Grand Mark Lodge.

connection at present existing must be a great gratification to all English Masons . Bro , Colonel BURNEY also responded , remarking that he could speak very feelingly and touchingly as to the bond of union existing in the Craft . He had been initiated in Madras , and was connected with Masonry in Scotland . He had lately come from the latter country , and had been

greatly interested in the subject of Masons' marks , some curious copies of which had been shown him there , amongst others , several from the ruins of Pompeii most curiously corresponding with other emblems well known in Speculative Masonry as at present existing . He would not anticipate the fuller description which his friend Bro . Russell Forbes would shortly submit to the public ; but he merely mentioned the fact as another instance of the universality of Masonry .

Bro . Baron DE FERRIERES next gave the toast of "The Mark Benevolent Fund , " calling special attention to the object and need of such a fund . For some years it had modestly relieved distress , and helped the education of children—now the Mark Benevolent Fund had been established , and from the small commencement of a few hundreds they were in hopes of seeing it run to thousands .

Bro . C . H . DRIVER , in responding , said Bro . De Ferrieres had reminded them of the success of the last year's Festival , but he would remind them that their motto must be " Excelsior , " and with the accession of the Prince of Wales this year as Grand Master , he looked forward to a marked increase in the amount of the coming Festival .

Bro . BINCKES , G . Secretary , proposed " The Health of the Visitors , " a toast , he said , which was never absent from the list , and he hoped ' it never would be . Their motto was—in addition to loyalty and charity—hospitality . The M . W . G . M . had made touching allusion to the Sovereign . In that assembly the fair rose of England was well represented , and the thistle and shamrock had their representatives in the persons of the Grand Master and Sir Francis Burdett , who was the representative of the Grand Lodge of

Ireland . On the right and left of the Grand Master were two distinguished Masons—Bro . Lord Saltoun and Bro . Duncan Dalrymple—with whose names he would couple the toast . Lord SALTOUN , in reply , thanked the Grand Secretary for his very kind remarks . This was the first banquet connected with Mark Masonry he had ever attended , and it had imbued him with the strong desire to do his utmost to bring together the two great bodies of English and Scotch Masons .

Bro . DUNCAN DALRYMPLE , said he had much pleasure in being present . He had for many years taken great interest in Mark Masonry . He deplored the present unsatisfactory state of Mark Masonry in Scotland . Its anomalous position caused it to be looked on only as a preliminary step , and under these circumstances the Mark Degree in Scotland had not taken that position to which it was entitled . They

hoped that recent steps taken would remedy this , and do credit to the Mark Degree . The result of the Prince of Wales taking the position of Grand Master would be the cementing still further of that union between the two Grand Lodges , which had been so happily begun . Other toasts were proposed , and the meeting separated at an early hour . The music was under the direction of Bro . E . J . Hoare , Grand Organist , who was assisted by Bros . E . Moss , Wilford Price , and E . Bryant .

Provincial Grand Mark Lodge Of Leicestershire. Northamptonshire, And Derbyshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND MARK LODGE OF LEICESTERSHIRE . NORTHAMPTONSHIRE , AND DERBYSHIRE .

A Provincial Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons was held at the Freemasons' Hall , Leicester , on Thursday , the 27 th ult ., under the presidency of Bro . William Kelly , F . S . A ., F . R . Hist . S ., R . W . P . G . M . M . M ., supported by Bros . S . S . Partridge , P . P . G . M ., P . G . D . Eng . ; Percy Wallace , P . G . S . W ., G . D . Eng . ; H . Brown , P . G . J . VV . ; S . Cleaver , P . G . Treas . ; Clement E . Stretton . P . G . Sec . ;

W . L . Ball , P . G . M . O . ; R . Taylor , P . G . S . O . ; Rev . C . T . Bromwich , as P . G . Chap . ; J . O . Manton , P . G . I , of W . ; J . D . Harris , P . G . D . of C ; ] . ] . Hart , P . G . Asst . D . of C . ; J . R . Cain , P . G . S . B . ; VV . H . Barrow , Mus . Bac , P . G . Org . ; J . Harrison , as P . G . J . D . ; VV . J . Curtis , P . G . Stwd . ; T . Dunn , P . G . Tyler ; J . Tanser . ' P . G . Tyler ; T . Worthington , P . P . G . S . W . ; W . Silver Hall ; Rev . S . Watkin Wigg , P . P . G .

