Grand Lodge.

To t ! ie report is subjoined a statement of the Grand Lodge accounts at the last meeting of the Finance Committee , held on the 11 th August , showing a balance in the hands of the Grand Treasurer of £ 2 , 792 lid ., and in the hands of the Grand Secretary for petty cash £ 50 . Of these sums there belongs to the Fund of Benevolence £ 1 , 731 9 s . 2 d ., to the Fund of General Purposes £ 566 lis . 5 d ., ancl in the Unappropriated Account , £ 540 17 s . id .

7 . REPOET OF TUB BUILDING COMMITTEE . To the United Grand Lodge of Ancient , Free , and Accepted Masons of Fngland . The committee beg to report that , in spite of all their efforts to the contrary , the progress of the buildings is still extremely slow ; having at length got possession of all the ground required

they trust that the arrangements they have now made will , if they do not ensure , at least give a greater prospect of the work being done within a reasonable time . As Grand Lodge is already aware , the new building was completed as far as the Grand Staircase on the 1 st of May last , since which time this part of tlie building has been occupied by the

lodges and executive officers . The building of the new workshops in Middle Yard for Mr . Malby ( commenced on May 1 st ) have been completed at a cost of £ 1 , 290 , and he lias entered upon their occupation at a rent of £ 100 per annum on lease for 10 years . It will be remembered that the contract for tho 1 st aud 2 nd

sections was taken at £ 21 , 170 ; the committee have now let the concluding contract ( or that for building the Tavern section ) to Mr . Rider for the sum of £ 19 , 919 , making together a total of £ 1-1 , 089 , to which there will have to be added the cost of certain extras which have been unavoidably incurred . Tlie committee legret that this is somewhat in excess of their original estimate

at the same time it must be borne in mind that there has been a considerable rise both in wages and in the price of materials . The arrangements which have been made as regards future progress are as follows , viz .: —The facade of the new Freemasons '

Hall commenced on tho 1 st May is , together with the whole of the Masonic portion of the building , to be completed by the 1 st of February , 1866 . The great banqueting-room and kitchen of the Tavern to be built aud roofed in by February 1 , 1866 , and the whole to bo completed by November 1 , 1866 . The committee have made it perfectly understood by the contractor

that they will rigidly insist on these arrangements being carried out , or that they will make such deductions from the amount payable as have been agreed upon in case of failure . The committee have , as far as possible , discharged all outstanding accounts . As regards furniture they beg to report for tlie information of Grand Lodge that the cost , including the

furnishing of the loclge rooms , Grand Secretary ' s , and clerk ' s offices , and tho servants' rooms will amount to somewhat less than £ 1 , 600 . In order to the building of the new great banqueting-room of the Tavern it is necessary to remove a portion of the party Avail of Bacon ' s Hotel , and it was found that it would be very

desirable to carry tho east wall of the banqueting-room from 9 in . to 15 in . further east , thus encroaching to that extent upon the premises now held on lease by Mr . Bacon . The ground upon which Bacon ' s Hotel now stands Avas bought by the society in 1811 , subject to a lease to Mr . Mann ( who sub-lets to Bacon ) , of which 3 J years are unexpired at a rent of £ 210 per

annum . Mr . Bacon is anxious for a renewal of Ills lease , and in consideration of the society renewing his lease for 10 years on the termination of his present tenure at a rent of £ 360 per annum , he has consented to allow the society to built over that portion of the ground now held by him , which is referred to

Grand Lodge.

above . To this the committee have agreed , subject to the approval of Grand Lodge . The committee are glad to have been able to carry out this arrangement satisfactorily , and to acknowledge that Mr . Bacon lias met them in a fair and liberal spirit . They respectfully submit the following resolutions for the adoption of Grand Lodge , viz .:

—"That subject to the conditions agreed upon between the Building Committee and Mr . Bacon , u lease be granted to Mr . Bacon of the premises now held by him for 10 years from . Christmas , 1 S 68 , at a rent of £ 360 per annum . " ( Signed ) Jons HAVERS , London , August 21 st , 1 S 65 . Chairman .

S , Letter from the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Scotland acknowledging- tlie receipt of a resolution , passed by Grand Lodge at the last Quartely Communication , with reference to Mark Misters . 9 . Appeal of tlie St . Andrew ' s Lodge ( No . IIS ) , Halifax , Nova Scotia , against suspension by the Provincial Grand

Master . N . B . The papers relating to the appeal are in the Grand Secretary's office , and open for the perusal of members of Grand Lodge during office hours .

Metropolitan.

METROPOLITAN .

INSTRUCTION . LODGE UNITED PILGRIMS ( No . 507 ) . —According to annual custom this lodge assembled on Friday evening , the 25 th ult ., for the purpose of working the fifteen sections . The chair was occupied by Bro . McCandlish , supported by Bro . J . Thomas , P . M . ( and the present W . M . of Loclge 720 ) and others , including Bros . Stevens , Hodges , Smetzer , Hunter , Perrot , & c . The brethren working the sections displayed considerable ability

, and the W . M . was deservedly complimented on the efficiency of himself and brethren . After the closing of tlie lodge , the brethren sat down to a really excellent banquet provided by Pro . Mortlake , Durham Arms , Keunington , whose efforts in this respect were highly commendable .

Provincial.

PROVINCIAL .

CUMBERLAND AND WESTMORELAND . PSIOVISOIAL GHAHD LODGE . The Provincial Grand Lodge of this Province held its annual meeting at Cockermouth on Wednesday , August 23 rd 1865 . It being tlie first meeting that had been held in the ancient borough , very great interest was manifested by the inhabitants generally . It u-as also the first appearance of the R . W . Prov . G . M . Bro . F . L . B . DykesEsq . ( formerly M . P . for

Cocker-, , mouth ) , since his installation at Carlisle in 1863 , as successor to the late Sir James Graham , Bart . The weather , happily , was favourable , which contributed to the success of the outdoor display . The brethren arrived from the neighbouring lodges by train early in the forenoon , and proceeded to Bro . Hartness's , Royal Hotel , which was beautifully decorated for the occasion , and there the lodge was held . After a sumptuous

luncheon had been partaken of by the brethren , tlie Craft Lodge was formally opened by the W . M . and officers of the Skiddaw Lodge . The Provincial Grand Lodge ivas opened shortly after 12 o ' clock in solemn form , and the business of the province commenced . THE PBOCESSIOX . Shortly before one o ' clock the procession Avas formed from

the lodge-room in the following order , by the P . G . D . C . Bro . Bower : — Two Tylers with drawn swords . The Band of the Cockermouth . Ride Corps , playing the "Entered Apprentice . " Brethren , not members of any lodge , two and two . Tiie Officers of the Skiddaw Lodge , Cockermouth . Brethren two aud two .