Herefordshire.

HEREFORDSHIRE .

THE Provincial Grand Lodge held Its annual meeting in the Corn Exchange , Rpss , © n Monday , 6 tli ult . The busjfles § was of th $ usual character , but it was made interesting from the coincident facts that this was the identical day on which Brp . H . C , Beddpe Deputy Provincial Grand Master wa $ initiated fifty years ago ; that the

Provincial Grand meeting in Ross was held on Monday , 6 th of February 18 93 ; and that this was the first Masonic function in which the Provincial Grand Master Lord Glanusk had to take part since his elevation to the peerage by Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen .

Provincial Grand Officers for the ensuing year were ^ PPQinted and invented as follow :

Bro 'J' ^ . , thew ' Senior Warden T . Bhnkhorn . » . Junior Warden B-Hanngton ... .. Chaplain J . B . S . Hewett - Treasurer

w - R-Stafford .... Secretary o ; vS . ma 11 * * * ? * Supt . of Work * *• »• Yates .... . Dir . of Gere . H , B . C < m - OrgapiM a . if . Parry , . « t 3 Puw ^ Te , ni , Afterwards a banquet w ^ s served & t the Royal Hotel *

Charity In Cornwall.

CHARITY IN CORNWALL .

THE Cornwall Masonic Annuity and Benevolent Fund annual report shows that on 31 st December 18 9 8 the invested funds amounted to £ 5 , 841 ; the income from which was nearly £ 250 per annum , Some £ 12 , 000 has been received since the society was formed in 186 4 , out of which

about half that sum has been paid away in annuities and grants ; the expenses of management for that long period being under £ 500 . The subscriptions for the year 18 9 8 run U P £ 33 ° > and the Fund was never in a better state , or more useful than it is at the present time .

Devonshire Charity.

DEVONSHIRE CHARITY .

THE Annual Meeting of the Devonshire , Aged Widows ' Annuity Fund was held on the 22 nd ult ., at the Freemasons' HaJl , Plymouth , the chair being occupied by Bro . Major G . S , S . Strode P . P . G . J . W . The Treasurer Bro . F . B . Westlake presented his

financial statement , which showed a balance in hand of £ 71 £ 35 5 dt During the year £ 250 had been placed in the bank to the . credit of the deposit account , which now amounted to £ 900 . This , was , of course , in addition to the payments made , to annuitants .

In moving the . adoption of the report , the Chairman expressed the hope that the various Lodges would take an even greater interest in the charity in the future than in the past , Bro-. W « AJlsferd seconded , and the report was vjn . ani . mou . sly adopted .

On the proposition of Bro , Allsford , seconded by Bro . F , B , Westlake , who remarked that the position Bro ., Major Strode held in . the . Province , and the interest he manifested in tbfe Institution , made him the , very best possible Chairman , the Chairman was re-elected .

In expressing his thanks , Bro , Major Strode assured the Brethren that he would always do his best for the Widow ' s Annuity Fund . Bro . S . J . Page was re-appointed Vice-Chairmanwhilst

, Bjros , F . B , Westlake and J . Gifford again consented to fill the offices of Treasurer- and Secretary . Bro . F . Mabin was re-elected Assistant . Secretary , and Bros , W . j . Stanbury a , nd J , R . Wilson Auditors . The Executive Committee

were reappointed , on the proposition of Bro . George Dun- ; sterviUe . There were , two candidates for the . fund , the third nominee being disqualified ., but after the scrutineers Bros . Jas . Griffin and E . H . Littleton had examined the votes , Mrs . Louisa

Andrews , of Tiverton , was declared duly elected . Mrs . Andrews , who is seventy-three years of age , was the unsuccessful candidate at the last election , and 544 votes were brought forward to her credit . This year she polled 821 additional votes , against the total of 120 . recorded for the unsuccessful candidate .

After Bro . W . Allsford had . given notice of a proposition to alter the date of the annual meeting , which will be discussed at a special meeting , the scrutineers were , thanked for

Devonshire Charity.

their services . A similiar compliment was accorded the Chairman . I . ! I . ¦* , . ¦¦ — — — IIA MEETING of the General Purposes Committee of . the Devon Masonic Educational Fund was held on Monday afternoon , at the Freemasons' Hall , Plymouth , to make

arrangements for the forthcoming annual meeting of subscribers . Bro . C . S . Stebbing presided , and there were also present Bros . J . R . Lord Hon . Treasurer , J . B . Gover Hon . Secretary , W . Powell , Capt . T . Reynolds , W . Allsford , C . Mutten , C . Piper ( Exeter ) , A . Parkhouse , and W . T . Hocking ,

As Past Master' and Charity Steward of Lodge 1753 , Bro . C . Piper gave a cordial invitation to the Committee to hold the next annual meeting at Okehampton . He believed that if different towns were visited from time to time it would

prove an effectual means of bringing the claims of the Institution before the notice of Brethren , who otherwise would be inadequately informed of the good that it was doing , and that this would result in a large increase of subscriptions .

It was unanimously resolved , on the motion of Bro * Allsford , seconded by Bro . Mutten , to accept the invitation , and the annual meeting will be held at Okehampton On Wednesday , the 5 th prox . It was also decided to elect one child on the Fund , and petitions must reach the Hon .

Secretary not later than Monday next . A discussion arose with reference to the present state of the funds of the Institution . The Hon . Treasurer reported that there had been a serious falling off in the income during the past year , the receipts from all sources having decreased

from £ 529 m 1897 , to about £ 330 in 1898 . The last annual concert was much less successful than those of former years , and this accounted to a very large extent for the . decreased receipts .

Bro . Mutten reminded the Committee that , relying on the increased receipts arising from the annual concerts for many years past , they had largely added to the number of

children , receiving assistance from the Fund , but the figures which Bro . Lord had put before them showed that their expenditure—probably for the first time in the history of the Fund—was now in excess of their income . This was a

serious matter , and he made an earnest appeal to the Brethren throughout the Province to help put the Fund on a more satisfactory basis . Bro . Gover said there were still many Lodges in the Province that gave no assistance whatever to the Institution ,

and had never done so , although repeated appeals had been made to them . In view of the present state of the funds he hoped those Lodges would now come to their aid , so that the Institution might be maintained with even increased efficiency . It was doing an important work , and every Mason in Devonshire ought to support it .

Bros . Powell and Reynolds spoke in similiar terms , and suggested that a special appeal should be made to the Lodges that do not subscribe to the funds of the Institution . It was understood that this would be done .

Grand Lodge For Western Australia.

GRAND LODGE FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA .

BY order of His Excellency the . Governor , Sir Gerard Smith District Grand Master of Western Australia , the following circular letter has been addressed by the District Grand Secretary to the Worshi p ful Masters of all the Lodges under the English Constitution in that colony : —

Dear Sir and W . Brother , —It is a matter of common knowledge among the Masons of the District of Western Australia that many Brethren are desirous of seeing the establishment of a Grand Lodge of Western Australia , but the R . W . D . G . M . has noted with regret that with few

exceptions the . Brethren are in ignorance , of the method of procedure necessary to give effect to their desire . 2 . Under these circumstances I am instructed by the

R . W . D . G . M . to hand yo . u the , six copies herewith transmitted of the new rules added to the Book of Constitutions ( underthe numbers 218 A-218 B ) , for your information and the , use of your Lodge ..

3 . It is the R . W . D . G . M . ' s desire that these rules be read to the Brethren in open Lodge , at a special meeting or at the next regular meeting of your Lodge , together with this communication . 4 . I am to add that the R . W . D . G . M . has recently received a communication from the V . W . Grand Secretary