Provincial Grand Lodge Of Cornwall.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF CORNWALL .

The annual Provincial Grand Lodge of the Province of Cornwall was held on Tuesday , the 16 th inst ., at Redruth , under the presidency of tha Earl of Mount Edgcumbe , Deputy Grand Master of England , and Provincial Grand Master of Cornwall . The lodge hid bsen postponed from September i ith , on account of the sudden death of the Prov . Grand Secretary , Bro . T . Chirgwin , Mayor of Truro . Bro . Sir Charles Siwle being deta ' ned at

Quarter Sessions at Bodmin , his chair was filled by Bro . E . D . Anderton . The Provincial Grand Lodge was constituted as follows : Bro . W . Alason , 496 , P . S . G . W . ; VV . K . Baker , 1272 , P . J . G . W . ; Rev . J . J . Greatrex , 1529 , P . G . Chap . ; Rev . G . G . Ross , 7 S 9 , P . G . Chap . ; Edmund Venning , Sio , P . G . Treas . ; A . E . Ratcliffe , 318 , P . G . Reg . ; J . AL Carne , 75 , P . S . G . D . ; VV . Wagner , 450 , P . S . G . D . ; Sholto H . Hare , 1954 , P . J . G . D . ; Simon VVhite ,

970 , P . J . G . D . ; J . D . Pcarn , 8 9 . 1 , P . G . S . of W . j Richard Rowe , 1544 , P . G . D . C . George Wedlake , 121 , Dep . P . G . D . C ; John Kittow , 7 S 9 , P . A . G . D . C ; E . W Carus Wilson , 1529 , P . G . S . B . ; N . Robins , 1954 , P . G . Std . Br . ; W . J . Collins 1006 , P . G . Std . Br . ; M . J . Monk , Mus . Bac . 131 , P . G . Org . ; F . A . Rawling 1164 , P . A . G . Sec ; T . P . Tonkin , 330 , P . G . Purst . ; J . Langdon , 131 , P . A . G Purst . ; W . Phillips , 1954 , VV . E . Alarchant , S 93 , R . S . Langford , 178 s , J . AL

Blarney , 967 , John Black , 1136 , and B . Parsons , 789 , P . G . Stewards ; and R . George , 1954 , P . G . Tyler . The brethren in ofiice absent were Bros . Sholto Hare , Wedlake , Kitto , Black , and Parsons . The lodge was also attended by about 500 brethren from all parts of the province , no lodge being unrepresented . THE PROV . GRAND MASTER , after the reading of the minutes , alluded to the death ( if Bro . Rev . J . Core , who was P . G . Chap , at the time . With

regard to Bro . C . Truscott , who for some years managed the votes of the province , his lordship mentioned tint it was intended to present him with an address and the sum of £ 6 S , collected among his brother Masons . Tlis P . G . M . proceeded to say that he hoped the postponement of the P . G . Lodge had not inconvenienced many brethren . He felt he could not hold the lodge within a week of the brother who convened it on his behalf being laid in his

last resting-place . Even now a cloud hung over the meeting , a cloud of regret for one whose genial kindness and indefatigable work for anything for the benefit of his county and his city—in which he did so much—and for their Craft , made them feel Bro . Chirgwin ' s loss as one which would not be easily repaired . To him ( the P . G . M . ) some would be able to judge what a loss it was . He hop'd overwork had nothing to do with shortening Bro .

Chirgwin ' s life ; but he ( the P . G . M . ) had sometimes scrupled in adding to the many duties he had to perform by asking him to continue to act as Secretary for him in that province , and which some regard for him ( the P . G . M . ) induced Bro . Chirgwin to retain . He wished to acknowledge a letter from the Looe Lodge condoling with the loss his lordshi p had sustained by the death of the Secretary . Among those who could not attend in

consf quence of ihe meeting having been postponed were Sir Charles Sawle , the Deputy Provincial Grand Master , who was at Quarter Sessions ; and Bro . Charles Prideaux Brune , was now in Ireland . The P . G . M . also read a letter from Bro . Rawle , the Secretary of the London Cornish Lodge , No . 2369 , condoling with the province on the loss sustained by the death of Bro . Chirgwin , and mentioned that they had just initiated as a brother Mr . John Passmore Edwards .

