Norths And Hunts.

NORTHS AND HUNTS .

TFIE annual meeting of the Lodges of the Province of Norths and Hunts was held under the banner of the Euston Lodge , No . 2283 , at the Church Schools , St . Neots , on

Friday , 7 th inst . The Earl of Euston , D . L ., Prov . G . M . presided , and was supported by the Officers of Provincial Grand Lodge , and many Brethren from all parts of the Province .

At the opening of the Lodge Brother H . Manheld P . G . Treasurer of England occupied the S . W . chair , and Bro . Owen Parker that of J . W ., the Prov . G . M . being supported by Bro . T . P . Dorman P . G . A . D . C . England acting as Deputy Prov . G . M . in the regrettable absence through indisposition of the Deputy Bro . John Haviland .

The Prov . G . M . appointed and invested the following Officers for the ensuing year :

Bro . Clarabut 442 ..- . Senior Warden G . F . E . Wilkinson 3 60 ... Junior Warden Rev . L . T . Jones 442 ... Chaplain Rev . J . R . Pullan 22 S 3 ... Ditto A- Cockerill 3 60 ... Treasurer

B . Baker 455 ... Registrar Geo . Ellard 3 60 ... Secretary W . F . Tipler 1764 ... Senior Deacon T . Hoi'ton 2555 ... Junior Deacon W . R . Todd 373 ... Supt . of Works

J . J . Hart 360 ... Dii . of Ceremonies W . G . Hobbs 1011 ... Assist . Dir . of Cers , W . T . King 607 ... Sword Bearer H . Edwards 737 ... Standard Bearer W . Clarke 455 ... Ditto

Boyer 442 ... Organist H . J . Burt 2684 ... Pursuivant W . H . Hodges 1764 ... Steward W . J . Hull 1764 ... Ditto

W . J . Arnsby 3 60 ... Ditto E . H . W . Howe 2431 ... Ditto G . H . Dunckley 445 ... Ditto J . Lynn 228 3 ... Ditto W . Chapman 2283 ... Tyler .

The Prov . G . M . announced with regret that owing to his advancing years and the state of his health Bro . F . G . Buckle , who for a quarter of a century had filled the Office of Secretary of- ' the Province with so much ability and to the

satisfaction of -the Brethren , had felt it necessary to resign the position . He moved that the best thanks of the Province be given to Bro . Buckle for the valuable services he had rendered the Brethren durine- his tenure of the Office . Bro .

Dorman seconded the proposition , which was carried unanimously , and the new Secretary , Bro . Ellard , was asked to convey to his predecessor the resolution which had been passed .

On the motion of Bro . Clarabut , seconded by Brother Dorman , a vote of sympathy with Bro . John Haviland Dep . Prov . G . M ., on his absence , through illness , was carried with equal unanimity .

Bro . Young conveyed to the Prov . Grand Lodge an invitation from the Brethren of the Merit Lodge to hold the next annual Provincial meeting at Stamford . Bro . Harry Manheld conveyed a similar invitation from the Brethren of

the Pomfret Lodge , to hold the meeting at Northampton . The Stamford Brethren ultimately conceded their claim to Northampton , it being understood that the succeeding meeting should be held at the border town .

An excellent banquet was afterwards served in the Public Rooms by Miss Cranstone , of the Cross Keys , Eeirl Euston presiding . The appointment of Bro . G . Ellard as Secretary was referred to with much approval during the evening , and Bro .

Ellard , in reply , said the appointment which the Provincial Grand Master had been pleased to confer upon him that day was an onerous one , and it would take him all his time to perform the duties of the Office with the same zeal and ability with which they had been discharged by their old

friend Bro . Buckle . Bro . Buckle had held the Office something like twenty-five years , and not a single mistake had been made ; but the work had been done grandly and well . He trusted he might have health and strength to follow worthily in Bro . Buckle ' s footsteps .

Bro . Geo . Ellard is a Past Master of the Pomfret and Eleanor Cross Lodges , and present Secretary of the Pomfret , the senior Lodge of the Province , and has for many years been distinguished for his devotion to Masonic interests , and especially for his splendid endeavours for the Masonic

Norths And Hunts.

