Provincial Grand Lodge Of Staffordshire.

ho was able to giro . ( Hoar , hear . ) Freemasonry was no doubt progressive , and ho supposed there never was a period in the history of Freemasonry in this country when it progressed so rapidly as during the last quarter of a century . Though ho was not an old man , he was old enough to remember the consecration of more than one-half of tho Lodges in the province . But it was not only numerically that

they woro increasing . Thero was an increasing manifestation in that truly Masonic life and spirit which was abundantly brought to thoir attention in their Masonic ceremonies . If charity was the landmark of Freemasonry , ho would venture to say it had two aspects . It did not consist in almsgiving alouo . thongh if they woro as Masons to be judged by thafc test , they could say that last year Masons contributed

£ 42 , 000 to support their four great central Charities . ( Applause . ) Tn supporting those Charities no one was moro hearty than tho late P . G . M . whoso loss thoy all so mueh lamented . ( Ffear , hear . ) The late Earl of Shrewsbury presided at the anniversary of each of tho Masonic Charities in its tnrn , and on one occasion ho presided in the absence of Prince Leopold . Thero was then a turgor amount of contributions

than afc any previous Festival . ( Hear . ) But thafc was not tho side of Freemasonry by whioh they shonld alone wish to bo judged . Thoy would rather be judged by tho errand principle which they endeavoured to incnlato in thoir Lodges , of doing to others as they would bo dono by , and which taught them to guide their actions so that when any one was said to bo a Freemason tho world might know thafc he was " one

to whom the mirthened heart may pour forth its sorrows , to whom the distressed may prefer thoir suit , whoso hand is guided by justice , and whoso heart is expanded by benevolence . " ( Applause . ) That was what they taught each other to exhibit to the world , and when that principle was acted ou they need nofc care for the scoffs of thoso outside their boundaries , and who , if they were upright , freo , and

true men , they would gladly embrace within their ranks . Tho longer ho lived tho more heartily did ho approve the principles of Freemasonry , and the more strenuous should be his endeavours to promote the interests of the craft . ( Applause . ) He then pointed out the difficulty of selecting the Provincial Grand Officers when

there wero 21 Lodges and only 11 appointments to he made every year , and thero were thus so many Past Masters not only qualified but ambitions to tako provincial honours . Ho expressed a hope that the appointments which had been made that day would give satisfaction to tho brethren .

Bro . James , after a brief interval , proposed in a neat speech " The W . Masters of the Lodges in the Province ; " for whom Bro . Turner , W . M . 460 , responded in suitable terms . Bro . Rodgers , P . P . G . J . D ., gave the toast of "Tho Visitors , " on whoso behalf Bro . T . Hall , 250 , P . G . J . W . ( Derbyshire ) , responded . Ho observed thafc Masonry was flourishing in the province to which

he belonged , as well as in Staffordshire and other provinces . Though Staffordshire possessed 21 Lodges , the population of Staffordshire was much greater than thafc of Derby , and ifc would take two Derby , shires to make ono Staffordshire . Yet ho had tho pleasure of taking part a fortnight ago in the consecration of the nineteenth Craft Lodge in tho province of Derby , and in that province there were nearly

eight hundred members . ( Hear , hear . ) Masonry was progressing iu numbers , wealth , and generosity , and ho thought the time appeared to be coming when they should consider the question of decentralizing their charitable institutions ; and if they established such institutions in different centres they wonld create a new inter . est and a new incentive to the generosity of the Craft . And , ho asked , wh

¦ y should they nofc havo a Boy ' s School iu Staffordshire and a Girls ' School in Derbyshire ? If that could bo accomplished a great amount of additional zeal and liberality would be evoked . ( Applause . ) Bro . Derry P . P . G . W . proposed the toast of " Tho Masonic Charities . " Bro . Bodenham P . G . Treasurer , in responding , expressed his unabated interest in those Charities . He alluded to the fact that they

had secured the right to havo one boy in tho Masonic School , and ho thought that if they could establish such a right to send a scholar to the Girls' School it would be a fitting tribute to the memory of the lato Earl of Shrewsbury . He also pointed out that great benefits wero conferred upon the children of JIasons by the Staffordshire Chnritablo Masonic Institution .

The remaining toasts were " The Ladies , " proposed by Bro . Bodenham , and responded to by Bro . Owens , of Wolverhampton ; " The P . G . Stewards , " proposed by Bro . Cartwright , and acknowledged by Bro . Fowke , and tho Tyler ' s toast .

Meeting Of Lodge Of Benevolence.

MEETING OF LODGE OF BENEVOLENCE .

THE Lodge of Benevolence mot at Freemasons' Hall , on Wednesday evening , and was numeronsly attended . Bros . Clabon President , Joshua Nunn S . V . P ., aud James Brett J . V . P . were in tho three chairs . Bros . Lord Hcnneker , Capt . Philips , Col . H . S . Burnley , Col , Shadwoll Gierke , S . Rawson , James Glaisher , James Lewis Thomas , J . A . Rueker , Griffiths Smith , J . M . Case , Rev . W . Alfred Hill . A . L .

Cole , d . Bartlett , C P . Cobham , W . T . Howe , C . A . Cottebrune , T . J . Maid well , Ralph Gooding , James Masou , Charles Atkins , John ITcrvoy Grand Secretary , H . G . Boss Asst . Grand Secretary , A . A . Pendlebury , W . Stephens , and A . M . Cohen , were among the other brethren who attended . Tho total amount , of pecuniary relief afforded to nineteen cases was £ 440 . There were twcnty . four cases on the list , but five of these were not ready .

