West Lancashire.

WEST LANCASHIRE .

ON Wednesday a most successful gathering of the Fraternity took place at Lancaster , under the presidency of the popular Provincial Grand Master the Earl of Lathom . Numerous trains were run from

various districts , and a large number of people availed themselves of the accommodation . Fully 800 Brethren assembled in the Palatine Hall to receive the Provincial Master and Past and Present Grand Officers , and the capacity of the building was tried to the utmost .

The P . G . M . on entering , was saluted with the usual honours , after which the roll of the Lodges in the Province was called , when it was found that all were

represented . The accounts of the Provincial Grand Treasurer were presented , and duly passed . They showed a prosperous condition of financial affairs . The minutes of the-last annual meeting were also passed .

The Provincial Grand Secretary , in his annual report , stated that the last , year was one of steady prosperity . Four new Lodges had been created in the Province , and 647 candidates initiated during the twelve months . The number on the roll now amounted to 7 , 261 . All the

Lodges had made satisfactory returns , and had paid their fees . The Benefits and Charity Committee has distributed £ 95 during the past term , and also given £ 65 during the last week . The library had been increased by very valuable donations , and one Brother had been

elected on the funds of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . The West Lancashire Masonic Institution continued to do excellent work . Its income for the year was £ 1 , 9 S 8 , and expenses just under £ 1 , 653 . The invested capital was increased by £ 700 . There were

now 212 children being educated and otherwise cared for by the managers of this Institution . The Alpass Institution had had a mort successful year . Its income was £ 1 , 950 , and this pleasing result had been largely due to the efforts of the Stewards of the festival in October ,

which had been presided over by Lord Skelmersdale . The Stewards , themselves contributed £ 1 , 500 . The annuitants had been increased to thirty . When the occasion arose the West Lancashire Lodges were not unmindful of outside claims . At the festival in aid of

the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , Lord Skelmersdale presided , and the Province nobly responded by contributing £ 2 , 500 . In conclusion , the report acknowledged the excellent work of the Officers of the Provincial Grand Lodge , special mention being made of the services of Brother W . Simpson P . G . S . W .

The Earl of Lathom said it was very pleasing to have heard such a very favourable report as that just read . He congratulated the Brethren on having received so good an account of the state of the Lodges and the Province generally . The report relating to the Charities

was , indeed , excellent . They all seemed to be in a very flourishing condition , which was only right in the circumstances under which this Provincial Lodge was placed . He thanked them most sincerely for the way in which they came forward to support him at the festival

of the Royal Institution for Girls . Owing to a sudden bereavement he was himself unable to be present on that occasion , but he was happy to have heard , as he did on all sides , that his son took his place extremely well . Respecting the increase of Lodges , to which the report

had alluded , he was , of course , glad to hear that Masonry was progressing ; but , at the same time , he hoped no petition for a new Lodge would be sent in unless there was a very good ground for wishing an additional Lodge to be established in this or that place . It was useless to

multiply Lodges . It might take young Masons a long time to pass the chair , but they ought to have the patience which their predecessors possessed . He hoped , therefore , that there would be no more petitions for the mere sake of promoting young Masons to office . Having thanked Bro . Simpson for his services , the Prov . G . M .

said he wished the present meeting to make a new departure by taking up a collection , as he found to be the custom at many Provincial meetings which he had attended . The contributions could be devoted to the

Masonic charities or to some Institutions belonging to the town in which they were assembled . On this occasion he proposed the collection should be given to tho Royal Albert Asylum for Idipts and Imbeciles of the

West Lancashire.

Northern Counties . The Provincial Grand Lodge would then obtain votes enabling them to place candidates on that foundation . In conclusion , he moved that an

address be engrossed and forwarded to the Most Worshipful Grand Master His Highness the Prince of Wales , congratulating him upon the birth of a grandson and ultimate heir to the throne .

Brother R . Wylie Deputy Provincial Grand Master seconded the motion , which was adopted unanimously . The next business was the election of Provincial

Grand Treasurer , to which considerable interest was attached . Dr . J . D . Crawford P . M . 680 and Bro . E . R . Lathom P . M . 594 , were proposed . The latter very gracefully withdrew , and Bro . Crawford was unanimously

elected amid cheers . On the motion of Bro . Wylie , seconded by Bro . Rev . J . B . Spencer , one hundred guineas was voted to the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls . It was announced that the collection for the Boyal Albert Asylum was £ 36 2 s 6 d .

The following Brethren were invested by the Prov . Grand Master as the Officers for the ensuing year : — Bro . Lord Skelmersdale - - Senior Warden N . N . Helme - - - Junior Warden Rev . C . O . L . Riley - - ) /¦„ , „„ , „ ,

Rev . R . S . Stoney - - j « " - * - " » Dr . Crawford - - - Treasurer R . Robertson - - - Registrar J . M'Carthy ... Deputy Registrar W . Goodacre - - - Secretary

J . W . Wearing - - - " ) F . G . Hubbard - - - [¦ Deacons J . Fletcher - - - ) T . M'Wean - > J . Hatch - - - - - Junior Deacons

Joseph Lee - - •I C . Skinner- - - - Superintendent of Works Roger White - - - I Director of Ceremonies T . J . Jarman ¦ - - - ) . W . Roberts - . - - i Lewis Peake - - - [ Assistant Dir . of Cers .

J . H . Thomas - - - C . A . Arden - - - ) Sword Bearers M . Alexander - ) J . Tarbuck - - - ) Kkn ^ aWi n r « r «

J . Kilby - - - - ) G . S . Smith - - - Organist T . Mason - Assistant Secretary G . Bolton ... - Pursuivant J . Ellershaw - - - Assistant Pursuivant

J . Cunliffe - - - \ J . Milne - J . H . Smith - - - [ stewards J . Rigby - - - - T . Vernon - ' W . J . Worden

-W . H . Bali - - - Tyler . Provincial Grand Lodge was then closed .

A MEETING of the Provincial Grand Chapter of West Lancashire was afterwards held , the Earl of Lathom Provincial Grand Superintendent presiding . After the transaction of ordinary business it was resolved

that twenty-five guineas should be voted from the funds of the Chapter to the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls .

Comp . Fletcher ( 1070 , Southport ) was elected Prov . Grand Treasurer . The Provincial Officers were invested . On the suggestion of the Prov . Grand Superintendent

it was resolved that m the future meetings of the Prov . Grand Chapter should not be held on the same day as those of the Provincial Grand Lodge , but that they should be held in the spring of each year , the next meeting to be held at Easter 1895 . — " Liverpool Post . "

A Lecture will be delivered under the auspices of the Lodge of Research , No . 2429 , Leicester , on Monday , the 24 th inst ., by Brother William James Hughan , P . S . G . W . of several Foreign Grand Lodges , P . S . G . D . of the Grand Lodge of England , Hon . Member of Lodges 279 and 523 , & c , Ac , upon " The Continuity of British

Freemasonry , a retrospect of five centuries . " The Lodge will be opened at 6 p . m ., for the Installation of W . M . for the ensuing year , and the Lecture will commence at 7 o ' clock .