Provincial Grand Lodge Of Cheshire.

Okell I . G . 42 ^ ; John Mayers , P . M . 1576 ; C . Barrie Taylor , P . M . 1077 and ^ 23 ; ' Alfred Taylor , P . M . 287 ; P . Chadwick , W . M . 1145 ; Wm . Darby , P . M . 1276 ; George Austin , J . W . 2375 ; John Craft , W . M . 1576 '; George Foulkes , SD . 1276 ; J . H . Holland , 1276 ; D . A . Francis , S . D . 1276 ; A . J . Thompson , WM . 2433 ; George F . Willis , P . M . 42 S ; J . Brooke , 42 S ; W . W . Lea , Sec . , -8 Q C . B . Cattrall , 12 S 9 ; Alfred G . Edwards , 12 S 9 ; AUred Frith , 267 ; J .

W . Wrigley , W . M . 268 S ; R . Parry , P . M . 1276 ; W . E . Thorp--, 1289 ; Wm . Yates , 2375 ; W . Peers , 28 7 ; Henry Woodhead , W . M . 140 S ; Robert Stanley , S . W . 1408 ; J . W . Mortice , W . M . 2667 ; Arthur Charles Gronno , S . W . 1166 ; Edwin Hamlett , J . W . 979 and 2799 ; T . Ernest Leigh , J . W . 2799 ; J . Lightfoot , l . D . 2799 ; Prince Lewis , Treas . 2799 " J * M - Dean , 2799 ; John Holford , 2799 ; I . C . Armitage , P . M . ; Charles Higginbotham , P . M . 1957 ; Robert Brennan , S . W- 979 ^ 2799 * James Hitchen , W . M . 979 and 2799 ; George Bro * id , W . M . coo * J . H . Bebbington , W . M . 941 ; Daniel Guymer , P . M . 633 ; Hy . Newton ,

; P . M . and Sec . 323 ; James Chatterton , 1957 ; Wm . Reid , 1166 ; John B . Piatt , J 057 ; Thomas Hulme , I . P . M . 1957 ; Walter Hudson , Stwd . 2 S 7 ; Moses Jackson , 1957 ; J . T . Leigh , 1957 ; Andrew Shaw , J . W . 320 ; J . M . Blackett , I . W . 295 ; Joseph Walker , Sec . 320 ; David Hudson , W . M . 320 ; Samuel John Benford , 1126 ; W . F . John Timbrel ! , I . G . 2690 ; John Clarke , Tyler 2 S 7 ; and J . R . Fletcher , Tyler 104 .

The Provincial Grand Lodge having been opened by the Prov . Grand Master , Bro . Earl Egerton of Tatton , the roll of Prov . Grand Officers and the roll of the lodges were called over . Every Iodge in the province was represented , the Stockport lodges in particularly pleasing strength . Letters of apology were read from various brethren unable to take part , after which

The D EPUTY PROV . G . M . moved the confirmation of the-minutes of the previous Provincial Grand Lodge held at Chester last year and the subsequent special meetings . This was carried .

Bro . Col . DEAN , P . P . S . G . W ., moved— " That the Prov . G . Treasurer ' s financial statement be adopted . " This was also carried . Bro . Col . DEAN moved , Bro . H . J ACKSON , seconded , and it was resolved — " That the annual reports of Committees be adopted . "

The report of the Committee of Benevolence included the following : — " The Committee beg to state that the funds of the province are in a satisfactory condition , and show an improvement over last year . The amount standing to the credit of the fund is £ 161 3 s . ri . } d ., of which ^ 40 2 s . 6 . } d is credited to general purposes , and . £ 121 is . $ d . to the fund of benevolence .

Petitions for relief have been considered by your Committee during the past year , and sums amounting to „ £ 6 o have been granted from the Prov . Fund of Benevolence , and in addition to this ^ 210 has been received from the R . M . B . I ., London , and applied for the benefit of Aged Freemasons in Cheshire . "

The Cheshire Masonic Benevolent Institution states : " The Committee

of Management desire to thank the brethren of the province for their continued support . The amount of subscriptions to this Institution during the year is , £ 130 os . Od ., and the special appeal for an extra donation of £ 2 2 s . from each lodge has resulted in ^ , 81 18 s ., and the Treasurer reports that he has not received any return from 15 lodges to the appeal , but the Committee hope there will be no delay in such lodges forwarding their donations , as the necessity for their support is urgent in the interest of necessitous brethren and widows . "

