United Grand Lodge Of England.

ruling was clearl y laid down by Bro . Mclntyre in 1874 , following a long successior of precedents ; it was referred to in the record of proceedings of Grand Lodge 0 ] that day . I remember , as appears by the paper he ( Bro . Philbrick ) said something to the same effect—to the effect that he concurred in that ruling . Here the brothei who vvas about to retire from the lodge , wrote on the 29 th June , 188 9 , to the Secretary : " Dear Sir and Brother , from what has lately transpired in the lodge I have

no other alternative than to tender my resignation of membership , which I trusl will be accepted with regret by the end of this month . " That was communicated to the Lodge 832 at their next regular meeting . Of course the brother was not present ; he resigned on the 31 st of January , two days before the date of the letter . That was entered on the minutes ; so that the brothei de facto ceased to be a member of the lodge . Afterwards some of the

brethren desired that he mi g ht reconsider his determination . Of course it was too late as far as membership of the lodge was concerned , and then they passed a resolution that he should come back to the lodge , that he should not cease to be a member , and that he should withdraw his resignation . The resolution had not been communicated and it was not a matter for the lodge to express its feelings upon—they expressed a wish that he should withdraw it , and

he refused to do so . Under those circumstances it was quite clear that there had been a resignation on the part of this brother ; he had communicated it to the lodge , and that , ipso facto , made the resignation , whether the lodge accepted it or not , and the lodge had nothing to do with it . Under those circumstances , the ruling that there was no withdrawal , he thought ' , proceeded on an entire misconception of the case . Therefore , as the facts

stood , the resignation , he thought , did take effect , and that the action of the District Grand Master could not be supported , and that this Grand Lodge must hold that he was wrong . He , therefore , begged to move that the appeal be allowed , and the decision of the District Grand Master be reversed , and that Grand Lodge declare that the resignation of Bro . Dawson communicated to the lodge virtually caused his resignation of the lodge .

Bro . THOMAS FENN seconded the motion . In faqt , Grand Lodge after its former decision could not come to any other conclusion than that indicated so clearl y by the speech of the Grand Registrar . Bro . J . S . CUMBERLAND said , taking it from the ruling of the Grand Registrar , once a brother sent in his resignation it was final . Although between the sending in of the resignation and the meeting of his Iodge an opportunity , in fact , might

occur for doing so , he had no power to withdraw it ; that the resignation was final , and the lodge could not take upon that resignation any step whatever . If the brother wished to remain a member of the lodge he must be re-proposed and balloted for . According to the ruling of the Grand Registrar , vvhen once a brother sends in his resignation , whatever may occur—he might wish to withdraw

his resignation from some circumstances that mi ght arise—he might say , " I was misled ; I am sorry for what I have done , and I wish to withdraw my resignation , " he ( Bro . Cumberland ) wished it to be understood b y the brethren of Grand Lodge that that was impossible , and that the brother vvas not a member of the Iodge any longer .

Bro . the Rev . Dr . SMYTH , P . G . C , said he remembered a case that occurred to himself some years ago with regard to a lodge in the East . When he and some others thought some proceedings in the lodge were very undesirable , several members , with himself , tendered their resigration in open Iodge . Afterwards they vvere asked to withdraw it ; but the W . M . said , as Bro . Philbrick said , it was illegal to do so . But they were proposed again , and the joining fee vvas remitted ; they vvere balloted for and vvere re-admitted .

