The Province Of Devon.

THE PROVINCE OF DEVON .

THE following letter has been addressed by the Ei ght Honourable the Earl Fortescue , Eight Worshipful Provincial Grand Master for Devon , to the Masters of the several Lodges under his jurisdiction ;—" Castle Hill , February , 1859 . 11 SIR AKD BROTHEK , —I request that you will communicate to your LocVe , at their next meetingthe subjoined copy of a letteraddressed bme to

, , y the Provincial Grand Secretary , on the proceedings of the last Provincial Grand Lodge . " I am , Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , " F OKTESCUE , Prov . G . M . " To the W . Master of Lodge . "

( Copy . ) Castle Hill , February Sth , 1859 . Dear Sir aud Brother , —I have received your letter of the 4 th , transmitting to me the proceedings of . the Provincial Grand Lodge held on the 5 th ult ., and I cannot but express my surprise and regret that the application of what is now termed the " Fiuid of Masonic Benevolence " is so utterly at variance from that originally contemplated , as to preclude me , with the views I entertain , from contributing to that fund .

You will recollect that the fund was first set on foot exclusively for educational purposes ; that at the Provincial Grand Lodge of the 20 th of October , 1 S 5 S , a committee , appointed on the 5 th of August preceding , recommended that the " Annual duos of members of Lodges and fees of honour should be doubled , " and that "the increased payments of both kinds be specially appropriated to a fund for the clothing , education , and advancement oE the children of brethren of inadequate means . " After that recommendation had been adopted ( 1 think unanimously ) by a large meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge , and had been confirmed

, as I see it was , by that of the 5 tli of January , 1 S 50 , I certainly did not expect to find it set aside by the . subsequent proceedings o £ that meeting , I do not , however , mean to contest tho right of tho Provincial Grand Lodge to deal ( though they appear to me to have in this ease clone so somewhat irregularl y ) with their own funds , but I utterly deny to them that of diverting any subscriptions by a vote of their body from the specific object for which they arc subscribed . " That there may be no mistake as to my views and intentions on this interesting subject , I desire therefore to state the following as the conditions on which my contribution of fifty pounds will be given to a Devon Masonic Educational Fund . 1 . That tho fund so to be called shall be kept wholly distinct from any other whatever .

2 . That the private subscriptions to that fund shall , before the close of this year amount to one hundred and fifty pounds , independently of my contribution . 3 . That ttie whole of the feci ; of honour aud annual dues from members ol Lodges shall be applied to the said fund , pursuant to the resolution of the Provincial Grand Lodge , on the 20 th October , 1 S 5 S , confirmed by that of the 5 tli January , ] Sod . i . That the said fund shall be under tlio management of a committee , composed partly of subscribers and partly of certain officers of the Provincial Grand

Lodge . Provided these conditions be complied with , I should bo the last person to object to the benevolent proposal of extending the basis of subscriptions to the formation of a fund for the relief of indigent Masons , their wives , and families . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours faithfully and fraternally , ( Signed ) FORTESCCE , PI-OY . G . M . W . P . Moore , Esq ., Pm . G . Sec . 2 Q