Provincial.

appointments for the year were made as under : —Bros . Ward , D . Prov : G . M . ; Hon . G . Vernon , Prov . S . G . W . ; F . A . Edwards , Prov . J . G . W . ; Rev . J . Downes , Prov . G . Chaplain ; Rev . Dr . Armstrong , Prov . G . Asst . Chaplain ; William Lloyd , Prov . G . Treas . ; D . Peacock , Prov . G . Reg . ; F . Dee , Prov . G . Sec . ; J . Butterworth , Prov . S . G . D . ; C . H . King , Prov . J . G . D . ; Major M'Knight , Prov . G . Supt . of Works ; S . Hill , Prov . G . Dir . of Cers . ; W . B . Hayley , Prov . G . Asst . Dir . of Cers . ; J . Ford , Prov . G . Sword Bearer ; E . Shargool , Prov . G . Org . ; J . Lowndes , Prov . G . Purs . ; Carlo

Bragazzi , Prov . G . Standard Bearer ; H . Bagley , Prov . G . Tyler ; and Bros . J . Duke , Samuel Hughes , W . Homer , H . Gillard , J . Collis , and H . Lowe , Prov . G . Stewards . The Provincial Grand Lodge has sanctioned such an appropriation of its funds as will ensure for the Benevolent Institution , and for the Boys' and Girls' School , the sum of 50 / . each , being an amount which will entitle the Provincial Grand Master to act as a vice-president and one of the committee of management of each institution . This has been done by capitalizing 150 / . and ensuring the life of the

, Provincial Grand Master for 157 / . 10 s ., the annual premium of which amounts only to 6 / . 4 s . the payment of which will secure the capital and render it available for a like purpose in case of the death of the assured . This is setting a noble example to other provinces which many of them will not be slow to follow , and thus materially add to the financial resources of the charities . The business of the day having been completed , the R . W . Prov . G . M . proceeded to close the Lodge in due and solemn form .

The brethren then walked in procession to St . Mary's Church , where prayers were read by the Rev . Bro . Lowe , Provincial Grand Steward , and an excellent sermon preached by the Provincial Grand Chaplain the Rev . Bro . Downes . After the sermon a collection was made , amounting to 11 / . 16 s . 4 c ? ., during which the offertory passages were read by the Rev . Bro . Dew , assistant chaplain at the county gaol . It was ordered that the collection should be applied as follows : —Five guineas to the Staffordshire Infirmaryand the remainder to the Rector of St .

, Mary ' s , Stafford , in aid of his new schools . The brethren afterwards dined at the Shire Hall , which was hung for the occasion with banners and emblems ; the latter were very tastefully and artistically executed , and consisted of Masonic devices . From the three galleries , which were filled with ladies , were suspended banners belonging to different Lodges in the province .

WILTSHIRE . PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE AT CHIPPENHAM . A Provincial Grand Lodge was held at Chippenham , on the 23 rd of August , by the Right Hon . Lord Methuen , R . W . Prov . G M ., who was supported bv Bro . D . Gooc . h , Prov . G . S . B ., andD . Prov . G . M . ; Bro . Weaver , Prov . S . G . W . ; S . Gunning , Prov . J . G . W . ; Furman , Prov . G . Reg . ; W . F . GoochProv . G . Sec . ; F . WebberProv .

, , S . G . D . ; C . W . Hind , Prov . J . G . D . ; C . F . Marshall , Prov . G . Supt . of Works ; W . Biggs , Prov . G . Dir . of Cers . ; J . Allan , Asst . Prov . G . Div . of Cevs . ; Slyvesto , Prov . G . S . B . ; Bradford , Prov . G . Purs . ; Roberts , P . Prov . G . W . ; the Hon . James H . L . Dutton , Prov . G . M ., Gloucestershire ; Milsom , Prov . J . G . W ., Somersetshire ; Dr . Tunstall , P . Prov . G . W ., Somersetshire ; Oliver , P . Prov . G . W ., Somersetshire ; Henry Bridge , P . Prov . G . W ., Surrey , and a number of other Past Grand Officers of this and other provinces .

