Provincial Grand Lodge Of Cornwall.

, „ PM . 131 , P . A . G . D . C ; C Battie Rashleigh , 75 , P . G . S . B . ; Henry Jones , P . M . JA P G Std . Br . ; John Harris , P . M . 510 , P . G . Std . Br . ; Thomas C . Mack , P . M . ' , P . G . Org . ; Thomas Gill . P . M . 9 67 , P . A . G . Sec . ; Henry Searle , P . M . 699 , P . G . p , r ' st •lohn Langdon , 131 , P . A . G . Purst . ; Thomas H . Spear , P . M . 330 ; Thomas R Mills , " P . M . 1006 ; W . B . Carne , P . M . S 93 ; Edmund Herring , P . M . 1071 ; Geo . Tassell , P . M . 1136 ; and Thomas S . Bailey , P . M . 1151 , P . G . Stewards ; and James N . Francis ' , 75 , P . G . Tyler ; and J . C . R . Crewes , Clerk to Prov . G . Sec .

Letters of apology were received from , among others , Bro . the Hon . Rev . J- T . Boscawen , P . M . 6 99 , P . P . S . G . W ., enclosing . £ 5 as promised to the Cathedral , and stating that he would give a similar donation this year . The P ROV . G . SEC . reported that there had been 119 initiations , being an increase of 12 over the previous year , 40 joining members , and 1378 subscribing members , making a total of 1537 , being an increase of 61 over

last year . During the year several questions arose on the effect of the bylaws of some of the lodges , and on examination it was found they were in several important particulars in contradiction to the revised Constitutions . These were laid before the Grand Secretary for his opinion , and subsequently , at his suggestion , circular letters were sent to the W . Masters of all lodges inviting the lodges to carefully consider their respective by-laws ,

and where necessary to make such alterations as would bring them in accordance with the revised Constitutions , and he was glad to acknowledge the readiness with which the request was acceded to . Up to the present the necessary alterations had been made in the by-laws of eleven lodges , and these had been approved by the Prov . G . Master and confirmed by the G . Master . There were still one or two lodges whose by-laws required

amendment . Some of the lodges still omitted to send in their returns at the proper time . And two or three had omitted to send in the return of the Past Masters'attendances ; and so in those lodges the Prov . G . Master was unable to know who were the most regular in their attendance , and who on that ground would be entitled to be rewarded with provincial collars . On April 13 last , £ 610 8 s . 6 d . was paid over to the Treasurer of

the Cathedral , and on ist June , £ 5 was received from Tregenna Lodge , and also paid over to the Treasurer , making a total contribution of £ 615 8 s . 6 d . Dispensations had , in accordance with the Constitutions , been granted to Mount Edgcumbe Lodge to instal their W . M . on the 9 th instead of November 2 nd last ; Phcenix Lodge to instal on the 19 th instead of the 16 th January last ; One and All Lodge to initiate a candidate aged 20 , who was leaving England to fill an appointment in the Cape

Mounted Police ; Bro . R . Bonney to hold the office of W . M . of Molesworth Lodge ; and Mount Sinai Lodge to wear Masonic clothing at the funeral of the deceased Bro . Boase . The following grants for relief had been obtained from the Board of Benevolence in London : A brother of Restormel Lodge , £ 30 ; widow of a brother of Loyal Victoria Lodge , £ 15 ; widow of a brother of Tregullow Lodge , £ 10 ; and to a brother of Eliot Lodge , £ 10 .

The Prov . G . Treasurer , Bro . W . GUY , reported that the year commenced with a balance of ^ , ' 127 us . 3 d . ; fees of honour , £ 38 " 4 s . ; fees from lodges , £ 178 14 s ., which , with several small items , brought the total up to £ 368 18 s . 3 d ., leaving a balance in hand of £ 152 16 s . 2 d . The TREASURER of the Cornwall Masonic Annuity and Benevolent Fund reported that the donations and subscriptions amounted to - £ 176 17 s .,

being ' an increase of £ 30 16 s . 6 d . over the previous year ; the balance at the commencement ol the year , £ 6 9 is . 6 d . ; voted from Grand Lodge , £ 2653 . ; interest from bonds and stock , £ 152 12 s . 5 d . ; and £ 110 from railway debenture bond , making a total receipt of £ 534 15 s . nd . Of this , sum £ 135 had been paid to annuitants and in educational grants ,

£ 216 15 ' s . 6 d . spent in the purchase of a £ 200 Cape bond , expenses of management £ 18 19 s . 6 d ., leaving a balance at the Cornish Bank of £ 16405 . nd . The capital invested amounted to £ 4348 6 s . nd ., being an increase of £ ^ 17 6 18 s . gd ., from which was derived a yearl y income of £ 182 19 s .

