Provincial Grand Lodge Of Devonshire .

P P . G . D . C ., G . Evans P . M . 1181 P . P . G . S . D ., Frederick Sanders P . M . 1284 P . P . G . S . B ., T . D . Ford P . M . 1091

P . P . G . S . B ., G . Merrifiold P . M . 282 P . P . G . S . of Works J . W . Cornish P . M . 223 P . P . G . T ., S . Jew P . M . 2258 P . P . G . T ., W . J . Sfcnnbury P . M . 1099 P . P . G . D . C , 11 . Cawsey P . M . 280 P . P . G . D ., S . B . Harvey P . M . 125-5 P . G . D ., James Griffin P . M . 2025 P . P . G . D ., R . G . Bird P . M . 1550 P . G . Treasurer , C . H . Cooper P . M . 105

P . P . G . D ., W . Powell P . M . 1205 P . P . G . T ., F . G . Knight P . M . 156 , John Taylor P . M . 1402 , James Berry W . M . 1212 , G . Radmore P . M . 159 , W . Allsford P . M . 202 , W . L . Cocks P . M . 106 , Charles A . Nicholson P . M . 1847 , T . W . Atherton P . M . 248 , Mark Whittle P . M . 797 , G . Bennett P . M . 372 , E . M . Ellis P . M . 666 , H . L . Friend P . M . 1443 ,

and W . Gregory P . M . 1753 . Favourable reports from the Secretary and the London Representatives of the Committee of Petitions were received and adopted . The Committee then considered applications from widows of deceased brethren of Lodges 39 ( Exeter ) , 106 ( Etfmouth ) ,

156 ' ( Plymouth ) , 159 ( Stonehouse ) , 248 ( Brixham ) , and 372 ( Badleigh Salterton ) , — -there were applicants from each of the two last-named Lodges—and from distressed brethren of 159 ( Stonehouse ) , 248 ( Brixham)—two applicants—372 ( Budleigh Salterton ) , 797 ( Dartmouth ) ,

and the sons of deceased brethren of 1181 ( Seaton ) , 1254 ( Exeter ) , and 1402 ( Torquay ) . It was resolved that the ¦ widow of a deceased brother of 159 ( Stonehouse ) , and a distressed brother of 372 ( Badleigh Salterton ) receive the votes of the Province with a view of placing them on the

funds of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Masons and Widows at the May election , and also to support the case of a son of a deceased brother of 1254 ( Exeter ) 'for'the Boys' Institution . The Committee then granted £ , h each as temporary relief to the widows of

deceased brethren of Lodges 666 ( Princetown ) , 847 ( Honiton ) , 1205 ( Stonehouse ) . These cases will be further considered by the Committee . Bros . W . G . Rogers

D . P . G . M . P . G . D . England Chairman , the Rev . W . Whittley P . P . G . S . W . P . G . D . England London representative , ' and John B . Gover P . P . G . Sec . Secretary were unanimously re-elected , and cordially thanked for their services .

Masonic Lecture At Ashford.

MASONIC LECTURE AT ASHFORD .

ON Thursday , the 2 nd instant , the Stonr Ledge , No . 2305 , held a speoi * l meeting for instruction at the Masonic Hall , Ashford , Kent , when Brother James Stevens P . M . P . Z ., of London , attended for the purpose of leoturing on the llitual , Ceremonial , and Symbolic oonneotion of the whole system of the Craft degrees iu Freemasonry . The Lodge was opened by the Worshipful Master , Brother 11 . C . Howard , who was supported by Bros . E . 'Busa S . W ., Keen J . W .,

C . 8 . A . Atkimion P . P . G . R . P . M . and Treaiuror , J . Brothers P . P . G . R ., J . G . Keene Secretary , D . W . Sargent S . D ., B . T . Cule J . D ., G . Knowles I . G ., G . Smith Organist , W . J . Head Tyler , and nimerous members of the Lodgo , and visitors from the Iuvicta and Temple Lodges . Immediately after the opening of the Ledge Brother Stevens

commenced an address of fully two hours' duration , in ihe couiso of which s large amount of most interesting , instructive , and , to the large majority of those present , perfectly new explanations of ymbolio meanings in ritual and forms of ceremonial were introduced ' . The lecturer for the first time , as he stated , exhibited a series of diagrams whioh greatly assisted hi * hearera to comprehend

the hidden mysteries and importance of the several Masonic symbols , and their moral signification . Theso added considerably to the interest of the leoture , and as object-lessons excited great attention and gave general satisfaction . At the termination of tbe lecture a vote of thanks to Brother Stevens was accorded by acolamatiou , Brother Atkinson , who seconded the Worshipful Master ' s proposition , expressing his

favourable opinion a « to the great valne of the explanations and instruction which had boan given . The Lodge was then closed and the brethren re-assembled for a brief hour for eooial aonverso . Several points in the lecture were discussed , and if ; was decided that Brother Stevens should again visit Ashford , at an early convenient opportunity , to continue his satisfactory efforts to improve and instruct hii younger brethren .

