Provincial Grand Lodge Of Shropshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF SHROPSHIRE .

The annual meeting of the above Provincial Grand Lodge was held at Ironbridge , on the 25 th ult ., under the presidency of Bro . Sir Offley Wakeman , Bart ., Prov . G . M . The minutes of the last Provincial Grand Lodge—held at Market Drayton on July 26 th , 1 S 9 S—were read and confirmed . The following Grand Officers were present and duly saluted : Bros . R .

G . Venables , P . A . G . D . C , D . P . G . M . ; W . H . Spaull , P . A . G . D . C . ; and V . C . L . Crump , P . G . Std . Br .

The roll of Prov . G . Officers was called , when it was found that all the 12 lodges in the province were represented , there being upwards of Co members present . The revision of the by-laws was referred to the Provincial Board . The annual statement of accounts was read by the PROV . G . TREASURER , and received and adopted .

Bro . Baxter , 2 3 , was unanimously re-elected Prov . G . Treasurer , and thanked for his past services . The Prov . Grand Master then appointed and invested the following

brethren as Prov . G . Officers for the ensuing year ; Bro . T . J . Salwey , 611 ... ... ... Prov . S . G . W . „ J . H . Cooksey , 1621 ... ... ... Prov . J . G . W . " P " w p M y ?^ ( re-a PP ° inted ) - 1 Prov . G . Chaps . „ Rev . W . P . Nock , 601 ... ... ... ) v „ W . Baxter , 2311 ,., ... ... Prov . G . Treas .

„ T . P . Deakin , 117 ... ... ... Prov . G . Reg . „ W . H . Spaull , 1124 ( re-appointed ) ... Prov . G . Sec . „ VV . Martin , 143 2 ... ... ... Prov . S . G . D . „ F . Chubb , 1120 ... ... ... Prov . J . G . D . „ A . T . Davis , 262 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . of VV . „ H . F . Newman , 117 (¦ e-appointed ) ... Prov . G . D . C . ,, T . Owen , 143 2 ( re-appointed ) ... ... Prov . A . G . D . C . ,, C . B . Cranstoun , 611 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . B .

" fcrw ' r - n ! i Prov . G . Std . Brs . „ W . G . Slaney , 601 ... ... ... j ,, H . Byolin , 117 ( re-appointed ) ... ... Prov . G . Org . ,, C . VV . Smallman , 1896 ... ... ... Prov . A . G . Sec . „ L . J . Rice Oxley , 117 ... ... ... Prov . G . Purst . „ Frank M . Southwell , 1621 ... ... Prov . A . G . Purst . „ C . W . Campbell Hyslop , 262 ... ... "!

„ J . V . T . Lander , 601 ... " i- ?' n ^ , ^ j-Prov . G . Stwds . ,, I . J . bott , 1120 „ H . Kenyon , 1432 „ F . Finnis , 1896 ... ... ... J „ H . Goodall , 1621 ... ... ... Prov . G . Tyler .

The D . P . G . M ., the Prov . G . Reg ., the members of the Provincia Board , and Bros . Ogg , Townsend , Crump , Williams , Freeman , T . Owen , and Smallman were elected Auditors . The reports from the Head Master of the Boys' School ( in which the province has three boys ) and the Head Mistress of the Girls' School ( in which the province has five girls ) were read and considered fairly

satisfactory . Bro . VV . H . Spaull , Prov . G . Sec , was again unanimously nominated for election on the Board of Management of the Boys' School . Bros . Venables , D . P . G . M . ; Crump , P . P . G . W . ; and Salwey , P . S . G . W ., were appointed a Committee of Management for the Masonic Calendar of Shropshire . It was hoped that all the lodges in the province would take the Calendar and present every member with a copy free .

