Essex.

About 140 Brethren subsequently dined together in the National Schools , under the presidency of the Provincial Grand Master . — " Essex Standard . " A pleasing feature of the day ' s proceedings was the presentation to the new Provincial Grand Treasurer Brother N .

Fortescue of full dress and undress Provincial clothing , by Bro . Bromhead I . P . M ., on behalf of the members of the Ixion Lodge , No . 2501 . Bro . Fortescue expressed sincere thanks for the gift , and gratification at the kindness displayed by the members of the Lodge .

North And East Yorkshire.

NORTH AND EAST YORKSHIRE ,

ON Wednesday , 24 th inst ., the Marquis of Zetland held his Provincial Lodge at the Public Rooms , Selby , under the banner of and at the invitation of St . Germain ' s Lodge , No . 566 , representatives from almost every Lodge in the Province being present .

The Lodge having been opened in due form , the Provincial Grand Secretary Bro . M . C . Peck ( Humber Lodge , 57 ) reported that the Benevolence Board , which had sat edTrlier in the afternoon , had made six grants , varying from £ 10 to £ 20 , to deserving cases .

The Provincial Grand Officers for the year were appointed as follow :

Bro . Major J . A . Barstow ... Senior Warden Geo . H . Anderton .... Junior Warden Rev . C . E . L . Wright , M . A . - - ) n , , . Rev . F . J . Griffiths , M . A . - - - j ( jha P lalns

Dr . A . E . Kessen - Registrar M . C . Peck ----- Secretary G . E . Stephenson - - - - ! c •-r . Wm . A . Bruce - - - - Semor Deacons

J . W . Tindall - - - . 1 . T . F . W . Wardill .... } Junior Deacons G . W . Hudson .... Superintendent of Works Dr . Hy . Foster - Director of Ceremonies Sydney Smith .... Deputy Dir . of Cers . J . G . Wallace .... Assist . Dir . of Cers .

W . Storey - ... . . Sword Bearer W . T . Newcomb - - - - ) 0 . , , ~ J . E . Lupton - - - - j stan * 3 ard Bea ^ rs T . B . Redfearn - Assistant Secretary Peter Gaskell - Organist C . Greensides .... Pursuivant

H . Watson ----- Assistant Pursuivant F . J . Lambert .... Tyler . On the motion of the Provincial Grand Treasurer , a donation of 100 guineas was made from the fund of Benevolence of the Province to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution .

Communications having been taken from the several Lodges , which were mostly of a very satisfactory character , a procession was formed , and the Brethren accompanied the Prov . Grand Master to the Abbey Church , in full Craft clothing , where a short service was held .

The prayers were intoned by the vicar of Selby ( Bro . the Rev . A . G . Tweedie , M . A . ) , assisted by the Rev . W . P . Schaffter ( vicar of St . James ' , Selby ) , the lessons being read by the Prov . Grand Chaplain Bro . Rev . C . E . L . Wright , M . A . ( York ) . The anthem was specially written for the festival by the Organist of

Selby Abbey ( Bro . F . W . Sykes , Mus . Bac , P . M . 566 P . P . G . O . ) , and was taken from 1 st Peter , iii , 8 , " Be ye all of one mind , " •te ., of which the choir , under the conductorship of Brother H . Egglesluuv P . M . Sec . 566 , gave an excellent rendering . The sermon was preached by Bro . the Rev . H . C . Coryndon

Baker , D . D ., P . P . G . Chaplain , who founded an eloquent discourse on 1 st Kings , vi , 7 . The offertory is to be divided between the Educational Fund of the Province and the Benevolent Fund of the St . Germaiu Lodge . At the conclusion of the service the procession returned to the Lodge Room , where the Provincial Grand Master delivered his annual address .

