West Vorkshire.

to the West Yorkshire Fund , £ 500 had been invested in Leeds 3 ^ per cent . Corporation stock , and he hoped soon to have another similar sum to invest . Bro . Childs , the Vice-Chairman , seconded the motion , which was carried .

On the motion of Bro . W . H . Wilson , seconded by Bro . J . Marshall , Bro . R . Potter , Harmony Lodge , No . 275 , Halifax , was elected Treasurer for the ensuing year . The Deputy Provincial Grand Master proceeded to invest the Officers for the year , as follow :

Bro . J . L . Walker 290 ... ... Senior Warden H . Chalker 154 ... ... ... Junior Warden Rev . E . M . Young 302 ... ... Chaplain Rev . H . Doig 337 ... ... Ditto R . Potter 275 ... ... ... Treasurer

J . Tweedale 827 ... ... Registrar Major H . G . E . Green 109 ... Secretary A . W . Chapman 289 ... ... Senior Deacon H . Kershaw 2330 ... ... Ditto R . Wilkinson 8 37 ... ... Ditto

J . Barraclough 304 ... ... Junior Deacon E . Holmes 1779 ... ... Ditto G . Williams 139 ... ... Ditto W . Towers 306 ... ... Supt . of Works W . Watson 61 ... ... Librarian

T . Twivy 1018 ... ... Dir . of Ceremonies E . Foulds 010 ... ... Dep . Dir . of Cers . A . W . Fretwell 242 ... ... Assist . Dir . of Cers . C . E . Byegrave 2091 ... ... Ditto W . Harrison 26 5 ... ... Ditto

J . Haley 103 4 ... ... Sword Bearer B . Child 258 ... ... ... Standard Bearer W . E . Turner 1108 ... ... Ditto E . R . Dickenson 308 ... ... Organist G . H . Schofield 1542 ... ... Assistant Secretary

R . Loynd 401 ... ... ... Pursuivant E . Heaton 387 ... ... ... Assistant Pursuivant J . T . Goodall 1301 ... ... Steward A . Alderson 1302 ... ... Ditto W . Senior 1513 ... ... ... Ditto A . Leach 495 ... ... ... Ditto

W . Davey 1001 ... ... ... Ditto G . Stones 1462 ... ... ... Ditto T . Leighton 139 ... ... Tyler T . Chester 914 ... ... ... Assist . Tyler . A vote of thanks was accorded to the members of the St . John Lodge for the arrangements made , and the proceedings terminated .

Herefordshire.

HEREFORDSHIRE .

THE yearly Provincial Grand Lodge was held under the banner of Royal Edward Lodge , No . 892 , at Leominster , on the 23 rd inst . Bro . Lord Glanusk Provincial Grand Master was announced to attend , but late in the morning a telegram was received , regretting his inability , through ill-healtH , to be present .

The business part of the gathering was held at the Town Hall , Leominster , the large room having been appropriately decorated for the occasion . The Worshipful Master of Royal Edward Lodge , Bro . J . B . Dowding , opened a Craft Lodge , and at 2 . 15 the

Deputy Provincial Grand Master and Provincial Officers , headed by the Standard Bearer Bro . J . A . Daggs entered the Lodge , and the gavel was handed by Bro . J . B . Dowding to the Deputy Provincial Grand Master Bro . H . C . Beddoe , who took the chair of King Solomon , and opened Provincial Grand Lodge .

The minutes of the last Lodge were read and confirmed , and the muster roll of Lodges was called . The Provincial Grand Treasurer ' s accounts , duly audited , wer © presented , and a motion made that the same be received and adopted . Bro . Hewett P . M . was elected Provincial Grand Treasurer for the ensuing year , and Bro . R . W . Stafford Provincial Grand Secretary .

Reports were received from the Lodges in the Province , in conformity with Bye-law 19 ; also from the Herefordshire Masonic Association , and from the Committee of the Herefordshire Masonic Local Charity Association . It was decided to hold the next annual Provincial Grand Lodge at Ross .

The banquet was subsequently held at the Royal Oak Hotel , and was presided over by the Deputy .

