Jubilee At Congleton.

JUBILEE AT CONGLETON .

WEDNESDAY , 21 st inst ., was a red letter day amongst Congleton Freemasons , the Jubilee of the Eaton Lodge , No . 533 , being celebrated at the Festival of St . John . Freemasonry was first introduced into Congleton in 1724 , in which year a Lodge was constituted and held afc fche Red Lion . In the " Constitutions " of 1738 , the county Lodges are not

mentioned , but the Calendar for 1736 shows that the Congleton Lodge was then 36 ; in 1740 its number was 32 , while a later record says it was 35 , and met ab the Angel . Of fche 67 Lodges then in existence only 15 remain . The Lodge of that day had an existence of thirty-five years . The nexfc Conglefcon Lodge was ths Independent , constituted in 1789 , as No . 550 . and held

at the Black Lion and Swan ; this Lodge became 459 in 1793 , and in 1805 it was r * emoved from Congleton to fche White Lion , Lane End , Staffordshire , under fche name of the Independent Lodge of the United Pottery . It became 516 at the Union , and after an existence of 39 years was erased by Grand Lodge , in 1828 . From 1805 to 1846 Congleton was without a Freemason ' s

Lodge , but in the latter year , chiefly owing to the energy of Gibbs Crawfurd Anfcrobus , Esq ., of Eaton Hall , and a few of the Brethren , a revival took place in the town . A Warrant from the Grand Lodge of England , dated 27 th August 1846 , was signed by Lord Zetland G . M ., Lord Worsley D . G . M ., and William H . White G . S ., constituting the following Brethren into Lodge No .

777 , to be held at fche Golden Lion , Congleton , on the Wednesday nearest the full moon , namely : —Bros . John Smith ( of Langley , a prominent and useful member of the Craft in Macclesfield and the district ) as W . M ., John Dyer as S . W ., Thomas Walworth as J . W ., Patrick Halfin , Eobert Oliver , Charles Wilson , and Thomas Hope . A preliminary meeting was held with the sanction of the Grand Lodge , at the Golden

Lion Hotel , on 2 nd September 1846 , when the following gentlemen , in addition to the above , became members of the Lodge , namely , Edward Stocker , Peter Ullivero , John M'Cracken , and John Johnson . The first Officers of the Eaton Lodge were Bros .. John Smith W . M ., John Dyer S . W ., Thos . Wallworth J . W ., Edward Stocker Treasurer , Patrick Halfin Secretary , Eobert-Oliver S . D ., Charles Wilson J . D ., Thomas Hope I . G ., and John M'Cracken Tyler .

And from that time to the present fche Eaton Lodge has prospered ,, the principal inhabitants of the borough passing through its membership . Bro . Samuel Blackshaw , who was on Wednesday of last week installed as W . M ., joined the Lodge in 1870 , but was such an efficient and esteemed member of the Craffc that he was installed W . M . in October 1873 , serving fche

office for a second year in 1874 . Few men have in the last 26 years devoted more assiduous attention to the affairs of the Craft , and none are more highly respected by the Brethren , as shown by the fact that he was chosen as the Jubilee W . M . For many years he has held the office of Secretary to his Lodge , and

some years ago the purple was conferred on him by Provincial Grand Lodge . The meeting on Wednesday was worthy of the occasion , there being a large attendance of Brethren , the Macclesfield Lodges and the Lodges of the surrounding district being well represented .

At the close of the ceremony a large goblet and two loving cups , subscribed for by the members of Eaton Lodge , were presented to Bro . Samuel Blackshaw W . M ., on his completing his 25 th year as a member of the Lodge , 13 years of which he has been Secretary , and in commemoration of the Jubilee of the

Lodge . The presentation was made by Bro . Jno . Perry I . P . M . The goblet and cups were of solid silver , the goblet being the pattern of an old Irish charger . Bro . Blackshaw having been duly installed he invested his Officers .

After Lodge the banquet was held in the Masonic Hall , under the presidency of the newly-installed W . M . The toasts , which were interspersed with songs , were of the usual character . — " Macclesfield Courier . "

West Lancashire.

WEST LANCASHIRE .

