Prov. G. Lodge Of Oxfordshire.

involved . His portrait adorns the walls of our Masonic Temple in London , and I venture to assert that it will he long before the services which he rendered to the Craft will fade from our memory . The Provincial Grand Master then proceeded to appoint and invest his Officers for the

year , as follows : — Bro . Reginald Bird D . P . Grand Master i Rev . D . H . W . Horlock Senior Warden A . C . Clark .... Junior Warden Rev . H . Sayers Chaplain W . R . Bowden Registrar W T . Alnrcmn SeCil'etarV

W . J . Johnson Senior Deacon W . Jessop Junior Deacon j H . C . Habgood Snpt . of Works ; P . II . Maryohurch Dir . of Cers . H . Pratt ... Assist . Dir . of Cers . W . Dutiin-r Sword Bearer

^¦ ^ , w ) Standard Bearers j J . WW . ding i R . A . S . Paget Organist A . Rowley Assistant Secretary R . de M . Pratt Pursuivant G . B . Hallam , C . E . L . Wright J- ; - ?" "" I Stewards A . R . Lloyd

C , Bathursfc ... R . Sheaf ' G . 11 . Norwood Tyler The Provincial Grand Master then called on the Provincial Grand Chaplain ( Brother H . Sayers ) to offer

prayer , and the Provincial Grand Lodge was closed . The annual report of the Charity Committee disclosed that during the year the sum of £ 256 12 s had been raised by Stewards for the Masonic Benevolent Institution ; £ 81 7 s 6 dfor the Girls' School : and £ 187 19 s for the

Boys' School ; these independently of separate subscriptions and donations not here reported . The annual banquet followed , and was held in the Assembly Room at the Clarendon Hotel , which barely afforded accommodation to the large number of brethren assembled . The Earl of

Jersey presided , supported on his rig ht by tbe D . P . G . M ., the Treasurer ( Brother W . G . Emberlin ) , and the Secretary of the Charity Committee ( Brother E . W . Ansell ) , and on his left by Viscount Valentia , Brothers H . A . Pickard , F . P . Morrell , and other members of Grand Lodge . The

menu was attractive , and tbe serving as well as other arrangements for the dinner reflected much to the credit of the manager and staff of the establishment . The Noble Earl was most felicitous in proposing the customary Masonic toasts , which were severally replied to , two or

three excellent songs interspersing themselves . Ifc came to the lot of Brother Pickard to offer the toasfc of fche evening , that of the Rig ht Worshipful the Provincial Grand Master , which he did in the following terras : — "When 1 received a few days ago , from the D . P . G . M ., a request that I should

propose the health of our Provincial Grand Master at our banquet to-night , I then shrank from the privilege , conscious of my own inability to do justice to the toast . But greater pressure was brought to benr upon me when Lord Jersey himself said that he would prefer that I

should undertake to propose the toast . I therefore cultivated the Masonic virtue o £ obedience , cast aside all my own wishes , and considered what I should say . Brethren , for some time past our Provincial Grand Master has been hearing addresses and speeches in his honour . I do nofc

know what has happened in Old South Wales , but in Oxfordshire tho Druids , the cricketers , the citizens , have viewed with each other ia praising him an i b ¦ t ' - ' uAiug his lo . ss ; and I rather think tbe magistrates are to have the samo » . pportunity which we have to-night of * expressing

onr regret for his departure , and onr good wishes for his prosperity during his absence , and his :-'; -ady return . No m-ire popular Provincial Graud Mas ' er exists in Kngland , and this popularity is thoroughl y deserved . I ask you , brethren , is there any one who more thoroughly

fulfils tho distinguishing characteristics of a Freemason than the Noble Brother whose health I propose to you ? Is there one who carries out more fully the characteristics of a Ruler in the Craft , in that he is trusty , of good report , and held high in estimation among his brethren , in

that he is of exemplary character , courteous in demeanour , easy of address , but steady and firm in principle ? Is there any one who exemplifies more fully the three grand princip les on which our Order is founded—brotherly love , relief , and truth ? By the practice of these virtues oui Provincial Grand Master has endeared himself to tht

Prov. G. Lodge Of Oxfordshire.

hearts of all the Brethren , and if we are for a time separated from him we know that our loss is the gain of the colony to which he is going , where , if rumour be true , he may find himself ( in succession to Lord Carringtoa ) District Grand Master of New South Wales . We hope he

may find that as easy a Province to rule as this , and thafc the experience which he will gain at tho Antipodes may fit him even still better for his hig her duties outside Masonry . I am perhaps prejudiced in thinking that the Grand Master can bestow no higher honour than that of

