Prov. G. Lodge Of Devonshire.

PROV . G . LODGE OF DEVONSHIRE .

THE annual Provincial Grand Ledge of Devonshire was held on the 6 th iDstant , at the Royal Public Rooms , Exeter , the Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master Viscount Ebrington , M . P ., presiding . The following were

the Prov . Grand Officers present : —Bros . W . G . Rogers 112 Deputy Master , the Rev . H . C . Morse Senior Warden , Major J . S . Swann Junior Warden . Rev . A . Newman and Eev . A . M . Hare Chaplains , B . Crabb Treasurer , J . W .

Mathew Registrar , G . C . Davie Secretary , Dr . H . J . Edwards and Dr . Gervis Senior Deacons , J . Gaydon and W . Bond Junior Deacons , Isaac Roskelly Supt . of Works , J . Osborn Director of Ceremonies , H . Martin Deputy

Director of Ceremonies , H . Marley Assistant Director of Ceremonies , J . Langmead Sword Bearer , W . Churchill and J . Gidley Standard Bearers , F . Crowe Organist ,

Christopher James Assistant Secretary , K . S . Kitt Pursuivant , S . Panter Assistant Pursuivant . H . Shooter Tyler , J . Parkhouse , R . Blight , E . Appleton , W . Berry , W . Southwood , and T . Chalice Stewards .

The Lodge was opened in due form , Bro . the Rev . Jas . Henning acting as Chaplain . The Secretary ( Bro . Davie ) presented a report , which showed tho strength of the Provinco to be : —Lodges 52 ;

members , 3 , 254 , an increase of 192 members over the previous year . There had been 244 initiations , an increase of 25 ; 538 members were reported in arrears , an increase of 61 . The Provincial Grand Master said Lodges would do well either to get in tho arrears , or to get rid of the

members . The Treasurer reported a small balance in hand . Bro . F . Pollard presented the report of the Fortescne Annuitant Fund . The Governors reported that since the

last Provincial Grand Lodge , at Tavistock , a vacancy had arisen by the death of Bro . George Curzon , No . 39 . There would be several applicants for the annuity , and the Governors urged on the Province the necessity of further

donations and subscriptions in order that tho number of annuitants might be permanently increased . Tho report having been moved and seconded , Bro . E . H . Sholto said he believed there was scarcely a

brother in tho Province who would not be ready and willing to support this fund if only tho matter was properly submitted to them . He ventured to say further that there

woro hundreds of brethren who hardly knew of tho existence of this admirable Institution . Ho thought he could substantiate that by pointing to tho splendid success which had attended the kindred movement in tho Province

for the Devon Masonic Educational Fund . That was supported by a largo body of regular snbscribers ; there wore 50 subscribers in his Lodge ; and ho did not see why , in time , the Annuitant Fund should not be similarly

supported . He therefore moved this rider to the report : — " That , with a view to obtaining a larger number of subscribers , copies of this report and the Treasurer ' s report , together with a statement of the objects and

regulations for the management of the fund , be forthwith sent to every Lodge in the Province . " This rider was seconded by Brother Cornish , and , with the report , was adopted .

Bro . Gover presented the report of the Committee of Petitions . Tho Committeo stated that they had been enabled duri ng the year to repay a large debt of 2 , 968 votes incurred to secure the election of their candidates ,

and had now a balance of 561 votes owing to them available for next year ' s elections . The votes received this year had been 424 more than last , attributable to the exertions of the Devon Stewards at the Jubilee meeting of the Royal Masonic Institution for Aged Masons and Widows , presided over by the much esteemed Bro . the Right Hon . the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe , Deputy Grand Master of England and Provincial Grand Master of Cornwall when a sum of £ 67 , 000 was raised . Bro . Dr . Lemon ^ . P . G . J . W . by a second donation of 100 guineas , made iiunseii

a Patron of the Institution , giving him yearly votes or . about 266 , which are always given to your committee . J he Committee fraternally reminded the Lodge that the amount subscribed to the Grand Charities are still abont one-third the sum annuall y received , and they wished also to ask

Worshipful Masters of Lodges and Brethren having votes to send them as soon as possible after their receipt to their representative on this committee , whose duty it was to collect and forward them to the Secretary for regiswauon . it was a matter for congratulation that all

Prov. G. Lodge Of Devonshire.

