Provincial Grand Lodge Of Hampshire And The Isle Of Wight.

for a course of higher instruclion . Certain alterations and additions to rules were recommended , one being that power should be given to the Prov . G . Master to nominate three members of the Committee . The report also referred to the death of the Earl of Lathom , and the steps taken in the province to show the respect of the brethren for the memory of the late Pro Grand Master .

Bro . LE FEUVRE rose to propose the adoption of the report , and remarked that before he did so he should like to say a word or two of acknowledgment with reference to the minutes they had just heard read of what occurred at the meeting at Ryde last year . After the receipt of the resolution passed at the gathering , he wrote from South Africa a letter acknowledgirg the great kindness of his brethren in Hampshire , but he

mig ht be allowed row that he was in the happy position of meeting them personally to sav how deeply grateful he was thousands of miles away when he read cf lhe kind words spoken of him in his absence . He asked the brethren to believe him when he said that the Masonic duties he had performed nearly continuously since 1869 had been most pleasurable . He had always taken great interest in the work of the province , and he was pleased

indeed to know that in vacating the office of Deputy Provincial Grand Master , which the Provincial Grand Master entrusted him with so long , he had so worthy a successor as Bro . Goble . ( Hear , hear . ) In moving the adoption of the report , he might congratulate the province on the results of the year ' s campaign . In April and October last they elected several candidates to the benefits ofthe Masonic Charities . This'had not been

accomplished without a large expenditure of voting power and the use of votes far exceeding in number those coming into the hands of the committee from the province . They had anticipated votes that would come in during the next 12 months and perhaps a longer time than that , and the Committee relied upon the hope lhat the brethren who look an interest in the recipients of the Charities would do their very best to support them by

sending in such votes as they had at their disposal to the Provincial Grand Secretary . The fact that two lads in the School coming from the province had been retained for further education was very gratifying to the province , as well as to the parents or guardians of the boys . One of them , Owen , was captain of lhe cricket eleven and also captain of the football lifteen , and

the recommendation of thc headmaster that he should be retained lor higher education showed that he was not only good at athletics , but also making his way in the class room . ( Hear , hear . ) The grants made were of about the usual character . Bro . G . J . TILLING seconded the motion .

The PROV . G . MASTER , in putting the motion , expressed the pleasure of the brethren at welcoming Bro . Le Feuvre , and their appreciation of the touching way in which hc had acknowledged their expression of feeling towards him during his illness last year . He commended his long services

to Freemasonry , and hoped that now he was restored to health he would continue to devote the same energy and zeal in the interests of the Craft which he had so long shown . For himself , he had always found in him a coadjutor whose counsel he highly valued . ( Applause . ) 1 he motion was agreed to .

On the motion of Bro . GILES , seconded by Bro . LANCASTER . Bro . Le Feuvre was nominated as representative of the province on the Board of Management of the Royal Masonic Ins . itution for Boys , and Bro . LE FEUVRE returned thanks . The PROV . G . SEC . announced the receipt of several letters of apology for non-attendance , and the Prov . G . Officers for the year were then appointed as follows :

Bro . E . Goble ... ... ... ... D . P . G . M . „ Pidcock Hert / . eU , 2 JO _ ... ... ... Prov . S . G . W . „ G . K . Kent , 257 ... ... ... Prov . J . G . W . " n ' « w o afpe ' ' ' , ! P ^ v . G . Chaps . .. Rev . S . VV . Stevens . ; cu ... ... . ) ^

„ G . W . Gieve , 4 S 7 ... ... ... Prov . G . Treas . „ R . R . Linthorne . 394 ... ... ... Prov . G . Reg . „ H . G . Giles , R . N . ... ... ... Prov . G . Sec . „ H . M . Brownfield , 1928 ) Prov . S . G . D ,. „ R . Payne , 928 ... ... ... ) „ H . A . F . Smith , 1715 ... ... ••*|p I G Ds „ W . H . Gordon , 1 S 6 9 ... ... j rrov . j . U . us . „ J . Ellery , jun ., 175 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . of Wks .: H . L Rnvr-p . ™ fiS ... ... Prov . G . D . C .

