Provincial Grand Lodge Of West Yorkshire.

I his done , the PROV . G . MASTER , after complimenting the Miyor ol Morlev , who , in his chain and insignia , sat on his right , upon the beautiful building in which they were assembled , also commented upon the marvellous rapidity with which in a few years , Morley had sprung from a village of perhaps 3001 to a thriving town numbering close upon 30 00 people , and pointed out how , by their town hall and their street improvements , the inhabitants not only exhibited their energy but also their entire confidence

in themselves and the future of the borough . After making passing reference to the important matters , notices of which were on the agenda , the Prov . Grand Master proceeded to call attention to the pleasing privilege which , in consequence of the completion of the majority of H . R H . the Prince of Wales as M . W . G . Matter of the Craft , had been placed in his hands , v z ., lhat of conferring Past Provincial , or brevet rank , upon eight d- ^ si rving brethren . That , he assured them , afforded him very great pleasure indeed .

The brethren selected for honours were then called up and received from the hands of the Prov . Grand Master collars as follows r Bros . Geo . Johnson , P . M . 380 ( Mayor of Morley ) , and Geo . H . Parke , P . M . 154 those of P . P . S . G . Wardens . Bros . Cornelius Wheawill , P . M . 290 , and S . Law , P . M . 603 , those of P . P . J . G . Wardens . Bro . J . H . Pawson , P . M . 242 , that of P . P . G . Reg .

Bros . F . Snvth , J . P ., P . M . 837 ; G . Heaton , W . M . 258 ; and Henry Child , P . M . 1221 , those of P . P . G . Deacons . The PROV . GRAND MASTER then called upon Bro . W . Harrop , Chairman of the Charity Committee , to move the resolution of wh ch he had given notice .

The proposition to which reference has been made , which was carried at the Charity Committee , reads thus—That this meeting is of opinion—1 . 'lhat an Educational and Benevolent Institution should be formed in this province , to be called "The West Yorkshire Educational and Benevolent Institution . " 2 . That it shall have for its

objects—( a ) The maintenance , clothing , and education , wholly or partially , of the children of deceased Freemasons . ( 4 ) Making grants towards the advancement of such children on their leaving school . ( c ) Making grants and granting annuities to aged and decayed Freemasons and the widows of Freemasons . (<<) Generally to promote the cause of Masonic Charity .

Bro . HARROP asked the Provincial Grand Lodge , by passing that resolution , to endorse the opinion so emphatically expressed at the recent Charity Committee , and , in order to get the society into shape , proposed further-That the following brethren be appointed to form a Committee to draw up a scheme to be submitted to a future meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge , viz . : The R . W . Prov . Grand Master and W . Deputy Prov . Grand Master , the

Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Charity Committee , and the Prov . Grand Secretary , and W . F . Smithson , ex-officio ; Richard Wilson , 28 9 ; C . L . Mason , 304 ; Wm . Blackburn , 306 ; W . W . Clayton , 1311 ; Si John Cass , 1034 ; Alfred Stephenson , 1648 ; Joseph Binney , 139 ; W . H . Brittain . 139 j Harold Thomas , 296 ; G . E . Webster , 2268 ; Wm . Gaukroger , 61 ; Alfred Robertshaw , 448 ; Geo . Hy . Robinson , 275 ; Wm . Hy . Jessop ,

521 ; H . Slade Child and Geo . Hy . Parke , 154 ; R . I . Critchley , 208 ; J . R . Fawcett , 1214 ; Fred Cleeves , 904 ; John Barker , 1102 ; Samuel Jacob , 837 ; W . Greenwood , 439 j T . M . Holmes , 1545 ; Colonel Robinson , 810 ; George Thompson , tool ; T . B . Wilson , 1542 ; A . Macaulay , 258 ; Wm . Cockcroft , 307 ; Dr . Bates , 1522 ; Wm . Laycock , 1108 ; C . Goldthorpe , 242 ; and B . F . Glover , 495 .

