro . the Marquis of HERTFORD , G . S . W . of England . We have no doubt the festive part of the proceedings will pass off with the success which usually attends such

gatherings , there is , indeed , every reason why it should do so . There will be a distinguished Grand Officer as President , and a goodly company of enthusiastic brethren to support him . But the festivity is , in one sense , the least important part of the celebration . What is most looked for on these occasions is a long list of generous contributions , which shall be as

nearly as possible commensurate with the needs of the Charity , and the only criterion we have to guide us in judging whether or not this kind of list is likely to be forthcoming is the array of Stewards who have charged themselves with the duty of raising the necessary funds . Unfortunately , as regards this particular Festival , the number of brethren who have consented

to serve in this important capacity is fully 50 below what it was at the corresponding period of last year . A fortnight before the Festival of 1885 the Board of Stewards was over 300 strong ; at the time of writing , and after allowing for the withdrawals of which notice has been given , there are only 2 ^ 2 . There is also a distinction between the Festivals of last year and this ,

which it would need a tolerable amount of audacity to describe as being " a distinction without a difference . " Thc Chairman last year—R . W . Bro . Sir M . E . HICKS-BEACH , Bart ., M . P . —had his Province of Gloucestershire to back him up in his efforts to benefit the Institution . Bro . the Marquis of HERTFORD is not so favourably circumstanced . His personal efforts will be

as great ; but , outside the immediate circle of his friends , he has no large body of brethren to whose special efforts to assist him he is justified in looking . As member of a London lodge , he may reckon on the cordial co-operation of the Metropolitan brethren ; but then they cordially support the Chairman of every Festival . As a member of the Provincial Grand

Lodge of Warwickshire , his lordship may be said to have a certain claim on the support of the brethren of that province , and we have no manner of doubt that he will receive it . But this is very different from having a whole province at your back , a province which , for its own honour as well as for the honour of its chief , is certain to put forth all its efforts in order to ensure the

success of the particular Festival in which for the time being it is interested . This , we regret to say , Bro . Lord HERTFORD has not . What he has to rely upon is the strength of the all-round appeal that is being made to second his personal efforts on behalf of our Old People , and , as we have suggested already , so far as the number

of Stewards is a criterion , the outlook is by no means promising . And yet the need is as great as ever it was—greater , indeed , if we take into account the additional annuities that were granted in May last , and the number of applicants now anxiously awaiting election . The sum required for annuities is only about £ 100 or ^ ' 200 short of £ 14 , 000 , and about ^ 3000

more is absorbed in expenses of management , maintenance of the Asylum at Croydon , etc ., ckc . The fixed income of the Institution may be set down , in round figures , at £ 3500 , so that there remains a sum of about £ 13 , 500 , which must be forthcoming , in order that the Executive may fulfil the obligations it already stands committed to . Moreover , we have said no more

about the future than that there is a terrible list of poor applicants , who are without the necessaries of life , and are only enabled to eke out existence by the kindness of their friends—in many instances almost as poor as themselves . Of these , however , there are 58 old men and 71 widows , of whom but 11 men and nine widows—including the three deferred annuitants

on each Fund—can be elected tothe benefits of the Institution in May . Thus , as matters stand now , 43 old men and 62 widows will have to remain unprovided for during at least another twelvemonth . It is a sad picture this oi so many old people , once in comfortable , and many , perhaps , in affluent

circumstances , now all in the last state 01 penury , and with only such food and shelter as their friends , or , in the event of their having no friends , the Union , can afford them . We trust the appeal of Lord HERTFORD and his Stewards will have the effect of raising funds enough to maintain the Benevolent Institution at its present strength , and justify the Executive

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in doing something towards still further reducing the list of applicants . Times are hard just now . People are more anxious than they were wont to be a few years since , but they who suffer most are the very poor , especially if , like our old people now seeking admission into the Benevolent

Institution , they have been at some period of their lives in well-to-do circumstances . We trust our readers will ponder these things , which are not one whit exaggerated , and that between now and the Festival day there will be a strong addition to the Board of Stewards , and a greater prospect than there is at present of an abundant j'ield of subscriptions and donations .