Provincial Grand Master of Oxon and Grand Warden of England , but outside Masonry there are many high dignities to which Lord Jersey may aspire , and if he only fulfils their duties as well as those which have devolved upon him as our ruler in the Craft , we may greatly

congratulate those over whose destinies he may be called upon to preside . We are quite sure that , when acting as Pro-Consul iu a distant part of our great empire he will nofc forget us , and he knows that we shall always remember

him . Brethren , I give you the health of our Provincial Grand Master , and call upon you to drink it with the utmost enthusiasm . A heartier response could scarcely be conceived than that which followed Bro . Piokard ' s

interesting speech , and when the Noble Earl rose to respond he was again greeted wifch deafening applause . At the close of his reply " Auld Lang Syne " was freely indulged in , and as his Lordship left the Assembly Room

he was greeted with another equally well remembered chorus by all the brethren present . A few remaining toasts being disposed of , this highly representative gathering dispersed .

The New Masonic Hall At Dawlish.

THE NEW MASONIC HALL AT DAWLISH .

MONDAY was an important day for the members of the Masonio body at Dawlish . The charming little Devonshire watering , place does nofc boast of a large resident population , bufc fche Masonio feeling is exceptionally strong in a town of so limited a population , and the Brotherhood is powerful in numbers and in influence . For many years the brethren have held their Lodge meetings in a room at the Town Hall , bnt the inconvenience of this arrangement waa

over present , and aa the membership of fche Lodge increased the wish grew stronger that tho Lodge should have a home and habitation of its own . It was a bold suggestion to bttild a Masonic HaU in preference to renting preruipo ? , bat its very boldness encouraged the brethren to persevere witn it , a company was formed , a considerable portion of the capital was subscribed , and an excellent site was

purchased in tho Now Barton Road . The dedication ceremony commenced at a quarter before thrte in the afternoon , nnd was perfWmed by the Right Worshipful Brother W . G . Rogers , Deputy Provincial Grand Master of Devonshire , who occupied the W . M . 's chair , and who was assisted by W . Brora . J . S . Kesterinan P . G . S . W ., wbo was io fche Senior Warden ' s chair , and J . Stocker P . G . J . W .,

who i . ctol as Junior Warden . There was a large attendance . After the IJ nlgo had beeu duly opened , the hymn , " Hail ! Eternal , by whose aid , " was sung to a tune specially composed for fche occasion by Bio . J . P . King , W . M . elecb of Salem Lodge . Then the minutes of previous meetings were road , and the Secretary , Bro . Discombe , invited tho D . P . G . M . to dedicate the new Hall to the purposes of

Freemasonry . Bro . 11 . L . Friend followed by presenting the D . P . G . M . with the plans of the building , aud Bro . Rogers said he heartily congratulated tho brethren upon the convenient and elegant bnild . ing which thoy hud erected for the purposes of tho Craft . He was very glad to see thafc Freemasonry was flourishing so woll amongst them , aud ( hat thoy had amongst therabrethren of sufficient decision ,

Kual , and energy to produce so excellent a building as that in which fchey wore then assembled . The Psalm , " Except the Lord build tho house , " was then intoned , and the Wor . Brother the Rov . Dr . Lemon read the firsfc portion of the dedication prayer . Thon followed tbe singing of a dedication ode written and composed by Bro . F . J . W . Crowe J . W . and Organist of 2189 , and after this

the D . P . G . M . and the two Prov . Grand Wardens , bearing corn , wine , and oil , walked round the Lodge while solemn rana ' tc wna being played and sung , and as the corn , the wine , and the oil wore severally poured upon the Lodge , the building was iu turn dedicated to Freemasonry , to Virtue , and to Universal Benevolence , an appropriate odo boing snng as each portion of the ceremony was finished . Then tlie Wor . Bro . Rev . Dr . Lemon read the concluding

portion of the dedication prayer , the D . P . G . M . followed by strewing suit over the Lodge , while Bro . the Rev . T . C . Lewis read an appropriate verae from Scripture , and the bnilditig having been solemnly dedicated to " Freemasonry , Virtue , and Universal Benevolence , " the imposing ceremony of dedication was brought to a close . Brother W . J . Hnghan P . G . D . of England and P . P . S . G . W . of Cornwall , then

delivered au earnest and eloquent oration , which was repeatedly applauded . The Right Worshipful Brother said : —Masonic Halls are dedicated to Masonry , Virtue , and Universal Benevolence . This Hall is dedicated to Freemasonry because it is set apart for the celebration of its peculiar rites and ceremonies . As a Fraternity it » 8

anciont , honourable and distinguished . We can point wifch just pndfl to the noble cathedrals aud other grand structures which are the handiwork of our ancestors ; and as their lineal descendants we may claim some portion of their imperishable fame , being ) without doubt , their legal representatives . In olden time ' «