Provincial Grand Lodge Of Cheshire.

during the year to the Cheshire M . B . I , was £ 133 , which was regarded as small for a province of 52 lodges , though the report conceded that many donations had been diverted by the Centenary Festival appeal in London . The Committee of Management of the Cheshire Educational Institution has

educated and clothed 48 children , at a cost of £ 386 . This Committee especially thanked the brethren at Birkenhead for their great assistance to the Institution at a time when the province was making a great effort to raise £ 3000 for the Centenary Festival of the Boys' School . The report was adopted .

Bro . Earl EGERTON OF TATTON , the Prov . G . Master , in the course of his annual address , congratulated the brethren on the continual and gradual spread of Freemasonry in the province , as shown by the fact that to-day there were 2652 members of the Craft in the province compared with 2466 last year . That was a substantial increase . He was also glad to learn that all the returns of lodges had been duly sent in and all the dues

paid . He observed that the Committee of Benevolence had passed a resolution inviting an annual subscription of two guineas from each lodge to the Benevolent Institution . He thought that was a very good suggestion . They were already supporting seven pensioners , and with an additional ; £ ioo a year they would be able to assist materially a further number of deserving candidates . He had to thank the brethren of the province for

their response made to the appeals on behalf of the great Masonic Institutions in London . Having given such excellent support to the great London Institutions , perhaps they might now take a step in advance , and give further relief to those of their brethren in the province who might be temporarily laid up or disabled by illness . ( Applause . ) There seemed to him also to be one step further that . Masonic Benevolence might go , and he believed it was a step that would have the support and sympathy of H . R . H .

the Prince of Wales , namely , that the province should have the power , by subscribing to hospitals and convalescent homes , not necessarily within the province , to send disabled or convalescent brethren to those institutions . ( Applause . ) He would ask the Committee of Benevolence to consider this question , and make a report to the next Prov . G . Lodge . ( " Hear , hear . " ) Bro . Sir HORATIO LLOYD , D . P . G . M ., proposed for the office of Prov . G . Treasurer the name of Bro . William Peers , P . M . 721 and 2609 , P . P . S . G . D . Bro . EDWARD CUZNER , P . M . 425 . seconded the nomination . No other name was proposed , and the election was unanimous . Bros . Peter Davies , Geo . Ivison , James Cookson , Thomas Markland , and John Armstrong were elected Auditors . The Prov . G . Master then appointed and invested his officers for the ensuing year as follows :

Bro . Sir J . T . Brunner , Bart ., M . P . ... ... Prov . S . G . VV . „ Lilley Ellis ... ... ... ... Prov . J . G . W . „ Rev . C . R . Nunn ... ... •••1 p , „ .. r nu „ Rev . J . E . Evans j Prov . G . Chaps „ W . Peers , P . M . 721 and 2609 ... ... Prov . G . Treas . „ Arthur Walker ... ... ... Prov . G . Reg . „ JohnCrompton ... ... ... } p q r n „ Dr . C . S . Brewer ... .. j t rov . b . O . Ds . „ Col . A . Sidebottom ... ... ••¦ 1 pr « .. T r rv ,, Andrew H . Baird j Prov . J . G . Ds . ,, Hugh Lowndes ... ... ... Prov . G . S . of VVks ,, Gordon Small ... ... ... Prov . G . D . C . „ J . D . Penney ... ... ... Prov . D . G . D . C . ,, E . Russel Taylor ... ... ... ~ \ „ MarkOlliver ... ... ... [ Prov . A . G . Ds . of C „ John Watt ... ... ... ... ) „ Dr . C . W . Bennett ... ... ... Prov . G . S . B . „ Capt . A . N . Shaw ... ... ... ) Pniiir Qf , , ; Samuel Davies j Prov . G . Std . Brs . „ j . Ferguson ... ... ... ... Prov . Asst . G . Sec . „ | . F . Swift ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . „ VV . Williams ... ... ... Prov . G . Purst . „ R . B . Blakehurst ... ... ... Prov . Asst . G . Purst „ A . Whittaker „ T . S . Dreaper „ T . VV . Atkinson ... ... ... | p „ P . H . Lockwood , 425 f G > Stwds >

„ Dean Sutcliffe , 979 „ F . Coveney , 721 ... ... ... J On leaving the Town Hall the brethren , in full Masonic regalia , were formed into procession , and marched to the Cathedral , where a service was held and an offertory was made on behalf of the Cheshire Masonic Charities . A banquet was afterwards held in the Council Chamber at the Town Hall .

Impressions.

IMPRESSIONS .

