Provincial.

ceremony being most impressively performed at the Masonic Rooms , Lord Street , Liverpool . The newly-installed Master invested his Officers .

o o o CARRINGTON LODGE , No . 2421 . rip"E members celebrated their installation meeting iu tho I J > ritiah Schoolroom , Amersham , on the 28 th ult ., when about fifty Brethren attended . Brother Tower W . M . presided , and letters of regret and best wishes wero read from Lord Carrington and other distinguished Brethren .

Bro . J . J . Thomas was installed fche third Worshipful Master of the Lodge , the ceremony being ably performed hy the outgoing Master . All the other offices will be held as last year . The Brethren afterwards adjourned to the Town Hall ( which was handsomely decorated for the occasion ) , and sat down to a banquet supplied by Bro . Bennett , of the Crown Hotel , who likewise carried out all the arrangements in a highly satisfactory manner .

After the cloth was cleared tho usual Loyal and Masonic toasts were honoured , whilst vocal music and recitations contributed not a little to the evening ' s pleasure . The proceedings were marked by two pleasing incidents , viz .,

tho presentation of a P . M . collar to Bro . Tower , the owtgoing Master , as a mark of esteem from the Officers of fcho Lodge ; and a gift to tho Lodge by Bro . Bennett of a handsome portrait of H . R . H . The Prince of Wales in Masonic Regalia as G . M . of the Order .

During the past year there has been a large increase in tho membership of this young Lodge , its popularity and rising strength being very encouraging . o o o

ST . OSYXH'S PRIORY LODGE ( INSTRUCTION ) , No . 2063 . THE Lodge closed its session on Wednesday , 9 th insfc ., by a dinner at the Imperial Hotel , Claeton-on-Sea , between thirty and forty being present . The guests included thc Provincial Grand Secretary Bro . Railing , who in the course of the proceedings , on behalf of fche members , presented to Bro . Walter F . Reed , the Preceptor , a jewel as a slight acknowledgement of his able services

during the past year . Much regret was expressed afc the absence of the Preceptor-elect for the next session ( Bro . J . Starling ) , who has been on a holiday and was prevented returning home by the perious illness of his wife . During the evening a telegram was received from him reporting favourably of Mrs . Starling's condition and wishing success to the gathering .

Royal Arch.

ROYAL ARCH .

— : o : — HORNSEY CHAPTER , No . 890 . HELD afc Anderton ' s Hotel , Fleet Street , E . C , on the 24 th ult . Present : Comps . Altman M . E . Z ., Dehane H ., Laundy J ., J . Stephens P . P . J . G . W . Bucks . S . E ., Gumming Treas . Chapter was opened in due form and tho Minutes confirmed . The Officers of fche year being elected , Comp . Dehane ( Charity Representative

of Essex ) was installed into the chair of Z . for the second time in this Chapter , evidently to the great satisfaction of the Companions . Comp . Dehane is one of the best workers in Arch Masonry , and it is' owing to his unremitting care and perseverance the great success of the Hornsey Chapter is due .

Comp . Dehane installed his H . and J . in a most admirable manner , investing his Officers with a few kindly words to each , impressing upon them the necessity of making themselves thoroughly masters of their different duties , and to keep up the prestige and reputation of the Hornsey Chapter , viz . Comps . Laundy H ., Holrovd J ., Stephens S . E ., P . P . Gumming Treasurer , Rudall N ., PeairP . S ., and Baxter " 1 st A . S ., Brandon 2 nd A . S . Business being ended the Chapter was closed .

The Companions adjourned to the banquet , which was served under the supervision of Comp . A . Clemow . The toasts and speeches wore short and very much to the point . The health of the M . E . Z . Comp . Dehane being most enthusiastically received .

In returning thanks he expressed fche great pleasure it was to him to feel sure the Companions supported him in bringing about success to their Chapter . The healths of the H ., J . and Officers were given in fche most sincere tenns and being heartily responded to , the toast of the Janitor brought the evening's proceedings to a very happy conclusion .

o o o BLAGDON CHAPTER , No . 659 . THE annual Convocation took place in the Mechanics' Hall , Blyth , on the 9 th inst ., Comp . Alfred H . Lake Z . presiding .

The ordinary business of the Chapter having been got through , and the exaltation of candidates taken place , Comp . John Tweedy was installed in the chair as Z ., R . Laing as H ., and W . Robson as J . Reference was made to the death of the Grand Superintendent of the Province Col . Addison Potter , C . B ., and a vote of condolence

to the relatives was unanimously passed . It was also decided to forward to the Provincial Chapter a letter expressive of sorrow afc their late Companion's decease , and the loss the Province sustained . An adjournment was made to the Star and Garter Hotel , where the annual dinner was held , thc after proceedings being under the presidency of Comp . Tweedy the Z .

Mark Masonry.

MARK MASONRY .

