Emulation Lodge Of Improvement.

oupled the names of Bro . Parkinson and Bro . Fenn with the toast . Bro . Parkinson , in reply , said he was very glad to have rendered a service that evening , and that all the working brethren were thankful for the recognition accorded to them . They would always refer with pride and satisfac-.: „„ tn the nroccedines of that eveninff , and they rejoiced

that they had the opportunity not only of assisting at that n , a < nii ( icent demonstration , but testifying by their attendance to the personal esteem and regard for the unobtrusive excellences of the Grand Secretary . The toast of "The Stewards" was then proposed , to which 13 ro . Smallpeice responded , and the proceedings terminated ... itli the Tyler ' s toast .

Laying The Foundation Stone Of New Masonic Buildings At Chacewater.

LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE OF NEW MASONIC BUILDINGS AT CHACEWATER .

" Boscawen" Lodge ( No 669 ) , Chacewater , was constituted just nineteen years ago ( 1837 ) , and notwithstanding that the staple industry of the locality has greatly

depreciated since that time , Masonry has continued to flourish . Indeed , looking at all the circumstances , its progress has been more than one might have reasonably expected , and is therefore an apt and happy illustration of the truth of those lines so well known to

Freemasons : — " Thus , midst the ruin of revolving years , Unhurt , unchanged , Freemasonry appears ; Its towers and monuments may fade away , Its truth and social life never shall decay . " As the immediate consequence of the prosperity of the lodge the room in which the meetings have hitherto been

held has at length bcGn found to be altogether inadequate to the requirements , and in some respects very incontenient . The lodge is , in fact , the largest in the county , there being 152 members on the roll . The old building was situated at the rear of Bro . Nicholas Paull ' s " Britannia" Hotel , and in addition to being utilised by Ihe members of the Masonic Craft , was also used by the

Oddfellows of the district . Not only was its dimensions too small , but there was another grievance—the Freemasons thought it would be to their advantage to have a room exclusively for themselves . When the building now in course of erection is finished not only will their wishes be realised , but the inhabitants generally will have reason to feel thankful , for the reason that in conjunction

with the Masonic room there will be another room which will be let for general purposes—concerts , entertainments , and the like . The dimensions of the structure are 50 feet by 25 feet—ground plan . It will consist of a lobby and the room last referred to on the ground floor , whilst the upper portion will consist of a lavatory , and a room entirely for the use of the Freemasons , which will be 37 feet

long and 24 feet wide . The contractors are Messrs . Truran , of Blackwater , and the whole work will be under the supervision of Bro . C . Rapson , W . M ., architect . Monday last was the day appointed to lay the foundation stone , and a large number of brethren were present to witness and take part in the interesting ceremony Among the members of the lodge present were Bros . C .

Rapson , W . M . ; Lee , S . W . ; Pascoe , J . W . ; W . T . Davey , P . M . ; G . L . Church , P . M ., Chap ; S . G . Moyle , P . M . ; J . Niness , P . M ., Treasurer ; W . Bray , P . M . ; J . Paul ) , P . M ., Secretary ; J . Edwards , Assist . Sec ; J . Hall , P . M . ; S . Michell , P . M . ; Holman , P . M . ; J . Chcgwidden , P . M . ; Jackson , S . D . ; J . F . Hooper , J . D . ; J . H . Hodge ; Lean , Tyler , ; O . Matthews , P . M . ; W . G . Jeffrey ; C

Chappell ; W . Opie ; J . Penrose ; P . Skcwes ; W . M . Matthews , and J . Buckingham . Among the visiting brethren were Bros . E . T . Carlyon , P . M ., P . G . Sec , J . Tregoning , 331 , and T . Michell ( Trcgullow Lodge ) . The proceedings commenced with a procession made up in the usual order . Having arrived on the spot where the building is in course of erection—which is the same as that where the

tld lodge room stood with the addition of txtra ground —the ceremony of laying the foundation stone commenced with Bro G . L . Church invoking the blessing of ihe Gre 3 t Architect of the Universe on their labours . The work was then proceeded with , those taking part therein being Bros . Hall . W . T . Davey , J . Holman , S . Moyle ( who took the leading part in the ceremony and

who , in return for the generous way in which he first acted in order to secure a site for the building , was presented ty the W . M . with a silver trowel ) , Paul , Nintss , and Church . Bro . Hugoe was to have taken part in the proceedings , but was unavoidably prevented from attending through professional engagements . The stone having' been declared by Bro . Moyle " to be duly laid , "

oro . the Rev . G . L . Church delivered a biief but very impressive address on the principles of Freemasonry . He commenced by referring to its antiquity , and remarked that Masonry could be traced from the erection of the temple yy King Solomon . He had not the slightest doubt that ¦ t existed antciior to that , as he gathered from a little publication he was then taking in ( which contained an

account of what was being done in Palestine to find out we foundation stone of Solomon's temple ) that already stones had been discovered with Freemasons' marks upon jfitm . There could be ro doubt that Freemasonry dated lr "m an early pcricd , and it was , in fact , one of the oldest "vil asscciatirns of the universe . Coming to its objects 'he speaker said that primarily Freemasons were made

p of simply for the purpose of constructing and making . ""• lings , especially cathedrals , churches , and other places ' j > public meeting . They were then called operative 'asons , but they were so useful and valuable as a ° "y that they enrolled themselves under one great . terabout I 0 ° 170 years ago in £ ngland and be"tne speculative Masons ; that was to say , they ceased to f operative M asons . Thc princi ple was pure and hol y .

