Reports Of Meetings.

Presented to W . BRO . WALTER 0 . CLIFFORD P . M ., by the Brethren of the Eccentric Lodge , No . 2488 , in appreciation of his efficient services as Worshipful Master during his year of office , 1895-96 . 2 nd October 1896 .

Bro . Clifford , in acknowledgment , said that he was extremely pleased and gratified at receiving such a handsome present . He was glad that he had given the Brethren satisfaction , and he should always esteem the jewel as one of his proudest possessions . The Secretary then presented the Lodge report , which bore a touching allusion to the death of Bro . Sir Augustus Harris , the first Master of the Lodge ; and the accounts , which were highly satisfactory . Both were accepted and ordered to be entered on the minutes .

Bro . Osmond Carr proposed a vote of thanks to the Grand Secretary for his kindness in conducting the ceremonial of the day . This was seconded by Bro . Clifford , and carried unanimously . Bro . Letchworth said it gave him the greatest possible pleasure to attend and render what assistance was necessary . It was hia good fortune to consecrate the Lodge , and he should always take great interest in it .

There being no other business , the new Master received the hearty good wishes of the visiting Brethren , and the Lodge was closed in perfect harmony . The banquet was held in the Great Hall , and was served in the usual excellent style by Bro . Mantell , the courteous manager , whose beaming face betokened a pleasant evening . The menu and toast list was of novel design and eccentric in idea . Bro . Harrison made an excellent chairman , and though eccentricity was the key-note of his speeches , they contained the seed of kindly feeling and good fellowship .

The toast of the Queen was received with great enthusiasm , as was also that of Our Grand Master , who was characterised as " a good man , a good sportsman , a good father , and a good Mason . " Roars of laughter greeted Bro . Harrison's humourous but good natured allusions to the Grand Officers , whom he described as the grand galaxy of talent of Freemasonry , he bearing testimony to the great amount of good work accomplished by them .

Bro . Sir John Monckton responded in the same happy terms , and expressed the pleasure of the Grand Officers at being present on that auspicious occasion . Bro . Walter Clifford adopted the spirit of the evening in submitting the health of the Master , who was a popular member of the Club , a worthy Brother of the Lodge , and a Mason who was a credit to the Graft . In the ordinary pursuits of life he did everything well , so the Lodge would be well ruled , without" harrassing " restrictions to conviviality .

The W . M ., who was greeted with great applause , thanked the Brethren for their kind reception . Most of those present knew him well , and would be sure that he would do his best for the Eccentric Lodge . It was owing to a fluke that he had the honour of being its fourth Master , as Bro . Hooper S . W . was W . M .-elect of the Strand Lodge , so he had kindly given way . He was very glad this was so , because he would now have the advantage of Bro ; Hooper ' s services . He was pleased to see so many Brethren present , and hoped that on future occasions there would be so large an assembly that tho Criterion would not be able to hold them .

The Charity Box was then passed round , and on its return to the Master the usual " Eccentric " custom was observed . The contents of the box , the amount collected being unknown , were put up to auction , and the bidding rapidly rose from five guineas to ten , from ten to twenty , from twenty to twenty-five , until at last , after a spirited competition , it fell amid loud applause to the bid of Bro . Imre Kiralfy for the magnificent sum of thirty guineas . In addition , Bro . Kiralfy returned to the Treasurer the contents of the box , so the Lodge Benevolent Fund was benefitted to a considerable extent . Bro . Kiralfy ' s health was drunk wifch Masonic honours .

Bro . Letchworth , in responding to the compliment paid him as Installing Master , said it gave him the greatest possible pleasure to instal Bro . Harrison . ' He was very proud of his connection with the Lodge , and if at any future time he could be of service they might always command him . Space prevents us from reporting in detail the other excellent speeches , so it must suffice to say that Bros . Sir Joseph Dimsdale , G . W . Fitzwilliam , and E . W . Harris returned thanks for the Visitors ; Bro . Osmond Carr for the Past Masters ; and Bro . Hooper Senior Warden for the Officers .

