Cornwall.

CORNWALL .

rpiHE annual Provincial Grand Lodge , which is to be held JL in the Public Rooms , Launceston , on Monday , nth September , is likely to prove a very united and fraternal gathering . The Provincial Grand Master the Earl of Mount-Edgcumbe Past Deputy Grand Master of England is to preside , and there is no lack of business to transact .

The present Lodge held in Launceston , the Dunheved , No . 789 , was warranted on 16 th May 1859 , and was constituted on 17 th January i 860 . It has over thirty members on its register . Although one of the smallest in the Province , it has long had an excellent record , and its roll of

subscribing Past Masters begins as far back as 1863 . The first Lodge warranted for Launceston was in 1767 , and was held in the Plymouth and Devonport Tavern , but it fell through in 1783 , and its number subsequently distinguished a Lodge held in Plymouth Dock ( Devonport ) , but only for some three years , as its career ended in 1786 .

The last Provincial Grand Lodge held in the town was in 1877 , when there were twenty-seven Lodges on the roll of the Province . Now there are thirty-one , and about double the number of members , the Craft being very popular in the county under the genial rule of the Earl of Mount-Edgcumbe .

The Cornwall Masonic Annuity and Benevolent Fund has over £ 6 , 000 invested , and the Charity Association is doing excellent work in promoting Life Governorships in the central Masonic Charities by inducing Brethren to subscribe annually , and ballot for preferential votes until all are successful .

The agenda for the nth prox . is full of business , as customary at such gatherings . At 12 . 30 the Prov . G . Lodge will cease work so as to proceed to the parish church , where the annual sermon will be preached and a collection taken to be devoted to local and general purposes . At the conclusion

of the service the procession will be re-formed and return to the Public Rooms , when the business vyill be concluded . The votes will be collected on application for local annuities

and educational grants ; and the Officers for the ensuing term will be appointed and invested by the Provincial Grand Master , and Committees also elected . A luncheon will be provided at three p . m . — " Western Morning News . "

Devonshire.

DEVONSHIRE .

THE annual meeting of this Provincial Grand Lodge was held at Tiverton , on the 10 th inst . The proceedings commenced with a meeting of the Committee of Appeals at the Town Hall , which was followed by luncheon at the National Schools , the Hon . Sir H . S . Northcote , M . P ., Prov . G . M . presiding over a large company .

The Provincial Grand Lodge was held in the large Drill Hall , when the Prov . G . M . again presided . The Secretary presented his report and returns from the fifty-nine Lodges in the Province , from which it appeared that ' on 31 st December last there were 3 , 872 subscribing

members , an increase of 202 over the previous year , and the amount received in dues and fees was £ 439 , an excess of £ 13 over the previous year . The names of 252 Brethren had been removed from the register by death , resignation , or exclusion . There had been 340 initiations and 114 joinings . The

number of Past Masters returned was 870 , an increase of twenty-five over the previous year . Two new Lodges had been constituted , namely , the Maristow , No . 2725 , to meet at Yelverton , and the Rolle , No . 2759 , to meet at Exmouth . Ten applications had been received from Lodges for the

supplemental grants to acquire Life Governorships in the great Masonic Charities . The Treasurer ' s report showed a balance of £ 298 . Bro . F . Hearn was elected Prov . G . Treasurer , on the motion of Bro . Samuel Jones , seconded by Bro . Gover .

The Provincial Grand Master duly appointed his Officers for the year . A proposal was made by Bro . E . T . Fulford that a sum of-ten guineas should be voted to the funds of the Tiverton Infirmary , and met with a cordial reception . There was

some question , however , as to whether without notice such a vote could be taken for a charity which was not Masonic . Several Brethren offered to contribute individually if the vote

was not pressed , and as Bro . Loosemore assured his Brethren that the charity did not need such subscription , and spoke strongly against the funds being used for such a purpose , the proposition of Bro . Fulford was not agreed to .

