Provincial Grand Lodge Of Lincolnshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF LINCOLNSHIRE .

THE Provincial Grand Lodge of Lincolnshire was held on Thursday , at the Assembly Rooms , Boston , and was remarkable ns showing tho great increase which lias taken place in tho nnmbers of the Craft last year . The number of Lodges now in the province is 19 , and the enrolled number of members 713 . Tho attendance at Grand Lodge last year was 117 , whilo this year it amounted to 202 brethren . All the Lodges in the Province were represented .

Previous to tho opening of Grand Lodge , morning prayers were read in the beautifnl church of St Botolph , and the brethren proceeded , at ono o ' clock , to tho Assembly Booms , where Lodge of . Harmony , No . 272 , was opened by tho W . M ., under the banner of which Lodge Grand Loduc was to be entertained . Tho procession of Grand Officers afterwards entered , and Major Smythe , Deputy

Provincial Grand M'ister , opened Grand Lodge . Tho work was immediately proceeded with , the Provincial Grand Officers being very numerous . Among them were Bros . John Sntcliffe , Canon Ace , F . D . Marsdcn , W . II . Radley , T . Slator , F . Snaith , Rev . G . Coltman , C . M . Nesbitt , R , J . Boyle and W . G . Mooro . Tho minutes were fust read by Bro . Marsden , and confirmed .

After which Bro . Nesbitt , tho Treasurer ' s , acconnts were submitted by that Brother . From these it appeared that there was a balance in his hands to the general account of £ 39 lis 7 d , after 20 guineas had been paid to tho Masonic charities . The Fund of Bpnevolenoe showed a balance in the Treasurer ' s hands of £ fi 7 12 s 7 d , while £ 520 was invested . All petitioners to the Fund had been relieved ,

according to the report of Bro . Radley , who read tho report of tho Committee of Charity . Bro . Pigott , tho Steward for the year , representing the Province , then rose and thanked tho brethren for tho support which they had given him in that capacity . They had furnished him with £ 575 to take up to tho Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution .

He had certainly mot with the greatest possible kindness . Tho Deputy Grand Master said that Bro . Terry , the Secretary of the Benevolent Institution , was in attendance , and would say a few words on this subject . Bro . Tony , who was received with applause , said he had been directed by tho committee of management , who held their meeting

the clay before , to cotrie to Boston for tho purpose of retnrning their very grateful and sincere thanks to Bro . Pigott and the Deputy Stewards who assisted him at the Festival in January last , for the very handsome and liberal snpport they had given to the Benevolent Institution . At tho same time ho had to express regret that tho candidates from Lincolnshire had not been successful at tho election

in May . He had also to thank tho Deputy Grand Master for his donation of £ LOO for the purpose of endowing tho Provincial Grand Master of the Province for the time being with votes ; Bro . Suteliffo also for his third or fourth donation ; and Bro . Pigott and the other brethren who kindly attended tho Festival . He hoped that whoever should be tho Steward next year , and for whatever charitv , he mi < ,-ht

be ns true and hearty a Mason as was found in 1871-5 . ( Cheers . ) The Deputy Grand Master said he thought they must all bo quite satisfied with the progress of the Province From his own knowledge , ho would state that the Lodges were getting on very well and steadily , but they did not wish only to swell their numbers . The brethren had before them tho report of the Treasurer of Grand

Lodge , and the report of the Benevolent Committee , which was still going on and prospering . They had also tho report of Bro . Pigott , on the largo sum he was enabled to take up as a Steward , in January , which was , no doubt , satisfactory to them atl . On this he would ask Dr . Ace to say a few words . The Rev . Dr . Ace , in obedience to the call of tho D . G . M ., said that

as a brand Lodge the brethren would not be discharging their duty , in his opinion , unless they tendered their cordial and unanimous thanks to Bro . Pigott for the exertions which he had made , during the past year , on behalf of one of their principal charities . Conversant himself with Bro . Pigott ' s diffidence in following so noble a Steward as the Province had the previous year , he yet know

that Bro . Pigott entered upon his work manfully . Tho work entailed much labour aud correspondence , and Stewards mot with many rebuffs in the pursuit of their design . He was , however , determined that Lincolnshire should take the lead , and he succeeded ; for what ? Not for an empty name , but to show that Masonry was alivo in this Province . Bro . Pigott had discharged his duty , and ho

should therefore propose that the Grand Lodge present its cordial thanks to him for his unremitting and distinguished exertions on behalf of charity during the past year . ( Cheers . ) Tho motion having been seconded aud carr ed , — Bro . Pigott thanked the brethren , both for their vote and for the assistance ho received from them in the shape of contributions .

During the next year he hoped that the brother who would succeed him would collect as much as £ 1 , 000 . Tho thanks of tho brethren to Bro . Pigott were directed to bo recorded on the minutes of Grand Lodge , and tho different reports , which had been read , were ordered to be printed and circulated .

Bro . Hall said he was instructed by the subscribers to the "Olivei Memorial Fund , " which was projected in remembrance of the late Dr . Oliver , to make an offer to the Provincial Grand Lodge that the sum collected , £ 197 7 s 7 cl , shonld be handed over to the Provincial Grand bodge Benevolent Fund , upon condition that , tho Provincial Grand Lodge added a similar sum to it , to be applied to some purpose to be determined on . The subject had been before the Benevolent

Fund Committee , who thought that the interest of the money , when invested , should he devoted to the payment of small annuities to distressed brethren in the Province , until they could get 'heir larger annuities from tho Benevolent Institution . There was some obiectioi : to lha f , but he was snre he was speaking the sentiments of the subscribers when he said they would agree to anything the Provincia Grand Lodge might think right and proper , so long as the scheme was called after the late Dr . Oliver .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Lincolnshire.

