Provincial Grand Lodge Of Staffordshire.

William Cartwright ... 460 G . Secretary James Senior 726 G . Senior Deacon E . Roberta 637 G . Junior Deacon S . Clapp 662 G . Sup . of Works T . E . Fowke 726 G . Director of Cerem . inu asst oi uti

vv . a . rsucKnau ... ... u . .,. JJIX . * . William Ormson 1520 G . Sword Bearer F . Mountford 460 G . Organist F . M . Julian 451 G . Pursuivant G . Sharpe 696 G . Standard Bearer

Brother Henry Baggnley , 460 , was re-elected Tyler . Brother Cartwright considered that in coneequence of the great increase of Lodges ancl Provincial Grand Lodge business ifc was desirable to appoint an Assistant Tyler for tho Province . He proposed the appointment of Bro . R . Tomlinson , 627 , as Assistant Tyler . This was seconded by Bro . Bodenham and carried .

The Stewards appointed were Bros . W . H . Bailey , Dr . Lowe , T . C . Martin , J . Tong , W . Swinnerton , and G . Lathbury . The P . G . Lodge then adjourned for Divine service at St . Panl ' s Chnrch , on the opposite side of tbe road , a procession being marshalled by Bro . Fowke , which included four youths , who wore sons of Masons , carrying the volume of the Sacred Law . Prayers " ere

read by the Rev . J . Addenbrooke , who is not a member of the Fraternity ; the first lesson by the Rev . W . F . Drnry P . G . Chaplain , and fche second lesson by the Rev . W . Randall P . P . G . Chaplain . Bro . the Rev . J . Seddon , P . G . Chaplain , preached an appropriate sermon from Psalm viii . 3 and 4— " When I consider Thy heavens , the work of Thy fingers , the moon and fche stars , which Thou hast ordained ;

what is man , that Thou art mindful of him ; and the son of man , that Thou visiteth him ? " The service was earnest and impressive , ancl included the singing of an anthem , "God is the Spirit" ( Dr . Bennett ) by the church choir . On the return of the brethren to the Lodge , business was resumed . Bro . Gough moved a vote of thanks to Rev . J . Seddons , the esteemed Chaplain , for the excellent discourse

with which he had favoured them that afternoon . One of the first principles of Masonry was to be mindful of the wants of others , and , in accordance wifch the invariable cnstom of the P . Grand Lodge , he shonld propose that from the collection in the church ( which on that occasion was something over £ 12 ) £ 5 5 s should be contributed towards the debt in connection wifch their Chaplain's church and £ 5 5 s to the

Vicar of St . Paul ' s , who had allowed the use of his beautiful chnrch for Divine service . Bro . the Rev . W . Randall seconded the proposition , remarking that Bro . Seddon ' s excellent discourse furnished abundant matter for the most soaring Mason to exercise his faculties upon . The Vicar of St . Paul ' s , who was not a Mason , had kindly allowed them the use of his church , and in dedicating the receipts of

that day in the manner proposed by Bro . Gough they were carrying out the practice and principles of Freemasonry . The proposition having been carried , Bro . Cartwright said they had all heard , with regret , of the resignation of the P . G . Treasnrer , and he certainly thought the duties Bro . Bodenham had performed entitled him to some mark of their esteem . He ( Bro . Cartwright ) begged to propose thafc as Bro . Bodenham was a Past Senior Warden nnd Past Treasurer

of the Province of Staffordshire , a jewel combining the representation of those two offices be presented to him out of the funds of the Province . This was seconded by Bro . Gough , and carried , Bro . Bodenham having acknowledged the compliment conveyed in the resolntion , the P . G . Lodge was closed by Bro . Tudor , and the Abbey Lodge by Bro . Bindley .

At the banquet which followed , whicb was of an excellent description , and was attended by mosfc of the brethren who bad been at Lodge , Bro . Tudor R . W . P . G . M . presided , the Wardens' chairs being occupied by Bros . Bindley and Parkes . The loyal toasts were followed by thafc of the M . W . Pro G . M . ( the Earl of Carnarvon ) , the V . W . D . G . M . ( the Earl of Lathom ) , and the Officers of Grand " Lodge

Past and Present . Bro . Tudor , in proposing the latter ( which was received with applause ) , said that was tbe first time since he had been connected with Masonry thafc any Staffordshire brother had been called upon to respond as Officer of the Grand Lodge of England . Bro . Gough , in acknowledging the toast , said he highly appreciated the honour which had been recently conferred upon the Province of

Staffordshire by the appointment which the Prince of Wales as Grand Master had thought fit to make . He received the appointment of G . S . B . as an honour which he had clone for the Province . He did not wish to arrogate to himself any personal merits which had brought that honour upon the Province , and he acknowledged with gratitude the kind , generous , and unsolicited aid which he had received from

the R . W . P . G . M . He assured them that the toast was no mere formal one . In P . G . Lodge an appointment entailed duties rather in posse than in esse ; bufc in the Grand Lodge there was real hard work to be done , and the Officers had no sinecure . He had received within the last three days four summonses to attend meetings with regard to the government of the Craft to be held in London during the next

few weeks . He next pointed out the chief characteristics of the principal Officers of the Grand Lodge , and said those who served under them were actuated by the same spirit of zeal for the interests of Freemasonry . Bro . Bindley , in proposing the health of the Right Worshipfnl Provincial Grand Master , said he considered a very great honour had been conferred upon Burton and upon the Abbey

