Royal Arch.

unanimous in favour of Comps . H . A . Collington , M . E . Z . ; J , Hasler , H . ; W . Noak , J . ; S . Noble , P . Z ., Treas . ; J . H . H . Doughney , S . E . , A . H . Tattershall , S . N . ; T . Perridge , P . S . ; Johnson , Janitor . The audit was agreed to be held on Thursday , January 7 th . A P . Z . 's jewel was presented from the chapter funds to Comp . E . S . Hogg , P , Z ., S . E ., for valuable services rendered to the chapter . A P . Z . ' s jewel was unanimouslvoted

y to Comp . G . W . Edington , P . Z ., and agreed to be presented at the next meeting . The copies of the new bye laws were presented to each member . The chapter was closed . Present during the evening Comps . J . E . Peckham , M . E . Z . ; H . A . Collington , H . ; S . Noble , P . Z ., Treas . ; W . Noak , S . N . ; E . S . Hogg , P . Z ., S . E . ; J . H . H . Doughney , P . S . ; A . II . Tattershall , 1 st Assist . Soj . ; G . W . EdingtonP . Z . J . MoorePZvisitors

, ; , .. ; , F . Walters , P . Z ., S . B ., 73 , & c , J . W . Halsey , P . Z . and Treas ., 507 , & c , a good banqnet followed . The usual happy evening spent . LEICESTERSHIRE . LEIOESTEE . — Chapter of Fortitude , ( No . 279 ) . —A quarterly

convocation of this flourishing chapter was held at the Freemasons' Hall , Leicester , on Thursday the 12 th inst ., when among those present were Comps . R . Brewin , I . P . Z ., as M . E . Z . W . Kelly , P . G . H . and Treas . as H . ; E . Clepham , P . Z . as J . ; W Pettifor , P . Z . ; W . S . Partridge , as E . ; E . Gosling , N . ; the Rev . W . Langley , P . S . ; Geo . Toller , A . S . ; Bright , Leadbeater , Mann , Sfcrefcton , Barfoofc , Moor , Gamble , Buzzard , Hunt , Atwood , Bainesand C . BambridgeJanitor ; visitorCompSSStallard

, , , . . . , formerly of No . 776 , now 779 Ashby-de-la-Zouche . The minutes of two previous chapters having been read and confirmed Comp . Kelly stated that he had been requested to explain and apologise for the unavoidable absence of the thrcee principals ( Comps . Weare , the Rev . J . Spittal and S . A . Clarke ) all of whom were absent from the town . There were three candidates down for exaltation but only one of them was in attendance

. This was Bro . Joseph John Fairfax Scott , of MountsorraJ , a member of the Howe and Charnwood Lodge No . 1 , 007 , Loughborough , who was exalted in due form , the duties of P . S . being most efficiently performed by the Rev . W . Langley . At the close of the ceremony Comp . Brewin delivered the historical and mystical lectures , and Comp . Kelly the symbolical lecture . Communications were laid before the meeting from the Zetland

Commemoration Committee and from the Palestine Exploration Fund Committee . In reference to the latter , Comp . Kelly n-ave an account of some very interesting discoveries recently made among the foundations of the Temple of Jerusalem . The sum of two guineas was voted to the former object , and one guinea to the latter , with an expression of regret that the present state of the chapter fund would not allow of a larger grant £ 100

, having during the past two years been voted to the Masonic Hall fund . Bro . J . F . Richardson , of the John of Gaunt Lodge ( No . 523 ) was proposed as a candidate for exaltation , and Comp . Samuel Slack Stallard as a joining member . There being no further business the chapter was closed in ancient form and with prayer and the companions adjourned to refreshment .

Mark Masonry.

MARK MASONRY .

LEICESTERSHIRE . PBOVINOIAL GBAKD LODGE . A meeting of this Provincial Grand Lodge was held at the Freemasons' Hall , Leicester , on Thursday , the 12 th inst ., the Provincial Grand Master , Bro . William Kelly , in the chair , and was unanimouslattended b resident members of the

y y nondegree , as well as by brethren of the local Mark Master's lodge . The Prov . G . Lodge having been opened iu due form , the minutes of the last meetin g were read and confirmed . The Prov . G . M . in some preliminary remarks said that the brethren would perceive from the list of Prov . Grand Officers on the back of the summons calling the meetingthat no appointments had

, been made since the year 1861 , which had arisen from two causes , the first was that in the Mark degree the appointments of Provincial Grand Master , instead of being virtually for life , as was the case under the United Grand Lodge of England were for three years only . His ( Bro . Kelly ' s ) patent of appointment under Lord Lei gh , the first Grand Master

