Provincial.

district . He could only account for this fact from tm in the conducting ofthe business at head quarters in LW" ° " ff 00 ( l mauagemen *; passage in Messrs . Lyall and Symonds ' s report , to tho following H - referred to a reason to believe that an impression is not uncommon amongst"" !•*— "We have brethren , of good social position , and holding high Masonic honours , tnWovincial Provincial Grand Lodge , and , perhaps , the particular Lodges with which thtjieir connectedare already subscribersor can be induced to subscribeall has been

, , , done that it is requisite to do , and that personal subscriptions may be dispensed with . It is only thus that we can account for the small portion of provincial as compared with London brethren , who contribute to the funds of the schools . Of the vice-presidents , donors , aud annual subscribers to each school , we find , on reference to recently published lists , that the number resident in the London district is about six times greater than in all the provinces combined . " It was his conviction that if they were allowed to send to the charity boards one

representative from each province , they would soon succeed in improving matters hy thenhaving a voice in the collecting , as well as the expenditure of the funds . He begged , therefore , to move the following resolution : — " That in order to stimulate further exertions of the brethren iu the provinces , ancl carry out the recommendations of the sub-committcc , wo would recommeud the appointment of a brother to be called ' the representative of the province for the charities , ' which representative shall be selected from the charities' members annually by the Prov . Grancl

Master , and entitled to a seat at the four Masonic charity boards . " Bro . Sherry , continuing his remarks , said—Let each Loclge elect their AV . M . if he happened to be the fittest for the office of charity member ; but if there was another member of the Lodge better acquainted with the business of the charities , he were to be preferred . He could not help disagreeing with tho idea of Bro . Perkins , which would make the staff of the committee too numerous . Bro . Beach said he rose to order . The move proper course would be to rescind the resolution passed at the last Provincial Grancl Lodge , which was as follows : —

"That a committee consisting of tho E . AV . D . Prov . Grand Master ; the Prov . G . Treasurer ; the Prov . G . Secretary ; the AA . Bros . G . B . Portal , J . E . Portal , and J . lt . Stebbing , and tho AV . M . s for the time being of the several Lodges in the province of Hampshire , to lie termed the 'Charities Committee , ' bo appointed to watch over the Masonic charities , with a view to extending their benefits , and increasing the number of subscribers iu this province . " Bro . Clarke wished that Bro . Sherry would withdraw his proposition and

propose a different one , or allow him ( Bro . Clarke ) to do so . He felt quite satisfied that he was the delinquent alluded to by Bro . Sherry when he spoke of so many members being proposed on the committee at the last Provincial Grand Lodge . Ho was certain that they influenced the members taking part in the charity committees , for they were one of the strongest out of London . He thought the majority of them were of one mind , that the AV . M . of each Loclge , or such other party as the Loclge should thiuk fit , be put on the list of charity members .

Bro . Sherry said he wished it distinctly to be understood that he went for the adoption of the entire report of Bros . Lyall ancl Symonds , and no other , with the addition of the resolution he had already proposed . Bro . Castell , P . M . No . 717 , said it was a most important thing that this subject should be well ventilated . Ho felt satisfied from many years' acquaintance with Masonry that the . little support given to the charities from tho provinces arose from the fact that they were comparatively unknown amongst the majority of tho

members of Masonry iu provincial towns . Tho hearts of thoso Masons in the country were not less warm , and it was only requisite that the thing should be brought before them in order to secure their sympathy . As an example , he might state that in his own Lodge twenty-two subscribers had been obtained , on the subject ofthe charities only being mentioned by himself , andmany others had dropped iu since as regular subscribers to the benevolent fund . He was ready to fall into anything which was calculated to promote the object of the charities . He really

did think some means should be devised to let every member know what the various charities were ; and one of the first objects of care for the committees about to bo appointed , ho hoped woidd be the making the business and working of tho charities thoroughly known among all Masons in the provinces ,