Notices Of Meetings.

proposed the usual Masonio toasts , whioh were received with Masonic honours , and the Deputy Provincial Grand Master , Bro . J . S . Eastes , acknowledged the toast of the Provincial Grand Officers in an able speeob , and proposed the health of the W . M . in most complimentary terms . The toast was exceedingly well received , the selection of the Lodgo meeting with universal and hearty approval . The

newlyeleoted P . M . has alread y been W . M . of the Lodge , and in fact few Masons have had a more distinguished career than he has . Ho was initiated in the Mailing Abbey Lodge in 1867 , was appointed I . G . the following year , J . W . in 1869 , ' S . W . in 1870 , and W . M . in 1871 , just 20 years ago . He was appointed P . G . S . D . in 1872 , P . G . Seoretary of Kent in 1873 , and in the Jubilee year , 1887 , P . G . Sword Bearer of England .

NEPTUNE LODGE , No . 1264 . rpHE annual installation meeting took place on Monday , the X 1 st inst ., the ohair at the opening being taken by the W . M . Bro . Kohn , supported by a full staff of Otfioers and Past Masters . Bro . Kohn concluded a successful year by installing his successor Bro . Harley as W . M ., a servioe whioh was recognised by the Lodge in passing a unanimous vote of thanks . The W . M . elect invested th . e Officers for the ensuing year . aa follows : —Bros . Kohn I . P . M ., Ironside

S . W ., Linaker J . W ., Cotter P . M . P . G . S . Treasurer , Fraser P . M . O . R ., Jones P . M . D . C , Tickle Seoretary , Clarke S . D ., Caatle J . D ., Mottershed I . G ., Barclay , Greenongh , Robinson , Roaob , Captain Jay Stewards , Hudson Organist , Ball Tyler . The assembly inoluded Bros . Goodaore P . G . SB . England P . G . Seoretary , Willings P . P . G . D ., Cross P . G . D ., FooteP . P . G . Treasurer . Robinson P . P . G . A . D . O ., Ellis

P . G . D . Cheshire , Pye P . M . 1094 , George Eyton P . M ., Hignet Worshipful Master elect 1395 , Phillips P . M . 1356 , Bowyer W . M . 667 , Bucknall P . M . 667 . Before the Lodge was olosed Bro . C . Fothergill P . M . was eleoted Steward to represent the Lodge at the Festival of the Boys' Institution , to be held on the 24 th inst ., when the ohair will be taken by the Right Hon . the Earl of Lathom M . W .

Pro G . M ., P . G . M . West Lancashire . The post-prandial proceedings included the usual Loyal and Masonio toasts . The toast of the W . M . was proposed by the retiring Master , Bro . Kohn . The W . M . then proposed the installing Master and I . P . M . Bro . Kohn , and in alluding to the excellent year of office just completed , presented him with a valuable Past Master ' s jewel and a life governorship of the W . L . M . E . I .

Bro . Kohn responded to the toast in suitable terms . The toast of the Masonio Charities was then proposed by Bro . Fothergill P . M ., who took occasion to say how gratifying it had been to him to find , after the unanimous manner he had been elected to a stewardship for the Boys' Institution in London , that the brethren round the board had contributed the handsome some of 50 guineas . Bro Foote P . P . G . Treasurer responded to the toast , and heartily congratulated

Bro . Fothergill on the satisfactory result of his appeal to the members of the Neptune Lodge on behalf of the Masonio Institution for Boys . The toast of the visitors was responded to by Bro . Pye P . M . 1094 , and others . The musioal brethren who contributed to the evening's enjoyment were Bros . Eyton , Fargher , Batty , Pagmire , Diokman , Hughes , Antwie , and Hudson Organist . Bro . Harley was congratulated on tho happy auspices under which he enters his year of office .

Royal Arch.

ROYAL ARCH .

HAYLE CHAPTER , No . 450 . npHE annual convocation was held on Tuesday , 2 nd inst ., when - *• Companions George Williams , J . M . Richards , and Richard Bowe were installed Principals for the ensuiug year by the Ex-Corapanion W . K . Baker P . Z . The officers appointed wero W . Wagner Scnbo E ., S . Read Scribe N .. F . W . Thomas P . S .. W . Veale and J . W .