The SECRETARY reported that a vacancy had occurred in the male annuities by the death of Bro . John McLean , and petitions had been received from two brethren . Petitions had been received from two widows for the annuity vacant by the death of Mrs . Vicary last year . A petition had also been received for an educational grant . Since the last annual meeting the capital account had increased £ " 176 18 s . gd ., and there was an

increase of . £ 30 16 s . od . in the annual subscriptions as compared with the corresponding period of last year . From the commencement of the fund " 1 1864 to the present time the receipts had amounted to £ ' 6 748 3 s . 5 d ., out of which there had been paid to male annuitants £ ^ 1315 l is . ; female annuitants , £ 193 ios . ; grants for relief , £ 70 ; educational grants , £ ' 540 ;

expenses of management , £ 280 15 s . 6 d . ; total , £ 2399 16 s . 6 d . ; leaving a balance to the credit of the fund of £ 4348 6 s . nd . The Committee of Relief reported that having received a petition on behalf of the widow of a brother of lodge 318 , they had granted a sum of & 3 > which had been paid .

Bro . GILBERT B . PEARCE , P . M ., P . P . J . G . W ., Honorary Secretary Cornwall Masonic Charity Association , said : At the third general meeting of the subscribers , held at Truro , on February Sth , it was reported that 20 5 memberships had been subscribed for , the total amount contributed

oeing 266 guineas , of which 235 guineas were available for the ballots , the remainder being for nominations full y paid up . Thirty-three life subsenbershi ps of the value of five guineas were drawri . Compared with Previous years this amount was sixty guineas less , but this was not owing to any falling off in the members of the Association , but to the fact that in

' °° y a large number of brethren were induced to complete their payments oy paying at once the remainder due from them . The number of new ubsenbers this year was thirty-one , and this important feature was mainl y ue to two lodges only , Redruth and Bodmin , to whom must be given the RQit of adding between them a score of new members . Yet with this <; , ^ reas . ? . of thil"ty-one new members they had just exactly the same number Slihc * U" ' J " * - *— j- —* . w » u , ^ i . * jr "iu oanic nuiiiuci

sub ' v ? year aS " ' a corres P onding' number having ceased to cont " * havin S' most ' y completed their payments , and a few failed to and I ? ' Qi the 2 ° membershi P > ! 77 were individual , and 28 lodges the , j P ters < ° f the thirt Y lodges in the province , twenty subscribed from rem ° •fu " ' and one had subscribed since the last ballot . Of the aining nine , seven were reoresented bv individuals . THP Thari-inc

InstSt , i - Were ' Glrls > 20 5 guineas ; Boys , 45 ; and Masonic Benevolent Benev I ° " ' * The addllional votes gained were : Girls , 25 ; Boys , 8 ; 2 for t £ D' total life votes ' ; and 9 Perpetual votes for Girls , and ciatio Benevolent Fund . The total amount obtained through the Asso-£ 288 j * as follows * First year , £ 23443 . ; second , £ 379 is . j third , Partir .,, 1 , , f tal > £ 9 - Bro . Pearce desired to bring the claims more ^ ars h , q y ethebrethrenat Prov * G * Lod S - Three ofthe five Sa tisfarti 8 ° if * they could refer t 0 the resuIt with some P ride and cuon ; but in two years more all the members that began with them

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Cornwall.

would have ended their payments , and a fresh start would have to be made . No doubt a large number of those would begin again , and they would consider that the continual payment of a guinea or two was no great tax on them for so worthy and needy a cause , but new members were wanted always to be joining every year .

Bro . BAKE , P . P . S . G . W ., then rose to move , in accordance with notice of motion , " That ( 1 ) in future funds be formed in the county from the subscriptions now generally transmitted to the larger Charities in London , and to be used for similar purposes ; ( 2 ) that a Committee be formed for carrying out these Charities , and to make regulations and laws for their government , and also to make any arrangements in connection therewith , and that when such

laws , regulations , and arrangements have been submitted to the Prov . G . Master and met his approval and signature , they are then immediately to take effect ; ( 3 ) that the Committee consist of Bros . Anderton , Hughan , P . G . D ., and Pearce , and such others as the Prov . G . Master may select . " Having explained that he was prevented by illness from attending the last Prov . G . Lodge , Bro . Bake went on to state that in 1887 the county had only two

boys and one girl in the great Masonic Institutions , the election of whom cost 615 votes . Three hundred of these votes cost on an average £ 5 each , and the other 315 cost £ 3 each , amounting in the aggregate to £ ' 2245 . If that money had been kept in the county and invested at 4 per cent , it would have produced £ 96 17 s . per annum , out of which £ " 30 per year could have

been allowed to the parent of each of the three children educated in the Masonic Schools . The children would then be educated according to their present station in life , instead of being taken to London , educated above their station , and becoming dissatisfied on their return with the position in which they found themselves . Bro . Bake then moved the second and third sections of this resolution .

