Our Old Folks In East Lancashire.

The annuitants were conducted by the Stewards and other brethren to the dinin" room , where thc table was found to be very tastefully and substantially laid out vvith fruits , flowers , and various appetising luxuries . At the request of the Stewards , Bro . J . L . Hine , P . M ., P . P . G . S . W . ( Chairman of the East Lancashire Charity Committee ) , took the chair , supported on the right by Miss Hine ( who is herself , we understand , a Life

Governor of all our Institutions ) , and on the right by one of the annuitants , Bro . Broadbent , who over thirty years ago had the honor of initialing Bro . Hine into the mysteries of Freemasonry . Bro . Hooper assisted as vice-chairman , while Bro . Nicholl superintended thc catering for the guests , and Bro . George Jackson , P . M ., kindly paid due attention to the requirements of the visitors .

After grace the dinner was expeditiously served , consisting of soups , fish , roast goose , boiled turkey , roast beef , plum pudding , pastry , jellies , fruit , & c . Beer and stout was served with the substantial courses . Later on champagne was substituted , but those who signified a preference for anything

else had their wants at once supplied . During the progress of the dinner a telegram was received from Bro . Terry tendering the best wishes of the old folks in the Institution to those in East Lancashire , which was promptly reciprocated , and immediately thereafter thc toast of " The Old Folks at Croydon " was given and received

with enthusiasm . After dinner the visitors , amongst whom we noticed Bro . J . E . and Mrs . Lees , Bro . and Mrs . Easton , Miss Hine , Bros . Lever , Shorrock , Thomas , R . Dottie , Forrest , J ackson , Stubbs , Chadwick , P . G . Say , Sillitoe , Jaffries , Burgess , Lawton , and others , joined the company , when tea , coffee , wines ,

and spirits were freely circulated at the cost of the visitors , and the usual loyal and suitable Masonic and other congratulatory toasts were given , interspersed with a very entertaining selection of glees , songs , recitations , and speeches by Bros . Lever , Shorrock , Thomas , Lees , Dottie , Forrest , and other brethren .

As many of the annuitants had to retire early , Bro . Nicholl , ably assisted by Bro . Jackson , was promptly in attendance , distributing to each their railway and cab fares and other expenses , together with a pound of tea to each old lady , and a half-pound of choice tobacco to each aged brother ; and after carefully seeing all the annuitants comfortably off in cabs to their

respective railway stations and other destinations , the visitors remained in mutual interchange of kindly congratulations and social enjoyment till after eleven o'clock , when all retired with expressions of delight at having had the opportunity of spending a very enjoyable evening with our Old Folk in East Lancashire .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of West Yorkshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF WEST YORKSHIRE .

The following address was delivered by Bro . Lieut .-Col . Sir Henry Edwards , Bart ., C . B ., D . L ., R . W . P . G . M ., at the quarterly meeting of the above Prov . Grand Lodge , held in the Freemasons' Hall , Huddersfiled , under the banner of the Lodge of Truth , No . 521 , on the 10 th inst . Worshipful Master , Past Masters , officers and brethren of West Yorkshire : In offering to the members of the Craft my sincere and hearty

thanks for the salutation with which you have greeted your Provincial Grand Master , and my congratulations at the opening of a new year , I nevertheless feel that in asking your acceptance of my cordial good wishes for the continued prosperity of the lodges under my command , my congratulations are not free from a tinge of melancholy regret . When I look back upon the period since the October assembly of this Provincial Grand Lodge several

valuable names have ceased to exist upon our muster roll . Death has been busy in our ranks . As Shakespeare says , " The tongues of dying men enforce attention , like deep harmony . " Last month it was my melancholy duty to follow to the grave the remains of Bro . Rothwell , a Past Provincial Grand Officer , and a Mason who at different times during the past twentyfive years filled important positions in the Craft . We have lost also Bro

