Kent.

Master then appointed the following as his Officers for the year :

Bro . Allan Tassell P . M . 133 - . Senior Warden Edward Murton P . M . 31 - - Junior Warden Rev . C . H . Fielding , M . A ., P . M . 1063 ) , „ , . Rev . Aug . Jackson , M . A ., P . M . 77 / C-haplams

William Russell - - Treasurer Alfred Spencer P . M . 1063 - - Secretary William James Hughes P . M . 1206 Registrar John Knowles P M 1725 - - I Seni

^ John Russell P . M . 1404 - - ) " ~ v .. w » . o Andrew James Crane P . M . 558 - ' T •T ^ Tr - \ r ,. „ T > TT mo - Junior Deacons Henry Mason P . M . 913 - - j Thomas Elmore P . M . 503 - - Supt . of Works

Thomas Easton P . M . 2305 - Director of Ceremonies Thomas Hearn P . M . 199 - - Deputy Dir . of Cers . Robert J . Beamish P . M . 77 - * J . S . Huntly P . M . 1096 - - . . . , . -p .. f , -, Geo . Goble P . M . 1273 - -J Assistant Dirs . of Cers .

John Pollard P . M . 2147 - - Sword Bearer Robert Gooding P . M . 1536 - 1 Q-. . inWi Tj „ nvora William Albert Rndd P . M . 184 - / S ^ ard Bearers Dr . William II . Longhurst P . M . 31 Organist Arthur Ronaldson P . M . 483 - Assistant Secretary

George D . Stevenson P . M . 2148 - Pursuivant Samuel Fuller P . M . 1967 - - Assistant Pursuivant George Church P . M . 20 - - \ Joseph Auty P . M . 158 JohRead PM 874

n .. - - „ . , _ Albert Henry Pilchor P . M . 972 - f Sfcewalds Frederic Gordon P M . 1063 Edwin Cockersell P . M . 1449

Joseph Orum 20 - - - Tyler The grants recommended by the Charities Committee , consisting of two sums of £ 20 each , one of £ 15 , and one of £ 10 , were agreed to , on the proposition of Earl Amherst , seconded by the Deputy , who next proposed

that " £ 126 be given to the Benevolent Institution , being £ 63 to Aged Fund and £ 63 to Widows' Fund , to constitute the Deputy Provincial Grand Master a Patron . " This was unanimously adopted , as also were the proposals in the name of the Prov . Grand Treasurer that '" £ 460 be carried forward to be added to

a sum amounting to a total of £ 1260 to purchase a perpetual presentation to the Boys School , " and " that the London and South Western Bank , Limited , be requested to advance to Provincial Grand Lodge , through Mr . William Bussell , the Treasurer , and on his promissory

note , a sum not exceeding Eight Hundred Pounds , at 3 per cent , interest , in order to complete the pui chase of a perpetual presentation to the Boys School , such advance to be repaid by instalments as may be arranged , within a period of two years . "

Provincial Grand Lodge was now adjourned , the Brethren going in procession to the Cathedral to attend Divine Service , when an impressive sermon was delivered by Bro . Bev . Augustus Jackson , Vicar of All Saints , Gravesend , the Senior Provincial Grand Chaplain .

Ihe Lodge was afterwards resumed , and formally closed . Upwards of 300 of the Brethren then assembled at the Kent County Pavilion for the banquet , which was presided over by the Provincial Grand Master , who in brief terms submitted the preliminary toasts , curtailing

his remarks , he said , not from any lack of loyalty , but because he knew one and all of those present were anxious to complete the programme of the day , and were sure to give the toasts hearty receptions without any urging from him .

