Provincial Grand Lodge Of Staffordshire.

was taken by Bro . Col . Tudor , who opened P . G . Lodge . Bros . Col . Tudor and Col . Gough having been greeted Masonicnlly , Bro . CROYDON , P . G . A . S ., read the notice of the meeting , and the minutes of meetings held at Lichfield , Wolverhampton , and Hanley . The roll of lodges was then called over , after which

Bro . BODF . NIIAM presented the financial statement , which had been printed , and was taken as read . It appeared that the receipts amounted to £ 239 os . 5 d ., including £ 182 is . 6 d ., clues from the various lodges . The amount of expenditure for the year was ^ 121 6 s . 8 d . ; amount invested ,

£ 520 . The P ROVINCIAL GRAND MASTER said he had experienced the same difficulty on this , as on former occasions , in selecting the brethren to fill the different offices in the P . G . Lodge . At the present time there were over 270 Past Masters on the roll , of whom upwards of 100 had not been in office

in the P . G . Lodge . Each year there were 28 new Past Masters , and of course it was impossible to find offices for more than half that number . Some of the Past Masters elig ible had been on his list for appointments for five years , and it had been suggested to him that he should put into operation the new Book of Constitutions so far as it related to the appointment of

Stewards , who would rank as P . G . Officers in the same way as those holding higher offices . He had tried the experiment , and he should do his very best to make an equitable and fair distribution of the honours . Col . Tudor

then announced that he had appointed as S . W . Bro , John Bromley , desiring to mark his approval of the very great interest which he ( Bro . Bromley ) had taken not only in the New Gordon Lodge , No . 2149 , of which he was the W . M ., but also in the Old Menturia , of which he was a P . M .

The following appointments were likewise made : — Bro . T . J . Barnett , 526 ... ... ... Prov . G . J . W . „ Tl \ e Rev . G . Tuthill , 6 9 6 ... ... ... Prov . G . Chap . „ The Rev . F . E . Waters , 418 ... ... Prov . G . Chap . „ F . Brandon , 418 ... ... ... Prov . G . Reg .

,, J . Bodenham , 726 ... ... ... Prov . ( J . 1 reas . „ W . Cartwright , 460 ... ... ... Prov . G . Sec , „ H . Hare , 1060 ... ... •••Prov . G . S . D . „ Capt . F . Morgan , 1 S 38 ... ... ... Prov . G . J . D .

„ B . H . Brought , 514 ... ... •••frov . . 5 . ot W . „ T . E . Fowke , 726 ... ... ... Prov . G . D . of C . „ F . Woolley , 726 ... ... ... Prov . G . A . D . ofC . ,, G . Buttery , 194 1 ... ... ... Prov . G . Swd . Br . .. L R . LPP . i 7 o 2 ... ... ... Prov . G . Std . Br .

' - „ ' ( . T . Snape , 4 60 ... ... ... Prov . G . Std . Br . " „ H . Hartland , 662 ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . „ ' . E . M . Croydon , 460 ... ... ... Prov . G . A . Sec . „ T . B . Cull , 15 S 7 ... ... ... Prov . G . Purst . K Portinc inon ... ... PrOV . G . A . Purst .

,, ... . . . ........ . u ... ••- -- •_ „ R . A . Willcock , 419 ... ••••••1 „ 'J ' . Rigby , 726 ... ... •••I „ D . Batkin , 726 ... ... ... J-Prov . G . Stwds .

„ Pierpoint , 9 S ... ... ¦•••••I „ ] . Wooldridge , 726 ... ... ... J ,, H . Bagguley , 46 a ... ... ... Prov . G . Tyler . At two o ' clock the lodge adjourned , in order that the brethren might attend Divine service at St . Mary's Church , to which they walked in procession from the Shire Hall . The Lewises who joined the procession and

carried the Volume of the Sacred Law were H . Fowke , J . H . Mottram , 1 . B . Mottram , and G . T . Batkin . The prayers were read by the rector , the Rev . D . R . Norman , the first lesson by the Rev . T . Lloyd , and the second by the Rev . F . 11 . Beavan . The sermon was preached by Bro . the Rev . G . Ttuhill , Prov . G . Chap ., who took for his text Luke xi ., 2 , " Our Father , which art in heaven . " He insisted upon the fact that Nature and revealed

