Scotland.

Senior and Junior AVardens ( Hendrie and Lyon ); Asst . Chaplain ( Eev . Robert Murray ); Secretary ancl Ex-Secretary ( AVylie and Henderson ); ancl Bro . Carruthers ; Kilmarnock St . John Kilivinning , headed by R . AV . Bro . BroiA'n , of Bellsbrae , Master ; Navigation Troon , by R . AV . Bro . Imrie , Master ; and Ayr Kilwinning , by R . AV . Bro . Guthrie , Master . The other other lodges occupied the suite of tables in the centre of the hall and in front of the R . AV . M .

, as follows : —Stewarton Thistle aud Rose ( Bro . Cunningham ); Irvine St . Andrew ( Bro . Dick , ivho apologised for the unavoidable absence of R . AV . Bro . Dr . Gray ); Ayr Royal Arch ( Bro . Scott ); Stevenston Thistle ancl Rose ( Bro . Loi-e ); Maybole Royal Arch ( Bro . Jack ); Riccarton Sfc . Clement ( Bro . Black ); and Blair Dairy ( Bro . Brown ) . Bros . AVilson , of Glasgow St . Mungo , and Steele of Montrose Neiv MonklandAirdriehad seats set apart for them on

, , Master's left hand . We observed also Bro . A . Martin , and several other brethren belonging to Ayr St . Paul ancl Operative , who had assumed tbe garb of other lodges , in consequence of their own nofc sending deputations . Space AA'ill scarcely admit of our doing more than mention that the E . W . M . gave successively " The Visiting Lodges , prefacing ivith suitable remarks the introduction of each toast : all of Avhichit is needless to saywere most enthusiastically

, , received . Iu aeknoAvledging the toast " Mother Kibvinning , " Bro . CONN was sure that hacl Bro . Sir James Fergusson been present afc their head , he would have replied in more suitable terms than he was able to do . Mother Kilwinning ! There ivas something in the Mother , dear fco the heart of every well-thinking man , and one becoming a Mason became more a man . Masonry was extending ; and he was gratified at noticing that General Garibaldi , the Liberator

of Italy , had been elected Grand Master of that interesting but hitherto priest-trodden country . —Bro . DAVID BROWN , of Mother Kibvinning and Blair Dairy , in replying on behalf of the latter , gave a succinct but interesting sketch of the progress as to membership and otherwise which the lodge St . Andrew had made since its revivification some ten years ago . He had attended its first festival after thafc event , and a room 20 ft . by 12 ft . was found of sufficient isize comfortably to contain the members and deputations from

. other lodges ; let the 24 in . guage be now applied to the place in which they were that evening met , and some idea may be formed of the numerical strength to which No . 126 had arrived . Kilmarnock Kilwiimiug , too , had of late years come forth from a long slumber , and if oue coulcl judge from appearances , the strong deputation which hacl accompanied R . AV . Bro . Brown in his visit to his nextdoor neighbour , spoke well for the efficiency of that old loclge . But with a population of 19 , 000 , it would be anything but creditable

to Sfc . Marnock did ifc fail in supporting these tivo lodges ; the banner-of St . Clement was once more unfurled in Riccarton ; and Kilmarnock could extend a helping hand to No . 202 also . " There's -room enough for all . "—The MASTER had craved a . song from Blair Dairy ; but he regretted the . deputation ' s inability to comply . It had thafc evening been offered in excuse for a brother ' s not singing , that having been to hear Jenny Lind he could not HOAV think of trying- a stave . He ( Bro . Brown ) thought ; thafc if Jenny's appearance

. amougsfc them was to have such an effect upon our native warblers , the sooner the Swedish nightingale took her departure from our shores the better . He could not think thafc their venerable dame at ICibvinning had been afc all moved by the presence of Madame Goldschmiclfc , and he Avas sure that AA'hat the daughter lacked in musical talent Avould be made up by the mother ; he begged , therefore , that the Deputy Master of Mother Kibvinning would give Blair Dairy's song , —to which request Bro . Conn was

not SIOAV m responding , and sung in his own easy oft-hand style , " Here's a health to all honest men . " Apropos of singing , Irvine St . Andreiv , which hacl the largest deputation , bore away the palm also for vocalization , by the masterly style in which their songster , . Bro . William Miller , rendered the tAA'o very popular pieces with which he favoured the meeting , ancl which were rapturously applauded . " AVind and tide , " operated in limiting the number of Bro . Imrie's followersalthough along ivith Ayr KibvinningTroon

