Provincial Grand Lodge Of West Lancashire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF WEST LANCASHIRE .

'PHE annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodgo of - *• Freemasons of West Lancashire was held on Wednesday in the Public Hall , Preston . There was an exceptionally largo attendance of brethren of all rank . Bro . the Earl of Lathom R . W . D . G . M . R . W . P . G . M . presided . Bro . R . Wylie P . G . D . Eng . P . P . G . W . acted as D . P . G . M .. and

tho Wardens' chairs were occupied by Bros . E . H . Cookson P . S . G . W ., and W . B . Richardson P . J . G . W . All the Provincial Officers , with two exceptions , answered to their names , and on the Lodge roll being called ifc was found that every Lodge in the Province was represented . The

Provincial Grand Secretary ( Brother W . Goodacre ) read his annual report . Ifc stated that during the past year the roll of Lodges in the Province had been increased to 104 . Eight Lodges had been consecrated in the year , and the Carnarvon Lodge , to meet at Leyland , had been warranted ,

and now awaited consecration . There had been 635 initiations , and the roll of members had reached 6 , 561 . In 1872 , at the commencement of Lord Lathom ' s Prov . Grand Mastership , there were 61 Lodges , with 3 , 016 members . Six years afterwards , in 1878 , the Lodges had

increased to 81 , with 5 , 138 members . In the next six years there was a decrease of 550 members , but this falling off in membership had been more than compensated by the last six years , during which period 22 new Lodges had

been added . The contrast between the present and the past condition of the Province suggested , among other things , the necessity in prosperous times for especial care that the candidates for admission were of such character

as to reflect honour upon their choice . The fact of there being 104 Lodges in the Province , and the number of appointments in Provincial Grand Lodge being only the samo as in Provinces half its size , led him also to suggest that if the Provincial Grand Master were left the power

either to duplicate offices or to confer past rank upon eminent Masons of the Province , it would be conducive to the happiness of many worthy brethren , who , loyal in their desire to preserve the influence which must attach to a large Province , had frequently long years to wait

for appointment to office in Provincial Grand Lodge . The Benevolence and Charity Committee at its meetings during the past year had made grants to six distressed brethren and six widows ; a boy had been elected on the foundation

of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , and a brother has been adopted and elected by the Province an annuitant on the Benevolent Institution . The report concluded with a fitting reference to the death of the late Earl of Carnarvon Pro Grand Master . The Provincial Grand Master said it

was a very fine thing for them as a Province to stand at the top of the tree , both as to the number of Lodges and the number of brethren , no doubt , bufc at the same time it became a question whether a Province , consisting of over

100 Lodges , was not becoming almost too unwieldy a machine . That question was one , however , which it was not for him or them to decide , but which rested with the Grand Lodge . He had been told away from Lancashire that he had recommended the establishment of Lodgres

here and there where they were unnecessary , bufc if they looked at the number of Masons in the Province , and divided that number by the number of the Lodges , he thought they would see the Lodges were all full , and

the Provincial Grand Secretary assured him that all the Lodges were in good working order . He endorsed all that the Provincial Grand Secretary had said as to the necessity for the exercise of more care in the selection of those who

were to be admitted in the Brotherhood . With regard to the question of Provincial Grand rank , he could assure them that it made him feel very sad sometimes to think of Uio very few rewards that he had ifc in his power to give to the brethren in the Province . He could not hel p that . A few

years ago he was inatr a mental in obtaining two extra Deacons for Provinces of over 40 Lodges , and he hoped that if the present matter was brought before His Royal Hig hness the Grand Master and Grand Lodge in a proper form something in the shape of what had been shadowed forth

by Bro . Goodace mig ht be agreed to . In a Province of lO'l I-iodgea there ought certainly to be more power of granting Provincial Grand rank than iu Provinces whore there were only 15 Lodges , or even fewer . He expressed his deep regret that by the death of the Pro Grand Master ho had I'j-st , not only a colleague , but a most dear friend of many

Provincial Grand Lodge Of West Lancashire.

years' standing . He never went through a more painful experience than when ho stood by the side of Lord Car . narvon ' s grave , representing tbo Freemasons ol England . The Provincial Grand Lodgo next proceeded to tho election of a Provincial Grand Treasurer : Bro . Harradon , Prince ' s

