History Of The Emulation Lod Ge Of Improvemen T, No. 256.——(Continued).

The 16 th and 23 rd of June svitnessed an unusual event , svhich is thus recorded in the minutes . " There being no brother present qualified to work the appointed sections they svere omitted . " Three brethren from Scotland and one from Ireland attended the lodge on the 14 th of July , on svhich occasion it svas decided that " Brethren under the Scotch and Irish Constitutions are exempt from visitors' fees . ' '

. ENEAS J" McINTYRE , GRAND REGISTRAR , Clinirum 11 of the FettirttU in l . SIW , 1 S 00 . mill 1 S 7-1 . On the 10 th of November a nesv set of collars was presented by Bro . A . J . Pritchard , the W . Master , svho received

the thanks of the lodge for his gift . The Festival svas held on the 24 th of November , the work being a part of the first lecture by the President , assisted by H . E . Francis , P . M . No . 180 ; T . Fenn , A . G . D . C . ; G . Powell , W . M . No . 142 ; and A . A . Richards , W . M . No . 8 .

John Rankin Stebbing , P . G . D ., a member of the Building Committee , presided at the banquet , which , in the absence of a printed report , sve may assume to have been of the usual character . On this occasion the attendance of members and visitors

appears to have been less numerous than had been customary of late , there being but 68 of the former and 56 of the latter , svith nine invited guests , making a total of 133 present . Only sixteen nesv members svere proposed . 1866 . On the 4 th of May the death of Stephen Barton

Wilson svas reported to the lodge , and it svas thereupon resolved " that the ceremony and lecture appointed for the evening should be deferred until the next meeting . "

" After an address from Bro . J . Sas-ige , J . G . D ., in allusion to the great loss sustained by the Craft in general and this Lodge of Improvement in particular by the demise of our late brother , the following resolution svas proposed by Bro . James Pike , P . M . No . 66 , seconded by Bro . T . Fenn , and carried unanimously : —

"The Committee and members of the 'Emulation Lodge of Improvement' have received the intelligence of the death of their late President , Bro . Stephen Barton Wilson , with profound regret , and while deploring the loss of a brother so eminently useful in the Craft , desire to record their deep

sense and high appreciation of those great Masonic attainments , which , for more than thirty years , he has so generously devoted to advance the character and interests of Freemasonry in general and the 'Emulation Lodge of Improvement' in particular , the members of svhich have ever found in him a cheerful instructor , a kind friend , and a practical exponent of the great principles of the Order . "

A vote of sympathy and condolence svith the family of the late Bro . Wilson terminated the proceedings of the evening . The Festival for this year svas held on the 23 rd of November , a week earlier than usual , consequent upon the hall being engaged on the 30 th for the Festival of St . Andrew .

Bro . James Pike occupied the chair in the lodge , and the second lecture svas worked by the following brethren , viz . : — G . Powell , A . A . Richards , J . Steward , J . A . Rucker , and A . J . Pritchard . There were present sixty-seven members , seven invited guests , and sixty visitors , twenty-live of whom joined the lodge . The W . Bro . ^ Eneas J . Mclntyre , Grand

Registrar , presided at the banquet . The proceedings at the Festivals from 1865 to 1869 , were not reported in the Freemasons' Magazine . 1867 . Nothing requiring special notice appears in the minutes of this year prior to the Annual Festival held on the

29 th of November , John Hervey being in the chair of W . Master . The lodge work consisted of the explanation of the Second Tracing Board by Thomas Fenn , and the sections of the third lecture by Bros . H . J . P . Dumas , W . M . No . 99 ; I . C . Dowsing , No . 108 ; and J . A . Rucker , S . D . No . 66 .

Eighty-four members and seventy-three visitors were present , twenty-five of svhom joined the lodge . The minutes contain no mention of " Invited Guests . " The R . W . Bro . Victor A . Williamson , Past Junior Grand Warden , presided at the banquet .

1868 . We learn from the lodge minutes of the 31 st of January , that " It ss-as proposed by Br . C . W . Powell , seconded by Br . Pike , and carried unanimously , that should the S . W ' arden decline to take the Chair , it be referred to the Committee to consider whether the election be not then open to any member of the Lodge without reference to the Junior Officers . "

For a long period there had been placed on the Secretary ' s table , at the weekly meetings , a box for the reception of contributions to the furniture fund . The contributors , however , svere few , and for many years the amount remained at about the same level , and svas carried forward

JOHN LLEWELLYX EVANS , I'RES . BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES , Clmirum 11 of Ihe Fruitful in IS ( tl . in the minutes of each meeting until the 21 st of February , when " It was resolved that the amount standing to the

credit of the Furniture Fund ( £ 2 16 s . ) , be merged in the General Fund . " ( To be Continued ) .