Scotland.

Madame and Signor Garcia , the entire audience , upstanding and uncovered , joining in the chorus . Thereafter three cheers were given for the Queen , and the same for the chairman , which terminated the proceedings so far . After the soiree a full-dress assembly took place , with which was fitly closed this successful Masonic festival .

DUMBARTONSHIRE . DUMBARTON . —St . John ' s Lodge . The members of this lodge met . in the Elephant Hotel on Thursday evening , the 19 th ult ., for the purpose of electing office-bearers for the ensuing year . Bro . S . Bennett , R . W . M ., occupied the chair , and there was a very full attendance of members ( nearly seventy ) among whom were Bros .

, John Love , S . W . ; W . Eiddell , J . W . ; and the other officehearers , Bros . Peter Denny , Joseph Irving , Dr . Graham , Thomas M'Neil , William Ballardie , James Robertson , John M'Kay , Thomas Bisset , J . Subtle , Samuel Colquhoun , Thomas Muir , William Boyd , Robert M'Alister , Alexander Colville , James Muir , Alexander Denny , Peter Strang , James Ure , AA illiam M'Gruther , Robert Ballantyne , William Paterson , Robert M'Millan , R . W . Lowe , Dr . Bruce , John Crawford , R . Young ,

John Dickson , William Connell , J . Speirs , R . Blair , James M . Arthur , James llacalester , D . E . Hill , Joseph Jenkins , John M'Arthur , John Bryson , James Crawford , John Carr , T . Coghill , John M'Arthur , D . H . Wilson , & c . Tbe Senior Warden said he had much pleasure in proposing there-election of the present R . W . M . Bro . Bennett , who had filled the chair and discharged its duties during tbe past year with general satisfaction to the lodge . Those who had attended

the meetings since his election last year would agree with him in saying that he was well worthy of the honour proposed to be again conferred on him . The lodge having been opened , tha Right AVorshipful Master stated , with reference to the meeting held on the 13 th ult . for the nomination of office-bearers , that the non-compliance of the brethren with his request to take a show of hands for the candidates then proposed was at variance with the laws

of the Grand Lodge , aud that , if so disposed , he was authorised to declare the whole proceedings informal , and to hold a new nomination . Instead , however , of raising any difficulty on that ground or taking any advantage of a mere error of judgment on the part of those who objected to the show of

hands , he had resolved not to insist on his right to take the course indicated , but to allow the election at once to go on , aud thereby save the brethren the trouble of holding another meeting . Bro . Wiggins , Secretary , in seconding the motion of the S . AA ., said , it was well known that Bro . Bennett had consented with some reluctance to accept of the office of R . AV . M . in December 1866 The chair had just then been vacated bBro

. y . Ross , who declined to retain it any longer . A deputation of - the members waited on Bro . Bennett and urged him to accept of the office , which he ultimately agreed to do as no other brother could be got to undertake the duties . Such , indeed , was the position of the lodge at that time , that if Bro . Bennett had not consented , they would , most likely , have had no Master at all , and not even a lodge , except in name . They

were , therefore , under great obligations to Bro . Bennett for the services he had rendered to the brethren of No . IS , and the least thing they could do to him in return was to ask him to accept the chair for a second year . Bro . Peter Denny ( in tbe absence of Bro . AA'illiam Leslie ) said he had another candidate to propose for the office of R . W . M ., viz ., Bro . William R . oss , who was not only a good Mason , hut was well qualified to discharge the duties of the

chair . His long experience and intimate knowledge of the principles of the Order gave him a claim to their support for that high position which few , if any , possessed . It was the first time he had heard that the Dumbarton Lodge had been in danger of extinction last year for want of a Master to . preside over it , but if they elected Bro . Ross lo that office he was sure they need have no fears of their affairs being well conducted . He would not detain them with any further remarksbut simply

