THERE are occasions when it is proper and when it is even profitable to take a retrospective view of life; not only to mark the progress of events, but to observe the character of man, more especially those distinguished for success or failure, that we may emulate the examples of the one, and avoid the misfortunes of the other. Among those who have been successful in their career we may justly place our respected Brother P. P. G. M. EDWARD POWELL, who stands pre-eminently conspicuous for success in those multifarious duties emanating from the numerous offices he has sustained among the Independent Order of Odd Fellows; of the truth of this statement the following brief outline will sufficiently show forth. Our Brother Powell was born in the month of October, 1801, in the town of Shrewsbury, but has resided in the Staffordshire Potteries during the last fifteen years. He was initiated in the St. Martin's Lodge, Tunstal, in the Pottery and Newcastle District, June 9th, 1828; appointed Junior Warden, July 7th, 1828. On the 22d of December, 1828, he was appointed Secretary of the Lodge. Upon his entrance on the duties of this important office, he found the books in a very disordered state, but before the expiration of his office he arranged them on a better system. On March 6th, 1829, he was appointed by his Lodge, as a delegate to the Grand Annual Moveable Committee, to be held at Sheffield. His appointment to this committee was in consequence of the St. Martin's Lodge being suspended for expelling a character who is now numbered among the dead, I therefore forbear to enter into detail, the Pottery and Newcastle District judging that the St. Martin's Lodge were not fairly dealt with; the appeal against the decision of that Lodge being made to the G. M. of the Order, before it had been made to the District, withdrew themselves until the St. Martin's Lodge should be reinstated. P. Prov. G. M. Harrison and P. Prov. G. M. Harlow were delegated by the District to accompany him. Our Brother only was admitted before the committee; the objection to allow the other delegates to be heard was, that the District had suspended themselves, and could not be admitted unless they declared themselves again in compliance. This they refused to do, not being satisfied. The St. Martin's Lodge was again reinstated by the Sheffield Grand Annual Moveable Committee. But the business did not terminate there; G. M. Barnett and P. G. M. Wardle were appointed to meet a delegation from the Potteries at Macclesfield. P. Prov. G. M. Harrison, together with our Brother, were again appointed; both parties met, but P. G. M. Powell only was allowed to be in the room, the District not having complied. The business was here agreeably settled, and the individual was to appear before the Pottery and Newcastle District, to answer certain charges against him, but never appeared. P. P. G. M. Powell being a young man as well as a young Odd Fellow, and also being deprived of the assistance of his esteemed colleagues, on whom he depended, was to him a disappointment; however his conduct on this occasion gained for him the approbation both of his Lodge and District, as well as that of his brother delegates. VOL. 4.-No. 4.-U* The unpleasant business here ended, and the District and the St. Martin's Lodge began to rise in importance. In May, 1829, he was appointed President of the Funeral Fund; in June 8th, 1829, he was appointed V. G. of his Lodge, which he filled to the satisfaction of his brothers; and on November 29th was elected N. G.; and on December 25th was appointed C. S. of the District; at this time he was filling the offices of President of the Funeral Fund, N. G. of his own Lodge, and C. S. of the District (this was previous to the purple lecture being introduced into this District). The duties of these three important offices, at one period, occupied much time, but he had the pleasure at the close of his terms, to find he had merited and obtained the approbation of those with whom he had to do, which was expressed by votes of thanks. At the time he took the office of N. G. the Lodge was entirely destitute of funds. At the close of his sitting, although the sums paid for sick and funerals were very considerable, there was saved for the Lodge £42 14s. 64d. During his office, some were dissatisfied with his strict attention to the laws, but when they saw the result of his labours, they were well satisfied. From this time the St. Martin's Lodge became very prosperous, when his successor left the chair the funds amounted to £72 10s. 54d. A circumstance occurred about this time by which the Lodge would have been deprived of their money but for his exertions. The host, who was also treasurer, became a bankrupt our Brother saw the approaching storm, and did all he could to obtain possession of the money; he succeeded in getting from him upwards of £50, which he placed in the savings' bank. Some of the Brothers of the Lodge, thinking his suspicions unfounded, became dissatisfied, and by some means the host was given to understand Brother Powell's intentions, and aware that no more money was placed in his hands by the Lodge, he refused to give up the remaining £20, which was still in his possession. Shortly after this he was made a bankrupt; our Brother, together with P. Pr. G. M. Lees, was