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— : o : — PROVINCIAL GRAND CHAPTER OF ESSEX . ON Monday , 19 th ult , the Graud Superintendent of the Province of Essex ( Comp . Fred A . Philbrick , Q . C ,

urand . Registrar ) neld nis annual Provincial Urand unapter under the banner of the Essex Chapter , No . 276 , at Chelmsford , and the proceedings throughout were most successful . The Grand Chapter was opened in Chelmsford

Corn Exchange shortly after three o clock , the Grand bupfc . being supported by Comp . E . J . Barron P . Z . and Treas . 214 Prov . G . H ., and Comp . the Rev . Thos . Cochrane P . Z . 214 H . 4437 P . G . Sw . B . Eng . acting Prov . G . J ., aud most of the other Grand Officers of the year ; while there was a

good attendance ot fast umcers and Companions trom tne Chapters in the Province . The minutes of the lasfc P . G . Chapter ( held at Chingford ) having been read and confirmed , fche Provincial Grand Scribe E . / Como . Railing ) read letters

from several Comps . regretting their inability to be present , includingjjComps . Shadwell H Gierke Grand Scribe B ., A . C . Velley P . Z . 276 Prov . G . J ., R . Clowes P . Z . 51 Prov . G .

Reg . & o . The roll of Chapters was then called , and ifc was found that all the six comprising the Province were duly represented . The annual returns showed an increase of 29 in the number of contributiner members : the Auditors

reported a balance in the hands of the Provincial G . Treasurer of £ 19 9 s 8 d . The Grand Supfc ., in his address , congratulated the Comps . on the progress R . A . Masonry was making in fche Province , the more assured , he considered , because it

had been a steady progress , and not by leaps and bounds . Since their last meeting the Brooke Chapter had been added to the roll , and he was glad to know that another Lodge ( one of the youngest ) was about to petition for a Charter empowering them to form a Chapter . He was glad to feel

that perfect harmony prevailed amongst them—there was no need of a Royal Commission to inquire into the wrongdoings of the R . A , Masons of Essex—and the working of the Chapters was everything that could be desired . Since

his arrival at Chelmsford he had received a mosfc cordial and fraternal invitation from Ex . Comp . the Rev . T . Cochrane to hold the next Grand Chapter at Romford , and as they had not vet visited Romford he had accented that invitation .

^ - 4 — - and he trusted they mighfc all be spared to meet together there under as satisfactory and happy prospects as those of to-day . On the motion of Comp . the Rev . Thomas Cochrane seconded by Comp . Fred Wood , the Comps . unanimously re-elected , for the fifth time , Comp . Andrew

Durrant , P . Z . and Treas . 276 , as Provincial Grand Treasurer . The Provincial Grand Officers were then appointed and invested , as follows : — Comp . W . D . Merritfc P . Z . 1000 - H .

John J . 0 . Turner P . Z . 51 - J . Thomas J . Balling P . Z . 51 Scribe E . J . P . Lewis Z . 276 - - Scribe N . Jos . Clever Z . 2005 • Begistrar G . Wallace P . Z . 214 . . Sojourner

Henry Mason Z . 1437 * . 1 st Assistant Sojourner P . H . Bennett N . 2005 . . 2 nd Assistant Sojourner J . J . Cavill J . 276 . - Sword Bearer

T . W . Eastgate J . 1000 . Standard Bearer A . Lnoking P . Z . and S . E . 1000 Director of Ceremonies G . P . Smith P . Z . Org . 1826 - Organist A . W . Martin .. . Janitor

The sum of five guineas having been voted to the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , the Grand Superintendent proposed a hearty vote of thanks to the Principals and

Companions of the Essex Chapter for the excellent arrangements they had made for the meeting , which , having been unanimously carried , the proceedings closed . Between 30 and 40 Companions afterwards dined together afc the

White Hart Hotel , the repast being well supplied by the host . The Grand Superintendent presided in his well-known genial manner , and the greatest harmony and good feeling prevailed . In proposing the loyal toast , the Grand

Superintendent said there was being enacted that day a scene which would touch the hearts of Englishmen . Their beloved Queen , herself a widow , was welcoming to our shores her widowed daughter—that daughter , who some years since left these shores wifch her young husband with bright hopes

ot domestic leiicity and ot uselulness in a great kingdom . No class of men were more loyal than Freemasons , and all their hearts would give one great throb of sympathy with mother and daughter in the trying circumstances in which

