Provincial Grand Lodge Of Wiltshire.

rer ' s accounts , so far as regarded the Charity Fund , had been duly passed , shewing a balance in hand of = £ 149 lis 6 d , of which the sura of thirty guineas the Committee recommended should be granted to the Boys' School , and placed on the list of Bro . T . S . Futcher , whose Stewardship for

that Institution , as representing the Province of Wiltshire , had been approved by the Committee . The Committee also recorded its opinion that the Province shonld support only one Institution each year , and the name of Bro . Mann was mentioned as willing to accept a Stewardship for the

Girls School for the year 1888 . The recommendations of the Committee were adopted . The Prov . Grand Treasurer Bro . F . H . Goldney then produced his account , which had been duly audited , and of which an abstract was read and dulv approved . The Prov . Grand Registrar Bro . Henry

Merrick also presented his report , shewing the position of Masonry in the Province . This report exhibited a steady increase in the number of members , the ten Lodges constituting the Province now numbering amongst them nearly 500 members . The report also called special attention to the number of votes hold for the Masonic Charities

by the various Lodges . It was resolved that the report be approved and printed for circulation , with thanks to the Prov . Graud Registrar for the trouble he had taken in compiling it . Bro . William Nott , the Provincial Charity Secretary produced his report on behalf of the Benevolent Fund and Charity Organization Committee , as follows : —

The Secretary , on behalf of the Committoo , has the honour to make the follow ! ig report : — BENEVOLENT FUND . —There having been no claim upon tlie income of this Fund the whole of ifc haa been adder ] to the capital , which now amounts to £ 335 Is 2 d consols . The Fund is now assuming

snch a position that in a few years it will have reached an amount sufficient to enable the Committee , from its annual income and the Lodge Subscriptions , to give substantial assistance to any case requiring it .

CHARITY ORGANIZATION . —During the present year yonr Committee partially supported the case of Meyrick George Bruton Good , son of a deceased member of 586 , as a candidate for the Boys' School , and he "waa successful at the election held last month .

Your Chanty Secretary has attended the elections daring the current yenr , the result of such elections , so far as fcbe associated Provinces are concerned , being that all the candidates put forward — eleven in all—have been successful , i . e ., Bristol 1 Boy , Gloucestershire 2 Boys , Leicester and Rutland 1 Girl , Somersetshire 2 Widows ,

South Wales ( Bast Division ) I Boy , Wiltshire 1 Boy ( Good ) , and Worcestershire 2 Girls and 1 Boy . The Wiltshire recipients of the Masomc Charities are now 11 in number , viz .: —4 Widows receiving annuities of £ 32 each , from the

Benevolent Institution , 5 children in the Girls School , and 2 in the Boys' School . It will , therefore , ho snen that Wiltshire derives a large benefit—certainly not less than £ 500 a-year in value —from fche great Masouic Charities . The contributions from Wiltshire to theso Charities durine * tho

year , made through tho medium of Bro . J . Campbell Maclean , as Steward , amounted iu the aggregate to £ 261 14 s > , viz .: — £ 61 3 s for the Boys' School , ancl £ 200 lis for the Girls' School . The votes placed afc the disposal of the Committee during the pasfc three years have been as follows : — 1884 1885 1886

Royal Masonic Institution for Boys ... ... 509 513 560 Girls 417 384 467 Eoyal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons ... ... ... ... 233 244 223 Ditto , Widows ... ... ... 338 279 212 1497 1420 1462

WM . Nora P . G . S . W ., Prov . Charity Seo . Devizes , 19 th November 1886 . This having beeu printed and circulated with the summons , was taken as read , and was , on the motion of the Deputy

Provincial Grand Master , unanimously approved , the thanks of the Provincial Grand Lodge being at the same time voted to Bro . Nott as Charity Secretary . Bro . J . Campbell Maclean , who had served two

Stewardships during the year , viz . for the Boys' and the Girls ' Schools , was then on behalf of the P . G . Lodge presented by the D . P . G . M . with the Charity jewel , in recognition of his services . The D . P . G . M ., Sir Gabriel Goldney ,

addressing the meeting , said that Lord Methuen wished him to convey to the meeting his great regret that illness prevented him from being present that day . Sir Gabriel Goldney further went on to express his own gratification at the

present position of Masonry in Wiltshire , as testified by the reports which they had that day had before them . He considered the year on which they had now entered was a

most important one to Jb recmasons , being as it was fche Jubilee Year of Her Majesty , the Patroness of the Craft . He felt sure that every Mason in Wiltshire would be desirous of testifying his loyalty on the occasion , aud ho

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Wiltshire.

