The Origin Of Freemasonry.

It is , of course , by no means improbable that in writing thus Bio . UPTON had in his mind the lodges of the "Ancient " Society of Masons in England , but these had no objection to a Grand Master or Grand Lodge ; their records show

that from the very outset of their organisation they were desirous of being governed b y a Grand Master , and until they succeeded in obtaining one their Committee was vested with the powers and prerogatives of a Grand Master , and issued

warrants . The " Ancients" claimed to be the true exponents of pure and ancient Masonry , and on this account and because they constituted lodges , they had the honour of being anathematised by the bod y they stigmatised as the " modern " Masons , that is

the Regular G . Lodge established in 171 7 . But as the speculative element in modern Freemasonry gained ground , the operative element lost it , and whatever legitimate lodges may have existed

prior to 1752 graduall y threw in their lot with the Grand Lodge system . We should like to hear something of the ' evidence which lias led Bro . UPTON to formulate the three conclusions we have dealt with in these later remarks .

Dorset Masonic Charity.

DORSET MASONIC CHARITY .

We gather from the 17 th annual Report of the Committee of the Dorset Masonic Charity , which was submitted for the consideration of the Provincial Grand Lodge on the 16 th tilt ., that though there is no very serious difference in the receipts during

the years 18 95 and 18 9 6 respectively , there was a substantial falling off in the matter of subscriptions during the latter . The total income from all sources in 18 95 was £ 254 17 s . loci ., of which , £ 90 4 s . 7 < 1 . was in respect of Interest and Dividends ;

£ () 2 is . 3 d ., Donations ; and £ 102 12 s ., Subscriptions . In 18 9 6 the total was ^ £ 23 8 us . 6 d ., of which £ 9 6 13 s . fid . was in respect of Interest and Dividends ; £ 55 4 s . fid . in Donations ; and £ 86 13 s . fid . in Subscriptions . Thus under the most important

head of receipt—Subscriptions—the diminution in 18 9 6 as compared with the preceding'year amounts to close upon £ 14 , which , considering that we are dealing with moderate totals only , is a very considerable sum . In order to show whence these

subscriptions are derived , the Committee have introduced into their Report a Tabular Statement , showing the amounts received Lodge by Lodge in respect ol Donations and Subscriptions during the years 18 95 and 1896 . In iSq «; the Province

contained M ^ subscribing members distributed amongst 13 lodges , and of these 351 members subscribed amongst them the sum we have alread y mentioned , namel y , £ 102 12 s . In 18 9 G , dealing only with the same 13 lodges , there were 681 subscribing

members , of whom 321 contributed amongst them £ § 3 10 s . fid ., there being , however , two subscribers of £ 2 3 s . between them , hailing from a Royal Arch chapter and Mark lodge , thus raising the total number to 323 , and the total amount subscribed by them

to , £ 86 13 s . fid . Turning to individual lodges , we find that in the case of the lodge at Blandford , with 35 members , there were 3 8 , who subscribed £ ( j ios ., the per centage of Annual Subscribers to members beine 10 S . We

do not venture to explain how it was that in 18 9 6 more members subscribed than the lodge contained . But however such a result may have been brought about , it reflects very great credit on the lodge itself . In the ease of the All Souls' Lodge at

Weymouth , ( 14 of the 79 members are returned as subscribers as compared with 60 out of the same number in 18 95 , the percentage of annual subscribers being 81 as against 7 ( 1 in 18 95 , while as regards the lodge at Beaminster , there are 22 annual

subscribers out of 26 , while in 18 95 there were 18 out of 23 , the percentage in 1896 being 85 and in 18 95 7 8 . In the case of the lodges at Lyme Regis and Bridporl , the percentage ! in the former

is ( 36 and in the latter 6 3 , while 35 out of 60 . members of the lodge at Dorchester subscribed £ H 5 s ., the percentage in this instance being 50 . The percentage in the remaining lodges is under 50 , being in one case as low as IS and in another 21 . As

the Prov . G . Master suggests in his address , which precedes the report , there should be no resting until , as far as possible , every brother on the roll of each of the lodges has been enlisted as

an annual subscriber , and when this has been accomplished and pretty well the whole of the 700 subscribing Masons in the Province have become supporters of the Provincial Charity

Dorset Masonic Charity.

then " a sufficient revenue will be secured—with theyearly interest on stock—to meet all the claims and demands for relief and educational assistance . " Moreover , the Charity is well managed , and its resources have been carefully husbanded . The expenses

of management for the year ending the 31 st December , 18 9 6 , consisting of Printing and new receipt and minute books , with the Honorary Secretary ' s expenses out of pocket , amounted to no more than £ 6 16 s ., while the invested capital is close on £ 3400 Thus donors and subscribers need have no hesitation in

supporting a Provincial Charity such' as this , which Dorsetshire has established and successfully maintained for the last 17 years . It costs little to keep going , and its invested funds are being

always and steadil y increased . We trust the wishes of the Prov . Grand Master and the Committee may be realised and that the next annual report will disclose an enlarged amount of support among our Dorsetshire brethren .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Durham.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF DURHAM .

