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PROVINCEOFMIDDLESEX. E . W . 001 . SIR FRANCIS BURDETT , BART . Past Grand Senior Warden of England . Representative from the Grand Lodge of Ireland . PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTER . A meeting of tho PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE will be held on Saturday , 5 th Juno , at the Town Hall , Twickenham , at 3 p . m . precisely . There will be a short service at the Parish Church , at -1 . 30 p . m . Banquet at the Town Hall , at 5 " 30 p . m ., fee 7 s if ticket be taken on or before Tuesday , 1 st June ; after that date 10 s ( both exclusive of wine ) . Application for tickets to be made , with a remittance , to the Provincial Grand Secretary . By command of the Prov . G . Mastor , J . F . H . WOODWARD P . M . P . Z ., Provincial Grand Secretary . Oomberton , Mowbray Road , Norwood , S . E .

Ar00903

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Provincial Grand Lodge Of Wiltshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF WILTSHIRE .

rilHE annual meeting of this Provincial Grand Lodge JL was held at the Town Hall , Warminster , on Friday , the 7 th instant , being- received by the Longleat Lodge , No . 1478 . In the unavoidable absence of the Provincial

Grand Master , Lord Methuen , the chair was filled by the Deputy Provincial Grand Master , Sir Gabriel Goldney , Bart ., supported b y Colonel Handle Ford P . P . G . J . W . as

P . G . S . W ., the Rev . T . J . Heard as P . G . C , F . H . Goldney P . G . Treasurer , H . Merrick P . G . Registrar , H , Bevir P . G . Secretary , J . T . Calkin P . G . Superintendent of Works , G . Pike P . G . A . D . C , W . H . Bart P . G . S . B ., T . Turner Steward , H . 0 . Tombs P . G . D . England P . P . G . S . W .,

W . Nott P . P . GJ . W . Charity Secretary , J . C Maclean P . P . G . S . D ., T . S . Futcher P . P . G . J . D ., W . J . Mann Past P . G . Superintendent of Works , C Gauntletfc P . P . G . A . D . C , W . H . Brinkworth P . P . G . O ., E . S . Mackrell P . P . G . O ., Edwin Eyres P . P . G . P ., A . J . Beavon P . P . G . B ., F . S . Hancock W . M . 663 , F . Barton W . M . 1271 , E . Jones W . M . 1295 , W . Pullen W . M . 1478 , & c , & c . The roll of the various Lodges was called , and the call with

one exception was duly responded to . The Provincial Grand Secretary , Bro . Harry Bevir , then read the minutes of the last Provincial Grand Lodge , held afc Salisbury , "which minutes were duly confirmed . This was followed by

the reading of the minutes of the Charity Committee meeting , which had been held fche same morning , from which it appeared that Bro . J . C . Maclean had , at the request of the Committee , consented to act as Steward from the Province

for the forthcoming Festivals of both Girls' ancl Boys ' Schools , and that to his list for the former tho Committee recommended a vote of £ 10 10 s , ancl for the Boys' School the sum of £ 21 . These recommendations were adopted .

The Provincial Grand Treasurer , Bro . F . H . Goldney , read an abstract of his accounts , which had been duly audited . These accounts showed that , in addition to the cash

balances in his hands on the general account , the Charit y account and tha Provincial Benevolent Fund account , there "were investments in the funds nmountins ? on the whole to

something like £ 500 . Bro . Goldney intimated that they would probably have to bear a new expense for the future , inasmuch ns the Somerset House authorities hud mado a claim for income tax on the various contributions to the

Prov . Grand Loclgi funds . The principle on which this claim was made had been under the consideration of the authorities of Grand Lodge , who , ho was afraid , would fee ! tnemselves obliged to admit it . The reports and accounts

° f the Provincial Grand Treasnrer were approved and adopted . The Prov . Grand Registrar , Bro . ' ii . Merrick , pvesented his report , which stated that the Province appeared to be in a generally satisfactory and progressive

condition , that there was an increase in the numbers of the brethren as compared with the numbers given in the lust Kpovt , bringing the total nominal strength of the ten Lod yes U P to -551 . and that there had been a decided improvement in

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Wiltshire.

the effective working conduct of various Lodges . The Registrar ' s report went on to say that it might be broadly assumed that the total income of the ten Lodges amounted to abonfc £ 750 , and the ordinary expenditure to about £ 600 per annum , bufc directed the attention of Lodges

to the large and increasing amount of outstanding unpaid subscriptions . Tho adoption of this report was carried by acclamation . Brofcher William Nofcfc , Provincial Charity Secretary , presented the report of tho Benevolent fund and Charity Organization Committee as follows : —

Benevolent Fund . —The whole of tho income to the end of the year 1881 has been invested in Consols , and the income for the past year will also bo available for further investment , no claim having been made upon it . The fund is now assuming a most satisfactory

position , and in a few years will—should no large claim occur—have reached an amount , the income from which , with the annual subcriptions from the Lodges , will allow of a substantial assistance being given when occasion may arise for it .