Lodge by the visit of the Provincial Grand Lodge . The Burton brethren entertained the most hearty good wishes towards the Visitors , and would have made even more ample provision for their comfort if they had known that there would have been snob a large gathering . He was sure that tho Prov . Grand Master had won the gratitude of all Masons who had served under him . They were quite

aware of the sacrifices which Bro . Tudor made , both with regard to his health , and those comforts and conveniences which conduced to health , rather than forego anything which was calculated to gis * e satisfaction to tho Lodges nnder his rule . He ( Bro . Bindley ) was grateful for the honour which had been conferred on the Abbey Lodge by appointing as Prov . Grand Chaplain one of the finest men in Burton , whether considered as a Churchman , as a Volunteer , or as

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Staffordshire.

one who was over read y to assist and comfort the distressednamely , Bro . Drury , the worth y Chaplain of the Abbey Lodge . The toast was drank with great cordiality . Tho R . W . Prov . Grand Master acknowledged the toast , and urged tho necessity of doing all thoy could to promote an increase of funds to tho Masonic Charities . Since the Princo of Wales took the office of Grand Master of English

Freemnsons there had boon an increase of five hundred Lodges , ancl it required more votes now to get a candidate into a Masonic Institution than it did formerly . Twelve years ago Staffordshire Masons sent £ 500 to the Masonic Charities in London , but that was nothing like what wonld have been sent if all tho brethren had dono their best . If the brethren all know what good was being done by those

Masonic Charities , there would be moro money raised for them than there was at the present time . Ho reminded them thafc votes ac . quired by individual members died with them , bnt votes of Lodges were held in perpetuity , and ho urged that it wns important to support the Staffordshire Charitable Association as a means of increasing the voting power of the Province . Some years ago it only

took 1000 or 1200 votes to secure the election of a candidate for one of the Charitable Institutions ; but now ifc required between 2000 and 3000 . He ( Brother Tudor ) then proposed the health of Bro . Foster Gough as D . P . G . M ., ancl the other Provincial Officers Past and Present . Bro . Gongh in responding spoke of tho great harmony prevailing in tho Lodges in the Province , aud offered a fow words of advice to

Masters of Lodges past and present . Bro . Parkes also responded . Bro . Bodenham , in an appropriate speech , proposed the toasfc of the R . W . P . G . Masters of Adjoining Provinces and tho Officers of their respective P . G . Lodges , for whom Bro . Coulson , P . G . S . W . Derbyshire , responded . At this stage of the proceedings the exigencies of the railway service rendered it necessary for a large number of the

brethren , including the P . G . M ., to leave , and for the remainder of the evening Bro . Bindley presided . Bro . the Rev . W . F . Drury proposed the Worshipful Masters of tho Lodges in the Province . Bro . Bindley , in a neat and appropriate address , acknowledged tho toast , mention , ing , in the course of his remarks , that no body of men could be more loyal than were the members of the Abbey Lodge to their W . Master .

Bro . the Rev . W . Randall submitted the toast of the Visitors , for whom Bro . A . O . Worthington responded . Bro . Bindley , in present , ing the toast of the Masonic Charities , acknowledged with a feeling of pleasure the support which he received , not only from his own Lodge , but from the Province , when he went as a Steward to the Masonio School for Girls . He thanked those brethren who had sup .

ported him , and reminded them that there was another charity which needed all the help ifc conld get , and nothing would give him more pleasure than to subscribe £ 5 5 s this year towards the fund which would be raised at the forthcoming Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys . Brother Frederick Binckes , the Secretary , who had arrived bnt a short time previously from Yarmouth , where he

bad been attending a Masonic meeting on Monday night , responded to the toast . He thanked them for the cordiality with which he had been received . He said he had a peculiar affection for Staffordshire . He had known and visited that Province while it was under Colonel Vernon , than whom a more able Grand Master never presided over any Lodge , also while it was nnder Bro . Harvey , again under that

excellent brother the Earl of Shrewsbury , who was prematurely cut off from amongst them , and now they hacl as Prov . Grand Master one of fche mosfc sincere and hearty Masons in the world . He ( Bro . Binckes ) was one of those who , having laboured in the Masonic vineyard , did nofc like to lose old associations . He mentioned thafc the probationary School in connection with the Institution for Boys hacl been

inaugurated , and , having acknowledged the generous aid rendered by Staffordshire to the Masonic Charities , he appealed to the members of the Craffc present not to relax their efforts on behalf of those excellent Institutions ; his remarks being well received . The Prov . Grand Stewards , and the Tyler ' s toasfc were the last ou the list . The speeches were interspersed with some capital glee singing by members of the choir of St . Paul's Church .

It is always a gratifying duty for us to refer to any recognition of courtesy and zeal in the fulfilment of the every-day duties of life by those who minister to our comforts . We have frequently had occasion to speak of the unwearying attention displayed by Bro . John Baker , the

manager of the Cock Tavern , at Highbury Corner . On Friday next , a presentation will be made , at a complimentary dinner which will be given , under the presidency of Alfred W . Stroud , Esq ., a gentlemen well known to Islingtonians . Bros . E . Woodman ( Secretary ) and R . P . Forge

( Treasurer ) , of the Testimonial Committee , have exerted themselves most strenuously to carry out the wishes of the many friends of both Mr . and Mrs . John Baker , and we anticipate the meeting of Friday next will be one of the most successful ever celebrated at this popular establishment .

A literary outcome of the International Fisheries Exhibition is the appearance of The Fish Trade Gazette and National Fisheries Record , conducted and written by practical men , and intended to be the representative of the innumerable indnttrial and manufacturing interests connected with fishing and fisheries all over the world .

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