Provincial Grand Lodge Of East Lancashire

The motion having been seconded and agreed to , Bro . CHEETHAM further moved that the sum ol ioo guineas be granted from the Prov . Grand Lodge Funds to the Male Fund of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widows . He said the Institution appealed very feelingly to them because , although they were occasionally

without boy or girl candidates , he believed they had every year one candidate or more in the form of an old brother or a brother ' s widow . There was not a province in the country that held more votes for that Institution than their own , and the donation which he proposed would mean an addition of 40 votes . The ACTING DEI * . PROV . GRAND MASTER seconded the motion , and it

was agreed to . Bro . CHEETHAM had yet another motion , of which he had given notice . It was that £ 20 be voted to the funds of the East Lancashire Systematic Masonic Education and Benevolent Institution . He spoke of the Festival to be held next year in aid of this local organisation , stating that Bro . Lord

Stanley had promised to preside on the occasion , and reminding them that by a festival of the kind in 18 95 a sum of £ \ 413 was raised , which amount it was hoped would be considerably increased in 1901 . In connection with the undertaking a concert had been promised by the members of the Minnehaha Minstrels Lodge . This motion was adopted , and after a few words from the Prov . Grand Master in the chair , the Prov . Grand Lodge was closed .

Scotland.

Scotland .

. GRAND LODGE . ST . ANDREW'S DAY

The annual meeting of the above Grand Lodge was held in Freemasons Hall , Edinburgh , on the 30 th ult ., for the election and installation of officebearers . The Grand Master , Bro . the Hon . James Hozier , M . P ., presided over a large attendance of members . On the motion of Bro . Sir CHARLES DALRYMI ' , M . P ., Past G . M . ( who acted as Installing Master ) , the Hon . James Hozier was unanimously reelected Grand Master , and was installed with the customary ceremonial .

Thc G . M . then nominated Bro . John Graham , of Broadstone , as his Depute Grand Master , and Bro . the Hon . Charles M . Ramsay as Substitute Grand Master . Bro . H OZIER next thanked the brethren for that renewed mark of their confidence , which he appreciated now even more than he did when first

elected to the chair last year . The other Grand office-bearers were elected as recommended at the last meeting of Grand Lodge , and were installed by the Grand Master . The following is this year ' s list : Bro . Lord Saltoun ... ... ... Past G . M . John Graham , of Broadstone ... ... Depute G . M . ,, Hon . C . M . Ramsay ... ... ... Substitute G . M . A . A . Speirs , of Elderslie ,.. ... S . G . W .

„ W . Munro Denholm ... ... ... J . u . vv . „ David Reid ... ... ... G . Treas . „ Rev . W . Lee Ker ... ... *) G . Chaplains . „ Rev . Percy M . Herford ... ... ) ^ „ John Carruthers ... ... ... ^ . u . D . „ William Phillips ... ... ... J-G . D .

„ Alexander Skirving ... ... ... U . Architect . „ Alexander Brown ... ... ... G . Jeweller . „ William Scott ... - - G . Bible Bearer . „ James Gunn ... ¦•• ^• Y > " , „ Daniel Macfarlane ... - < £ - Bard . „ Robert N . Johnston ...- ... ) f „ , , „ „ lames C . Dibdin ... ... ... G . D . of Music . „ Arthur J . Curie ... ... ... G . Org „ John O . Stewart ... ... - G . Marshal . „ William Falconer ... ... ... G-LG . „ George Hay ... ... ¦ G . lyler .

