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Provincial Grand Lodge Of Essex.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF ESSEX .

THE Annual Meeting of this Provincial Grand Lodge was held at tho Railway Hotel , Parkeston ( near Harwich ) , on Wednesday , when tho Right Honourable tho Lord Brooke , M . P ., R . W . Provincial Grand Master , was snpported by Bro . Fred . A . Philbrick , Q . C ., P . G . D ., Deputy Provincial Grand Master , and a largo attendance of Provincial Grand Officers , Present and Past . Amongst those present

were Bros . Matthew Clark P . G . D ., Past Deputy Provincial Grand Master , Joshna Nunn P . G . S . B ., Lonl Claud Hamilton , M . P ., James Terry Secretary Royal Mason : ¦• Benevolent Institution , Thomas Vincent Prov . G . S . B , Surrey , Frederick Long ( Suffolk ) , & o . & o . Shortly after ono o ' clock Provincial Grand Lodge was opened in a room at the Station , kindly placed at the

disposal of the entertaining Lodge by tbe Groat Eastern Railway Company , who , it may here be stated , had entered thoroughly into the spirit of the gathering , and had rendered every possible assist , ance to make it a success . After the Provincial Grand Master had been salutod , the Provincial G . Secretary read tho minutes of the last annual Provincial Grand Lodgo meeting , held at Chinaford in

August last , under the presidency of the late Lord Tentordon , K . C . B . ; and of the especial Grand Lodge held at Colchester in February last , on which occasion Lord Brooke , M . P ., the present Prov . Grand Master , was installed by his Royal Highness the Duke of Albany , E . G ., P . G . W . Several letters expressing regret at inability to attend were announced , amongst others from Bros . Lord Waveney , Lord

Henniker , T . F . Halsey , M . P ., Rev . C . J . Martyn , Dr . Wilson lies , Colonel Shadwell H . Clerko Grand Secretary , & c , & c . On calling over the roll of Lodges , it was found that the twenty which comprise the Province were represented . The amount of contributions received showed a slight increase over that of the last year , while the numerical strength of membership was declared as

897 against 866 for tho corresponding period of 1882 . A balance of £ 60 9 s was announced as to the credit of Provincial Grand Lodge . The report of the Auditors was unanimously received and adopted . The next feature of the day ' s proceedings was to receive the report of the Charity Committee , which had been prepared by Bro . Dehane , the Representative of the Province , and which was read by that worthy brother , as follows : —

. Before I enter on that which the ProvinciarCharity Committee has done ; I think the Grand Lodge might like to know the voting power of the Province for the last two years , and this year as far as can be ascertained : — R . M . B . I . Boys' ' Girls ' F . M . School . School . Total .

1881 Individuals 124 105 334 194 Lodges 25 56 96 52 Chapters — — 6 4 310 436 250 = 996 1882 Individuals 124 105 371 244 Lodges 25 56 91 51 Chapters — . — 9 6

310 471 301 = 1082 1883 Individuals 124 105 393 267 Lodges 26 58 83 45 Chapters — — 6 7 313 482 319 = 1114

Averaging something like one-third of a vote for each of the breth - ren in the Province for each of the Charities . Of courso these figure ? do not include those brethren who belong to the Province but reside in London .

Since Grand Lodge meeting in August last year the Provincial Charit y Committee has given its support to only one candidate—Frederick Charles Victor Basham—a very deserving case , son of a P . P . G . S . B ., Secretary aud P . M . of the Star iu tho East Lodge , who lost his life while discharging his duties , leaving a widow aud fivo children almost totally nnprovided for ..

Unfortunatel y I am unable to give a tabular statement of the proxies sent to the Committee by'tbe brethren in the Province , owing to the voting papers coming to hand so short a time before tho election days ; in fact , many did not arrive until the cleotions were over , which shonld be obviated on future occasions . I shall therefore simply give the numbers polled on each of the three applications , namel y : —

Candidates J ^ Votes A Pril 1882 213 67 15 let successful 3002 n L , 15 th 2050 October 1882 1134 65 12 1 st 3004

. ., 12 th 2464 Apnt 1883 1580 65 - 13 1 st 3520 14 th 2548 Total 2927 polled for Basham :

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Essex.

j Bringing him in 12 th on tho list of successful candidates . The total nnmber of proxies issued to the brethren in E « sex for these three elections was 3278 . Tho Committeo polled 2927 ; of theso Lord Cland Hamilton sent 1000 Aud there wero borrowed 013

1023 Only 1304 being sent to tho Committeo , showing 1974-proxies wero otherwise disposed of ; in consequence , a largo uumber—023—had to bo borrowed to seenro this olection . I am , however , pleased to say 471 have been repaid , leaving 191 owing , which I trust tho brethren

by their unanimous support will enable tho Committee to pay in October ; and , should there be no E-SPX candidate , to lay the foundation of a fund of proxies which would be available and the sure moans of carrying a candidate when taken up by tho Committee . This being oasily accomplished , by lending to other Prouiucictl Committees , securing their confidence and keeping up the Provincial prestige .