The sixth annual reunion and ball of tho Hamer Lodge , No . 1 , 393 was held in Mersey House , Gt . Mersey Street , Liverpool , on Tuesday evening , the 24 th nit . As the Lodge completes its twenty-first year in June next , special efforts were made by the Worshipfnl Master Bro . G . W . Baron , and Bro . F . Minshnll Secretary of the Reunion

to make the gathering a complete success , in order that a | ar"u snrplns mi ght be handed over to the Masonio Charities to commemorate the occasion . Tbe result of thoir efforts was seen iu the large attendance . Bro . T . W . Overaby P . M . officiated as M . C . and 4 ae music- waa supplied by Bro . C . Push ' s band . '

Burns As An Edinburgh Freemasons

BURNS AS AN EDINBURGH FREEMASONS

f JHHE members of Lodgo Canongate Kilwinning , No . 2 , met on - * - Tuesday night , tho 31 st nit ., in their historic Lodge-room , St . John ' s Chapel , to commemorate the anniversaay of the birthdays of Robert Hums aud James Hogg , who were members and snooessive Poets Laureate of the Lodge . The Lodge-room was deoorated with evergreens iu hononr of tha occasion , aud a bust of Burns , crowned

with laurel , ooonpiod a prominent position . The ohair was oooupied by the Right Worshipful Master ( Bro . George Crawford ) , who referred to Burns' visit to their anoient Lodge-room in 1786 , when ha was surrounded by suoh Freemasons as the Earl of Glenoairn , Henry Maokenzie ( the " Man of Feeling" ) , Lord Monboddy , Dagald Stewart , and Alexander Naismyth . On 1 st March 1787 , Barns was

sleeted Poet Lanreate of the Lodge , and in 1835 he was followed in that post by the Ettriok Shepherd . Brother Wallace Bruce , United States Consul , in proposing the momoriea of Burns and Hogg , paid a warm tribute to the former aa the poet of humanity , and vindicated the right of Lodge Cauongate Kilwinning to claim him as ita Foot Laureate . He had touched

evory chord , sounded every emotion and filled in his own being every tbrob iu humanity . He had onjoyed life in a greater degree than any of them , and he had suffered iu a deeper and more intense degree than thoy could , either here or hereafter . His heart was attuned to tho nniversal truths -not only of hamanity , but of that greater sphere which spoke of God as the creator of all honesty and

of every principle of rectitude . He could picture Burne standing in St . Andrew's Lodge , when his health was proposed as " Caledonia's Bard . " He could see him about two weeks later in thai ; room affiliated as a member of Lodge Canongate Kilwinning . The brief minute in their books on that occasion ran something like this—that Robert Barns , a man who had acquired some reputation as

a poet , and whose volumes of poetry had been well received , shonid be made an honorary member of Lodge Canongate Kilwinning . It was said by some worthy men that the crowning of Bnrns as Poet Lanreate of their Lodge-never-took place . There was a picture on their walls representing the ceremony in question . None of them supposed that the picture was a photograph or an ezaot

reproduction of the scene in the Lodge . They had seen pictures of Wellington and his staff officers , and of Shakespeare and his friends , whioh were not strictly accurate , but for that reason were they not to believe that there had been a battle of Waterloo , or that Shakespeare lived in London at the time of Ben Jonson ? There was muoh in tradition , and many of the incidents in Barns' life were known only

by tradition . Half of the history of the great families of Scotland was to-day unwritten , and that history of traditions among , those families were truer than the history that had been pat upon paper . A man in a quiet chamber might make characters that resembled . the poet's writing , and might pile up documents whioh experts declared to be spurious , but he appealed to them to disregard

the floating sentences that came from some in Edinburgh , and rely on tradition and on the vouchers they had of the installation of Burns in their Lodge . These vonohers would be accepted a 3 evidence in any Court ' of Law in the world . Although there was nothing in the brief minute of 1787 about Burns having been appointed Poet Laureate of the Lodge , yet twenty-nine years

afterwards—nineteen years after the poet ' s death—when it was propoaed that a mausoleum should bo erected over his grave in Dumfries , that L ^ lge put upon record that it shonid give twenty guintag towards the mausoleum , because Burns had been Poet Laureate of tho Lo- ! gf . That moiton wns seconded by Charles Moure , who , as

Depate Master , signed the minute when Burns was affiliated in that Lodge . In 1835 the minutes bore that aa there had been no Poet Laureate of the Lodge since the death of Burns , it was advisable . to confer that honour on James Hogg , so that the " Ettriok Shepherd " was another connecting link between Burns and Canongate

Kilwinning . In the course of the evening Bro .-Wm . Lindsay , on behalf of Brother Colonel Joseph Loing , of Scotia Lodge , New York—who described himself as a " barefooted Canongate laddie "—presented the Lodgo with au engraving of Naismyth ' a portrait of Burns .

West Lancashire Alpass Benevolent Institution.

WEST LANCASHIRE ALPASS BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

ryiHE annual Court of Governors of the West Lancashire Alpasa JL Benevolent Institution was held on Wednesday , the 1 st iDnfc ., at tho Masonio Hall , Liverpc ) 1 . Bro . J . D . Murray presided , and among those present wero : —Bros . Piei point ., Goodacre , Foofco , Harradou , Wylie , Buroiv , Wadswo-th , Biadley , Forrester , Wtoee * , Webster , Bottomley , Boyle , Muddox , Miluo , W .. dsworth , M'Geo , Kite , Molloy ,

Wrny , Pederson , Bcotb , King , MilliiiKtoc , Bennett , Gaskill , Hockin , Harper , Medculf , Dunu , Pritchard , aud Kavonscroft . Bro . Wylie presented his statement of accounts for the past year , which showed a balance , after payments to uiiuuitauts , & c , of £ 1 , 05112 s fid . Bro . Wylie was unanimously re-elected Treasurer , aud Brothers Edwin

Bro . S . M . Peace has been installed W . M . of the St . LawroTice Lodge , No . 2078 . The ceremony was performed on Friday , tbe 3 rd inst ., by Bro . Campbell , assisted by Bro . A . L . Peace .

Kite W . M . 823 aud J . PitUway P . M . 1182 were elected Hou . Secretaries . The governors reuorumended that three vacaucies for annuitants bo declared . Votes of thanks wero accorded to the retiring Secretary und other Officers , also to Brother Murray for presiding .