Jackson Sojourners ; W . N . Tronnaon S . B ., T . Taylor C . B ., A . Dunkin J 3 . C , J . Richards Organist , W . Wales and W . Black Stowards . The Treasurer ( Companion G . B . Pearce P . Z . ) presented the statement of accounts , which was passed , and showed the Chapter to be flourishing both in numbers and efficiency . After the Chapter was closed the Companions adjourned to the White Hart Hotel , where the annual banquet waa prepared , and a very pleasant ovening waa spout / .

DUNDAS CHAPTER , No . 1205 . ^ HE annual meeting was held on Thursday , the 4 th inst ., to insta the Principals for tho year ensuing : —Comps . Daniels Z . > ^ o ! n '' Toma J # The framing Officera were Comps . Lord P . Z . '" Allsford P . Z . 202 , and Gidlov P . Z . 12051 and 2025 . Prior to tha

ceremony of installation a candidate was exalted to the sublime th * ' L fc the c 1 o 8 e of fcho Cna P > fcno Companions adjourned to no refreshment-room of the club , where an excellent supper was of 7 K w- by tnomanager , Comp . S . Harvey , and under the presidency tne Hirst Principal a very enjoyable evening was spent .

Addressing the Grand Lodgo at Kansas , Bro . Rev . J . G . Dougherty , tion " f fu ' Baid rooent | y : ~ To Bnch «« make protended revelannhi" u 8 eorets of Masonry , either in books or in lectures , or in £ uoiio exhibitions of alleged initiatory rites , no Mason neod ever , — « .. V . ^ iu . u . « . u ., i . uao , uu JIIOOUU UUOU OVOl 8

or sno , w ? , Ever 7 moral and intelligent person who reads , hears , been •I T reve , aki ° ns " perceives at once that either they have are I TM ' 80 are mistakon m 6 ne « r assertions , or else that they them « u « * ™ assertions of perjurers , if they be not perjurers w « mwlves . -OJa * jow Evening News .

Manchester Freemasons In A Salt Mine.

MANCHESTER FREEMASONS IN A SALT MINE .

BROTHER ALBERT HAMER BATTYE W . M ., and about 40 Officers and members of the Straugewaya Lodge , No . 1219 ( Manchester ) , on the invitation of Brother Lowery , of Wiunington Park , visited Northwioh on Saturday afternoon , nnd , by permission of Mr . T . Ward , inspected one of the salt mines , 112 yards deep , and aaid to be the lareest and one of the oldest in the district . The bed

of Bait is 100 ft . thick , but the workings for the laat 30 yeura have been spreading over a uniform thickness of 25 ft ., and there is enough rook left , the party were informed , to find labour for the miners for the next 130 years . Two narrow shafts , capable only of admitting a moderate-sized hogshead , communicate with the mine , and thr « B mranna onlv can ascend or descend at a time . The vast

excavated space was on Saturday illuminated with hundreds of candles , some arranged in various pleasing devices . Supplied with lighted "dips , " the party perambulated to the workings , "inter , viewed " the workmen , s- » w a number of shots fired in the blasting operations , visited tae stables , inspected a set out of speoial " ourioe , " inined in a dee . and came to the surface evidently much interested

and edified by what they had seen . The ponies in the mine are in good condition , and though one of them haa never seen daylight for 17 years it is not blind . None of the horses suffer in this respect . The miners , too , ar « a healthy race . Maxsive pillars of rook salt * very 25 yard * aie l « ft to cup ><> n the mof . f wolrl rook abov « . ThH min •. therefore , presents ih ' ' uppo > i > -anoe of a htit ; ..

hall , | whioh would comf'rt-tb'y » uoo IO . I . a » mun .- ^ e > , nru Hyde Park demonstration on a largti scale , where tne wt « da of tue speakers might be beard . The acoustic effect of the shots fired by the workmen resembled peals of thunder . The process of manufaoturing salt on the surface was subsequently seen in operation ; and after a voyage by steamer on the Weaver , the famous bydraulio

lift at Anderton lor raising the canal boats between the river and the Mersey and Trent canal was visited , and the party , by permission of Captain Saner , C . E ., were raised and lowered by the hugn apparatus . Another steamboat ride , during whioh all were subjected to the lens of the photograher , and the party were entertained at tea by Bro . Lowery , at tbe Crown and Anchor Hotel , Northwioh , whioh brought the afternoon ' s proceedings to a close .