Chap . ; S . A . Marris , P . P . G . R . ; ] . Young , P . P . G . S . W . ; G . Toller , P . P . G . S . W ., P . G . D . Eng . ; Rev . R . C Faithfull , R . Michie , VV . Bream . C . Webster , F . J . Baines , G . Odell , S . Knight , T . Coltman , Miles J . Walker , G . Swd . Br . Eng . ; Rev . C . Henton Wood , P . P . G . Chap . ; J . R . Shearsmith , J . G . Murdin , VV . T . Dagwell , G . Newsome , J . R . Rigby , J . Chadwick , P . G . Sec . Lane . ; J . H . Marshall , F . Griffith , J . Fisher , Edgar Home , T . Emery , and others .

The Provincial Grand Lodge was held under the banner of the Fowke Lodge , No . 19 , and was received in due form . The roll of officers and lodges was called and duly responded to . The minutes of the last Provincial Grand Lodge meeting , held at Derby on the nth May , 1 S 86 , were read confirmed , and signed . The report of the Committee of General Purposes was read , confirmed , and signed ; it showed the lodges in the province to be in a satisfactory condition .

The report of the Provincial Grand Registrar showed a gain in numbers . The Prov . Grand Treasurer then presented an abstract of his accounts for the past year , which showed a good balance in hand . The accounts were approved and adopted , and the best thanks of Prov . Grand Lodge given to the Prov . Grand Treasurer , Bro . Cleaver , for his services . Bro . Cleaver was re-elected Prov . Grand Treasurer . The R . W . P . G . M . M . M . then delivered the following address :

Brethren of the Mark Provincial Grand Lodge : The whirligig of time in its rapid gyrations has again brought us to the usual period of our annual assembly and with it the 28 th anniversary of my rule over the Mark Degree in Leicestershire . Before proceeding to notice the events which have taken place in our own province , 1 cannot refrain from mentioning that at the meeting of the Mark Grand

Lodge of England , on Tuesday next , at which I hope to be present , H . R . H . the Prince of VVales is to be elected Grand Master of the Degree , which cannot fail , flourishing as it is at present , very greatly to enhance its prestige and still more rapid progress and popularity . But to come to home matters—Since our last annual meeting at Derby the Degree has been

steadily progressing with us , the chief event being the founding of a fourth Mark lodge in Derbyshire , the Dove Valley Lodge , at Ashbourne , consecrated very shortly after we last met . In Northants the most noteworthy event has been the recent advancement in the Simon de St . Liz Lodge , No . 245 , of the W . Bro . Butler Wilkins , Past Grand Std . Br . of England , the highly esteemed Deputy , and in reality the acting Prov . G .

Provincial Grand Mark Lodge Of Leicestershire. Northamptonshire, And Derbyshire.

Master of the Craft in the Province of Norths and Hunts . Many of the older members of the Craft in different towns of that province have hitherto stood aloof from Mark Masonry , but doubtless the accession to its ranks of so popular and distinguished a P . G- Officer as Bro . Butler Wilkins will have great effect in making the Mark Degree more popular in that Craft province . With respect to Leicestershire , the only noticeable event to

record has been the Howe Lodge , No . 21 , which , since the year 1868 , has met at Melton Mowbray , having members resident in those towns , has been authorised by the Grand Lodge to hold its meetings also at Market Harborough and Oakham , each in turn . By this arrangement the county of Rutland has been brought into the Mark , as it has been under the Provincial Grand Lodge of the Craft . This leads me to remark that the seal , which

has long been in the Provincial Grand Mark Lodge of Leicestershire , as it still is , is quite inappropriate heraldically , and is quite unworthy of the present province , having on it the arms of the Masons' Company of London , in use before the Union of 1813 ^ and having only " Leicestershire" upon it . It was formerly an old silver seal of St . John's Lodge , No . 279 , Leicester , which , after being lost for many years , and the present seal substituted for

it , was altered to suit its present purpose . I have been in communication with the Grand Mark Lodge Secretary on the subject of a proper seal , and it has been suggested'that , as the county of Rutland has been just brought into this province , we should adopt the arms of Leicestershire , Northants , Derbyshire , and Rutland , in a keystone quarterly , surrounded by the names of the four counties . This would be a very appropriate design , and if the

assembled brethren agree in this view , I shall be very happy to superintend its being carried into effect . Turning to the abstract of the Treasurer ' s accounts , it will be seen that , beginning the year with a balance in hand of £ 43 os . id ., after paying the ordinary expenses , and , in addition , a grant of ; £ io 10 s . to the Mark Benevolent Fund , and £ 4 4 s . for the very handsome State sword , used to-day officially for the first time , we end the year ,

