Consecration: Colne, No. 2477.

In opening the proceedings the Consecrating- Officer said he was sure he shonld have the sympathy of all present in the difficult po ^ i io » in which ho suddenly found himself placed o . vini ; to the inability of their much-loved Provincial Cratd Maxtor to get therein timo . It was a

great disappointment to them all , bufc ho was particularly sorry for the lon riders of tho Lodge , who wonld , of course , havo much preferred thafc ( he act of consecration should have been performed hy Lord I ! ivok <\ He hoped , however , that they would not consider the little contretemps as a bad

omen , but that their own desires and the good wishes of the largo number of hrethren p resent for tho welfare of tho Lodge might be fulfilled . A doubt had been expressed in some quarters as to the need of this new Lodge . This , however , arose from want of knowledge , for there were at

least fifty resident Masons in Wyvenhoe and Rowhedge , who were unable to practise tho mystic art , except they journeyed to Colchester or Brig htlingsoa , both ^ ases involving a journey home lato at night . The Prov . G . M .,

under those circumstances , considered tho prayer of the petitioners a reasonable one , and H . R . H . tho Grand Master , having , on his Lordship ' s recommendation , granted a warrant of constitution , they would now proceed to give effect to the same .

Prayer having been offered , the Provincial Grand Chaplain ( Bro . Rov . Thomas Varney ) gave a most appropriate address on the nature and principles of Freemasonry . The Rev . Brofcher said : — Far back in the dim mists of the past most we look , brethren

for the beginning of that mighty Masonio sfrnctare within whose precincts we stand to-day . Kings , nobles , and brethren of every good degree ore seen laying the foundations Blriiea of Eternal Truth npon the Lodge floor of the earth . Slowly and silently toe strong walls arise east and west , and north and south , well fitted and cemented

together by temperance , fortitude , prudence , and jristwe . Onward aud upward through the ages past those walls have been rising towards tbe over . raling Providence of the " Mighty Architect Divine , " whilst the glory of His wisdom , strength , and beauty have filled the house within . From generation to generation life after life has been

shaped and squared , enlightened and purified by that glory when united to the Masonic throng of workers in the fraternal work and worship of the Craft . To-day , brethren , we mer-t on the banks of the Colne to coritinue that good work . It is our privilege lo add another portion to thu bnilding oar forefathers have raised . Under

the noble guiding hand of the master-builder of this great Provinco of | Essex we Free and Accepted Masons will labour , and may the Divine Master Builder above blosa our efforts . With tho consecrating elements of the " corn that strong fcheneth man ' s heart , " " wine that maketh glad the heart of man , " and " oil that giveth him a cheerful

countenance , wo shall invoke thafc power whioh lie alone can bestow as we gather from the volume of the sacred law that faithfulness , hopefulness 1 , Christableness , the true marka of the presence of Masonio life . We shall fu'ther pray for continual help , that this newly consecrated Lodge may never lose tho savour of salt of the

abiding presence of the Most High , aud that its iacorruption may be alwaja hallowed with tho sweet incense of true devotion . Let us then , my fellow craftsmen , go ou with the good work we are engaged in , but before doing so , as our thoughts travel backward into tbe past , we may remind our ' selves thafc we stand on ground to-day which oar

British forefathers dtlightei to lodge npon , and thafc in the ancient town of Camaloduuum , some few miles dist irit , Cunobelin , an Essex man , caused to be struck in tho Riryal Mint some golden coins . On ono of these , in a Miisonic spirit , was engraven an ear of corn : brethren ,

you know its majestic significance . May this Li . d ^ , when formed , become n faithful ear of corn beside fche falling Colne watcrd , fruitful iu the increase of brethren , fruitful in tho growth of every Masonio principle in their lives , until those son-i of men who stand without our mystio house may be moved to exclaim

" We would the great world grew liko thee , Who groweth not alone in power And knowledge , bnt by ye . ir and hour

In reverence and in charifcj . " Such a wish , brethren , shall it be our prayer ? Then to suoh a supplioarion wo will add from tho depth of tho Masonic heart in united cry '' so nuts it bW

Thc ceremony of consecrating tho Lodge was then proceeded with , and at its conclusion , Bro . Claud E . Egerton-Green was installed as first Master of the Lodge by Bro . Albert Lucking , and the Officers were invested , as follow : — Bros . William Johnson P . M . 1 G 3 ( I . C . ) I . P . M ., Gustavus

Pratt P . M . S . W ., W . T . B . Ennew J . W ., Rov . E . II . Crate P . M . G 97 P . P . G . Chap . Chaplain , Lieut .-L ' ol . Tyssen Hoiroyd Treas ., J . T . Bailey , P . M . 097 23 : 39 P . Z . 51 P . P . G . P . Sec , Wm . H . Ham S . D ., Robert Pen-son J . D ., Harold Francis W . M . 51 Prov . G . Stwd . D . C , J . A . Houston

Org ., H . Harlow I . G ., John I . Turff , George Wm . Rayner , E . H . Ennew a ; id Dick II ¦ m Stewards , A . Wri ght Tyler . f fiA committee having been foi med to frame bye-laws , the W . M . was unanimously elected t > represent the Lodge on the Es 3 ex Provincial Charity Committee . Proposals of initiation and joining , some 34 in nnmber , were then made .