The DEP . PROV . G . M . reported a further increase in the number of subscribing members , which was 3 S 4 , against 370 in 1897 . The PROV . G . M . reported very favourably on the records of the lodges as placed before him by the Audit Committee . The report of the Shropshire Masonic Charitable Institution for the year 1 S 9 S was read , and was considered eminently satisfactory .

At the Centenary Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , held on June 10 th , 1898 , this province was represented by no less than 51 Stewards , with the handsome sum of ^ 1199 is . 6 d . The province was also represented by 10 Stewards at the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution Festival for the sum of £ S () 15 s ., and at the Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , by one Steward , for ^ 36 15 s ., making a grand total ° f £ i 3 2 5 , IS - 6 d ., and earning for the province the compliment of " Well done , Shropshire . "

The total remittances to the three London Institutions since the formation of this Masonic Charitable Association in 1 SS 5 has amounted to _ £ 4 < jSi > lis . 6 d . It was announced that the next meeting of the Prov . G . Lodge should be held at Oswestry in July next . On the conclusion ol business the Prov . G . Lodge was closed , and the brethren adjourned to luncheon at the Tontine Hotel .

Scotland.

Scotland .

GRAND LODGE .

A i | uarlerly Communication ofjthe above Grand Lodge was held in the Freemasons' Hall , Edinburgh , on the 3 rd instant . There was a good attendance , considering the weather and the fact that little controversial business w . is on tli 2 card . The G . M . M ., Lord Saltoun , presided . Bro .

Major F . W . Allan , S . G . W ., was in his place . Bro . J . Dalrymplc Duncan acted as J . G . W . ; Bro . Sir Charles Dalrymplc , of Newhailes , Bail ., M . P ., was in his place as Past G . M . ; Bro . M . Arthur , Prov . G . M . Ayrshire , acted as G . M . Depute ; and Bro . Col . Campbell , Prov . G . M . Peithshire Eist , as Sub . G . M .

Scotland.

The following brethren from a distance were present , and were welcomed from the throne : Bros . Capt . C . D . Wise , G . Sec . of the Grand Lodge of All Freemasonry in India ; Walter Martin , Sec . Allan Wilson Lodge , Buluwayo ; John Arnot , St . Andrew ' s Lodge , Queensland , Cape Colony ; and Joseph M . Normand , 101 , Ohio .

A statement of the accounts , submitted by the G . Treasurer , for the past quarter , showed that the income had been £ 1612 and the expenditure £ 740—an excess of income of ^ 872 . A list of subscriptions to the Khartoum College Fund , in response to the

appeal of the Grand Master in December last , showed that out of 339 lodges in Scotland only 82 had contributed . The total was £ 301 15 s . 4 d . Of that £ 101 3 s . had been contributed by eight of the 37 lodges in Glasgow city ; £ 54- by nine lodges in the Upper Ward of Lanarkshire and the Provincial Grand Lodge ; £ 25 from Dumfriesshire ; and £ 3 5 s . from one lodge in the Metropolitan province .

Of the £ 404 contributed for the Annuity Fund in lodges last St . John ' s Day , £ 94 13 s . was from Glasgow ; ^ 12 6 s . from Lanarkshire Middle Ward ; £ 14 8 s . from Renfrewshire West ; £ 11 10 s . from Lanarkshire Upper Ward ; £ 22 6 s . from Dumbartonshire ; and £ 46 8 s . from the Metropolitan district . India sent £ 50 , but Queensland , New Zealand , Western Australia , and the Transvaal did not contribute . Bro . Capt . Thomas Hope , of Bridgecastle , was re-appointed Prov . G . M . of Linlithgowshire .

A charter was granted to a new lodge , Menzies Doric , Menzies , Western Australia .

