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recently returned home from active service with the Oxfordshire Imperial Yeomanry in South Africa . His lordship , after enduring the hardships of the campaign for nearly twelve months , had happily returned home in good health

and spirits , and they were all very pleased to see him once more presiding over the Lodge . Fie proposed that a resolution should be placed on the minutes recording the satisfaction which the Brethren felt at his lordship ' s safe return .

Bro . J . T : Morland endorsed all that had been said by the previous speaker , and seconded the motion , which was carried with acclamation . The gallant Prov . G . Master , in returning thanks , assured the Brethren that it had not only given him very great

pleasure to return to his native land , but also to meet the Masonic Brethren by whom he was then surrounded . He felt quite satisfied when he went out to South Africa that the

business of the Province would be well carried on by his Deputy , to whom he was thankful for sending him an account of the last Provincial Grand Lodge , which reached him while he was at Pretoria . He went out because he conceived it to

be his duty to do so , and he gained experience in South Africa which he should have been sorry to have missed . When he was coming home Lord Roberts told him the war would soon be over , and they could only hope that that prophecy would speedily be fulfilled .

The various items on the agenda were then taken seriatim . The rolls of the Prov . G . Lodge Officers and that of the Lodges were respectively called over , and it appeared that all the Lodges in the Province were represented . There had been twenty-two > advancements during the past year , and

the total membership was now 297 . The General Purposes Committee acknowledged the valuable services of the Prov . G . Treasurer Bro . Margrett , and the Prov . G . Master mentioned

that the minute books had been kept in a manner that reflected great credit upon the Secretaries of the various Lodges . The Prov . G . Treasurer produced the balance sheet , which showed that the finances were in a healthy state .

On the motion of the Deputy Prov . G . M ., seconded by Bra J . T . Morland , the Brethren unanimously passed a resolution recommending to Grand Lodge that the patent under which Lord Valentia held Office as Prov . G . Master be renewed .

the term of years for which it was granted being now about to expire . Lord Valentia expressed his thanks , and observed that he should be pleased and proud if the Grand Master honoured him by acting on the recommendation .

The P . G . Lodge unanimously accepted the invitation of the W . M . and Brethren of the Alfred Lodge , at Oxford , to assemble under their banner next summer , and the Prov . G . Master thanked them for their kind invitation .

Bro . Margrett was unanimously re-elected Prov . G . Treas ., on the motion of the Prov . G . Master , seconded by Bro . Keyser . The Prov . G . Master then appointed and invested the Officers for the ensuing year , as follow :

Bro . J . Bliss ... Senior Warden E . Parfitt ... Junior Warden T . J . Rees ... Master Overseer H . Matthews ... Senior Overseer C . F . Roundell ... Junior Overseer

Rev . F . J . C . Gillmore ... Chaplain E . Margrett ... Treasurer G . H . Morland ... Secretary

J . Moore ... Senior Deacon E . J . Harris ... Junior Deacon F . Tonbridge ... Inspector of Works S . W . Bowles ... Dir . of Ceremonies

A . E . Hunt ... Assist . Dir . of Cers . J . H . Dickenson ... Standard Bearer A . J . Rowley ... Organist

T . H . White ... Assistant Secretary T . S . Cambridge ... Inner Guard Stevens ... Tyler Norwood jun . ... Assist . Tyler .

The Provincial Grand Lodge was closed shortly afterwards , and the Brethren adjourned to the Corn Exchange and partook of a cold collation , provided by Mr . Hathaway . The usual toasts were proposed and responded to . Apologies from Lord Jersey and other distinguished

Mark Masons unable to attend were read by the Prov . G . Secretary . Bro . J . T . Morland and other Brethren had made arrangements for the entertainment of the visitors during the remainder of the afternoon , but the showery weather prevented the programme being carried out in its entirety .

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Flaving been suddenly called upon to quit the Aldgate Distillery , the members of the Friars Lodge of Instruction , No . 1 349 , have been compelled to transfer their quarters to the Three Crowns , Stoke Newington , corner of Church Street , of which Bro . B . DaCosta P . M . is the host . As the

decorations for the new home will occupy a certain amount of time , an interval has been considered' necessary , and as a consequence the Lodge will commence its first session at its new home on Thursday , 5 th September , when Bro . A . E . Grabb W . M . 1349 will occupy the chair , assisted by the Lodge

Officers . It is hoped the members will maKe an earnest endeavour to be present and bring as many Brethren with them as they can , so as to make the first meeting in its new home a brilliant success . Bro . L . A . DaCosta remains the Preceptor , and Bra I . Davis Secretary of the Lodge .

The Earl of Dartmouth Provincial Grand Master of Staffordshire last week opened the Victoria Public Park , Tipton , formed out of thirty-four acres of disused coal-pit

mounds . An anonymous donor gave ^ 500 , and altogether about £ " 10 , 000 has been spent in transforming the unsightly mounds into beautiful gardens and recreation grounds . Lotrd Dartmouth was presented with a gold key , by members of the Craft , with which to unlock the gates .

********** Hearty good wishes to Bro . Charles Morton , manager of the Palace Theatre , upon his birthday on Thursday , 15 th inst . Bro . Morton , who will then be eighty-two , is still as

active and almost as juvenile as ever , and is the exact antithesis of the hero of H . J . Byron ' s capital burlesque on "•Faust" who in tones of regret exclaims : It is not surprising , that at eighty-two , I ' ve done with eighty-two dinising . "

********** This month is to be prolific in the production of new plays . To-night ( Saturday ) will see " The Talk of the Town " at the Strand ; on Monday , 19 th , " The Giddy Goat "

will jump at Terry ' s Theatre ; on the . 21 st " A Man of his Word " will be played at the Imperial ; and on the 24 th . "A Royal Rival , " an adaptation of Maritana , will be produced at the Duke of York ' s ,

SsSfS *^ - **** -- * Bro . Horatio Saqui is already in the held as a candidate to fill the vacancy caused in the Ward of Bishopsga'te at the Court of Common Council by the retirement of Mr . Deputy Dadswell . Bro . Saqui is a large ratepayer of twenty years ' standing , and an Overseer of the parish of St . Botolph .

********** " The Emerald Isle" reached its century performance last Saturday at the Savoy Theatre , and the opera appears to grow in popularity . It will evidently achieve a long run .

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