Lodges had faithfully sent their votes this year , some very late , of course , but just in time . At tho meeting that day they recommended further granti , and that the Lodges

159 , 303 , 328 , 1212 , I 486 , 1550 , 1847 , 105 , 202 , 710 , 954 , 1247 , 2025 , 223 , 251 , and 710 , who , in accordance with the bye-laws , had sent a deposit of 10 guineas to the Provincial Grand Secretary for the Masonic Charities , had their donations supplemented at the cost of the Province to 160 guineas , that being the available balance in tho hands of the Provincial Grand Treasurer .

Bro . Stocker proposed the election of Bro . Robert Bird as Treasurer . Bro . Bird , he said , was an old Past Master , and the founder of tho Lodge he represented . Bro . Major Tracy seconded Bro . Bird ' s nomination , although ho said , had Bro . Bird not been before them he could have

supported the other brother who was a candidate with equal pleasure . Bro . Twose supported the nomination of Bro . Bird , who , he said , had been twice Junior Warden of 70 , and who , in 1875 , founded Lodge Prudence , No . 1550 , of which ho became tho first W . M .

Bro . E . T . Fulford said he regretted there was a division among the Plymouth brethren , whoso turn it was this year to elect the Treasurer , but as the split existed they must mako the best of it . He had to put before them the name

of a Past Master who had rendered great service to the Craft during a period of some thirty years , who had been in the habit of attending the Provincial Grand Lodge , and thero was no brother who had manifested a more active

interest in connection with Masonic work and Charities . It was Bro . Wm . Allsford whose name it was now his ( Bro . Fulford's ) pleasure to propose . Both candidates were undoubtedly good men , and they might be happy with either ; but there were one or two reasons why he

thought they should prefer Bro . Allsford . He had , for instance , been a most active supporter of the Devon Educational Fund , and had been a continual subscriber to the general Masonic Charities , and although Bro . Bird was the older Past Master by four years , Bro . Allsford was the

senior in Freemasonry by ten years . Bro . Aitken-Davies seconded the nomination of Bro . Allsford , and made some remarks which were dissented from by the supporters of the other candidate . Bro . Gover also added some words

in support of Bro . Allsford , whose work outside his own Lodge , he thought , deserved recognition . Bro . C . Philp , on tho other hand , said Bro . Bird had never been offered a Provincial collar ; Bro . Allsford had .

Tho Provincial Grand Master said ho proposed to invite the proposers of tho two candidates to come upon the dais , while he asked tho brethren votinir for either candidate to stand up . If they wero then not satisfied there would havo to be a poll . This was accordingly done , and the

Provincial Grand Master said he thought bro . Bird was elected by a substantial majority . Bro . Fulford , on behalf of tho defeated candidate , expressed himself satisfied with that decision , and Bro . Bird was consequently declared

elected . Bros . Lord and Cornish were elected Auditor ? . The Provincial Grand Master then proceeded to invest the Provincial Grand Officers for the ensuing year , as follows : —

Bro . W . G . EogerB ... ... Deputy Master Major Dick , R . M . L . T . ... ... Senior Warden W . S . Mortimer ... ... Junior Warden Eev . Dr . Lemon ... ... ) n . , . Rev . J . Henning j Chaplains R . Bird ... ... ... Treasurer A . S . Truscott ... ... Registrar G . C . Davie ... ... ... Seoretarv

S . ' RHarvoy ' . ' . ' ..' . ' . " . ' . ' Senio 1 * Deacona J . Parkhouso ... ... ... ) T . „ B . H . Littleton \ Jan , or Deacona G . S . Sandford Supt . of Works J . R . Lord ... ... ... Dir . of Cers .

T . J . K . Chalice ... ... Deputy Dir . of Cers . W . Sonthwood ... ... Assistant Dir . of CerB . E . Tout ... ... ... SworJ Bearer R , Bli R ht )_ . , , „ J . Catford j Standard Bearers E . Binding ... ... ... Organ ' st W . H . Apiin ... ... ... Assistant Secretary S . Panter ... ... ... Pursuivant Jesse Sargeant ... ... Assistant Pursuivant

P . C . Frost " ) P . J . Dnnn ... W . Bickle j-Stewarda T . R . E . Olver F . Hex J H . Shooter ... ... ... Tdar