The Masonic Mirror.

Right Hon . Lord Methuen , R . AV . Prov . G . M ., who was supported by Bro . D . Gooeh , Prov . G . S . B ., and D . Prov . G . M . ; Bro . AA eaver , Prov . S . G . AA " . ; S . Dunning , Prov . J . G . AA . ; Furman , Prov . G . Reg . ; AA . F . Gooch , Prov . G-. Sec ; F . AVebber , Prov . S . G . D . ; C . AV . Hind , Prov . J . G . D . ; C . F . Marshall , Prov . G . Supt . of AVorks ; AV . Btegs , Prov . G . Dir . of Cers . ; J . Allan , Asst . Prov . G . Dir . of Cers . ; Sylvester , Prov . G . S . B . ; Bradford , Prov . G . Purs . ; Roberts , P . Prov . G . AV . ; the Hon . Jas . H . L . Dut-touProv . G . M . GloucestershireMilsomProv . J . G . AV .

Somerset-, , ; , , shire ; Dr . Tunstall , P , Prov . G . W ., Somersetshire ; Oliver , P . Prov . G . AV ., . Somersetshire ; Henry Bridge , P . Prov . G . AV ., Surrey , ancl a number of other Past Grand Officers of this and other provinces . The Lodge having been duly opened by the D . Prov . Grand Muster , the HAY . Bro . Lord Methueu , Prov . G . M ., was announced awl received with the usual honours .

The minutes of the last Prov . Grand Lodge having been read ancl eonfu'ined , The R . AT . Prov . Grand Master rose and said that it gave him great pleasure to be enabled to congratulate them , not only on the prosperity of the Craft in general , but upon tho province of AAfltshire in particular . He was not , however , from circumstances over which he had had no control , so well versed iu their affairs as he should wish to be , and he would therefore call upon their excellent Prov . GSecretary to read the

. report of the charity committee appointed at the last meeting . Bro . IV . F , Gooch then read a report , which stated that a meeting of the Charities Committee was held at Chippenham , on the 2 oth of January , when it was resolved—1 . That the committee for the permanent management of the Charity Fund shall consist of the R . AA . Prov . Grand Master , the R . AV . D . Prov . Grand Masterthe Prov . Grand AVardenstogether with the AVorshiful

, , p Alaster ancl immediate Past Master of each Lodge . 2 . That the committee , shall meet on a AVednesday in the month of July in each year , at Chippenham , for the purpose of auditing the accounts , distributing the money , ancl preparing the report to be submitted to the Provincial Grand Lodge . 3 . That the Prov . Grancl Secretary be requested to act as Secretary to

the committee , and that he shall give seven days' notice of the meeting , 4 . That the following scale of payment towards the Charity Fund be made by each Lodge aud Chapter : — For each member , two shillings per annum . The AV . Master , on his being installed into a chair in the province , ten shillings and sixpence per annum . The Senior AVarden , on his being installed into a chair in the provincefive shillings per annum .

, The Junior ATarden , on his being installed into a chair in tho province , five shillings per annum . Each chair in the Chapter , five shillings per annum . Each other Officer , two shillings and sixpence per annum . Each candidate on his initiation , five shillings . The above , payments to be made at the end of each year to the Provincial Grand Treasurer at the same time as the dues to the Provincial

I ! rand Lodge are paid . The Treasurer to open a separate account for tlie Charity Fund . d . That for the year 18 : 18 , tbe dues for members only be paid from the first of January , 18 . 10 . The Provincial Grand Lodge , voted at their last meeting £ 20 per annum towards this fund .

6 . That it bo a rule for the guidance of the committee , that they shall arrange the gifts to the charities , so that the various Lodges in the province may be made life governors thereof ; and that the Lodges be taken m the order of their amount of subscription . 7 . That a copy of these resolutions be . sent to each of the Lodges and Chapters in the province , with a request that they will embody them in their respective by-laws .

In reply to these resolutions , three of the Lodges out , of the seven existing in tho province had made returns , which , ' with the . £ 20 voted b ; oiu the Provincial Grand Lodge funds , placed X 32 1 is . Git . at their disposal . Tbe three Lodges which had made a return were—No . 4 . 13 , pvmdon ; Xo . 120 , Chippenham ; and <"\ o . 91 : 7 . Trowbridge . As it had '' "on agreed that the fund should be distributed in proportion to the wbscriptions of the Lodges , it had been arranged by the Committee Wat , AOJ :: i should' bo made life of the and Girls

. , a governor Boys ' hehools ; and Ko . -120 of the Ihyal Benevolent Institution . lueD . Pi-ov . Grand Master had great pleasure in moving that the annates ancl recommendations oi' tin . Charities Committee be adopted . ' - 'ivas aware that some parties were of opinion that that committee wn no poiver to act until the minutes of the last Prov . Grand Lod ^ e iact been confirmed . These minutes had been confirmed to-day , and ^ t-y had now onl y to carry the resolution he proposed , to set at rest all '' ¦ ' lections and