The proceedings were brought to a close by the Tyler ' s toast , and it was agreed by all that it had been a most delightful evening . The musical entertainment was under the direction of Bro . James Kift , who brought with him Bros . Templar Saxe , Franklin Clive , M . Humphreys , Courtice Pounds , Frederic Russell , H . Schartau , Arthur Strugnell , and E . J . Wood .

Bro . John Arthur Harrison , the new Master of the Lodge , was born 14 th June 1856 , at Bow Street , Covent Garden , London , and was initiated into Freemasonry in 1877 , as a member of the St . Dunstan ' s Lodge , No . 1589 , being at that time only twenty-one years of age . He is also a member of the Drury Lane Lodge , and was a Founder and first I . G . of the Eccentric Lodge . He is J . D . of the Dramatic Mark Lodge , No . 487 , and a Companion of the Fitzroy and Eccentric Royal Arch Chapters , in the latter of which he fills the office of Assistant Sojourner . A worthy Mason he .

PEOVINCIAL .

LODGE OF INTEGRITY , No . 163 . THE regular meeting was held at the Freemasons' Hall , Manchester , on Wednesday , 30 th ult ., Bro . S . Gaskill W . M . There was an attendance of nearly forty members and visitors . The principal business of the evening ¦ was that of raising Bros . Alfred Ed . Madeley and J . Howarth Boydell , the first ceremony being undertaken by Bro . T . H . Schofield P . M . and the latter by Bro . Joseph Wildgoose P . M .

At the close of the Lodge the Brethren adjourned , a very pleasant social evening being spent . The various toasts were enlivened by songs , recitations , & o ., given by Bros . Ben Williams P . M ., H . A . Owles S . W ., R . W . Nuttall , Issac Taylor , and others .

DE MOULHAM LODGE , No . 1146 . ON Monday , 21 st ult ., Bro . H . C . Burt Worshipful Master presided over a large number of the Brethren , who met afc Swanago to transact thc monthl y business of the Lodge . After the usual routine business had been

Reports Of Meetings.

dispensed with , a letter was read from Bro . J . M . Burt P . M ., asking the members to accept a portrait of his father , the late Bro . G . Burt P . M . He referred fco the love that his father had evinced for the Lodge , and drew attention to the various offices he had held in the Province and also in Grand Lodge , and asked that it might be accepted , not for its value as a picture , but for the regard which he believed was and is felfc for him and all he did for Swanage . Bro . Burt much regretted being unable to attend and present the picture himself personally .

The W . M . asked the members of the Lodge to accept the handsome portrait before them , expressing tho pleasure he felt in having the honour of doing so . Ho reminded the Brethren that Bro . G . Burt was not only one of the founders of the Lodge , but was one of the main pillars , and was always found at his post in the Lodge whenever there was anything to do to advance Masonry . He not only presided over the Lodge during the year that he was

Master with marked ability , but his services were recognised by the Province , and eventually he enjoyed the envious position of one of the Officers of the Grand Lodge of England . He could safely say , without fear of contradiction , that he was a Brother held in the highest esteem both in and out of the Lodge , and certainly one of the greatest benefactors Swanage had ever seen or was likely to see . They could all look on that handsome gift with pride

and pleasure , and it would serve as an excellent example to them all of what could be done if they only tried . It should also spur the younger Masons on to attain the proud position which the beautiful picture represented Bro . Burt in . It would not only adorn the Lodge , but it would be an ornament to the Institute , and he felt sure that the public generally would look on it

with delight . He had pleasure in proposing that the Lodge accept the gift , that it be hung on the wall , and that a letter be sent to Bro . Burt regretting his inability to be present that day , and to thank him most sincerely for his handsome present ; at the same time to assure him that the Lodge considered it a great honour to have such a noble picture on the walls .

