Northumberland.

NORTHUMBERLAND .

THE annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge was held in the Assembly Room , Alnwick , on Tuesday , 24 th inst ., when there was a very large attendance . In the unavoidable absence of the Right Hon , the Provincial Grand Master Sir Matthew White Ridley , Bart ., M-P-. the chair was taken by the Deputv , Alderman Richard Holmes P . G . D . of England .

The Provincial Grand Lodge having been opened in form , the acting Master announced the receipt of a letter and telegram from Sir Matthew White Ridley , who , he was sorry to say , was unable to be with them . The telegram read from the Prov . G . M . was as follows : —

" Hearty greeting to Provincial Grand Lodge , and sincere regrets . I cannot leave London . Express my profound disappointment . Ridley . " The various reports were given and the roll of Lodges was called .

The appointment and investiture of three Officers to commemorate the twenty-first anniversary of the installation of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales as Grand Master , took place as follows : —Bros . George A . Allan , Tyne Lodge , as P . P . G . S . W . ; Thomas J . Armstrong , Newcastle , as P . P . G . S . W ., and William Dorman , Northern Counties Lodge , Newcastle , as P . P . G . S . D .

The following were appointed and invested as the Provincial Grand Officers for the ensuing year : —

Bro . Dr . Alex . J . Main - Senior Warden Henry A . Peters .... Junior Warden Rev . Arthur Llewelyn Curry - - Chaplain Ralph Carr ( re-elected ) - - - Treasurer ' Thomas O . Robson - - - Registrar F . H . Corder , B . A . ( re-appointed ) - - Secretary

W . Spicer ----- Senior Deacon Isaac Black .... Junior Deacon John Tweedy .... Superintendent of Works J . Straker Wilson ( re-appointed ) - - Director of Ceremonies Frank Palmer - Assistant Dir . of Ceres . Vincent D . Raven ... - Sword Bearer John A . A . Armstrong - - - 1 Sfi „ , , T , OOLMrB

Charlton - - - - J R . W . Cummings - - - - Assistant Secretary C . H . Sherlock .... Organist Thomas Appleby .... Pursuivant Edward Purvis .... Assistant Pursuivant Joshua Curry .... Tyler .

Bro . Aid . R . H . Holmes Acting P . G . M ., addressing the Lodge , made a fitting reference to the unavoidable absence of the Provincial Grand Master , through the discharge of the duties of his high office which detained him in London . He was sure they all regretted his absence very much . He knew how deeply all the Brethren of the Province svmpaihised with their Prov .

Grand Master and Lady Ridley in the lamented death of Miss Ridley during the past year . He had on behalf of the Provincial Grand Master to express to them all the sincere thanks of Lady Ridley and himself for the sympathy of the Brethren of the Lodges of the Province extended to them at the trying time of their great bereavement . The Lodges in the Province had sent

their condolences , and the Newcastle and down-river Lodges , the Carville , and at Tynemouth , had sent an address of condolence signed by the Masters of the several Lodges . For all of these , their esteemed P . G . M . and Lady Ridley desired to thank them . It needed no words of his to express the deep attachment of the Brethren to Sir Matthew and Lady Ridley and their family . During the past year they had also lost by death , among other

Brethren , Bro . Thomas Anderson , for many years Treasurer of the Province , and Bro . Farraday Spence , a Past Provincial Grand Senior Warden . It was a source of satisfaction to them all that Masonry in the Province was in a flourishing state , which he hoped would long continue . He mentioned that their next annual meeting would be held under the banner of St . Peter ' s Lodge , No . 481 , Newcastle .

The arrangements for the Provincial Grand Lodge meeting were very efficiently made by the W . M . Bro . James Phillips and Officers of the Alnwick Lodge , No . 1167 . — " Newcastle Journal . "

Bazaar At Denton.

BAZAAR AT DENTON .

A GRAND bazaar has recently been held in connection with Christ Church Schools , Denton , the proceedings lasting several days , and the handsome sum of £ 606 ls 4 d being realised . Upon the third day , members of the Masonic Fraternity were fully in evidence , probably on account of the announcement that the opening ceremony would be performed

by Bro . the Ri ht Hon . Loid Stanley , M . P ., P . P . S . G . W . In the unavoidable absence of his loidslup , however , tbe duty was undertaken by Bro . Alderman J . J . Mtakin P . M . P . P . G . W ., and was witnessed by a large concourse of Freemasons , the Duke of Athol Lodge , No . 210 , under whose auspices tbe function was promoted , being especially well represented .

Bazaar At Denton.

