Provincial Grand Lodge Op Leicestershire And Rutland.

according to an endorsement signed by " Thomas Harper D . G . Master , " was " transferred to sundry Brothers , to convene at Hinckley , in Leicestershire , at such times as may bo most convenient " ( A . D . 180 . 5 ) . At the time of its constitution it bore tho number of 17

on tho roll of the " Ancient" or " Atholl" Lodges , becoming No . 06 at the Union of tho two sections of English Lodges , No . 5 S at the renumbering in 1832 , and No . 50 at that of ISO'S . ' Of the other Lodges of the Province , No . 15 G 0 , held at Leicester , is the yonngest , dating its constitution from 1875 .

From tho returns issued by the Provincial Grand Lodge itself , wo find there are 379 subscribing members of tho Fraternity in the district , of whom a few subscribe to more than one Lodge , whereby an addition is made to the actual number of fees paid into Provincial Grand Lodge of ' 11 , thereby giving the district an actual membership of 423 , of which 256 , or rather over one-half , are accredited to the four

Lodges meeting in Leicester . The great Chanties of the Order have in this district some of their warmest supporters , and it is seldom a year passes but a substantial sum is sent np to ono or other of the Festivals held in connection with the three Masonic Charitable Institutions . In proof of this , it is only necessary to give particulars of what baa been done

during the last seven years , from which it will be seen that a sum of £ 1 , 617 16 s 6 d has been subscribed by the Masons of Leicestershire and Rutland to the Charities of the Order , which shows that considerably over £ 5 has , on tho average , been contributed by each Mason in the district during that period , a result reflecting tho greatest credit on all concerned . The actual figures announced at the several

Festivals were : —1875 , Boys' School , £ 181 13 s ; 1876 , Benevolent Institution , £ 109 16 s , Boys' School , £ 12 10 s •, 1877 , Benevolent , £ 15 8 s , Boys'School , £ 100 18 s 6 d ; 1878 , Girls'School , £ 233 16 s ; 1879 , Benevolent , £ 125 14 s , Boys ' , £ 42 ; 1880 , Girl ' s School £ 73 10 s , Boys ' , £ 194 5 s ; 1881 , Girl's School , £ 228 6 s . Totals-Benevolent , £ 250 18 s , ; Girls' School , £ 53512 s ; Boys' School , £ 831 6 s 6 d .

Preyious to tho opening of Provincial Grand Lodge , at Hinckley , a meet , ing of the Knights of Malta Lodge , No . 50 , already referred to , was held . At this tbe Worshipful Master for the ensuing year was installed , and the several Officers were invested . The following is a copy of the Report of the Provincial Grand Lodge Committee of General Purposes : —

'The Committee have to report that they have met and duly audited the Provincial Grand Treasurer ' s accounts . . . . Although , as will bo seen from the Provincial Grand Registrar ' s report , Freemasonry in this Province during the last twelve months has not been characterised b y tho increase in numbers to which in previous years the Committee have had so much gratification in referring , the

ProvincialGrand Lodge , so far as its financial position is concerned , continues iu the most satisfactory state , the balance now standing to its credit being £ 99 Is 3 d , which is considerably in excess of the amount brought forward from last year . The present balance would have been still larger but for the fact that some of the private Lodges do not include in their annual returns , or pay the quarterage in

respect of such of their members , as may happen to be in arrear with their Lodge subscriptions , although such members may not have resigned or been excluded , and as a misapprehension appears to exist on this point , tho Committee desire tho opinion of tho Provincinl Grand Lodge on tho subject fur tho guidance of the Provincial Grand Officers and others whom it may concern .

Iu Masonic matters generally , the Committee have to report that the past year has been comparatively quiet and uneventful . An examination of the returns from the several Lodges shows that tho steady increase of recent years has not , during the past twelve months , been maintained , a considerable diminution having taken

place in tho total number of subscribing members as compared with the returns for 1880 . The latter , after making allowances for members subscribing to more than one Lodge , showed a total membership of 417 , while at the present time the number has fallen to 389 .

This decrease , however , the Committee do not regard as an indication of any lack of Masonic life and vigour in the Province , for from the Reports which have come to hand , and from general observation the several Ledges were never in a more satisfactory and harmonious condition than at I he present time . With regard to two of tho Country Lodges , tho hope expressed in

last year ' s report that the almost dormant condition into which they had fallen would soon cease has , in the case of one ( No . 1007 ) received most gratifying fulfilment , the muster roll having , under the influence of its energetic W . M . Bro . General Burnaby , been nearl y doubled ; while as to the other ( No . 1205 ) , a smaller , though most useful , addition of active and energetic joining members from other Lodges

which it has recently received will not fail to infuse fresh life ancl vigour into it , and under the rule of tho present W . M ., a distinguished Past Grand Officer of Norths and Hunts , aud also with an expected considerable influx of new members , the Lodge should take a position in the United Proviuco worthy of the county of which it is at present the sole representative .