Bro . W . F . Gooch read a report , which stated that a meeting of the Charities Committee was held at Chippenham , on the 25 th of of January , when it was resolved—1 . That the committee for the permanent management of the Charity Fund shall consist of the R . W . Prov . Grand Master , the R . W . D , Prov . Grand Master , the Prov . Grand Wardens , together with the Worshipful Master and immediate Past Master of each Lodge . 2 . That the committee shall meet on a Wednesday in the month

of July in each year , at Chippenham , for the purpose of auditing the accounts , distributing the money , and preparing the report to be submitted to the Provincial Grand Lodge . 3 . That the Prov . Grand 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 and Chapter : — For each member , two shillings per annum . The W . Master , on his being installed into a chair in the province , ten shillings and sixpence per annum .

The Senior Warden , on his being installed into a chair in the province , five shillings per annum . The Junior Warden , on his being installed into a chair in the 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 Treasurerat the same time as the dues to the

, Provincial Grand Lodge are paid . The Treasurer to open a separate account for the Charity Fund . 5 That for the year 1858 , the dues from members only be paid from the 1 st of January , 1859 . The Provincial Grand Lodge voted at their last meeting 20 / . per annum towards this fund . 6 . That it be 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 in 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 the province had made returns , which , with the 20 / . voted from the Provincial Grand Lodge funds , placed 32 / . 12 s . 6 d . at their disposal . The three Lodges which had made a return were—No . 453 , Swindon ; No . 420 , Chippenham ; and No . 915 , Trowbridge . As it had been agreed that the fund should be distributed in

proportion to the subscriptions of the Lodges , it had been arranged by the Committee that No . 453 should ho made a life governor of the Boys' and Girls' Schools ; and No . 420 of the Royal Benevolent Institution . The D . Prov . Grand Master had great pleasure in moving that the minutes and recommendations of the Charities Committee be adopted . Bro . Wheeler , acting Prov . S . G . W ., seconded the motion . The report was then adopted , leaving the exact distribution , as we

understood , to the committee . The report of the Clothing Committee was next brought up , and dress aprons for the various Provincial Grand Officers ordered to be purchased at the expense of 25 / ., out of the available funds in hand of 61 / . Tho various Lodges of the province being called , and it appearing that all were represented excepting No . 856 , Elias de Derham , Salisbury—that lodge was under the by-laws ordered to be fined 40 s . Bro . Sheppard having been unanimously elected P . G . Treasurer ,

The R . W . Prov . Grand Master proceeded to appoint and invest his officers for the ensuing year as follows : —Bros . D . Gooch , D . Prov . G . M . ¦ , Major Goddard , Prov . S . G . W . ; Collings , ( Past Master , No . 7 , ) Prov . J . G . W . ; Sheppard , Prov . G . Treas . ; W . F . Gooch , Prov . G . Sec : Biggs , Prov . G . Reg . ; Commons , Prov . S . G . D . ; Stancombe , Prov . J . GD . ; Marshal ] , Prov . G . Supt . of Works ; Bradford , Prov . G . Dir . of Cers . ; Trig , Prov . G . S . B . ; Spencer , Prov . G . Purs . ; and Bros . Chandler , J . E . S ., Bradford , T . Chandler , Tyler , and Burrows , Prov . G . Stewards . The Provincial Grand Lodge was then closed in due form , and the brethren adjourned to a banquet .

HAMPSHIRE . WINCHESTER . —Lodge of Economy ( No . 90 ) . —The monthly meeting of this Lodge took place at the Masonic Hall , adjoining the Black Swan Hotel , on the evening of Wednesday , the 29 th June . Bro . Sherry said , —Since our last Lodge meeting , the Grand Lodge of England have assembled to elect the Board of General Purposes , the ministers of the Craft , to conduct the affairs for the ensuing year .

At our last meeting , the regular business paper from Grand Lod ge was presented here , accompanied by a printed form , being a copy of a letter from Bro . Roxburgh , G . Reg ., to Bro . Gray Clarke , G . Sec , complaining of Bro . Whitmore ' s motion . This was a matter which took us rather by surprise . The cause of complaint had been the proceedings of the Grand Registrar of England , who had taken upon himself ( contrary to the usual custom ) to summon a party of Grand Officers and othersto his private residence or chambersfor the

-, , pur pose of selecting a number of brethren for recommendation to Grand Lodge , as those to conduct affairs as ministers of Masonry for the next year . He believed the Grand Registrar had erred in judgment only , and that he was not aware at the time that he was arrogating to himself the selection of men for such important purposes as conducting the affairs of the whole body of Masons . He had no doubt the Grand Registrar had acted with the purest motives , and that it