The Province Of East Lancashire.

THE PROVINCE OF EAST LANCASHIRE .

There are one or two circumstances in connection with the annual meeting i n May last , at Ashtbn-under-Lyne , of the Provincial Grand Lodge of East Lancashire which appear to us to be worthy of some special remark . In the first place , the Prov . Grand Secretary—Bro . J CHADWICK , P . G . S . B . — in the report he presented on the condition of Freemasonry in the Province ,

while congratulating the lodges and brethren generally on the excellence ol the work which had been done during the past 12 months and the evidences which everywhere abounded of the prosper ^ ' of the Craft under the able rule of Bro . Col . LE GENDRE N . STARKIE , considered it his duty to call particular attention to " a laxity which , in some cases , existed , in the

admission of candidates into the Order who presented themselves from other towns ,, where they had possibly not been able to secure election . " We are very far from being desirous of seeing the adoption in this country of those very stringent , and , as they necessarily appear to us , absurdly stringent regulations respecting the admission of candidates , which are in force

in many , if not all , the different Grand Lodge jurisdictions in the United Stales . Our own laws , if they are strictly observed , are sufficient to keep unworthy persons outside the pale of the Craft . It strikes us , for instance , as being supremely ridiculous that A should be required to send in his petition to be admitted a Mason to Lodge No . 20 , 010 , of which he knows

not a single member , rather than to Lodge No . 20 , 012 , several members of which are his personal friends , because his residence happens to be distant a quarter of a mile from the former and half a mile from the latter . But though , in England we should look upon such a law as absurd , we are prepared to admit that in the cases cited by Bro . CHADWICK—in which a

person who is desirous of joining our ranks sends in his petition not to the lodge or one of the lodges in the town in which he resides , but to one meeting in a place 25 or 50 miles distant—too much caution cannot be exercised in accepting such a candidate . It may be . that he adopts this course because lie has friends in the distant lodge , and is unknown to the members of the

lodge or lodges in his neighbourhood ; and all other things being satisfactory , we should deem that a valid reason . On the other hand , it might well happen that he was too well known to the brethren in his neighbourhood to be regarded by them as an acceptable candidate , and that , being aware of this , he sought admission into the Order through the agency of a far-off lodge , who

knew him only slightly or not at all , but wanted candidates in order to increase their membership . Here , as we have said , it is impossible to be too cautious , and the lodge which should accept a candidate living within easy reach of a lodge or lodges , without instituting the strictest inquiries into the

man s fitness to be made a Mason would be guilty of a very serious dereliction of duty . The Prov . Grand Secretary , in drawing attention to such a practice , and the Provincial Grand Master , in emphasising Bro . CHADWICK ' S remarks with his approval , arc to be commended for the service they have rendered to the Crs . it .

Another circumstance to which attention may particularly be drawn was ihe presentation of a service of plate , accompanied by an illuminated address , to Bro . GEORGE MELLOR , P . G . D . of England , who for many years past has held the important and very responsible post of Deputy Provincial Grand Master , on the completion of his jubilee as a member of our

Order . To have been not only an active member of our Society for so long a period of years , but also to have won so many and such high distinctions ¦ is Bro . MELLOR has done , fully merits such a recognition , nor would it be an easy task to determine which of the two has the greater reason to be proud of this recognition—Bro . MELLOR who received it or the Craft in East

Lancashire which conferred it . At all events , we cordially congratulate I'lem both on the part they have severally played in this interesting episode in the history of the Craft in East Lancashire , and we as cordially hopethat Ur ° . MELLOR may be spared for many years to enjoy the esteem and respect t 0 which his services so justly entitle him .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Hertfordshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF HERTFORDSHIRE .

J he annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Hertfordshire ¦ s held at the Crown Hotel , Broxbourne , on Friday , the 7 th inst ., under 10 banner of the Kingswood Lodge , No . 227 S , Bro . T . F . Halsey , Prov . - "id Master , presided , and among those present were :

° -George E . Lake , Deputy P . G . M . ; C . E . Keyser , P . G . D ., P . P . G . W ., as Bull 5 T - S ' Carter ' P-P-G . W ., as Prov . J . G . W . ; Rev . Spencer R . H . Pr er ' ° v . G . Chap . ; F . Sumner Knyvett , P . G . D ., Prov . G . Treas . ; C . Bullock , Mi ° [' , ' ' J ames Terr y' Sec - R-M . B . L , P . P . G . W ., Prov . G . D . C ; Geo . ckley , P . P . G . W . ; Percy W . Taylor , P . P . G . W . ; M . Taylor , P . P . G . W . ;

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Hertfordshire.

C . E . Gompertz , P . P . G . D . ; T . G . Robinson , P . P . G . W . ; E . P . Debenham , P . P . G . Reg . ; Rev . W . d'A . Crofton , P . P . G . Chap . ; H . C . Heard , P . P . G . D . ; M . Slaughter , P . P . G . W . ; W . Sworder , P . P . G . A . D . C ; S . M . Banker , P . P . G . S . B . ; W . Lowndes , W . M . 504 , P . G . Stwd . ; Rawson Kelley , P . M . 2278 , P . P . G . W . West Yorkshire ; C . M . Coxon , P . M . 2278 ; G .