The Worship ful Master said his first duty , and ii was a most pleasurable one—was to propose a vote of thauks to the Consecrating Officers aud to ask them to accept tke honorary membership of the Lodge . It was of course a disappointment that Lord Brooke had been unable to

perform the ceremony that day , but tho brethren of tho Colne Lodge were satisfied to have had that office performed by so worthy and distinguished a Mason as Bro . Railing . He was certain that in tho absence of their chief , if tho brethren of tho Colne Lodgo had had tho choice of all England for a Consecrating Officer , they would havo chosen

Bro . Railing . Brother Railing , on behalf of himself and brother Consecrating Officers , acknowledged the vote of thanks and also accepted with gratitude the honour proposed to bo conferred on them . Personally ho should havo much

preferred to havo taken a humbler position in the interesting proceedings of the day , particularly as they had for the first time used tho new consecrating vessels purchased by order of tho Provincial Grand Lodgo at the last meeting . It would have been , he thought , moro

fitting if they had been first used by the Provincial Grand Master . He expressed his pleasure at the promise of prosperity which the propositions for initiation and

joining foreshadowed to the new Lodge , and said the Consecrating Officers , now they had been elected honorary members , would bo pleased to be allowed to pay an occasional visit fco fche Lodge .

Hearty greetings were then given to tho new W . M . by the many repi'esentatives of Lodges present . The W . M ., in acknowledgment , stated that they had received great assistance in the furnishing of the Lodge , the following articles having been presented : —Three pedestals , Bro .

Wm . Johnson I . P . M . ; Wardens' chairs , Bros . Gustavus Pratt and W . T . B . Ennew ; working tools , A . G . Mumford tracing boards by the Salisbury Lodge , No . 435 , per Bro . Gustavus Pratt P . M . and Treas . ; £ 10 from an anonymous friend , per Bro . G . Pratt ; candlesticks , Bros . G . Rayner ,

H . Harlow and R . Pearson ; collars with jewel attached , Bros . W . H . Ham , R . Pearson and J . I . Turff . Wo may add what was not announced by the W . M ., that his gift was the Master's Chair , while Mrs . Claude Egerton-Green presented a most handsome banner . The design is a smack

in full sail with C . ' K ., tho initials of the port , and 2477 , number of tbe Lodge , on tho mainsail and bulwarks . The raven , representing tho Port Reeve of Colchester ,

surmounts the smack , whilst below are emblazoned the Egerton Green arms . It should also be mentioned thafc what may be called the heavy furniture was all made in Wyvenhoe .

The Lodge having been- closud , fche W . M . and other brethren proceeded to the Railway Station , and on tho arrival of Lord Brooke by train at 5 p . m ., conducted His Lordship to the Greyhound Inn , where the inaugural

banquet took place . On entering tbe room , His Lordship received quite an ovation . The hosfc of the Greyhound ( Bro . J . B . Brown ) , who was assisted in the catering by Bro . J . G . Potton , of Colchester , provided an excellent repast , to which full justice was done .

At the conclusion of the repast the usual Masonio toasts were honoured .

In proposing H . R . H . the Prince of Wales M . W . G . M ., tbe W . M . referred to the intimate association they had with the Prince in the fact that the skipper of H . R . H . ' s wellknown yacht , the " Britannia , " hailed from Rowhedge , while most of the crew were Colne men .

The next toast was that of the Pro Grand Master , the Earl of Lathom , the Deputy Grand Master , the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe , aud the Grand Officers present and

past . The W . M ., in coupling the name of Bro . Railing with the toast , again referred to the part he had taken in the proceedings of the day , which had so much gratified them all .

Bro . Railing having acknowledged tho toast , The W . M . gave , amid great cheering , the Right Worshipful the Provincial Grand Master of Essex , Lord Brooke . He said that his Lordship was no stranger to Wyvenhoe ,

as many of them present would recollect his visits whilst candidate for Colchester . They were pleased to see him to-day as tbeir Provincial Grand Master , and to testify to the lovo and esteem in which they held his Lordship .

The Provincial Grand Master , in acknowledging the toast , assured them of the very great pleasure he had in being with them that evening . He regretted thafc he was nofc able to be present at the ceremony of consecration , bufc