Grand Senior Warden asked whether the subscriptions to tho fund were confined to brethren of this Province , or whether other brethren also subscribed . Bro . Hall replied that tho subscriptions came from other localities ns well as from Lincolnshire . In answer to another question of Bro . G . S . W ., Bro . Hall said tho subject of tho other subscribers' consent

had been discussed at a meeting of tho Committee held that morning , Another brother asked the terms on which tho offer was made , Tho brethren should be perfectly aware of them beforo they voted . Bro . Mantell said the fund had been collected from Freemasons in various parts of the world , even from Australia , aud he had not tho slightest hesitation in saving that the offer the Oliver Memorial

Committee were now making was a very handsome one . The only difficulty they had was one which Grand Treasnrer had mooted , of how tho money was to be spent . That difficulty , however , had always been got over when they had the money . ( Laughter . ) The brethren were very much pleased to find such an increase in tho snpport of tho Charities from year to year . He was pleased that they

collected a Benevolent Fund , but he did not see why it should be saved . There was no reason why the brethren of 1874 should collect say £ 100 , and lay it up whilst there wero threo institutions , which regarded tho wants of young and old—when collected if , ought to bo spent . He had been present at the meeting of the Charity Committee that day , when it was seen that there were many pressing

eases . "Whatever Provincial Grand Lodge did now , ho hoped it would not allow this sum , which was offered to it , to go into tho Benevolent Fund , and be swallowed up in it without doing honour to Dr . Oliver . It shonld bo applied in snch a way that those who wore benefitted by it should for ever after remember Dr . Oliver . A scholarship

mnst be attached to the Masonic Boys School , for such boy as may show talent , who might bo called "The Oliver Memorial Boy . " Bro . Nesbitt ( Grand Treasnrer ) said that with respect to cases of distress coming hefore the committee nono over came without having their wants generously and amply satisfied . No application for relief had been refused .

The resolution , " That the offer of tho Oliver Memorial Committee be received with thanks by Provincial Grand Lodge , " was then put , and carried unanimously . The Deputy Grand Master then pnt to Grand Lodgo the question of what Masonic Charitable Institution should bo supported by the Province next year .

Bro . John Sntcliffe said that of late years the Girls School had had the support of the Provinco only once . During seven years snpport was given to tho Boys' School and the Benevolent Institution . They had bnt 99 votes in the Girls' School , while they had 400 in the Boys ' , and 100 in the Benevolent . They had four girls ou tho list of candidates and one bov . He thought they should increase

their 99 votes by supporting the Girls School . Bro . Fonntain , representing the Hundred of Elloe Lodge , called attention to tho case of a widow , bordering on 70 years of ago , and in delicate health , whose late husband had attained to tho rank of Prov . G . S . W . She was unsuccessful at the election of the Benevo lent Institution , and if she failed nest year it would be very serious to her .

Tho Deputy Grand Master said he knew the case very well , and it was in excellent hands , so that Bro . Fountain need not be at all uneasy on tho point . Bro . Sntcliffo's motion was put and carried . Bro . Boyle was selected as Steward , on the nomination of Bro . Pigott , and £ 21 was voted from the General Fund to be placed on his list .

The Deputy Grand Master then said he thought it right that tho Installation of the Prince of Wales should not bo allowed to pass without some expression , on the part of this Provincial Grand Lodgo , of its sense of the honour ho conferred on tho Craft by accepting the office . From an examination of the records of proceedings on former occasions , he found that an address of congratulation had been

presented to Royal Grand Masters on their Installation . A great many of tho brethren present hnd had the opportunity of witnessing the very grandest ceremonial that had ever taken place in Masonry , and they would all remember tho cheers which greeted the Prince of Wales at tho Royal Albert Hall . They would also remember the intense feeling with which tho Grand Master explained that ho shonld never forget that day , and tho way he reiterated the word " never , "

made a striking impression on tho brethren who board him . Ho ( the Deputy Grand Master ) had mnch pleasure in proposing "That an address from tho Province of Lincolnshire be presented to H . R . H . tho Prince of Wales , congratulating him on his Installation asM . W . Grand Master . " It was a great honour to be presided over by a future King ; and , though ho would not hold the position of Grand Master when ho ascended tho throne of these realms , he ( tho Deputy Grand Master ) trusted ho might long be spared to rule over

Freemasons . The Rev . George Coltman said he had been selected , as the oldest Mason in Lincolnshire , to second tho proposition . He had not been able to attend for some time , but he could assure the brethren that the old Masonic spirit was still strong in him . He was pleased that tho Prince of Wales had accepted the office of Grand Master , and he

trusted that the tie His Royal Highness had thus formed with the Masons of England would not only unite his fntnre subjects with him , bnt would open new fonntaitis in his heart that would never be dried up . ( Hear , hear . ) He was snre tho brethren would unanimously vote this address , and that the Prince of Wales would not look upon tho people of Lincolnshire when he received it , as a former king of England did , when he said it was one of the most brutal and

beastly counties in the country . ( Laughter . ) If he had been present to-day , and saw the splendid assemblage , he certainly would not say hat it was tho least comity in England . Tho motion was carried nnanimonsly , and the address wa 3 directed < o bo presented by the Prov . G . M ., tho Deputy P . cj . M ., the Prov . G . Treasurer aud the Prov . G . Secretary . The following brethren were then appointed Grand Officers for the