Prov. G. Lodge Of Staffordshire.

PROV . G . LODGE OF STAFFORDSHIRE .

fPHE annual meeting of this Provincial Grand Lodgo ¦*•was hold at the Borough Hall , Stafford , on Tuesday , the Gth inst . There was a very good attendance , upwards of 200 members signing tho Tyler ' s book . Banners belonging to tho Provincial Grand Lodgo ;

Noah ' s Ark Lodge , Tipton ; St . Peter ' s Lodgo , Wolverhampton ; Honour Lodge , Wolverhampton ; Dartmouth Lodge , West Bromwich ; St . Bartholomew Lodge , Wednesbury ; and Staffordshire Knot Lodgo , Stafford , were displayed on the walls . Col . Foster Gough , Prov .

Grand Master , attended by Lieut .-Col . Bindley , Deputy Provincial Grand Master , Bro . F . James P . P . D . G . M ., and other distinguished brethren , opened the Provincial Grand Lodge at 1 * 45 . Tho Officers of Provincial Grand Lodge present wero W . Bros . Dr . Randall S . W ., Major

F . Walton J . W ., J . Bodenham Treasurer , Major E . J . Thorne Secretary , F . Monntford S . D ., H . J . Clarson J . D ., J . Powell Superintendent of Works , J . T . Eayra Assistant Superintendent of Works , J . Stevenson Sword Bearer , C . Gee and W . E . Marsh Standard Bearers ,

Dr . E . W . Taylor Organist , F . E . F . Bailey Assistant Secretary , S . Watson Pursuivant , Thomas Jones Assistant Pursuivant , W . D . Batkin , T . Evans , G . Vaughan , E . J . Mousley , R . Longden , and J . Godwin Stewards , W . Twist Tyler . Major E . H . Thorne Provincial Grand Secretary

announced tho receipt of letters or telegrams , expressing regret at thoir inability to bo present , from Bros . Col . Shadwell H . Gierke Grand Secretary , Col . G . S . Tudor P . P . G . M . Staffordshire , Col . Vernon P . P . G . M . Staffordshire , Sir E . A . H . Lechmere P . G . M . Worcestershire

Sir Offley Wakeman P . G . M . Shropshire , A . F . Godson , M . P ., D . P . G . M . Worcestershire , R . G . Venables D . P . G . M . Shropshire , J . T . Collins D . P . G . M . Warwickshire , and from numerous Past Provincial Grand Officers . The Treasurer ' s accounts were presented by Bro . Bodenham

P . G . R ., and were approved . Bro . Bodenham retired from the office of Provincial Grand Treasurer , which ho had held for 17 years , and nominated as his successor Bro . C . A . Nownham ( Wolverhampton ) P . P . G . S . W . Col . Bindley seconded the nomination , and expressed

great regret at the resignation of Bro . Bodenham , who had brought the accounts into admirable order . Brother Nownham was unanimously elected . Colonel Gough appointed tho following as his Officers in Provincial Grand Lodge for the ensuing year : — Bro ; J . Bodonham ... ... Senior Warden E . W . W . Heelis I . P . M . CG 2 ... Junior Warden

ltev . A . H . Talbufc 726 ... 1 . , . Eev . W . F . Bradley C 62 ... j Chaplains C . A . NewnhamP . M . 419 ... Treasurer E . E . Kimpton P . M . 482 ... Eegistrar

Major E . H . Thorne P . M . 520 , 1838 Secretary J . B . Ashwell P . M . 637 ... Senior Doacon G . Ashm ' all P . M . 1039 ... Junior Deacon W . Tunnioliff P . M . 418 ... Supt . of Works G . H . Stanger P . M . 419 ... Dir . of Cers . wiucocK / ivi 4

n . A . r .. iy ... Assist . Dir . of UerB . S . W . Page P . M . 526 ... ... Sword Bearer It . BonbowP . M . 451 ... ... ¦) , , , „ W . D . Batkin P . M . 724 ... j Standard ^ oarera Bonner 546 ... ... Orcranish

G . W . Walker P . M . 526 , 1828 ... Assist . Secretary J . Williams P . M . 539 ... ... Pursuivant T . Barker P . M . 1942 ... ' ... Assistant Pursuivant G . Piatt P . M . 696 ... ,.. " | J . Charlesworth W . M . 2149 ... ! E . Welsh W . M . 1587 ... ... ,..

