Some Notes On Freemasonry In Austraiasia.– –(Continued).

Standish was installed there were about forty working . Many years subsequent to the foregoing Capt . Clarke was better known in England as Lieut .-General Sir Andrew Clarke , G . C . M . G ., and as Agent-General for Victoria , which important office he held till the day of his death in 1900 .

Till ' , HON . SIR WILLIAM . I 011 N CLARKE , HART ., LL . D ., FIRST GRAND MASTER OF VICTORIA . It is appropriate here to interpolate a peculiar incident in connection with the induction into office of Capt . Clarke , and

of his successor , Capt . Standish , that is to say , neither had regularly passed the chair of a private lodge , and so both were made Installed Masters " at sight . " Lord Carrington

was similarly passed through the chair as a preliminary to his being installed Grand Master of New South Wales in 1888 . However , there is a like instance extant in England , namely , in connection with the Province of Sussex , as will be seen in the following excerpt from Bro . Thomas Francis' Ilislorv of Freemasonry in Sussex : —

"The annual meeting for 186 7 , was held at the Pavilion rooms [ Brighton ] on the 30 th September , the following distinguished visitors being present , viz ., Bros . Hall , P . G . M . of Cambridgeshire ; Dobic , P . G . M . of Surrey ; E . Fraser , G . D . ; T . Fenn , Grand Dir . of

C . ; Pugh , Asst . G . Purst . ; J . Llewellyn Evans , Prest . of the Bd . of General Purposes ; W . Gray Clarke , G . Sec . ; J . Hopwood . Pres . of the Colonial Board ; and H . Slight , P . G . D . Before the transaction of the regular business , the Installation of the Hon . Walter

John Lord Pelliam , was performed b y Bro . E . f . Turner ; prior , however , to the ceremony being performed , it was found necessary that his lordship , who had never presided over a lodge , should pass through the ceremony of installation as the W . M . of a lodge .

This was performed by Bro . Pocock in another room , assisted by several W . M . ' s and P . M . ' s , after which his lordship was conducted into the Prov . Grand Lodge , where he was installed as Prov . Grand Master . " But there is an earlier reference than any of the foregoing

instances to the indiscriminate making of Installed Masters , though from the verbiage one may readily infer that it is the Scottish Chapter grade that is mentioned . The incident is from the minutes of the Lodge of Australia Felix , under date January 20 th , 1841 . The entry reads : —

"The motion b y Bro . Dobson— 'That all brethren being office bearers of the lodge shall receive the degree of Past Master , as soon as the same can be accomplished , ' was read , and fell to the ground . "

( To be continued ) .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Norths. & Hunts.

Provincial Grand Lodge of Norths . & Hunts .

r PHK annual meeting ol" the Province ol" Northamptonshire J _ and Hunts took place on Thursday , June 15 th , at Northampton , under the banners of the four lodges in that town , and it was ot a most successful nature . There was an exceptionall y large muster of the brethren , every

lodge in the province being well represented . Two new lodges have come into existence during the year—the Pembertcn , No . 3039 , at Rushden , and the Hafton Lodge , 3041—having been consecrated since the Provincial Grand Lodge at Daventry , about twehe months ago . The meeting

on Thursday took place in the handsome lodge-room at the Masonic Hall , Prince ' s Street , and the Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master ( Earl of Elision , D . L . ) , was supported by Very Worshi pful B .-o . Harry Maiilield , J . P ., P . G . Treasurer , the Deputy Provincial G . AL , and the retiring

Provincial Officers . The customary business was transacted . Lord Euston again selected W . Bro . II . Manlield , P . M . 1764 , as Deputy Prov . G . M ., and other Provincial Grand Officers

were appointed and invested by the Prov . G . M . The meeting resolved to send a telegram of congratulation to H . R . H . the Duke of Connanght , the M . W . Grand Master , upon the event taking place that afternoon in St . George ' s Chapel , Windsor . It was decided to hold the next annual

meeting of the Province at Peterborough . During the proceedings in the lodge-room , the Provincial Grand Master presented 10 W . Bro . J . Ilaviland , who for some years acted as Deputy Provincial Grand Master , and is now leaving Northampton for London , a handsome

writingtable , a silver inkstand , and an address on vellum , expressing gratitude for the long and valuable sen ice he had rendered to the province . —In reply , \ V . Pro . II : \ ilancl said that he deeply appreciated the sentiment which prompted the brethren in making such a handsome presentation , and he thanked all with whom he had been associated during the past twenty-four years for their unvaning kindness .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Gloucestershire.

Provincial Grand Lodge of Gloucestershire .

MM-IE Annual Festival of the Provincial Grand Lodge of J _ Gloucestershire was held on Tuesday , June 27 th , at Tewkesbury , under the banner of the St . George ' s Lodge . The weather was delightfully line , and there was a large attendance of brethren from the several lodges of the province . In the morning the brethren of the St . George ' s Lodge arranged a pleasant trip up the Severn , which was

greatly enjoyed . At half-past one o ' clock the Provincial Grand Lodge assembled in the Abbey Schools , presided over by R . W . Bro . the Right Hon . Sir Michael E . Hicks-Iieach , Bart ., M . P ., P . GAV . England , the Provincial Grand Master . He was supported by the Deputy Provincial Grand Master , W . Bro . R . V . Vassar Smith , P . G . D . England , and the officers of Provincial Grand Lodge .