Monthly Masonic Summary.

Monthly Masonic Summary .

Since last month the great event in Freemasonry lias been the Quarterl y Communication , on the 2 nd December . Our Eoyal Brother , the Prince of Wales , officially then accepted the offer of the temporary Grand Mastership , and appointed the Earl of Carnarvon his Pro-Grand

Master , and Lord Skelmersdale the Deputy Grand Master . These appointments were made amidst the unanimous applause of the Brethren , and the Earl of Carnarvon was installed as the Deputy Grand Master . Our Eoyal and august Brotherthe

, Prince of Wales , was then nominated , amidst the acclamation of Grand Loclge , as Grand Master for the ensuing year . The next Quarterly Communication , and the Annual Festival , will be of the deepest interest to the Order .

Beyond . this we have little to note , as English Freemasonry is otherwise peacefully progressive . Archbishop Manning ' s brochure on Freemasonry has not yet appeared , and for a time there seems to be a lull in manifestoes

and allocutions . The truth is the Eoman Catholics have been doing too much , and giving way simply to " high falutin , " which never pays in the long run . May they be wiser in 1875 .

It seems , from our respected contemporary , the " Philadelphia Keystone , " that there were , according to the last official reports , 2 , 632 Chapters in the United States , and 112 , 362 Eoyal Arch Masons . Freemasonry in America seems to be

progressing , like as with us in England , with rapid strides , and the startling fact remains , that probably the Freemasons in the United States are now not much less , With all deductions , than 700 , 000 in numerical strength . The Craft in America has latel y had to deplore the loss of several ° ld , and excellent and valuable members of

their Order . Among these may be cited P . G . M . Anthon , of New York ; P . G . M . Bead , of Pennsylvania ; P . P . M . Perkins , of Louisiana ; and Bro . Ames , P . G . M . of Minnesota . Another denomination in Scotland , called the Christian Churchwe fancy a

, very obscure sect , has denounced the Freemasons . But as they apparently consider that most other reli gious bodies are " sects of carnal invention , " we are in pretty good company ; and though they evidently are of opinion that we are " booked for

something uncomfortable , " we fancy that we shall survive their remarks . Despite all adversaries and anathemas , the good old Craft seems to be " fighting a good fight" just now . May all of prosperity attend it everywhere in 1875 .

We deeply regret the reported suspension of the publication of " Mackey ' s National Freemason , " for want of adequate support . We trust that its motto may soon be '' Eeviresco . "

PICTORIAL WORLD CHRISTMAS NUMBER . This , the first Christmas Number , is certainly most attractive . The engravings are excellent , and in addition to a dozen or more by our best artists , two double-page Presentation Plates are given—the one b

y G . C . Kilburne , of the " Children ' s Party , " is so graceful and natural in its composition that parents and children will deli ght in the possession of such a work of art ; the other is a bold engraving of the well-known Academy picture by F . G . Cotmanof

, "Noah Eeceiving the Dove . " The number in addition contains stories by Bain Friswell , Mortimer Collins , Shirley Hibberd , Walter Thornbury , Thomas Archer , George Manville Fenn , Henry S . Leigh , ifec ., and consists of thirty-two pages , in a coloured

cover , forming the cheapest and most attractive production for sixpence that we have seen , N