Derbyshire.

the war on which they had just entered , and the disastrous character of which was just beginning to force itself upon them . Unfortunately , Bro . Okeover ' s hope then that the war might be brought to a speedy termination had not been realised . Fie thought , however , it might be said that this

year they met under decidedly superior circumstances ; that at last they were able to see some prospects of the termination of the war that had weighed so heavily upon them during the last twelve months . Pie observed that in the reports of moat of the Lodges reviewed that afternoon ,

reference was made to the assistance that had been given to the various funds for' the relief of those who had suffered through the war . They must not , however , flatter themselves

that their work in this respect was wholly at an end . It must not be imagined that a war of this magnitude could be brought to a close without making many claims on their sympathy and practical support .

East Lancashire.

EAST LANCASHIRE .

THE half-yearly meeting of this Provincial Grand Lodge was held on the 30 th ult , in the Town Hall , Salford . The Prov . G . M . Lord Stanley , M . P ., being still in South Africa with Lord Roberts , his lordship ' s Deputy Bro . C . R . N .

Beswicke-Royds presided , and the Warden ' s chairs were occupied by Bros . C . D . Cheetham and G . Norris Midwood . Bro . Kershaw P . Prov . G . W . acted as Deputy Provincial Grand Master .

There was a large attendance , the whole of the 113 Lodges in the Province being represented . Bros . W . E . Clegg , of Oldham , J . Holden , and Archie Wilson , of Manchester , were elected the Auditors of the Provincial Grand Treasurer ' s accounts .

Bro . Jas . Newton Prov . G . Secretary read the report of the Charity Committee . It recorded that in May last the Committee succeeded in electing two old Brethren upon the funds of the Royal Masonic Institution for Aged Freemasons , and

also polled 1 , 100 votes for a third candidate whom they hoped to place on the funds of the Charity next year . In October last they succeeded in electing three boys to the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys .

Bro . Cheetham P . Prov . S . G . W ., in moving the adoption of the report , made an urgent appeal for strenuous efforts on the part of the Lodges to carry the election of Bro . Captain John Barlow , of Bury , as Grand Treasurer of England . Th Office is the only one in the Grand Lodge which is open to

election , and which is not filled by selection on the part of the Most Worshipful the Grand Master . Bro . Barlow was being opposed by an excellent Brother from Middlesex , said Bro . Cheetham . There had been an unwritten law under which the Grand Treasurer ' s Office had been held alternately by a

London Brother and a Provincial Brother . A year ago Bro . Barlow stood aside for a Provincial Brother , and it would only be right this year to elect him as a London Brother , because , although connected with their own Province of East Lancashire , he was a London Mason by initiation , and by

many ties . It was hoped that as many representatives of Lodges of East and West Lancashire , Yorkshire , Cheshire , and other Northern Provinces as possibly could would go up to the election in March next , and secure Bro . Barlow ' s return . On the subject of the elections secured by the Charity

Committee during the year , Bro . Cheetham mentioned that the votes of the Province for the Boys and Girls Schools combined amounted to only some 7 , 000 . Seeing that 17 , 000 were needed to elect the three boy candidates from East

Lancashire , it showed that the representatives of the Committee did their work right well in the way in which they obtained the return of votes formerly borrowed from them and borrowed votes from other Provinces .

The motion having been seconded and agreed to Bro . Cheetham further moved that the sum of one hundred guineas be granted from the Provincial Grand Lodge funds to the Male Fund of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and their Widows . He said the

proposed would mean an addition of forty votes . The

Institution appealed very feelingly to them because , although they were occasionally without boy or girl candidates , he believed they had every year one candidate or more in tne form of an old Brother or a Brother ' s Widow . There wasnot a Province in the country that held more votes for that Institution than their own , and the donation which he

East Lancashire.

Acting Deputy Provincial Grand Master seconded the motion , and it was agreed to . Bro . Cheetham had yet another motion , of which he had given notice . It was that £ 20 be voted to the funds of the East Lancashire Systematic Masonic Education and

Benevolent Institution . He spoke of the Festival to be held next year in aid of this local organisation , stating that Lord Stanley had promised to preside on the occasion , and reminding them that by a Festival of the kind in 1 895 a sum

of £ 4 , 413 was raised , which amount it was hoped would be considerably increased in igoi . In connection with the undertaking a concert had been promised by the members of the Minnehaha Minstrel Lodge .

This motion was adopted , and after a few words from the Provincial Grand Master in the chair , the Lodge was closed with customary formality .

Royal Arch.

ROYAL ARCH .

CORNWALL . ril HE annual meeting of this Provincial Grand Chapter A . was held on Friday , 23 rd ult , at the Star Hotel , Saltash , the Right Flon . the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe Grand Superintendent being in the chair . There was a good attendance ,

representative of the whole Province . The financial statement showed receipts amounting to £ 81 2 s gd , including a balance of £ 45 15 s gd last year . After meeting the expenditure , including £ 86 5 s voted to Charities , there remained a balance of £ 26 .

Comp . F . A . Rawling P . Z . 1071 was elected Prov . G . Treas ., after which the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe invested the other Provincial Officers , as follow :

COMP . P . Colville Smith 331 ... H . E . Forbes Whitley 331 ... J . B . F . Edyvean 320 ... Scribe E . W . H . Huddy 510 ... Scribe N . P . Coath 557 ... Registrar

T . P . Tonkin 330 ... Principal Sojourner J . Hill 970 ... Ist Assist . Soj . J . A . Bersey 1164 ... 2 nd Assist . Soj . R . P . Couch 121 ... Sword Bearer W . W . J . Sharp 75 ... Standard Bearer

R . T . Meadows 1071 ... Dir . of Ceremonies W . Coulter 557 ... Assist . Dir . of Cers . S . Trehane 970 ... Organist J . C . R . Crewes 331 ... Assist . Scribe E . J . P . Thorn 1071 ... Janitor .

Ten guineas was voted to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , five guineas to the Girls School , and five guineas to the Cornwall Masonic Annuity and Benevolent Fund . Subsequently the Companions lunched together , the Grand Superintendent again being in the chair . The usual

Loyal and Arch toasts were honoured . The Earl of Mount Edgcumbe was generally congratulated on his restoration to health , whilst hearty appreciation of his Masonic services , not only to the Province , but throughout the kingdom , was expressed .

Essex.

ESSEX .

THE annual meeting of this Provincial Grand Chapter was held at Colchester on Tuesday of last week , under the presidency of his Honour Judge Philbrick , Q . C ., Prov . Grand Superintendent .

All the Chapters in the Province were represented , and the report of the Board of General Purposes showed that the number of registered Royal Arch Masons was 357 , against 341 last year .

The Board recommended a grant of £ 10 10 s to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , at the Festival of which the Earl of Warwick is to preside ; and concluded by regretting the resignation of one of its members , Comp . G . H . Finch , who had been on the Board since its formation in 1883 .

The new Board was elected as under : Comps . J . J . C . Turner , W . E . Dring , and G . Cowell . Comp . Andrew Durrant was re-elected for the eighteenth time as Provincial Grand Treasurer , and the other Officers for the year were appointed . The Provincial Grand Superintendent congratulated the Companions on the prosperous condition of the Order in the