Blizard Abbott , W . M . 1385 ; Duncan Field , W . M . 1757 , P . P . G . Stwd . ; Henry Lomas , W . M . 2218 ; H . T . Nell , W . M . 2278 ; E . C . Mulvey , P . M . 2353 ; J . F . Bell , Sec . 2278 ; J . Pitch , P . M . 2278 , P . P . G . S . B . ; J . L . Campling , P . M . 403 , Prov . G . D . ; W . H . Norris , P . M . 404 , Sec . 403 , P . P . G . W . ; A . S . Gilbertson , W . M . 449 ; and others , together with several visitors , among- whom was Bro . Surgeon-Major Kiddle .

Ihe minutes of last year ' s meeting having been read and confirmed and the roll of Prov . Grand Officers and lodges called over , Bro . F . Sumner Knyvett , P . G . D ., was , on the motion of Bro . T . S . CARTER , unanimously elected ( for the 15 th time ) Prov . Grand Treasurer . The following brethren were then appointed and invested as Prov . Grand Officers for the ensuing year , namely : ,

Bro . Rawson Kelley , P . M . 2278 ... ... Prov . S . G . W . „ William Lowndes , W . M . 504 ... ... Prov . J . G . W . „ Rev . Spencer R . A . Buller , 232 s , ... ... ) n „ „ , „ Rev . R . H . Pope , 504 ... ... j Prov . G . Chaps . „ F . Sumner Knyvett , P . M . 404 ... ... Prov . G . Treas . „ Henry Lomas , W . M . 2218 ... ... Prov . G . Reg . ,, Charles Bullock , P . M . 504 ... ... Prov . G . Sec . „ F . Long , P . M . 404 ... ... ... Prov . S . G . D . „ C . M . Coxon , I . P . M . 2278 ... ... Prov . J . G . D . „ A . R . Hodson , P . M . 409 ... ... Prov . G . S . of W . „ James Terry , P . M . 2372 ... ... Prov . G . D . C . „ E . C . Mulvey , P . M . 2 . 353 ... Prov . A . G . D . C . „ Duncan Field , I . P . M . 1757 ... ... Prov . G . S . B .

„ j . u . UODI ) , r - . ivi . 2278 ... ... „ G . R . Durrani , W . M . 403 ... ... j ' - G - Std - Q rs . ¦ „ W . Baggs , Org . 1327 ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . „ Alfred Prudames , P . M . 504 ... ... Prov . G . Asst . Sec . „ W . Metcalfe , VV . M . 2372 ... ... Prov . G . Purst . „ R . T . Scarr , P . M . 2136 ... ... Prov . G . Asst . Purst . „ G . S . Elliott , S . W . S 69 ... ... I „ R . Middlehurst , P . M . 1327 „ F . Fisher , I . P . M . 1984 ... ... \ „ H . T . Nell , W . M . 227 S ... M - G - Stwds .

„ J . F . Bell , P . M . 2278 ... ... ... „ John Hudson , W . M . 233 1 ... ... J „ T . Wright , 403 ... ... ... Prov . G . T yler „ A . Pavett , 504 ... ... ... Prov . Asst . G . T yler Before resuming his seat , the PROV . GRAND MASTER called the attention of the brethren to two points—firstly , he expressed a hope that the Provincial by-law which requires that all communications relating to the province

should be addressed to the Provincial Grand Master not directly , but through the official medium of the Provincial Grand Secretary , should be strictly adhered to ; and , secondly , he suggested that brethren who received appointment to provincial office should cither make a point of attending for the purpose of being invested , or , if that were rendered impossible by the more pressing emergencies of their own public or private avocations , that they should not fail to send letters of apology .

The newly-invested officers having been saluted , the PROV . GRAND TREASURER submitted a statement of accounts prepared by him . and audited by the Provincial Board of Finance , which , having been already circulated among the brethren . was taken as read . This statement showed that there was a balance in the hands of the Provincial Grand Treasurer of ; £ 8 o gs . iod ., and a sum invested in consols representing £ 247 3 s . 6 d .

On the motion of the PROV . GRAND TREASURER , this was unanimously received , adopted , and ordered to be entered on the minutes . . The following sums were voted from the funds of Provincial Grand Lodge : ( 1 ) £ 31 ios . to the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , to be placed on the lists of Bros . W . Lowndes , W . T . Grant ( 869 ) , and C . M . Coxon ( 2278 ) ; ( 2 ) £ 10 to the Kingswood Lodge , No . 2278 , towards defraying the expenses of Provincial Grand Lod ge ; and ( 3 ) / ro ios . to the Cottaee Hospital . b

It was also unanimously resolved , on the motion of the PROV . GRAND TREASURER , that the sum of £ 30 be invested in Consols as an addition to the existing Provincial Grand Lodge Fund , and on that of the PROV . GRAND SECRETARY , that the publication of the Provincial Calendar be continued . Ihe latter subsequently mentioned that he had received from Bro G Blizard Abbott a large copy of that brother's " History of Freemason ™ in

Hertfordshire for presentation to Provincial Grand Lodge , and on the motion of the PROV . GRAND SECRETARY , cordially seconded by the PROV GRAND MASTER , a hearty vote of thanks to Bro . Abbott was unanimously adopted . J Bro . CHARLES KEYSER then gave a full account of the proceedings of the Hertfordshire Masonic Charity Association , of which he is the honorary

secretary , snowing now at the Boys' School elections in October , 1802 and April 1893 , the votes of the brethren in the province , with the assistance of votes borrowed from West Yorkshire and elsewhere , and with the cordial co-operation of Bro . James Terry , had succeeded in carrying the election of one boy at the former and two at the latter ; and how , in the case of the