The PROV . GRAND SECRETARY ' report was to the effect that during the year there had been 124 initiations , against 146 in the previous year , 29 joining members against 30 , 1549 subscribing members against 1521 j total , 1702 , aeainst 1697 ; increase , 5 . Five petitions had been presented to the

Board of Benevolence in London , and grants obtained in four cases amounting to ; £ Yio , against £ 260 granted to nine cases last year . It was regretted that some ledge Secretaries had omitted to apply for copies of the directory until too late . If more copies were not applied for the directory would be publisht d at a loss or have to be curtailed .

The Prov . Grand Treasurer , Bro . EDMUND VENNING , presented his balance sheet in print , and it was taken as read and adopted . It showed , balance to begin with , ^ 192 is . ; total receipts , £ 445 7 s . gd . ; the expenditure of the year left the balance at the bank increased to £ 211 1 is . 31 I . Bro . GILBERT PEARCE presented the ninth annual report of the Cornwall Masonic Charity Association . The tolal receipts were . £ 209 , showing a

uecrease , he was sorry to say , in the [ previous year of eight guineas . The principal contributions were : Liskeard , 31 guineas ; Hayle , 37 guineas ; Millbrook , 15 guineas ; Wadebridge , 14 guineas ; Falmouth , 13 guineas ; Camborne , 12 guineas ; Bodmin , 10 guineas ; and Launceston , 10 guineas . Many ledges did little for Charities , which was much to be regretted . The

late Bro . Chirgwin was the acting chairman of their Committee and was always sympathetic and a firm and warm supporter of the work they had in "and . They proposed in his place Bro . Anderton , a most generous contributor to the Charities of the province , and he hoped the province generall y would support Bro . Anderton as a Steward to represent the whole province at Ihe next Girls' Festival .

Bro . EnMUNii VKNNINC ; presented the report of the Committee of Relief reco rding grants of / jo each to two brethren , one late No . 977 , and the other of No . 131 . The Committee suggested the following sums to be 'leveled to the Masonic Charities : To the CM . A . and B . Fund , 50 guineas ; Koyal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Men , 10 guineas ; for Widows , 10 guineas ; for Boys , 20 guineas ; and for Girls , 20 guineas ; total , £ 1 in . Bro . ANDERTON paid he had the consent of the members of the Comn , ittee to move an amendment to that report . Since the Committee met it

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Cornwall.

had been announced that their P . G . M . had promised to preside at the next annual Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls . He therefore moved ( hat instead of 20 guineas they give 100 guineas to the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , and to somewhat make up for that the contribution to the Boys should be decreased 10 guineas , and to the male annuitants 10

guineas . Bro . J . BREWER seconded the motion , which was unanimously agreed to , Bro . E . M . MILFORD , Treasurer of the Cornwall Masonic Annuity and Benevolent Fund , presented a report , which showed—Lodge donations and subscriptions , £ 230 is ., against £ 224 iSs . in 1 S 93 , increase of ^ 5 3 s . The balance-sheet balance at Cornish bank , ^ 273 lis . yd ., and the capital of the

fund now amounted to j £ . S 444 10 s . ,= ; d ., an increase of £ 195 5 s . 2 d . on the year . The present annual charges on the fund are seven annuities to aged Masons , . £ 115 ; ditto to live widows , ^ 100 ; andsix education . il grants , ; £ So . One application had been received for an annuity , and three for educational grants , and the recommendations of the Committee appeared on the voting papers .