Kenworthy , the Senior Warden elect of the Mirfield Lodge ; Bro . I homas Perrington , P . P . G . W ., P . M . 61 ; Henry Gaukroger , P . M . 61 ; and Bro . George Davis , S . W . 61 . "Give sorrow words ; the grief that does not speak , whispers the o ' er fraught heart , and bids it break . " A Past Warden , too , absent from us to-day is in sorrow ; Hannah , the wife of Bro . Isaac Booth , died on the 10 th December last . I mention this out of respect to

him , because he and I are members of the Lodge of Probity , in which he has ever taken an active interest with tne . Bro . Robert Richardson , viceconsul of the United States of America , and Provincial Grand Registrar , appointed to this office only last April , passed away at Bradford on the 16 th November , aged fifty-one years . Brethren : "Weare fellows still , saving alike in sorrow ; leak'd is our bark , and we , poor mates , stand on thc dying

deck , hearing the surge ' s threat ; we must all part into the sea of air . " The death of our legal adviser necessitated the appointment of a new Registrar , and I have selected Bro . J . Heaton Cadman , P . M . 154 ., and during the course of these proceedings I shall have the pleasure of investing him with the insignia of his office . He is a member of the Advice Committee ( as our late esteemed Bro . Richardson also was ) , and has given to thisCommittee , on the

revision of the new Book of Constitutions , his earnest attention . I considered I could not make a more satisfactory appointment than that of the learned recorder of Pontefract . At our meeting at Holmfirth on the 4 th October , Provincial Grand Lodge approved of the steps taken in calling this Committee together of the present and Past Officers of the Province to consider the proof of thc new Book of

Constitutions ; and it confirmed thc action of this Committee . I his Committee , under the presidency of my deputy , Bro . Thomas William Tew , acting directly for mc , and that of Bros . Gill , Craven , Malcolm , and others , met four times at Wakefield and twice at Leeds . The biethren have examined the 308 clauses of the revised book , and suggestions of the lodges of this province ; and a report will be presented to

you to-day , for your consideration . Reports have been prepared identical with that of West Yorkshire , by thc two Lancashire and North and East Yorkshire Provincial Grand Lodges , with whom the committee have endeavoured to work in harmony ; and this general agreement as to views will be brought to the knowledge of the Grand Secretary in London before thc special meeting of Grand Lodge in February . 1 personally

thank the members of this committee for the time lhey have sacrificed , and the assiduity they have brought to bear upon this complex and difficult undertaking , and their co-operation with other provinces . There is another matter of importance to this province . It was carried in last Provincial Grand Lodge , "That most strenuous opposition be offered to Bro . J . M . Clabon ' s proposition to increase the quarterage payable to

Provincial Grand Lodge Of West Yorkshire.

Grand Lodge to benevolence from sixpence to ninepence . " On the 6 th December Grand Lodge of England met , on Bro . Clabon ' s proposal . The new Registrar of this province spoke against the proposal ; so did Bro . Alpass , Provincial Grand Secretary of West Lancashire ; also Bro . Cumberland of North and East Yorkshire , and Bro . Tombs , Provincial Grand Secretary of Wilts . You ail know Bro . Clabon ' s motion was defeated by a

majority of four ; or 1 S 6 against the increase of quarterage , and 1 S 2 in favour of it . We may consider ourselves most fortunate al this result . Those of you who were in Freemasons' Hall on this occasion must have been gratified at this vote , and perhaps not a little surprised at the termination of Grand Lodge proceedings , to find the views of the opposing provinces successful . It shows the importance of provincial unity and

combination and of being present in numbers . I hope every brother has read the convincing letter of Bro Charles L . Mason on this question in the Freemason on the increase of quarterage fifty per cent , to benevolence . Bro . Clabon , perhaps , hardly realised that it meant drawing nearly £ 5 , 000 a year from the lodges in the provinces ; for had thc motion been carried the quarterages of the provincial brethren would have

been raised one shilling and sixpence—half being sent to London and half to the Provincial Grand Lod ges ; otherwise the position of London , and provincial brethren would have been different , which is inconsistent with the constitution of the order . I may mention that on December 20 th the Freemasons at their Lodge of Benevolence voted £ 660 to thirty-four cases of distress ; the total amount voted during the year being £ 9637 ; but by this

procedure the year ' s income of the Fund of Benevolence has been exceeded by £ 1937 . They must give smaller sums to each applicant , and make very careful enquiries into each case . We thank Bro . Mason for his letter and figures collated from the printed reports of the Quarterly Communications of Grand Lodge ; and we trust we shall hear no more " about this motion of Bro . Clabon ' s for the augmentation of fees . I have touched upon the dark side

of our Masonic circumstances by commencing with an obituary ; let me turn to the bright side of the picture . Without our works of charity and our philanthropic institutions our feelings of humanity would lose the prop that sustains them , and we should have no Benevolent Institution for the aged and the decayed and no schools for the education of our fatherless and motherless boys and girls . These Institutions are the outcome of that

teaching in the volume of the Sacred Law which bids us bear one another's burdens . It is these Institutions which give to Freemasons an impetus to kindness and generosity , and make us care for and value relations and neighbours as brethren . I thank the brethren of this province for their contributions during the past year , amounting to £ 1720 . My acknowledgments are due to our Charity Committee for carrying our boy and our girls ; and also for

the assistance they gave to North and East Yorkshire , hy which Vincent Jones was elected , this being his last chance . These elections were skilfully managed , and I thank the lodges for the spirited manner in which they have enabled the charity contribution list for 1 S 83 to be opened , Bro . B . Hayes , of Lodge No . 139 , Sheffield , having sent the names of the Stewards for the several festivals ; and I hear that Bro . George Motley Wand has promised