Bro . PHILBRICK said he had been appealed to to make a statement of Masonic lawbesides that which was required by the case in hand . At the same time , having listened to the remarks of the brother who had first spoken , he thought in hiscase the ri ght and true course was pursued , viz .. that the brethren who had resigned in open lodge had to submit to their names being balloted for again , the fees of the lodge were remitted , and they resumed the status of members among

their brethren . It was always bad to quote oneself as an authority , because one was apt to estimate himself at what he thought he was worth ; but for what it was worth the case , as the brother had told it , was correct . From the moment a member in the lodge said " I resign "—that he said in open lodge—his membership was ended , and a line was struck . That was the dividing line . Of course a brother might repent of retiring ; he might write a letter ; but if he communicated it to the lodge , of course it was beyond his own control ; vvhen he had communicated

it to the lodge , then the line was drawn , and he could not become a member of the lodge again , except under such circumstances as had been alluded to b y Bro . Smyth . That was , he thought , a very intelligible and clear rule to be laid down ; it avoided difficulties ; but it vvas exactl y in accordance with what everyone vvould understand vvhen he said if he as a commercial man wrote and said " You have the offer of certain matters , " and the person to whom he wrote wrote back and said , " I accept the offer , " that was a bargain . If the person said " I disclaim it , " and wrote to disclaim of his own motion , why then he had effectively disclaimed it .

Bro . J AMES LEWIS THOMAS , with diffidence , begged to differ from what had fallen from Grand Registrar . He agreed with him that where the resignation vvas accepted the withdrawal from membership should stand . But the brother should have the power and liberty to withdraw his resignation until the meeting of the lodge . It seemed to him a common sense view of the case . ( Laughter . ) Until a resignation was accepted , he did not think it was final . The motion of the Grand Registrar vvas then put , and carried , and Grand Lodge was closed .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of East Lancashire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF EAST LANCASHIRE .

' The half-yearly meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of East Lancashire was held on the 29 th ult ., in the Assembly Room of the Free Trade Hall , Manchester . Bro . Col . Le Gendre N . Starkie , P . G . M ., occupied the principal chair , supported by Bro . Edmund Ashworth , P . G . D ., P . Prov . S . G . W ., acting as Dep Prov . G . M . ; J . H . Sillitoe , P . G . Std . Br ., P . Prov . J . G . W . ; and a numerous retinue of Prov . Grand Officers , Present and Past . Bros . J . O . S . Thursby and N . A . Earle were in their respective positions as Prov . Senior and Junior Grand Wardens , and the other Present Officers in attendance were

Bros , the Rev . E . Bigoe Bagot , 62 , P . G . Chap . ; the Rev . E . T . Wigg , 2279 , P . G . Chap . ; W . S . Boddington , 1253 , P . G . Reg . ; John Chadwick , 44 , P " . G . Sec . ; Hamlet Lees , 186 S , P . S . G . D . ; Edwin Hardman , 274 , P . S . G . D . ; VV . T . Schofield , 121 9 , P . J . G . D . ; Thomas Woodcock , 191 , P . G . Dir . of Cers . ; Chas . E . Collingwood , 298 , P . Dep . G . Dir . of Cers . ; Samuel B . Priestley , 219 , P . Asst . G . Dir . of Cers . ; Charles Brierley , 42 , P . G . S . B . ; Henry Taylor , 2 S 6 , P . G . Std . Br .: J . Whitfield

ihompson , J 534 , P . G . Std . Br . ; Walter O . Pettitt , 1055 , P . G . Org . ; James Newton , 37 , P . Prov . G . D ., P . Asst . G . Sec ; Joseph Bridgford , 1077 , P . G . Purst . ; William Cartwright , 633 , P . Asst . G . Purst . ; Kenneth Maclean , 1030 ; Ed . Geo . Lingard , 1030 ; James Cookson , 1030 , ] . H . Edmondson , 274 , James Taylor , 274 , and Ashworth Law , 274 , P . G . Stwds . ; and ' Thomas Higson , 34 S , P . G . Tyler .

Of the 100 lodges in the province , representatives vvere present from 98 . The P . G . M . presented to the Provincial Grand Lodge a set of golden vessels of consecration . He said he wished the brethren to accept them as a gift commemorative of the fact that theirs was the only province in which the 100 th lodge had been consecrated . At that 100 th consecration ei ght officers of Grand Lodge were present , and five of them took part in the ceremony . He trusted that the

Provincial Grand Lodge Of East Lancashire.

vessels might long be of service , and that lodges would continue to increase in the same proportion that they had increased during the period of his happy reiu-n over that influential province . Bro . J . HEELIS , P . P . S . G . W ., proposed a hearty vote of thanks to the P . G . M . for his o-ift .

