The Provinces.

after your marriage , is hailed with delight , as indicative of your disposition to make this neighbourhood your principal place of residence . It is of great importance to tiny neighbourhood , for very strong reasons that I will not now detain yon by enumerating , that it should have resident noblemen find gentlemen . I think also , that the interest in this case is reciprocal , and that it is of ituyioitaiice to these persons themselves that they should live principally amongst their tenantry and country neighbours . Everyone has » desire to distinguish himself , to exert influence— iu fact to be somebody in

his day and generation ; and 1 contend that so far as the owners of land and the rich are concerned , this natural , and when properly directed , laudable , ambition , would have the best chance of being effectually and usefully gratified by their living principally in tlie districts in which their lauds and property are situated . The influence which would be great and most useful in a rural or provincial district is far too often lost , or next to lost in the crowds of a metropolis . " It is our hope and prayer , Worshipful Master , that yon may

long enjoy all the pleasures of the contiition of lile into which you have recently entered , and that from time to time we shall continue in this Lodge to receive the advantage of your presence and wise counsels ; and that your wife , Lady Katharine , may long be tlie sharer of your happiness , become more atul more attached to our neighbourhood , and henceforth be the worthy coadjutor with your most excellent mother , and so assist yon in practically carrying into effect that virtue which has been justly denominated the distinguishing characteristic of a Freemason ' s heart— ' ever blessed charity . '

" Before resinning tny seat , I woultl congratulate the Lodge and you on your attainment of so high a position in the Provincial Grand Lodge of Devon ; and I will venture to hope that this and every accession of Masonic honour may act as inducements to seek and obtain those larger , more extensive , ant ! purer views of Freemasonry which the inquiring and diligent alone attain , so that the things hidden from the careless and indolent may to you be ' familiar as household words ; ' so that you may be able to guide and instruct tlie less informed , and diffuse light over tbe paths which to others are dark and obscure . Truly and well has it been said of the attainment of Masonic knowledge , ' that the labour of such a pursuit is itself refreshment , and the reward great . ' Fresh flowers bloom at

every step , and the prospect on every side is filled with beauty and enchantment , so that the pursuer , ravished at the sight , will rush on with enthusiasm from fact to fact , and from truth 10 truth , until the whole science of Freemasonry lies before him invested with a new form and sublimity . " ( Applause . ) The V . W . Lord Valletort , rose and thanked the Brethren for this expression of their congratulations to him on his marriage . He had come to tlie Lodge prepared to receive some such mark of their fraternal consideration , but was not prepared for so complimentary

a speech as that with which the worthy Past Master hud presented the address . Nothing could have been more unexpected , or more utterly unlooked for , than the hearty demonstrations of welcome which Lady Katharine and he had met with on their arrival at Stonehonse , and which were therefore all the more gratifying to them . Among the crowd of gentlemen who received them at tlie Haiti , he was much pleased , though not surprised , to recognize more than one face rendered familiar to him by the meetings of No . 224 ; for where should lie expect to find true ant ! hearty friendshiif not among the

p , Brethren of bis own Lodge . He felt , as he stated in his reply to the address from the inhabitants of Stonehouse , that he was indebted chiefly for that mark of their good will to the respect and esteem with which they regarded his parents ; but in the case of the present address , as coming from Freemasons and Brethren of the same Lodge , he hoped he might consider it of a more personal character , though , at the same time , it was most pleasing to him to see his parents so prominently mentioned iu it . It was a great pleasure to him to have been chosen as Master by the members of that Lodge

, and Jits only source of regret was that this was the Hvst time that he had met them since his installation banquet . He was sure , however , that they would believe his absence to have been most involuntary , and acquit him of anything like neglect or indifference to the duties of his office . ( Hear , hear , and cheers . ) That applause assured him that he was not mistaken in counting on their indulgence , and now that he had the pleasing prospect of residing permanently at his home , he anticipated with some confidence that his attendance for the future would be more regular . ( Applause . )

A Brother having been proposed as a joining member , and a statement made respecting the recently held Provincial Grand Lodge , the W . M closed the Lodge in due form at half-past eight o ' clock . STAFFORDSHIRE . On Tuesday , October 26 tb , the brethren ofthe Provincial Grand Lodge of Staffordshire , met for the appointment of officers and the

( ransaction of olher business , in the Shite Hall , Stafford . The Right Worshipful tlie Prov . G M . Col . Yei mm presided on tlie occasion , supported by the Right Worshipful D . Pi-. n-. G M . Bro , Ward , and a large body of tlw Past and Present Grand Officers . After the opening ofthe Gnintl Lodge , the consecration of ihe New Lodge , the Staffordshire Knot , was impressively performed by the Prov . G . M ; the Prov . G . Chap . Brother Downs ; the Prov . S G . W . Brother A . Glover ; the Prov . J . G . W . Bro . G . Davenport , & c . The musicnl arrangements were under the management ofthe Ptov . G .