I may mention that I could have borrowed , in the name of the Essex Committee , any number of proxies , but , with the able assistance and joint calculation of Bro . Clowes W . M . 650 P . G . S ., I determined not to pledge the Province too deeply , but abide by tho number wo had polled . This happily resulted in tho success of our candidate . There are one or two points desirable to be impressed upon the brethron of

Essex . One specially is , that without their cordial and unanimous support the Gmnnitteo caunot do justice to tho Province , and , aa every Lodge may , and probably will , each year send a new member to serve on the Committee , that point should be seriously considered on installation days , when the brother is eleated . Another point is , that the proxies should be sent to the Prov . Grand Seoretary in good time , and so obviate that loss of votes which has happened at each

of the three last elections . It is hoped tho brothers elected by the Lodges will make it convenient to attend themselves , or by deputy , at the Committee meetings . In conclusion , the Committee trust tho steps taken to secure the election of their candidate , and the happy result , will meet with the approval of Grand Lodge . H . DEHANE W . M . 1543 P . G . S . D .

Representing the Committee at the Elections . This report waa unanimously adopted . Lord Brooke then addressed the brethren . This being the first opportunity be had had , he would avail himself of the occasion to express his pleasure at the kindly reception given him by the Freemasons of Essex on the day of his installation as Provincial Grand Master , by the Duke of Albany . While recognising how much of the

brilliancy and lustre attached to that gathering was due to the fact that the Duke of Albany had so kindly undertaken to perform the ceremony of his installation , he conld but be proud of the hearty reception and cordial greeting with which , personally , he had been received . He might here state also , that the Dnko of Albany had since expressed the gratification he experienced on the occasion of

his first visit to Colchester , and that he hoped to revisit it on an early day . Knowing that arrangements had been made for the enjoyment of those present , he thonght it wonld be out of place for him to make a long address ; moreover , he was not a good speaker at the bost of times , and when he remembered that only last year they were presided over by a Mason so eloquent as the late . Lord

Tenterden , he was the more reminded of his own shortcomings . With respect to the several reports they had listened to , he thonght he could congratulate the members of P . G . Lodge . The falling off in the nnmber of members referred to last year had been recovered , and they now were a little above the return made for the year 1881 . Ho was pleased to say he had received several

applications for Warrants , and had himself taken part in the inauguration of a new Lodge , the Blackwater , which was consecrated at Maldon on the 20 th June last . One point in reference to Bro . Dehane ' s Report he thought he might call attention to , that was that the suggestion made as to the forwarding of voting papers should be more consistently followed . It was very desirable that a reserve fund of

votes shonld be established . The Prov . Graud Master then alluded to the kindness displayed by the Great Eastern Railway Company in assisting to make the meeting a success , and remarked how gratified he was to see his friend Lord Claud Hamilton , who was so closely connected with the Company , present . This was the first important event that had taken place since his appointment as Provincial

Grand Master ; personally he was much indebted to Bro . Richard Clowes , the Worshipful Master of the entertaining Lodge , for the share he bad taken in making the arrangements . He would reserve any further remarks he might desire to offer , as he knew careful preparation had been made by the Executive who had control of

the day ' s arrangements for the enjoyment of those who were present . Lord Brooko then formally requested Bro . Philbrick to continue as Depnty Provincial Grand Master , and re-invested him with the collar of office . This compliment having been gracefully acknowledged by Bro . Philbrick , Bro . Andrew Dnrrant was re-elected Provincial Grand Treasurer , and the Officers for the vear were appointed and invested ,

as follow : — Bro . Richard Clowes W . M . 650 ... ... G . Senior Warden William Sowman I . P . M . 51 ... ... G . Junior Warden Rev . 0 . H . Roborts Chaplain 453 ... G . Chaplain Andrew Dnrrant P . M . andTrcas . 276 ... G . Treasurer F . A . White W . M . 1437 G . Registrar

T . J . Railing P . M . and Sec . 51 ... G . Secretary R . D . Poppleton I . P . M . 433 ... ... G . Senior Deacon J . J . Cavill W . M . 1312 ... ... G . Junior Deacon J . Child W . M . 453 ... ... ... G . Supt . of Works . A . Lucking P . M . 1 G 0 ... ... G . D . of Cer .

W . D . Merritt W . M . 1000 ... ... G . Assist . D . of C . H . Harper P . M . and Secretary 160 ... G . Sword Bearer W . G . Brighten S . W . 1000 ... ... G . Organist Thomas G . Mills I . P . M . 697 ... ... G . Pursuivant F . Bird I . P . M . 1024 ... ... G . Assist . Pursuivant