The Province Of North And East Yorkshire.

THE PROVINCE OF NORTH AND EAST YORKSHIRE .

The proceedings at the recent annual meeting , at Selby , of thc Provincial Grand Lodge of North and East Yorkshire must have been especially gratifying to the Marquis of ZETLAND ,

Prov . Grand Master . His lordship has presided over tlie Craft in this district for upwards of 21 years , and during that period has witnessed—as there is no doubt he must have had a hand in

bringing about—an increase in the number of lodges and the prosperity of Masonry , of which both he and our North and East Yorkshire brethren have good reason to be proud . Of the 32 lodoes now on the roll of the Province , 10 or 11 have been

consecrated since his lordship ' s installation as its Grand Master , there being six lodges in Hull where 21 years ago there were only three ; three in Middlesborough instead of one ; and three in Scarborough in place of two ; while in the city of York—the

ancient home of English Freemasonry and for many years the seat of the Grand Lodge of all England—the one lodge which existed in 18 74 has increased and multiplied to such an extent lhat it has developed into four lodges , the Eboracum , Agricola ,

and Albert Victor Lodges having been consecrated at intervals since thc advent to power of the Marquis—then Earl—of ZETLAND , after the death of his uncle , THOAIAS , the second Earl of

ZETLAND . Indeed , since 1817 , when Yorkshire was formed into two Provinces , of which this North and East Yorkshire was one , it has known no other ruler than the head for the time beinp- of

Ihe DUNDAS family , Lord DUNDAS , who was created Earl of ZETLAND in 1838 , having been appointed Provincial Grand Master atthe constitution of the Province in 1 S 17 . On his death in 1839 , his son and successor in the title , THOMAS , second

Earl of ZETLAND , was appointed by the Duke of SUSSEX to succeed his lordship , and he in his turn was succeeded by his nephew , who three years ago was advanced to the dignity of a Marquis . Well knowing , therefore , as his lordship must know ,

that Freemasonry in his Province has been fostered and encouraged by the successive heads of the DUNDAS famil y for more than three quarters of a century , its present condition must be , as we have said , especially gratifying . The 2 lodges on the

roll muster among them some 2300 subscribing members , their affairs are well administered , and their duties strictly and punctually carried out . Moreover , the funds of the Provincial Grand Lodge werc found to be in so healthy a condition that , on the proposition of the Provincial Grand Treasurer , a sum of 100

guineas was voted towards the v estiva ! of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , which has been selected to receive tlie bulk of the support from the Province in 18 9 6 . There is , too , a iVovincial Educational Fund , which was established some

halfdozen years since , and has been fairly well maintained ever since , lliough from the Provincial Grand Treasurer ' s statement respectlr > g it at this meeting , it would appear that only about one-third ° l the brethren in the Province subscribe to it annuall y .

However , this is a shortcoming which the mere mention of it " 1 Prov . Grand Lodge will suffice to remedy , nor is there much reason to doubt that next year the Prov . Grand Treasurer will be 111 'i position to announce that the appeal he considered it his

( il 'ty to make at the Prov . Grand Lodge held at Selb y on the 2 4 ln July , 18 95 , has been generously answered , and the 800 sub-S ( * nbers lie then referred to have been greatly augmented in

"umber . Similarly wc are hot without hope that the amount ¦ jvliich the Province generally will subscribe to the Royal Masonic benevolent Festival in February next , headed , as it will be , by

The Province Of North And East Yorkshire.

the donation of 100 guineas recently voted , will be worthy of North and East Yorkshire . We must not , however , concern oursclevs too particularly as to any inequality which may appear to exist between the sums annually subscribed and the benefits received

by this or that Province in the case of any one of our three Central Institutions . It is our duty to assume that a Province subscribes according to its means , and that if the value of the benefits it receives is in excess of thc amount it lias contributetl ,

the fault lies not with the Province on the ground of the paucity of its subscriptions , but is to be attributed rather to the existence of an undue proportion of needy Masons or of the families

which needy Masons have left behind them as the inheritors of their poverty . However , we have no doubt the matter was mentioned rather with the idea of stimulatim ** the brethren to

subscribe generously to an Institution which has a hard battle to fight annually in order to obtain ils means o ( support , than because the Prov . Treasurer thought they were wanting in their duty in respect of these Charities . At all events , the Province

has been working well for many years past in the several liekls of Masonic labour , and we are confident it will maintain its reputation in the future , especially while it continues under such a

chief , and has such distinguished Masons in its ranks as Bros ORDE-POWLETT , J OSEPH TODD , M . C . PECK , W . H . COWPER T . B . WHVTEHEAD , and others .

Freemasonry In Hants And The Isle Of Wight.

FREEMASONRY IN HANTS AND THE ISLE OF WIGHT .

There is no doubt that the congratulations which Bro . W . W . B . BEACH , M . P ., Prov . Grand Master of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight , was pleased to offer to the brethren of his Province at their recent annual meeting at Winchester , are fully

justified by the circumstances of the past year . Freemasonry does prosper most abundantly in the district over whicii Bro . BEACH has presided for upwards ol a quarter of a century , nor are we straining a point forthe mere purpose of paying him a passing

compliment when we ascribe in great measure to his zeal , ability , and uniform courtesy the existence of that prosperity . He takes a prominent part in whatever is calculated to promote the welfare of his lodges and chapters , and there are few occasions

—as wc had thc opportunity of pointing out a short while sinceon which he does not personally interest himself in the procetidings of those under his charge , or himself suggest or initiate proceedings which will reflect credit upon them . Thus it has

come to be an almost invariable rule that when our Hampshire and Isle of Wight brethren meet in Provincial Grand Lodge , the reports of the executive officers should be of a highly satisffixt . ory character . The Prov . Grand Treasurer ' s report at the recent

meeting showed a balance in hand , after satisfying the claims of thc Central and local Charities , and voting , £ 6 G to necessitous brethren or their widows , amounting to £ 228 , the assets , moreover , being £ 1443 , while the liabilities were nil . Thc Prov .

Grand Secretary s returns showed there were in the Province 3503 subscribing members , there being an increase of 135 over the previous year ' s total . The Prov . Grand Master hims'elf reported that the working throughout the lodges was excellent , that

the brethren generally throughout the Province took a keen interest in their duties , and that the minute books of the lodges were kept methodically and in order . But the event of the p-ast

year to which Bro . BEACH very properly assigned the greatest prominence was the entertainment given to the members , of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge and their friends on the occasion of