The only other business was the granting of new charters to Lodges Vale of Alford , Alford , Aberdeenshire , and Dolphin , Bonnybridge ,

Stirling-The members of the Grand Lodge , along wilh deputations from daughter lodges in the provinces , afterwards dined together in celebration of the Festival of St . Andrew . This gathering has hitherto been generally held in the Freemasons' Hall , but the accommodation there was too limited for the

company on this occasion , and the banquet took place in the Music Hall , to which the members of Grand Lodge aojourned after the business meeting . There was an attendance of over 400 , a large contingent coming from the Grand Master's own province in Lanarkshire and other districts of the west . The assemblage was one thoroughly representative of Scottish Freemasonry . Thc Grand Master , Bro . Hozier , occupied the chair , being supported on the

right by Bros . Lord Provost Steel , Captain Towse , V . C ; Lord Newlands ( f . itherof the Grand Master ) ; Sir David Richmond , ex-Lord Provost of Glasgow ; the Rev , W Lee Ker , Sir James Buchanan , Barl . ; the Rev . Dr . Gr . iy , Colonel Ivison Macadam , lames Berry , P . G . M . of Forfarshire ; and Captain Ramsay , Rhodesian Sir Charles Bart the

Volunteers ; and on the left by Bros . Dalrymple , ., M . P . ; Hon . Alan de Tatton Egerton , M . P . ; Sir Mitchell Thomson , Bart ., * ex-Lord Provost of Edinburgh ; Arthur Morton , M . P . for Deptford ; the Hon . C . M . Ramsay , Substitute Grand Master Treasurer Cranston , Colonel Hozier , C . B . ; Admiral Fletcher Campbell , C . B ., of Boquhan ; thc Rev . Dr . Macadam Muir ,

and Provost Mackie . At the second platform table were—Bros . C . Kincaid Mackenzie , Advocate ; James Williamson of Westsidewood ; Sheriff Vary Campbell , Rev . Dr . Wall , Provost Macfarlane , Adam L . Gillan , J . P . ; James Russell , Principal City Ollicer ; Colonel John Campbell , the new Governor of Edinburgh Prison ; J . Dalrymple Duncan , Dr . James Carmichael , Councillor Robert K . Inches , William Officer , S . S . C . ; Dr . T . . Murray Lyon , and

Dr . George Dickson . The Croupiers were Bros . A . A . Spiers of Elderslie , S . G . W . ; W . Munro Denholm , J . G . W . ; H . J . Humphreys , President of Grand Stewards ; and Miles M'Innes , Vice-President of Grand Stewards .

Scotland.

The GRAND MASTER , in giving the toast of " Queen and the Craft , " said there was the great bond of boundless sympathy between Queen Victoria and the Freemasons , and never in the history of this country had sympathy been more required from Queen and Brotherhood alike than in the present year , which , begun in darkness , was now ending in comparative light . ( Applause . ) The G . MASTER next proposed " T . R . H . the Prince and Princess of Wales and the rest of the Royal Family . "

Bro . TREASURER CRANSTON , in giving " The Navy , Army , and Reserve Forces , " said that almoit from time immemorial the history of the navy of Great Britain had been one of honour , success , and glory , not even stained in the most remote degree with a single blot on its glorious escutcheon , and as it had been in the past , so it was at the present day . As regarded the army , he could say there was none like it in the world . Some people , who

scarcely deserved the name of Britons , were fond of finding fault and throwing dirt on our soldiers during the war . He had followed the whole story of the war , and he could say that the tradition of the British soldier was not one whit less honourable or brave than the traditions of those who had gone before him . Our soldiers had done their work as soldiers and as honourable men , and there should be an end of these slanders . Speaking

of the Volunteers , he said he could appeal to them with confidence whether the civilian part of the army had not done their duty and shown that their patriotism and gallantry were not behind those of their brothers-in-arms of the regular forces . ( Applause . ) He coupled the toast with the names of Bros . Admiral Fletcher Campbell , Captain Towse , V . C , Colonel Ivison Macadam , and Caotain W . B . Ramsay , of the Rhodesian Volunteers .

