Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS 167 Consecration of the Sir Charles Bright Chapter , No . 1793 168 Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Scotland i 6 q District Grand Lodgeof Canterbury ( N . Z . ) 16 9 Masonic Fictions 16 9 Perfect Ritualism 16 9 C ORRESPONDENCE— Royal Masonic Institution for Girls 1 ) 1 New Grand Lodges 1-1 Statistical Returns . _ . _ ... __ . _ . " ... __ . _ . __ .... " 171 Notes and Queries 1 ,, „ , _ , ______ . __ . ' REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGS- Craft Masonry 17 a Instruction 175 Royal Arch 17 a Instruction 176 Mark Masonry 176 Knights Templar 176 Royal Ark Mariners 177

; Juvenile Ball of the Lodge of Unitv , No . 1 S 6 S , at Oldham _ .. 157 i Presentation to Bro . Pitt 177 : Annual Banquet of the Friars Lodge of Instruction , No . 1349 177 Presentation to Bro . Joseph Da Silva , P . M . 20 J , W . M . 2265 177 Masonic Charity in West Lancashire 177 Devon Masonic Edncatinn and Relief Funds 178 J ' £ 'P Benevolent Institution 178 ¦ * - "' " ecent festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution 178 B ° ard of Benevolence . 17 S Masonic Reception of the Rev . I . M . MacGonigle ' .... ' ..... .. 178 Entertainment by ' the ' Chough Lodge , ' No . 226 4 178 Obituary 179 Masonic Ball at Limassol , Cyprus 179 The Craft Abroad 179 Masonic and General Tidings 1 S 0 Lodge Meetings for Next Week iv .

Ar00101

The WE are in a position to announce that Wednesday , the 22 nd Girls' School May , has been appointed for the celebration of the 101 st Festival . Anniversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , when we trust the Stewards who have undertaken to support Bro . Lord HENNIKER , P . G . M . of Suffolk , as President on the occasion , will be

successful in raising a sufficient amount of money to defray the regular expenses of the year . Upon this point we shall take an early opportunity of speaking more fully , and describing in some detail the requirements of the Institution ; but in the meantime we must express our regret that it has not been found possible to arrange that the Festival should take place , as

usual , on the second VVednesday in May . Last year the Anniversary of the Boys' School was held on the 27 th June , or within three weeks of the Girls' Centenary . We understand the coming Festival of the Boys' School is fixed for the 26 th June , and therefore there will be an interval of only five weeks between the two

celebrationsan arrangement which we need hardly be at the pains of pointing out is likely to prove detrimental to the success of the later Festival , and , as a matter of course , therefore , to the interests of the Boys' School , in whose behalf it will be held . We have not a word to say against the departure from the usual arrangements

as regards last year , when the Girls' Festival was of exceptional importance , and held under the presidency of the Prince of WALES—who , in all probability , owing to the vast number of his engagements , would have been unable to take the chair on any other day than the one that was chosen . But there is no doubt this inevitable postponement of the Festival until the

month of June had the effect of increasing the difficulties which the Boys ' School Stewards encountered in their canvass , and it looks very much as if those difficulties would recur during the present year . An interval of only five

weeks does not give the Stewards for the Boys' School a fair chance of obtaining subscriptions , and in that case must affect the Returns very seriously . Is it too late to advance the Girls' School Festival by a week , or , better still , by two weeks ? *

Theiat B DEATH is assuredly causing sad havoc in the front ranks of our John Watson , Provincial brethren . It is only last week that we gave ex' ' ' ' " pression to the opinion , which almost everywhere prevails among Craftsmen , that by the deaths of Bros . J . A . BIRCH and W . NOTT , the Provinces of East Lancashire and Wiltshire , to which they respectively

belonged , had sustained losses which it will be difficult—and only after a considerable lapse of time—to replace . In our current number will be found a short memoir of another distinguished Provincial Mason , who has just died , and who had won distinction , not only in private and Provincial G . Lodge and Chapter , but likewise in United Grand Lodge itself

and Supreme Grand Chapter . We allude to the late Bro . J WATSON , J-P ., of Nottinghamshire , who had been a member of our Society for some 35 years , and Dep . G . Master of his Province since 1877 , and who in 1 ° 85 Was appointed one of the Senior G . Deacons in Grand Lodge and Grand ist Standard Bearer in Supreme Grand Chapter . had cf

^ he deceased also presided over the fortunes Mark Masonry in Notts as Prov . G . Mark Master since 1883 , and to replace one who had gured conspicuously in so many responsible positions will be a severe strain on our Nottinghamshire brethren . We have no doubt , however , "at when they have been able to realise the blow which has fallen upon

the m , they will face their difficulty manfully , and that a brother will be s ° oner or later forthcoming upon whom the mantle of the late Bro . WAT' N will descend , and by whom the more important duties in connection W | th

the administration of Craft , Arch , and Mark Masonry in Nottinghamlr e will be discharged . In the meantime it is becoming that we should en der our respectful sympathy tothe family and friends of our deceased other as well as to his colleagues in Masonry in the Province with which had been so long and so beneficially associated .