Tho Committee have further to report that , in pursuance of the directions given at a previous meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge , now Provincial Grand Lodge collars and jewels have been purchased to supply the place of the missing ones . The set having now been made complete , at considerable expense , it is hoped that in future greater care will be taken by Provincial Grand Officers iu returning

their collars and jewels of office to tho Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies . A careful observance of the bye-laws of the Provincial Grand Lodge on this subject is recommended , and ought to be most rigidly enforced . In the Leicester Lodges attention has of late been directed to the

inadequate accommodation of the Leicester Masonic Hall . At the meetings of the Hall Committee tho subject has been discussed on several occasions , and various suggestions have been made , that most generally approved being tho entire disposal of the present premises , which iu consequence of recent public improvements iu the neighbourhood , have increased considerably in value , and the

erection of a more convenient building on a less expensive site . It being apprehended , however , that tho powers of tho present Hall Committee are confined to the letting aud management of the Hall , and do not extend to any dealing with the building itself ; ancl , consequently that the suggestion above referred to would have to be considered and dealt with by tho various Masonic bodies , by and for whose use

ancl benefit the present premises have been provided , your Committee recommend that tho Prov . G . Lodge , as one of such bodies , should now nominate representatives to act with any Committee or delegation which may hereafter be appointed for such purpose . In concluding their report , the Committee desire to refer with feelinars of sorrow to tho loss the Provincial Grand Lodge has

sustained by tho death of one its Officers , W . Bro . John Wright Smith P . M . 279 , Provincial Grand Junior Deacon , whoso Masonic zeal and energy and kindliness of disposition had gained for him tho regard and esteem of all those of his Masonic brethren to whom he was known . The members of his Lodge ( St . John ' s , No . 279 ) have ex

pressed their sympathy with his widow in her bereavement by passing a vote of condolence , and in that expression thia Committee most fully concur . ( Signed ) G . TOLLER jun . D . P . G . M . Chairm an .

Some amount of discussion followed tho reading of this report , the question of Lodge quarterages receiving the greatest attention . It was urged that the same rule as applied in the case of Grand Lodge should guide Provincial Lodge , while others considered that Provincial dues were of a different character . Eventually a proposition was put before Provincial Grand Lodge , and carried , making it

compulsory for the future for each Lodge to remit dues for every member on its roll , whether his subscription had been paid or otherwise . Tho subject of tho Leicester Masonic Hall accommodation was ordered to stand over . The following is tho Annual Report of tho Provincial Charity Committee : —

" The Committee , in presenting their report , regret that for the first time for many years they have been unsuccessful in tho election of the boy Roe , their candidate for tho Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , in October last . Their Secretary called up all the votes owing to the Province , and also borrowed 625 ; these , together with ^ the current votes belonging to Lodges and members of the Province ,

amounted to no less than 1472 , which in all former elections would have easily returned the boy for whom they were polled . They hope that at the next election in April he will be more successful , but may take this opportunity of expressing their hope that all the brethren in tbe Province will continue to assist them by sending their votin" papers , directly they receive them , to the Secretary of the

Committee , and they regret that from neglect of this several votes were lost to the Province at the last election . The Province is now 625 Boys' votes in debt , and at least 300 more votes will be required to make the candidate safe in April next ; it will , therefore , require strong ancl united action to carry on successfully their work . They may mention that they are working on terms of mutual and friendly

interchange with the Provinces of Wilts , Somerset , Monmouth , North Wales , Derbyshire , and Lancashire . The Committee do not forget that in a year ' s time a daughter of the late Bro . Weare will be eligible for tho Girls' School , and towards her election they now hold 3 G 1 votes , and they see no reason to fear her failure on the first occasion of her candidature .

The widow of tho late Bro . Black , of the St . John s Lodge 279 , applied to the Committee for her boy to bo placed on the list of candidates for the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , but on inquiry being instituted , they found with regret he was not eligible under the rules of tho Institution ; they therefore voted the small sum of £ 5 5 s for her immediate needs .

The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institntion for Aged Masona and Widows claims its turn for our support in the coming year , and the Committee are glad to find that several names have been forwarded to them of brethren willing to serve as Provincial Stewards . They have pleasure in recommending Worshipful Brother W . Carrick Crofts , of the Ferrers and Ivanhoe Lodge , P . P . G . J . W ., as Steward to

represent the Province , and they have voted a sum of £ 10 10 s to be placed on his list for theAged Masons . The Committee further beg to state that their accounts have been duly audited , ancl that a sunrTof £ 30 83 9 d stands to their credit for the coming year . The Committee cannot conclude their report with , out expressing their deep sense of obligation to the Rev . Brother

W . Laugley , for the very able manner in which ho conducted the ease of the boy Roe . For ono small Province to poll such a number of votes as were recorded for him involves ( for the Secretary ) an expenditureof time and amount of correspondence which can only be realised by those who have themselves been engaged in similar under , takings . ( Signed ) G . TOLLEK YOIFNG D . P . G . M .

17 th November 1881 . Chairman . Various other items of business having been disposed of Provincial Grand Lodge was closed , as also was the Knights of Malta Craft Lodge , and tho brethren sat clown to banquet nnder tho presidency of the D . P . G . M ., who proposed the customary toasts . Bro . Wright gave that of the Provincial Grand Master , Right Honourable Earl Ferrers , coupled with that of the Past P . G . M . Bro . W . Kelly , F . S . A ., F . R . H . S ., & o . He felt that all must regret the circumstances which

prevented the attendance of the Provincial Grand Master at the meeting that day , not that ho was not well represented in his Deputy , but because the Masons of the Province were proud of bin . as their head . They could but feel tho compliment his lordship conferred on the Province by allowing his name to be associated with Masonry in tho district as he did . With regard to Bro . Kelly , he was too well

known in the Province to uceel any remarks on the present occasion ; he was ever ready and able to carry out whatever Masonic duty might be required of him . Bro . Terry proposed the toast of tho Deputy Provincial Grand Master aud the Officers of Provincial Grand