A report , dated in May last , was submitted from the Prov . Grand Master of Forfarshire ( Bro . Berry ) , stating that the annual visitations to the Province of Forfarshire have again been completed . " I had visited 13 lodges , finding all in perfect order , when serious illness ( which has kept me indoors for two months ) prevented me from continuing the visitations . Thanks , however , to the Hon . C . M . Ramsay , Depute Provincial Grand

Master , and to Captain P . VV . Anderson , Substitute Provincial Grand Master , they were duly completed , seven lodges being visited by the former and five by the latter , all being found satisfactory . Most of the officebearers attended , and everywhere the deputations were received in the kindest and most hospitable manner possible . I have again to report a large increase of entrants over the previous year . "

It was reported that the Supreme Court of New York had decided the case in regard to the bequest by William Ferguson for founding homes for Freemasons in Forfarshire . The decision was that the legacy was valid , except so far as the present value of residue exceeds one-half of the estate , which the laws of the State prohibit a testator from alienating from his

next-of-kin . This excess amounts to 6 G 3 dollars , which the Court directed to be paid to the widow . The balance of the estate will be invested , the income paid to the widow during her life , and on her death the capital to the Grand Lodge for the purposes of the will . The Annuity Fund Board reported the death of five annuitants , and the granting of one annuity of £ 15 and 24 of . £ 10 each . The only other business was three motions of which notice had been given . These , which concerned Masons only , were all adopted .

The Presentation Of The "Sudlow" Testimonial.

THE PRESENTATION OF THE "SUDLOW " TESTIMONIAL .

A very interesting meeting took place at Freemasons' Hall on Friday , the 2 Sth ult ., to present the above testimonial to Bro . Robert Clay Sudlow , P . G . Std . Br ., Sec , about 85 out of nearly 300 subscribers being present . Bro . VV . G . KENTISH , P . G . Std . Br „ Hon . Sec . of the Testimonial Fund , having read the circular convening the meeting , which circular

embodied the minutes of the last meeting of the Committee , Bro . Thomas Fenn , P . G . W ., Chairman of the Testimonial Committee , took the chair , supported by Bros . Sir John Monckton , F . S . A ., P . G . W . ; the Rev . Robt . J . Simpson , M . A ., P . G . Chap . ; Edward Letchworth , F . S . A ., G . Sec ; and other Grand Officers , Present and Past , besides many other brethren of mark in the Craft .

The CHAIRMAN said : Brethren , you are all aware of the reason of our meeting this evening . We have a very pleasing duty to perform—to acknowledge in a suitable manner the great services which have been rendered by Bro . Sudlow to the Emulation Lodge of Improvement , and , through that lodge . I venture to say , to the whole body of English-speaking Masons of the world . ( Applause . ) All those who were present at the

last meeting of the Committee , the proceedings of which have been read by Bro . Kentish , will recollect that I protested rather strongly against the selection of myself to occupy the chair on this occasion . There are many distinguished members ( if the Craft who would have filled this position much better than myself— ( " No , no ")—and whose names would have been very much more gratifying than mine ; but I protested chielly on the grounds

that I could not help fusing that having years ago occupied a similar position to Bro . Sudlow in that Lodge of Improvement , I could hardly impress upon you the consideration of the services which have bscn rendered by him without some reminiscences of myself , and without giving you the result of my own experiences under somewhat similar conditions ; and in doing that I felt I might be misinterpreted as having ; i desire to praise

myself . But after I wa ; induced to accept the pressing invitation , made almost by force , I felt that 1 could throw myself upon your consideration , and that those who know me well would acquit me of any desire of selfsteking . Of course , th ; experiences I went through were , in many respects , similar to those of B o . Sudlow ; and when I call your attention to the abnegation of self which is r ( quired to tear oneself away from home every

I-nday night , in bad wtnther maybe , to attend to duties here , I think you will agree that it is no easy task . But there is this difference between me and Bro . Sudlow—that when I was fulfilling those duties I had been married 20 years , whereas , I am told , he was married during the term of his duties . I need hardly appeal to every married man here , especially if he be newly married , to imagine what that means . This brings me to one of the most pleasing parts ol the duty we have to perform , and in discharging this duty