Laying The Foundation Stone Of New Masonic Buildings At Chacewater.

T hey never opened a lodge without having before them a n open Bible , and they dared not admit into their lodges a n infidel or atheist . In short , a man must believe in God ° r he could not become a Freemason . That was their f undamental principle . Then they fostered , enlarged , and taught those great principles , which entered into thc heart of man in all civilized states . First they were taught to

remember their duty to God , then their duty to their neigh hours , and also their duty to themselves . He had saidthat they never opened their lodge without first opening God's blessed word ; he bad said next that their next buunden duty was to do to their neighbours as they would have them do unto themselves ; and , in the third place , they had a most important duty—their duty to themselves to

conduct themselves in such a manner as to be an example to those who were not members of the Craft . Time would not permit of his enlarging upon the blessings of Freemasonry , but he must speak cf the one corner stone that was used every day—he meant charity ; charity to their own brethren first , and charity to strangers afterwards . He did not think—nay , he would go

furtherhe must say that their was not a civil society in England which did so much for the fatherless and widows as did Freemasons . They had asylums for the aged , school , for the young , and homes for those who stood in need o them . Such , then , being the principles of Freemasonry could they wonder at its being so largely extended ? In former days it was a secret society , and they were proud

of their secrets . A Mason would not be a Mason if it were not far those secrets . In conclusion , Bro . Church congratulated Bro . Moyle upon having had the honour of laying the foundation stone of the new lodge at Chacewater . They were at present the highest in numbers in the whole province of Cornwall , and he was vain enough to tell them that he had the honour of holding one of the

highest ofhees in the province , for which honour he was indebted to his predecessors and those who had worked to maintain the honour and integrity of that lodge . He hoped that this was the first of many meetings to be held on that spot . The brethren then adjourned to their quarters ( pro . tem . )

at the " Britannia " Hotel , where a banquet was provided , which was served up in such a manner as to reflect the highest credit on the host , Bro . Paul ) , who , with his staff , was unremitting in his ifforts to secure thc comfort of the brethren . The chair was occupied by Bro . C Rapson , W . M .

The preliminary toasts having been disposed of , the Chairman proposed " The Health of the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe ( Provincial Grand Master ) , and the other Officers of the Grand Lodge of Cornwall . " Bro . E . T . Carlyon , whose name had been coupled with the toast , first rose to reply . He observed that he was most highly gratified with what he had seen there that

day , and from what he had heard he had no doubt that they would have a nice lodge-room , and one suitable for all their purposes . He felt sure , too , that the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe would be highly gratified to hear what had taken place at Chacewater that day , because he knew full well that his lordship took thc deepest interest in all that tended to the good of Freemasonry , all

that enabled it to develop itself in a healthy manner , and he was quite sure that what they had that day inaugurated would tend materially to that end . ( Applause . ) He believed they had commenced that day a really good work , and he must say he was also highly gratified to hear the address of his dearly-beloved Bro . Church . He could truly say that he never heard a better address on a

similar occasion . ( Loud applause . ) He never heard , Bro . Church deliver himself so well , and perform an onerous duty so well as he did that day ( Hear , hear . ) He looked forward with interest to the time when they might come and meet them in their new lodge-room and take part in the ceremony of consecrating the building . Further , he was certain that Lord Mount

Edgcumbe would come on that occasion with the greatest possible pleasure . ( Applause . ) Bro . Church , who had been called upon , also returned thanks , and in the course of an excellent speech , he said that he must admit that he really felt proud of thc offices he had held—first as Provincial Grand Chaplain , and then as Senior Grand Warden . This honour was due to the lodge and not to him personally , inasmuch as it was an

honour that became him as one of the old members of " Boscawen " Lodge to deserve . They wanted to let everybody outside know that Freemasonry was not an ephemeral or nonsensical institution , but was in fact the oldest in the land , and was attended with the greatest blessings to all connected with it , ( Applause . ) As he had before remarked that day , it was an institution founded on the principle of God ' s Word , and therefore its progress was not to be wondered at .

Bro . W . P . Davey gave " Thc Health of the W . M ., Bro . Rapson , " whom he warmly eulogised . Bro . Rapson , in returning thanks , remarked that lie was always willing to do his utmost for the benefit of Freemasonry , for the reason that he felt that it was a good and noble institution . Since he was first initiated in that lodge—about ten years ago—he had always made it a practice to attend the meetings if possible , as he was

of opinion that the more they were educated in its principles , thc more they would appreciate it . The toast of " The Visitors " was proposed by Bro . John Paull , and responded to by llios . E . T . Carlyon , Michell , and John Tregoning . The latter observed that it afforded him very great pleasure to be present . There was only or . e thing he had to regret in Masonry , and that was that he did not become a brother earlier in life .

