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Master of Cumberland and Westmorland . Many past and present Officers of the Grand Lodge of England were present , the majority of whom travelled with the Duke of Portland by the nine o ' clock train from St . Pancras , and were met upon their arrival at the Midland Station ,

Nottingham , by Brother J . T . Spalding and others , representing the Masons of the Province . The Provincial Grand Lodge had been arranged to be held at the Albert Hall , from which building the procession afterwards proceeded to the hospital grounds , where a memorable gathering was witnessed . Upon

the conclusion of the foundation stone laying the Brethren returned to the Albert Hall , and the Provincial Grand Lodge was closed . A banquet under the presidency of the Duke of Portland was subsequently partaken of at the Victoria Hall , Upper Talbot Street . The building , though spacious in its

proportions , proved entirely inadequate to accommodate all who were desirous of being present , and the only serious regret in connection with the arrangements was that many applications for luncheon tickets could not be met . It had been intended to conclude the day ' s proceedings with a

conversazione , or possibly a ball , but , having regard to the recent death of the Duke of St . Albans , it was but fitting that this part of the programme should be omitted . That the arrangements as they stood involved the expenditure of much time and labour goes almost without saying .

With laudable energy many Committees had been busy , engaged for several weeks in perfecting the plans , and with entirely gratifying results . The main share of the responsibility devolved upon Bro . J . T . Spalding P . P . G . W ., as Chairman of the Installation Committee , Bro .

Stubbs Provincial Grand Sec , and Bro . F . W . Fox Prov . G . Registrar , who discharged the duties of Hon . Secretary with conspicuous success . The members of the several branches of the executive included the following : —Installation and Stone Laving Sub-Committee . —Bros . Lieutenant-Colonel

Wm . Newton , A . Stubbs , J . T . Spalding , Henry George , C . A . Bolton , B . F . Stiebel , W . H . Blackburn , F . Farrands , M . Ashurst , J . Levy , Dr . W . H . Wright , P . Evans jun ., P . S . Clay , and Charles Wragg . Decorations Sub-Committee . —Bros . Lieutenant-Colonel Wm . Newton ,

A . Stubbs , J . T . Spalding , E . F . Milthorpe , R . Evans jun ., J . W . Spedding , J . C . James , J . G . Martin , Chas . Scott , andT . Salisbury . Luncheon Sub-Committee . — Bros . Lieutenant-Colonel William Newton , A . Stubbs , J . T . Spalding , J . Page , A . Barlow , E . F . Milthorpe , Dr . G .

Thompson , G . W . Hooton , J . W . Spedding , Lisle Rockley , C . W . Gowthorpe , and J . G . Martin . Finance Committee : —Bros . Geo . Atter , R . Fitzhugh , J . P ., J . W . Robinson , C . B . Truman , E . M . Kidd , A . Page , S . Pegler , A . Stubbs , Lieutenant-Colonel Wm . Newton , and J . T . Spalding , J . P .

Provincial Grand Lodge was opened at a quarter past twelve , at the Albert Hall , which had been admirabl y arranged for the purpose of the large gathering . At one end of the building a dais had been erected , which was occupied by the Installing Master , supported by Officers of the Grand

Lodge of England . The ground floor was reserved entirely for past and present Officers of Provincial rank . The members of the Lodges in order of seniority were arrayed under their respective banners alternately on the right and left of the dais . The order for mourning for the late Provincial Grand Master was suspended for the occasion .

Lieut .-Col . Wm . Newton presided at the opening of the Lodge , the chair being afterwards taken by Lord Henry Bentinck , as Installing Master . The dais had been charmingly treated with foliage and flowering plants . Bro . Geo . Essex P . P . G . O . presided at the

organ , and before the opening of the Lodge played a selection from Mendelssohn ' s works . Subsequently as the Duke of Portland entered the hall he played a " Royal March " of his own composition , and at a later period of the proceedings rendered Calkin ' s "Festal March . "

Lord Henry Bentinck , in the course of an inaugural address , referred to the progress which the Province had made under the benign rule of the late Grand Master the Duke of St . Albans . He remembered the occasion when the duke delivered his farewell address to the Provincial

Grand Lodge , and was profoundly touched by the evidence of the esteem and affection in which the duke was held . He need not say anything with regard to the Duke of Portland , whom he knew probably better than anyone else present !

