Provincial Grand Lodge Of Cornwall.

Bro . T . Chirgwin read the report of the Cornwall Masonic Annuity and Benevolent Fnnd , which stated tho subscriptions and donations for 1887 amounted to £ 146 Os 6 d , being a decrease of £ 12 Is over the corresponding period of last year , which with £ 192 5 s balance in hand at the end

of 1886 , and £ 142 15 s 5 d interest on vested funds , brought the total income up to £ 481 Os lid . The grants to male annuitants amounted to £ 45 , to female annuitants £ 28 10 s ,

educational grants £ 30 , expenses £ 17 , leaving a balance in hand of £ 360 7 s 8 d . The capital account amounted to £ 4 , 038 4 s 2 d , being an increase of £ 133 s 4 s since the date of the last annual meeting . The report ran : —A vacancy

has occurred in the annuities by the death of Mr . Vicary , which took place on 19 th August , too late to admit of the vacancy being filled this year . Mrs . Olive has petitioned for an annuity , or , in the alternative , a grant for relief .

The latter is all that at present can be given her . An educational grant has also expired , leaving one only of £ 15 , which has two more years to run . Four petitions have been received for educational grants , in two cases

subsequent to 31 st March last , and in one of them the child ' s deceased parent was not qualified , by subscribing membership for the full term of five years , as required by the rules in force at the time the petitions were forwarded .

As , however , the rules , as amended , would permit the receipt of the petitions up to 30 th June , and reduce the qualifying period to three years , it has been considered that if the alterations are duly confirmed before the actual

voting takes place the altered rules might be fairly held to apply to the present applications , and as there are vacancies it would be unfortunate io reject candidates on technical grounds if otherwise suitable . The voting on the various applications takes place to-day . From the commencement

of the fund in 1864 to this date the receipts have amounted to £ 6 , 350 4 s 2 d , out of which there has been paid to male annuitants £ 1 , 240 lis , female annuitants £ 153 10 s , grants for relief £ 60 , educational grants £ 165 , expenses

of management £ 259 15 s , leaving £ 1 , 171 8 s 2 d . By the decease of the late Bro . Tweedy the number of trustees of

the fund is reduced to three , and under rule VI . additional trustees should be appointed at this meeting . The P . G . M ., following up the remarks of Bro . Chirgwin , said he thought it should be an instruction to the Committee to report

what steps should be taken with a view of ensuring that the educational grants were devoted to educational purposes and nothing else . The Prov . G . Secretary reported

the receipt of £ 50 2 s 6 d from the Masons in Cornwall to the Imperial Institute . He mentioned that many brethren had subscribed to local funds . The Prov . Grand Master said

he should keep the Masonic subscriptions as far as possible separate , but he should send the total receipts from Cornwall to the Imperial Institute in a lump sum . The total would be nearly £ 600 . He had received a letter

from the Prince of Wales on the Imperial Institute , in the course of which he said : " The very satisfactory progress which has been made during the first nine months of organised work towards ensuring the foundation

of the ^ Institute npon such a basis as to allow of the extension of its sphere of usefulness in all the contemplated directions warrants the sanguine expectation that the amount which has been estimated as necessary for that

purpose will be provided within no very distant period . " The report was received and adopted . The Prov . Grand Secretary , on behalf of the Committee of Eelief , reported

that there were no appeals for relief . They had voted £ 5 5 s to the widow of a Brother in Penryn , and £ 5 5 s to the widow of a Brother in Falmouth . They had received £ 80 from the Board of Benevolence , in addition to another

sum to the widow of a Brother ofthe Wadebridge Lodge , viz .: £ 30 to a widow at Falmouth , £ 28 at Penryn , and £ 30 to the widow of a Brother of a Carew Lodge . The report was received and adopted . The Brethren then

marched in procession to church , headed by the local Volunteer Band . Bro . Rev . Sutton P . G . Chaplain , preached an impressive sermon . On reassembling for business , Bro . G . Pearce read the report of tho Cornwall Masonic

Charity Association . Thoy had 331 guineas in subscriptions , and with contributions from two Lodges to make their votes in perpetuity brought the total up to 365 guineas . -There was a membership of 205 , and the Association did not

m any way interfere with the Cornwall Annuity and Benevolent Fund . Three Lodges did not subsciibe at all , he was sorry to say , and several others only small amounts , ihrce Chapters and one Mark Lodge subscribed to the tunds , and there was room for more to do so . During