The 37 th Annual Report of the Committee of Management of the Cheshire Educational Masonic Institution states : " The cost of educating and clothing the 47 children now on the books of the Institution during the past year was £ 424 17 s . id ., which is an increase on the amount expended last year . The income from investments is only ^* i 6 S , and therefore your Committee have to look for the subscriptions and donations from the brethren to meet the difference . Out of the 54 lodges in the province only 34 have

sent in any contributions to our funds , and your Committee regret to observe that several of the non-subscribing lodges are drawing considerable sums for the maintenance of children . Your Committee would , therefore , wish to impress upon such lodges that it is their duty to support the Institution , which is rendering them such assistance in clothing and education . " The DEP . PROV . G . MASTER proposed a vote of thanks to the Prov . G . Treasurer and the Auditors for their services , eulogising the work which all had rendered to the cause of Freemasonry .

This was seconded by Bro . the Rev . J . GRANT BIRD , P . P . G . C , and carried unanimously . Bro . PEERS returned thanks , and expressed his gratification with the appreciation shown by the Prov . G . Lodge . The PROV . G . MASTER moved " That the sa lary of the Prov . G . Secretary be increased by £ 25 per annum , " and in doing so the noble Earl said the small proposal of increase very inadequately represented his

feelings and theirs as to the value of the services that Bro . Newhouse rendered to Freemasonry . He was always constant in his attendance at lhe lodges , and ready to render aid to whatever branch of the Craft he was invited . His lordship then referred to the increase of lodges in the province during the term of Bro . Newhouse ' s Secretaryship , and he had no doubt the lodge would unanimously agree to this very little recognition of the work he did .

Bro . Col . DP . AN , who spoke as Chairman of the Chanties Committee , seconded , and the resolution was heartily carried . Bro . NEWHOUSE suitably returned thanks . Before proceeding further with business , the DEP . PROV . G . MASTER said he must take the liberty of intruding with a little special business It was with regard to the appointment of their Prov . G . Master as Lord

Lieutenant of the county in succession to the late Duke of Westminster , and in their name he asked his lordship to accept their warmest congratulations upon lhat distinguished honour . After a few further remarks of a * complimentary character to Earl Egerton and his worth , Bro . Sir Horatio Lloyd moved the following resolution : " That this assembly of Grand and Prov . Grand Officers and brethren desire to place on record the hearty

appieciation of the choice which her Majesty has made in the new Lord Lieutenant of the county ( in succession to the late lamented Duke of Westminster ) , and that this Prov . G . Lodge offers to Earl Egerton of Tatton , R . W . Prov . G . Master , their sincere congratulations on the high oflice to which the Oueen has been pleated to appoint his lordship . They look upon the di

gnity conferred as an acknowledgment of the services freely and unstintedl y given for the improvement ol the intellectual , social , moral , and material prosperity of the country at large , and the county of Chester in Particular . " He ( Bro . H . Lloyd ) was qt / ite sure he was expressing the feelings of all present when he said he hoped Earl Egerton would have a long and prosperous term of office .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Cheshire.

Bro . Ccl . DEAN seconded , and said the opportunily of doing so afforded him a real pleasure . They were all honoured by the selection her Majesty had made in the appointment of Earl Egerton to the Lord Lieutenincy of the county . Bro . J AMES COOKSON , P . P . S . G . W ., supported the resolution , saying

they were all highly honoured in the presence of his lordship th ;* it day , and ihey ought to thank T . G . A . O . T . U . that so far they had been favoured with fine weather . On behalf of the Stockport lodges he hoped his lordship would long be spared to enj ' -y the high honour which lier Majesty had conferred upon him .

1 ne resolution was carried in Masonic form , and with ringing cheers . Earl EGERTON OF TATTON , in his customary address , expressed his thanks for the compliment just paid him . Such an indication of lhe approval by the Masons of his appointment to the Lord Lieutenancy was highly gratifying . He fluttered himself that he was known to his brother Masons , and their approval was , therefore , doubly grateful and acceptable to him .

