Leicestershire.

LEICESTERSHIRE .

LEICESTER . —St . John ' s Lodge ( No . 279 ) . In consequence of St . John ' s Day falling on a Sunday , the annual festival of this lodge was held at the Freemasons' Hall on the first regular lodge night in the new year , AVednesday , the 6 th inst ., and which was numerously attended , the chair being taken for the second year in succession by the D . Prov . G . M ., Bro . Kelly .

Among the brethren present were : —Bros . L . A . Clarke , I . P . M ., P . Prov . G . D . ; W . Pettifor , P . M ., V . Prov . Supt . of Works ; W . Weave , P . M ., Treas ., P . Prov . G . D . ; C . Morris , P . M ., Prov . G . Sec . ; J . Hamas , P . M ., P . Prov . G . Treas . ; A \ . E . S . Stanley , J . AV . ; C . Stvelton , Sec . ; Thorpe , S . D . ; Checkland , I . G ., and several others . Visitors : —Bros . Brew-in , P . M . 523 , P . Prov . S . G . W . ; Rev . AV . Langley , S . AV . 1 , 130 , P . Prov . G . Chap . ; J . F . Klein , Grand Stewards' Lodge ; L . S . Atwood

, Garden City L-xlgc , Chicago , U . S . ; E . S . Ekin , P . M ., P . Prov . G . D ., Cambridge , and AT . Johnson , P . M . ; J . E . Hedges , P . Prov . G . D . ; Toller , S . AV . ; Buzzard , J . AV . ; Scu'tUorpc , Sec . ; J . Harris , C . A . Spencer , J . Elgood , and other brethren of the John of Gaunt Lodge , 523 . Letters were also received from the A'V . AI . of that lodge , and other brethren , apologizing for absence owing to illness rr other causes .

The lodge having been opened in the first degree , and the minutes ofthe last meeting , including the unanimous re-election of Bro . Kell y as W . M . foi the ensuing year , read and confirmed , r ballot was taken for Bros . Downing and AA arner , formerly of this lodge , and recently of Australia , and John Hart , of the Commercial Lodge , Nottingham , as joining members ; and for Messrs . John AVri gbt Smith , William Henry Pegg , Alfred Palmer , and Jacobs , as candidates for Masonry , and which was

unanimous in their favour . Messrs . Smith , Palmer , and Jacobs , being in attendance , were duly initiated into tho Order ( the last-mentioned gentleman , being a Hebrew , iu accordance with his faith ) . The full musical ceremony , as arranged by Bros . Johnson and Dr . Hopkins , was performed , Bro . Crowe presiding at the instrument . On the conclusion of the ceremony , Bro . Brewin delivered the lecture on the tracing-board , and the W . M . gave the charge . The Treasurer's accounts were

then passed ; a vote of thanks accorded to Bro . AA eare , P . M ., for his services as Treasurer during the past year , and , on a ballot being taken , he was unanimously ve-oletteii to oiAice . In consequence of the amount of business , the formal ceremony of installing the AA ' . M . was dispensed with , and he yroceuloel to appoint and invest the fodo . wing brethren as the ollicers for the ensuing year , with a suitable address to each on the duties of his office : L . A . Clarke , I . P . M . j Stanley , S . AV . ; Slretton , J . W . ; Rev . J . G . Packer , Chap . ; Crowe , Sec . and Org . ; Weave , P . M . Treas . ; Thorpe , S . D . ; Burton , J . D . ; Hart ,

I . G . ; Bembridge , Tyler . Two gentlemen were then proposed fer initiation at the next meeting , together with Mr . A \ . H . Pigg , who was prevented by illness from being present on this rctasion . Bros . AA ' eare and Clarke , P . Al . ' s were re-appointed Purveyors ar . d Stewards of the lodge for the ensuing year , and a vote of thanks accorded to them for their past services . Bro . Clarke , I . P . M ., in highly complimentary terms , moved the thanks of the ledge to Bro . Kelly , D . P . G . M . for his

kindness , at the earnest request of the brethren , in accepting the chair of the ledge fur another year , whic . i was seconded b y the S . AV ., niul carried unanimously . The D . P . G . M ., in acknowledging the vote of thanks , said that wl . en , last year , after an interval of a quarter of a century , he had been induced to take the chair of the mother lodge once more , he quite anticipated that the difficulty which then < -x stcd would be obviated in tho course of the ' . arbut