Perhaps , however , he should not be saying too much when he ventured to prophesy that his Grace would prove , in his capacity as Provincial Grand Master , one who was possessed of all the virtues which he had so well displayed in the past

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and which had endeared the duke to him ( Lord Hy . Bentinck ) and to the whole of his family . Seven Masters of the Province , in the order of seniority of Lodges , were then deputed to introduce the Provincial Grand Master-elect to the Lodge , these including Bros . Mason 47 , H . G . Ashwell 402 , F . H . Fish 411 , J . W .

Spedding 539 , E . W . Wells 1 , 405 , M . I . Preston 1 , 435 , and W . Wheatley 1 , 405 . Bro . F . W . Fox Prov . Grand Registrar read the patent of appointment , which was signed

by H . R . H . the Prince of Wales as Grand Master , Lord Amherst Deputy Grand Master , and E . Letchworth Grand Secretary . * The cerem ' ony of installation having been performed .

The Duke of Portland said he desired to thank the Most Worshipful Grand Master of England for having appointed him his representative for the Province of Notts , with which county he was associated by so many friendly ties . He accepted with pleasure the honour which his Royal Highness had conferred upon him , and did not forget the

responsibilities attaching to the position . He was certain he was expressing the feeling of every Brother present when he said how deeply they regretted the death of the late Provincial Grand Master the Duke of St . Albans , who took so great an interest in the Craft , and under whose wise and

genial rule Masonry flourished in the Province . He only hoped that during " the time he had the honour and privilege of occupying his present position he might be thoroughly successful in obtaining the support and esteem of the Brethren , and be enabled to sustain the prosperity of their

valuable Institutions . He should endeavour to thoroughly realise and carry out the aims of the Craft , and improve its position in the Province , and he trusted that all the Brethren would support him in his endeavour . He had great pleasure

in nominating as his Deputy Lieut .-Col . Wm . Newton , an excellent member of the Order , who would , he was sure , carry out the duties with the same assiduity which he had displayed under the late Grand Master of the Province .

The Provincial Grand Registrar read the patent relating to Col . Newton ' s appointment , and he was invested . This terminated the business of the Grand Lodge , and the members were afterwards formed in procession in order of precedence , and proceeded to the hospital for the purpose of the foundation stone laying .

It was a quarter to two when the banner of the Provincial Grand Lodge reached the platform , where the whole ceremony was carried out with the utmost despatch . Sir Chas . Seely , addressing the Duke of Portland , said that is was his pleasant task to ask his Grace to be good

enough to lay the stone , and he had to thank him and that great assembly of their great and ancient Order for the kindness they had done them and the honour they had conferred upon them by coming there that day . That wing , of which that was the memorial stone , was primarily intended

for the benefit of those who needed surgical and medical assistance , and who were not able to procure it themselves . But it was also intended as a memorial of the sixtieth year of the illustrious reign of the Queen . That reign had witnessed many renowned victories in peace and in war . Among

its peaceful triumphs none perhaps was more marked than the improvements in surgery and medicine . Many noble hospitals had been built during the reign , bringing the benefit

of those improvements to those who would otherwise have been deprived of them . It was to continue that beneficial work that they were there that day , and that they asked his Grace to be kind enough to lay that stone .

The Duke of Portland having had a silver trowel presented to him by Sir Charles Seely , and after the usual introductory address , said he was glad that , coming direct from his installation as Provincial Grand Master of

Nottinghamshire , the first official duty he had to discharge was to lay the foundation stone of an important addition to the hospital of the county town , as commemorating the Diamond Jubilee of their Patron her Majesty the Queen . The new building would contribute largely to the alleviation

of suffering , and adminster to the wants of the sick and distressed amongst them , and he heartily hoped that the undertaking might be crowned with success for the beneficent purposes for which it was designed . They were assembled there that day to erect that building to the honour and glory

of the Most High , which they prayed God might prosper as it seemed good to Him ; and as the first duty of Masons in any undertaking was to invoke the blessing of the Great Architect of the Universe on their work , he called upon them to unite with the Grand Chaplain in an address to the throne of Grace .