Cornwall.

CORNWALL

THE annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Cornwall was held at Saltash , on Monday , the 16 th . The event was looked upon as one of some importance , the main streets of the town presenting a very gay appearance with the amount of bunting displayed .

The Brethren assembled at the Star Hall , at 10 * 30 , in large numbers . The Eight Hon . the Earl of Mount-Edgcumbe D . G . M . England Prov . G . M . presided , and was supported by Sir Charles B . Graves-Sawle , Bart ., Deputy P . G . M ., and a large number of other Provincial Officers . There was also a large number of Lodge Officials and others present .

After the reading of the minutes it was stated that there had been subscribed towards the Chirgwin Memorial £ 52 13 s 6 d from Masonic sources , and £ 8 from the general public , which would be sufficient to put in a single light window in Truro Cathedral , and the erection of a tablet with an inscription , which was read .

Bro . Thomas A . Kistler Prov . G . Treasurer presented his balance-sheet , which showed that after meeting all expenses the balance at the Cornish Bank was £ 146 8 s 8 d , against £ 211 lls 5 d at the same period last year . The decrease was attributed to the large amounts voted to charities .

The report of the Cornish Masonic Annuity and Benevolent Fund announced that £ 244 6 s 6 d had been received as donations

or subscriptions , against £ 230 ls in the same period in the previous year , and the receipts from other sources brought the total to £ 676 8 s ld . After meeting expenses there remained a balance at the bank of £ 435 16 s , against £ 226 4 s 7 d last year .

There are six aged Masons , and a similar number of widows in receipt of grants , and £ 100 is also given for educational purposes . Three applications had been received for annuities , and two for educational grants .

The Provincial Grand Secretary reported that there had been 130 initiations during the year 1894 , and with 37 joining members the total number was 1 , 771 , against 1 , 702 in the previous year , an increase of 69 . Dispensations had been granted to Mount Sinai Lodge , No . 121 , and to One and All

Lodge , No . 330 , for the holding of Masonic charity balls . Four petitions to the Board of Benevolence in London had been reported on , and grants obtained to the amount of £ 130 , as against £ 60 last year in a similar number of cases . A larger

number of the Directory had been ordered than in the previous year . It would greatly assist the Prov . Grand Secretary if all the returns sent out annually were more carefully filled in , and returned within the specified time .

The Committee of Belief had made grants to three Brethren and one widow , amounting to £ 27 2 s . The Committee recommended that ninety guineas be voted to the CM . A . and B . Fund , E . M . I , for Boys , E . M . B . I . for Men , andE . M . B . I . for Widows . The Secretary ' s report referred to some grants made to

Cornishmen through London , and Bro . Anderton said there was a feeling in the Metropolis that the status of Masons was not being kept up in Cornwall as much as it ought to be . He suggested thafc

when a man was nofc admitted into a Lodge in his neighbourhood , that when he applied to be received into one elsewhere , inquiries should be made at the place where he came from as to his bonafides .

At noon the Lodge adjourned in order to attend Divine service at the parish church . The Brethren , numbering nearly four hundred , formed in procession , headed by the Plymouth Borough Band , under Mr . Waterman , and the Sacred Law was carried by four lads , viz ., T . D . Deeble , S . G . Nancarrow , W . E .

Downey , and P . Burns . The sacred edifice was crowded in every part . The Vicar ( the Eev . Arthur Preedy ) read the prayers , the Eev . E . F . Fraser Frizell P . G . C , aud the Eev . Dr . Eoss P . G . C . the lessons , and the sermon was preached by the Eev . G . Durnow Prov . G . C .

The discourse was based on I . Corinthians hi ., 16 , " Know ye not that ye are the temple of God . " The preacher compared the building of King Solomon ' s temple to the building of every man ' s character , or the love of God in the soul . A collection was made during the service , and realised £ 9 .

At the close the Brethren re-formed procession , and returned to the Lodge Eoom , where the business was proceeded with . The four Lewises who carried the Sacred Law were presented with nicely-bound copies of the Oxford Bible by the Prov . G . M ., who said that Freemasons had secrets , but there was one thin ^

they did not attempt to conceal , and thafc was their respect for the volume of the Sacred Law , as God ' s Word . That was why they had it carried in their procession , and he presented the lads with those Bibles as souvenirs of the part they had taken in that day ' s proceedings , and in the hope that they would be a help to them in their lives .

