Suffolk.

SUFFOLK .

THE Annual Provincial Grand Lodge was held at the Town Hall , Ipswich , on Thursday of last week , under the banners of the four Ipswich Lodges , the Eight Hon . Lord Henniker P . G . M . presiding . The Lodge having been opened , the minutes of the

last regular meeting and those with regard to the special Provincial Grand Lodge , which was convened to pass a vote of condolence with Lord Henniker upon the death

of Lady Henniker , were read , and the Provincial Grand Master expressed his personal thanks to the Brethren for their kindness and sympathy with him in his great sorrow and trouble .

The Eoll of Lodges was next called , and the reports were most satisfactory . On the proposition of the Provincial Grand Master it was resolved to send a letter of congratulation jjo the Queen , and Prince and Princess of Wales , upon the birth of the heir to the British throne . Upon the proposition of Bro . B . P . Grimsey , seconded by Bro . J . M . Harvey , Bro . A . S . Gross of the Doric

Lodge , Woodbridge , was elected Provincial Grand Treasurer . Tho Provincial Grand Master then appointed and invested the Officers as follow : — Bro . the Rev . C . J . Martyn P . G . Chap . Deputy S . R . Anness P . P . J . G . D . P . M . 376 Senior Warden J . Hodges P . M . 1592 , 1008 - Junior Warden Rev . A . R . Uncher 388 - - ) ,,, , .

- Rev . F . Phillips 1 G 31 - - j una P C . H . Downes P . M . 2371 - - Registrar N . Tracy P . P . J . G . W . P . M . 370 - Secretary P . S . Smith P . M . 71 - - Senior Deacon C . E . Tempest W . M . 114 - - Junior Deacon W . J . Roberts P . M . 1452 - - Superintendent of Wks . 5

( j . T . rick JP . M . oy - - director ol ueremonies R . Titlow P . M . 388 - - Assistant Dir . of Cers . J . Bardwell P . M . 1823 - - Sword Bearer ^ Kfjfa .: : I* «- "* ¦»—C . Cooke Org . 959 - - - Organist Alfred Spalding S . W . 37 G - - Assistant Secretary J . B . Marchant P . M . 1 GG 3 - Pursuivant M . Read P . M . 1224 - - Assistant Pursuivant iu \

xx . uocjiren vv .. aao - - Geo . Turner W . M . 376 - - ' taLVaarAa W . Kemp W . M . 959 - - j Stewards B . W . Syer 376 - - - Tyler Bro . Tracy submitted the report of the Board of

General Purposes , which expressed regret that it was unable to present so favourable a report as last year , as , although the initiations , fifty-five , compared favourably with fifty-six last year , still the gains from the above , with twenty joinings , were overbalanced with losses by

resignations thirty-six , exclusions twenty-three , and deaths twenty-two , leaving a total loss of six , the membership being 985 , against 991 in 1893 . The financial state was more favourable , there being a balance of £ 87 8 s Id . After providing for liabilities the Board

recommended grants of £ 10 10 s to the Girls and Boys Schools , and to the Female and Male branches of the Aged Benevolent , in all £ 42 . The report was adopted . On the motion of Bro . Wright , seconded by Bro . H . C . Casley , Bros . T . Mayhew , C . E . Tempest , and A . A . Bennett ; were appointed Auditors .

The report of the Suffolk Masonic Charity Association for the year ending 30 th June stated that for the Eoyal Masonic Benevolent Institution , in February , the sum of £ 217 17 s 6 d was contributed . For the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Girls , in May , £ 300 10 s 6 d , for the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Boys , in June , £ 290 5 s ; total to the three Institutions for the year

£ 808 13 s . On the motion of Bro . W . Boby , seconded by Bro

S . E . Anness , the report was adopted . The Brethren afterwards marched in procession in Masonic regalia to the Church of St . Mary-le-Tower , where Divine Service was held , the preacher being Bro . A . E . Upchev , who preached an eloquent sermon from

Philippians i ., v . 9 and 10 . The choral service was most effective . Brother Chas . Cooke P . G . O . played as an introductory voluntary "How lovely are the messengers , "

from Sfc . Paul . The services were by Villiers Stanford , and were well rendered by the , choir of the church . The anthem " Behold how good and joyful a thing it is for Brethren to dwell together in unity , " in which the bass

Suffolk.

solo was well taken by Mr . Bunn , was also well rendered . The offertory was given in behalf of the Nurses' Home , Ipswich . Upon the resumption of the Lodge , the Provincial Grand Master briefly addressed the Brethren , whom he congratulated upon the satisfactory condition of the Province .

