Knights Templar.

lour Council recommend that a loyal and respectful address should be presented to her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen , the Royal Patron of the Order of the Temple and Hospital in England , to humbly congratulate her on arriving at the 6 oth year of her glorious and benignant reign . Your Council would suggest that every preceptory should either present its banner to be hung in Great Priory or forward the banner to the Great Vice-Chancellor as early as possible before each meeting .

V . E . Knight Rev . C . E . L . Wright , G . Prelate , has very kindly offered to complete the official regalia of the office of Great Prelate by presenting a violet cassock , and your Council have gratefully accepted the gift . After official audit by the Finance Committee , the Great Treasurer ' s accounts show , on the 2 Sth February , 18 97 the following balances to the credit of

the—General Fund ... ... ... £ 4 84 . 16 o Benevolent Fund ... ,,, ... 204 12 4 £ 6 Sg S . 4 which arc in the London and Westminster Bank , Limited , Bloomsbury Branch . By order of the Council , R . LOVELAND LOVELAND , Great Chancellor . C . FITZGERALD MATIER ,

April 12 th , 18 97 . Great Vice-Chancellor . The GREAT CHANCELLOR then moved , and the GREAT REGISTRAR seconded , " that the report be received and entered on the minutes . " The motion having been carried , The GRAND MASTER : I have now to move " that Great Priory do present . a loyal and respectful address to her Most Gracious Majesty the Oueen to

humbly congratulate her on arriving at the Goth anniversary of her reign . Her Majesty is the patron of our Order and we should all desire to express our gratitude that she has been spared so long a time to rule over this country and our hopes that she may be spared yet for man } ' years to rule over us in the admirable manner she has done in the past . I will , brethren , read to you the address which has been drawn up and which I will ask you to adopt . It is as follows :

To her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen , Patron of the United Orders of the Temple and Hospital . Madam , May it please your Majesty .

We , the Grand Master and Knights of the United Religious and Military Orders of the Temple and Hospital in England and Wales , in Great Priory assembled , beg to respectfully offer to your Majesty the assurance of our heartfelt loyalty and devotion , and our humble and sincere congratulations on the termination of the 60 th year of your Majesty ' s glorious and benignant reign .

It is with the deepest sense of gratitude to the Almighty that we have ventured to address you , and we humbly hope that it may be His will that your Majesty may long be spared to rule over your loyal and devoted people .

Sir Knights , I do not think it is necessary for me to add any words to that address . Her Majesty is the Patron of our Order , the only Order in Masonry of any sort or kind of which she is the Patron , and I am sure you would wish to send a loyal address on this occasion . If you approve the address , which I have now read , I will ask you to receive it with acclamation and authorise me to send it forward .

T he motion was carried with acclamation ar . d amid great cheering . The GREAT CHANCELLOR then moved , and the GREAT REGISTRAR seconded , a motion that the report be adopted . The motion was agreed to . E . Knight Major C . W . CARRELL : I beg to propose the re-election of Eminent Kni ght Ral p h Clutton as our Grand Treasurer for the ensuing year . Me has done us such great and eminent service in the past that I have no hesitation in asking this Great Priory to re-elect him . The SUB-MARSHAL ( E . Knight Belton ) : I beg to second that .

The GRAND MASTER : As no other brother is proposed for this office you will allow me with much pleasure to declare our Bro . Clutton duly elected . ( Great applause . ) The Grand Master then proceeded to invest the officers of Great Priory for the ensuing year as follows :