Bro . Church then gave " The Senior Past Master of thc Lodge , Bro . Samuel Moyle , " and in doing so the rev . gentleman said that very many years ago Bro . Moyle used his influence to encourage Masonry , and he

Laying The Foundation Stone Of New Masonic Buildings At Chacewater.

had been mainly instrumental in giving them a site on which to erect their lodge-rooms . ( Applause . ) Bro . Moyle had always been anxious to have a lodge-room , and he ( Bro . Church ) had riot the slightest hesitation in saying that the brethren greatly appreciated the offer , which was one that could not be exceeded in the county of Cornwall ; and as he felt sanguine it would be a

benefit to the members of the Craft , so he trusted it would be profitable to Bro . Moyle from a pecuniary point of view . ( Applause . ) Bro . Moyle , in response , said he felt rather proud when he remembered that he was the first to introduce Freemasonry at Chacewater . That was . 19 years ago , and up to the present time 12 s members had enrolled

themselves . Then , too , he was happy to say he was in a position to provide accommodation for the brethren , and it was still more gratifying to him to know that that day he had laid down the corner stone of a second lodgeroom . ( Applause . ) He trusted that , in passing the building over to Bro . Rapson—who was both skilful and energetic—it would be carried out in a satisfactory

manner , agreeable to himself and to the members generally . ( Applause . ) Bro . Lee , in suitable terms , proposed " The Building Committee , " and Bro . Church , in returning thanks , expressed a hope that they would pull together harmoniously , and do their utmost to make the temple , they were now erecting an

honour to the Craft generally as well as to themselves . Bro . Niness said he had always taken the deepest interest in the movement they had in hand , and he sincerely hoped the work would be brought to a satisfactory conclusion . They had had some difficulties placed in thc way , but they had been overcome because their hearts were in the matter . They felt determined to succeed if

they could , and from what had taken place that day it would seem as if they were to succeed in raising a building suitable for the purposes of the lodge . He took a profound interest in Freemasonry , and would be second to none in the opinion he held of it . Bro . Niness dilated on its great object—charity , and spoke of the great

influence Freemasonry exercised over men ' s actions . He concluded with some remarks respecting the furnishing of thc lodge-room , and mentioned that three or four most important jewels had already been offered . Bro . Rapson also briefly replied ; and one or two other toasts terminated a very pleasant gathering .

United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

The following is the Agenda of the business of Grand Lodge for Wednesday , 6 th December , 1876 : — The minutes of the Quarterly Communication of the 6 th September , 1876 , for confirmation . Nomination of a Grand Master for the ensuing year .

Appointment of a President of the Lodgeof Benevolence . Election of a Senior and Junior Vice-President of the Lodge of Benevolence . Election of twelve Past Masters to serve on the Lodge of Benevolence for the year ensuing . Report of the Lodge of Benevolence for the last quarter , in which are recommendations for the following grants , viz .:

—A brother of the Lodge ^ ofjLoyalty , No . 243 , Guernsey " , £ 50 o o A brother of the Royal Navy Lodge , No . 429 , Ramsgate , 50 o o A brother of the Athol Lod ge , No . 74 . Birming- . ham | 00 0 3 > The widow of a brother of the Worcester Lodge ,

No . 280 , Worcester 50 o o A brother of the Cleveland Lodge , No . 543 , Stokeslcy 50 o o Tre widow of a brother of the Lodge of Unions , No . 256 , London 100 o 0 A brother of the Globe Lodge , No . 23 , London 50 o o The Report of the Board of General Purposes to the

United Grand Lod ge of Ancient Fiee and Accepted Masons of England : — The Board of General Purposes have to report that their attention has been called to several instances of the issue of circulars on the part of proposed new lodges prior to consecration , inviting members of the Craft to become joining members of such lodges .

The Board have the special directions of the Pro Grand Master to make it known that such proceedings meet with his Lordship's entire disapproval , and entail the risk of the withdrawal of the warrant . ( Signed ) J B . MONCKTON , President .

I o the report is subjoined a statement of the Grand Lodge accounts at the last meeting of the Finance Committee , held on Friday , the 17 th day of November instant , showing a balance in the hands of the Grand Treasurer of £ 4086 15 s . iod ., and in thc hands of the Grand Secretary for petty cash £ 75 , and for servants' wages £ 96 15 s . Apnea's : — ( 1 . ) Appeal of the Sussex Lodge , No . 354 Kingston .

, Jamaica , against the judgment of the District Grand Lodge of East Jamaica , directing the lodge to rescind its minute of the 28 th of July , 1875 , accepting the resignation of Bro . Louis F . Maekinnon until certain charges alleged against him had been inquired into . ( 2 . ) Appeal of the British Lod ge , No . 334 , Cape Town , against the judgment of the District Grand Lodge of

South Africa , directing the installation of Bro . J . W . Atwdl as W . M . to be proceeded with immediately on his return to the colony , and that his Mastership should date from the 14 th June last . Notice of motion by Bro . Frederick Binckes , Past G . Steward , P . M . Grand Stewards' Lodge : — " That this Grand Lodge desires to return its humble and hearty thanks to the Almighty Architect of the