Bro . J . O . S . THURSBY , P . S . G . W ., in seconding the motion , said the handsome present was but another proof of the interest Bro . Starkie had always shown in Masonry , and an addition to his many acts for the benefit of the Order . The motion was put by Bro . EDMUND ASHWORTH , and carried with enthusiasm . Bro . Major J . W . Allison , Past Prov . Grand Treasurer , vvas re-elected to the oflice of Treasurer until May next , to fill the vacancy caused by the recent death of Bro . J . W . Edwards , who was invested with that rank at the last annual meeting .

At a later stage of the proceedings the PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTER said he vvas sure the brethren deeply regretted the loss they had sustained by the death of Bro . Edwards . He proposed that a letter of condolence be sent to Mrs . Edwards expressing deep sympathy with her in her still greater loss , and also recording their admiration of Bro . Edwards ' s worthiness as a Mason , and their recoo-nition of his valuable services to the Charities and to the Provincial Grand Lodo-e . The motion was carried .

Bros . J . Studd and W . R . Sowter vvere re-elected Auditors , and Bro . Middleton vvas elected to act with them . THE PROVINCIAL GRAND SECRETARY read a report of the Charit y Committee , and it was adopted , and the new by-laws drawn up that Committee vvere approved of .

After the Prov . Grand Lodge had been closed , a Court of Governors of the East Lancashire Systematic Masonic Educational and Benevolent Institution vvas held the Provincial Grand Master presiding . Bro . CHADWICK , Secretary , read a report . It said that last year he had to regret a considerable falling oil in the support accorded b y lodges and individuals to the Institution , the result , no doubt , of the large amount sent b y the province

to the Centenary Festival of the Girls' School . This year a very different state of things existed , mainl y brought about by the letter issued by the Prov . G . Master to the lodges in the province , drawing their attention to the resolution passed at the last meeting of Governors : "That it is desirable to give to our local Institution during the next year our first consideration and principal support , ' and also by the energy of the Treasurer and the Chairman of Committees . The receipts

were—from lodges , last year , £ 114 3 s ., this year £ 520 18 s . ud . ; from individuals , last year . £ 153 14 s ., this year £ 409 8 s . ; totals from all sources , last year £ 576 14 s . yd ., this year £ 1208 us . In each instance the figures were made up from January to November , and since the account for the present year vvas drawn up a further sum of ^ 150 had been received . The expenditure to the ist November , 1888 , was £ 616 13 s . yd— £ 400 in Consols and in

^ 1 19 12 s . 1 id . the bank , while the expenditure to the ist November , 188 9 , vvas . £ 471 5 s . 6 d ., £ 8 new investments , and ^ 103 8 6 s . 6 d . in the bank . While the Institution thus made valuable progress , he could not too strongly urge upon the individual members of the province its claims for their support . Its usefulness was capable of continued extension , while the help it vvas bestowing by the

education given to the children of many of their late brethren was , they believed , incalculable . They had during the year upon the books for education 21 boys and 14 girls , and it was a pleasing feature that since the establishment of the educational part of the Institution they had had income sufficient to educate all the children brought before the Education Board that vvere eli gible without having to resort to an election .

On the motion of Bro . SILLITOE , seconded by Bro . NICHOLL , the report vvas adopted , and the meeting closed with an expression of thanks from the chair to the brethren for their exertions during the year .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Wiltshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF WILTSHIRE .

