Freemasonry In Essex.

FREEMASONRY IN ESSEX .

The Province of Essex has always been one of the chief strongholds of the Craft . Its lodges , several of which date from the last century , have been invariably active in the discharge of their duties , while , its support of our Charities has been uniformly generous . In the days of Bro . DUNKERLEY , who was its first Provincial Grand Master , and his successor , Bro . GEORGE

DOWNING , both of whom were valuable supporters of the Girls ' School , it heartily co-operated with them in the assistance they rendered that Institution , while under the auspices of its later rulers , Bros . ROWLAND ALSTON , M . P ., J . BAGSHAWE , Lord TENTERDEN , and Lord BROOKE , M . P ., it has well maintained

its earlier reputation . Hence when its annual meeting comes round we generally assume there will be a strong muster of the brethren and plenty of enthusiasm displayed . Last year its Provincial Grand'Lodge met under exceptionally pleasant circumstances as the guests of its able and popular chief at Easton

Lodge , Dunmow . This year the annual gathering took place at Walton-on-the-Naze , under the banner of the Arnold Lodge , No . 1 799 . As our report last week showed , Bro . LordBROOKE , M . P ., presided , and was supported by his Deputy , the Grand Registrar , his Provincial Officers , the Grand Secretary , and a

large attendance of brethren . The reports , as indeed they have been for many years past in the Provinces throughout the country , were most favourable . There are now upwards of 30 lodges on the roll , and thus the Provincial Grand Master found himself in a position to appoint the three additional Provincial

Grand Officers , which are permitted in such cases , while the membership has increased from 1300 , at which figure it stood last year , to 1440 . Financially , too , the Province is in excellent trim , while as regards our Institutions , the amount raised at the three Festivals reached to close on £ 9 80 , as compared with some

£ 650 in 1889 . Under these circumstances the congratulations of Lord BROOKE at the position attained by his Province were most natural , and though his lordship very modestly ascribed most of the credit for the progress thus shown to his learned Deputy , and the energy and ability of the brethren he has

gathered around him as his principal officers , we must not lose sight of the fact that it is to the sound judgment exercised by him in making his annual appointments , the ready tact he displays on all occasions , and last , but not least , the geniality of his government , that Essex is , after all , indebted principally for the

marked progress it has made under his presidency . That this view was paramount in the minds of those who remained for the banquet was evidenced by the warm greeting which the toast of his health received , and therefore , while we congratulate Lord

BROOKE on being the ruler of so successful a Province , we must not omit to congratulate the Province on having so successful a chief . The ruler and the ruled work well together because the sympathy existing between is complete .

Hampshire And The Isle Of Wight.

HAMPSHIRE AND THE ISLE OF WIGHT .

There are some strong points in common between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and the Province of Essex . Both were constituted for the first time as Provinces under the same distinguished Mason , Bro . THOMAS DUNKERLEY , though his

appointment as Provincial Grand Master of Hampshire dates from 1767 , and of the Isle of Wight from 1772 , while it was not till 178 3 that he was placed in charge of Essex . Both are fortunate in having several lodges constituted during the last century , as

well as in being presided over by able and popular brethren as their present rulers ; and both have exhibited a steady and generous support of our Institutions . The elder of the two

Provinces , however , has the advantage of being stronger in its array of lodges and the number of its subscribing members , while at the same time it has been governed by its present chief ,

Hampshire And The Isle Of Wight.

Bro . W . W . B . BEACH , M . P ., for a much longer period , Bro . BEACH having been appointed to office as far back as 186 9 , and Bro . Lord BROOKE as recently as 1882 . But , as we have already shown , in things essential they have a strong community of feeling and interest , and therefore it is not surprising that the

proceedings at the annual Provincial meetings , which , as our reports of last week show , were held within two days of each other , should have exhibited a strong family likeness . The Prov . Grand Lodge of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight was held in the Town Hall , Ryde , on the 28 th ult , and very great credit is due

to the Ryde lodges for the hearty reception they gave to the Prov . Grand Master , his officers , and the brethren of the province generally . The various reports were of a most gratifying character , that of the Prov . Grand Treasurer showing that after making contributions of 150 guineas to the Charities , and one

of £ 117 10 s . to the Binckes Fund , there was a balance in hand of £ 442 . Hence , on the motion of Bro . E . GOBLE , Prov . Grand Secretary , it was agreed to raise the investments to £ 1000 , and to make additional grants of ^ 50 to each of the three Central Masonic Charities , as well as one of £ 20 to the Hampshire

Educational Institution . Nor , in passing , must we forget to mention that though the Province during the last two years has not contributed on quite so large a scale to the Central Charities as in the years immediately preceding , the falling off has not arisen from any diminution of its interest in their

welfare , but because it has been engaged in organising a Provincial Charity of its own on a large scale , so that its donations and subscriptions have not been lessened in amount , but only distributed somewhat differently . However , whether its funds are

distributed as heretofore or differently , the Province is as eager to do its beneficent work as ever , and we gladly avail ourselves of this opportunity of congratulating its members , one and all , on the success which has attended its proceedings during the past twelve months .

The District Grand Lodge Of Canterbury (N.Z.).

THE DISTRICT GRAND LODGE OF CANTERBURY ( N . Z . ) .

The printed proceedings of the District Grand Lodge of Canterbury , New Zealand , at a Special Communication on the 6 th March last , and the regular Quarterly Communication on the 17 th April , claim a more than ordinary share of our attention . At the former meeting resolutions for a pro rata division

( 1 ) of the Fund of General Purposes and ( 2 ) of the Fund of Benevolence were carried by majorities of 29 to 22 and 27 to 22 respectively . At the latter meeting the District Grand Master , Bro . HENRY THOMPSON , now Grand Master of the newly-constituted Grand Lodge of New Zealand , took leave of the District

Grand Lodge , which is left temporarily in charge of the Deputy District Grand Master , Bro . P . CUNNINGHAM , and will so remain until a new District Grand Master has been appointed by the

M . W . Grand Master . It remains , however , to be seen what course our Grand Lodge will pursue towards what is undoubtedly an irregular body , formed by lodges and brethren that have seceded from the constitutional District and Provincial Grand

Lodges heretofore and still existing in the colony of New Zealand . It may resent its establishment , and forbid all intercourse between its members and those that have elected to remain loyal to their old allegiance , or it may prefer to ignore its existence altogether ; but in either case it will no doubt continue to

exercise , as it has done in the past , its right to issue warrants for new lodges and certificates for newly-made Masons , so that , though for a time its sphere of duty as the supreme Masonic Authority may be somewhat circumscribed , it will still claim to

be and to exercise that authority . As the late District Grand Master remarked at the special meeting , "No power in New Zealand could dissolve the District Grand Lodge of Canterbury " or any of the other District Grand Lodges in the colony . Had the movement which has just culminated in the establishment , by