Increase Of Provincial Honours.

INCREASE OF PROVINCIAL HONOURS .

HP HE announcement made by the Earl of Lathom Pro ¦ *¦ - Grand Master , to the effect that some suggested alterations in the disposal of Provincial honours should have his attention , will be . hailed with delight by

Brethren in the larger Provinces of England , where , as is often pointed out , the possibilities of conferring distinction on Craftsmen who have earned preferment are very small , by reason of the regulations of the Craft limiting the

number of annual appointments . It must be apparent to the most casual observer that the different Provinces are very unfairly circumstanced

one with another in this respect , and a readjustment of the question would seem to be nothing but fair . It is true the larger Provinces have the privilege of appointing additional Deacons and other Officers above those allowed in small ones , but that concession by no means places them on equality with their neighbours .

Service At St. Paul's.

SERVICE AT ST . PAUL'S .

HIS Royal Highness the Prince of Wales M . W . Grand Master has given permission for a great Masonic service in St . Paul's Cathedral on Thursday , 2 nd December , to celebrate the two hundredth anniversary of the completion of that building . The occasion will be one of peculiar interest to the Craft , because , according to popular tradition ,

Sir Christopher Wren was Master of the Lodge of Antiquity , the oldest Masonic body in England , which used to meet at an hostelry in the churchyard during the building of the cathedral . It is suggested also that many , if not all , of the workmen were members of the Order , because a

contemporary of that time asserts that " no ribald oaths or bad language were heard" while the stately edifice was reared . Invitations are to be sent to Lodges in and near London , and representatives from the Provinces will also be welcomed . The Bishop of London has promised to preach

the sermon , and the Grand Master , although unable through a previous engagement to be present himself , will be properly represented . The number of Brethren likely to attend being very large , no tickets will be issued to the general public .

Leicestershire And Rutland.

LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND .

A PROVINCIAL Grand Lodge will be held at the National Schools , Narborough , on Thursday next , 28 th inst ., under the auspices of the Granite Lodge , No . 2028 , for the transaction of the ordinary business ; when and where all Past and Present Provincial Grand Officers , together with the Worshipful Masters , Past Masters , and

acting Wardens of the several Lodges of the Province are summoned to attend , and all Master Masons are invited to be present . The Provincial Grand Lodge will be opened at 3 . 15 p . m . precisely , and will be followed by a banquet at the Narborough Arms , at five o ' clock . Tickets for dinner

and dessert 6 s each . Among other items of business is the presentation , on behalf of the Province , of Grand Lodge Clothing to Bro Rev . C . Henton Wood , M . A ., P . G . C . P . P . S . G . W . P . P . G . Secretary , & c , & c .

West Lancashire.

WEST LANCASHIRE .

THE following Officers were appointed on the occasion of the annual meeting of this Provincial Grand Lodge , reported in our last issue : Bro . J . E . Dunn 314 ... - Senior Warden G . E . Marsden 680 ... Junior Warden Bev . F . 0 . Master 155 - - - \ p ., . „ . Bev . J . W . Willink 897 - - - C -- * l * Pl- » I 1- "!

J . E . Williams 613 ... Begistrar J . Thompson 343 - Deputy Begistrar 0 . Watson 613 ... - Treasurer H . Bound 1609 - - - - - j W . Smith 1814 - - - jr Senior Deacons H . F . Burrows 786 - - - - J Elias Fletcher .... 1

J . Murray 1021 - - - - \ Junior Deacons A . Moss 1735 - ) John Scott 2294 - Superintendent of Works E . Broadbent 2109 - Director of Ceremonies W . 0 . Briggs 292 - « - - - Deputy Dir . af Cers . George Jackson \

James White 249 - - - \ Assistant Dirs . of Cers . W . Bamberl 398 ¦ - . - - - > John Clayton 1570 - - - - Sword Bearer k B . Christophei 178 - Deputy Sword Bearer Jonathan Parry 1547 - - - ) Standard Bearers 594 «««» " «»¦ - - =

»¦—W . H . Veevers - - - - / = B . H . Pearson 148 - Organist J . B . Pilkington - ' - - - Assistant Secretary S . Haden Jones 1299 - - - Pursuivant G . G . Coope 1086 - - - - Assistant Pursuivant W . Bagot - - - - - \

A . Edwards - - - - - f ftEfinai : : : : hawards J . H . Marsh - - - - J . Naylor - - - - / W . H . Bali Tyler .

Warwickshire

WARWICKSHIRE

ON Thursday afternoon , 14 th inst ., a beautiful pulpit , presented by the Freemasons of Warwickshire to St . Mary's Church , Warwick , was unveiled by the Earl of Warwick , in the presence of a large body of Freemasons and the general public . Provincial Grand Lodge was opened at . the County Hall , and on its adjournment a procession

was formed , in the order usually observed at meetings of Provincial Grand Lodge . Amongst those present were : Lord Leigh Provincial Grand Master of Warwickshire , the Earl of Warwick Provincial Grand Master of Essex , the Earl of Jersey Provincial Grand Master of Oxfordshire , and many others distinguished in the Craft .

The Earl of Dartmouth was prevented by illness from attending , and Viscount Valentia , M . P ., who had also intended being present , had to go abroad , and could not fulfil the engagement . The Provincial Grand Master , speaking from the

chancel steps , asked the Vicar of St . Mary ' s to accept the pulpit as a gift from Warwickshire Freemasons . It was thought that Lord Warwick , whose family had been connected with the church for centuries , and who had taken a prominent part in its restoration , would be the proper person to unveil the pulpit .

The Earl of Warwick Grand Master of Essex and Mayor of Warwick then unveiled the pulpit , which the Rev . A . C . Irvine , M . A ., vicar , accepted on behalf of the

parishioners of St . Mary ' s . A short evening service was then proceeded with , and a sermon was preached by the Provincial Grand Chaplain Rev . Thomas Downing , M . A ., of Coventry .

The pulpit , which is from the designs of Mr . Chatwin , the architect of the church , was supplied by Mr . Robert Bridgeman , of Lichfield , who has executed the whole of the