Grand Lodge Of Idaho.

whether a man with one leg ¦ shorther than the other , but otherwise sound and without blemish , is eli g ible to be admitted into Freemasonry ; and there is yet another query as to whether it is the duty of the querist to help an old brother

who , though in good standing , " seldom visits lodge , and has no means of support . " But though such questions as these strike us as being absurd , there is notwithstanding some excellent grood matter in other parts ol " the Address . Thus , under the head

of " Official Visitations , " the G . Master relates how , in the case of every lodge that lie visited , he made a practice of examining its records , and though , as regards the majority , he found the boohs well and regularly kept , there were some in which

irregularities were met with , and where the laws and regulations ol Grand Lodge had not been obeyed . Some of these offending lodges had questioned the Grand Master ' s rig ht to inspect their books without special instructions from Grand Lodge , but the

G . M . had over-ruled these objections , and referred those who opposed his action to certain of the Grand Lodge by-laws . Then , in reference to the question of " Poor Attendance , " it seems that during the past year , the lodges in Idaho have had no serious amount of work to

occupy them , and consequently , the attendance has been exceedingl y small , while many regular meetings were never held because the necessary quorum could not be formed . In these cases the Grand Master considered it his duty

to administer a reprimand , pointing out that though there might be no work in the sense of there being no Degrees to confer , there was much that mi g ht have been done in the way of study with a view to the brethren making themselves more perfect in

their knowledge of our mysteries . So , too , as regards the manner in which the work was done , the Grand Master found that in many instances there was great carelessness and considerable ignorance . Even where he had been at the pains of instructing

the officers 111 their duties , there had been subsequentl y a tailing off in the manner in which the work was done . In one case the Grand Master referred to particularl y , a brother who professed to know the ritual declined to be instructed , but , said

tin-Grand Master , " his blunders of speech were frequent , his knowledge of Masonry very limited , and when I refused to allow him to take charge and show us what he could do he refused to be comforted . " On the whole , though the questions before cited

show that too much heed is paid to trifles , the Grand Master—Bro . FRF . 1 ) G . MOCK , now I . P . G . M . —appears to have had a high sense of the duties and responsibilities- of his office and endeavoured to discharge them conscientiously and to the best of

his ability , while the reports from the Grand Treasurer and Grand Secretary , and the Report on Correspondence compiled by the latter , show careful work on the part ol those officers . Be it added that the number of lodges in Idaho , taking account of

the vacant numbers , is 29 with an aggregate membership of 1020 . The Grand Master for the current year 1897-S , is Bro . GEOKGF . M . WATERIIOUSE , and the Grand Secretary , as for many years past , Bro . CHARLES C . STEVENSON .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Wiltshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF WILTSHIRE .

The annual meeting of the above Prov . Grand Lodge was held in the Laverton Institute , Westbury , on the 1 st instant , under the bannerol the White Horse Lodge , No . 2227 . There was a good number of members present , the whole of the lodges in the province being represented . Bro . the Right Hon . Earl of Radnor , Prov . G . M ., presided . The

election of Prov . G . Officers took place as follows : Bro . G L . Palmer , 632 , ... ... ... Prov . S . G . W . „ Viscount Folkestone , 5 S 6 ... ... Prov . J . G . W . ,, Rev . P . M . Smythe , 2227 ... ... Prov . G . Chap . ,, E . B . Merriman , 1533 ... ... ... Prov . G . Treas .

„ W . E . N . Browne , 355 ... ... ... Prov . G . Reg . „ H . Btvir , 335 . 355 ... ... ... Prov . G . Sec . „ Col . R . T . Gwyn , 33-5 ... ... ... Prov . S . G . D . „ G . W . Harris , 586 ... ... ... Prov . J . G . D . „ P . I . Leader , 1533 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . of Wks „ J . Chandler , 355 ¦•• ••• ••• Prov . G . D . C . .. I . P . Martin . 6 < h ... ... ... Prov . A . G . D . C .

„ H . Mead , 2227 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . B . „ W . S . Bambridge , 1533 ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . „ T . Hogarth , 1295 ... ... ... Prov . A . G . Purst . „ A . H . Hancock , 1271 ... ... ... Prov . G . Std . Br . „ W . Dean ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Tyler .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Wiltshire.

The usual business of the meeting was transacted , and the sum of 50 guineas was voted towards the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys ; Bro . the Earl of Radnor also consented to be Steward for the Institution . From the collection of alms a sum of ^ 4 was given to the Westbury Cottage Hospital . Dinner was afterwards served in the Oddfellows' Hall .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Derbyshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF DERBYSHIRE .

The annual meeting of the above Provincial Grand Lodge was held at the Masonic Hall , Derby , on Wednesday , the 24 th ult ., there being a large attendance of brethren from the various lodges throughout the county . Bro . H . C . Oktover , D . P . G . M ., took the chair , in the unavoidable absence of the P . G . M ., his Grace the Duke of Ddvonshire . All the seating accommodation in the hall was utilised , and some of the brethren were obliged to stand .

