The Craft In Cheshire.

THE CRAFT IN CHESHIRE .

It was almost a foregone conclusion that this years annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Cheshire would prove a grand success . For many years past—indeed during pretty nearly the whole of the period Bro . Lord EGERTON OF TATTON

has been in charge of its administration , the Province has exhibited a marvellous degree of activity . There was a time when it was content with giving a very moderate support to the Institutions of which English Masons arc so justly proud . It did not

entirely overlook their claims . Every now and then it figured in the yearly Festival Returns for a good round sum . But its principal efforts were directed—and not unnaturall y directedto the support of the children of its own members and their

advancement in life . Its Educational Association , which was founded in the early sixties , when the late Bro . Lord COMBERMERE was Provincial Grand Master , very quickly developed into a well-conducted Charity , and became the means of dispensing

among the children of reduced or deceased brethren many and substantial benefits , which have proved of incalculable value to its youthful proteges . To Lord EGERTON OF TATTON

belongs . undoubtedly the credit of having infused into the We of Cheshire Freemasonry a more vigorous degree of activity in its relations to the great Central Charities of our Order . And thus it came about that in 1888 it took a somewhat

more prominent part than usual in the proceedings of the Girls ' School Centenary . Then in iSgr , when a determined effort was made by the Craft generally , under the auspices of the Earl of LATHOM , to restore the shaken fortunes of the Boys' School , it

put itself generously forward and raised £ 1050 as its contribution towards that most desirable object . The year following it went still further and raised some £ 1990 for thc Jubilee of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , the interests of its

Educational Institute being in the meantime most religiously cared for , and , if possible , more generously promoted than in previous years . After this its interest in the Central Charities appeared to cease for a time , or rather should we say , vvas

restricted to more modest subscriptions . But this was done only that the Province might be the better enabled to concentrate its efforts upon a benevolent scheme of its own on which it had set its heart , to wit—the foundation of a Provincial Benevolent

Institution . Accordingly the lodges in the Province were thoroughly well . canvassed by the promoters of the plan , with tlie result that a sum of close upon £ 3000 was raised and invested for the purpose of providing worthy old Cheshire Masons ,

who had fallen upon evil days , and their widows , with annuities on a small scale . Having fulfilled their object , they have since renewed their intescst in the general Charities , iiid their Provincial Grand Master having kindly undertaken

to preside at the Boys' School Festival for the current year , the Province was determined on showing its loyalty to its thief and forthwith raised thc sum of £ 2000 in support of his c ,, 'iirmanshi p . Then both as regards the number of subscribing

numbers on its lodge rolls and the funds of its provincial and I ivate lodges , the reports have shown regularly for some years Past that Cheshire is in a sound and healthy condition . It umbers close on 2250 lodge members , while the balances in r t — — -J ~ r > ~ 1 ~ - " - -- ' - •••""' -V-. J ..

r ; uour of its Provincial and Benevolent Funds are by no means [ "considerable . It is not , therefore , surprising , after what it did ^ 1 Jul y for the Boys' School and with the full knowledge that its airs vvere in a prosperous state , only rather more so than in preceding years , that when Lord EGERTON presided at the

The Craft In Cheshire.

recent annual meeting , and the Present and Past Officers of his Provincial Grand Lodge , and the representatives . of the lodges under his lordship's charge , met together , as they did at Northwich on the 21 st ult ., the congratulations which

passed between him and them should have been of the heartiest character imaginable , and that the prospects whicli await them both should have appeared to be more encouraging than they have ever been before during thc term of his lordship ' s Prov . Grand

Mastership . In short , Cheshire has acquitted itself spendidly during the past 12 months , and in congratulating the province , Lord EGERTON , and the brethren generally , we express the hope

that the future may have in store for them a greater degree of success than even the present circumstances of the Province justify us in anticipating .

A "Guide, Philosopher, And Friend."

A "GUIDE , PHILOSOPHER , AND FRIEND . "

We have read carefully and with a considerable amount 0 pleasure , the oration delivered by Bro . JOSIAH II . DRUMMOND , Past G . Master , at the 75 th annual communication of the Grand Lodge of Maine . Ordinarily , there is a strong family likeness

about addresses of this kind . They are characterised as a rule by a marvellous display of glorification and congratulation . The modest Past is spoken slightingly of , as having had little or ho influence in developing the Present ; the Present is extolled , at

the very lowest , to the seventh heaven , while the Future , 1 ! all goes well , will undoubtedly prove worthy of being extolled to the seventy and seventh . But Bro . DRUMMOND has adopted quite a different course . In his address , which he devoted to a

consideration of " Masonry , Past and Present , " he has spoken with a judicial fairness which it is impossible too highly to commend . With him the Past is not , to use a familiar American expression , all " small potatoes , " the Present is notall splendacious , andthe

Future is not necessarily going to be something superlatively magnificent . According to his idea , the Present is what it is because of the Past , and in many respects vvould have been far worthier

of praise had it adhered more strictly to the principles laid down at the origin and during the early development of tlie latter , while the Future will become enlightened and all-prosperous according as the Present follows more closelv than it lias hitherto

on the lines laid down by the early fathers of Masonry in this and other jurisdictions . It is evident that Bro . DRUMMOND has thc courage of his opinions . After a brief exordium , Bro . DRUMMOND went inlo

an examination of the principles on which the Craft was founded , his remarks in this and the other sections of his address having reference to Masonry not merely in the jurisdiction of Maine but generally . It is , of course , unnecessary we

should follow him closely in his declaration of these principles . What does concern us , however , is his statement that there have been departures from those princip les and the moral he draws

from them . As regards the case of " the powerful body , " which , "for very many years recognised as Masonic , actually substituted the ' creative principle ' for ' God , ' thus blotting out the idea of the brotherhood of man as well as that of the fatherhood of God "—

our readers know well the bod y he was referring to and the course adopted towards it by the Grand Lodges of tlie world . But Ihey may not be as familiar with the fact that " some eminent

Masons" have denied that "the Bible upon the Masonic altar is to be regarded as 'the revealed word ol" the everlasting God ' " or "that a Grand Lodge has held that a Mason who had pub-