Sir Knight Viscount Dungarvan , G . C . T . ... G . Seneschal . ,, Rev . C . E . Lefroy Austin ... G . Prelate . ,, R . Loveland Loveland , G . C . T . ... G . Chancellor . ,, Lord Skelmersdale ... ... G . 1 st Constable . ,, C . Letch Mason ... ... G . 2 nd Constable . ,, Ralph Clutton , K . C . T . ... ... G . Treasurer . ,, Frank Richardson , K . C . T . ... G . Registrar . „ C . FitzGerald Matier , K . C . T . ... G . Vice-Chancellor . ,, Charles Belton , K . C . T .... ... G . Marshal . ,, Rev . C . Chetwynd Atkinson ... G . Almoner . ,, Col . George Lambert . K . C . T . ... G . Warden of Regalia . „ Clement Godion , M . D .... ... G . Herald . ,, A . H . jHTeris ... ... G . 1 st Standard Bearer . „ Percy Wallis ... ... G . 2 nd Standard Bearer , ,, Walter Simpson ... ... G . Banner Bearer . ,, R . A . B . Preston ... ... G . Sword Bearer . ,, F . 13 . Westlake ... ... G . 1 st Aide-de-Camp . ,, Sur .-Lieut .-Col . H . Mackinnon ... G . 2 nd Aide-de-Camp . ,, J . B . Bridgman ... ... G . Chamberlain . ,, T . M . Barron ... ... G . 1 st Capt . of Guards . ,, T . P . Dormnn ... ... G . 2 nd Capt . of Guards . ,, H . R . Rose ... ... ... G . Organist . The GREAT VICE-CHANCELLOR announced the unavoidable absence of lhe G . Prelate , the 2 nd G . Constable , the Warden of Regalia , and the G . Chamberlain . The Grand Master then nominated the following as members of the Council : Sir Knights Ralph Gooding , K . C . T . ; Charles Belton , K . C . T . ; Lieut .-Col . A . B . Cook , G . C . T . ; and Major-General T . C . Hay , C . B ., K . C . T .

Sir Knight A . H . J EITKRIS proposed as members of the Grand Masters Council : Sir Knights Rev . J . S . Brownrigg , G . C . T . ; Sir George D . Harris , K . C . T . ; Gordon Miller , K . C . T . ; A . Woodiwiss , P . G . Chamberlain ; and J . Balfour Cockburn , P . G . Herald . The Earl of Yaiborough and Major Bailey were introduced to Great Priory , and invested with the insignia of K . C . T . Alms amounting to £ , \ 13 s . 9 d . were collected . Great Priory was closed in form .

Grand Lodge Of Scotland.

GRAND LODGE OF SCOTLAND .

A Quarterly Communication of the above Grand Lodge was held in the Freemasons' Hall , Edinburgh , on the ( ith instant . The G . M ., Lord Saltoun , presided , and was supported by Bros . James Berry , P . G . M . Forfarshire ; Ex-Provost Christie , P . G . M . Stirlingshire ; Captain Hope , of Bridgecastle , P . G . M . Linlithgowshire ; Dr . Middleton , P . G . M . Roxburgh , Peebles , and Selkirk ; W . A . Dinwiddie . P . G . M . Dumfriesshire ; R . F . Shaw-Stewart , Past Sub . G . M . ; D . Murray Lyon , G . Sec ; and David Reid , G . Treas .

The Wardens' chairs were occupied by Bros , the Earl of Rosslyn , S . G . \ V ., and Major Allan , J . G . W ., and the Grand Deacon was Bro . Sir James R . Gibson-Maitland . The GRAND MASTER , before entering on the business of the meeting , said he had a very pleasing duty to perform , and that was to unveil a bust of the Past Grand Master , the Earl of Haddington , who was one of the

most popular Grand Masters that h 3 d occupied the throne of Scottish Freemasonry . ( Applause . ) His lordship had done everything in his power to promote Masonry , and it was with deep regret that the Craft heard of his retiring from the high office he held because of ill-health . He was sorry to say that that ill-health still continued , and he suggested that the Grand Secretary be authorised to send a sympathetic letter to Lord Haddington in his illness , and expressing the hope that he would have a speedy

recovery . ( Applause . ) The artist who had been entrus ted with the work had executed his task admirably , the likeness being in all respects admirable and worthy to be placed among the busts of former Grand Masters . His lordship then , amid loud applause , unveiled the bust , which is a duplicate in marble , by Bro . YV . Grant Stevenson , R . S . A ., of the bronze bust which was presented in March last by Grand Lodge to the family of the Earl of Haddington in acknowledgment of his lordshi p ' s services as G . M . of Scotland .

It was reported that Bro . the Earl of Rosslyn had been appointed Prov . G . M . of Fife and Kinross , in room of the late Bro . J . H . Balfour-Melville ; that Bro . William A . Dinwiddie had been appointed Prov . G . M . of Dumfriesshire , in room of Bro . A . Johnstone Douglas , resigned ; that his Excellency Lord Sandhurst , Governor of Bombay , hid been appointed

G . M . of All Scottish Freemasonry in India ; that Bro . Samuel Weil , Bluefields , had been appointed Prov . G . M . of Nicaragua ; that Bro . Francis C . Buchanan , Clannish , Row , had been appointed Prov . G . M . of Dumbartonshire ; and that Bro . Major R . G . Gordon Gilmour , of Craigmillar , had been appointed Prov . G . M . of Mid-Lothian .

