Wiltshire.

WILTSHIRE .

PROVINCIAL GEAND LODGE . On AA ' echiesday week the Prov . Grand Lodge of AViltshire was held in the Town-hall , Old Swindon . Previous to the assembling of the Prov . G . Lodge , the Royal Sussex Loclge of Emulation ( No . -353 ) , was opened by the AA . M ., Bro . Thomas Chandler , with Bros . John Chandler , S . AV . ; R . Bradford , J . AA . ; E . Mantell , S . D . ; J . Tooiner , J . D . ; J . Wentworth , I . G . ; their very neat ancl appropriate furniture having been removed thither for that occasion .

After the lodge had been opened the Provincial Grand Officers were marshalled in an adjoining chamber , aud received in proper style by the assembled brethren . Tlie following were some of the brethren present : —R . AA . Prov . G . M . for AVilts , Lord Methuen ; R . AV . Prov . G . M . for S . AA ales , Sir AVatkin AVilliams AA ynne , Bart . ; D . Prov . G . M . for AAllts , Bro . Gooeh ; and Bros . Colonel Goddard , Stancombe , Allen , Levander , Bigg , Rev . George Campbell , AA'ilfcy , Cormac , Crew , Marshall ,

Oliver , Spencer , Grimes , Morris , M . D ., Budd , Matthew Cooke , Bust , Caniidgo , Shepherd , and about fifty others whose names we could not ascertain . Afeer tlie Grand Loclge had been opened in due form the business of the province was transacted . It consisted of reading and confirming the minutes of the last Prov . G . Lodge , and more particularly to the reports of several committees , one of which was respecting the purchase of Grand Loclge clothing , and the other on a fund of benevolence , in which it was laid down that progressive payments should be made by every brother in the province on his

accepting office in any lodge , according to the office so accepted , which fund was to be appropriated to the Masonic charities , in order to make tlie W . M . of each lodge iu the province life . governors of those excellent institutions . Among these resolutions was one whicli , if not positively illegal , is , to say the least of it , very improper , and was to the effect that on any one filling either of tbe chairs in a Royal Arch Chapter , he was to contribute the sum of 5 s . for each such , appointment , a

dictum which we believe no lodge , either provincial , or the Grand Lodge of England it-self , has the power of enforcing , all chapters heing- under the control of the Supreme Grand Chapter alone . The resolution , however , was carried unanimously without an objection or remark of any kind . The next business was the appointment , by the It . AV . Prov . G . M ., of the Prov . G . Officers for the ensuing year , which were , -as far as ive could ascertain them , as follows : —Prov . G . SAA . Bro .,

AV . F . Gooch , 453 ; Prov . J . G . AV ., Bro . F . 0 . Hodgkinson , 919 ; Prov . G . Treas ., Bro . Shepherd , 453 ( the oldest Mason in the province , re-invested amid great applause ); Prov . G . Chap ., Bro . the Rev . George Campbell , 453 , re-invested ; Prov . G . Registrar , Bro . Biggs , 961 ; Prov . G . Sec , Bro . Spencer , 912 ; Prov . S . G . D ., Bro . Marshall , 420 ; Prov . J . G . D ., Bro . AYittey , 961 ; Prov . G . Hup . of AYork-s , Bro . Thomas Chandler , 453 ; Prov . G . D . of Cirs ., Bro . Bradford , 453 ; Assist . Prov . G . D . of Cirs ., Bro . Major Prower , 453 ; Prov . G . S . B ., Bro . Levander , 915 ; Prov . G . Purs ., Bro . John Chandler , 453 ; Prov . G . Stewards , Bros . Bradford , Dore , and Merriman . 856 .

On the R . W . PROV . G . M , rising for the first time , Bro . CREW rose ancl said : as the Secretary to one ofthe Charities , he begged to be allowed to express to the R . AV . Prov . Grand Master , and the brethren of AViltshire , the grateful tribute of eighty little girls whom their bounty assists fco provide for . The Royal Freemasons' School for Female Children was worthy of their consideration , and he felt sure that it need only be visited to awaken the feelings of every brother . Last week they had admitted

seven children fco participate in its advantages , ancl these were open to tlie whole Craft , as was proved by five of the newly-elected inmates being from the provinces , while two only were from London ; therefore , the object of the school was universally to do good , irrespective of locality . He had the pleasure of announcing fco them that nearly SOO girls had passed through the school since its foundation , and not one of them had cast a stain on its

character . ( Vehement applause . ) That fact alone spoke trumpettongued in its favour . ( Hear , hear . ) Another circumstance he might remark was that a brother , whose position in life was as good as any of their own , was suddenly taken from his wife and family , and he left them with a bare subsistence , one of his daughter !! had been received into the school ; and it was to the credit ofthe principles of Masonry that a brother of the deceased ' s lod in connected b