The reports of the various lodges were submitted by the Worshipful Masters , and they showed that not only numerically , but financially , too , the province was in the soundest possible condition . The Masonic Hall Committee of Management and the representatives of Provincial Grand Lodge on the Charity Committee were re-elected , and the latter Committee reported that during the past year the sum of . £ 500 had been contributed to the various Masonic Ch irities . The D . P . G . M . then invested the Prov . Grand Officers for the year as follows :

Bro . Sir Henry Bemrose , M . P . ... ... Prov . S . G . W . ,, Joseph Cook ... ... ... Prov . J . G . W . „ Rev . S . C . Hayward ] Prov . G . Chaps . ,, Rev . Giles Andrew ... ... ... ) r ,, Arthur Elton ... ... ... Prov . G . Treas . „ J . E . Fletcher ... ... ... Prov . G . Reg . ,, W . Naylor ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Sec . „ R . Thomley ... ... ... ... Prov . S . G . D . „ E . Taylor ... ... ... ... Prov . J . G . D .

„ R . A . Little ... ... ... ... Prov . G . D . C . „ Dr . Rutherford ... ... ... Prov . A . G . D . C . „ J . Sheldon ... ... ... ... Prov . G . S . B . ,, G . Hadlield ... ... ... ... ¦) , „ .. / - C . J n - " n r , , 1 , \ rrov . G . Std . Brs . ,, L . Brenlnall ... ... .. J „ H . M . Day ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . „ J . Cutting ... ... ... ... Prov . A . G . Sec .

„ C c . liagguley ... ... ... rrov . u . rurst . „ F . Hrll ... ... ... ... Prov . A . G . Purs . „ L . W . Wiltshire ... ... ... " 1 „ W . W . Bothamley ... ... ... | " f \ Z ' r A ~ " '" '" " tProv . G . Stewards . ,, J . W . Gandy ... ... ... [ ,, Henry Edwards ... ... ... | „ W . C . Riley ... ... ... J „ A . Shnn ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Tyler . The annual banquet followed , and the usual Masonic toast list was gone through .

District Grand Lodge Of Malta.

DISTRICT GRAND LODGE OF MALTA .

The half-yearly commun ' cition of the above District Grand Lodge , was held attheMisanic Hall , V . detta , on Siturdty , tha 27 th ult ., under the banner of Lodge St . John and St . Paul , N } , 3 . ( 9 . The following District Grand Lodge officers attended in their official capacities : Bros . Major-Gen . J . F . Owen , R . A ., Dist . G . M . ; Capt . C . G . Robinson , R . N ., Dep . Dist . G . M . ; 1 . VV . Starkey , P . Dep . Dist . G . M . ; VV . A . Adams ,

Dist . S . G . W . ; VV . S . Robinson , Dist . J . G . W . ; S . G . Yeomin , P . Dist . G . W . ; W . E . Cook-, R Dist . G . W ., Diit . G . See . ; W . Pariente , P . Dip . D . st . G . Vf ., Dist . G . Tr .-as . ; T . C ; ntello , P . DWt . G . W . ; D . M . Bites , P . Dist . G . W . ; C . H . Horsfall , Dist . G . Reg . ; W . J . Norburn , P . Dist . G . Reg . ; H . R . E . Woodthorpe , P . 13 d . of Gen . Pur . ; W . H . Davis , Dist . S . G . D . ; Fleet-Paymaster Bell , R . N ., Dist . J . G . D . ; Major G . E . Weigall , R . A ., Dist . G . Supt . of

Works ; B . E . Essex , Dist . G . D . C ; Asst . Paymaster . A . B . Hall , R . N ., Asst . Dist . ( i . D . C . ; Col . Bridgman , O . S . C ., Dist . G . S . I 3 . ; Dep , Insp .-Gen . J . H . Martin , R . N .. Dist . G . Std . Br . ; E . H . Flower , R . N ., Dist . G . Org . ; Alfred Bumstead , Dist . Asst . G . Sec . ; J . Horrocks , Dist . G . Purst . j R . C . Ba ' . es , P . U . G . P ., Dist . G . Tyler ; and A . T . Ogden , J . W . Rogers , H . W . Cocks , and

A . Parker , Dist . G . Stwds . The District Grand Lodge was opened by the District Grand Master . On the roll of lodges being called it was found that each lodge in the district was well represented , many visitors also honoured the proceedings by their presence .

After the usual business of District Grand Lodge had been gone through the D ISTRICT G . MASTER addressed District Grand Lodge as follows : Brethren , —Everything has gone on so welland smoothly in the district since our annual communication in March last , that there is nothing unusual to dilate upon . Death has , unfortunately , been busy and has removed from this sublunary world to the higher sphere above several of our brethren whom

we could ill spare , and whose loss we most deeply deplore . Bro . Captain Hole , A . S . C ., ' died on service in Crete ; Bro . J . Taylor , a Past Officer of this District Grand Lodge , passed away whilst at Athens ; Bros . F . Clarke and W . Scholes both died in our midst ; we also lament the death of a member of our sister Constitution , Bro . McCormack , of the Leinster

Lodge , who was a very zealous Mason . Our busy season has now commenced , and it is hoped that the lodges will all show good work , so that a favourable report may be presented in March . I have had the pleasure of visiting several of our lodges during the past month , and have been much gratified at the work carried on and the zeal shown by the brethren generally . Our three great Charity Institutions are in a most flourishing condi-