Bro . BERNARD EDVVEAN presented the following report : I have much pleasure in reporting favourably on the state of the voting power of this province to the great Masonic Charities during the past 12 months . I received from the province—Girls—October , 177 ; April , 410 ; total , 8 S 7 . Boys-October , 432 ; April , 43 S ; total , 870 ; Benevolent—males , 1015 ; widows , 930 ; total , 1945 . Svindry gifts 197 , including a handsome donation of 117

votes from Bro . J . Roberts , of the Cornish Lodge ; grand total , 3 SS 9 ; an increase of 121 over the previous year . These numbers do not fully represent the voting powerof the province ; many votes are lost or mislaid , and a considerable number are given to other provinces to which brethren belong . In April last 1 polled for Nellie Rosewarne , the candidate adopted by the province , 263 ( 1 , she being successfully elected , and placed 15 th on the list of 22

successful candidates . The election necessitated a loss of 2000 votes , which I have paid off , as well as last year ' s debt of 1 iod , total 3106 , and I am glad to say that , with the assistance of the recent votes , the province has now 222 votes siandingto itscredit . The somewhatarduous dutiesol Charity Representative would be greatly reduced if brethren would kindl y forward their votes as soon after receiving them as possible , considerable difficulty being

experienced in negotiating votes received within a few days of the elections , t regret having to report an unfortunate occurrence at the Benevolent election in May . The list of candidates contained the names of three applicants from Cornwall , none of whom were adopted by the Province . One of these crses—that of Bro . Dinnis , P . M . 75 , Falmouth—was taken up by his son-inlaw , Bro . Stone , of London , a Mason in no way connected with this province

, who , in my absence , and without my knowledge or consent , borrowed no less than 1 , 500 votes on the representation that Cornwall would support the case next year and refund the votes . Believing the statement , the votes were loaned by Bro . Smithson , of West Yorkshire , Past Grand Deacon of England , a leading Mason at these elections , and who has been , and still is ,

one of Cornwall ' s best friends . Our Committee of Relief , after due consideration , do not feel justified in acknowledging the debt , fearing that by so doing similar frauds may be attempted on the province , in the absence of their representative ; at the same time they much regret that the loss should fall on one who has done so much for this province .

A procession was then formed , interspersed with the banners of the different lodges , headed by the Redruth Volunteer Band , with the volume of the Sacred 1 . aw carried in front of them b y four Lewises , and marched to church , where an appropriate sermon was preached by Bro . Rev . G . G . Ross , D . C . L ., Vicar of Michaelstow , from E phesians iv ., 16— " From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth , according to the effectual working in the measure of every part ,

maketh increase ol the body unto the edif ying of itself in love . " This must be the rule of every society . The fatherhood of God must lead to the acknowledgment of man . The world was really one vast society , and in the text we had the key to true Christian socialism , which Freemasonry made some attempt to realise . If there was " the effectual working of every part ; if there was a little more consideration for our fellow men , and if there was more willingness to share each other ' s burden , such things as ' strikes ' would not be heard of . "

Afler the return to the lodge-room , the P . G . MASTER presented bibles in memory of the occasion to the four Lewises who had carried the volume of the Sacred Law in the procession . His lordship , addressing the lads , who remained without the door of the lodge , told them that they would in after life often lind it hard not only to know what it was ri ght to do , but to do it when they knew it to be ri ght , and they would never know how to do right except through the Spirit of God and the guidance of His Word .

If they lived long and each became an old man like himself , he hoped they would still look back with pleasure to the memory of the day when they carried the bible in procession at that lodge at Redruth , and that they would be able to say then "This has been my guide ever since . " The P . G . Master then presented the bibles , in which he promised to write each lad ' s name . They were Geo . Howard Kistler , Willie Williams , Percy Reynolds , and Alfred Opie .

The officers of the Cornwall Masonic Annuity and Benevolent Fund were elected as follows : Bros . E . M . Milford , Treasurer ; E . D . Anderton , Secretary ; J . C . R . Crewes , Assistant Secretary ; and j . Rogers and W . T . Hawking , Auditors . For the office of Prov . Grand Treasurer , Bro . T . A . Kistler , P . M . 589 , was proposed by Bro . B . EDVVEAN , and unanimously elected .