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SATURDAY , 24 TH DECEMBER 1892 .

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ROYAL ARCH .

PROV . GRAND CHAPTER OP ESSEX .

ON Saturday , 3 rd inst ., the ninth annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Chapter of the Province of Essex was held at Halstead , the Grand Superintendent Comp . Frederick A . Philbrick , Q . O ., Grand Registrar ( Recorder of Colchester ) presiding , supported by the following

Provincial Grand Officers : — Comps . Rowland Plumbe H ., Francis White J ., T . J . Railing S . E ., R . G . Kellett P . S ., Millner Jatsum Assist . Soj ., Andrew Durrant Treasurer , J . J . Cavill Registrar , A . Lucking Dir . of Cers ., and A . W . Martin Janitor .

The minutes of the last annual meeting ( held at Chingford ) having been read and confirmed , letters regretting their inabilty to attend were read from several

distinguished R ; A . Companions . The roll was next called , and the ten Chapters comprising the Province were all found to be represented . The Provincial Grand Scribe E . then read an abstract of the

annual returns , which showed the number of Companions on the register to 31 st December last to be 220 , an increase of 16 on the previous year . There was also an increase in the amount of contributions . The Auditors' report showed a balance in hand of £ 3117 s 8 d .

Comp . John J . C . Turner said before proceeding with the business of this meeting there was one matter which he thought should be at the earliest possible moment brought before Provincial Grand Chapter . Since the last annual meeting a very sad calamity had befallen the

family of their beloved Grand Superintendent , and no one had scanned the papers more than the Royal Arch Companions of Essex for news of the condition of the young lady who had been the victim of a madman ' s violence . Many members of the Provincial Grand Chapter had , as

individuals , expressed their sympathy with tho Grand Superintendent and his famil y , but he was sure all would feel that this meeting should not be allowed to pass without their placing upon record their feelings on the subject . He begged to move : —

That this Provincial Grand Chapter desires to express its sincere regret at the severe injury inflicted upon the daughter of the Grand Superintendent in August last , and earnestly hopes that by the

Blessing ot T . T . A . L . U . M . H . she may in time be completely restored . Tbe members of this Provincial Grand Chapter venture to add an expression of their deep sympathy with the Grand Superintendent in the terrible anxiety through which he has passed .

Comp . Rowland Plumbe seconded , remarking that ho fully agreed with every word of the resolution and also with what Comp . Turner had said . The Grand Superintendent , who was much affected , said he should have a heart of stone if he did not feel deenlv

the kindness that had prompted the kind terms of the resolution that had just been placed before Provincial Grand Chapter and responded to so unanimously . It was seldom that a calamity like that which had befallen his child occurred in a country like England . He was breaking

no confidence when he said that in a letter written by the Queen asking for full details , Her Majesty expressed disbelief in the first intelligence that had appeared in the public papers . The sympathy of fill classes from the highest in the land bad been universal to both familie * .

Eor himself he might say that dnring many hours of terrible suspense—when they did not know from hour to hour what they might expect—his almost only solace had

been tbe generous sympathy of his Brethren and Companions in the Craft and Arch ; whilst he also felt he had the kind thoughts of many who did not write , being anxious not to add to tho mass of correspondence which

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flowed in from all parts of the world . He thanked the Companions present for this recognition of his trouble at this first meeting since the occurrence—if anything were wanting to endear the Companions to him it had been the act they had done in passing this resolution . Ho felt sure

they would be interested to know that tho report that morniug was slightly better . One of the most distressing features of the case had been that the speech had been affected—not the articulation—but there had been a

difficulty in giving expression to the desires of the mind . From the symptoms that morning , however , they had great hope that the full faculty of speech might b « restored in a few hours .

After a brief interval the Grand Superintendent again rose , and said he was pleased to congratulate himself and the Provincial Grand Chapter upon the meeting that day . For the reasons that had prompted the resolution just passed , it had been necessary to postpone it till now , and

ho was not sorry altogether for it , beciuse it enabled hira to mention a fact that had occurred within the last few clays . At the last meeting of Provincial Grand Chapter they had nine Chapters on the roll . Two days ago one had been added , and , if what he had heard within the last

few hours was true , it was very probable that he should be asked to recommend another Charter to tho Supreme Grand Chapter . The new Chapter just consecrated wa 3 under the presidency of their excellent Companion William Shurmur , whose zeal and competence were undisputed ;

while the Chapter had been launched with an amount of energy and go which gave good promise of its proving a powerful accession to their roll . With regard to the Province generally , there was every reason to be satisfied with its progress . When the Province was

constituted there were four Chapters , with a membership of 110 Companions . The nine Chapters in existence when their returns were made up , which did not include the addition on Thursday , showed that the numbers had doubled —a 100 per cent , in nine years . The figures exhibited a

greater proportionate increase in the number of Chapters than members , which showed that the Companions were able to practice the Arch convenient to their dwellings . Their increase had been a sound one , particularly when they considered that the times were not very flourishing ,

either in busiuess or agriculture . He was glad to know that the work was being most satisfactorily carried on in the Chapters of the Province—the traditions of the Craft

were being fully maintained , and , he trusted , this happy state of things would continue . Referring to the Bye-laws that were to b 9 brought forward that day , the Grand Superintendent said the Committee had devoted much time and

consideration to them , and , having carefullyexamined them himself , they were , he considered , quite a model set . The Principals of the Chapters had had a copy sent them for quiet consideration before this meeting , and he had no doubt

they had fully digested them . He concluded by expressing his gratitude to The Most High that the Province had been spared any great losses from its ranks , and trusted that at their next meeting , which he proposed to hold at Colchester , they should all meet again in health and

strength . On the motion of Comp . Vero Taylor , seconded by Comp . A . Lucking , the Companions unanimously , for tho tenth time , re-elected Comp . Andrew Durrant P . Z . 276 as Provincial Grand Treasurer for the ensuing year .

The Officers for the year were appointed and invested by the Grand Superintendent as under : —

Comp . Millner Jnfcsum 2154 ... H . William Shnrmnr 2374 ... J . Thos . J . Railing 51 ( tenth year ) Scribe E . R . D . Poppleton 51 ... ... SoribeN . W . Gayton , M . D .. 214 ... Registrar

J . H . Salter 1024 ... ... Principal Sojourner George Graveley 2374 ... 1 st Assist . Sojourner It . Jennings 1437 ... ... 2 nd Assist . Sojourner Harris Hills 2154 .. ... Sword Bsaror

R . Haward Ives J . 51 ... Standard Bearer A . Lucking 1000 ( tenth year ) Dir . of Cers . J . Hutlev 1024 ... ... Assist . Dir of Cers . E . II . Tnrnnn 2151 ... ... Assist . Scribe E .

A . W . Martin ... ... Janitor Comp . Francis White proposed that the Bye-laws , as printed and in the hands of the members of Provincial Grand Chapter , be adopted . This was seconded by Comp . A . Lucking , and unanimously agreed to . The sum of twenty guineas was voted to tbe Royal Masonic Institution for Boys ; and on the motion of the