Consecration Of The Manchester Lodge, No. 2554.

recent illness and his advanced age prevented his presence amongst them . He coupled with the toast the names of Bros . Sutcliffe , P . G . Reg ., and A , Middleton , P . G . D . Bro . SUTCLII ' FK , in responding , said it had been a great pleasure to the

Prov . Grand Officers to discharge the duties placed upon them by the Prov . Grand Master . The brethren would be pleased to know that that was not the only consecration to take p lace in the province during their year of office . Similar service to that which they had performed that day would have to be undertaken in the case of three other new lodges .

Bro . MiDiii . i' . TON said the W . M . of the Manchester Lodge held a unique position , which he could not hope to hold for long . No doubt at the present moment he was the youngest Installed Master of the youngest lodge in England , and possibly in the world . But in the state of prosperity which marked the Order he could not long hold that distinguished position . He

hoped the Manchester Lodge would progress with giant strides under the care and fostering attention of the W . M ., and the zeal and assiduity of the brethren he had around him , and that it would become a credit to the Order and a source of pride among the Masons of Manchester , the name of which city it had taken , not in vain , but as an earnest of the intention to be amongst the most esteemed lodges in the city .

Bro . DUFFIN , P . G . D . C , in response to loud calls , also responded to the toast , and expressed his best wishes for the success of the new lodge . Bro . ARNOLD , acting I . P . M ., then proposed " The Health of the Worshipful Master . " He said he had known Bro . Akerman for some little time , and was fully cognisant of his many qualities . Hehad no doubt that under his guidance the new lodge would not only be a credit to himself , but a credit to

the province and to the city whose name it bore . However good a man might be , he was more or less dependent upon the loyal support of his officers ; and from the knowledge he ( Bro . Arnold ) had acquired of those officers , he had every confidence in saying that in attention to the work and the ritual , and attention to the duties of Freemasonry , that lodge would be

par excellence in the province . He should do all he possibly could to assist the W . M ., and he did not doubt that every founder and officer of the lodge would do the same . Their W . M . occupied a unique position . As time went on he trusted they would none of them regret the selection they had made in appointing him their first Master , but that they would all with pleasure remember the time when they saw him installed .

The toast was honoured with great enthusiasm , and Bro . Kinnell sang , in splendid style , " Here ' s to his Health . " The W . M . was warmly received on rising to respond . He said that had he been a nervous man the reception they had given to the toast would almost have overwhelmed him , because he had no idea he was held in such high appreciation by the brethren and the founders of the new lodge . That was

not the first time he had responded to the toast of his health as a Master in that Degree and in others . He was proud to say , however , that he felt that night that he had taken upon himself an office which included many grave responsibilities . As the head and as a founder of that new lodge , it was his duty to see that it had a good start . He believed in the founders they had brethren who had their hearts in the work , and that the lodge would be

worthy of the name of the city of Manchester , and of the Order to which they belonged . He was obliged to thebrethren who had been present at the consecration , and who had assembled at that social board . He hoped the lodge would go on and increase in numbers and prosperity , and be a credit lo Freemasonry , The object of the founders was that it should do so , and in that they would have the hearty support of their W . M . He trusted that

his health would be spared to carry out the duties appertaining to the office which he entered upon with a great deal of pleasure . He trusted the Manchester Lodge would never have to regret placing him in the proud position he occupied that evening . The W . M . then proposed "The Health of the Consecrating . ind Installing Master , Bro . J . H . Sillitoe . " His name , he remarked , had been a

household word in Masonic matters , as far as Manchester and Kast Lancashire were concerned , for many years . No brother had done more to advance the Craft than he had , and few brethren had attained the high position he now held . That day he hoped he had arrived at the zenith of his Masonic career , in doing an act of kindness , in the unavoidable absence of the P . G . M ., in consecrating that lodge . It had not . been his ( the W . M . ' s )

privilege to be present at many consecrations , but he had never seen the work done in anything like the way it had been done that day . It was , in fact , carried out without a hitch , and he thought they would all agree that Bro . Sillitoe would be able to look back upon that day with a very great deal of p leasure . He could assure him that the brethren of the Manchester Lodge iclt very much indeed the act of courtesy he had performed in taking

upon himself the onerous duty of consecrating the lodge . They would all wish that he might be long spared to be a shining light in that province . The high position which he held as chairman of the liast Lancashire Benevolent Fund , the great interest he had taken in it , and the almost , he might say , enormous success that had attended his efforts , made him worthy

of their esteem . Indeed , at the commencement of next month , when the amount raised was announced at the Festival , Bro . Sillitoe would be one of the proudest men in Lancashire because he would have done somethingat which every Mason might rejoice , and one of the brightest acts that had been achieved in East Lancashire or elsewhere .