This was seconded by Bro . M . Shearman P . M ., and supported by Bro . H . W . White P . M ., who said he had had many opportunities of observing the spirit and energy that the late Bro . G . Burt threw into Masonry , and indeed he would say that he had much doubted if Swanage would have gloried in a Lodge

had it not been for Bro . Burt and his partners , who actually founded the Lodge , and did so much for it in its early days . He echoed all that had been said by the speakers who preceded him , and had the greatest amount of pleasure in giving the resolution his heartiest support . The motion was duly put to the meeting , and received the endorsement of all present .

UNITY LODGE , No . 1332 . THE members held their annual meeting at the Masonic Hall , Creditonj on the 29 th ult ., when Bro . James Wellington was installed as W . M . for the ensuing year . After the Lodge business had been concluded the Brethren sat down to a banquet , which was served at the Ship Hotel , by Mr . J . Fursman .

TORBAY LODGE , No . 1358 . THE twenty-fifth anniversary was celebrated at Paignton , on Tuesday , 29 th ult ., when Bro . H . P . Rabbich was installed into the chair as Master for the year . The usual banquet followed .

u s j BURRELL LODGE , No . 1829 . THE annual installation meeting was held at the Royal Pavilion , Brighton , on Thursday , 1 st inst . The chief business was the installation of Bro . T . B . Colbran , the ceremony being ably performed by the retiring W . M . Bro . T . Shrivell , and the charges delivered by Bros . E . M . Ffennell I . P . M ., and A . J . Carpenter P . M . The W . M . appointed his Officers for the year , and invested those present with the insignia of their respective offices .

Bros . J . Clapshaw , J . King , and T . Thorne were appointed to serve on the General Purposes Committee ; Bro . W . Gill was re-elected to represent the Lodge on the Masonic Rooms Committee ; and Bro . A . J . Carpenter was re-elected Charity Steward . The Lodge having been closed , the Brethren adjourned to the banqueting room , where they sat down to an elegant banquet , under the presidency of the newly-installed W . M .

Bro . E . M . Ffennell proposed the Deputy Prov . Grand Blaster , and the Officers of Prov . Grand Lodge , present and past . He said the members of the Burrell Lodge fully appreciated the honour the Deputy Provincial Grand Master had conferred upon them by his presence that evening—a presence that , while it lent lustre to the banquet , was regarded as a compliment to the presiding W . M . Iu these troublous times , when even the tenets of

Freemasonry were assailed , the Province was fortunate , he said , in having such a Deputy Provincial Grand Blaster as Bro . Sir VV . T . Marriott , who promoted the principles of the Craft with dignity and courage . The Deputy Provincial Grand Blaster was warmly received on rising to respond . He said he felt that he did not fully deserve all the praise that had been lavished upon him , for he regretted that he had not time to pay

due attention to all the duties of his office . He was , however , supported by admirable Officers , and received invaluable assistance from the Provincial Grand Secretary . He had visited other Provinces , and realised that no Province was better worked than that of Sussex . Referring to Bro . Ffennell ' s remarks upon Freemasonry being assailed , he said he saw from that day ' s " Times " that an anti-Bf asonic Congress had been held at Trent ,

but had proved a comparative failure . Freemasonry feared no opposition ; it was not only strongly averse to anarchy , but upheld law and order and monarchial institutions . Those in power in Austria and Spain regarded Freemasonry with distrust , but in this country the Prince of Wales and the Royal Dukes were at the head of the Craft , and her Majesty was a patron of the Order . If only the underlying principle of Freemasonry—Brotherly love—wero fully realised and practised , the Utopia which all wished for would be reached .

HERSCHEL LODGE , No . 1894 . THE members held their first autumn meeting , at Slough , on Tuesday . The Lodge was opened by Bro . G . E . Harris W . M ., with M . Clapshaw I . P . M . Preceptor , M . Taylor S . W ., Shuard J . W ., G . LeGros S . D ., W . Dawson J . D ., H . Hill I . G . After preliminaries the Lodge was advanced to tho second degree and the ceremony rehearsed . A communication was received from Bro . J . Baker P . BL , resigning thc Secretaryship of the Lodge ; it was ordered to be entered