In the absence abroad of Bro . Lord Methuen , the Prov . Grand Master , who has , we believe , gone to the Cape to see his son , Bro . Col . the Hon Paul Methuen , C . B ., the annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Wiltshire vvas presided over by Bro . Sir Gabriel Goldney , Bart ., P . G . Warden Eng ., the Deputy Prov . Grand Master , and was held at Trowbridge , on the 27 th ult ., under the banner of Lodge of Concord , No . 632 , of which Bro . J . Pocock is the W . M . The presence of the members of Lodges 1271 and 2227 was specially invited , and they attended in considerable numbers . There were

present—Bros . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., P . G . M . Hants and Isle of Wight ; C . W . Cope-Proctor , P . G . Sec . Bristol ; j . Pocock , W . M ., W . R . Brown , S . W . / F . Selfe , J . VV ., VV . J . Mann , Treas ., and T . S . Hill , Sec , all of Lodge of Concord ; H . Chapman , Asst . Sec ; H . Mundy , J . D . ; J . Lansdown , A . Cox , I . G . j G . L . Palmer , P . M .: F . Kelland , P . M . j F . B . Norris , P . M . j A . Parry , P . M . ; A . E . Heathcote , F . M . Garlick , J . Chapman , VV . Walker , H . Millington , P . P . G . Organist ; J . Campbell VVheeler , P . S . G . W . ; VV . N . Campbell Wheeler , P . G . ( haplain ; H . Bevir ,

P . G . Sec . ; VV . H . Reed , P . S . G . D . ; J . H . Foley , 632 ; H . Kemble , P . J . G . D . ; E . Bartlett , P . G . P . ; A . F . Brereton , W . M . 1271 ; J . J . Trask , S . W . 2227 ; H . VV Pinniger , J . W . 2227 ; VV . J . Mann , 632 , P . P . G . D . ; J . Parker , 147 1 , P . G . R . ; H . H . Willis , A . J . G . Stancomb , G . S . Pickard , R . H . Gowing , J . Huntley , VV . H . Buckpitt , H . Reeves , J . A . Lloyd , P . G . C . England ; A . VV . L . Martin , P . M . 1355 , P . A . G . D . C . ; P . Harris , P . P . S . G . W ., Prov . G . Sec . Bristol ; H . Tombs , P . G . D . England , P . P . S . G . W . ; A . H . Lapham , P . M . 626 , P . G . Std . Br . j and many others .

Those present included representatives from all parts of Wilts and other counties . The brethren assembled in the Council Chamber of the Town Hall at about 2 . 30 ., and considerable attention had been devoted to make the building attractive , and in every way worthy of the character of the gathering , by displays of

plants and flowers in pots at many a coign of vantage . Even the handsome room , devoted for the first time to the purpose of a Freemason's lodge , was made still more pleasing by the addition of ferns and flowers . The brethren of the province attended in considerable numbers , and the efforts of members of the receiving lodge to give a fitting welcome to their brethren from a distance vvas hi ghly creditable .

Bro . F . H . Goldney , P . G . D . Eng ., P . P . S . G . W ., acted as Deputy Prov . Grand Master , and the Wardens' chairs were filled b y Bros . J . Campbell Maclean , as P . S . G . W ., and W . T . Mann , P . P . J . G . W ., as P . J . G W . There were several visitors , amongst them being Bros . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., P . G . W . England , P . G . M . Hants and Isle of Wi ght ; Sir R . N . Howard , P . G . D ' . England ; Pierrepont Harris , P . G . Sec . Bristol ; and C . VV . Cope Proctor , P . G . Stwd . Bristol .

After the Board of General Purposes and Charity Committee had met , audited the P . G . Treasurer ' s accounts , and disposed of business details , the Prov . Grand Lodge was opened . The roll of lodges in the province was then called , and responded to b y representatives in every case , and the minutes of the Prov . Grand Lodge held in Swindon in 1888 confirmed .

The P . G . Treasurer ' s accounts were then presented , and also the P . G . Registrar ' s report , which showed the total numerical strength of the eleven lodges to be 517 , as against 496 last year . The amount disbursed in Charity was nearly the same as last year , being ^ 173 os . yd . The Provincial Benevolent Fund