Cheshire.

Bro . T . C . Thorburn P . P . G . Superintendent of Works seconded the motion , which was passed . Upon the motion of the Deputy Provincial Grand Master , seconded by Brother J . Morris P . P . G . S . B ., a vote of thanks was passed to the P . G . Treasurer ( Brother Enoch Evans ) and the Auditors .

Bro . J . Clayton P . P . G . W . presented the Charity report and the annual report of the Committee of Benevolence . He pointed out that a sum of 100 guineas , voted by the Province to the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Boys , had not yet been paid over . The amount would be paid chat day , so that instead of a balance of

£ 302 there would be in hand a balance of £ 197 , consisting of £ 114 in connection with the general purposes fund and £ 83 in connection with the funds of the Benevolent Institution . He thanked the Brethren for the assistance they had rendered during the past year to the Masonic Institutions , and in particular for the support

they had given to Lord Egerton of Tatton on the occasion of his presiding at the annual festival of the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Boys , when the Province of Cheshire contributed a sum of

£ 2 , 000 out of a grand total of £ 20 , 500 . He moved that the reports be adopted , with the alteration to which he had referred . Bro . J . Cookson P . P . G . Treasurer seconded the motion , which was passed .

Bro . J . Jackson P . P . G . Treasurer said that a Committee appointed some months ago to revise the Bye-laws of the Cheshire Masonic Educational Institution had now completed its labours , and in tbe future the Institution would be governed under the

new regulations . It only remained for the P . G . Lodge to confirm the work of the Committee , and for the Provincial Grand Master to sign the revised Bye-laws . He moved that the Bye-laws as adopted by the Court of Governors be now approved .

Bro . G . H . Brown P . S . G . W . seconded the motion , which was passed , and the Provincial Grand Master then signed the Bye-laws , a copy being presented to him . The Provincial Grand Master , in his address , thanked the Brethren for their numerous attendance . He said he thought

there was a good deal of ground for congratulation in regard to some of the events which had taken place during the year in connection with Freemasonry in Cheshire . He was glad to find that the books of the various Lodges were well kept . The number of members had only increased by 37 , the total number

of subscribing Masons in the Province being 2 , 235 , as against 2 , 198 last year . Although there had been no large increase of members there had been a thoroughly Masonic spirit shown , and all the Lodges had worked harmoniously . No complaint had been brought before him , but it had been brought to his knowledge

that a case of dispute between Freemasons had been tried before a judge of assize . Fortunately the judge was himself a Mason , and had been an Officer of the Grand Lodge of England , and he ( the Provincial Grand Master ) believed his Lordship publicly expressed regret that the matter in dispute should not have been

settled in the ordinary way among Masons by the elder Brethren of the Lodge , or by being brought before the Provincial Grand Master . He trusted that if any case of dispute should again occur , which he did not anticipate , the Masonic course would be pursued , and the matter brought before him , so that he might endeavour to settle it . It was a satisfaction to him to find that

the revision of the bye-laws of the Cheshire Educational Institution had been completed . He felt satisfied that the future management of the Institution , under the new regulations , would be satisfactory to the Province . The Freemasons of Cheshire

had a most creditable record of late years in carrying out the work which he was glad to initiate for the improvement of their Benevolent Institutions , and they had responded to his appeal in a noble and generous manner * . He trusted that the response to the calls of benevolence which he had laid before them would not

be merely spasmodic , but continuous and consistent . As an example of what could be done , he pointed out that in 1876 his predecessor , the late Lord de Tabley , took the chair at the Festival in connection with the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Boys , and £ 5 , 500 was raised , a sum which he had no doubt was

thought very respectable in those days . On a similar occasion in the past year , when he ( Lord Egerton ) presided , the urging of the claims of that Institution was answered by the magnificent sum of £ 20 , 598 being raised , of which Cheshire contributed over £ 2 , 000 . He felt sure that the number of members of the Order

would increase more largely than it did if the advantages of Freemasonry were more widely known . Not only were there advantages arising from the good fellowship which Freemasonry brought about , but there were distinct advantages in the matter of provision for the aged and infirm and the education of the

young . It was not a fact that those benefits were not appreciated , because they had now three widows of Masons and one aged member receiving annuities , and they had before them petitions from two widows whom they hoped to elect on to the London

Charity Fund next year . He thought those facts showed that there were many cases of distress which it should be the duty of the Brethren of the Province to assist . Unfortunately they did not secure the election of a girl into the Girls Schools last time .

Cheshire.