according to the account as audited , with a balance of ^ 48 6 s . iod . ; but which has since been increased to £ 50 8 s . iod . by the receipt of fees in arrear . The Registrar's report shows an increase during the year ending December 31 st , 18 S 5 , of 25 members . Hitherto the work embodied in what is nominally termed the P . G . Registrar ' s report has really been done by the P . G . Secretary , the P . G . Registrar having merely signed his name to the

certificates of appointments . Bro . Stretton , who , during the years which have elapsed since the death of our lamented Bro . McAllister , has so efficiently discharged the duties of these two offices , now , by the pressure of professional engagements , feels compelled to retire , much to the loss of the province , and he has suggested that for the future each of these officers should perform the duties of his own office . I have accordingly arranged

that for the future the Provincial Grand Registrar shall register , receive the returns of the lodge , and do all the work of his office , and thus relieve the Provincial Grand Secretary for the future , whose duties of late years have , of course , greatly increased . The thanks of the province are justly due to Bro . Stretton for his valuable services . The only way which I can mark my high appreciation of them is by appointing him

to the office of P . G . S . W . for the ensuing year . With regard to the highest office in my gift , that of Deputy Provincial Grand Master , held for the past three years by Bro . the Rev . Dr . Sanders , as representing Northamptonshire , I have now a few observations to make . In the county of Derby , as remarked in my address of last year , the Mark Degree has spread so rapidly that it already has four lodges ( as many as the old province itself ) with the

probability of a fifth lodge being founded very shortly at Ilkeston . With every desire on my part to do my duty as the ruler of the province by visiting as many of the lodges as possible , I now find that , from my advanced age and somewhat impaired health , it is beyond my power to do so much in this way as I formerly did , and could wish to do still . I therefore feel it due to the Derbyshire brethren , so long as they may honour me by remaining under my rule as a constituent part of this province , that they should have an efficient and respected Past Master of their own as the Deputy Prov .

Grand Master , to take a general supervision of and to pay those visits to their lodges which I should be pleased and feel bound to do if I were able . The Past Master whom I have selected for this honourable and important office is our W . Bro . Thomas Cox , P . P . G . J . W ., P . M . of No . 302 , and who , 1 believe , was the first brother advanced to the Mark Degree in Derbyshire . I will now request that the two P . G . Deacons conduct our Bro . Cox to the front of the pedestal , and the P . G . Secretary to read his patent of appointment .

W . Bro . Cox was then conducted to the East , and his patent of appointment having been read , he was duly obligated , installed , and saluted as D . P . G . M . M . M .

I he officers for the year were then appointed and invested by the R . W . P . G . M . as follows : Bro . Clement E . Stretton ... ... ... Prov . G . S . W . „ W . L . Ball ... ... ... ... Prov . G . J . W . „ J . J . Hart ... ... ... ... Prov . G . M . O . „ J . O Manton ... ... ... ... Prov . G . S . O .

„ W . J . Freer ... ... ... ... Prov . G . J . O . ,, Rev . C . T . Bromwich , M . A . ... ... Prov . G . Chap . „ Rev . R . C . Faithfull , M . A . ... ... Prov . G . Chap . ,, S . Cleaver ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Treas . „ S . A . Marris ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Reg . „ Miles J . Walker ... ... ... Prov . G . Sec .

,, J . R . Cain ... ... ... ... Prov . G . S . D . „ J . Howell ... ... ... ... Prov . G . J . D . „ G . H . Percival ... ... ... Prov . G . I . of W . „ J . D . Harris ,.. ... ... ... Prov . G . D . C . „ J . R . Rigby ... ... ... ... Prov . G . A . D . C .

,, R . Symington ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Swd . Br . ,, Edgar Home ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Std . Br . ,, W . L . Dodd ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . ,, W . Bream ... ... ... .., ") „ T . Emery ... ...

„ j . 11 . Harrison ... ... ¦•¦\ „ J . Fisher ... ... ... .., ) „ J . Tanser ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Tyler . „ W . Stone ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Tyler . It was then proposed , and carried b y acclamation , that R . W . Bro . VV . Kelly be re-elected Prov . Grand Master for the ensuing three years .

A Committee having been formed to revive the bye-laws , and the sum of £ 5 5 s . voted to the Mark Benevolent Fund , the Prov . Grand Lodge was closed . The brethren then dined together under ] the presidency of the R . W . P . G . M . M . M .