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mittee to secure a permanent place of meet- ing, a committee to prepare a constitution and by-laws for their guidance, and a third to interview Dr. W. Newcombe, with a view to securing his services to examine applicants for admission. It was further agreed that the name should be Court Albion. No. 1, Sons of England Benevolent Society; that the objects of the society should bez—The society to be composed of Protestant Eng- lishmen and their descendants; to care for each other’s interests in sickness, distress or death; to procure for any brother who might require it, employment whenever possible; to benefit each other by mutual support in business and trade; and in any way to ad- vance each other's moral, social and material welfare; at the same time caring for the pro- tection and advantage of the families of the members. As a political institution it was to know no party, but to inculcate the preser— vation and perpetuity of the British Empire, loyalty to the Crown and their country.

The organization was not completed at the second meeting held on the 22nd of De- cember, 1874. Several meetings were held before a ritual was adopted by the society, the first being prepared by G. Brooks.

Two years later lodges Middlesex. Kent and Essex had come into existence, and by authority of Albion, with the mutual consent of the other three lodges, a grand lodge was organized on the 30th of October, 1876, and a proper system of representation by dele- gates established, three from each of the four lodges. The first grand lodge officers elected were: Grand president, G. F. Carette; grand vice—president, J. Lomas; grand treasurer, J. Terry; grand secretary, G. Brooks: grand chaplain, P. Millington; grand guards, T. Chappel and W. Brown; grand auditors. A. Hambrook and J. Danford. From this date

PAST AND PRESENT OF

lodge after lodge was instituted in rapid suc- cession throughout Ontario, until Excelsior, No. 36, widened the circle as far east as Mon- treal, followed closely by Gloucester in Que- bec. Winnipeg in the west and Prince Ed- ward Island in the east had now consider- ably enlarged the area covered by the society.

To Prince Edward Island belongs the honor of the first lodge of the society in the maritime provinces, Eton, No. 148. The organization of this lodge reads almost like fiction. Mr. T. J. Leeming, of Charlotte- town, surgeon on H. M. S. surveying steam— er “Gulnare” at or near Quebec during the summer of 1890, while ashore at the city ac- cidently came in possession of several copies of the Anglo-Saxon. This was at that time the only organ of the society, although not officially recognized as such by the supreme executive. These he brought home with him when the steamer returned to Charlottetown the following October to lay up for the win- ter. He gave a copy to his intimate friend, J. H. Bell, Charlottetown, who at once be- came a subscriber. In its columns Mr. Bell noticed an advertisement embodying the ob- jects and aims of the Sons of England Be- nevolent Society. This was the first intima- tion as far as the province was concerned that such,a society was in existence. The advertisement led this subscriber to write E. J. Reynolds, the editor at Ottawa, for fuller information concerning the society, and his letter was in turn referred to the district dep- uty for Ottawa district. A reply, with a copy of the constitution, was received, stating that the matter had been further referred to J. \V. Carter, supreme grand secretary, To- ronto, who was pleased to send a further sup- ply of constitutions, advertising matter, blank applications for membership, as well as a blank application for a charter. \Vith