The Brethren met in the first instance at the Lodge rooms ( the Bowling Green Hotel ) , where the dispensation was read , alter which a procession was formed to the church , where a short service was conducted by Bro . Rev . John Kelty I . P . M . P . P . G . Cuaplain . A collection was made at the close of this service , on behalf of the bazaar fund , the sum realised being

£ 5 10 s lOd . The procession then re-formed , and proceeded to the schoolroom , where the bazaar was being held . Bro . Kelty then took the chair , beiug supported by the following , viz ., Bros . J . J . Meakin P . M . 992 P . P . G . W ., Joseph Leach P . M . 300 and 1774 P . P . G . T ., John Wrigley P . M . 2 i 0 P . P . G . T ., Dr . Thomas D . Foreman P . M . 210 P . P . S . G . D ., P . Wills P . M . 300 P . P . G . A . D . C , William Bee P . M . 1459 P . P . G . A . D . C , Ernest Moss P . M . 268

P . P . G . Sd . Br ., Thomas Milton P . M . 210 P . P . G . Std . Br ., James Glennie P . M . 1774 P . P . G . Std . Br ., James Bromley P . M . 268 P . P . G . Std . Br ., J . W . Hully P . M . 268 P . P . G . S ., James E . Smith P . M . 210 P . P . G . S ., Edwin Walker P . M . 210 P . P . G . S ., William Thornley P . M . P . P . G . S ., Wm . Henry Beastow P . M . 1459 P . P . G . S ., Geo . W . Davies P . M . 1459 , aud others whose names are too numerous to mention .

The Rev . Chairman said he rose that afternoon because their Worshipful Master ( Bro . Grundy ) was not able to be present . The position was not of his choice or seeking , but on account of the office be held in the Lodge he felt bound to take charge of matters when the W . M . was unable to be present . His duty that afternoon was to introduce a gentleman who had

come to open the bazaar in the absence of Bro . Lord Stanley . The latter had , in his correspondence with him , definitely promised to be present on the third day of the bazaar , but they would all know that his lordship was one of the Parliamentary Whips , and members of the House of Commons did not have a very long holiday . He found that he was obliged to take his

wife away , she not being m good health , in order that they might have a decent holiday before Parliament re-assembled in January next , and so he asked them to excuse him on that account . They had secured in his place o » e who had been identified with a good many movements similar to that in which

they were then engaged , movements which tended to the amelioration of the condition of the poorer classes , and to the advancement of educational and religious works . He had pleasure in their name in calling upon Bro . Meakin to open the bazaar .

Bro . Alderman Meakin , who was loudly applauded , expressed his thanks for the very kind way in which Bro . Kelty had introduced him to the friends at Christ Church . He sometimes thought if people did not leave home they would be quite oblivious to the many virtues they possessed . They might not all belong to the same Lodge , or the same Order ; they mignt

not belong to the same church , but they were all Brethren , he took it , in that assembly , and were there for one purpose—they were met to give their little assistance to fche cause of education , He ought to say , before they gob to that , how deeply they regretted that their illustrious Brother was not there that afternoon to fulfil the engagement he promised . But as Bro .

Kelty had told them , he way away because of the ill-health of Lady Stanley , and while they deeply regretted he was not there , they more deeply regretted the cause . He was sure he expressed their sentiment and desire when he said he hoped Lady Stanley would speedily recover to perfect health . When Bro . Kelty asked him to come and occupy that position , he asked himself

why they had invited the Masonic Order to take part in a Bazaar , and he came to the conclusion that they had an idea that Freemasons had some sympathy with education . Whilst their Masonic ceremonial was shrouded in a veil of mystery , the outside world knew that among the foremost planks of their Order were education , integrity , piety , and virtue , and , he might

say , anything and everything that tended to the amelioration of the condition of the people . In their Order , extending as it did over every part of the globe , they had amongst them men of wealth and influence , including the Prince of Wales ; and there were also some who had not been successful in their fight for the riches of this world . It was on behalf of the children of these

unfortunate Brethren that the institutions to which he had referred had been inaugurated , and were kept up . So far as their schools were concerned , he thought they were within measurable distance of the time when they would receive a fairer and more proper share of the help which had been given to other denominations . The principle had now been universally

accepted that the schools in which religious education was taught should have at least as much help as those schools wherein religious education was not taught . Whether that help came from State or rate aid was a mere matter of detail , and would be settled by their legislators ; but that they would have

it was an accomplished fact . He expressed a hope that the efforts now being made by the people of Christ Church would exceed their most sanguine expectations , and that the money obtained would enable them to give their scholars a sound practical education , and also , as he had no doubt they would ,