Charities , as the representative of the Province . Brother Ellard ' s appointment to the vacant Office was acclaimed on all sides .

The weather during the day was perfect , and the arrangements of the Brethren at St . Neots left nothing to be desired to contribute to the complete success of the gathering .

West Lancashire.

WEST LANCASHIRE .

THE annual Provincial Grand Lodge of West Lancashire was held on Wednesday , 12 th inst , at the Co-operative Hall , Leigh . The Earl of Lathom Provincial Grand Master

presided , and there were also present Bros . R . Wyhe P . G . D . Deputy Provincial Grand Master , T . T . Shann Prov . J . G . W ., J . J . Lambert P . G . D ., Rev . T . Barton Spencer P . G . Chaplain , J . Houlding P . G . D ., and W . Goodacre P . G . S . B . Prov . G . Sec .

Among the visitors was Bro . J . R . Spurgeon LL . B ., a native of Liberia , Grand Lecturer and Past Grand Warden of the Order in Liberia , to whom a special greeting was extended , and who responded in the name of the Liberian Brethren .

Apologies for absence were received from the Earl of Derby Past Deputy Provincial Grand Master , T . E . Withington Prov . S . G . W ., N . W . Helme , M . P ., P . P . G . W ., and others . There was a large attendance . Of the 127 Lodges in the Province one only was unrepresented .

The accounts of the Provincial Grand Treasurer Bro . T . Edwards showed that grants from the funds of the Province had been made as follow : To the Benevolence Committee £ 143 , to the Royal Lancaster Asylum £ 33 , to the Indian Famine Fund 50 guineas , to the Fund for Loyal Brethren

in South Africa 50 guineas , to the West Lancashire Masonic Educational Institution 50 guineas , to the Alpass Benevolent Institution 50 guineas , and to the Hamer Benevolent

Institution 25 guineas . After necessary expenses had been paid there remained satisfactory balances in hand . The financial statement was adopted , on the motion of Bro . J . Houlding , seconded by Bro . the Rev . T . B . Spencer .

The Provincial Grand Secretary submitted his annual report . Pie said since their last annual meeting they had to regret the loss of Queen Victoria , and the severance of that intimate connection which had been continued for so many years between their late Grand Master the King and

themselves . When His Majesty , then Prince of Wales , succeeded the Marquis of Ripon as Grand Master there were about 1 , 500 Lodges under the English Constitution . When the King surrendered the Grand Mastership that number had nearly doubled . The great progress made during the quarter

of a century had been largely represented in the Province of West Lancashire . In 1 875 there were in that Province 6 9 Lodges , with a roll of 4 , 400 members . In 18 S 5 there were 82 Lodges , with a roll of 4 , 600 members , whereas at the present time there were 127 Lodges , with a roll of

membership exceeding 8 , 500 . In the last fifteen years therefore the Lodges in West Lancashire had increased by 55 per cent ., and the roll of members by 85 per cent . That fact should emphasise the exhortation so frequently given by their Prov . Grand Master to see that all candidates for the Order were

good men and true . As to > the work ot the year , the Lord Lathom Memorial Fund , which was not quite completed last year , had risen to over £ 3 , 500 , and it had been allocated to the Benevolent Institutions of the Province . Presentations by the Provincial Grand Master had been granted in

return for the sums given . Several new Lodges had been constituted during the year , and there was a desire still further to increase the number . Encouragement , however , was only given in those cases where the necessity was

apparent , and the petitioners of such standing in the Order as afforded reasonable hope of success . During the year grants from the Fund of Benevolence had been made to eight recipients to the extent of £ 140 . Three children from the Province had been elected on the foundation of the

Institutions in London . Pie was glad to be able to report that a spirit of harmony prevailed among the Lodges generally , and that the Benevolent Institutions had received generous support . Referring , for the purposes of comparison ,

to their position twenty years ago , he found that they had in the Province at that time an Educational Institution , with an income of £ 1 , 280 a year , educating ninety-three children at a cost of £ 671 , and invested funds amounting to £ i 5 , 90 ° -