Cheshire Educational Masonic Institution.

CHESHIRE EDUCATIONAL MASONIC INSTITUTION .

We have pleasure in publishing the following report of this Institution for the year 1876 : — To the Right Hon . the Lord de Tabley , Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master of the Province of Cheshire , President of the Cheshire Educational Masonic Institution for the Education and Advancement in Life of

Children of Distressed and Deceased Freemasons , and to the Vice-Presidents , Life-Governors , and Governors . Vour Committee have again great pleasure in presenting their annual report , being able to state that continued success has crowned their efforts . The balance in hand at the close of the last financial year was £ 2500 19 s . sd ., and alter paying all requisite

expenses , thc amounts in hand , invested and otherwise , are . £ 2858 13 s . iod ., of which £ 270 has been invested on mortgage ! and £ 250 in a bond of the Mersey Dock and Harbour Board . During the year nineteen children have been educated , One of whom has now finished ; there were four old scholars who required assistance towards their advancement in life ,

which your Committee have extended to them , and there are two candidates for education . It is a matter of congratulation that the report received from the various instructors of the children have been invariably satisfactory , and if any Life Governor of the Institution would like to see the reports , the Secretary will be happy to show them on application .

The Committee desire to convey their thanks to the brethren at Stockport for £ 17 8 s ., the net proceeds of a Masonic ball held in that town . They have also to acknowledge the receipt of £ 20 on account of the amateur performance held in Birkenhead , February , 1876 , in aid of the funds of this Institution . While expressing great satisfaction with the exertions of

many lodges and chapters in increasing their subscriptions and donations , they would fraternally c . 11 the attention of all the brethren in the province to the great importance of adopting the recommendation of the R . W . P . G . Master , that a certain amount out of every initiation and

exaltation fee should be appropriated to the funds of this Institution , for when a resolution of this kind is universally adopted , it will form a source of revenue on which your Committee can place more reliance than upon occasional large donations . The following is the Treasurer ' s balance sheet : —

RECEIPTS . £ ¦••> . 1875 . To Balance brought forward ; as per last Report 388 11 7 1876 . To Bro . the Lord De Tabley , R . W . P . G . M ., Subscription 500 To the Lady De Tabley , Subscription ... 200

To Donation of proceeds of Masonic Ball held at Stockport , per the four Stockport lodges 15 15 ° To Donation on account of proceeds of Amateur performance at Birkenhead , February , 187 6 20 o o To Fees from Lodges and Chapters ,

as per List 45 19 o To Donations from Lodges , Chapters , and Brethren , as per List 233 14 6 To Subscriptions from Lodges , Chapters , and Brethren , as per List ... 104 11 6 To Interests on Investments , viz : — JEIOO Birkenhead Commissioners '

Bond , at 45 per cent ., less Income Tax 4 9 1 £ , 100 Birkenhead Gas and Water Bond , at 5 per cent ., less Income Tax ... 4 19 o £ 500 Mortgage , House , Mrs Hewitt , at j per cent ... 25 o o £ 350 Moitgage , House , Bro . Mulholland , at 5 per cent 17 10 o

^ Mortgage , Houses , trustees 01 J Mrs . Hutchings , at 5 per cent . ... 6 15 o J £ IOO Mersey Dock Bond , at 4 } per cent , less Income Tax ... ... 442 Five Grand trunk of Canada Equipment , Bonds , 6 per cent ., less Income Tax 29 1 2 6 Liverpool Gas Company's Stock ... 1 3 16 9 Interest allowed by North and South Wales Bank , less Bank Commission 1 14 9 £ 923 12 10

EXPENDITURE . 1876 . By Bro . E . H . Griffiths , printing 1000 £ s . d Reports 11 11 o By Brother Harbord , printing Circulars , & c 180 By Expenses of Annual Audit and Committee Meetings ... ... S 5 7