asuuy , , ibrtunati-ly , the delicate state of the S . AV . ' s health had prevented his regular attendance for some months past , and obliged him to decline being put in nomination for ihe Mastership , and which also the . LAV ., from a feeling of medesty as to his qualifications , also declined for the present , he , the D . P . G . M ., felt that be could not , consistently with his duly and the warm interest he felt in his mother lodge , refuse to remain in office as the members had so kindly requested him to do . He trusted

that in so doing he should have the suppoit oi the P . M . ' s , and brethren generally , and that the officers would be punctual and regular in their attendance . At the conclusion of the ordinary business , the W . M . stated that he had a proposition to make , in which he was sure the whole of the assembled brethren would most heartily concur , as it related to an auspicious event , in which the senior l ' . M . of

the lodge , their beloved Prov . G . M ., Earl Howe , was deepl y interested , and which would take place on the following day . This was the marriage of Lord and Lady Howe ' s youngest daughter , the Lady Mary Curzou , with the Marquis of Hamilton . He , the D . P . G . M ., therefore thought it would be a graceful act on their part , and one which would be acceptable to their

senior P . M . and Prov . G . M . if the brethren were to avail themselves ofthe opportunity of this meeting to present an address of congratulation to his lordship on the occasion . He concluded by moving the following resolution : "That the brethren now assembled desire to offer to the Senior P . M . of tho lodge , and R . W . Prov . G . M ., the Right Hon . the Earl Howe , G . E . H ., and to tho Countess Howe , respectful , but sincere and hearty congratulations on the marriage of their amiable daughter the

Lady Alary Curzon with the Most Noble the Marquis of Hamilton , M . P ., and to wish long life , health , and every earthly happiness to the noble bride and bridegroom . At the same time , they earnestly pray that the valuable life of their beloved chief may be preserved for many years to bis family and to the fraternity in the province . " The proposition was seconded b y the I . P . M ., Bro . Clarke , carried b y acclamation , and a copy ' of the address , signed by the principal officers , was transmitted at once to London to be in Lord Howe ' s hands on

the day of the marriage . The lodge was then closed , and the brethren adjourned to tlie banquet in an adjoining room , on the conclusion of which they returned to the hall , when the usual loyal and Masonic toasts were duly honoured . In the course of the evening the AA . M . gave the " Masonic Charities , " and for the information of the newly initiated brethren gave a brief account of each of them , and of the

amount annually contributed amongst the Craft for their support , and in conclusion , after referring to the liberal support which be received from the province three years ago , when he served the office of Steward tor the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , he called npvnthe Rev . Bro . Langley to respond , that brother having undertaken to represent the province at the coming festival of that inst ' -tution , and who he trusted would be heartily supported by the brethren . Bro . Langley made an

earnest appeal for aid on behalf of the charity , giving an account of ils origin , its progress , and its . present position , and of the liberal aid which was promised from his former province ofEast Lancashire , and from West Yorkshire towards the liquidation of tlie debt of £ 10 , 000 on tho building , and added that whilst he could not hope to receive the same amount of suppert as was accorded to their excellent 1 ) . Prov . G . M ., which had enabled him to send in the largest list of any individual

steward , he trusted that he should yet receive such an amount of support as would p lace the province in a creditable position . In response to this appeal ; several of the brethren present , who were already life governors of thc institution , gave

additional contributions , and several new contributors , including the newly-initiated brethren , were added to tho list . Bro . Brewin , at a lite peril d , brought , incidentally , before the brethren the claims for support of the National Lifeboat Institution , and stated that the institution was far more in need of aid by annual subscriptions for keeping up the boats now placed at various ports than of new boats , unless the annual expense of them , some £ 50 or £ 00 a year , was also provided ,

and hoped that , did the funds of St . John ' s Lodge permit , au annual subscription would bo voted next year to that institution , as was done by the John of Gaunt Lodge . liro . J . E- Hodges , in supporting the remarks of Bro . Brewin , said that when two or three years ago , tlie inhabitants of Leicester , placed as they were almost in the centre of the land , had raised subscrip tions for tho purchase of a lifeboat , and in which movement , as was well known , he bad taken

rather an active part , they had done themselves great honour , as not only had they provided the whole of the money required for ihe purchase of the "Leicester Lifeboat , " stationed at Goriest on , but they bad also defrayed the expense of boathouse , aud of eveiy requisite appliance , together with a balance , funded towarels the annual expense of keeping up the boat . In this movement a considerable number of members of the Craft had taken partanel the John of Gaunt Loelge annually contributed

, £ 1 10 s . towards the expense of their boat . A few of the brethren present made up a similar amount on behalf of St . John's Ledge , with a view to its annual continuance iu future . During the evening a number of songs were sung by various brethren .