Bro . Harrop said that , as the resolution had been thoroughly discussed for some two hours in the Charity Committee , and had also been talked over in all the principal Masonic centres and lodges , he did not think it necessary to take up much of their time ; that it was carried practically unanimously as there were but , he believed , seven dissentients ; that he was confident that such a scheme was necessary and that the present was a most opportune lime for its inception , and that its object was to supplement the work of their Masonic Charitable Institutions , not to cripple or destroy them .

Bro . W . C . LUPTON , Vice-Chairman , seconded in a very lucid and powerful speech . After paying a very high compliment to Bro . W . F . Smithson , Bro . Lupton pointed out that the idea of a local Institution was not new but had been more or less before the province for years but that impetus was given to the movement by the recent action of the Board of Management of the Boys' School . Bro . Lupton then described what took

place at the Quarterly Court on the 9 th October , pointed out how West Yorkshire and other provinces were hopelessly ignorant as to what was really taking place , lhat notwithstanding they had a representative on the Board ihey ) et could get no information , and that the feeling in this province was , he believed , most emphatically apposed to the action of the Quarterly Court , but that in such a meeting to move an amendment was a thankless

task . Now , continued the V . ce-Chairman , whilst we don ' t want to injure the present Institutions we are going to see if we can ' t do something at home . O . her provinces have most successful subsidiary societies why should net West Yorkshire ? Bio . Lupton then combat ted the argument as to the time being inopportune and scouted the idea which he had heard mooted that ihey were about to cor stitute themselves a Benefit Society . He concluded

a very strong appeal by declaring that such a' society would be able to gather in subscriptions of small sums , and that if West Yorkshire gave 5 s . a head that would realise , £ 975 per annum , and that by an effective voluntary administration they could help cases which London ' s enormously expensive machinery could not touch . Oiher brelhren joined in the discussion .

Bro . HENRY SMITH declared that to say the formation of such society would not interfere wilh the London Institutions was a fallacy ; that it could not do otherwise ; that he was opposed to the scheme ; and begged that they would do nothing hastily . Bro . C . LETCH MASON instanced the existing Leeds Association , and

declared that so far from damaging the present Institutions , the money that had been sent up to London was now two , if not three times greater than it was at the time they commenced their local effort . He was of opinion that the scheme would awaken sympathy and Charitable impulses where they had not previously existed , and that there need be no further delay . He was , he concluded , strongly in favour of the motion .

Other brethren followed . I here was no absolute opposition , merely suggestions of more time , and so on . After Bro . Lupton had replied , The CHAIRMAN put the resolutions , which were carried by oveiwhelming majorities .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of West Yorkshire.

Bro . J OSEPH BINNEY , P . P . G . Reg ., then asked leave in consequence of the action of the Quarterly Court slightly to alter the resolution which stood in his name . It would now read thus : "That this meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of West Yorkshire protests against the sale of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , and the purchase of a new site for the Schools , and considers no steps should have been taken in this direction until the opinion

of the general body of the subscribers had first been ascertained . " In supporting the resolution , Bro . Binney gave expression to what , with the solitary exception of one brother , appears to be the unanimous opinion of West Yorkshire . He declared that they condemned the scheme because of the enormous expense for one thing , but not for that only . Many held that the School , instead of being enlarged , should rather be limited , and a

new system , or rather an extension of a system partially in operation , should be made by which education at home could be given to numbers of boys , who at present , at unnecessary expense , are sent into the schools . But Bro . Binney chiefly complained that the scheme had not been sub - mitted to the Subscribers ; they had had no opportunity of expressing their opinions , and even the notice on the voting papers calling the meeting did not state that business relating to the suggested plan would be brought before the Court .

Bro . G . W . HAWKESLEY , P . M . 139 , seconded . He argued strongly in favour of a modification of the rules in order that the greatest good could be conferred upon the greatest number , and maintained that a whole famil y of children could be educated and partially maintained at the same cost as was , in many instances , so unnecessarily incurred for a single boy . The resolution was carried unanimously , not a single hand being held up in opposition .

A grant of £ 50 to the Library , on the motion of Bro . WM . WATSON , was sanctioned , also ^ 20 to the widow of a deceased brother . This concluded the business . The usual dinner took place in the minor hall , the Deputy Prov . G . M . presiding .