religion showed that there was a tie between men and a Supreme Being , and that that relationship was that ofchildren to a father , 'this text suggested to them the two great truths of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man , and he hoped it might be long before Masonry ceased to recognise those great truths . He urged them to assist one another , to be courteous to all , and at the same time to be " sons of thunder " in reproving

vice and encouraging virtue . The amount of the collection was £ 7 5 s . iod . At the close of the service the brethren returned to the lodge and resumed business . The following grants were voted : —Fifty guineas to the Masonic Schools ; £ 10 10 s . ( to be given annually ) to the B . Fund of the Staffordshire Masonic Charitable Association . On the motion of Bro . Col . GOUGH , seconded by Bro . E . ROBERTS , a vote of thanks was accorded to Bro .

Tuthill for his sermon . It was decided to contribute £ 3 3 s . to Eastgatestreet Schools , Stafford ; £ 2 2 i . to the fund of the Sunday and day schools in the parish of the P . G . Chaplain , the Rev . G . Tuthill ; £ i . 2 s . to St . Chad's ; and £ 2 2 =. towards windows to be placed in St . James ' s Church , Longton , as memorials of the late Bro . the Rev . Adam Clarke , rector of Longton , a former P . G . Chaplain .

Lodge having been closed , the brethren adjourned to the Assembly Room , where a most sumptuous banquet was provided by Mr . Mundy , of the Swan 1 lotel . The loyal toasts were drunk with much heartiness . Bro . F . J AMES gave the toast of " The M . W . Pro . Grand Master , the Earl of Carnarvon , " with which was coupled the V . W . D . G . M ., the Earl of Lalhom , and other officers of Grand Lodge , Present and Past , whom he ( Bro . James ) highly complimented on their devotion to the interests of the Craft .

Bro . V . GOUGII , as P . G . S . B ., responded : In the course of his remarks he said there was the same difficulty with regard to the appointments in Grand Lodge as in Prov . Grand Lodge ; they could not all be Wardens , and with reference to the lower offices he considered that an invitation of a

brother to join the ruler of the Craft in carrying on the work and governing the province should be regarded as an absolute and imperative command , which proper discip line and Masonic feeling should compel them cheerfull y to obey . Bro . Gotigh then proceeded to propose "The Health of the R . W . P . G . M ., " which was drunk with enthusiasm .

Col . TUDOR , in reply , said Col . Gough was the first to give him an appointment in P . G . Lodge , and they had always worked harmoniousl y together . Since he ( Col . Tudor ) had been P . Q . M ., Col . Gough had rendered him every possible assistance . Touching upon the subject of the cilium ! : \ experienced in regard to the appointments , he remarked that he wa ; afi ; : id he should not g ive satisfaction to all , but he assured them that

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Staffordshire.

he should strive to do the best he could for the province . During the time he had been D . P . G . M . and P . G . M . he had appointed 240 officers , and had only had reason to complain of the conduct of two or three out of that number . Bro . BARKER submitted the toast of "The D . P . G . M ., " which was heartily

received , and to which Col . GOUGH suitably responded . He observed that he visited different lodges without giving them warning , and seldom saw anything to complain of , and he believed that they would all admit that when he did call attention to any little irregularity heal ways endeavoured to blend the snavitor in moth with the fovtiter in re—a remark which was endorsed by the applause of the brethren present .

"The Worshipful Masters of the Lodges in the Province was the next toast , which was proposed by the P . G . M ., and acknowledged by Bro . WpoLrmmGE .

Bro . LEWIS proposed "The Health of the Newly-appointed P . G . Officers , for whom Bro . BROMLEY responded . Bro . the Rev . J . FROME WILKINSON , P . G . Chaplain for Suffolk , replied to the toast of "The Visitors . " He mentioned that he arrived at Stafford

on the previous day , and should have been a stranger amongst strangers , but he visited the Staffordshire Knot Lodge and found himself amongst brothers who welcomed him cordiall } ' amongst them . Amidst all the questions which divided men it was a treat to meet on a platform where they practised brotherhood .