The case was a very deserving one , and he had no doubt they would be successful at the next election . They also hoped to secure the election of another girl who had been recommended by the Committee . In conclusion , the Provincial Grand Master referred to the losses the fraternity in the Province had suffered

by death during the year . A memorial to the memory of the late Bro . James Salmon A . G . D . C . Eng . was about to be erected in one of the churches he used to visit . The P . G . Lodge of N orth

Wales had already subscribed one-half the amount required , and the remaining £ 30 would no doubt soon be raised , towards which he should be happy to contribute . The D . P . G . M . had also promised to subscribe .

Bro . H . Bratt P . P . G . D . C . proposed , and Bro . L . Bentley P . P . G . Eegistrar seconded , the election of Bro . A . G . Peterkin P . M . Sincerity Lodge , No . 428 , Northwich , as Provincial Grand Treasurer .

The resolution was carried unanimously , and Bro . Peterkin expressed his sense of the honour conferred upon him . Brother J . M . McLeod Secretary of the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Boys thanked the Freemasons of Cheshire for the aid they had given to that Institution at the recent Festival

over which Lord Egerton presided , by contributing the sum of £ 2 , 000 , and thus helping to bring the total to the fourth largest amount ever received . He also desired to tender his thanks to her Grace the Duchess of Buckingham and Chandos for distributing the prizes to the boys of the School on the day preceding the Festival .

The following Brethren were appointed Auditors , on the motion of Brother Colonel Dean P . P . G . D ., seconded by Brother J . Mills P . S . G . D ., viz .: —T . H . Annett P . P . G . T ., A . E . Coveney P . M ., H . Jackson P . P . G . D ., J . E . Simm P . P . G . T ., and D . E . Bird P . P . A . G . S .

The Provincial Grand Master then invested his Officers for the ensuing year as follow : Bro . Sir Horatio Lloyd - - - Deputy

H . Bratt 428 Senior Warden T . Shaw 2496 .... Junior Warden Rev . C . Chetwynd Atkinson 321 - - ) _ , . . Rev . G . R . Johnson 1289 - - - / Oh » P '" M A . G . Peterkin .... Treasurer

J . Fred May 296 .... Registrar R . Newhouse 1045 - - - - Secretary A . J . Pearce 1357 ... - Assistant Secretary William Hardy 336 - - - ) o ¦ TX William Peers 721- - - - } Senior Deacons W . Hooper 1565 - - - - ) , . _ . J . Bailey 361 .... j Junior Deacons

X-X . Warren 19 U 8 .... Superintendent of Works H . Gordon Small 2368 ... Director of Ceremonies Martin Stones .... Deputy Dir . of Ceremonies Thomas Moore - - - - A . Wainwright 1408 - - - 1 Assist . Dir . of Ceremonies Frank Reed 89 - - - - )

h \ E . Sharpo 1276 - Sword Bearer D . S . Higson 325 - - - - ) a . , . _ C . Forsdick - j stand * rd Bearers J . Stevens -- --- Organist J . Laithwood 533 - - - - Pursuivant J . Morland - - - - - Assistant Pursuivant T . A . Jackson 2375 - - - \ S . S . Mellor 428

-J . H . Whiteley 293 ... W . A . Richards 368 - - - f Stewards Thomas Thorn iley 287 - - - H . Capes 428 - - - - / J . Huxley ----- Tyler . Charity jewels and bars were presented to several Brethren .

The Provincial Grand Master announced that he would hold the next meeting at Macclesfield ; and Bro . T . Lockett P . P . G . D . assured his Lordship that every provision would be made for the comfort of the Brethren on that occasion . The P . G . Lodge was afterwards closed .

Subsequently there was a procession to the parish church , where a sermon was preached by the Eev . E . E . Johnson P . G . Chaplain , and an offertory taken , which was divided between the Cheshire Masonic Charitable Institutions and the Northwich Victoria Infirmary . In the evening there was a banquet at the Drill Hall . — " Manchester Guardian . "

Whither Are We Drifting?

WHITHER ARE WE DRIFTING ?

IT is apparent that in Mexico women are admitted to full fellowship with men in some Masonic bodies at least , and the fact can no longer be successfully denied , however obnoxious

the idea may be to us . Some months ago the " Eecorder printed an article entitled " An Inside View of Mexican Masonry , " by Bro . Eichard E . Chism W . M . of Toltec Lodge , No . 520 , located in the City of Mexico , in which the writer

says . The admission of women to the three degrees of symbolic Masonry is a well attested fact . I have myself seen women clothed with regalia enter ana be seated in a Mexican Masonic Lodge , when all parties not Masons baa been notified to retire . It is stated , indeed , by the Mexican Masons , thaS