Charity Organization . —At the last mooting of the Prov . Grand Lodge it was reported that tho Committee had adopted the widow of the lato Bro . Chariot Poaviour , of the Lodge- of Rectitude , No . . 135 , Corshnm , as'a ourdirlato for tho Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . This case being taken up by the Associated Provinces

at tho election in May last , Mrs . Peaviour waa elected on that , the first attempt , she being eighteenth on the list of twenty-three successful candidates . Your Charity Secretary as Secretary of the Association of Provinces , of which Wiltshire is one , has attended the meetings of their

representatives , which take place in London at the elections . The representatives , of the other Provinces are Bros . Captain S . G . Homfray D . P . G . M . Monmouthshire ( Chairman of the Association ) , R . C . Else D . P . G . M . Somersetshire , M . Tennant D . P . G . M . E . D . of South Wales , R . V . Vassar-Smith , Gloucestershire , W . Pnrnell . Bristol , M , J .

Walker , Leicester and Rutland , and J . Wilson , Worcestershire ; and to all of whom the thanks of this Province are dne for their hearty co-operation , which has resulted in the Association attaining a commanding position at the election i for the great Masonic Charities . Tho Wiltshire recipients of these Masonic Charities are now as

follows : —Prom tho Benevolent Institution four widows are ( as tliree of them have been doing for tbe past nine , seven , and three years respectively ) receiving annuities of £ 32 each ; whilst in the Girls ' School , five , and in thn Boys' School , two children are being maintained and educated . Wiltshire thus derives from theso Charities a

large benefit , the money value of whioh may be reckoned at nearly , if not quite , £ 500 a year . The contributions of Wiltshire to public Masonio Charities during the past year have been made throngh tho medium of Bro . John Chandler , as Steward from the Province , for the Royal Masonic

Benevolent Institution , with a list of £ 188 17 a ; and Bro . William Nott , as Steward for the Mark Benevolent Fund , from the Wiltshire Keystone Mark Lodgo , at Devizes , with a list of £ 17 15 s ; to these must be added a donation of £ 10 10 a from Lodge 335 to the Boys '

School ; thus giving a total of £ 217 2 s . It may be added that the votes sent in to the Provincial Charity Organization Committee dnring the past three years hare been as follows — 1883 1884 1885

Roval Masonic Institution for Boys 498 509 513 Girls 370 417 384 Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons 242 233 244 for Widows 171 338 279 1281 1497 1420

Nearly all tho votes iu tho Province ( b . jth Lodge and Private ) are now placed at the disposal of the Committee , and on this being done depends the success of tho organization . WILLIAM NOTT , Prov . Charity Sec .

Devizes , 3 lst December 188 o . The Deputy Provincial Grand Master proposed thafc this report be adopted , and that the thanks of the Provincial Grand Lodgo be given fco Brofcher Nott for his great

ancl successful exertions on behalf of fche objects of the Committee . This was carried by acclamation . Sir Gabriel Goldney , addressing the brethren , said he would then proceed to the most interesting part of the dav ' s

proppedings , which was to present to Bro . Henry C . Tombs , Past Provincial Grand Secretary , the p iece of plate which had be n purchased pursuant to the vote of Provincial Grand Lodsre at , its last meeting . Brother Tombs in the

seventeen years daring which ho filled the office of Secretary for tin ' s Province had in thafc capacity secured tho goodwill of every Wiltshire Mason . His work had been arduous and he performed ifc in snch a vvav as to bo of the

Greatest assistance and benefit to Masonry , and doubtless ifc was to hia untiring efforts to a gre ^ b extent thafc the nnmber of brethren in the Province had increased from about 200 when he took office to nearly 450 when he

resigned . He asked Brother To runs to aeeepfc this little gift . ; iot for its intrinsic worth , but , to r 'm nd him ancl his family of the appreciation and goodwill <> f fche brethren . The piece of plate , which consisted < ,: : i silver salver weigh-