Freemasonry In Pennsylvania.

FREEMASONRY IN PENNSYLVANIA .

The close of thc year is always a busy time with our brethren in Pennsylvania . The Grand Lodge which presides over the Masons in the State derives its existence from the Provincial Grand Lodge which was organised somewhere in the early

" sixties" of last century by the "Ancient" Grand Lodge of England in supersession of the still earlier Prov . Grand Lodge which was established by our regular Grand Lodge ; and as our " Ancient " Grand Lodge made a point of installing its newlyelected Grand Officers on St . John the Evangelist's Day—the

27 th December—and as our Pennsylvanian brethren appear to be extremely conservative in respect of the old Masonic usages and customs which have been handed down to them from former days , it accords with the eternal fitness of things Masonic that

the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania should install its newlyelected Grand Officers on the same clay . This year St . John's Day happened on a Sunday , and consequently the annual meeting of the Grand Lodge was held the day following in the

Masonic HaU , Philadelphia , where a large number of the brethren assembled from all parts of the State , under the presidency of Bro . M . W . HENDERSON , Grand Master—who—as all our " Ancient" Grand Masters were — is still distinguished by

the prefix " R . W ., " instead of the more general " M . W . " —to witness the imposing ceremony which old LAURENCE DERMOTT of famous Masonry speaks of in one of his minutes as " installing the Grand . " But before this part of the proceedings was

reached , Bro . HENDERSON delivered , as is usual in all American Grand Lodges , a very elaborate address , in which he reviewed the events of the past year . The principal subject of regret to which it was his duty to refer was the death of

Bro . MICHAEL NISBET , who , after occupying the chair as Grand Master , held for many years the important and very responsible office of Grand Secretary . Bro . NESBIT had seen 42 years of active service in Masonry ,

and undoubtedly the loss to the Masonic community in Pennsylvania caused by the death of so able and experienced a brother must be very great . Having paid his tribute of respect to this departed veteran , the Grand Master referred more or less

pointedly and in greater or less detail to what had happened during the past year , taking , occasionally , an opportunity of expressing his opinions on some of the questions which hacl been brought more prominently under his notice . Thus in one

paragraph we iind him declaring himself very strongly against o-iving publicity to matters connected with the internal affairs of the Craft . " Masonic matters , " says Bro . HENDERSON , " should not be mingled with the gossip of communities , and he who

talks about the affairs of his lodge to chance acquaintances in public places has not a proper conception of his Masonic obligations , " while he " who prints anything concerning Freemasonry

without proper authority " violates the law as laid down in the Pennsylvania Ahiman Rezon , or Book of Constitutions . In another paragraph he comments on the manner in which what he calls " unlawful initiations" are dealt with , the candidate who

is thus initiated being struck off thc roll of members in consequence of an informality or irregularity lor which hc is in no way responsible , while those who committed the irregularity escape even a reprimand . Bro . HENDERSON tells us he

does not share the opinion of those " Masonic jurists who maintain that those who receive the Degrees , though it be done in an irregular manner , are , nevertheless , Masons , and should be recognised as such . " He sees

no alternative but for the Grand Master to issue his edict for unmaking the unfortunate candidate who has been made irregularly , and leaving him as he says , pretty much in the position of " MAHOMET ' S coffin—suspended between heaven and earth "

that is to say , " neither a Mason nor a profane . " At the same time lie suggests as the quickest way of curing this evil that tlie W . M . or Secretary , or both , of the lodge in which the irregularity is committed should be removed from office . There is also a

number of decisions , as to which we learn that the responsibility for making them rests entirely with the Grand Master , from whom , in the case of this particular Grand Lodge , there is no appeal , whereas in the case of other American Grand Lodges the Grand Master ' s decisions are referred , for approval or dis-

Freemasonry In Pennsylvania.

approval , to a Committee , whose report is confirmed or rejected by the Grand Lodge , which "must finally approve them before they become effective . " At length , when the address hacl been delivered , the way was clear for the installation of the Grand

Officers , the principal of whom are—Bros . WILLIAM J . KELLY , G . M . ; HENRY W . WILLIAMS , Dep . G . M . ; GEORGE E . WAGNER , S . G . Warden ; EDGAR A . TENNIS , J . G . Warden ; THOMAS R . PATTON , Grand Treasurer ; and WlLLUM A . SLINN , Grand

Secretary . The new Grand Master having delivered his inaugural address , announced his appointments for the ensuing year , and the rest of the business having been disposed of , the meeting was brought to a close .

On the same day , and in another part of the same building , the Supreme Grand Chapter of Pennsylvania held its annual convocation , and when Comp . R . S . BARTLETT , G . H . P ., had delivered his address , the following were installed as Grand

Officers for the ensuing year , namely , Comps . RICHARD M . J OHNSON , G . H . P . ; M . W . J ACOBS , G . KING , E . B . SPENCER , G . Scribe ; THOMAS . R . PATTON , G . Treas . ; and CHARLES CARY , G . Sec . ; " and after an inaugural address from Comp .

JOHNSON , the appointments were made , and the proceedings terminated . It is only necessary to add that besides being well organised , both the Craft and Royal Arch in Pennsylvania

are financially and numericall y most prosperous , there being only one , or , at the most , two jurisdictions— -those of New York and Illinois—which take the lead of Pennsylvania 111 one or other of these respects .