He would endeavour to carry out the important duties of Lord Lieutenant of that large and populous county impartially and to the best of his ability , and he felt sure that he would be supported by all those who held ollice and who administered justice in the county as well as he had been by the brethren during his long tenure of office as Provincial Grand Master . He specially thanked the Stockport brethren for their kind welcome and their

congratulations . His family had been for many years connected with a part of Stockport , and therefore it was particularly gratifying to find that his appointment was equally as acceptable in Stockport as it appeared to be in other partsof the county . ( Hear , hear . ) He , in turn , congratulated the brethren upon their large attendance of between 500 and 600 on that occasion , at a time of the year that many people . chose for their holidays . It showed their interest in

Provincial Grand Lodge . Masonry was still prospering . It was progressing , not by the leaps and bounds that some people wished to see , but in a steady way , such as during the last 13 or 14 years had given satisfaction to him , and in a way which , he trusted , would be satisfactory to the brethren . ( Hear , hear . ) About the time when he was appointed over the province therewere 40 lodges and 1623 members in the province ; now there were 54 lodges and

one to be consecrated during the month , and an increase of 1106 , namely , 2729 members . ( Applause . ) The province was well minaged and wellofficered , and the principles of Masonry werc extending in the province . Last year he ( Earl Egerton ) suggested that subscriptions should be given to hospitals or convalescent homes by the Committee of Benevolence , so as to enable the province to send brethren to such institutions who were in need

of their help . He did not know that the Committee had yet acted upon the suggestion or put forward means of carrying it out . He trusted there had been no immediate need for such form of assistance during the year . He would like to press the suggestion , and if the Committee of B ; nevolenca would undertake to recommend what would be the best way of carrying it out , either by annual subscription or a lump sum in succession to different

hospitals , he should be very happy as soon as they presented any scheme to him to give it his warm and pecuniary support . ( Hear , hear . ) In connection with the subject of benevolence , he mentioned that they , like all her Majesty ' s subjects , had given largely to various funds relating to the war and the Indian famine , and , further , that they had cheerfully responded to the special appeal of their Grand Master , H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , on

behalf of their distressed brethren in South Africa . From Cheshire they sent ^ 150 to that special fund , which he regarded as one eminently worthy of support . He had received a communication regarding the appointment of Provincial Grand Officers , and in reply to this , he desired to say that it had been his practice to give every lodge in its turn representation in the Provincial Grand Lodge , and the practice was adhered to this year . Bat ic

must be remembered that they had now a large number of lodges , aid th it it was impossible for every lodge to receive honours in one year , or probably more frequently than once in three years . Happily , their number of Pro - vincial Grand Oflicers had been somewhat increased recently , and they had more than was the casein many provinces . It was a satisfaction to him that Masonry had been a living engine for good in the province , and that the

principles of Masonry with regard to benevolence had been carried out to a larger extent than before , and had shown to the outer world that , although Masonry was clothed in symbolism and ancient form , its moving spirit was for the benefit of the people at large , as well as for the Masons themselves . Yet although he looked back with satisfaction upon the progress of Masonry in the province , he felt that the time had come when his work should devolve

upon someone with more leisure than he ( Eail Egerton ) had at present , and who was better able than he was to undertake it . He contemplated retirement from the office which he had held now practically for 15 years , ever since the lamented illness of the late Lord de Tabley prevented him from continuing the active performance of the duties of Proi * . Grand Master . Other responsible duties of a different character which had just been phced

upon him ( Earl Egerton ) would prevent him from giving the time which hu had hitherto been able and willing to give to Masonry in the province , and hc had come to the conclusion , after a good deal of hesitation and p tin to himself , that he ought to place his resignation in the hands of the Grand Master . It had always been his practice in life never to undertake anything which he could not do thoroughly . One of the secrets of success lay in knowing what you could and what you could not do , and as , besides the new

office to which allusion had already been made , he had undertaken a U *> k , placed upon him by the Government , of conducting an important inquiry , which would occupy all his thoughts for some time to come , he had been led to the conclusion that he had announced . But , although he would not be able to take an active part in Masonry as he had hitherto done , M lsjnry would always have his constant and willing support , and he wou'd be ever ready to help forward its benevolent institutions with which he had been associated . ( Cheers , ) The DEP . PROV . G . MASTER said he could not tell which was his

( Judge Lloyd ' s ) predominant feeling , surprise or r-igret , lh : it his lordslup had come to such a conclusion . They appreciated the reasons that tie Provincial Grand Master had phced before them , and he k * is * v tint hi *; lordship had acted with much deliberation and thoughtfulncss , bue his ( Judge Lloyd ' s ) first impulse was to ask the brethren to join him in requesting his lordship to stay his hand for a time and re-considir his ditennin 1-

tion when the labours of the Royal Commission of which Eirl Eg * rt > n A- IS chairman was over . He would have the indulgence of the Al ISJIIS of Chester during that time , and much would not be expected from hhn . There were small duties which he ( Sir H . Lloyd ) and others coul . l do , and they would be most anxious and willing to relieve him of any of those dities whic 1 they could undertake . ( Hear , hear . ) At least , he hoped that Eirl Egsnun would not send in his resignation hastily , but would give tticui j . ujp * jjr-