Bro . SILLITOE , in responding , thanked the W . M . for the kind way in which he had spoken of his past services to the Order , and of the services he had been able to render that day . Let him assure them that it had been a great pleasure to him to be present , and to take the place of the P . G . M . in consecrating that lodge . It was somthing * like 24 years ; igo that he became an Installed Master in that very room , and from that day to the present he

had had a pretty good experience of Masonic work , not only in East Lancashire , but in Cheshire , Derbyshire , and Cumberland and Westmorland . That day he had had the experience of his first consecration , and if the ceremony had been done to their satisfaction he was very well p leased . He had for along time had a great ambition to consecrate either a lodge or a chapter . His pleasure was much enhanced because he had had the

gratification of meeting brethren inthe new lodge whom he knew , and it was always a pleasure to him to come across old friends and to do all he could to promote their interests in Freemasonry . The W . M . had mentioned his connection with the Charities , and nothing had given him greater pleasure that evening than to see around their social board many who were intimately associated

with him in the working of those Charities . There were his predecessor in thc chair , Bro . Harwood ; thc Vice-chairman , Bro . Kershaw , one of the oldest and most valued friends on the ( ommittee ; and their Secretary , Ilro . Newton , who devoted so much time and hard work to the cause . He trusted that thc new lodge , which it had been his privilege to bring into the

Consecration Of The Manchester Lodge, No. 2554.

world , if he might use the term , would go on and prosper . The Manchester Lodge had amongst its number brethren who were possessed of energy and fibility , and they had given evidence of their Masonic feeling in the fact that the whole of the ten founders hid given their names , not only as Stewards ol the forthcoming festival , but as Life Governors of the Benevolent

Institution . That was a record that any lodge might be proud of , but more especially was there cause for pride when a new lodge , which only numbered ten members , had all its members occupying the position . In thanking them for the manner in which they had received the toast of his health , he assured the members of the Manchester Lodge that they might always rely upon his services .

Bro . NEW-HOLD , Vice-President of the East Lancashire Charity Committee , submitted the toast of " The Masonic Charities . " He said in connection with those Charities the Manchester Lodge had created a record , as Bro . Sillitoe had pointed out . He did not think any similar case could be found . With respect to the Masonic Charities themselves , they had been instituted for more than 100 years . During lhat period they had been tried

by time , and time , like ( ire , had purified and proved them . What was good had been tempered and improved , and what was bad had been utterl y destroyed . The remark applied to the London Masonic Charities , which , having come out purified and strengthened , were growing year by year , and taking a position in which they were enabled to d > great good . What better Institutions could they have than those which not only educated the young

for the battle of life , but made the world easier for those who were going out of it . No one among them could regret the support he gave to the Masonic Charities . In connection with the London Institutions there were about 1000 men , women , and children receiving assistance . In their own East Lancashire Institution they hoped , by means of the approaching festival , to place it on an even stronger basis . The distinguishing

characteristic of the liast Lancashire Benevolent Institution was that it took up the cases and gave relief immediately . Bis dat qui c . ito dat , might almost be taken as the motto of their Institution . They gave quickly as aid was required , and thereby they did twice the amount of good that might otherwise be done . Bro . NEWTON , Secretary of the East Lancashire Charitv , also responded . He said that for the forthcoming festival they had 358 Stewards , and he

hoped that number would be increased . While advocating the local Chanties he did not desire to depreciate the value of the London Institutions . He contended , rather , that the East Lancashire Charities supplied a gap which the London Institutions did not fill . It was found that there were many cases which could bo . better relieved than by sending them to London , and especially in the case of children , they could educate them often to better advantage to their families in their own immediate neighbourhood .

Bro . ARNOLP , acting LP . M ., proposed "The Visiting Brethren , " to which Bros . LEES , P . P . G . T . ; S . MOORE , P . M . ; KERSHAW , P . P . G . D . C ; UTTLUV , P . P . A . G . D . C . West Yorkshire ; MILLS , P . M . ; ROCIIESTFR , P . M . 541 ; WILLIAMS , P . M . 6 . 45 ; and SWINN , P . M ., responded . Bro . SILLITOE proposed " The Health of the P . G . Officers who had assisted in the Consecration , " and referred in particular to the valuable help he had received from the P . G . D . C .