The following Provincial Grand Masters were re-appointed : Bros . Lord BIythswood , Renfrewshire East j the Marquis of Breadalbane , K . G ., Perthshire East ; William Boyd , Aberdeenshire East ; Sir C . Dalrymple , of Newhailes , Bart ., M . P ., Argyle and the Isles ; and the Earl of Haddington , Haddington and Berwickshires .

Charters were granted to the following lodges : Nigel , near Heidelberg , Transvaal ; Naval and Military , Victoria , Hong-Kong ; Kilwinning , Freemantle , Western Australia ; Craiginnan , Dollar ; Alan Wilson , Bulawayo , Matabeleland ; Light of the East , Brisbane , Queensland ; St . George , Queensland ; and Seaforth , Fortrose .

The report of the special committee on the erection of the lodges in Mid-Lothian into a Provincial Grand Lodge bore that , at a meeting of representatives of lodges , held in January last , the whole of those present were unanimously of the opinion that the resolution of Grand Lodge to form this Provincial Grand Lodgeof Mid-Lothian should be rescinded , as they all preferred remaining under thadirectsupervision of Grand Lodge . On the assumption of a Provincial Grand Lodge being formed , the Lodge of Kirkliston

desired to be placed under the jurisdiction of the Provincial Grand Lod ge of Linlithgowshire , and the Lodges of Portobello and Corstorphine desired to be incorporated with the Metropolitan District . Grand Committee directed the Special Committee to carry out forthwith the resolution of Grand Lodge to erect the lodges in Mid-Lothian into a Provincial Grand Lodge , and to recommend a brother for appointment to the office of Provincial Grand Master .

At a subsequent meeting of Grand Committee , Major Gordon Gilmour , of Craigmillar , was recommemded as Provincial Grand Master of Mid-Lothian , and his appointment was confirmed by Grand Lodge . A communication was submitted by Grand Committee from Western Australia , reporting that the recently erected lodge Bonnie Doon , Perth , No .

839 , had been consecrated by the District Grand Secretary of Queensland , Bro . R . Lee Bryce , in presence of Bro . his Excellency the Governor of Western Australia , Col . Sir Gerald Smith , of the English Constitution , and a large assemblage of Craftsmen—the Installing Officer having travelled 3000 miles to perform the ceremony of consecration and installation .

In the course of Bro . Lee Bryce ' s visit , a conference of Scottish-holding brethren was held , at which a unanimous wish W 3 s expressed that the lodges in Western Australia should for the present be placed under the Masonic jurisdiction of Queensland . It was resolved to grant this request . On the motion of the GRAND MASTER , it was resolved to present an address of congratulation to the Queen on the occasion of her Majesty ' s Diamond Jubilee , and it was remitted to the Grand Master to make arrangements for the presentation of the address .

Bro . J AMES CALDWELL , Paisley , brought forward a motion for increasing the number of elective members of Grand Committee from 3 ( 5 to 48 , the additional members to be elected at the quarterly meeting in February next . Bro . JAMES GUNN , Pollokshields , seconded the motion . The previous question was moved by Bro . W . MUNRO , Denholm , Glasgow , seconded b y Bro . JAMES MUIR , Uddingston , and supported by the

GRAND MASTER : but the motion was carried by 146 to 7 8 . On the motion of Bro . W . MUNRO , Denholm , seconded by Bro . GEORGE FINDLAV , Glasgow , it was unanimously agreed that no brother should be affiliated into a lodge until he produced satisfactory evidence that he was clear of all dues with his mother lodge , or last affiliated lodge , and that he was in otherwise in good Masonic standing .

lhe Earl of ROSSLYN called attention to the constitution and laws of Grand Lodge , and with a view to avoiding the conflicts which had recentl y taken place on the subject ot the suspension of lodges , moved that the names of all intrants , with dates of entry , passing , and raising be notified by daughter lodges direct to Provincial Grand Lodge , and subsequently by the Provincial Grand Lodge to Grand Lodge . Bro . R . F . SHAW-STEWART seconded the motion .

Bro . J AMES BERRY pointed out that the proposal would be almost unworkable , because of the increased duties which would be imposed on Provincial Grand Secretaries , who would require to be well-paid officials .