By Bro . Henry Bulley , Expenses in transferring Trustees 526 By Payments for Education for 19 Children , viz : — Lodge . 941 Carter , Lucy 3 6 3 295 Foden , Emily 500 537 Howard , Percy ... 500

721 Harrison , J ohn R . ... ... ... 3 1 10 721 Harrison , Wm . H 7 10 0 477 Jones , Samuel M 800 320 Little Mary L . ... ... ... 5 5 0 320 Little , Thos . A . ... ... ... 600

477 Meacock , Walter 7 18 11 322 Meadows , John 400 1166 Middleton , Thos . H 500 1166 Middleton , Kate A 3 7 721 Morris , Wm . D . A ... 10 o o 368 Poynton , Dennys 81

Cheshire Educational Masonic Institution.

£ s . d . 3 68 Poynton , George ... 880 425 Roberts , Hugh Thos . 10 10 o 3 68 Shaw , Eleanor S 44 ° ' 758 Sherratf , Richd . H 1000 487 Whyte , Elizabeth H 7 ' 9 °

By payments for Advancement for 4 Children , viz : — 295 Foden , Samuel ... ... ... 440 477 Meacock , Louisa ... ... ... < * > 1 11 447 Meacock , Elizabeth ,. 440 477 Lenox , Henry 440 By Investment Mortgage , Trustees Mrs . Hutchings on two Houses at Oxton ,

at s P cent . ... ... ... 270 o o By Stationery , Postage , and Incidental Expenses for the year , per Secretary , Treasurer , & c ... ... ... 12 8 9 By Balance in North and South Wales Bank 345 11 9 By Balance in Treasurer ' s hands ... 130 14 3

£ 923 12 10 The funds of thc Institution were invested as follows : — £ s . d . Birkenhead Commissioners' Bond ... ... 100 o o Birkenhead Gas and Water Bond ... ... 100 o o

Mersey Dock Bond ... ... 100 o o Mortgage on house at Liscafd ... ... ... 500 o o Mortgage on two houses at Great Crosby ... 350 o o Mortage on two houses at Oxton , Birkenhead ... 270 o o Ten Shares Great Western of Canada Stock ... igi 10 o Five Grand Bank of Canada Equipment Bonds

£ 5 °° 5 ° 5 o o Liverpool Gas Company ' s Stock ... ... 265 17 10 Cash in North and South Wales Bank , waiting investment 343 11 9 Cash in Treasurer's hands ... ... ... 130 14 3

£ 2858 13 10 The following are the qualifications and privileges of Governors : — A subscription of five shillings per annum constitutes the subscriber an Annual Governor , with the piivilege of one tote , and one vote for every additional subscription of

five shillings . A donation of five guineas or upwards , in one or more payments , within twelve months ( or at two successive annual meetings ) , constitutes the donor a Governor for life , with the privilege of one vote for each guinea given .

A donation of twenty guineas in one payment , or in two or more payments within two years ( or at two successive annual meetings ) , constitutes the donor a Vice-President . A lodge or chapter making a donation of twenty guineas at one time , or in several payments within three years , is entitled to twenty votes during its existence .

A subscribing lodge or chapter has the same privileges as an individual subscriber . A minister of religion , being a Freemason , who advocates the cause of this Institute from the pulpit , in the place of worship where he officiates , and has a collection made on its behalf , shall , in consideration thereof , be a Governor for life , with the privilege of five votes .

Consecration Of The Fort Mark Lodge, No. 206.

CONSECRATION OF THE FORT MARK LODGE , No . 206 .