. give such an authority to their future proceedings as «« t unsurc _ the prosperity of the fimd . There was one alteration , | " ever , which he wished to make in the report . It proposed that the .., '" , ' « e should meet in July , for the purpose of " determining the v-f . i , l i yeai ' - He felt thaf * to b (! il mo ; 3 t awkward time , and li ' m , i ' ' "" tbat t ! l ° minutes and report bo adopted , substituting ' -one > ' » u before the Prov . Grand Lodgo" for " day in Jul "

a y . p . ° - feeler , acting Prov . S . G . AV ., seconded the motion . UiCn f i > T } J \ - , ' ' > Somersetshire , suggested that as the lnstituHo ,, - i titu . te was alread y a life governor of the Royal Benevolent watufcoi . , it would be better to give that Lodge a governorship of one

of the schools , instead of another governorship of the same institution . The report was then adopted , leaving the exact distribution , as we understood , to tbe committee . The report of tbe Clothing Committee was next brought up , and dress aprons for the various Prov . Grand Officers ordered to be purchased at an expense of £ 25 , out of the available funds in hand of £ 61 . The various Lod of tbe province being calledand it appearing that

ges , all wore represented excepting No . 856 , Elias de Derham , Salisburythat lodge was under the by-laws ordered to be fined 10 s . Tho R . W . Prov . Grand Alaster said that they had now to perform a most pleasing duty , that of the election of Grand Treasurer ; and though perhaps it should scarcely come from him , be felt they were under such deep obligations to their worthy Bro . Sheppard , that he felt the greatest pleasure in moving his re-election . The D . Prov . Grand Master felt it au honour to be allowed to second

[ the resolution , having long experienced the value of the services of their distinguished brother . The motion having been carried nem . con ., Bro . Sheppard returned thanks . He had the honour of holding the office for upwards of thirty years , and . so long as he enjoyed the confidence of the brethren , he would always discharge his duties to the utmost of his ability . The R . AA . Prov . Grand Alaster then proceeded to appoint and invest

his officers for the ensuing year as follows : —Bros . D . Gooch , D . Prov . Gt . lt ; Major - Goddard , Prov . S . G . AV . ; Ceilings , ( Past Master , No . 7 , ) Prov . J . G . W . ; ShepparclyyProv . G . Treas . ; AV . F . Gooch , Prov . G . Sec . ; Biggs , Prov . G . Reg . ; Comuious , Prov . S . G . D . ; Staucombe , Prov . J . G . D . ; Marshall , Prov . G . Supt . ofiWorks ; Bradford , Prov . G . Dir . of Cers . ; Trig , Prov . G . S . B .: Spencer , Prov . G . Pura . ; ancl Bros . Chandler , J . E . S . Bradford , T . Chandleij , Tyler , and Burrows , Prov . G . Stewards .

Bro . G . II . Brown had abstained from doiug so prior to the appointment of the Grand Officers , not wishing in any way to interfere with the prerogative of the ~ Prov . Grancl Master—but as the appointments were now made , be wished to call attention to a provision in the Book of Constitutions to which he believed too little attention bad hitherto been paid . At page 19 it was said that Prov . Grand Officers " must all be resident within tlie province , ancl subscribing members to some Lodge thereinbut the M . AV . Grand Master grant a dispensation for

non-, may residence . A fee of two guineas for Grand AVardens , and one guinea for any subordinate officer shall be paid to the general fund of charity for such dispensation . " Now , under this law it was clear that uo brother coulcl be appointed to Prov . Grand office without he resided in the province , unless he hacl a dispensation from the M . AV . Grancl Blaster . He did not wish to interfere with anything that had been clone , but considering that bygones should be bygones , that they should more

steadily adhere to the law in future . The D . Prov . Grand Alaster was of opinion that the law just read was overruled by that which stated that the Prov . Grand Master was by his patent " invested with a rank and poiver in bis particular district , similar to those possessed by the Grand Master : " ancl in appointing the brethren the Prov . Grand Alaster might be thereby supposed to have given them the necessary dispensation to bold their respective offices . A brother thought the complaint came with au ill grace from a bi'other who hacl taken rank iu a neighbouring province , of which he was a nonresident .

The R . AA . Prov . Grand Alaster had no doubt that by bis appointment he had given the necessary dispensation to hold office , it being the duty of the Secretary or Treasurer to see that they received the proper fees ; aud he could not think that tbe fact of a brother who supported their Lodges , living two or three miles beyond the borders of the province , should deprive him of those honours to which he was otherwise justly entitled . Bro . Brown having explained that be had no other object in view but to cal I attention to the law .

Bro . Ceilings , Prov . J . G . AV ., said but for the observations of the R . AV . Prov . Grand Master , he should not have felt comfortable in continuing to hold the . distinguished office to which he hacl been appointed , if any doubt were thrown upon his qualification . He should , however , consider it very hard to be disqualified from holding Prov . Grand Office because he lived a few miles out of the province ; he belonging to no other Prov . Grand Lodge but that at Chippenham . ( Hear , hear ) . The question then dropped , with the understanding that those brethren who had been appointed to office not resident in the province , should pay the extra fees ; and the Grancl Lodge was closed in due form .

Shortly after four o'clock the brethren reassembled at the Augel Hotel , where a most excellent dinner had been provided ; the R . AV . Prov . G . AI . Lord Methuen presiding . On the cloth being removed , the toasts of " The Queen ; " "The M . AV . G . M . the Right Hon . the Earl of Zetland ; " and "The D . G . M ., Lord Panmure , and the rest of the Grancl Officers , " were given in rapid

. The D . Prov . Grand Alaster said he rose to propose to them a toast , which he was sure would bo received with the greatest enthusiasm" The health of their R . AV . Prov . Grand Master . " ( Applause . ) He knew bow deeply they regretted that owing to his public duties he had not been with them for the last two or three occasions , and how rejoiced they were to again have the benefit of Ms presence . There was uo brother more highly respected , and he was sure they would all cordially