* WE were very pleased the other day to publish a report of the " Staffordshire Masonic Charitable Association " for the past year . It is possible , however , amidst so much that was interesting and noteworthy , that some of the special features of the Society may not have been duly noticed and

considered . It was established in June , 1 S 71 , and so is nearly 15 years old . We are not aware who were the originators of tlie scheme , and its first officers , but we know that of late years its President has been Bro . FRAN'K . J AMES , Bro . VV . BAYLISS , Treasurer , and the zealous and most efficient

Secretary is Bro . T . MOUNT HUMPHRIES , to whom much of the success of the Association is undoubtedly due . There are two funds ; "A" being devoted to the Central Masonic Charities , and "B" to the education and advancement in life of children of distressed or deceased Freemasons of

Staffordshire , also to give assistance in elections to the Masonic Charities . The rules are most suitable , and provide for thc fullest representation of lodges desirable , all the accounts are clearly set forth and described , and nothing apparently is wanting in any way to add to the value or efficiency of the Society . Since its institution no less than ^ 5050 10 s , have been raised

for the Central Masonic Charities , and about £ Soo on behalf of the Educational and other Funds . Surely these figures are eloquent exponents of the immense importance of such an Association , and prove how much may be done by the well directed and united efforts of a compact and harmonious

province . We rejoice in the success which has crowned the efforts of our brethren in Staffordshire , and hope that some other provinces will emulate their example , for some apparently pay more attention to perfecting their organization for the " Elections , " whereas unless there is the voting power , the best of managers will fail from lack of means .

* # * THE fourth number of the " Proceedings " of the Grand Lodge of Scotland has just been issued . The details are numerous and interesting , recounting as they do all the subjects which engaged the attention of the " Grand Committee" ( which corresponds to our Board of General Purposes ) , as well as

the transactions of the Quarterly Communication held in November last . We note that the names of the " Representatives of Sister Grand Lodges " who attended are duly chronicled , and of themselves suggest the cosmopolitan character of the Craft , 23 Grand Lodges being thus represented by

their proxies . A great deal of trouble has been taken by the authorities respecting a serious breach of discipline , their patience , at length , apparently being exhausted , and now the pains and penalties of the Society are threatened . We say no more , because the matter is still sub jitdice .

THE Grand Secretary , Bro . D . MURRAY LYON , was authorised by the Grand Lodge "to prepare and issue the Revised Edition of the Constitution and Laws , " the . last being of the year 1 S 81 . The rule in Scotland is that all the Grand Officers are elected annually , save the Grand Secretary , Grand

Cashier ( corresponding to our Grand Treasurer ) , Bro . I" ) . Kinnear , and the Depute Grand Master and Substitute Grand Master , the last two being appointed by the Grand Master . The Earl of KINTORE is the Substitute Grand Master , well known to English Freemasons as Grand Mark Master . Excellent rules are laid down by the " Committee on Visitation of

Metropolitan Lodges , " who have now completed their inspection . They are as follows : —1 , Production of charter , Sec ; 2 , Inspection of the minute , cash , petition , and attendance books ; 3 , To see that the Grand Lodge laws

re entrants have been complied with ; 4 , Enquire if the lodge is duly represented ; 5 , Enquiry as to the suitableness of the lodge premises ; and , 6 , Exemplification of thc working of the lodge \ n the ceremonial of opening and closing .

* # * TUB Committee found in two instances that honorary members were elected to office , and performing such duties , in direct contravention of the laws of

the Grand Lodge . One lodge had no warrant , and " scarcely able to muster a quorum sufficient to open for Masonic work , " which [ calamity arose from mixing up a benefit society with thc regular lodge matters . The Committee have had a duplicate warrant issued , and put the lodge on a proper footing