Mark Masonry.

of the Mark degree , was dated in June 18 o 8 , and consequently expired shortly after the last appointment of Prov . Grand Officers was made ; whilst about the same period the two Mark lodges in Leicester had been allowed to fall into abeyance , in which state they had continued until a few months ago . Now , however , as those present were aware , one of the lodges had been transferred to Melton Mowbray , which , as well as the Powke Lodge , No . 19 , in Leicestor , was being worked

with considerable vigour and success . Under these altered circumstances it had pleased the Grand Master to reappoint him ( Bro . Kelly ) as Proviucial Grand Master for a further term of three years . The brethren would perceive in the list of the late Provincial Grand Officers the names of the Right Hon . Earl Howe and the late Right Hon . Earl Ferrers , as the Prov . Grand Wardens , and having had the pleasure of advancing the two noble earls to the Mark degree , he felt that they had conferred great honour upon him ( Bro Kelly ) in accepting office under him .

A ballot then took place for the Prov , G . Treas ., when Bro . George Henry Hodges , of lodge No . 19 , was unanimously elected . The Prov . G . M . then proceeded to appoint and invest the following brethren as the Grand Officers of the province for the ensuing year : — Bros , the Rev . W . K . Robinson , M . A ., W . M ., D . Prov . Grand Master 21 ; Robert Brewin , S . W ., 19 , Prov . S . G . W . ; Henry

Douglas , J . W . 21 , J . W . ; Rev . W . Langley , M . A ., S . W . 21 , Chap . ; W . Beaumont Smith , J . W . 19 , M . O . ; William Weare , S . D . 19 , S . O . ; William Adcock , M . 0 . 21 , J . O . ; G . H . Hodges , Sec . 19 , Treas . ; Clement Stretton , Treas . 19 , Reg . ; Alexander Marshall Duff , M . O . 19 , Sec . ; John E . Bright , S . O . 21 , S . D . ; Thomas Hardy Buzzard , 19 , J . D . ; Levi L . Atwood , 19 , Dir . of Cers . ; Thomas Markham , J . D ., 21 , Assist . Dir . of Cers . ; Robert Winter Johnson , S . D . 21 , Inspector of Works ; John E . Hodges ,

19 , Sword Bearer ; Charles Johnson , Org . 19 , Org . ; William Mann , I . G- 21 , Purst . ; William Moor ( 19 ) , J . B . Leadbeater ( Treas . 21 ) , John Hunt ( 19 ) , Stewards ; Charles Bevnbridge , 19 , Tyler . On the motion of the Prov . Grand Master the sum of two guineas was voted to the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , the Rev . Bro . Langley having undertaken to represent the province as Steward at the next festival . The Provincial Grand Lodge was then closed iu due form and with prayer .

Red Cross Of Rome And Constantine.

RED CROSS OF ROME AND CONSTANTINE .

METROPOLITAN . PLANTAGENET CONCLAVE ( NO . 2 ) , —A regular assembly of this body was held ou the 11 th inst ., at the George Hotel , Aldermanbury , and amongst the members present were Sir Knts . T . Wescombe , M . P . S . ; J . Brett , S . G . ; R . \ V . Little , H . P . ; T . Cubitt , Treas . ; J . G . Marsh , Recorder ; B . Cook , Prefect ; D . R . Still , S . B . ; J . Mayo , Herald ; H . Parker , Org . ; B . P . Todd ;

and T . J . Murray . Visitors : Sir Knts . J . A . Horner , I . G . for Norfolk—Doyle Conelave , No . 7 , Guernsey ; J . Kenning , Premier Conclave ; F . Walters , P . S ., Rose and Lily Conclave , No . 3 , Richmond , < tc . The business of the evening was to install Bro John Boyd , 33 ° P . M . and P . Z ., 534 , P . M . 145 , P . E . C . & c , and W . Y . Laing , P . M . 45 , as Knights of the Order , and which ceremony was ably performed by the presiding officer . Sir Kut . H . G . BussP . S . was elected an honorary member . A

, , petition to the Grand Council for a Charter of Confirmation was signed by the members present—the conclave having been working under dispensation since the 31 st May 1865 . The conclave was then closed , and the usual banquet followed , A most agreeable evening being spent under the presidency of Sir Knt . Wescombe , who is so well and so favourably known or his zeal in Freemasonry .

FOB . many years past M . Thiers has been occupied in writing an important book , in five or six volumes , on religion , philosophy , general history , arts , and sciences . The first portion is now completed , and will shortly be published .