, begged to propose the election of Bro . Ross . The motion having been seconded by Bro . James Muir , Bro . James M'Alester , at some length , called the attention of the meeting to the circumstances under which Bro . Bennett had been induced to take the office of R . W . M . last year—the fact that when no one else seemed either willing or able to do so , he

had , doubtless at some inconvenience , complied with the urgent request of the brethren , and given his time and his services for the good of the Lodge—and pointed out that unless there were substantial reasons for acting otherwise they ought to re-elect the present Master if they paid any respect to the practice in other lodges , or to the course followed by themselves on formeroccasions . It was not usual to limit the period of filling the

chair to one year , and he understood that iu this lodge such a rule bad not been carried out . Bro . Ross , he believed , had been . Master for three years ; his predecessor also held office for a considerable time , and would not unlikely have continued to do so for a more lengthened period but for his lamented decease ; Bro . Paterson , he was informed , had even filled the chair for eight years ; so that in proposing to electa new Master this year they were going riht in tbe face of precedentwhich

wasg , not a safe or a prudent course , but on the contrary was calculated to give rise in future years to much trouble , and lead toparty contests , whicli might seriously interfere with the harmony and good feeling which ought to prevail in the Lodge . The opposition to the re-election of Mr . Bennett « as especially objectionable when it was considered that no fault had been found in the way in which he had discharged his duties , and thotno ground whatever had been stated why a change in the

office should be made . Sa far as he had heard , Bro . Bennett ' sconduct had given unqualified satisfaction to those who had been most regular in their attendance at the meetings , and why an an attempt should be made to supersede him at this time he was at a loss to understand . After some remarks by several other brethren , Bro . Bennett stated that he had allowed himself to he proposed for re-election that night in consequence of having been

unanimously nominated again to fill the chair at a recent meeting of the lodge attended by upwards of thirty brethren , and also iu compliance with a requisition ( since presented to him ) signed by thirty-eight members—tweaty-one of whom had not been at the nomination meeting—making , in all , fifty-one brethren who had solicited him to continue his services to the lodge for another year . He left the matter entirely in the hands of those now assembled , and had only to say

that if re-elected he would still devote his best attention to the interest of the lodge . Bro . - Ross begged to thank the brethren for their kind proposal that he should again be elected to the office of R . AV . M . When chosen for that honour a few years ago he had found the lodge in anything but a flourishing condition , and when he retired from office last year he left it with a handsome balance at their credit iu the bank . It would give him great pleasure again

to assist in doing what he could for the welfare of No . 18 , with which , although not his mother lodge , he had been connected , since he came to the locality . The vote was then taken , by the names of those present being called over and recorded for the respective candidates , when the numbers stood as follows : —For Bro . Ross , 4-2 ; Bro . Bennett ,. 22 : majority for Bro . E-Oss , 20 . The election of the other office-bearers was then proceeded

, with , but as the list will not be completed till after the evening of the installation , 27 th ult . ( St . John ' s Day ) , we must defer giving the appointments made till we can present our readers with the names of the whale of those chosen . Bros . Bryson , Lowe , and Carr , who were severally proposed , for offices declined the same , and a new election of Secretary will he necessary in room of Bro . Young , who , it is understood , objects to undertake the duties .

CHMSTON . — Cadder Argyll Lodge ( No . 147 ) . —The annual meeting for the installation of the office-bearers of this flourishing lodge took place at the hotel , Cbryston , on the 27 th ult ,, when , owing to the esteem in which Bro . W . Mather , the R . AV . M . is held , severel brethren of distinction from Glasgow and the neighbourhood attended to do honour to Bro . Mather , and congratulate him on his re-election to the chair of K . S , Amongst the visiting brethren we noticed Bros . J . Thomson ,

P . Prov . J . G . W ., and Treasurer of the Benevolent Committee , Glasgow ; J . Wallace , G . Sec . - , John Davidson , P . Prov . S . G . AV . Glasgow ; G . McLeod , R . AV . M . Shettleston St . John's ( No . 128 ) ; T . C . Christie , of Bediey , and other brethren . Bro . Davidson performed the duties of Installing Master most ably . The following is a list of the office-bearers installed b y Bro . Davidson , viz .: —Bros . AV . Mather , EAA ' . M . ; A . Mitchell , P . M . ; A . Gibson , D . M . ; J . Marshall , S . M . ; J . Watson , S . W . ; J . Ferguson , J . W . ; John Jackson , Sec ; Robert Baxter , Treas . ; George B .