Bro . the Rev . T . LLOYD , in a neat and appropriate speech , proposed "The Masonic Charities . " Bro . N . J OYCE , 726 , Mayor of Stafford , responded , and in the course of his remarks he mentioned that he was one of the originators of the

Staffordshire Masonic Charitable Association , and he was glad to find that the Province of Staffordshire was not behind any other in enthusiasm for the Charities . Bro . E . H . THORNE gave the toast of " The Stewards , " for whom Bro . RIGBY responded .

Bro . the Rev . E . C . PERRY gave the toast of " The Ladies , " of whom there were several in the gallery at each end of the room . Bro . Moss responded , and the Tyler ' s toast concluded the list . The pleasure of the company was materially enhanced by the excellent vocal music supplied be the Stafford Glee Union .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Somersetshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF SOMERSETSHIRE .

The Provincial Grand Lodge for the Province of Somersetshire was held at Taunton , on Tuesday , the 24 th inst ., when the day , being one of the few bright summer days of this year , and the traffic arrangements on the Great Western liberal , there was a large attendance , nearly 200 brethren being present , over whom the Prov . Grand Master , the Right Hon . the Earl of

Carnarvon , presided . There were also present the Deputy Prov . Grand Master , Bro . Else , and Bro . Col . Adair , and upwards of 50 officers of the province . The following appointments were made : — Bro . Elworthy , 261 ... ... ... ... Prov . G . S . W . ,, Wichstead , 1223 ... ... ... Prov . G . J . W . „ Rev . R . VV . M . Eyre , 1199 ... ... Prov . G . Chap .

„ Rev . Avery , 251 ... ... ... Prov . G . Chap . „ C . Edwards , 1199 ... ... ... Prov . G . Treas . „ W . Mullcr , 976 ... ... ... Prov . G . Reg . ,, j . C . Hunt , 135 ... ... ... Prov . G . Sec .

,, Chapman , 291 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . D . „ J . N . Milborne , 329 ... ... ... Prov . G . J . D . „ Ames , 41 ... ... ... ... Prov . G . S . of W . ,, Glover , ... ... ... ... Prov . G . D . C . „ Laurence , S 14 ... ... ... Prov . G . A . D . C .

„ O Connor Parnell , 1833 ... ... ... Prov . G . Swd . B . „ Jordan , 1953 ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Std . B . „ Heckworthy , 1197 ... ... ... Prov . G . Std . B . „ Grove , 1966 ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . „ Burt ... ... ... .... Prov . G . Purst . „ Salter ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Tyler .

After lodge there was a banquet , at which the Earl of Carnarvon presided . We hope to give a full report in our next .

Installation Of The District Grand Master Of Jamaica.

INSTALLATION OF THE DISTRICT GRAND MASTER OF JAMAICA .

Thursday , the 22 nd tilt ., was set apart for the installation of the District Grand Master of Jamaica . The office remained vacant for several years after the death of the much lamented Bro . Dr . Robert Hamilton , ( he duties being discharged in the interval by Bro . DeCordova , the 1 ) . D . G . M . Early in the present year , the long inlerregum was closed by the appointment

by his Royal Highness the M . W . the Grand Master of England of Bio . J . C . Macglashan to fill the distinguished post . Hitherto the custom had been for the lodges in the district to elect ; hut although there has been a departure on the present occasion , by the Grand Master exercising his prerogative of selection , the intimation of his choice was received by the

brethren with a universal feeling of pleasure and satisfaction , I his is due , apart from Masonic loyally , to the fact that the chosen brother is a native of distinction , a man of high social position and blameless life . It was at once decided that nothing should be left undone that could give eclat to his induction into office . This leeling was largely shared by Bro .

Whitbourn , the Past D . D . G . M ., who was by orders from England placed in charge of the district on the resignation of Bro . DeCordova . The District Grand Master having signified the day on which he would present himself for installation , Bro . Whitbouni immediately gave instructions to Bro . Leon , the District Grand Dir . of Cers ., to make the necessary preparations . A committee consisting of Bros . John Harris , Win . Andrews , E . X . Leon