Provincial Visitations.

PROVINCIAL VISITATIONS .

IT is quite cheering to hear a Provincial Grand * ., Master express his determination to make himself personally acquainted with the Lodges and Brethren under his rule , but unfortunatel y such good expressions

are usually confined to newl y installed Masters , and equally as regularl y forgotten after they have made one or two of the promised visits , very much to the regret

of the Lodges , whose members looked forward to being so honoured , and , we believe , to the material disadvantage of the Craft of the Provinces as a whole .

In another part of this issue we record a visit made by the Earl of Lathom , recently installed as chief of the important Province of West Lancashire , to one of the Liverpool Lodges , when his Lordshi p is

reported to have expressed the hope that in the course of time he would be able to visit all the Craft Lodges in the Province , so as to become acquainted with the Brethren of the Division .

Our esteemed Brother has set himself a heavy task , ruling , as he does , over the English Province having the largest number of Lodges , but he is young , enthusiastic , and hi ghly respected by those over whom

he presides , so that there is apparently no reason why he should not carry out his desire . By so doing he would win additional regard from his Brother Masons , would advance the welfare of the Craft in his Division ,

and -would set an example which mi ght lead other Provincial rulers to do an equally good work in their respective districts . When will Lord Lathom ' s ardour cool ? , or will he create a record in this direction ?

Jubilee At Winchester.

JUBILEE AT WINCHESTER .

A MASONIC Jubilee , in connection with the old Lodge , No . 76—Economy—of this city , was most heartily honoured on Thursday , 28 th , by a dinner and presentation to the Provincial Grand Master of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight , Bro . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., who has this year

completed his fifty years' membership of the Lodge , which holds an Athol Warrant , and has long since celebrated its Centenary . A very large gathering of the Brethren of No . 76 , as well as of invited guests , took place , a case of full-sized

working tools in ebony being presented to Bro . Beach to mark the jubilee of his membership . That Bro . Beach may be spared for many years of usefulness to the Craft is the hearty wish of every Brother in the Province , and indeed in all centres of Masonry .

Invitation To America.

INVITATION TO AMERICA .

A TELEGRAM from New York announces that the Grand Master of Virginia has addressed an invitation to the Prince and Princess of Wales to attend the 300 th anniversary ot the foundation of the Lodge . From another source we learn it is the 600 th anniversary that is to be celebratedbut

, whatever the event we are afraid our trans-Atlantic Brethren will be doomed to disappointment in their desire , it being most unlikely that our Grand Master and the Princess could nnd time for the visit .

Durham.

DURHAM .

npHE annual meeting of this Provincial Grand Lodge was X held on Tuesday afternoon , 26 th inst ., at the Town Hall , Gateshead , under the banners of the Gateshead Lodges , Nos . 4 8 , 424 , 2674 . The Provincial Grand Master Sir Hedworth Williamson , Bart , presided .

The Rev . Canon Tristram , D . D ., read the report of the Fund Committee , which recommended two grants to a Brother and to a Widow of a deceased Brother amounting to £ 25 ; also that the sum of £ 105 be voted to the Durham Masonic Education Fund ; £ 73 10 s to the Royal Masonic

Benevolent Institution ; £ 73 10 s to the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys ; and £ 73 xos to the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls . The Rev . Canon Tristram D . P . G . M . moved the adoption of the report . Bro . John Smith P . P . G . S . B . ( Seaham ) seconded , and it was adopted .

Bro . R . Stewart Prov . G . Treasurer ( Gateshead ) presented the annual balance sheet , which was approved , on the motion of Bro . Babington Boulton P . P . G . W ., seconded by Bro . R .

Whitfield P . P . G . D . C . The report of the Charities Committee was presented by Bro . C . S . Lane P . P . G . S . W ., showing that the result of the Masonic Festival at Durham had been £ 2 , 314 4 s 2 d , which had enabled the Committee to make the Durham Hudson Benevolent Fund investment £ 3 , , and the Durham

Masonic Education Fund investment £ 3 , 093 . Twenty children were educated and maintained at a cost of £ 186 16 s 2 d per annum . Bro . C . S . Lane moved , and Bro . C . D . Hill Drury P . P . S . G . W . seconded this report , which was adopted .

Bro . W . J . Anderson P . M 2019 proposed , and Bro . H . J . Turnbull P . P . G . W . seconded , the election of Bro . J . H . Pollard P . M . 2019 as Treasurer for the ensuing year , which was carried with applause . Bro . William Addison W . M . Crook Lodge and Bro . T . Y . Tuck P . M . Wear Valley Lodge were appointed as Auditors .

The Provincial Grand Master then appointed and invested the following as the Provincial Grand Officers for the ensuing year : —

Bro . Rev . Canon Tristram , D . D . - - Deputy George Hare Philipson , M . D ., 2352 - Senior Warden William Gray 1334 ... Junior Warden Rev . John George Ryles 2415 - - I 0 haDlainB Rev . Edward Sykes 764 - - - }^ P lams James H . Pollard 2019 ... Treasurer

John Readhead 240 - Registrar R . Hudson ----- Secretary Harry Brown 124 - - - i c . .-. Thomas Robinson 97 - - - j Semor Deacons Tin nm n . s "Rln . f . t 1039 - - - ) _ . _

Henry Coulton 1418- - - - f J ™« or Deacons Hugh Jackson 48 - - - - Superintendent of Works Charles T . Johnson ... - Director of Ceremonies Wm . J . Heppell 424 - - - - Deputy Dir . of Cers . Lancelot Robson 7 G 4 - - - Assistant Dir . of Cers . John Nicholls 1389 - Sword Bearer

Thomas O . Todd 94 - - - - ~ , , , „ J . W . Brodie 80 - - - - f standard Bearers John J . Moore 1274 - - - Organist John Joel ----- Assistant Secretary

David Anderson 1643 - - - 1 „ David George Smith 661 - - - } Pursuivants George Harrison 1389 - - - \ James A . Birkbock 2104 - - - I Alfred P . Stainton 2418 - - - I „ , Samuel Brown 2674- ' - - - f Stewards

Joseph Ellis 940 - - - W . J . Davidson 424 - - - - / Thomas Grieve - T yler . The Provincial Grand Master , addressing the large assembly , said that none of them could have heard the roll of Lodges called without feeling that it was exceedingly satisfactory . He expressed his thanks to the Lodges under whose banners they had met that day , and also to the Mayor