Lodge , Liverpool , 268 votes ; Bro . J . H . Tyson , Duke of Edinburgh Lodgo , Liverpool , 93 ; Bro . W . Savage , Dramatic Lodge Liverpool , 75 . The following brethren were afterwards appointed ancl invested by the Provincial Grand Master Officers for the ensuing year : —

Bro . Major J . S . White ... ... Senior Warden Captain J . M'Nab ... ... Jnnior Warden Rev . C . Hesketh Cole ... ... ) nt , ™! ,, ; ,,,, Rev . J . Stowell j Chaplains

W . Blackhurst ... ... Registrar W . Goodaore ... ... ... Secretary Squire Chapman { Senior Deacons Edward Sherwood ... ... S

Edward Ford *> Janior Deacon 8 John King ... ... ... ) Roger Warriner ... ... Snpt . of Works J . Boden ... ... ... Dir . of Cers . W . W . Elton ... ... ... Deputy Dir . of Cers .

J . D . Wostenholme ... ... Assist . Dir . of Cers . Alfred Beatfcie ... ... Sword Bearer Geo . Nelson } Standard Bearers W . Tnrvey ... ... ... ) Stephen E . Jnpp ... ... Organist

J . Chadderton ... ... Asiist . Seo . Thurstan Whittle ... ... Pursuivant Thomas Ball ... ... ... Assist . Pursuivant

C . Wads worth ... ... A . Cotter W . Corner jnn gfc da J . Barrow

W . Piatt W . Fonlkes ... ... ... ' On the motion of the Acting Deputy Prov . Grand Master , sums were voted from the Charities Fund of 100 guineas

to the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , 50 guineas to the West Lancashire Masonic Educational Institution , 20 guineas to the Hamer Benevolent Fund , and 20 guineas to the Alpass Benevolent Institution . Bro . Wylie also moved : —

That in the event of our R . W . Prov . Grand Master , the Earl of Lathom , accepting tho position of Chairman at the next animal Festival of the Roynl Masonio Institution for Boys , the sum of 100 guineas be voted from tbe Fund of Benevolence to that Institution . The motion gave rise to some discussion , but it was

eventually carried by a large majority . Bro . M'Leod the newly appointed Secretary of the Institution for Boys , gave an official invitation to the Earl of Lathom to accept the presidency of the next annual Festival of that Institution . After a lengthy discussion upon matters affecting

By-laws , Provincial Grand Lodge was closed . In thc evening there was a banquet , presided over by the Earl of Lathom . Tho musical direction was iu the hands of tho new P . G . Ori / anist , Brother Jupp , who was assisted by

Bros . Seymour Jackson , R . Bowley , W . H . Kershaw P . M ., A . Lewtus P . M ., and C . E . Daber . Tho Provincial Grand Chapter of the Royal Arch was also held during the day , the business thereat being brief and formal .

Royal Arch.

ROYAL ARCH .

PROY . GRAND CHAPTER OF SOMERSET .

'JMIE Provincial Grand .. Chapter of Somerset of tho X Supreme Order of Royal Arch Masons of Eng laud held irs annual meeting , under the banner of lukcruiaii Chapter , ab the Masonic Hall , Weston-super-Mare , on Monday , when thore was a good attendance of members iib

from different parts of the country . The chairs ot r . three Principals were filled by M . E . Comps . R . C # k ° Prov . Grand Supt ., Col . W . Long Prov . Graud H ., am . EUvorthy Prov . Grand J . The other Provincial OfliC" ** present were M . E . Comps . Noke P . G . S . B ., Rice ?•&•;

J . Gill D . C , A . Salter A . D . C ., and Comps . Salter and l » i { Jwood Janitors . Tho minutes of the Provincial Gram meeting held at Clevedon last year having been read and confirmed , on tho proposal of the First Principal it was

unanimously resolved , "That the Royal Arch Masons o * - the Province of Somerset , in Grand Chapter assembled . , desire to express and place on record their feelings of deep grief at the death of their beloved M . M P ;* u Grand F"f Principal the Right Hon . the Earl of Carnarvon , aud thou *