AT the banquet following the recent meeting of this Provincial Grand Lodge , held at Warrington , Bro . the Rev . T . Barton Spencer P . G . C . England proposed the health of Lord Lathom , which was received wifch immense applause . He said that he could nofc speak of Lord Lathom as he would wish to do , seeing that he was present , but he was his beau ideal of a great

English nobleman . They always bad pleasure in meeting each year at the Provincial Grand Lodge , and when it was over they looked forward to the next meeting . They did this for several reasons , but one great reason was this , that they would have Lord Lathom to preside over them . They had been much gratified this year to see his two sons present . Lord Skelmers-

West Lancashire.

dale , a worthy son of a worthy father ; and fchey welcomed Bro . the Hon . Eeginald Bootle-Wilbraham . He spoke feelingly on this point , for he was a father and a Mason , and many of the Brethren present were the same , and he was sure Lord Lathom felt proud that night as he presided over their gathering supported on each side by a son who was a Mason . They always admired the judgment ; and fcacfc shown by their Provincial

Grand Master , and especially in the appointment of his Officers . He had been especially struck that day with the fact that every appointment as ifc had been announced was received with applause by the Brethren . In the appointment some eleven or twelve years ago of Bro . Goodacre Prov . G . Sec . their Provincial Grand Master had made one of his best appointments . He gave them the health of Lord Lathom .

Lord Lathom , in reply , suitably thanked the Brethren for the way in which they had received fche toast , and Bro . Spencer for his kind remarks . He spoke in highly complimentary words of the services of Bro . Goodacre .

The Ballot.

THE BALLOT .

ONE of our worthy contemporaries urges the abolition of the secret ballot in Masonic Lodges ., According to its statement there are some jurisdictions where each Brother holds his ballot in view of the entire Lodge before depositing it in the box ; and other jurisdictions where , in voting , the role of the members present is called , and each rises in his plate and gives answer at the calling

of his name . " Ancl why not ? " says the editor . " The man who is afraid to tell how he votes in a Masonic Lodge is nofc to go to Congress or even to a Caucus . " According to our thought , this matter is not a question of courage at all , but the proper Masonic

usage . _ The secrecy of the ballot has always been maintained as essential to the best working of the Masonic system , and we can see no cause for a change of practice , because voting in secret may seem to imply a want of courage . — " Masonic Advocate . "

Bro . P . T . Chirgwin was presented hy fche Mount Sinai Lodge , Penzance , wifch a set of Provincial regalia on his being appointed Prov . J . G . W . at fche recent P . G . L . of Cornwall . o o o A Masonic bazaar was held on Thursday , Friday and Saturday of last week , at Greenock , promoted by the local Lodge

of St . John , No . 175 , the aim being to raise no less a sum than £ 4 , 000 , for the purpose of defraying the cost of erecting a new Masonic Temple , the site for which has been secured afc a cost of £ 500 . The bazaar was opened by Sir Michael R . Shaw Stewart , Bart ., Past Grand Mabter of Scotland , and was well patronised .

Tbe . total drawings for tbe three days amounted to fche substantial sum of £ 2 , 185 , and this , with the £ 1 , 000 in the hands of the Treasurer , makes a total of £ 3 , 185 . A great many of the articles are still unsold , and it is proposed fco hold a supplementary sale and dispose of these .

"A Sprig Of Acacia."

"A SPRIG OF ACACIA . "

MEMBEES of the Joshua Nunn Lodge were among those who attended the funeral of the lafce Bro . Griggs , of Halstead , whose death occurred a few days back . THE death occurred on the 16 fch inst ., at his residence , 21 Frederick Street , Sunderland , of Bro . Ealph Punshon an ardent Freemason , connected with the Phoenix Lodge , No . 94 .

THE funeral of the late Bro . Josiah Vann Amos , Luton , took place in the presence of a large crowd of the friends of the deceased , among whom were representatives of the Chiltern Lodge , Dunstable , and St . John the Baptist Instruction Lodge of which he was a member .

ONE of the niosfc popular Officers in the . Union Steamship Company ' s service—Bro . Capt . E . T . Jones—died on the 11 th inst ., at Southampton . Our deceased Brother waa initiated many years back , in the Peace and Harmony Lodge , at Southampton , and was also a member of a Lodge at Capetown .

AN inquiry was held on Friday of last week , with reference to the death of Bro . Arthur Frederick Scholding , of West Kensington , who bad shot himself the previous Tuesday . In the course of the evidence it was stated the trouble that had led .

to the occurrence was the fact thafc deceased was Secretary of his Masonic Lodge , to which he owed upwards of £ 60 he should have handed over . The jury returned a verdict of " Suicide whilst of unsound mind : "