250 guineas to the Charities as a tribute to the memory of his father . There is a new feature in the Grand Secretary ' s list—a fourth column is added for the Preparatory School Building Fund , with special privileges and extra votes attainable after qualifying as Life Governor of the Boys' General School Fund , to which the Grand Chapter has given £ 52 ios . and gains sixteen votes , and Grand Priory £ 10 10 s . with two votes ; and notice has

been given to contribute a considerable sum to the same purpose in the name of this Prov . Grand Lodge , which will shortly be discussed . Should this be carried our voting power would be augmented and our losses in votes by death in some measure recuperated . The installation of Bro . Thomas Hill in the W . M . ' s chair of the Lodge of Hope after twenty-seven years of service as a Past Master is an incident £ . 0 rare in the Craft that I beg to take

this opportunity of referring to it and offering my congratulations to the lodge and to him on his again entering upon the active duties of the chair . His lodge has ever been prominent in generous and charitable actions , and West Yorkshire is indebted tothe Lodge of Hope and to Bro . Hill for many valuable services rendered to the Craft . It was with many regrets that neither myself nor my Deputy could be present on that auspicious occasion , but the

Bradford brethren had none the less of our good wishes and sympathies in their re-election of such an old and esteemed Past Master . We hope that he may be spared to us man -ars , and give this Prov . Grand Lodge his advice and experienced inflt .. ce in the administration of the affairs ot the province . With regard to invitations to be present at installation ceremonies , I cannot reasonably take part in them . 1 am sensible of the kindness of

the brethren in wishing me to be present , but multifarious private and public engagements press upon me so much that I feel myself obliged to ask from one and all of you a dispensation from the whole of these lodge engagements . I leave this work to my Deputy and the Present and Past Prov . Grand Officers . Our acknowledgments are due to the Worshi pful Master , the Officers , and brethren of the Lodge of "Truth , " No . 5 81 , for their invitation to meet under their banner , and for the arrangements lhey have made for

the reception of this Prov . Grand Lodge to day . This lodge was opened in 1 845 , at lne White Hart Inn , by Bro . William Kilmer , whose portrait now hangs in the lodge-room , near the W . M . ' s chair ; Bro . W . Shaw Tatham , and others , founders of this lodge , all of whom are since dead , its number then being 763 . On the 5 th April , 1850 , it was removed to the George Hotel . On thc 4 th of April , 1851 , is was transferred to the Rose and Crown Hotel , and remained there until it finally settled on the 5 th October , 1855 , in its present home here in Freemasons' Hall , the corner-stone of which was

laid December 27 th , 1 S 54 . Lord Goderick , afterward Earl De Grey and Ripon , the then M . P . for Huddersfield , was initiated in this lodge on the 171 I 1 May , 1 S 53 , and installed W . M . December , 1854 . It was during his Mastership that the first portions of these lod ge premises now occupied and called Freemasons' Hall were built by P . M . Bro . John Kirk , P . P . G . Supt . of Works , and who is now theoldesl subscribing member of this lodge ; he was

also architect for thc additions made to theLodge premises in 18 73 . On the Earl De Grey and Ripon being installed Prov . tirand Master of West Yorkshire on the 22 nd May , 1 SG 1 , the W . M . and officers of this lodge of " Truth " had the honour of opening and closing the lodge in the Victoria Hall , Leeds . The present Mayor of Leeds , Bro . Ed . win Woodhouse , was initiated in this lodge , and filled the office of W . M . in 186 S . A chapter

was attached | to this lodge in 1 S 65 , and is in a flourishing condition . Such , in brief , is a history of this lodge since the date of its warrant , 3 rd December , 18 45 . I wish it prosperity for all time to come . It affords me thc utmost satisfaction to say that all the lodges ] under my jurisdiction are working in the most perfect peace and harmony ; therefore it gives me the most unbounded satisfaction to ask one and all to accept the congratulations of the new year , Anno Lucis 5 S 83 .