Scotland.

SCOTLAND .

PROVINCIAL LODGE OP DUMFRIESSHIRE . THE qnarterly communication of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Dumfriesshire was held on Thursday , 14 th ult ., in the Freemasons' Hall , Dumfries—Provincial Grand Master F . E . Williams presiding . The following Office-bearers were invested : —Bros . John Lennox Treasurer , George Crawford S . D ., James Currie J . D ., Alex .

Steven Architect , Thomas Shortridge Jeweller , Dr . Cox B . B . ( Sergt . ) , James Smith Marshall , A . S . Charteris Director of Ceremonies , Derby Bard , J . J . Clarke S . B ., J . J . Glover Dir . M ., Theodore Knupper Organist , James Coltart P . S ., J . G . Contland V . P . S ., Murphy , Walker , James Smith , Woodley , and James Kerr S . S ., Joseph Black

I . G ., Charles Sanders Tyler . It was agreed to postpone discussion of the bye-laws until the daughter Lodges have a better opportunity of considering them , and submitting their views thereon . The P . G . M . intimated that the D . M . ( Bro . Dr . Cox , Annan ) bad resigned office , on account of professional duties , and notified the appointment

of Bro . Arthur Johnstone , Douglas , Comlougan , as D . M ., and of Bro . E . J . Brooke jun ., of Hoddam , as Snb-M ., and these were invested in their respective offices . It was arranged that a deputation of the Provincial Lodgo should make a visit of inspection to Lodges St . Magdalen ( Locbmaben ) , and Qubytewoollen ( Lock .

erbie ) , on Saturday , the 23 rd February . In the evening the annual dinner of the Provincial Grand Lodge took place in the Commercial Hotel , when a capital dinner was set down before a numerous gathering of brethren by Mrs . Copland . Bro . Villiers P . G . M . occupied the chair , and was supported by

Bros . Henry Gordon , A . H . Johnstone-Douglas , and E . J . Brooke , Dinwiddie and Currie , were in their places . The Loyal and Masonio toasts having been duly honoured , the Provincial Grand Master said brethren had had their social gatherings before now , whioh had been entirely satisfactory ; but to-night they had an additional

matter before them , whch entailed on him a mixture of regret , of great gratitude , and of great affection . It was his privilege to propose the health of a Brother who for very many years had been , if not the mainstay , one of the mainstays , not only of the Provincial Grand Lodge , but of Masonry in Dumfriesshire . It was nearly fifty

years since Bro . Gordon became a Mason , in St . Luke s Lodge , Edinburgh . Not long after that period , he came to this county , and as long ago as 1852—at a time when Freemasonry was in a tottering state here—he was affiliated to St . Michael's Lodge . From that time he had never ceased to take an active and prominent part amongst the

brethren of this Province , working his way through nearly every grade , till , at the time when the speaker first had the honour of becoming the Provincial Grand Master , Bro . Gordon was holding , as he had long held , the office of P . S . G . M . It was then the privilege of the Provincial Grand MaBter to offer him the office of P . D . G . M ., knowing

well that had it been his desire brethren would have been glad to elevate him to the highest office in the Province . It was with feelings of personal gratitude that he ( Bro . Villiers ) recalled the assistance and encouragement he received from Bro . Gordon when , with much diffidence and after very much thought , he accepted the

high honour conferred on him by the Masons of Dumfriesshire ; but he thought brethren of the Province ought to be , if possible , even more grateful to Bro . Gordon for the assistance he had rendered during that long period of years when , in this Province especially , there was a lack of those fitted to occupy high office , and when he

stood manfully and went hand in hand with that venerable friend of Masonry Bro . Maitland , to sustain and promote the benefits of Freemasonry . This sentiment was strongly entertained , and a very general desire had been expressed to do honour to Bro . Gordon . From almost every Lodge , and from every part of the Province , and from

beyond the Province also , there had been an express desire to join the Provincial Grand Lodge in making a presentation to prove the sincerity of their regard to him ; and the jewel which he ( the P . G . M . ) held in his hand , and which Bro . Gordon had never seen , but

which it was their hope he might long be spared to wear and keep , was the outcome of that desire . Without further prelude , Brother Villiers handed to the Past Provincial Depnty Grand Master a handsome and valuable jewel , bearing the inscription : —¦