Ar00102

„ . „ .... THF , Scarisbrick Lodge , which has recently been added to the T ^ nP ^ PJiri ^ nriPK Lodge , N 0 . 229 J , roll of lodges in the Province of West Lancashire , and of the Southport . consecration of which by Bro . W . GOODACRE , P . G . S . B ., Prov . G . Sec , we published a report last week , appears to have started on

its career under most encouraging circumstances . It is undoubtedly to be regretted that Bro . the Earl of LATHOM , D . G . M ., and G . Master of the Province , was unable to preside on the occasion ; but his place was ably filled by the Prov . G . Secretary , than whom no brother is more capable of performing the ceremony of consecration with accuracy and impressiveness .

Moreover , Bro . GOODACRE was well supported by sundry of the Prov . G . Officers , among them being Bro . the Rev . J . S . GARDNER , P . M ., Prov . G . Chaplain , who delivered an excellent oration in praise of Masonry and its attributes , laying especial stress on tlie importance of the brethren illustrating on every possible occasion the great Masonic virtue of Charity .

After the installation of the W . Master and the appointment of officers , the brethren present indulged in mutual congratulations on the success of the day's proceedings . It was also mentioned as showing the spirit in which the members of the lodge had acted , that the collars and silver jewels of the officers had been presented by Bro . J . WITHAM and another

brother , that the silver working tools were the gift of the W . M . and the two Wardens , and that the lodge had determined on appropriating the whole of the initiation and joining fees to Charity . We congratulate West Lancashire and the brethren of the Scarisbrick Lodge on the success of their opening day ; and we sincerely trust that the same harmonious and kindly feeling may be found to prevail always among the members .

* THE various statements of account which accompany the Masonic Educa- Report of the Bengal Masonic Association for educating tionai Association , children for the half-year ended the 31 st December , fully

justify the assertion contained in the opening paragraph thereofthat the record is one " of satisfactory and steady progress . " There has been an increase in the number of Vice-Presidents , Life Governors , and Annual Subscribers , the office of Steward has been filled up in several lodges , and some unattached special Stewards have been appointed . The receipts

from voluntary contributions amounted to 3920 rupees , and , though the income from capitation assessments realised only about one-half of the amount estimated , the deficiency is recoverable from the lodges , and there is every reason to believe it will be made good in the course of the half-year now current . The reports from the authorities of the various

schools in which the children on the establishment are being educated are uniformly satisfactory , and considering that since the Association was started 61 children have been , or are being , educated at its charges , there can be no doubt that our Bengal brethren who founded and maintain it in a state of such admirable efficiency have exemplified to very good

purpose their attachment to the principles of the Craft . As regards the future , the prospects are most hopeful . The invested funds of the Association amount to 65 , 000 rupees , the interest annually derivable thereon being some 2700 rupees , while the expenses of management are extremely moderate .

The brethren , too , appear to be generous in their support , and under so capable a President as Bro . the Hon . H . T . PRINSEP , Dist . G . M ., there is every reason to anticipate that the progress heretofore made will be well maintained . We warmly congratulate the Committee and officials on the position of an Association which has already done them so much credit .

* Freemasonry IT was not to be expected that so momentous a change as N v ' south l ^ wh ' ch bas recently taken place in the Masonic community Wales . in New South Wales should have been effected without creating a certain amount of heartburning , or that every single member of the said

community should have given in at once , and without any hesitation whatever , his adhesion to the new arrangements . We were under the impression , however , from the reports which reached us from time to time , that the establishment of the new order of things had been brought about constitutionally , and by the virtually , if not actually , unanimous wish of the members

of the various Constitutions heretofore existing in the Colony . But it appears from a letter we publish in our correspondence columns , that one English lodge—the Cambrian Lodge of Australia , No . 656—or perhaps for the present we must confine ourselves to saying a section of its members , has resolved on remaining aloof from the United Grand Lodge of New

South Wales , and retaining its old allegiance to the United Grand Lodge of England . The news will not seriously affect our original belief that the brethren of the various Constitutions were , as we have said , virtually unanimous in their desire for the change that has been brought about ; but it

makes it clear that the dissentient feeling is stronger than we had any reason to suppose , and that for so long , at all events , as Lodge No , 656 shall remain of the same opinion as , according to our correspondent , Bro . GEORGE ROBINSON , it now is , there will be two rival Masonic authorities in the