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support each one its lodge ? Of course , in a country which is mainly agricultural , railway communication and other means of access between town and town may not be as frequent or as easy as in others and more favoured districts . But the difficulties hence arising are not insuperable , and it occurs to us that a province which loo years ago had twenty lodges on its roll ought

not long to remain content with only sixteen lodges . It must be remembered that in offering these suggestions , neither we nor the brethren who started the proposition at the last meeting of the Prov . Grand Lodge are touting for Freemasonry . We are urging on the brethren to provide greater

facilities for the congregation ot Masons , which , we take it , is the principal object in establishing new lodges , and we trust no long time will pass ere the proposal finds encouragement in towns as yet unoccupied by our lodges . »» *

BRO . FREEMAN , the Provincial Grand Secretary of Sussex , has already in print an exceedingly neat pamphlet , giving a condensed account of the Provincial Grand Lodge , held at Brighton , on the 12 th ult ., and lull reports of the various Committees , the whole of which are of a most satisfactory

character . The Treasurer ' s statement exhibits over £ 150 as the receipts for the past year , the expenditure being about , £ 120 , inclusive of donations for charitable purposes . The balance now in Jiands of ^ . the bankers , & c , amounts to £ 273 QS . ud . s

THE table prepared by Bro . FREEMAN is a most valuable one , and from it we learn there are now 1097 subscribing members in the province belonging to the 25 lodges , showing a slight increase since the last numerical list was printed . It would add much to the efficiency of all the Provincial Grand Lodges if each had similar useful particulars published from time to time .

* # * THE secret is out at last , and it will be no use our pretending any longer that the proceedings of a Masons' lodge are hidden from the knowledge of the public . Such an idea may have held good formerly , and even now it may pass current for the truth among the inmates of Bedlam or the aborigines

of Central Africa . But civilised people , and especially those dwelling in the favoured counties of Limerick and Tipperary , know better . A Mr . R . H . COTTER has written a letter to a journal circulating in those parts , in which he describes , in all its diabolical hideousness , the whole ceremony of Masonic initiation . Mr . COTTER is by no means scrupulous about the use of strong

language , there being almost innumerable " damns and " devils introduced into his description of the scene , but he supports his statements by frequent references to articles and reports in the Freemason , and therefore there can be no doubt about the authenticity of his facts . At all events , our readers who have gone through the dread ordeal of initiation know from

experience what " devilish" cruelties were perpetrated at their expense by the " incarnate fiends" who performed the ceremony . They know , alas ! but too well , that one of the most important features in a properly furnished Masons' lodge room is the " rough ashlar , " or " rock , of half a ton or more in weight ,

ballasting the goat or tracing board , " to which the candidate is tightly strapped , and on which he lies in a paroxysm of terror , the big beads of perspiration dropping from his forehead , while one "devil" prods him with a dirk or poniard "in the left mammary region , " just over the heart , and another "devil " extorts from him the oath of allegiance to the "devilish "

principles of the Craft . Of course , loo , if he were slow to utter the words of that " nefarious oath , " he has a most vivid recollection of how those " devils , " kept prodding him more and more sharply by command of the "thundering devil " in the " chair of A , " till "broken down in spirit for all time , if not for eternity , " he at length " caved under to that incarnation of Satan

in those depths of Hell . " Even now probably he feels " a certain sensation " " go through him and down to his legs , " and shudders fearfully at the bare recollection of that awful scene . For ourselves , we have done nothing else

than shudder since reading Mr . COTTER ' S letter , and as the blood-stained garments in which we underwent the ceremony are " still religiously preserved among our ancient archives , " we fear we shall go on shuddering for the rest of our days .

* . * BUT this is by no means the sum total of Mr . COTTER ' disclosures , derived , as he tells us , from a journal , which is published " with the special sanction of the Prince of WALES , " and such other trustworthy sources as " K ENNING ' S Cyclopaedia , " & c . He recounts , among other things , that

" the process of initiation is so cruel that even the devils themselves are obliged to have ' lodges of instruction ' in order to get their hand steadyand one devil acts as sham candidate for the rest to practise on . " He explains that a " Lewis " is " the son of a Mason devil father who has ' the privilege' of murdering his own son in body and soul at the tender age of

eig hteen ! and that whenever an event of this kind takes place " ' the sponsor announces that * a new creature ' is born into ' the mother lodge . ' " Further on we read—and on our own authority , too—that CAIN was our " first Grand Master , " and that he ( CAIN ) " made a bungling attempt to make a freemason of his brother ABEL and failed . " It appears also that

when N EBUCHADNEZZAR , who was a "Sovereign Grand Conservator of the Rite , " tried " to make Freemasons of SHADRACH , MESHECH , and ABEDNEGO , he smelt fire , and repented . " Well , we suppose we must content ourselves with the wise reflection that this is an age in which—to use a hackneyed phrase— " we live and learn . " We , of course , and our readers ,

have known all these things from our initiation onwards , and can therefore vouch for their perfect truth . Now , thanks to Mr . COTTHR ' exposition , the profane world knows them likewise , and is doubtless edified . To the phantasies in green , the studies in black and white , the blue devils , the devils in red , must be added henceforth this " alto relievo" in terra Cotter ,

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in which the artist has delineated in all its devilry the only true mode of initiating Freemasons . We are much obliged to Mr . COTTER for giving publicity to our ceremonies , and we hope he will follow up his first success by others still more astounding . The one thing that surprises us is that the

editor of any journal , especially if he is under the necessity of disclaiming all knowledge of the Craft , should have allotted so much space in his correspondence columns to these Masonic "devils . " They must have " played the very devil" with the nerves of his more sensitive readers .