Laying The Foundation-Stone Of The Sutherland Institute By The M.W. Grand Master.

LAYING THE FOUNDATION-STONE OF THE SUTHERLAND INSTITUTE BY THE M . W . GRAND MASTER .

Thursday , the 7 th instant , was a day of extreme importance to the townspeople of Longton , and it will always remain as a red-letter day on the local calendar . The object of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales's visit there was , as is well known , to lay the foundation-stone of a new Free Library and Technical Schools . The site for these much-required buildings was presented to the town by the Duke of Sutherland during * his Mayoralty . It

was a grand Masonic function . Notwithstanding the exceedingly unfavourable weather , the attendance of Masons from the north and south of the county was exceedingly large , and representatives of the Craft were present from all parts of England . A more imposing and impressive demonstration has never been seen in this portion of North Staffordshire . The brethren wore full Masonic clothing , and the Present and Past Provincial Grand Officers their Grand clothing and Royal Arch jewels where possessed .

The brethren assembled at the Zion Chapel shottly before a quarter to 11 , and having signed the P . G . Tyler ' s book , and put on their Masonic clothing , proceeded to the Oueen's Theatre , where the Prov . Grand Lodge was oprned . The circular convening the meeting having been read ,

Bro . the Earl of DARTMOUTH , P . G . M ., moved that a humble and loyal address of welcome be presented to the M . W . G . M ., H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , on the occasion of his official visit to Staffordshire .

This was formally seconded by Bro . Lieut .-Col . J . A . BIND LEV , P . G . D . Eng ., D . P . G . M ., and carried with heartiness .

Ihe Prov . Grand Lodge was then adjourned . The brethren then formed a procession , and marched to the site of the stone-laying , joining the Corporation section outside the Court House . It is estimated that upwards of 1000 Masons were present , but it was impossible to obtain the exact number , as , owing to the great crush at the meetingplace , hundreds were unable to sign the Tyler ' s took . The Prov . G . Officers present included :

Bros , the Right Hon . the Earl of Dartmouth , Prov . G . M . ; Lieut .-Col I A Bindley , P . G . D . Eng ., Dep . Prov . G . M . ; J . B . Ashwell , P . P . S . G . W . ; David Jones , P . P . G . S . ; J . White , P . P . A . G . P . ; Thos . Bickley , P . P . J . G . W . j Frederick T . Beck , P . P . D . G . D . C ; George Wilson , P . P . G . S . B . ; Jamea Power P . P . G Supt . W . ; S . W . Page , P . P . G . S . B . ; J . W . Pepper , P . P . S . G . W . ; Thomas L Barnett , P . P . G . W . ; W . J . Downs , P . P . G . C . ; W . J . Massey , P . P . A . S . E •John J Frederick Skerrett

Smith , P . J . G . D . ; , P . P . S . G . W . ; John Mason , P . P . G . S . B ' •I A Cooper , P . P . G . P . ; Alfred Parker , P . P . J . G . W . ; G . H . Tortoishell , P . P . A . G DC G . C . Kent , P . P . A . G . S . ; J . B . Piercy , P . P . S . G . W . ; E . D . Boothman , P . P . G C * James Taylor Howson , P . P . G . S . B . ; E . J . Mansley , P . P . G . S . B . ; Thomas E ' Storey , P . P . A . G . D . C . ; J . Ingamells , P . P . J . G . D . ; William Broston , P . P A G D C •' Ralph Dain , P . P . J . G . W . ; John Godwin , P . P . G . S . B . ; John Smith , P P G S B *

L . C . A . Edgeworth , P . P . G . C ; John Warrilow , P . P . S . G . W . ; Frederick Dalby P . P . S . G . D . ; John R . Lee , P . P . G . S . B . ; George Hurst Stanyer , P . P . G . R •Henry Payton , P . P . G . R . ; John Stevenson , P . P . G . S R . ; W . Harrison , P . P . G . S •' W 0 Briggs , P . P . S . G . W . ; J . G . Ainsworth , P . P . S . G . D . ; William E . Challi ' nor ! P . P . A . G . D . C . ; W . T . Bonner , P . P . G . Org . ; John Hackett , P . P . G . Supt of W J . Webberley , P . P . G . R . ; E . V . Greatbach P . P . S . G . W . ; E . H . Croydon ' P . P . J . G . W . ; W . T ! Copeland , P . P . G . R . ; A . Newton , P . P . G . Supt . of Works- '

W . H . Bamber , P . P . S . G . D . ; G . A . Thomason , P . P . Assistant G Sec ; E . Martingcott , P . P . G . Std . Br . ; A . P . Smith , P . S . G . D . ; J Wooldridge , P . P . G . D . C ; G . Bennion , P . P . G . Reg . ; J . Bromley , P . P . S . G . W •Hy Anstey , P . P . A . G . D . C ; Thomas Taylor , P . P . S . G . W . ; F . Skerrett , p ' pGS of Wks . ; Wm . Ha-npton , P . P . J . G . D . ; J . Mervyn Wood , P . P . G . Reg •Wm H . Bucknell , P . P . A . G . D . C ; W . H . Richardson , P . A . G . D . C ; E . Welsh P P G . Std . Br . ; T . B . Cull , P . P . G . P . ; W . T . McNeal , P . P . G . Std , Br . •F G