The above annual Provincial Grand Lodge was held on the 2 Sth ult ., in the Borough Hall at Stockton . The lodge was presided over by Bro . Sir Hedworth Williamson , Bart ., Prov . G . Master , and he was supported by Bros , the Rev . Canon Tristram , Deputy Prov . Grand Master ; Lord Barnard , Victor Williamson , and many officers of rank . There was a large

attendance . Bro . J . R . Pattison occupied the chair of P . S . G . W . ; Bro . F . H . Bennett , P J . G . W . ; Bro . F . Toomer was Prov . G . D . C , and Bro . Dr . Biggam , Prov . A . G . D . C . The meeting was held under the banner of the Stockton Fraternity Lodge , of which Bro . Richard Gaunt is W . M .

Various sums were voted to Charitable objects connected with Freemasonry . The roll of the lodges in the province was then called , and the reports of the Masters showed the lodges both numerically and financially to be in a satisfactory condition .

The PROV . G . MASTER then addressed the assembly . He welcomed his Bro . Lord Barnard and Bro . Canon Tristram , who , he said , had happily recovered from a serious accident at Jerusalem . Sir Hedworth spoke of the progress of Freemasonry , especially in the Province of Durham , and the

chatitable objects which it served . He then appointed and invested the following officers for the ensuing year : Bro . J . K . Backhouse , 11 I 50 ... ... ... Prov . S . G . W . „ fohn Robinson , 111 ... ... ... Prov . J . G . W . .. Rev - Ed « ar Boddington , 2352 " '" < Prov . G . Chnpc . „ A . D . Moleyns , 12 74 ... ... ... ) r ,, W . F . Malcolm , 661 ... ... ... Prov . G . Reg . „ R . Hudson , P . G . S . B . England ... ... Prov . G . Sec . " S ^ ufi . - 0 ] Prov . SG . Ds . ,, Will Hutchinson , 141 S ... ... ... )

" frf ^ ' ? ervier ' ' } Prov . J . G . D ,. „ [ . R . Short , 424 — ••¦ ) „ D . McLaughton , 2104 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . of W . „ R . Brown , 1893 ... ... ... Prov . G . D . C . „ James Hudson , 80 ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . „ John J oel ... ... . ... Prov . A . G . Sec . „ Thomas Greeve ... ... ... Prov . G . Tjler . These were the chief officers appointed .

Subsequently Bro . the Rev . Canon TRISTRAM , in appropriate terms , presented a handsome silver service to Bro . Hudson , the Prov . G . Sec , in recognition of his services to the province . The sum of ^ 1000 has been raised by the brethren for a testimonial to Bro . Hudson , who stipulates that it shall be given to the Durham Freemasons' Benevolent Fund . At the close of the lodge the brethren dined together at the Queen ' s Hotel .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Cheshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF CHESHIRE .

-PRESENTATION TO BRO . THE EARL OF EGERTON . The annual meeting of the above Provincial Grand Lodge was held on the 29 th ultimo at the Town Hall , Sandbach , the Prov . Grand Master , Bro . Earl Egerton of Tatton , presiding . There was a very large attendance of brethren from the lodges in the province , and a number of visiting brethren from Lancashire .

Provincial Grand Lodge having been opened in due form , Bro . HENRY J ACKSON , P . M ., P . J . G . W ., presented the Prov . Grand Treasurer ' s financial statements , and the accounts were passed as satisfactory .

Bro . CLAYTON , P . A . G . D . C , presented the reports of the Committee of Benevolence , the Cheshire Masonic Benevolent Institution , and the Cheshire Educational Masonic Institution to Prov . G . Lodge , and the reports were adopted .

The Dep . Prov . G . M ., Bro . Sir HORATIO LLOYD , in the course of an address , referred to the honour which her Majesty the Queen had conferred upon their Prov . Grand Master , Bro . Lord Egerton , by creating him an earl . He remarked that when the news of the Sovereign having conferred that dignity upon their esteemed Provincial Grand Master was made known

it created a thrill of pleasure and satisfaction throughout England , and especially in the Province of Cheshire . ( Applause . ) The great public services which Bro . Lord Egerton had rendered were known to all of them , and were appreciated by them . ( Applause . ) Bro . Sir Horatio , in the name of the province , then presented his lordship with a beautifully-illumi ' nated address , the text of which was as follows ;