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Cornwall.

the past year they had added 96 votes to the voting strength of the province , 68 of which were life votes , and 28 votes in perpetuity . He impressed upon them the importance of every Lodge , either as a Lodge or as individual members ,

doing something to support the fund . As Steward for the Province he was able to send up to the Masonic Institution for Aged Masons £ 368 lis , which was the second largest amount on the list ; £ 141 15 s to the Girl ' s School , and

£ 194 5 s to the Boy ' s School , making a total of £ 704 lis . He thus secured 197 votes for the Province . Bro . Hughan , in proposing a vote of thanks to Bro . Pearce for his excellent report , said the thanks of the Province were due to him for

having by his untiring efforts secured the largest sum ever raised in Cornwall for the Masonic Charities . He mentioned that at the present time £ 20 per day was spent in Masonic Charities . Tbe Prov . Grand Master seconded tbe resolution ,

which was unauimously carried . Owing to the absence of Bro . Bake , through indisposition , the resolutions of which he had given notice were postponed to the next meeting .

Bros . Gilbert Pearce and Truscott were elected Stewards for the year ensuing for the great Masonic Charities . The Prov . Grand Secretary presented the report of the Truro Cathedral Fund Committee . They had £ 350 invested in

Consols , £ 199 in the Bank , which , with the dividends and the only subscription received for the year— £ 5 5 s from Bro . Emra Holmes—brought the total up to £ 549 . Bro . the Hon . and Rev . J . Boscowen promised £ 5 more . Bro . Hnghan said Truro was the first Cathedral laid with

Masonic honours , and in recognition of that special event he would move that the sum of £ 46 be voted from Prov . Grand Lodge funds so as to make the total np to £ 600 . There was a strong feeling in the Province ,

irrespective of all religious feeling , that they should do something . They would , by carrying the resolution he moved , be expressing their sympathy with their beloved Prov . Grand Master , who , as Chairman of the Building

Committee , had had all the work on his hands . Brother W . K . Baker said that , irrespective of religious feeling , as Cornishmen they were proud of the Cathedral , and as

Masons proud to contribute something towards it . The Prov . Grand Master said he was jealous of Masonic funds being devoted to any purpose to which it could not be legitimately voted , and he therefore conld not accept the

resolution unless it was unanimously carried . On being put to the meeting the resolution was carried unanimously amid loud applause . The noble Earl said although the Craft took a large part in the laying of the foundation

stones of the Cathedral it was impossible that they icduld appear on the occasion of the opening of the Cathedral . The building was not completed in its full size , and the accommodation was limited from 1 , 700 to 2 , 000 , according

to the way in which the building was laid out . They could understand the difficulty of the Committee , how they cpujd offer seats to all those who practically expected a right to come into the Cathedral . He learnt that the Committee

had issued invitations for 300 tickets more than the building would accommodate , trusting that some woukTnot be able to come . It was thus impossible for the Masons to be represented as a body , but he should be very pleased

to give tickets to a few representatives of the Prov . Grand Lodge . He should like to offer a ticket to Bro . Hughan . In answer to Bro . Baker , the Provincial Grand Master said the sum would have to go into the general fund , but it had

been decided that one of the central piers of the building should represent the Masonic gift—and that a brass plate should be affixed to the pier notifying the fact . It wonld be a very permanent and expressive evidence of Masonic work . The Provincial Grand Master then said the

brethren ho had thought of to whom tickets should be given for the opening ceremony of the Cathedral as representing the Provincial Lodge were Bros . Hughan , Gilbert Pearce , Cock , Gill , Crews , Courtenayand Rovve .

On the proposition of Bro . Milford Cox , the sums ot twenty-five guineas were voted to the Cornwall Masonic Annuity Fund and ; 810 10 s to each of the three Masonic Charities . Bro . Chirgwin reported that as the result of

the voting of the subscribers of the Cornwall Masonic Annuity and Benevolent Fund . The son of a deceased Brother and the daughter of a deceased Brother in Lodge No . 977 wero elected on the fund for a grant of £ 15 each

for five years , with 410 and 405 votes respectively ; the sons of deceased brethren of Lodges 1829 and 589 , £ 15 each for four years , with 429 and 396 votes respectively ; and the daughter of a deceased Brother of Lodge 75 , £ 10 for four years , with 425 yoics . Bros . T . Chirgwin , Crews ,