The R . W . Bro . Sir Frederick M . Williams , Bart ., M . P ., 32 ° , attended at Newquay on the 16 th inst ., and as Provincial Grand Master of the Mark Province of Cornwall , consecrated and dedicated the Fort Mark Lodge , No . 206 . There was quite a goodly gathering of Mark Masters in

honour of the occasion , representatives being present from the following Mark lodges in the Province , many of whom had travelled many miles to take part in the proceedings , so much is the worthy Prov . G . Master respected by Ihe whole Province , viz : —Meridian Lodge , No . 73 , Redruth ; Fortitude Lodge , No . 58 , Truro ; Cornubian Lodge , No . 87 , Hayle ; Live and Honour Lodge , No . 94 , Falmouth ;

Boscawen Lodge , No . 101 , Chacewater ; True and Faithful Lodge , No . 175 , Helston . The Mark lodge was opened by the R . W * . Bro . W . J . Hughan , P . M . 78 , Past Grand Warden of England , at 11 , a . m , when some eight candidates were advanced , who were anxious to witness the ceremony of consecration , and on the degree being completed the Prov . G . D . C .

announced the arrival of the Prov . G . M . R . W . Bro . Hughan deputed W . Bro . W . J . Johns , P . Prov . D . G . M . ( Prov . G . Sec . ); W . Bro . W . Lake , Prov . G . Reg . ; Capt . Michell , Prov . G . S . B ., and others to escort Sir F . M . Williams , Bart ., M . P ., to the East , when he resigned thc gavel into the hands of the Prov . G . M ., and the Prov . Grand Lodge was opened in due form , with R . W . Bro .

W . J . Hughan , P . G . M ., as Deputy Prov . G . M . ; Rev . W . H . Bloxsome , M . A ., Prov . S . G . W . ; William James Johns , Prov . G . Sec , as Prov . J . G . W . ; William Lake , Prov . G . Reg . ; J . C . Polglaze , Prov . G . J . O . ; Capt . Michell , Prov . G . S . B . ; S . Mitchell , Prov . G . Supt . of Works ; Samuel Harvey , Prov . G . D . C . ; Charles Truseott , S . W . 78 , P . Prov . G . S . B . ; William Johns , Prov . G . Steward , and many

other Provincial Grand Officers and others . The Prov . G . M . announced the object of the meeting , and throughout carefully followed the programme which had been circulated by the respected Prov . G . Sec , for the information of the members . The consecration was then formally accomplished , the elements being carried by the brethren in the procession as follows : —

Prov . G . Master . Acting Dep . Prov . G . Master ( with com ) . Prov . Senior G . Warden ( with wine ) . ' ( Acting Junior G . Warden ( with oil ) .

Consecration Of The Fort Mark Lodge, No. 206.

On the first circuit of the lodge , the corn was presente to Sir F . M . Williams ; on the second , the wine ; and on the third , the oil ; each time the usual remarks being made and finally , after the customary prayers by the Acting Prov . G . Chaplain , the Rev . W . H . Bloxsome , M . A ., ( Who was ready throughout to discharge any part allotted to him ) , the consecration and constitution of No . 206 was

accomplished by the Prov . G . Master in a most di gnified and graceful manner . The oration by the R . W . Bro . W . J . Hughan was con . siderably curtailed , to the evident regret of the brethren but the business being considerable , he wisely shortened his discourse , but promised at another time to address the Province on the principles and customs of Mark Masonry .

The warrant was read by the Prov . Grand Secretary W . Bro . W . J . Johns , P . M . and Treas . 78 ( to whom all the arrangements had been entrusted by the Prov . G . M . ) and the W . M . nominate , Captain William Edwards Mitchell , was duly installed by the R . W . Bro . W . J . Hughan , ( senior P . M . of the Province , and the Wardens . ) Bro . Bryant Wellington , Senior , and Thomas Hawker , Junior , invested .