The Speculative Mason of to-day is not engaged as was his ancient brother . The Entered Apprentice is no longer a bearer of burdens . The Fellow Craft is no longer a hewer in the mountains , nor is the Master Mason an overseer of the work . The ancient Craftsman was employed in squiring Ihe ashlar . The Craftsman of to-day , with spotless apron , is squaring his actions with the square of virtue . Instead of trying the perpendicular and

Impressions.

proving the horizontal , he is travelling upon the level of time to that undiscovered country from which no traveller returns . The quarry in which we are labouring is the busy , thronging world . Our hearts are the trestleboards upon which designs have been laid out . Our lives are the stones with which we are erecting that spiritual building , that house not made with hands , eternal in the heavens .

It cannot be denied that there are many men who become Masons , actuated , not by a love of their fellow-man , not by a desire to promote the cause of Freemasonry , but rather from selfish motives . Their sole desire is to advance their own interests by building up their fortunes through the labour of others . They seek Masonic wages rather than the opportunity of

honestly earning them . Many such men vr ry early terminate their lodge membership by demit or failure to pay dues . Their excuse is that Masonry did them no good . But having done Masonry no good , having failed in the performance of Masonic labour , they sought to draw wages when none were their due , and were doomed to disappointment , as will be every individual who seeks Masonic wages in his own personal aggrandisement .

It is the imperative duty of every lodge to be thoroughly satisfied that each candidate for Masonic honours is a man of excellent character and habits . Men may deceitfully gain admission into our lodges through false pledges , just as there was one false man among the Twelve . There have been bad men in every human society since the beginning of time . Not every Mason has been true to his vows , nor consistent with his obligations . There is not a church but has its hypocrites , not a dogma but has its

recreants . It is unreasonable to expect perfection in any human institution . Humanity is weak and erring . While precepts are perfect , practice often fails . But in an institution where every man must come of his own free will and accord , where each one is subject to thorough investigation , and where each one must pass a unanimous ballot , we may reasonably expect to find men of the highest type of manhood , men whj are capable of living as exponents of the philosophy of Masonry .

Masonry is an organised expression of man's trust in his fellow-man . Every lodge which admits a man to membership recommends and unanimously indorses him as a man of honour and veracity . There is no Masonic obligation which requires one Mason to do business with another . But when one Mason does meet another in the marts of commerce he has every reason to expect that he will be dealt with on the square . It is part of the

duty of every Mason to be honest in his dealings with his brethren . To receive honest , fair treatment at the hands of brethren is part of the wages due to every member of the Craft ; and that Ma ? on who will act otherwise in his transactions with those who put their trust in him brands himself as a liar and a hypocrite , worthy of the contempt and detestation of all good men and Masons .

It is beyond dispute that solicitation in Masonry , even though it may bring members and revenue at the time , does not pay in the end . The writer calls to mind the administration of an energetic Master , during whose term of office 21 names were added to the roli of membership . At the expiration of five years 12 of that number had been suspended for nonpayment of dues , and several mo-e were hanging in the balance . That a

large number of these brethren entered Masonry through solicitation is not denied , but that their affiliation with the lod ^ e was a detriment is fully proven by the above . The rapid increase of members and consequent financial prosperity , to the exclusion of Masonic principles , will drive any Masonic Institution into bankruptcy , and constitutes one of the greatest Masonic evils of the day .

The great lesson of Masonic brotherhood is epitomised in the Galden Rule , and expressed in the Five Points of Fellowship . These five admonitions bind us together in a sympathetic union . They contain the fundamental principles of Freemasonry . They should constitute the creed of every Mason . They should lead it ; , in our prayers , to remember a brother ' s welfare , as well as our own , to keep sacred within our breasts the confidences

which are imparted to us , to stretch forth our hands to keep a brother from falling , and to hold his reputation with our own ; to tenderly whisper in his ear that warning which is his due , and that counsel which his error and reformation may require , and , above all , to be ready to go out of our way to assist him when in distress . Just in proportion as the above are put into practice , just in that proportion are we doing as we would be done by . — Illinois Freemason .

Officer And Private.

OFFICER AND PRIVATE .

FRIENDSHIP BASED ON THE EXPERIENCE OF SOLDIERS . Thirty odd years ago , a Peoria soldier serving in the Civil War dropped out of the ranks on a long march . He was fagged beyond his powers of endurance , and fell by the wayside . While he lay there gathering strength to follow his command , a mounted officer came along and saw himas he

, had seen hundreds of others , lying in their extremity , unable to go any farther . He stopped his horse and questioned the weiry soldier . He asked where he was from , and after a moment or two of conversation ordered hin to mount behind on his horse . In that way an officer in the uniform of a United States general carried a tired Peoria private into camp .

Last night Bro . Gen . John C . Smith stood in the asylum of Peoria consistory , and spoke a few pleasant words to John A . Bush , of this city , alluding to the fact that they had been warm friends for many years . He was the general , and John was the private who was carried on horseback into camp . —Peoria Journal .

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