Provincial Grand Mark Lodge Of Lancashire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND MARK LODGE OF LANCASHIRE .

The annual meeting of the above Provincial Grand Lodge was held at the Guild Hall , Preston , on the 15 th instant . The Right Hon . the Earl of Lathom , P . G . M ., was unable to attend , owing to a command from the Queen to attend the funeral of the Archbishop of Canterbury , and the chair was occupied by Bro . Col . Le Gendre N . Starkie , D . P . G . M . The other

officers present were Bros . Lord Skelmersdale , P . G . W ., acting D . P . G . M . ; W . G . Fleetwood , P . S . G . W . ; John Hatch , P . G . Treas . ; J . Chadwick , P . G . Sec . ; William Spencer , P . A , G . D . C . ; C . Ainsworth , P . G . Steward ; John Worsley , P . G . Org . ; W . Goodman , P . G . D ., P . A . G . Sec . ; and J . J . Hankin , P . G . Tyler .

Several notices of motion were brought forward , but only one was carried . This was one voting 15 guineas to be paid from the Provincial Grand Mark

Lodge to the East Lancashire Systematic Institution and 15 guineas to the West Lancashire Alpass Institution . The following P . G . Officers were then invested : Bro . G . A . Harradon ... ... .. Prov . S . G . W . „ Joseph Pollard ... ... ... Prov . J . G . W . „ John Fletcher ... ... ... Prov . G . M . O . „ Robert Owen ... ... ... Prov . S . G . O .

„ Eli Brooks ... ... ... ... Prov . J . G . O . „ Rev . C . C . Bluett ... ... ... Prov . G . Chap . „ H . Bannister ... ... ... Prov . G . Treas . „ John Chadwick ... ... ... Prov . G . Sec . „ J . M . Veal ... ... ... ... Prov . S . G . D .

„ Walter Connard ... ... ... Prov . J . G . D . „ Thomas Roberts ... ... ... Prov . G . I . of W . „ H . F . Murphy ... ... ... Prov . G . D . C . „ J . H . Carter ... ... ... Prov . A G . D . C . „ A . Pemberton ... ... ... Prov . G . S . B . „ James Nuttall ... ... ... Prov . G . Std . Br .

„ Robert Migley ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . „ W . Goodacre ... ... ... Prov . A . G . Sec . „ W . Tones ... ... ... ... Prov . G . I . G .

.. T . Hogg - ) :: \ : E . DZ ::: ::: ::: ::: < --. . *«»* . „ J . Oakey ... ... ... ... J „ J . J . Hankin ... ... ... Prov . G . Tyler . After the conclusion of the business , a banquet was held at the Bull Hotel .

Laying Foundation Stone Of A New Bridge At Glasgow.

LAYING FOUNDATION STONE OF A NEW BRIDGE AT GLASGOW .

The foundation-stone of the new bridge over the River Clyde , at the foot of Jamaica-street , Glasgow , was laid with full Masonic honours on Thursday , the Sth inst ., by Sir James Bell , Bart ., the Hon . the Lord Provost , with the consent , and in the presence of the Prov . G . M ., Bro . John Graham of Broadstone , the Vtovincial Grand Lodge of the City Province , and a large gather ! . ig of brethren from

Grand Lodge , sister Provincial Grand Lodges , and daughter lodges . The Provincial Grand Lodge was opened in a new building erected in ot . Enoch-square , by the Glasgow Subway Company , Bro . John Graham being assisted by an ample siaff of Prov . Grand Lodge office-bearers—Bros , the Hon .

the Lord Provost ; ex-Bailie , M . Simons , Substitute Provincial Grand Master 1 Major F . W . Allan , J . G . W . ; Sir James Gibson Maitlmd , J . G . D . ; Daniel Reid . Grand Cashier ; John Carruthers , Grand Marshall ; R . N . Johnstone , Vice-President of Grand Stewards ; James Muir , G . D . of C . ; Provost Christie , Prov * G . M . of Stirlingshire ; and others . . A procession was then formed and marched across the square to St . r- Church , wrier ; an impress ! ve service was held in the presence of the City MafJ trates and Councillors , and a large congregation of members of the Craft a