, , Navigation had a good muster . Maybole Royal Arch very spiritedly forwarded her quota from "the capital of Garrick , " being the longest distance travelled by any of the Ayrshire lodges . After the toasts by the presiding lodge had been gone through , Bro . Conn , of the Mother Loclge , in the " delicious doric of our sainted Mither , " complimented the Lodge St . Andrew on the success ivhich had attended it during the past year , and attributed much of that

success to the unflagging industry of the R . AV . M ., to whom he called upon the brethren to dedicate a bumper . Indeed , officebearers and members seemed to be animated by one spirit of enthusiasm in conducting the affairs of their loclge . Bro . Caldwell responded : the other officials of the lodge were similarly honoured . Mother Kilwinning was the first to retire from the festive board , followed shortly after by Loclge No . 22 , and others ; and ere long the Junior AA arclen's gravel fell , ivhen the happy fraters separated . The arrangements of " mine host" of the George were unique ;

Scotland.

and a meed of praise is justly due to the brethren of the orchestra who , during the intervals betiveen the toasts , favoured the company with music that was really delightful : Ave regret AA'e did nofc learn the name of fche leader . The two oldest craftsmen present at this festival were—Bros . Black , of Riccarton , and D . Brown , of Kilmarnock—the one having trod the " chequered floor" for 54 years , tbe other for 52 years . Indisposition prevented fche Rei * . D . V .

Thomson , of Mother Kibvinning , from attending . —Ayr Advertize ; : [ AVe canuot agree with our Northern brethren that the songs ancl toasts and other attendants of hilarity should take place in lodgeroom with all the paraphernalia of the lodge displayed . ]

Ireland.

IRELAND .

MASONIC HALL FOR BELFAST . The following letter has been addressed to the editor of the Horthem Whig : — SIR , —Ifc has long been a matter of surprise that so numerous , influential , and wealthy a body as the Freemasons of Belfast should nofc possess a hall of their ownfor the purposes of their Craft .

, The subject has often been mooted in Masonic , circles ; but , for want of some energetic ind * iA * idual to make a moA * e in it , nothing has been clone . So general is the desire for such a building , that ifc requires bufc to he ventilated in the public press fco secure a beginning , at least , being made for the accomplishment of so desirable an object . Next to Christianity , Freemasonry is the noblest system for the inculcation of correct moralskindl

, y feelings , and wide-spread charity that has ever been made knoAAii to the AA'orld . In some quarters it is objected to because its operations are conducted in secrecy . This , hoAvever , is its greatest merit . It pursues the even tenor of its ivay without noise and without ostentation ; ancl , while the "brethren of the mystic tie " practise charity for its OAVU sake , careless alike of the plaudits or the frowns of the AA'orld , there is no doubt that the satisfaction of

seeing their names in subscription lists , and having votes of thanks passed to them for their liberality , are sometimes inducements , with the vain and worldly-minded , to loosen their purse strings , more powerful than the incentive of real and true benevolence , Freemasonry "lets not its right hand knoiv what its left hand doeth . " Ifc is a silent , solemn , and powerful protest against the vanity and pretensions of the world . Hence its universalitits

y , vigour , and its fitness for all stages of society and all countries . Only a little less perfect than Christianity , it is more ancient ; and there is no doubt that , so long as man is imperfect , and requires aid and sympathy from his felloiv-man , so long ivill Freemasonry flourish . Certainly , at no period of its existence , from the days of

ivmg Solomon ctOAvnwarcts , was it more prosperous than afc the present time . It has withstood the hostility of Courts ; it has survived the anathemas of ecclesiastics ; and it has outlived most other systems of the ancients , flourishing with perennial youth , notwithstanding the mutations of time . In Belfast , Freemasonry has long been an important institution , including in its ranks most of all that is respectable , iu the widest acceptation of the term our communit It softens the

, among y . asperities of political ancl party warfare , and places all fche ranks and classes of its members on a common platform of sympathy , harmony , and good-will . Much of its influence , however , is lost iu consequence of its interests being scattered through a variety ot channels . It wants a common centre , AA'here Masons can more frequently meet together for the practice and cultivation of those virtues ivhich eminentlbelong to it , A Masonic hall would do

y much to obviate this drawback , and give to ifc thafc position in public and private which , from the numbers and wealth of the members of the Craft , ifc is entitled to hold in our midst . As things are at present , the different lodges in town—about fifteen in number—meet in rooms hired for the purpose , which is certainly not creditable to the fraternity . Many towns of no pretensions to the importance of Belfast , either in a Masonic or other point of

view—such as Derry , Dundalk , ancl others—have their Masonic Halls , and why not Belfast ? The various local lodges pay nob less than £ 100 a-year in rent for imperfect accommodation , so that in a business point of vieAv the matter is worthy the consideration of Masons . AA hat is wanted is a good substantial building , with a hall capable of accommodating about 700 or 800 persons upon any occasion of a Masonic entertainment , banquet , or ball , the rest of divided into

the building being apartments for the purpose of transacting the business of the several lod ges . Among the 700 or 800 Masons in the town the money could surely be easily raised . I myself know several who , if a project of the kind were commenced