„ j . j . Kennett , 723 ... ... ... Prov . D . G . D . C . „ J . R . Martyr , 1903 ... ... ... *) „ W . C . Webb , 2074 ... ... ... [ Prov . A . G . D . Cs . „ W . F . Blake , 2016 ... ... ... ) „ T . Martin , 1977 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . B . ,, W . Pearce , 1112 ... ... ... * ) „ ¦ H . E . Windsor , 1776 ... ... ... [ Prov . G . Std . Brs . „ M . F . Curtis , 1461 ... ... ... ) „ VV . Fowler , 1 . 161 ... ... Prov G . Ore * .

„ G . F . Lancaster ... ... ... Prov . G . Asst . Sec 'I W . J . Jago , 903 ... ... ... Prov . G . Purst . ,, A . Manistree , 1958 ... ... ... Prov . G . A . Purst . ,, R . C . Blencowe , 694 ... ... ... > . „ W . J . M . Dowden , 220 S

" r ) V ° !! f « 5 3 ,, J Prov . G . Stwds „ J . L . Snell , 4 S 9 ... ... .. j „ W . Jenvey , 359 „ H . G . Godley ... ... ... ,, J . Exall ... .., ... ... Prov . G . Tyler ,

fhe PROV . GRAM ; MASTER , under the power of the recommendation just adopted , rcmipaied Bros . Le Feuvre and Dr . Cooper Smith as members of the Provincial Grar . d Lodge Committee , and went on to express thc indebtedness of the province to the Committee for the work they had done during the past year , and said he hardly knew how the work of the province would be accomplished unless a number of skillul Masons look k in hand , especiall y as regarded the Charities , for if every brother possessing votes

did as he himself thought right they would never elect a candidate from the province at all . It had been stated that a great many votes had been borrowed . He , as a rule , set his face against borrowing , but they must sometimes make tn exception , and he would assume that at the recent •flections it was necessary to the success of their candidates that votes should be borrowed . The resulfs achieved were excellent , and he hoped the brethre n of the province would take the advice of the Committee by sending in their votes , and thus enable them to repay the member they owed as soon

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Hampshire And The Isle Of Wight.

as possible . ( Hear , hear . ) He congratulated the brethren on the progress Masonry was making in the province . Some brethren , unfortunately , hatl been taken away during the year , but the gaps thus created had been filled by others , who would not , however , take exactly the same places , i'hc I ' rov . Grand Master went on to refer to functions at which Masons assisted

occasionally , such as the laying of foundation-stones , and said that recently he had the good fortune to lay the foundation-stone of the hospital at Boscombe , and a large number of brethren gathered on the occasion . Bournemouth and Boscombe were rising places , and when he was asked to lay the stone he thought it was a work he might well consent to undertake . Hospitals ,

however , required funds , and he thought that as so large a number of Masons attended the ceremony , and were so heartily welcomed by the bretliren of the locality , he might venture to ask thc Provincial Grand Lodge to make a donation of ^ 25 to the funds of the hospital . ( Hear , hear . ) He would ask their sanction to the vote which he now proposed .

the D . P . G . M . seconded the proposition , which was unanimously carried .

The PROV . GRAND MASTER said it now became his pleasing duly to refer to the services which the present Deputy Provincial Grand Master had rendered to the province and to Freemasonry generally during a considerable number of years . For a period of 13 years he served the office of Provincial Grand Secretary , and during that time he did his very utmost to fulfil the confidence reposed in him . He spoke of the importance of the

office and the exacting nature of the duties , and said they all knew how well Bro . Goble had fulfilled them , and how closely he brought himself into touch with each individual lodge . His popularity was very great , and when it was intimated that he was tosucceed to thc higherofficeof D . P . G . M . there was a general desire among the brethren to make some recognition of theserviceshe had rendered to the Craft in the province . An appealwasmade to