ge , no way with the family y relationship , stepped forward and paid the school 100 guineas to take another daughter . ( Applause winch lasted some minutes . ) He saw many governors around him , but hoped before he left that lodge he might be favoured by the name of a brother willing to act as one ' of the . stewards afc the next festival . Perhaps he might nofc he thought out of order , hut he felt constrained to point out the value of the other charities , and to state that tlie Annuity was , perhaps , more in want of aid . than either of the others . He ivas anxious to plead

for the Benevolent Institution , as it was a fund where the aged Mason or his widow might present themselves , without the world knowing they were in want . The Boys' School , too , had claims upon them . Seventy-five boys had been admitted , and fclm . y were trained , not as charity children , but to reputably fill the station in life their fathers had held . ( Hear , hear . ) In that province a brother , an intimate friend of his , had the misfortune to be confined in a lunatic asylum , his wife had a large family to support ,

and he believed one of the children would be provided for in the Girls' School , to the relief of the mother . For these reasons , then , he appealed fco the brethren to offer themselves as stewards for the charity he represented ; and he should be no less delighted if they gave him permission to hand their names in as well for the Benevolent Annuity Fund as also for the Boys' School , for the beauty of Masonry was to be found in its charitable institutions . The PROV . G . M . reminded Bro . Crew that they were anxious to

close and that there was other business to be transacted , Bro . Crew then sat down . Bro . Colonel GODDARD in a few brief sentences expressed his readiness to serve as steward for the Girl ' s School next year . Bro . OUTER , was glad to hear the charities were well supported , but he thought the manner in which the AVidows' Fund was managed , was anything bufc creditable to the Craft . At the recent election there was but one set of figures right out of seventeen , and the Committee had , to remedy a lesser evil , inflicted a greater , by taking on an annuitant without the authoritv of fche subscribers .

11 ns state of things arose from the neglect of the scrutineers , who , it seemed , were unable to reckon the difference ; one candidate had 2200 less votes , another , 2087 less , one 144 more , 193 votes were not at all accounted for , and out of the whole list , taken from tiie figures of tlie Committee themselves , only one candidate was found returned correct . This ivas not the first time such things had happened , and it was a disgrace to those who were appointed scrutineers , for it had shaken the confidence of the provincial brethren

who felt that they must , for the future , delegate some special brother to see their votes properly applied , and he concluded by moving the following resolution , of which he had previously given notice : — " That this Prov . G . L . has observed with regret the inaccuracies which prevailed at the late election of annuitants on the Widows' Fund of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , and desires to urge on the Committee of Governors the propriety of adopting stringent regulations calculated to prevent the recurrence of circumstances

so prejudicial to the Charity . " The motion was seconded by a brother whose name we could nofc catch , but who remarked that the looseness of the scrutineers was doing great mischief to the fund , ancl no sane man would support ifc while under the present system . * The R . AA . PROV . G . M . expressed himself to the effect that ifc was a point of more than ordinary importance and one which , in his view , called for a very decided and marked expression of their opinion . His lordship then put tlie motion which was carried nem con ., after which the Prov . Grand Lodge was closed , and ali present adjourned to the

BANQUET . After the cloth was cleared the R . AV . Pnov . G . M . said there were no more loyal subjects than Masons , and therefore he should not preface the first toast wifch any lengthened remarks , but call upon them to drink the health of the Queen . The D . PROV . G . M . said fche Prov . G . M . was obliged fco leave soon , his health not permitting him to remain , and he should therefore call upon the brethren to drink his lordship's health in his presence ,

for which purpose he had the pleasure of proposing the toa't of the R . AV . Prov . G . M . Lord METHUEN , in reply , stated that he regretted being oblige- ' , to leave on account of his health and other engagements . He was not aware that the- proceedings would have taken such a long- time , but he felt it necessary to abide by a rule lie had made to be at home at an early hour . At all times it was a pleasure to him to meet the Masons of the province , and he hoped in future years to

be longer among- them , and more efficient in the duties of his office . For the warm manner in which the toast had besn received he begged to return his sincere and heartfelt- thanks . The R . AA . PROV . G . M . then said , considering the hospitality for which the principality of AVales was celebrated , he had to propose the health of one of the most distinguished Masons , Sir Watkin AVilliams AVynne , who so ably filled the office of Prov . G . M . for South AVales , and had a character second to no man for

uprihtg ness and honour which might be summed up by saying that lie was all that a Mason should be . The R . AV . PROY . G . M . for AAALES , Sir AVatkin AVilliams Wynne , said he begged to return thanks for the honour they had done him and the pleasure he had experienced that day in seeing so many