The PROV . G . MASTER suggested that the Committee should take the question into consideration , and report to Grand Lodge before any action was taken . Bro . Major Ross was of opinion that the question was of such importance that it should be considered by the various lodges before anything definite was settled .

Bro . ANDERTON denied that the children in the great Masonic Chanties were educated above their station . He moved as an amendment— "That a Committee be formed to consider and report at the next meeting of the Prov . G . Lodge the best means of employing the funds collected in the province for charitable objects . "

Bro . GILBERT PEARCE seconded . If this province adopted the principle advocated by Bro . Bake , and other provinces followed suit , what would become of the great Masonic Charities ? There being no objection , the amendment was agreed to , Bros . Bake and Chirgwin being added to the Committee . Later in the day it was suggested that Bro . Truscott should also be placed on the Committee .

Bro . BAKE objected , and said he should withdraw if the proposal was carried . Bro . TRUSCOTT withdrew his name . The brethren then walked in procession to church , headed by the band of the Volunteers . A special service was gone through , and Bro . the Rev . W . REED ERSKINE , P . G . C , preached a powerful sermon . On their return , Prov . Grand Lodge was re-opened , and

Bro . C . TRUSCOTT presented the following report for two years —In October , 1886 , we secured the election into the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys the son of a brother of Fowey Lodge , 977 . At the following elections of April and May , 1887 , the votes of the province were used to repay loans contracted to secure the election of the foregoing candidates . In October , 1887 , in accordance with the decision of the Committee of Relief ,

we polled for the daughter of a deceased brother of Phcenix Lodge , 331 , and secured her election into the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls . The polling at this election ran high , and this necessitated our borrowing more heavily than usual , but I am happy to state that after repaying loans with our votes of April and May last , we are again free . We owe 400 girls and 500 boys' votes , total 900 ; and are owed 80 boys , 242 old Masons , and 744

widows votes , total 1066 . The present voting power possessed by the province I estimate to be about 300 girls , 350 boys , 450 widows , and 350 old men . This province is at present receiving from the Central Charities annuities to four old men and five widows , amounting to £ 320 , and we have two boys in the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , and two girls in the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , altogether a grant from about £ 480 to

£ 500 per year . The Relief Committee at its last meeting adopted four candidates as deserving cases , and to be polled for certain as our votes may allow . I purpose naming the first case in October . I regret to have to complain of many cases of unnecessary delay in forwarding the voting papers to me , and I shall feel extremely obliged if the brethren will for the future sign and send them to me promptly after receiving them . I would suggest that every lodge appoint a brother as Charity Steward to attend to

the collection of all papers in his lodge and send them to me . Some lodges do this , and it greatly facilitates my work . As Steward representing this province this year , I beg to report that I collected for the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution £ 43 is ., for the Institution tor Girls £ 130 4 s ., and for Boys £ 76 13 s . —a total of £ " 249 17 s . Bro . Truscott further reported that the province had got ten candidates in seven years on the funds of the great Masonic Charities , from which they derived a great amount of benefit , and which deserved all the support they could give them .

The PROV . G . SECRETARY reported that a brother of Restormel Lodge , No . 856 , had been elected an annuitant on the Cornwall Masonic Annuity and Benevolent Fund with 444 votes , a brother of Lodge Fortitude , No . 131 , having only 275 votes . The widow of a brother of Lodge Love and Honour , No . 75 , got on the Fund with 383 , votes against 244 recorded for the widow of a brother of Lodge Three Grand Principles , No . 967 . The son of a deceased brother of Lodge One and All , No . 330 , with 644 votes ,

is entitled to an educational grant of £ 15 for three years . In making the last announcement , Bro . Chirgwin said he wished the brethren generally , and especially those who acted as guardians to children on the Fund , to understand that the grants were for the education of the children elected , and not'for the general purposes of the family . It was the duty of the brethren to see that the money was properly expended .

The PROV . GRAND MASTER thought it was important that it should be known that the grants given were for the education of the children to whom awarded , and not for the benefit of the ifamily generally . He therefore moved that it be an instruction to the Special Committee appointed to inquire if the educational grants are properly expended . Bro . BAKE seconded the motion , which was agreed to .