lodges and individual brethren , which was responded to in a most liberal and emphatic manner , and he had the pleasure in that assembly of asking Bro . Coble ' s acceptance ol the testimonial before him . It was gratifying to see so large a number of brethren present on the occasion . The convenient situation of Southampton had no doubt something to do with that , but il was a great thing to say that every lodge but one was

represented , and he believed lhat was largely due to the fact that the presentation was to be made at that meeting . ( Hear , hear . ) He could only thank Bro . Goble personally for the very active interest he took in the work of the province , and for the very great assistance he rendered to him while he held the office of Prov . G . Secretary , and it was a heartfelt

pleasure to make him a presentation which he was sure he would receive not with any regard to its intrinsic value , but as the outcome of the feeling of his brethren in this large province . ( Applause . ) The Prov . G . Master ( hen presented to Bro . Goble an elegant silver tea and coffee service , a loving cup , and a gold watch , accompanied with a gem ring for Mrs . Goble . ( Applause . )

The silver is enclosed in a large oak case , and is lined with baize , and on a salver which fits into the cover is the following inscription :

" Presented to VV . Bro . Goble , D . P . G . M . of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight , by the brethren of the province , as a mark of their fraternal regard and esteem , and in recognition of the zealous and faithful services of more than 13 years as Prov . Grand Secretary . "Sth August , 1899 . "

Bro . li . GOULE , who was heartily applauded on rising , said he was sure that one and all of the brethren would believe him when he said that in having to address them on such an occasion he felt that he had not sufficient words to show to them how grateful he was for the kindness they had bestowed upon him . During the time he was Prov . G . Secretary he threw into the performance of the duties all the zeal of which he was capable and

all the ability of which he was possessed , and he did not think there was one bitter word , or one wry letter , or one little misunderstanding between him aud the brethren during that period of his Masonic life . He had been much assisted by brethren who held office in this important province , especially the Provincial Grand Treasurer and the present Assistant Provincial Grand Secretary . When he was appointed he had a

brother to help him who came regularly to his house for two years , and who , he was happy to say , was present that day , He slept at his house two nights a week , and if the work was not sometimes done he stayed another night when he was vicar of an adjoining parish . ( The Rev . A . Headley , late vicar of Porchester , and now vicar of Alresford , was the brother referred to ) . But for that help he could not have done the workand since

, he left Bro . Lancaster had greatly assisted him . He was receiving at their hands a most magnificent present , and when he looked at it he felt it was more than he deserved , but he also felt that he possessed an even more valuable memento—the hearts of all the brethren of the province . ( Applause . ) He had always received uniform kindness in his work from Worshipful Masters and Secretaries , and when the Provincial Grand

Master gave him the collar as his Deputy he felt that he had gained his approbation , and it would be his effort to do his duty in that office as well as he had tried to do it in the office he had lately held . As to the gift they had been kind enough to hand him for his wife , hc could only say that during the time he was Provincial Grand Secretary he received a larrre

amount of help from her , and she had never sai d one word to hinder * him in his Masonic work . In thanking them again and again he would wish them collectively and individually health , happiness and prosperity , and that every success would attend their Grand Lod ge of the Province of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight . ( Loutl applause . )

Some formal business was disposed of , and Provincial Grand Lodge was closed in ancient form .

l'he brethren afterwards partook of a banquet in one of the large rooms below the main hall . The Prov . G . M . presided , the newly-appointed Prov . G . Wardens being in the vice-chairs . The usual Masonic toasts were honoured . The toast of " The Graud Lodge of England " was responded to by Bro . the liev . NORMAN LEI :, a Hampshire brother , who is Grand Chaplain for the year . " The Health of the P . G . M . " was proposed by his UEI ' ITVand

, Bro . BEACH made a genial responue , in the course of which he said lhat a friend of his once remarked to him , " Why , Beach , if you were to give up Parliament and Masonry you would die . " ( Laughter . ) All he could say was that he wished to render useful service as long as he was able , and hc need hardly say that the work of the Craft lay very close to his heart . ( Cheers . ) Olher toasts followed .