" Presented to Bro . Henry Gordon P . P . D . G . M . —for many years a distinguished members of the P . G . L . —by the Freemasons of the Province as a tribute of their regard and fraternal affection . Bro . Gordon , in acknowledging the gift , said that in his timo and day he had often been in an nuexpected fix , but this was the greatest

surprise ho had ever received , for until he entered the room ho knew nothing of it . From the bottom of his heart he thanked the members of tho Lodge and other subscribers for a magnificent present , of which he was not worthy . It was not quite , though very nearlv , fifty years since he entered the Craft , and when he came to Dumfries

in 1851 , he was affiliated to St . Michael ' s Lodge , then presided over Bro . Robert Bell , a man of most genial character . Some years after the Provincial Grand Lodge was resuscitated by Bro . Maitland , who was installed P . G . M ., and who appointed John Scott as Depute Master Bro . Pike as Substitute , himself ( Bro . Gordon ) as S . W ., Bro . Sloan

n * J . W ., nr > d Robert Martin as Secretary . All the ? e , with the exception of himself , had passed away . Having noticed other chains , B " . li' - < l < ii -. 1 Hoed t >< f-i o vacancy iu the office of P . G . M . iu 18 S 1 , which ei abled brethren to have the pleasure of installing Brother Vihiers as Lead of the province , under whose presidency Masonry

has gone on increasing in influence and in its power for good . He concluded by again returning thanks for the handsome gift presented t > him . Later on iu tho ev ..-r , ing , responding to tho toast of his lienlth , tlm Provincial Grand Master rof ' etred to the great change for

the better which had come over Freemasonry in Scotland , and to the more complete realisation of the benefits of the Craft , which was being evidenced on all sides . The principles of benevolence and brotherly love were more completely recognised now than before , in proof whereof he pointed not only to the Provincial Benevolent

Scotland.

Funds , and to the small funds of the Grand Lodge , but also to the fact that there had been started this year for the first time a National Masonical Fund . He was uot quite satisfied , however , with the organisation by which that benevolent scheme was to be worked . He had found from Masons in this and other provinces that there was a

desire that the Provincial Grand Lodges should be brought into closer contact with Grand Lodge with regard to the administration of the Fund , and he trusted to be able tc carry a proposal whioh would make P . G . M . 'a ex officio members of the Grand Committee and able to vote and speak with regard to the benevolent scheme ; and also a

proposal that all applications should pass through Provincial Grand Lodges , who would know the circumstances of those making the application , and be able to express an opinion thereon . He concluded by saying that there was every hope that next year would see a

monster bazaar in Glasgow , to whioh all the provinces would contribute , with a strong expectation and assurance that by this means the magnificent sum of £ 10 , 000 would be raised to establish the Masonio Benevolent Fund on a proper scale . Other toasts followed .

On Wednesday , 20 th ult ., Br . > . Col . J . Clark Forest , Provincial Grand Master of Lanarkshire Middle Ward , and the leading Office-bearers of the Provincial Lodge made their annual visit to Lodge St . Andrew ' s Military , No . 668 ( the onlj military Lodge in Scotland ) , at the Soldiers '

Institute , Hamilton . They were accompamed by Bros . John Graham Provincial Grand Master of Glasgow Province , D . Murray Lyon , Edinburgh , and Captain Sinclair Right Worshipful Master , and other Offce-bearers were in their places . At the close Bro . Clark Forest expressed himself highly pleased with everything connected with the Lodge .

Leeds Masonic Educational And Benevolent Institution.