Devonshire.

Bro . E . H . Shorto presented the annual report of the Fortescue Annuity Fund . The Secretary of the Committee of Petitions Bro . J . B . Gover in his report stated that the success of their efforts during the past year was a record unprecedented in their annals . There was no further business .

A banquet was held at St . Peter ' s Lodge in the evening , at which there was a large attendence .

Hampshire And Isle Of Wight.

HAMPSHIRE AND ISLE OF WIGHT .

THE annual meeting of this Provincial Grand Lodge , which was very largely attended , was held at the Royal Victoria Rooms , Southampton , on Tuesday , Sth inst ., under the presidency of Bro . W . W . B . Beach , M . P .,

Provincial Grand Master , who was supported by the D . P . G . M . Bro . E . Goble and many other Provincial Officers Present and Past . All the Lodges of the Province but one answered the roll call .

Provincial Grand Lodge having been opened in ancient form , and the minutes of the Ryde meeting having been confirmed , the Prov . G . Treasurer's accounts were submitted , showing assets £ 1 , 443 4 s 5 d , and liabilities nil . The D . P . G . M . moved that the accounts be received and adopted ,

and said that although there had been some slight changes in the officials during the past year , which usually involved expense , he was glad to say the Province was in a very satisfactory financial position . They voted not long ago

500 guineas to the Boys School , and yet had a considerable balance in hand . Bro . D . O . Hobbs seconded the motion , which was carried , the Prov . Grand Master announcing that the Treasurer Bro . Gieve was present that morning but had been suddenly called away to London .

Bro . A . E . Francis S . W . proposed , and Bro . D . S . Pring seconded the re-election of Bro . Gieve as Prov . G . Treasurer , which was carried unanimously and with acclamation .

On the motion of Bro . Lancaster , seconded by Bro . G . J . Tilling , the Worshipful Masters of four Lodges were appointed as an Audit Committee , in addition to the exofncio members . The report of proceedings of the Provincial Grand Lodge

Committee was read by Bro . Giles Prov . Grand Secretary . This stated that the Committee had held five meetings during the year . Two candidates from the Province had been elected to the Benevolent Fund , two to the Boys School , and one to the Girls School , which had necessitated a large

borrowing of votes , and an appeal was made to the Brethren of the Province to assist the Committee in repaying the debts incurred by sending their votes to the Prov . G . Sec . Sums amounting in the aggregate to £ 70 had been voted in relief during the year . There had been 268 initiations , an increase

of sixteen on the preceding year , and there were now 3 , 878 subscribing members in tbe Province . Sixty-one members had died during the year . Of boys in the school , two belonging to the Province had been kept in the Institution for a course of higher instruction . Certain alterations and

additions to rules were recommended , one being that power should be given to the Provincial Grand Master to nominate three members of the Committee . The report also referred to the death of the Earl of Lathom , and the steps taken in the Province to show the respect of the Brethren for the

memory of the late Pro Grand Master . Bro . Le Feuvre rose to propose the adoption , of the report , and remarked that before he did so he should like to say a word or two of acknowledgment with reference to the minutes they had just heard read of what occurred at the

meeting at Ryde last year . After the receipt of the resolution passed at the gathering he wrote from South Africa a letter acknowledging the great kindness of his Brethren in Hampshire , but he might be allowed now that he was in the

happy position of meeting them personally to say how deeply grateful he was thousands of miles away when he read of the kind words spoken of him in his absence . He asked the Brethren to believe him when he said that the Masonic duties

he had performed nearly continuously since 1869 had been most pleasurable . He had always taken much interest in the work of the Province and he was pleased indeed to know that in vacating the office of Deputy Provincial Grand

Master , which the Provincial Grand Master entrusted him with so long , he had so worthy a successor as Bro . Goble . In moving the adoption of the report , he might congratulate the Province on the results of the year ' s campaign . In April and October last they elected several candidates to the