Votes of thanks were accorded to the Eev . Y . Barrington for the use of the church , to the reception Committee , and to the Chaplain . The banquet followed in the Council Chamber , under the presidency of the Deputy Provincial Grand Master

W . Kemp , and Miss Monteith , adding greatly to the effectiveness of the spread . Tbe menu was a bountiful one and gave the greatest

satisfaction to the Brethren , who heartily congratulated Bro . W . H . Cook , of Wingfield Street , to whom the catering was entrusted .

There were the usual toasts . Nothing new was said , but feeling allusion was made to the cause which had led to the absence of the Provincial Grand Master , while universal satisfaction was expressed with regard to the Deputy Provincial Grand Master ' s continued association wifch fche Province of Suffolk . An interesting feature in connection with the toasfc of the Visiting Brethren was the response of Bro . Kirby Johnson Hon . D . G . M . Allied Scottish F . in India , who

gave an account of the progress of Masonry amongst the Parsees , Mussulmans , and the Hindoos , and all of whom , he averred , carried out the work of the Lodges in a way with which the most fastidious Mason could not complain .

In the toast of the Officers of the Provincial Grand Lodge , Bro . S . E . Anness was cordially congratulated upon his appointment to the Provincial rank of S . G . W ., and thanked for his kindness in placing the Town Hall at the disposal of the Brethren . Bro . Anness , in response , spoke of the pride he felt in

being able to do anything in behalf of Masonry . Although not in the toast list , and outside Masonry , he gallantly proposed the health of the Ladies who had assisted in the decorations , and which was drank with enthusiasm . To the toast of tbe Worshipful Masters of the Lodges

in the Province , Bro . C . E . Tempesfc 114 , H . Coekrell 225 , Geo . Turner 376 , and W . Kemp 959 , suitably replied . Songs were contributed during the evening by Bros . H . Brockbank , G . T . Pick , G . Abbott , H . A . Wright , A . Mead , and the Deputy Provincial Grand Master , the accompanist being Bro . C . Cooke . The arrangements in connection with the reception of the Provincial Grand Lodge were carried out by

Committees , who certainly achieved an unprecedented success in making the gathering a memorable one for the pleasure it afforded the Brethren . — " East Anglian Daily Times . "

( Eev . C . J . Martyn ) , in the absence of the Provincial Grand Master ( Lord Henniker ) , who , since his domestic bereavement , has declined attendance at public festivals . The tables were splendidly laid , the floral adornments , which were the graceful work of Mrs . G . Turner , Mrs .

North And East Yorkshire.

NORTH AND EAST YORKSHIRE .

THE Marquis of Zetland , in the address to his Provincial Grand Lodge , referred to in our last issue , said ifc was gratifying to know that fche work of the

Province , since the last Grand Lodge , had progressed quietly and gradually , and the Lodges had worked in harmony , united and prosperous . During the year the Deputy Prov . Grand Master had constituted under most favourable auspices the latest addition to their Provincial

roll , viz ., the Humber Installed Masters' Lodge , No . 2494 . This Lodge possessed peculiar features , since all thc members must have passed fche Master ' s chair , and its objects were of a literary , archaeological , and philosophical

character . They might , therefore , look forward with interest to its progress as a bond of uni 6 n for those Brethren who sought to study the Craft in its more recondite features . The sum raised at the Festival of

their Educational Fund was £ 504 10 s , which , considering the depression in trade aud agriculture , was a very