To Our Readers.

TO OUR READERS .

WE gladly avail ourselves of the opportunity of tendering our readers at this festive season fieartp Good ttlisbes AND fraternal Greetings Tor tbe Deto Centurp .

Cheshire.

CHESHIRE .

HP HE new Provincial Grand Master the Hon . Alan de JL Tatton Egerton , M . P ., P . G . 'W . England was installed as ruler of this important Province on Monday , at Chester , in the presence of a large and distinguished company . Our report of the proceedings will appear next week .

Royal Arch.

ROYAL ARCH .

ESSEX . AS briefly reported in our issue of the 8 th inst , the annual meeting of this Provincial Grand ' Chapter was held at Colchester . In the course of the proceedings , ihe Grand Superintendent , who was received with hearty applause , addressed the Companions . He said he was

exceedingly pleased to meet them again at the annual gathering . Meetings of that kind were something like the birthday gatherings to which when they were younger they were so delighted to look forward ; but as they increased in years their occupations were more varied and exacting ,

their responsibilities were greater , and if they attained higher honours , advancing years brought those infirmities which were inseparable to man in this state of existence . That was , he believed the seventeenth time he had had the honour of presiding over them and of meeting so man /

friends , to recall the blessings of the past year , take stock of their present position , and go on with encouragement , satisfaction , and hope for the future . The number of tlieir Chapters remained at what he might call the " mystic " number of thirteen . They could not call it a Masonic

numoer—it would be much more so if one could be added , and so give them a double seven . That number had- for some time appeared to meet the wants of the Province , but he was gratified to know that there was a movement—and one that was evidently of the right kind—for the formation

of a Chapter at Shoeburyness . He need hardly say that the progress of the Order was not to be guaged by mere numbers . It was by the honest work of the Chapters and the earnestness with which the principles they professed were carried out by individual Companions , and the loyalty

with which they adhered to the traditions of the Order ; also by the fidelity with which they cultivated the true Masonic spirit which led them to esteem and respect each other and themselves . He was happy to say that during the past year there had been no rift in the lute , or a discordant note , which

had givien the slightest anxiety to the Officials of the Province , nor , he trussed , also to the Principals of the Chapters , the result being that the Province presented a happy , united , and harmonious body . In guiding the destinies

of such a body he felt how great were his responsibilities , but at the same time his duties became a . pleasure and his anxieties reduced to nothing on account of the true Masonic spirit which pervaded the whole Province . lie should like

Royal Arch.

to tell them that when he went about in other parts of the kingdom , sometimes very far from where they were then assembled , it was most gratifying to him to hear the Province of Essex spoken of with the greatest respect as being a thoroughly good working Province , and one that was loyally

adhering to the best traditions of the Order . By the Report of the Board of General Purposes it would be seen that the numbers on the register showed a few more than last yeardeath had unfortunately removed some from among them , but they had been succeeded by others who would carry the

institution on , for they must bear in mind that however important an individual might appear in an institution like theirs , he only served for his day and generation , although it was equally certain that there , as in other walks of lite , ins works would follow him ,, and that individual who in the

truest sense lived up to the principles of the Order , always left behind him , when the great enemy called him to another sphere , a memory clean among his survivors . He could not conclude without mentioning a matter which had affected him very deeply . No doubt they had all seen in the

papers news that had come to the country from afar , and had revived the horrors of an atrocious crime committed in that town about seven years ago . They were met that day under the banner of the Patriotic Chapter , in which the victim of that crime was one of its most respected arid intelligent

members , and ever since that event his blood has been calling to Heaven for vengeance . It behoved them all—and especially himself in the position he occupied—to be cautious in remarking upon a matter which seemed likely to come before the tribunals of the country , but he thought it was

legitimate for them all to express the hope that , though longdeferred , retributive justice was about to assert itself , and that , as should be the case , punishment would follow , tie hoped to be pardoned for alluding to the matter , but he

felt , meeting where they did , he could not let the opportunity pass without bearing his testimony to the honour in which the memory of the late Companion Welch was held amongst them . The Grand Superintendent appointed his Officers for the ensuing year , as follow : —

COMP . C . E . Egerton Green 51 ... H . E . H . Baily 4 S 3 JThos . J . Railing 51 ( iSth year ) ... Scribe L . R . Galpin 1024 ... Scribe N . Rev . St . Clare Hill 2005 ... Registrar J . Bourne Bromley 2154 ... Principal Sojourner W . H . H . Roscoe 1437 ... 1 st Assist . Soj . Robert Cook 27 6 ... 2 nd Assist . Soj . W . J . Barnes 2501 Sword Bearer F . England 1000 ... Standard Bearer A . Lucking 1000 ( iSth year ) ... Dir . of Ceremonies G . R . Brown 2256 . •¦• Assist . Dir . of Cers . W . Hayman Cummings 2001 ; ... Organist J . H . Pavitt 453 . ' " , ¦•• Assist . Scribe E . A . W . Martin ' ... Janitor . On the motion of the Grand Superintendent , a hearty

vote of thanks was passed to the members of the Patriotic Chapter for the excellent arrangements they had made for the meeting . About fifty Companions afterwards dined together at the Cups Hotel , under the genial presidency of the Grand

Superintendent , and as His Honour had to leave earl y to catch the last train for London the postprandial proceedings were concluded under the equally genial presidency of His Worship the Mayor of Colchester Comp . C . E . Egerton-Green .

Buttonhole bouquets , the gilt of Miss Philbrick , Peering Hill House ( sister of the Grand Superintendent ) were placed oh the banquet tables , and were much appreciated by those present .