F . Skerrett P . M . 460 ... ... f Stewards T . Buxton P . M . 1060 ... F . Taylor W . M . 726 ... ... J W . Twist ... ... ... Tyler Col . Gough , addressing the Lodge , said ho was exceed

mgly well pleased with the muster , which , though not quite up to the best form , was yet a most creditable one . He returned his thanks to those Officers and Brethren who had gathered to assist him on three different occasions since tho last annual meeting , when special meetings of the

Provincial Grand Lodgo had been held at Tunstall , Westbromwich , and Longton . He regretted the absence of his predecessor , Col . Tudor , from ill health , and also referred to the absence of several other distinguished brethren , owing

to their presence being required at the levee at St . James ' s Palace , or in Parliament . From somo 50 visits that he had made to Lodges during tho past year he was able to state that thc Province was in a most satisfactory condition , and he was not aware of any want of harmony either in any

Prov. G. Lodge Of Staffordshire.

one Lodgo or between any two Lodges . He had had no occasion to complain of the work of any W . M ., and waa glad to know that excellent progress had been made with regard to the formation and working of Instruction Lodges . He thanked tho brethren for tho admirable way iu

which thoy had seconded his efforts for tho establishment of Instruction Lodges . He congratulated Dr . Randall ou fche high honour of Grand Chaplain conferred upon him by the Grand Lodge of England , and cordially acknowledged the services of Bro . Bodenham , services which he could not

recognise more effectively than by appointing him to the office of Past Grand Senior Warden . He also very heartily acknowledged the services rendered to tho Provincial Grand Lodge by Major Thorne , as Secretary . In conclusion , he mentioned the probability of a Lodge boing

formed at Stone , which would bring tho total number of Lodges in tho Province np to 30 . On this occasion , owing to the pressure of business , the usual church parade waa dispensed with , an address iu Lodge by the Chaplain being substituted . The Rev . A . Talbot not being present to undertake

the duty , his place was supplied by Dr . Randall , who without any previous preparation delivered an able address . Speaking from the words " Let brotherly love continue , " Dr . Randall said the great Institution of Freemasonry was perhaps the finest illustration the world ever saw of

brotherly love . Political friends very often disagreed , and very much to the detriment perhaps of one or another . Men of different religious creeds , ho thpught , disagreed still more , and there was very little of brotherly love either among politicians or religionists . There they were

assembled under the banner of Freemasonry , and he appealed to them whether they had not found in their experience of Masonry the greatest possible aid to brotherly love . Men of different politics and different religious creeds , men of different ranks , could all meet together under that banner

to promote those grand principles which were enunciated in their Masonic ritual and practice . That , he was suro , was a grand matter for all of them in their several circumstances to endeavour to promote . He would venture to impress upon them that more attention

should be given to their Masonic ritual . He knew that a vast improvement had taken place in this matter ; it was now almost a disgrace to any Worshipful Master on vacating the chair not to be able to instal his successor . In the same way they found the

working of the different Lodges in all its various departments was far better carried out than it was in days gono by . Again , the attention given to that ritual ought to be of the greatest possible importance to each one of them in his social life . It should not be imagined that the work

in the Lodge comprehended the whole work of Masonry ; that was but a small part of it . They should be careful to carry out tho principles there inculcated , and to show to the outward world tho effect of those principles ; unless they did that they fell short of the great object of

Masonry . One word more . In their Lodges , in their ritual , and in all the teachings of their grand society there was one thing that was expecially impressed upon them , and that was the study of the Volume of the Sacred Law . He trusted it would not come amiss

from a minister , whose duty it was not only to study but to promulgate and teach that Sacred Law , to impress upon bis brethren a greater use and practice of that duty than perhaps was the case now among them . They could not expect properly to carry out the

true principles of Freemasonry unless they studied tho charter under which they had to act . With this study and loyal to their obligations , zealous in their duties , and obedient to those who ruled over them , they would then , like himself , after forty-six years' experience of Masonry ,

not only not regret being Masons , but would glory in the privilege . A collection was taken in Lodge , and amounted to £ 10 7 s Gd . Of this sum , £ 5 was given to the fund for tho erection of a new infirmary at Stafford ; £ 3 to the Provincial Grand Chaplains' schools at Church Eaton ;

and £ 2 7 s Gd to St . Mary ' s Day Schools , Stafford . On tho motion of Colonel Bindley , the Prov . Grand Senior Warden and Brothers Pepper and Hales wore appointed Auditors . A banquet followed , in the Shire Hall , which had been kindly placed at the disposal of the Prov . Graud Lodge by

the County Council . The number of brethren who were abl'J to stay for tho banquet was 141 . The catering was done by Miss Perks , manageress of the Swan Hotel , and was carried out in a perfectly satisfactory manner . Bro . Coi . Gough presided , aud was supported by most of tho dis-