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they were placed . The toast of the health of the Grand Superintendent was proposed by Comp . Barron , in a telling speech . It seemed but yesterday , he remarked , that many

of those present , with others , were in Chelmsford to assist in the installation of their Grand Superintendent by the Earl of Lathom , and they all felt he was the right man in the right place . Comp . Philbrick was not only well known all over the world as a great lawyer , and as Recorder of

one of the ancient Boroughs of Essex , bufc in x reemasonry his name was a household word . The establishment of a P . G . Chapter under his rule had given a greafc impetus to Royal Arch Masonry in Essex , and he ( Comp . Barron ) was sure he only echoed the wish of all their hearts when

he expressed a hope that their Grand Superintendent might be long spared to them . The Grand Superintendent , whose rising was the signal for loud and prolonged applause , said words failed him to express the sense he felt ofthe kindness with which the toast had been proposed by Comp . Barron and received by the Companions . He assured them that the welfare of the Province , ever since he had had the honour to preside over ifc , had been very near to his heart , and ifc was always a pleasure fco do anything in his power to further its best interests . As he had remarked in Grand

Chapter , they were making good and steady progress . They had now six Chapters on the roll , and another , he was happy to think , was not far distant . It was also most gratifying to him to feel that there was no slackness in the working of the degree in their various Chapters . He need not enforce upon them the value of first impressions—all who had reached mature age had felt the influence of them ; and when the solemn and ennobling ritual of the Royal

Arch was rendered in a thoughtful and careful way , it could not fail to impress itself on those who sought admission into their ranks . In conclusion the Grand Superintendent again thanked the members of the Essex Chapter for the completeness of their arrangements , and proposed the health of their M . E . Z . Comp . J . P . Lewin . Comp . Lewin , in reply , said the Essex Chapter had felt it a great honour to

receive the Grand Chapter , and if the arrangements that had been made had given satisfaction to the Grand Superintendent and his Officers , fchey were amply repaid for any little trouble to which they had been put . Among the Comps . present , besides those already mentioned

were—Comps . George Cooper P . G . A . S . Eng ., Rev P . B . Shepherd P . P . G . H ., Vero W . G . Taylor P . P . G . H , P . Whitmore P . P . G . P . Sojourner , Arthur Goodohild P . P . G . P . Soj ., Arthur Mead P . P . G . A . Soj ., E . Shedd P . P . G . A . Soi ., Andrew C . Durrant Steward 276 . R .

G . Kellefc P . S . 276 , G . W . Pascall 276 , George Copus 276 , Pred Horsman 51 , Theo . Davey 1437 , P . H . Meggy 276 , Jennings 1437 , J . S . Hammond 1437 , Prank Sufchery 276 , Major Bannister 276 , & c , & c .

PROY . GRAND CHAPTER ; OF WEST YORKSHIRE . AT a Convocation of Provincial Grand Chapter holden in the Technical College , Horton-road , Bradford , on Wednesday , the 21 st November 1888 , at 3 * 30 p . m ., by the invitation of Sincerity Chapter , No . 600 , there were

present : — Companions Thomas William Tew , J . P ., Grand Superintendent ; John Wordsworth as H ., P . Laxton as J ., Henry Smith S . E ., W . Ridgard Massie S . N ., Mark Newsome , J . P ., and James Bedford Pasfc S . N . ' a ; W . H . Milnea as Treasurer , George Marshall Pasfc

Treasnrer , J . G . Hutchinson as Eegistrar , H . S . Holdsworth Principal Sojourner , Samuel Freeman and Charles Crabtree Pasfc Principal Sojourners ; W . Chas . Ellisdon First Assistant Sojourner , Thomas W . Embleton as Second Assistant Sojourner , George Althorp , Samuel Slack , George Normanton , Eoberfc Craig , 0 . T . Ehodes , Thomas

Richard Vaux , and William Watson Past Sojourners ; J . A . Thornton Sword Bearer , Eeuben Williamson Pasfc Sword Bearer , James Wright as Standard Bearer , Arthur A . Stofcfc and F . W . Turner Pasfc Standard Bearers , J . W . Monckman as D . O ., Dr . S . T . Steele Assistant D . C , John Barker , Edmund Lord , Thos . Gaukrower Pasfc

D . C . ' s ; Joshua Paget Priestley Organist , Herbert G . E . Green Assistant S . E ., Samuel Barrand Janitor , J . Ramsden Riley , J . H . Eoper , and Jose Bickard as Stewards , John W . Bailey Steward j and Principals , Pasfc First Principals and Companions of the various Chapters throughout the Province .

Apologies for absence were received from the following Provincial Grand Officers : —Companions H . J . Garnett 139 , T . B . Fox 208 , E . T . Clark 458 . John Shaw 139 , Thomas Barber 652 , Richard Carter 1001 , George Brooke 242 , and Frederick Cleeves 904 , as well as upwards of 130 other Companions .

M . E . Companion Thomas William Tew , J . P ., Grand Superintendent and his Officers opened Provincial Grand Chapter at 3 * 30 . After the Principals had been saluted