The noble Marquis said that in January last he , as Prov . Grand Master , had the honour of laying the copestone of the Seamen ' s Institute at Middlesbrough , when , notwithstanding the inclement weather , the ceremony passed off with great eclat . On the 29 th March last occurred the lamented death of the Right Worshipful Bro . Thomas Wm . Tew P . Prov . Grand Master of West Yorkshire , to which sad event he had alluded more

particularl y at the Provincial Grand Chapter last May . The fourth festival of the Educational Fund of the Province was held at Yo k on the 23 rd May , when about £ 540 was realised . There were now twenty-five children receiving the benefit of that useful uind , at a cost of £ 188 per annum . It was most encouraging to observe that although they were active in promoting that local

hind the claims which the central Masonic charities had upon them were duly regarded , and their vote that day showed that the Brethren were desirous of repaying in some degree the benefits which the Province was receiving from those Institutions from which they received so much . It was trusted that the Lod ges would make a determined effort to support the Royal Masonic Benevoleut Institution as the particular charity which had

North And East Yorkshire.

been selected for that year ' s adoption . In conclusion his lordship expressed the thanks of himself and of the Provincial Grand Lodge to the Worshipful Master and members of St . Germain ' s Lodge for their kindness and hospitality and for the excellent

arrangements for their convenience , to the Rev . P . Prov . Grand Chaplain fo . r his admirable discourse , to P . Prov . Graud Organist for his beautiful and appropriate anthem , and the Rev . the Vicar of Selby for granting the use of the Abbey Church for the

. A banquet was subsequently held at the Londesborough Hotel , at which the Provincial Grand Master presided , and was attended by upwards of sixty Provincial Officers and Brethren . — " Yorkshire Herald . "

Consecration.

CONSECRATION .

— : o : — STOKE NEWINGTON LODGE ,

nnHIS new London Lodge was consecrated on Monday , at 1 the Assembly Rooms , Defoe Road , Stoke Newington , among the Officers who assisted being the Rev . R . J . Simpson P . G . Chaplain , who delivered the following Oration : We read in the Volume of the Sacred Law that when the

men of Israel and Judah were appealed to by God through His prophet Micah , they replied by enquiring what sacrifices they should make in order to please the Lord , whether costly burnt offerings or thousands of rams , or thousands of rivers of oil , or

their children ' s lives offered on the altar ? The answer received through the prophet was " What doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly , to love mercy , and to walk humbly with thy God . "

We Masons know there is no source from which " the principles of Masonry " can be so clearly learnt as from " the Sacred Law , " and perhaps there is no single sentence of that volume which conveys more tersely or comprehensively than this

the great principles which should distinguish our venerable Order —summing up as they do the moral law embodied in the ten commandments , " to do justly " and " to love mercy " embracing the second table , while " to walk humbly with our God " represents the first .

" To do justly . " How often does the inculcation of justice occur in the course of our beautiful Eitual ? and , Brethren , is it not rightly so , for this is one of the holy bonds which help to

bind , not only Mason to Mason , but man to man , nation to nation—it enters into the relations of family life , into the transactions of commerce , into the foundations of national safety and international Brotherhood .

For instance , it is said to be the strongest tie that links the Empire of India to her conquerors , while the pure administration of justice at home is said to be the best security for peace and order in our own United Kingdom . It can therefore be no wonder if this truly Masonic virtue , which brings such blessings

on a vast scale , contributes very sensibly to promote respect and confidence amongst individual men , and not least amongst Masons and Masonic Lodges . To give to everyone , whether superiors , equals , or inferiors , their due , to do to our Brother Masons in all things what is equal and right , not to oppress nor defraud any ,

not to hurt them by word or deed , not to injure them in their persons , their property , or their good name , these are features in a true Mason ' s life which far surpass a score of brilliant traits , extensive knowledge or showy professions . " The path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more into the perfect day . "

But if " to do justly" constitutes a firm bond amongst us , how much more " to love mercy , " or , in our own phrase , to practice charity ? You , my Brothers , have no need I should remind you of our three glorious Masonic Charities , by which the aged , the widow ,

and the fatherless are bountifully aided—Chanties which in their munificent support hold the highest rank in the records of philanthropy—but let me remind you and myself that our charity as meu and Masons must cover a wider field than gifts of money .

How happy would it be if this divine virtue in its most comprehensive sense , bringing down the life of heaven upon earth , was always the guiding star in our Lodges and in the world—a man may have little money , and yet much charity . Gold is not God , but God is love .

It is said that half the sins of a man ' s life are those of the tongue—if this be at all near the truth , it is clear that " words that may . do hurt" are serious breaches of the Sacred Law and stumbling blocks on the road to the Grand Lodge above . To

judge fairly of the words , acts or motives of our Brothers is indeed a difficult and a dangerous task . On what slight grounds an evil report is started ! how swiftly it spreads ! how much it gains as it goes ! But it is not only the thief that mercilessly steals his neighbour ' s character that is guilty , but the receiver