VICTORIA ( PntLosorniCAT , ) INSTITUTE . —A meeting of this Societ y was held on Monday laet at its house , 7 Adelphi-terrace . Among the members elected several were resident in the United States and in the Colonies . A paper on ' ' Physical Geography" was read by Mr . J . Thornhill Harrison , M . Inst ., C . E ., in which he gave a description of tho various changes which had taken place in the position of the earth which had tended to produce its present state . A discussion ensued , in which several took part .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Cor . respondents . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications , ill Letters must bear the name and address of the Writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith .

PROXY VOTING .

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR ANH BROTHER , —I am sorry I should have misapprehended the tenor of Bro . Gould ' s remarks in his former letter , but 1 think ho will hold me excused for having done so , under the circumstances . Bro . Constable and I had recommended " Proxy Voting "

in tho approaching election of a Secretary to tho Girls' School , on the ground that personal voting placed tho country voters at a disadvantage with tho London voters . Thereupon , ho suggested that , iu order to bo consistent , wo should claim for our country brethren perfect equality with Londoners as well " in , the performance of a

duty as " in tlie exercise of a privilege . As he said nothing about tho manner in which the former shonld be done , and wo had proposed a plan in the case of the latter , I imagined that Bro . Gould would

apply tho same means in both cases . However , his letter of last week has disabused my mind of that opinion , and I regret I shonld have formed it ; though , as I havo said before , I think thero was somo justification for it , however slight . I am , Dear Sir and Brother , Fraternally yonra , FAIR PIAY .

To tlie Editor of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND B ROTHER , —Pray pity the sorrows of an unfortunate brother , who has made bold to suggest an alteration in the manner of voting at tho election of an officer of one of our Institutions as now prescribed by law . I am one of several brethren , among whom aro Bro . J . Constable who suggested tho idea , and Bvo .

Gould who admits thafc Bro . J . 0 . and I have mado oat our case , who think that proxy voting might with advantage be adopted in lieu of personal voting afc the approaching election of a Secretary for tho Girls' School . I see , likewise , thafc you have been at tho pains to advocate such a change , while , to tho best of my knowledge and belief , no notice whatever has been taken of the matter in any other

Masonic Journal . You may imagine , then , my surprise last Saturday morning when , on turning over the pages of a contemporary of yours , I found that " A Life Governor of all the Charities" had hurled at me and my companions in the suggested reform a most terrible rebuke , iu tho course of which he denounced tho proposal , on the ground that proxy-voting was illegal , and that whether it might bo

wise or not " to concede such a privilege in the future under proper safeguards , and after duo legislation , " " its use afc present " was " simply impossible . " Then followed a sentence which could only haro been penned by one who , to a lofty opinion of his own marvellous abilities added a supreme contempt for the suggestions of others . But perhaps I had better quote his very words . " I alwavs think , "

writes this Life Governor of all the Charities , " it is a great pity thafc redressers of grievances and proposers of reform will not , in the first place , study the laws of the Institution which they propose to alter or set aside . " I need hardly say I felt most unwell for several days after receiving this tremendous snub . I did not , it is true , go so fur as Artemus Ward , and " drown my sorrers in the flowin bole , " I

was wiser than he , for I thought them over , and tho result of such excogitation is my present plaintive statement to you who so kindly inserted my former letters . I have studied tho laws of tho Institution in question . Had I not done so , I should , in all probability , havo been ignorant of tho fact thafc proxy voting at present is illegal . It was because I knew fche

law thafc I suggested the substitution of proxy for personal voting , and I derive some comfort from the fact that ono worthy brother by name , and others under various noms de plume , have either endorsed or approved of the suggestion . I do not , therefore , regard tho proposal as being a " wild " one , or staid members of the Craft would not have received it favourably . Then , as to the approaching

electionwhen Bro . J . Constable first started the idea there was timo to have given the requisite notice at a General Committee of the proposed alteration of the existing law , and for the remaining steps to bo taken in their regular sequence , so that in the event of the amendment being carried , the successor to Bro . Little might havo been elected by the system of proxy voting . At least there is nothing , as

far as I can sec and understand , in Laws XXX ., XXXI ., aud XXXIV ., at page 7 of tho Laics of the 1 'oyul Masonic Institutions for Boys ancl Girls , Ac , Ac , Edition 1878 , to prevent the requisite steps being taken to amend the law . Even now , indeed , there is time , seeing thafc Bro . Hedges who , during tho whole of the protracted illness of tho late Bro . Little efficiently discharged tho dnties of Secretary is still

fulfilling them , so that the necessity for permanently filling up the office is not immediate . What is most important in connection with the matter is , that the most capable of the brethren who have offered themselves as candidates to succeed tho late Bro . Little should be elected ; and I need hardly point out that he who has the most interest in London or in the country is not necessarily the fittest . All

the greater reason , say I , why all who have the privilege of voting should have the samo facilities allowed them for exercising it . As matters stand now , tho advantage will be , not with the candidate whose qualifications commend themselves to a majority of all the voters , but with him who finds most favour with the majority of the London voters only ; and I argue that , iu the interests of the School ,