The W . M ., in a neat speech , congratulated the members of the new lodge on the day having passed off so successfully , and proposed that a vote of thanks be offered to Sir F . M . Williams , Bart . M . P ., for his kind attendance as Prov . G . Master , which on being put to the meeting was carried by acclamation . The principal officers of No . 206 were then appointed , viz ., by the W . M ., ( the others previously mentioned beinrj

named on the warrant granted by the Right Hon . the Earl of Limerick , M . W . G . Master of England ) Thomas Hicks , M . O ., W . M . 1529 , Craft lodge ; Henry F . Whitefield , S . O ., S . W . 1529 , Craft lodge ; Thomas G . Prout , J . O ., W . M . 1528 , Craft lodge ; Rev . D . C . Brown , Chaplain ; Samuel H . F . Cox , R . of M . ; W . H . : ymons , S . D . ; W . W . Howard , J . D . ; T . Crapp , I . G . A ba-jquet was served at the close of the proceedings the W . M ., Captain W . E . Mitchell , in the chair .

Brothers Well Met.—A Lancastrian Sojourn.

BROTHERS WELL MET . —A LANCASTRIAN SOJOURN .

For my transgressions I was cast a week in the dull , dirty , wet city of Manchester—a place rendered all the more miserable to my southern eye from the fact that to reach it I passed through , in sunshine , the beautiful counties of Huntingdonshire , Nottinghamshire , and Derbyshire , and

in entering Manchester passed from the most beautiful parts of England into clouds of smoke and showers of rain . Then , to add to the depression which will naturally fall upon a stranger , there is the great contrast between the city and some of its people . One stands before marvellous palaces , such as the New Town Hall and the Assize Courts , which rival in beauty of adornment

even Westminster , and around the gazer at these creations of wealth are multitudes of alms-seekers in little ragged children , seemingly God-forgotten . To whatever part of Cottonopolis I wandered in my week of enforced stay these wretched children were to be found , not in ones and twos , but in dozens , fearless of School Board officers , and evidently being trained to

viciousness and crime . The sight took off all the gilt from the gingerbread of the splendid architecture , and let me tell the ratepayers and citizens of Manchester that the waste of " material "—to put it on no higher ground—in permitting these wretched children to be dragged up in the streets in this way will knock away a good deal of the gingerbread wilh the little gilt which may be left in a few years' time .

As it is , the existence of the Lancashire " rough " is no mystery . I saw many of the Manchester poor children of past years in the ruffians who , on Bank Holiday , were too ready to attack unoffending strangers on the least pretence , and on no pretence at all . When the attack comes on property the political economists of Manchester will deeply lament that they had not an efficient School Board

system . But it is not of Manchester streets and evils that I wish to speak , lt is of those in the " Craft" I met there . It was a week of science we had , for I was there with the British " Med's . " among whom there are | no lack of brothers of the right sort , and their experience as "P . M ' s " was brought into requisition in being the organisers of the " Mess " which found favour in most of the hotels during

that week in that noisy city . For instance , there was Ur . T ., of Leamington , who gathered round him at the Royal a jovial crowd , filled to the brim with kindliness and happiness—and most of his gathering were freres . But it is not of Bro . and Dr . ' 1 ' ., of Leamington , that 1 have to speak , but of a little romance in real life—real existing life . In London some years ago I bad a kind fiien *'

( and brother ) , a clever advancing medical man , whose devotion to tbe sick poor was only equalled by his talenls and that sincerity of character which always trarks the true man . Suddenly I heard that Dr . B . had broken down in health , had been obliged to resign his practice . I had been forced to travel ; years had rolled by since then , and my joy was great on finding at Owen ' s College a letter

from my long lost friend and brother . Soon after I receive' * the letter we clasped hands , and then I learnt that visiting the Lancastrian shore in search of a health resort he fell among brothers , who discerning his talents urged him jo stay . His health improved , and practice coming rap'olf in , he had decided to found his home anew , and then he was an accepted amtng the accepted , who had found in Manchester

him cne of the worthy . He could not stay in , and I could not then leave , and he urged me to come over to the coast on the end of the week . Science ende its holiday in the grimy town , and I sped me away y ° the murky town of Manchester , not shaking the dust from my feet , for the dust stuck too thick , and then I made i ** y way with a friend to Southport . The change was m » " * vellous . The depression which had been cast over us parted as if by magic , as we walked that nig ht in