Oig Bro John Emery , jnn „ assisted by Bro . I ' . dwiii Shargool . At the conclusion of the ceremonies , Ihe brethren of the Prov . G . Lo < ige , to tbe number of nearly 100 , sat down to a very sump ? ttious banquet , the K . W . Prov G . M . presiding . On the withdrawal ofthe cloth , the usual loyal and Masonic toasts were proposed and duly honoured , being alternated by glees and songs effectively rendered by Bros Pursall , Glrdon , Pendleton , Baker , Kc , under the able direction of Bro Shargool . MONMOUTHSHIRE .

CONSF . CUATION OF A MASONIC HALL . —On Tuesday , Oct . 26 lh , the ceremony of consecration of the Freemasons'Hall took place in Newport , Monmouthshire . Besides the members of the Order in the town , a number of Brethren from various parts of the country attended the celebration , and walked in procession to Slow Church , attired in the insignia of the Craft . After the dedication of the building was performed , Bro . the Rev . G . B . Roberts , of Chellenham , preached an able sermon , having previously intoned the prayers .

Half Yearly Meeting Of Mark Masters .

HALF YEARLY MEETING OF MARK MASTERS .

THE Half-yearly meeting of the Grand Lodge of Mark Masters was held at tlie Freemason ' s Tavern , Great Queen Street , on Wednesday , Dec . 8 th , when , in the absence of the G . II ., the throne was occupied by Bro . the Earl of Carnarvon , Deputy G . M . ; Bro . W . W . Beach , M . P ., Provincial G . II . of the Shirk for Hants , acted as S . G . W-, and Bro . Burrell as J . G . W . Tho minutes of the last Grand Lodge having been read , Bro . Portal , G . Chap ., desired before their confirmation to ask the Grand

Reg-, a question regarding the position of tho Anglo-Scotch Mark Lodges referred to hi the minutes . It had been stated to him that Bro . Bagshawe , W . II . of the Eoyal Cumberland Mark Lodge , Bath , had been affiliated to an Anglo-Scotch Mark Lodge at Bristol , he wished to know if this report had reached the Grand Beg ., and whether in such cases of affiliation any oath of abjuration was required inconsistent with good faith aud allegiance to this Grand Lodge . Bro . ltidg-wayGrand Keg . had received communications on the

, , subject , but had preferred to treat the acts alleged as an attempt on the part of Bro . Bagshawe , to promote the efforts now being made towards an union of all English Mark Lodges , rather than as a breach of faith towards his brethren . He was aware that brethren joining or advanced in Scotch Lodges did formerly , if not still , bind themselves not to enter Lodges under the English constitution , therefore , it would appear that the Bro . in question , who yet

belonged to one ot our Lodges , could not have joined the Scotch ; but as a warden of the Bath Lodge was then present perhaps he could give more definite particulars . Bro . ltklgway in remarking incidentally on tho hoped-for fusion of the Scotch and English Mark Lodges , gave some interesting statistics of the Grand Chap , of Scotland , showing its utter insignificance in point of members , antiquity , and otherwise , and the consequent absurdity of its pretensions to govern much more important bodies of English Masons . Of these statistics we have availed ourselves in a leading

article , so that they need not be repeated here . Bro . Payne stated his conviction based on Bro . Bagshawe's own words , thatalthoughtho Masterof the Scotch Lodge at Bristol had paraded this Bro . in the Magazine as a pervert , yet , nothing was further from his intention than to abjure the English body , or , in fact , to do aught else than try to convince the Anglo-Scotch Mark Masters of their error . Bro . Lambert , Past G . S ., remarked he had that day read in the Magazine the report of a formal resolution come to boneat least

y , , of these Lodges , namely the Thistle , to join the Grand Lodge . The Deputy Grand Master reminded Grand Lodge that the case of Bro . Bagshawe would more correctly come before him as Prov . Grand Master for Somerset . It had been brought before him in that capacity , but his Lordship regretted that in consequence of the extent to which he had recently been occupied in London , he had not been able as yet to organize his Provincial Grand Lodge ; tho brethren might , however , rest assured that ho would thoroughly sift