Proof copies have been issued of a small but interesting book of 21 pages , the title-page of whioh announces it to be a " History of Operative Lodge , No . 140 , Dunfries , with a list of the Masters and Wardens . " The production is really a leoture delivered by Brother James Smith S . W . 63 , on the 21 at of last month , at a meeting of Lodge 140 , and reported in extenso in the " Dumfries Courier . " The

charter of 140 , a copy of whioh is given by Brother Smith , sets forth that several Master Masons belonging to different Lodges within Scotland being willing to associate for the true end of Masonry as an operative body only craved permission from the Grand Lodge to form a Lodge under tho style and title of the Operative Lodge of Dumfriea , whioh permission was " given at Edinburgh , 5 th day of Feb .,

1776—A . L . 5780 . Signed—David Dalrymple G . M ., W . Barclay D . G . M ., James Renuie S . G . M ., Jamos Geddles S . U . VV . Witness-Will . Mason G . Sea , David Bolt G . Clerk . " Perhaps the most interesting part of the history of this Lodge , says Brother Smith , was the formation of a branch in Carlisle , tho first meeting of which was held on 28 th January 1825 . It ia recorded that in 1862 " the

R . W . M . stated that he had been at a meeting of tho P . G . Committee , when they asked him as a matter of courtesy if the Operative Lodge would oblige Bro . Riddick by allowing him to carry tho silver trowel that waa to be presented to the P . G . M . on the ocoasion of laying the fcundation-stone ot tbe Infirmary , and that at all times henceforth the Operative Lodge should still hold their power to carry the tools ,

and should not have to ask again for such a favour . Minutes to that effect to be entered in their books ; when , after conaideration , it was agreed to grant tho request . Brother Smith , continuing his history , says , " It has been stated that' No . 140 ' is in the unique position of being the only Lodge whose membership is confined to working Masons . I have made numerous inquiries , and , through the courtesy

of Lodge Secretaries and others , have been able to obtain the following information : —There are 14 Lodges on the roll of Grand Lodge bearing the designation of ' operative , ' but of these only two restrict their membership to operatives who have served a regular apprenticeship to the trade , namely , ' Operative Lodge , No . 150 , ' Aberdeen , and ' Operative , No . 140 , ' Dumfries . The Secretary of the Aberdeen Lodge informs me that the rule for admission ' is strictly adhered to j

every member for initiation must be an Operative Mason , and muse have served a regular apprenticeship to the trade . ' So far as I can glean from scanning the list of Lodges in England , Ireland , and abroad , the name of ' Operative' is peculiar to Scottish Lodges ; aud , therefore , in some respects , it is a pity that Lodges bearing that name have departed from their unique internum of being formed for working Masons only . —Glasgow Evening News .

Colonel Lumsden of Pitcaple , tbe Grand Master of Freemasons of East Aberdeenshire , was the guest of tho Graud Mark Lodge of England last week , and , iu replying to the toast of the Visitors , which waa proposed by the Earl of Euaton , said he felt it a very grest honour to havo been asked to como to tho meeting . Referring to the fact that the Earl of Kintore was a Past Grand Master of this

Grand Lodge , Colonel Lumsden said he waa a ueighbonr of hia lordship in Aberdeenshire , and , as Chief Justice Way , Grand Master of South Australia , had that evening spoken most highly of the ELirl of Kintore ' s qualification as a Governor and as a Freemason of Sooth Australia , ho conld only echo what the Chief Jnstioe had said . As a landlord , as a neighbour , and as a friend , Lord Kintore waa beloved by the people of Aberdeenshire , —^ oordean Daily Fret Press ,