LEEDS MASONIC EDUCATIONAL AND BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

THE annual Report of the Committee , just issued , ia to the following effect : —Your Committee , on presenting this their twelfth annual Report , have to congratulate the Patrons , Governors , and Subscribers on the success which hns attended their labours during the year last past , both in the increase of revenue and the decrease of expenditure . The Capital Account now stands at £ 1 , 585 13 s Id ,

having been increased as follows : Our President has contributed a further £ 5 5 s , to constitute himself a patron . An entertainment given by the Zetland Lodge resulted in a profit of £ 8 5 s 5 d . A sermon preaohed in St . Matthew's Church , by Bro . the Eev . William

Dunn , produced £ 5 15 s 7 d . Instalments received for Life Governorships under Rule 14 , from Bros . Pocklington , Yates , Grimshaw , Hattersley , and Suddick , of Lodge 304 , £ 6 6 s , making with the balance brought over from last year the amount above stated . The

following is a summary of the method by which the capital has been raised , viz . : — £ s d 26 Patrons paying £ 10 10 s each , of whom two have since died ... .. ... ... 273 0 0

1 perpetual Patron ... ... ... ... 26 5 0 12 Patronesses and Lewises at £ 5 5 s each ... 63 0 0 83 Life Governors , at £ 5 53 each ... ... £ 435 15 s Less owing ... ,., ... £ 1010 s A . 9 . R fi n

of whom 8 have since died . 24 perpetual Governors at £ 10 10 s each ... ... 252 0 0 Donations ... ... ... ... ... 64 2 0 Entertainments ... ... ... ... 371 0 7

Legacy ... .,. ... ... ... 45 0 0 Offertories ... ... ... ... ... 23 19 11 Transfer from Revenue ... ... ... ... 42 0 7 £ 1 , 585 13 1

and is invested as follows , viz .: — £ 1 , 000 Leeds Corporation 4 per cent , stock , at a cost of £ 1 , 036 lis 8 d ; and £ 450 3 £ per cent , stock , at a cost of £ 454 18 s lid , and the balance in the Leeds and County Bank . The Revenue Account for tho year is as follows , viz .: — Balance brought over from last year , £ 86 7 d 4 d ; Interest from the

Leeds Corporation , £ 54 7 s 2 dj Subscriptions , £ 03 14 s 6 d ; Bank Interest , £ 2 15 s ; making together tho snin of £ 207 4 s ; tho pay . ments for educatior , Ac , have been £ 13 13 s 81 ; and incidental expenses , £ 11 Is 7 d , leaving to carry over to next year £ 152 8 s 9 d . Since the commencement of the institution revenue has been raised

from the sources as follow : —Bank Iutercst , £ 72 19 s 2 d ; Subscriptions £ 507 lis 6 d ; Iuterest on Investments , £ 393 2 s 7 d ; Entertainment , ; G 17 2 s 9 d ; making together tho sum of £ 1 , 050 16 s ; tho Disbursements have been—Incidental expenses and expenses of formation , £ 134 Is 7 d ; Education , £ 704 los Id ; Advancement in

life , £ 17 10 s ; Transfer to Capital Account , £ 12 0 s 7 d ; or in the whole , £ 898 7 s 3 d , leaving a balance of £ 152 8 s 9 d , as shown in the Balance Sheet . 45 children have been placed in the Register of Beneficiaries , of whom 10 have been transferred to the Masonic

Institutions in London , 2 to the Commercial Travellers' School , and 1 to tho Yorkshire School ; 4 have died , 10 have completed their term under Rnlo 32 , 2 have been removed , and 10 remain chargeable to the Institution .

On the 21 st ultimo , the Annual Festival of the Philanthropy Lodge tjok p ' ace in the Mas mic Hall , Stockton , when the retiring Master , Bro . A . F . Petirce , impressively

installed Bro . J . b'owler S . W . in the chair oil K . S . for tlie ensuing year . Subsequently the brethren dined in the banqueting hall .