appointed by the Lodge to attend the meeting of creditors to prove, but the Lodge not being under the act, they were not allowed so to do, and consequently lost the money. At this time there were sums of money belonging to the Lodge in the hands of two other Brothers, to the amount of about £12. The one paid the whole that he had in his possession, but the other in part, following the example of the late host, defrauded them of about £2. The £10 he got from these two individuals was also placed in the savings' bank. After having experienced these losses, they felt anxious to secure their money, and, accordingly, the business was brought under the consideration of the Lodge; and by the influence of P. P. G. M. Lees, our worthy representative in parliament, John Davenport, Esq. became their treasurer, allowing them five per cent interest: they then made regulations to prevent such impositions in future. Prosperty has since crowned their efforts, they have realized a fund (notwithstanding these loses) of £370 in the space of seven years; during the last twelve months they accumulated £112 of the above sum. On the 25th of December, 1830, our Brother was elected G. M. of the District; during the time he filled this important office, he had the extreme satisfaction to know, that his conduct was generally approved of. After he had filled the different offices of his Lodge and District, he again undertook the inferior situations; and has only been eighteen months in which he was not engaged in office. The record-book of his Lodge will bear witness to his exertions, and as a testimony of the respect and esteem in which he is held by his Brethren, the Lodge has presented him with two silver medals, accompanied with appropriate addresses. In 1833 our friend was appointed delegate to the Grand Annual Moveable Committee at Bury; there he was appointed on the sub-committee for the revision of the general laws. In April 1833 he was appointed N. G. of the new Lodge, Good Samaritan, Keel; he had to travel eight miles, and to return the same night. The members of that Lodge have expressed it as being the happiest six months they have yet spent. On the 22nd of February, 1834, our Brother was requested to meet a Mr. Hollins, a Wesleyan Methodist local preacher (who was deeply prejudiced against our Order), in a public discussion, at Alsager Bank, on the merits and demerits of Odd Fellowship: the result was in Hollin's being completely confuted, and the principles of the Order being proved to be philanthropic, benevolent, and useful, which was evidenced by the number of twenty joining the two neighbouring Lodges, on the Lodge nights immediately subsequent to the discussion. The particulars of this disputation may be seen by referring to the Odd Fellows' Magazines of September and December, 1834. In the same year he was appointed as deligate to the Grand Annual Moveable Committee, held at Hull. In 1836 he was again appointed as delegate to the Annual Moveable Committee, at Derby; here he sat on two sub-committees, on important business. Since his return, he has evinced a deep anxiety for the establishment of the "Widow and Orphans' Fund," and has acted in conjunction with others as a committee for the formation of laws relative to such a fund, which laws will be submitted to the opinion of the District on August 22nd, 1836, at the Town Hall of Newcastle, which is kindly lent for the occasion. In the progress of our Brother through these various offices and delegations he has had much to meet with, difficulties to encounter, obstacles to surmount, misrepresentation to experience, as well as calumny to rebut; but, notwithstanding all this, his love to the Order enabled him to go through with marked disinterestedness and success, and he is now reaping his reward in the esteem and regard in which he is held by every genuine Odd Fellow. Having thus sketched the official labours and exertions of our worthy Brother, it only remains for me to add, that his private character as a man, as a master, as a husband, and as a general member of society, is equally unimpeachable. If the principles of Odd Fellowship were truly imbibed, and sincerely adhered to, they would prove the greatest of blessings to our nation; but by the principles of Odd Fellowship, I mean somewhat more than the receiving some rules or laws, though ever so correct, or the professing of them, and engaging to support them, not without zeal and eagerness. What signifies the best rules and laws if men do not live suitable to them-if they have not a due influence upon their thoughts, their principles, and their lives? But I mean such a sense of the nature and purport of the bonds and obligations we have entered into as Odd Fellows, so that its principles may become a spring of a new nature within us, governing our whole deportment, our words as well as our actions, prompting us to deeds of benevolence, philanthropy, and charity, which is in strict accordance with the motto of our Order,-AMICITIA, AMOR ET VERITAS. Lily of the Valley Lodge, Stoke upon Trent, WM. WELSBY, P. G. THE LAST WORDS OF CADWALLAWN. BY SIR WALTER SCOTT. DINAS Emlyn lament, for the moment is nigh, In spring and in autumn thy glories of shade, Thy sons, Dinas Emlyn, may march in their pride, And, oh, Dinas Emlyn! thy daughters so fair, |