— : o : — WALTON LODGE , No . 161 . A MEETING of this Lodge was held at the Sandon Hotel , Liverpool , on Wednesday , the 2 nd inst ., when Bro . A . L . Porter of Lodge 2215 , and Bro . Albert Brown of Lodge 1393 , wero advanced to the Mark , the ceremony being impressively performed

by Bro . Harry Thomas W . M ., whose year of office has so far been very successful , six Brethren having been advanced in as many months , and it may be added fche Walton Mark Lodgo is now one of the strongest in the province of Lancashire .

o o o ST . ANNE'S LODGE , No . 351 . THE annual meeting was held at East Looe , on Tuesday , the 8 th insfc ., when Bro . R . H . Shapcott S . W . was installed W . M . most ably by tho retiring W . Master , Bro . V . J . Maddock P . G . J . W . The Brethren dined together at Bro . T . Cook's Ship Hotel , where a pleasant evening was spent .

DUNELM LODGE , No . 356 . A MEETING was held on the llth inst ., at tho Freemasons ' Hall , Durham , for the purpose of installing Brother Henry Palmer as W . M . for the ensuing year . The ceremony was performed by Bro . tho Rev . Joseph Lawson P . P . G . C . The members afterwards sat down to the usual banquet .

Great Triennial Handel Festival.

GREAT TRIENNIAL HANDEL FESTIVAL .

MR . A . MANNS has now completed the musical arrangements for the Handel Festival which takes place at the Crystal Palace afc the end of next month . The solo vocalists for the performance of the " Messiah , " on 25 th June , will be Madame Albani , Miss Marian McKenzie , Mr . Ben Davies , and Mr . Santley . The intermediate day ( Wednesday , 27 th June ) will , as usual , be

devoted to a selection from other sacred aud secular works by the great composer . Some of the numbers are given on account of a general desire to hear established favourites . Others are selected because they best display the grandest effects of the Orchestra or Chorus , and others again because they are either Choral or Orchestral gems that ifc has not been possible to produce at previous

Festivals . The solo vocalists on the Selection day will be Madame Albani , Madame Melba , Miss Ella Russell , Madame Clara Samuell , Miss Marian McKenzie , Mr . Edward Lloyd , Mr . Ben Davies , and Mr . Santley . Choruses from " Deborah , " " Jephthah , " " Joshua , " " Solomon , " " Aeis and Galatea , " and " Dryden ' s Ode on Cecilia ' s

Day " will be included in the programme ; also such favourite airs as " From mighty Kings , " " Ombra mai fu , " "Lefc the bright Seraphim , " " 0 had I Jubal's Lyre , " " Sound an alarm , " " Love in her eyes , " " Waft her , Angels , " " Love sounds th' alarm , " " Honour and arms , " and " Nasce al bosco . "

The solo vocalists for fche performance of " Israel m Egypt , on Friday , 29 th June , will be Miss Anna Williams , Madame Clara Samuell , Miss Clara Butt , Mr . Edward Lloyd , Mr . Norman Salmond , and Mr . Andrew Black . The Grand Full Rehearsal will take place on Friday , 22 nd June , tho vocalists being Miss Anna Williams , Miss Ella Russell , Madame

Clara Samuell , Miss Marian McKenzie , Miss Clara Butt , Mr . Edward Lloyd , Mr . Norman Salmond , and Mr . Andrew Black . The programme will include , in addition to airs and duets , the principal Choruses in the " Messiah " and " Israel in Egypt , " and also those in the Selection day programme .

The Chorus will number nearly three thousand five hundred performers . London supplies over 2 , 500 singers , the remainder being drawn from the Cathedral cities of the kingdom , the busy hives of Yorkshire and Lancashire , and other musical centres in England , Scotland , and Ireland .

Tho Orchestra will number about five hundred skilled instrumentalists , drawn from all parts of tho United Kingdom . The performers on stringed instruments alone number moro than four hundred . Mr . Walter W . Hedgcock has been appointed organist to tho Festival in tho place of Mr . Eyre , who has resigned through ill-health .

Origin Of Freemasonry.

ORIGIN OF FREEMASONRY .

IT is said thafc Freemasonry was originated by King Solomon . Thc number of wives he had to support made female society somewhat monotonous with him , no doubt , and we presume the poor man was obliged to invent something that would give him a chance to get oufc occasionally and have a little fun with the boys . — " Mascot . "

Big day at the Custom Housa . —What is believed fco be thc largest cheque drawn at one time for duty on Tea was paid into the Custom House on a recent Saturday by Mr . Lipton , the wellknown Tea Merchant and Planter of London , Ceylon , and India ,

for his regular weekly clearance of Tea . It wa ; s for no less than £ ' 35 , 365 9 s 2 d and represented over one-half of the week ' s average of the entire revenue from duty on Tea imported into the whole of the United Kingdom .