Partial Suspension.

even if he is not enjoying its full benefits . He never did care to take an active part in the proceedings of his Lodge , and the loss of his vote is more than compensated by his relief from dues and committee work . In one sense he becomes a sort of honorary member .

Now we have no objection to the Grand Lodge of Arkansas , or of any other State except Indiana , inflicting this sort of a penalty for non-payment of dues , if they will do it under some other name than " suspension . " It is in

fact nothing more nor less than " dropping a member from the roll , " as has been done in some Grand jurisdictions . Make the punishment for non-payment of dues whatever you please , but call the penaltv by its right name , so that

others may not be misled as to the Masonic standing of your members . In Indiana we could hold Masonio intercourse with one who had been dropped from the roll , but could not with one who is under suspension , even if he had committed no erreater offence than non-navment of

dues . The obligation not to hold Masonic intercourse with one who is under the penalty of suspension was in no way qualified as to the cause of such suspension . We cannot recognise such a penalt y as " partial suspension . "—Masonic Advocate ,

Freemasonry In Gloucestershire.

FREEMASONRY IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE .

MUCH of what we said last week in regard to Suffolk Freemasonry applies with equal force to nearly every other English Province , for to outsiders , and those

who are not intimately associated with one or other of them , Freemasonry in one county is very much like that in another ; therefore , it is not our intention to make as

full a summary of other Provincial Calendars as we did of that of Suffolk , but rather to devote our space to a notice of such items as may be peculiar to the several districts

which come under notice . In years to come -we hope there will be sufficient in each Provincial Calendar to render its perusal a matter of more general interest , and then we may treat the information contained in them in a different manner to what we here do . We now devote attention to Gloucestershire , the Calendar for which , compiled by Bro .

R . V . Vassar-Smith , the Provincial Charity Secretary , presents one or two features of novelty , among which we may mention a page devoted to a " record of Masonic occurrences in Province of Gloucestershire" in 1885 ;

which , unfortunately , mainly consists of an " obituary ; the other matters recorded being the Anniversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution ( held in London ) , at which the Provincial Grand Master of

Gloucestershire presided , and the installation of Bro . John Walker , M . A ., as Grand Mark Master of the Province . There is also a record of the Past Officers of the

Provincewhich is presided over by the Right Hon . Sir M . E . Hicks-Beach , Bart ., M . P ., P . S . G . W . —and then a list of the several Lodges , with the Officers , Past Masters , date and place of meeting , name of Secretary , number of

members , & o . or each . From this list we learn that the Province of Gloucestershire has on its roll 605 Masons , distributed among its fourteen Lodges as follows : —

No . Lodge Meeting afc Members 82 Foundation Cheltenham 51 246 Eoyal Union Cheltenham 67 270 Eoyal Faith and Friendship Berkeley 28 493 Eoyal Lebanon Gloucester 79

592 Cotteswold Cirencester 57 702 Sherborne Stroud 39 761 St . John Dnrsley 24 839 Royal Gloucestershire Gloucester 60 855 Sympathy Wotton-nnder-Edge 30

900 St . lieorge Tewkesbury 30 951 Prince of Wales Stow-on-the Wold 29 1005 Zetland Gloucester 50 1067 Royal Forest of Dean Newnham-on-Severn 36 1363 Tyndall Chipping Sodbury 25

The Provincial Grand Chapter , which is also under the government of Sir M . E . Hicks-Beach , consists of three Chapters , with a total membership of 155 , viz . :

No . Chapter Meeting at Members 82 Unanimity Cheltenham 88 493 Royal Lebanon Gloucester 34 839 Royal Gloucestershire Gloucester 33

Full particulars are also given as regards the Mark and the higher degrees of Masonry , while the closing pages of the Calendar are devoted to the subject of Charity . Prom

Freemasonry In Gloucestershire.

these we learn that the Charity Committee of the Province consists of the head of the Province and his Deputy , the Prov . Grand Treasurer and Secretary , a representative from each Lodge , & c . in the Province—who must be at least a

Life Subscriber to one or more of the Charities—such subscribing members , resident in the Province , as have served the office of Steward to two of the Charities ; brethren who act as Stewards ( for the year in which

they serve ) , and all Life Governors of the Provincial Benevolent Fund . This Committee has the management of the Provincial cases at the several elections of the

Institutions , and the Calendar gives a list of those who have been elected through the instrumentality of this Committee . In connection with the subject

it is stated that at the meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge at Cheltenham in 1882 it was resolved , in respect to the distribution of alms for the poor and distressed that at all meetings of Lodges in the Province , whether followed by a banquet or not , the box for poor and

distressed Masons should be sent round , and the sum collected inserted in the minutes of the Lodge on each occasion . It was also decided that a portion of the sum collected should be handed over to the Charity Steward of the Province , in

aid of the fund for the relief of poor and distressed Masons of the Province exclusively , or their wives and children , and that for the first five years , by way of experiment , the portion should be one-half of the sums

collected . Any brother subscribing five guineas ( in one or more sums ) to this Fund becomes a Governor , and as such is entitled to attend all meetings of the Charity Committee . Then follow details of the Masonic Charity Association of the Province , the objects of which are ( A ) The increase

of the number of Life Subscribers and Life Governors to the Royal Masonic Charities , and ( B ) The formation of a systematic Benevolent Fund for the purpose ( 1 ) of educating and advancing in life the children of distressed or

deceased Freemasons in the Province ; and ( 2 ) to give assistance in elections to the Masonic Charities . Lists are also given of brethren who have served the office of Steward to the Charities for the year 1885 , together with the amounts collected , and this is followed by a list

showing the votes held by the several Lodges , & c . ( and the members thereof ) in the Province . This list gives the total number of votes in Gloucestershire as follows : — 691 Girls ' , 1016 Boys ' , 625 Men ' s , and 777 " Widows ' , a total of 3019 . This number , which was the total on the

1 st January 1886 , compares with past years as follows : — 1879 , 936 ; 1880 , 1229 ; 1881 , 1463 ; 1882 , 2017 ; 1883 , 2093 ; 1884 , 2320 ; and 1885 , 2489 . There has thus been an increase each year , which on the eight years shows an improvement of 2173 votes . A list of Lodges , & c . iu

adjoining Provinces brings to a conclusion a very useful little work , which , as may be judged from the extracts we give , contains much valuable information in connection with Freemasonry in Gloucestershire .

The monthly meeting of the Committee of Management of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution was held on Wednesday , at Freemasons' Hall , under the presidency of Bro . Edgar Bowyer P . G . Standard Bearer . The

minutes having been confirmed , i . ro . J . Terry ( secretary ) reported that four of the male annuitants had died since the last meeting , as also had one of the male candidates .

One of the widows on the list for the next election had written , withdrawing her candidature , which withdrawal was accepted . The report of the Warden for the past month , and the report of the Finance Committee were

read , adopted , and ordered to be entered on the minutes . The application of a widow for the usual share of her deceased husband ' s annuity was received and granted , after which a Committee was appointed to prepare the annual report of the Institution , and the proceedings were

brought to a conclusion with the customary vote of thanks to the Chairman .

Bro . Horace Brooks Marshall P . G . Treasurer will preside at the next Festival of the Newsvendors' Benevolent and Provident Institution , to be held at the Cannon-street Hotel , on Tuesday , 25 th May .

Ar00303

FUNERALS properly carried out and personally attended in London or Conntry by Bro . Q . A . HTJTTON , 17 -STewca . tie Street , Strand , W . C . Monuments erected . Valuations made .