Masonry In Northumberland.

upon-Iyne Lodge , No . 24 ; but , from some untorseen mistake , there were only two of the subscribing members of Lodge No . 24 in attendance to receive the Provincial Grand Lodge —( then came a long list of Provincial Grand Ollicers present on the occasion)—the R . W . Prov . Grand Master ordered some refreshment for the brethren present ,

and the evening was spent in love and harmony . " I am afraid that space will not permit me to treat of the Charities of the province as they deserve . As early as 1814 , at the first United Provincial Grand Lodge held in the province , the R . W . Prov . Grand Master ,

Sir John E . Swinburne , Bart ., said " that with a view to mark in that province an era so highly conspicuous , it was his intention to propose for the consideration of the brethren the expediency of establishing Masonic Schools for the education of the children of poor brethren in the province . "

He also said " that it was his opinion that there should be raised by the several lodges in the province a fund for facilitating the execution of the above , and such other local measures as might tend to promote the welfare and respectability of the Craft in the north , and for defraying the expenses of the Provincial Grand Lodge . "

Next year , 1815 , it was agreed that each lodge in the province shall contribute annually to this fund is . for each of its members , and 2 s . 6 d . for every candidate advanced to the Degree of M . M . In 1816 extracts were read from the new Laws and Regulations of the United Grand Lodge with regard to Provincial Funds , and the P . G . M . urged upon the brethren

the necessity for the speedy establishment of such fund . His proposition , previously mentioned , was " unanimously approved . " In 1818 , the P . G . M ., who was absent through illness , sent a message saying that he was sorry to find that no progress had been made in establishing the fund , and that

he hoped the lodges of the province would not put him to the disagreeable necessity of exerting those powers that are invested in him by the new Constitutions of the lodges now in existence , only the Newcastle-on-Tyne Lodge , as became its exalted position , had responded to the Prov . G . Master ' s

request . Nothing further is entered in the " Transactions" respecting this fund till 1825 ; but , from the clause in the report of the committee appointed by Provincial Grand Lodge to make arrangements for the laying of the

foundationstone of the Literary and Philosophical Society , in 1822 , it appears that Provincial Grand Lodge had no fund to meet the expenditure . In the second year of the Provincial Grand Mastership of Sir Mathew White Ridley , however , he said to Provincial Grand Lodge that it was absolutely necessary that a fund should be formed for defraying the expenses of

Provincial Grand Lodge , under the immediate superintendence of the P . G . Stewards . He therefore proposed that fees of honour should be paid annually by all Provincial Grand Officers . These varied from £ 5 5 s . by the Provincial Grand Master to 7 s . 6 d . by the Provincial Grand Stewards , the

yearty total being £ 27 is . 6 cl . Wliether these fees were regularly paid we know not ; but matters were evidently becoming unsatisfactory , for , in 18 49 , the P . G . M ., the Rev . Edward Challoner Ogle , made " some pointed remarks as to the necessity of a Fund of Benevolence , " and a committee

was appointed to draw up rules for its management . At a special meeting , held later in the same year , the rules so drawn up were agreed to . The payments from each lodge were to be the same as of old , and the fees of honour were to remain much as before , except that the lower officers were

to pay 10 s . instead of 7 s . 6 d . In 1850 it was agreed that the fees of honour were to be used for the expenses of Provincial Grand Lodge , and that the contributions from the lodges to the Fund of Benevolence should be used for that purpose only . The fees of honour were repeatedly revised till 186 9 ,

when they were abolished . In 18 54 the rules of the Fund were revised . In what the revision consisted there are no entries from which I can learn .

In 186 9 , the regulations of the fund took their present shape , and the Fund of General Purposes was amalgamated with the Provincial Fund of Benevolence , and the committee for its management consists of the D . P . G . M ., as chairman , the actual W . M . of each lodge in the province , twelve Provincial Grand Officers , Past and Present , appointed

annually by Provincial Grand Lodge , together with the Trustees , Provincial Grand Treasurer , Registrar , and Secretary , ex-officio . It took fifty-five years to establish this fund , the dues to which are now regularly paid without demur , by every one

of the thirty-four lodges of the province in the first quarter of the year , and from which £ 6 , 300 has been paid to the Central Masonic Charities , and in local relief .

R . W . Bro . Lord Balfour of Burleigh , P . G . W ., Secretary of State for Scotland , will celebrate the interesting occasion of his silver wedding on the 21 st November . He married , in 1876 , a sister of the Earl of Aberdeen . Bro . Lord Balfour ' s title was at one time in jeopardy , for in 1716 , by reason of the participation of its owner in the rising of 1715 , it was attained , being only restored to its present owner in 186 9 .

Festive gatherings of the Fraternity are not wholly confined to this country . A writer in the American Tyler says :- —" Were I to chronicle the doings of Masonry in New York just now I would have to tell stories of clambakes and picnics , fishing excursions and hunting expeditions , all mighty pleasant in themselves , but of little interest to anyone except

to those immediately concerned . Sometimes these things are described as lodge outings , and I often wonder what some of the 'fathers' of Masonry would have thought had they contemplated the possibility of much that is now being done under the icgis of the Craft . I wonder what good James

Anderson would have thought of a Masonic clambake , or what sort of remarks the worthy Dr . Oliver might have indulged in had he been privileged to attend a lodge reception ! Possibly Laurence Dermott might have enjoyed them all , for he was rather a jovial sort of personage and one

who would have endorsed any number of beefstake dinners and clambakes , and all the honest pleasures of life . As we in this state are Masonically descended from him , perhaps that is why our tastes runs so much to receptions and outings and fun . "

A British Columbia newspaper announces that the Hon . James D . Richardson , Member of Congress from Tennesse , " has the honour of holding the highest office in the gift of Masonry in the world , he having , by the death of Thomas H . Caswell , of San Francisco , become Sovereign Grand Commander of the Southern Jurisdiction of the Ancient

and Accepted Scottish Rite . He fills the position for life , and is practically a monarch in Masonry . " We trust our worthy brother will not be ovewhelmed by the responsibilities attaching to the rule of such a mighty kingdom , and that the subsidiary Masonic organisations of the United

States , to say nothing of the European Jurisdictions , will , with becoming modest ) -, pay due homage to the mighty monarch of the " Southern Jurisdiction . "

An excellent club story—which emphatically deserves to be true , if it isn ' t , states a contemporary—is told illustrating the truth of what is so often said , that in our King the country has an eminently practical monarch . A discussion once arose among a circle of his intimate friends as to how they would each meet a sudden reverse of fortune . One of them

turned to the Prince , and said : " If the Monarchy was overthrown here , sir , what would you do ? " The Prince of Wales thought for a moment and then replied , " Well , I think I might support my family by lecturing in the United States upon how it feels to be Prince of Wales . "

As a matter of fact , it is not so very generally known that the King is an excellent bootmaker , the trade which he was taught by the wish of the Prince Consort , who had all his children taught some trade .