The name of the Very Bev . Bro . Currie , Dean of Battle , Past Grand Chaplain was associated with the toast of the Grand Officers , and in acknowledging it he tendered the thanks of the representatives present for the honour done them that day , but in doing so

The Cathedral they had visited had the history of

he felt he was expressing but a very small part of the obligation they were under to the Province for being permitted to be present . He spoke in high praise of the impressive ceremonies that had taken place in the Chapter House , and that which had followed in the

greater building of the Cathedral . They of Sussex had beeu accustomed to say that at the Pavilion at Brighton they had the finest place out of London for Masonic meetings , but after his experience that day , in the splendid buildings in which they had held their

meetings , he felt the men of Kent might well boast of their motto : " Invicta . " No Province of England could in many respects surpass what they had seen that day , and he could but congratulate them on the great Province and the hearty enthusiasm of its members .

Kent.

England associated with it , and he might say that in the city of Canterbury they had the whole history of England as worked out by Masons . It had been his lot on many occasions to respond to this toast , but never before had he done so with such feelings of embarrassment , for never

before had he replied to it in the presence of Ladies , to whom he felt he might specially direct some of his remarks . Freemasonry was really supported on three columns : Wisdom , as represented by the Provincial

Grand Master ; Strength , as shown by the goodly array of Masons before them ; and Beauty as evidenced by the Ladies who were present in such numbers up above , as they should be , in the galleries . He might remind his learned Brethren who had mastered the seven

orders of Architecture , that there was something there about beautiful woman ; but in spite of all this he could but entertain the feelings of the lion who had to eat his dinner under the scrutiny of many eyes , and felt that the arrangement in regard to the diners and the

spectators might profitably be reversed . In conclusion he might add , for the information of the members of the fair sex who were present , that Masons recognised three great duties : to fear God , honour the Queen , and love the Ladies .

Bro . Eastes next rose . He was afraid he must bring the company down from the clouds of romance to a very practical toast—that of the Provincial Grand Master , but it was one that would be received with equal enthusiasm by the members of the Province . Looking

back—to the 3 rd of July 1873—he remembered he had the honour at a similar meeting in the good old city of Canterbury of proposing this same toast—the health of the Bight Worshipful the Provincial Grand Master ,

Lord Holmesdale as he then was . That was the last occasion the Provincial Grand Lodge had been entertained by the good Brethren of Canterbury , and although it was sixteen years ago , it seemed to him more like four or five . He was thankful that with the kindness of the

Great Architect of the Universe he and so many more who were then present were again assembled to drink to the health of their Provincial Grand Master . He perfectly remembered that on the previous occasion he had had to speak of the progress of Freemasonry in the Province from 1860—when Earl Amherst first assumed

charge of Kent—to that time , when there had been a marvellous increase and a great progress in local Freemasonry . The same satisfactory increase could be pointed to since that time . In 1878 the Province had 43 Lodges , with 2340 members ; now they had 59

Lodges , and a membership of 3650 , facts that he was sure must be very satisfactory to every Mason of Kent . Their Provincial Grand Master had been thirty-four years at the head of the Province , and with only two exceptions was the oldest Provincial Grand Master of

England , his seniors being the Duke of Devonshire , who had presided over Derbyshire since 1858 , and Lord Leigh , who had been at the head of Warwickshire since 1852 . They of Kent were rejoiced to known that all these years had been years of progress in the Province .

They could indeed look back with a feeling of gratitude , but at the same time they must recognise that they had never had so fine a meeting as the present one , which led him to hope their successes might be repeated and even increased in years to come . He could safely say 1

that the large increasem numbers of Lodges and members had led to larger amounts of money being available for the Province to dispense in charity ; the increases in Kent had not brought about any deterioration in the Craft ; in fact he saw nothing to object to in

increase of numbers , so long as they always bore in mind the even more important consideration of quality . In 1878 they were able to give away a total of about 300 guineas , that day they had voted amounts totalling up to

nearly 700 guineas , an increase that spoke for itself . He felt they must one and all agree that this satisfactory progress was due to the fact of their having at their head one who had done so nobly for them as had Earl Amherst , and they could but hope he might be spared for many

years longer to rule over the destinies of the Province . Bro . Eastes felt he could not close his remarks without a word in regard to Lady Amherst , who had devoted

herself most zealously to the cause of Freemasonry and would , he was convinced , do so even more were she allowed . Her ladyship had really acted as Provincial