Bro . DUFI-IN , P . G . D . C ^ ., replied , and expressed his pleasure at being enabled to take part in the ceremony to the satisfaction of the brethren . The toast of "The Newly-Invested Officers" was honoured , and the Ty ler ' s toast brought a memorable day ' s proceedings to a close . The following brethren were present :

Bros . H . J . Strong , 1616 , P . A . G . D . C . Eng . ; John E . Lees , P . M ., P . P . G . D . ; J Wrigley , P . M . 210 , P . G . Treas . H . Lanes . ; Thos . D . Foreman , P . M . 210 , P . S G . D . ; K . G . Harwood , P . M . 1733 , P . P . G . W . -, R . T . Sutcliffe , P . M . 1064 , Prov G . Reg . ; | ohn Marshall . 61 , P . P . G . P . W . Yorks ; James Newton , Prov . A . G Sec ; Arthur Middleton , P . M . 64 s , P . S . G . D . ; W . H . Norton , 1534 . P . G . D . R . J . T . Newbold , P . M . 1010 , P . P . J . G D . j V . W . Wollaston , P . M . 44 , 2363 , P . A . G

D . C ; James Andrew , P . M . 1219 , P . P . S . G . D . ; fames Kershaw , P . M . 300 , P . P . G . D . C ; Jno . Cliffe , P . M . 204 , P . P . G . D . C . ; j . N . Woolmer , P . M . 678 , P . A . G . D . C . ; Thomas Rigby , 42 , P . G . S . B . ; J . W . Millward , P . M . 992 , P . G . S . of W . ; W . H . Kershaw , P . M . 266 ; K . Ramsey , P . M . 2387 , P . J . G . D . ; J . W . Kenyon , P . M . 42 , P . P . G . S . of W . ; W . Other , P . M . - ) 15 , P . A . G . P . ; James Bromley , P . M . 210 , G . S . B . ; G . D . Pochin , i-m , P . P . G . R . W . Lanes . ; Geo . S . Smith ,

P . M ., P . P . G . Org . ; James Frost , 2320 , P . D . G . D . C ; Thos . Wolstenholme , P . G . O . ; Geo . Jackson , 1077 , G . S . B . ; F . W . Lean , P . P . S . G . D . ; Wm . Barritt , 191 , P . J . G . D . ; Geo . R . Lloyd , 1730 , P . P . G . Treas . W . L .- incs . ; William Bee , P . M . 1459 , Prov . A . G . D . C . ; Thomas Uttley , P . M . 24 G 4 , P . P . G . D . C . W . Yorks ; Peter Lawton , P . M . 78 , P . P . J . G . D . ; E . H . Flower , P . M ., Prov . G . Tyler ; James Robinson , P . M . 1219 ; H . Waterhouse , S . W . 1134 ; James Robinson , P . M . 317 ;

Arthur Sutcliffe , 2449 ; J . A . K . Haddad , 317 ; H . Grimshaw , W . M . 2464 ; H , Rochester , P . M . 541 ; Nathan Heywood , P . M . 44 ; Jno . Kelly , 2111 , P . G Chap . ; Cuthbert ' Blacon , 2156 ; Buckley Carr . P . M . 1161 ; R . W . Martin , 1134 ; Wm . Hardman , l . G . 1634 ; H . A . Whaite . 317 ; Thos . Turney , 1 C 3 ; C . Driver , VV . M . 1134 ; Walter Biggs , P . M . 149 6 ; J . A . Thompson , 1403 ; Jno .

Thompson , 1403 ; J . H . Marsh , P . M . 1730 ; A . S . Kinnell , S . W . 2156 ; Henry Bentley 1009 ; G . V . Blaikie , P . M . 152 ; Sam Moore , P . M . 992 ; Chas . Swinn , P . M 1633 , W . M . 2387 ; Samuel Mills , W . M . 1077 ; Edward Roberts , P . M . 1459 John Garside , P . M . 317 ; Edwin Goodson , 520 ; R . Thomson , W . M . 44 ; Win Jos . Sherlock , 2109 ; and J . Holden , P . M . 1009 .

Consecration Of The Furnival Lodge, No. 2558, At Sheffield.

CONSECRATION OF THE FURNIVAL LODGE , No . 2558 , AT SHEFFIELD .

The steady progress and advancement which Craft Masonry is making is illustrated in our columns every week . In a recent issue we chronicled the consecration of Justicia Lodge , in London , and now it is West Yorkshire that adds one more to its lengthening roll . It is only about iS months since Pro . the Right Hon . W . L . Jackson , M . P ., Prov . G . M-

for the West Riding of Yorkshire , consecrated the White Rose of Yoik Lodge , 2491 , in Sheffield , and on Friday last , the 14 th inst ., he was called upon to perform a similar duty , singular to say , again in the city of Sheffield . The causes which bring about the formation of a new lodge are various ; some more justifiable than others ; but when brethren state as a ground for

a new warrant , that their numbers arc so large that there is no possibility o \ reaching the chair in less than 15 or 20 years , then we think they have a fair claim for consideration . This was exactly the case in the Wentworth Lodge , 1239 . For years it has been increasing in numbers , until at last such a condition was reached that many looked upon the realisation of a go ° " Mason ' s hi g hest ambition as almost hopeless . Such being the case , Bro-