Bro . Admiral FLETCHER CAMPBELL , in responding for the Navy , said he was excessively proud of the deeds of their comrades in South Africa and elsewhere . Bro . Captain TOWSE , who was enthusiastically received on rising to reply for the Army , said there was a great deal of luck in warfare as in other things . During his life he had not , he said , been exceptionally lucky ,

but luck came to him in South Africa , and he had tried to do his duty , but he had only done what any other officer would have done if he had been in his place . ( Hear , hear . ) In this war the army had to play a weapon of which nobody in the world knew what it could do . It was true the army had used the weapon in Chitral in 18 95 , but it had not been used against ourselves , and that was a very different thing . Our generals had to

contend with a style of warfare which nobody had ever played at —( hear , hear)—against men armed like our own soldiers , fighting in their own country and among their own friends , and with practically no lines of communication and no difficulty in getting food . There were practicall y no roads in the country , and the line of railway was a single line , every yard of which had to be guarded , even in Cape Colony , for in the north

of Cape Colony there were certain people who would have done their best , and were even now doing their best , to bring disaster on any small bodies of troops . The war was not yet actually over , and he was afraid it would be some months before the country would be in a complete state of quietness . Most of the leaders of the Boers having fled , the country had no head , and was simply in a state of rebellion , and until those people

could be got to look at matters in a sensible light the war would not be finished . The war had been carried through at great cost to the country , but the people had shown their practical sympathy with those who had suffered from the war , and he was glad to say that the Freemasons throughout the country , who were always at the head of Charity , had done their best to comfort and alleviate the bereaved widows and orphans .

Bro . Col . IVISON MACADAM having replied for the Volunteers , who had , he said , held their own in South Africa , Bro . Capt . RAMSAY acknowledged the toast on behalf of the Colonial Volunteers in South Africa , and said they had there , when Britain required their services , some of the finest fighting material which the world could produce .

Bro . Sir MITCHELL MITCHELL-THOMSON , in proposing "The Grand Lodge of Scotland , " said the Grand Master had already told them that they were associated very much with sympathy , and if they were to go on upholding the traditions of the Grand Lodge , which had be . n handed down to them by those who had gone before , they must keep the tone high . Tney had heard a good deal about our soldiers , and he could not forget that at

the last convivial meeting he attended in that hall , the colonel of Captain Towse ' s regiment * sat beside him , and they had present with them that night the man who carried the late Colonel Downman off the field . He ( Bro . Sir Mitchell ) could not believe that a soldier would not be a better soldier if he was a Freemason , for he could understand that in battle and in camp Freemasonry must bind men together . Politics had no place there

but he was sure that as Freemasons they were united in their desire to use their best endeavour , in their various spheres , to preserve the peace of the world . If Grand Lodge was in the future to do possibly more than had been done in the past , it must have a good head , and that it had in Bro . Hozier . It must also have a good working Secretary , and lhat it had in

Bro . Murray Lyon , who had rendered yeoman service to Grand Lodge and to the cause of Freemasonry . In selecting a successor to their retired Grand Secretary , he asked them to cast aside everything , even friendship , and do their best to choose a man of high tone , of ability , and of earnestness , and imbued with the highest ideals of the principles of Freemasonry . ( Applause . ) He coupled the toast with the name of the Grand Master .

The GRAND MASTER , who was most cordially received , in acknowledging the toast , said that last year he had to ask for their support and forbearance , and this year he had to thank them for their generous support and their more than generous forbearance . It was said that a man who made no mistakes never made anything . He was well aware that he had made plenty of mistakes , but he had also tried to make himself as efficient a ,

Grand Master Mason as circumstances would admit of . Having recalled some of the leading Masonic events in which the Grand Lodge nad taken part during the past year , he referred [ to the loss which they had sustained in the resignation of Bro . Murray Lyon , and he read a letter from the Grand Secretary thanking the brethren for all their kindness . Going on to speak of the position of the Grand Lodge , the Grand Master said the year just ended had indetd been the record year in respect to the prosperity that nad

attended Grand Lodge affairs . There had been enrolled as entrants (> JS , as compared with 7513 in the year 1 S 99 , and with 7068 in 1 S 9 S , then the highest point reached in all previous years . What an advance siuie 1 S 3 .:, when 661 was the number of entrants . Now they had thousands for hundreds then . ( Applause . ) The income of Grand Lodge had been , £ 7364 , as against . £ 7211 in the previous year—an increase of . £ 153 . In 1900 the grants from the Benevolent Fund amounted to £ 73 $ , and the Annuities to £ 1305 . Since the formation of the Annuity Fund