suggested tha' .: v ^ uHon should be drawn up and signed hy the Master and Wardens of each Lodge , and be presented by a deputation in such way as might hereafter be

considered desirable . Ho begged therefore , to propose that such a course be adopted , and that a Committee be appointed to draw op such a resolution and submit ifc to the Provincial Grand Master for his approval . Bro . William N ^ ott P . S . G . W . said he believed that such a course

would meet with general approval—whatever other course might be decided upon—after the subject had been more fully dealt with in Grand Lodge and elsewhere , when possibly the Provincial Grand Master might think it desirable to call a special Provincial Grand Lodge meeting for

Wiltshire . He ( Bro . Nott ) had therefore great pleasure in seconding the resolution , and naming the Deputy Provincial Graud Master , fche Provincial Grand Treasurer , and the Provincial Grand Secretary , as the Committee to draw up the resolution . The proposition was carried

unanimously . Bro . P . H . Goldney was unanimously reelected Treasurer , with thanks for his valuable services in the pasfc , whilst Bro . J . Savory was unanimously re-elected Tyler . The Deputy Grand Master having declared all offices vacant , then proceeded to invest the new Officers for the ensuing year , as follows : — -

Bro . Earl Cowley 626 ... Senior Warden J . C . Maclean 355 - . - Junior Warden Rev . J . A . Lloyd 1533 . . Chaplain F . H . Goldney 626 { re-elected } - Treasurer James Sparks 1271 - - - Eegistrar

Harry Bevir 355 ( re-appointed ) Secretary F . S . Hancock 663 - - . Senior Deacon Edward Noke 335 . . . Junior Deacon J . A . Randell 663 ¦ . . Superintendent of Works J . Chandler 355 ( re-appointed ) - Director of Ceremonies

S . J . Haden 1478 . . . Asst . do . G . S . A . Waylen 663- . - Sword Bearer H . Howse 663 . . Organist H . Cooper 1533 ... Pursuivant

G . R . Shemilt 1295 - - - Asst . do . F . B . Norris 636 - . . Standard Bearer W . C . White 1533 . . . Steward J . Savory 355 ( re-elected ) . - Tyler

This ended the business of the Provincial Grand Lodge , which was then closed , and the brethren afterwards adjourned to the annual banquet , at the Town Hall , which was presided over by the Deputy Provincial Grand Master .

District Grand Lodge Of Northern China.

DISTRICT GRAND LODGE OF NORTHERN CHINA .

A REGULAR Communication of the above Lodge was held at the Masonic Hall , Shanghai , on Wednesday , 22 nd September 1886 , when there were present : — Ilight Worshipful Bros . J . I . Miller District Grand Master , 0 . Thorne Pasfc District Grand Master , C . H . Dallas Pasfc District Grand Master of Japan ; Worshipful Bros . T . W . Kingsmill Deputy

District Grand Master , J . M . Cory District Senior Grand Warden , A . Johusford District Junior Graud Warden , Lewis Moore Past Dictrict Grand Warden , E . P . Lalcaca Past District Junior Grand Warden , acting as District Grand Deacon ; W . H . Short District Grand Treasurer , acting as District Graud Pursuivant ; O . Middleton

President of thb District Board of General Purposes , R . D . Starkey District Grand Secretary , G . A . Allcofc District Senior Grand Deacon ; Bro . G . R . Wingrove District Grand Director of Ceremonies , Worshipful Bros . A . M . A . Evans Assistant District Grand Director of Ceremonies , A . P . Macgregor District Grand Sword Bearer ,

T . F . Hough District Grand Standard Bearer , F . M . Gratton District Grand Steward , C . Morrifcfc District Grand Tyler ; Worshipful Bro . A . M . A . Evans P . M . as Representative of Royal Sussex Lodge , No . 501 , and Representatives from Northern Lodgo of China , No . 570 , Tnscan Lodge , No , 1037 , and Doric Lodge , No . 1433 , with

several visitors . The brethren having assembled in their respective places in the Lodge , Right Worshipful Bro . J . I . Miller District Grand Master , accompanied by Right Worshipful Bro . C . Thorne P . D . G . M . Northern China , ancl Right Worshipful Bro . C . H . Dallas P . D . G . M . Japan , aud by the District Grand Officers , entered , and was

received in duo form . The District Grand Lodgo was opened in due form with prayer afc 9 * 25 . The circular convening the meeting was ieid , On tho motion of the Right Worshipful District Grand Master the minntes of tho last regular and special Communicatior . s , held respectively on tho 17 fch January and 28 th April , whioh had beeu

printed and circulated , wero confirmed . The Right Worshipful District Grand Master said the next business was to receive the Report of fche District Board of General Purposes , and Worshipful Lira O . Middleton , the President , read the Report . On the motion uf fcho District Grand j ' . aster , seconded by Bro . Thorne , the Report

was adopted , and ordered to be entered on the miuutes . The Right Worshipfnl District Grand Master , addressing fcho brethren , congratulated them ou the brevity of the Report , and then said : —Tho absence of any complaints or appeals may appear afc firsfc sight as showing a want of interest in Maaoury aiuongafc usi . Suo ' u , however ,