The Sec . mentioned thab they had among them the W . M . and W . M . elect oi the Cornish Lodge in London , Bros . Chas . Eawle and J . Leech-Barrett , and they were accorded a hearty welcome by the Provincial Grand Master . Bro . Eawle responded , and said he had looked forward to the

Cornwall.

privilege of greeting his Brethren in Cornwall . It had been his wish ever since he had been in the chair of the Cornish Lodge to attend a meeting of the Grand Lodge in the county . His Lodge was a young one , but he was glad to say it had made favourable

progress . Ib had the misfortune to lose Bro . Molesworth St . Aubyn , whom they held in great esteem ; had initiated a good many members , including the Eev . Prof . Shuttleworth and that grand old Cornishman Passmore Edwards . He hoped they would see many Visitors at the Cornish Lodge .

Brother Edyvean , as Charity Steward , reported favourably on the voting power of the Province to the great Masonic Charities during fche past year . He received in October , Girls 429 , Boys 467 , total , 896 ; in April , Girls 465 , Boys 492 , total , 957 ; Benevolent , males 1 , 091 , widows 1 , 099 , total , 2 , 190 ; grand total , 4 , 043 , an increase of 154 on fche previous year . The

Benevolent election in May was very keenly contested , there being sixty-three candidates for twenty vacancies , but , thanks to the energy and assistance of many Brethren in the Province , as well as Cornishmen in London , especially Bro . J . Eoberts , they were enabled to poll 4 , 136 for the Province ' s adopted candidate ,

Brother Harris of Lodge Fortitude , which placed him eighth on the successful list , this securing him £ 40 per annum for life . The votes in April and May being insufficient necessiated their borrowing , and at present they owed 970 Benevolent votes , to meet which they had 558 Girls votes in hand , in addition to the votes for the October election .

The various officials were re-elected , as was Bro . Edyvean as Charity Eepresentative . The collection at the church was distributed as follows : —Two-fifths to Masonic Charities , onefifth to St . Barnabas Cottage Charity , and two-fifths to be placed in the hands of the vicar , to disperse as he might think fit , among the poor .

The Provincial Grand Master appointed and invested the Officers for the ensuing year , as follow :

Bro . Sir C . B . Graves-Sawle - - - Deputy R . A . Courtney 510 - - - Senior Warden Rev . R . F . Fraser Frizell 131 and 699 - Junior Warden Rev . G . Durno - - - - ) n , , . Rev . H . W . Millefct - - - Gha P laU 18

G . G . Bullmore 1528 - - - Treasurer T . W . Perry 856 - - - - Registrar E . D . Anderton .... Secretary T . D . Deeble 1071 - - - - 1 Q •-r , J . G . Henwood 970 - - - Senior Deacons

J . T . Williams 557 - - - ) , . ~ J . E . Blight 496 - - - - } Junl 0 r Deacons R . A . Newcombe 967 ... Superintendent of Works S . B . Tresize 1136 - - - - 1 -n- " i . . n Brendon Parsons 789 - - - } Sectors of Ceremonies G . Timmins 1006 - - - - Assist . Dir . of Ceremonies

Major W . H . Martyn 1785 - - Sword Bearer J . P . Isbell 977 - - - - Organist W . R . Evans 893 - - - - ) „ , , , „ W . M . Roberts 1164 - - - Standard Bearers

W . R . Rawling 1071 - - - Assistant Secretary R . R . Alford 2166 ... - Pursuivant J . Goodfellow 1954 - - - Assistant Pursuivant W . J . Trythall 589 - \ J . W . Wilkinson 450

-G . B . Treverton 330 - - - „ , , John Newland 1544 - - - f Stewards N . S . C . Couch 1151 W . J . M . Gooding 75 - - - / John T . Thorne 1071 - - - Tyler .

On the proposition of the Provincial Grand Secretary , the following motions were agreed to : — To insert after fche word " meantime" in seventeenth line " In cases of urgency when there is no other business necessi *

bating a meeting of fche committee , the Prov . G . Treas ., Prov . G . Secretary , the Treasurer of the CM . A . and B . Fund , and one elected member each from East and West Cornwall , or any three of them , shall have power to grant temporary relief to the extent of £ 5 as aforesaid . "

To omit the second paragraph " N . B . to Form , " and in lieu thereof , to add another bye-law . " Petitions must be sent to the Prov . G . Sec , at least a month before the meeting of Prov . G . Lodge , and unless this rule is complied with no grant ( other that for temporary relief ) shall be made . "

To alter heading to form of Lodge recommendation so as to read— "To prevent mistakes in the recommendation of petitions , the following form is suggested—which may be altered as circumstances require . "

An invitation was received from Penzance to hold the next annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge there . This concluded the business , and the Lodge was closed in the customary manner . A large number of Brethren subsequently partook of luncheon at the Masonic Hall . An excellent repast was supplied by Mr . Cobley , of the Union Hotel , and the way in which it was served reflected the highest credit upon the caterer .

The Prov . G . M . presided , and was supported by the leading office holders . Brother Eawlings gave the toast of the Provinsial Grand Master the Eight Hon . the Earl of Mount-Edgcumbe .