* XXXXXXXXXXX * -X- ) Ht *» The idea of an Islington Borough Council Lodge of Freemasons has fructified , and a meeting has been arranged to take place at the " Old Cock " at Highbury , to which all Masonic Councillors are bidden by Bro . Councillor G . A . Grant , to arrange the preliminaries , nominate the first Worshipful Master , the first Wardens , and sign the Petition for

Herefordshire.

a Charter . I understand there are sufficient of the Brotherhood in the Council to constitute the Lodge , and that once it is set going there will be plenty of initiates . The Asylum Board members have founded a similar Lodge , and by the Masonic kindness of my arch-enemy , Bro . Alderman Elliott ,

I am bidden to witness its consecration by the G . Secretary on Monday , at the Cafe Royal in Regent Street . See how these Masons love one another ! The School Board has a

Lodge , the County Council has a Lodge , and all that remains now is for the aldermen to found one at St . John ' s Road and admit the ladies . vVouldn ' t they jump at it- — " The Merrie Villager , " in " Islington Gazette . "

"A Sprig Of Acacia."

"A SPRIG OF ACACIA . "

A GREAT loss has befallen the Quatuor Coronati Lodge , No . 2076 , which in its " Correspondence Circle" has the largest and most cosmopolitan membership of any Lodge in the world , the worthy Brother who has so efficiently

discharged the duties of Secretary Bro . George William Speth P . A . G . D . C . havinp- suddenly died on Friday of last weeK . The actual membership of the Lodge is limited to forty , and includes most of the distinguished literary Masons of the day , but membership of the outside " circle " is unlimited ;

and at the present time exceeds some three thousand , including ( jrand Lodges , Private Lodges , and individual members in all parts of the world , so that some idea may be formed of the amount of work which devolves on the Secretary . B , ro . Speth had won respect tnroughout

Freemasonry by the way in which he had discharged those duties , and it is but a mere figure of speech to say it will be difficult to replace him . We suppose some Brother may be found in the Lodge ready and willing to' undertake the duties , but it

will be no light matter to find such a Brother , and he indeed will have a difficult task to adequately follow in the footsteps of the worthy Mason whose death will be deplored in all parts of the world where Freemasonry has shed its light .

THE death of Bro . Christopher Gibson , of Leicester Terrace , Northampton , took place on Saturday , 13 th inst . Bro . Gibson , who was in his eighty-second year , was well known in the town . More than sixty years ago he was an assistant master at the Bluecoat bchool , Northampton , and

more than forty years ago he succeeded Mr . Westmorland as the local representative of Messrs . Salt and Co ., brewers , of Burton-on-Trent . Pie represented Messrs . Salt for more than thirty years in Northampton and district , until he was superannuated by the firm about eight or nine years ago .

Bro . Gibson had been a Freemason since 1861 , being a member of the Pomfret Lodge . His father , who will be well remembered by the older generations of Northamptonians , was one of the most prominent Freemasons in the Province , and a handsome silver cup was presented to him by the local Brethren .

THE death took place on Wednesday , 10 th inst , after a long illness , of Bro . William Forth , of Cheltenham , who was well known and held in very high estimation as a Mason . He was appointed to Office in Provincial Grand Lodge nearly thirty years ago , in 1890 lie was promoted to one of

the Wardenships of the Province , and at the time of his death he was the senior subscribing P . M . of the Royal Union Lodge . He was also a P . / .. in the Unanimity Chapter , and in the Mark degree held ( 1885-S ) the rank of Deputy Grand

Master in the Province of Gloucestershire . The funeral took place at the New Cemetery , and was attended , in addition to relatives , by several of his Masonic Brethren , representing the Lodges to which he had belonged .

THE remains of Bro . Councillor H . J . Gregory were interred in the family vault at Tenby Cemetery , on Monday , 22 nd inst ., in the presence of a large gathering . The

members of the Tenby Lodge , No . 11 yy , of which deceased was P . M ., attended , and their Chaplain , Rev . D . Bowen , assisted the rector of Tenby , Rev . Geo . Huntingdon , M . A ., in the funeral rites .

THE funeral of Bro . Joseph Beardshaw , of Osgathorpe , Sheffield , I . P . M . of tire Royal Brunswick Lodge , No . 296 , took place on Tuesday afternoon , at Burngreave Cemetery . Bro . Beardshaw died on Saturday , after a long and painful illness , and the news of his decease was received with great regret .

THE death occurred on Sunday evening , at Beverley , of ^ ol . Smith Deputy Prov . G . M . of the Mark Masons of North and East Yorkshire ,