* # * GENERAL CHARLES ROOME , of New York , who is the new Grand Master of the Grand Encampment of Knights Templars , is a prominent figure in all that concerns the welfare of the Craft in New York , and a most zealous and efficient frater . Having raised and commanded a regiment during the

Civil War , and , by his valour and meritorious efforts obtained a commission as Brigadier-General of the United States Army , Bro . ROOME is precisel y fitted for the important position he is now called upon to fill , and beyond question , out of the many fralres eligible for so distinguished a command , there is not one more competent to fulfil such onerous and difficult duties

When we remember that there are about 50 , 000 Knights Templars who are proud to acknowledge him as their Grand Master , it will readily be seen that the office is not one easily filled , and we congratulate the Grand Encampment on the excellence of their choice . Though only initiated in 1865 in the famous " Kane" Lodge , General ROOME was elected Grand Master of

New York in 1 S 79 , "> though comparatively young as a Craftsman , that large Grand Lodge had every reason to be satisfied with his term of office . We cannot do better than quote the concluding portion of an appreciative article in the Freemasons' Repository , from which we have gleaned a few

facts— " In other lines of effort , and in the ways of beneficence and Charity as well , he has made worthy expression of a true quality of Masonic life . As brother and citizen , as friend and associate , he is deservedly honoured and esteemed . "

Consecration Of . The Osborne Lodge, No. 2169, East Cowes, Isle Of Wight.

CONSECRATION OF . THE OSBORNE LODGE , No . 2169 , EAST COWES , ISLE OF WIGHT .

On Monday , the 15 th inst ., the Province of Hampshire and Isle of Wight , under the guidadce of R . W . Bro . W . W . Beach , M . P ., Prov . G . M ., increased its still growing strength by the addition of another , and what promises to be a flourishing , lodge at East Cowes , Isle of Wight . The Isle of Wight itself can now boast of eight lodges , viz ., one at West Cowes , one at East Cowes , one at Newport , two at Ryde , one at Sandown , one at Shanklin , and one at Ventnor .

The founders of the new lodge are Bros . R . L . Roberton , I . P . M ., W . M . designate ; G . A . Mursell , P . M ., Sec , P . P . G . S . D ., S . W . designate ; Jas . Halliday , J . W . designate ; J . C . Airs , P . M . j F . R . Harris , H . Halliday , H . T . Deacon , Wm . Pryer , C . Gregory , Edward Matthews , R . James , A .

Perry , C . Stock , and H . Heyes , all of whom belong to the oldest lodge in the province—Medina , No . 35 , Cowes—and the whole of the arrangements for the day's proceedings were admirably carried out at the Albert Hall , East Cowes , commencing at half-past one o'clock . Amongst those present

were—Bros . W . W . Beach , M . P ., P . G . M . j J . E . Le Feuvre , G . J . D ., D . P . G . M . : T . Newman , P . P . G . S . W ., actinp ; as P . U . S . W . ; T . W . Faulkner , P . P . G . I . W ., actinc as P . G J . W . ; Rev . R . S . Wood , M . A ., 151 , P . G . Chap . ; F . F . Lancaster , P . G . Reg . ; E . Goble , P . G . Sec . ; H . Lashmoie , H . M . 394 , P . G . S . D . ; H . Loader , P . M ., P . G . S . D . ; S . Lowe , P . M ., P . G . J . D . ; F . Powell , iS 3 , P . G . D . C . ; ] . Bailey . I . P . M . 1 SS 4 , P . G . A . D . C , j H . K . imber , S 04 , P . G . Std . Br . ; \ V . Farrance , P . M . 152 , P . G . Std . Br ?;

| . Jackson , t . P . M . 142 , P . G . P . ; H . Pi eon , jun ., P . G . Org . ; Exell , P . G . Tyler ; Col . Terry , P . M . 533 , P . P . G . Std . Br . Cheshire ; S . Wheeler , P . M . 151 , P . P . G . J . D . ; G . Pack , P . M . 175 , P . P . G . J . D . ; Rev . P . G . W . Pickering , P . M . 35 , P . P . G . Chap . : A . Barfield , P . M . 35 . P . P . G . J . D . ; J . Leftwich , S . D . ; E . Poland , F . Osborne , H . F . W . Stallard , R . James , H . Barlow , R . W . Roberts , C . Gregory , VV . Pryer , I . ( J . ; R . Cullinpford , l . G . ; H . H . Wheeler , P . M . ; K . Matthews , A . W . Jones , C . Lontr , ] . M . Tayler , S . J . Clark , F . W . Dyetr , W . Trew , C . Stock , F . P . Patch , A . Perry , R .

bullivan , and U . Younjr , Tyler , all of 35 ; G . R . King , S . W .: J . H . Wavell , S . D . ; J . G . Garnham , W . M . ; C . Knell , A . Millidge , J . D . j G . A . Brannon , I . G ., and H . Groves , 1515 H . Durrani , W . M ., C . Carter , J . W ., and H . Pearce , 175 ; G . Brown , 328 ; J . Reed , 487 ; C . P . Cramer , 234 ; F . Topham Jones , W . M . 551 ; A . Uashurra , W . M ., and W . Hammond Riddett , Sec . C 9 S ; J . H . McQueen , 11 ; W . Armstrong , 441 ; A . Greenham , W . M ., F . Cooper , Treas ., F . Rayner , J . W ., VV . j . Mew , and E . G . Boehme , ibS 4 ; Z . J . Wilkins and D . Warn , 1780 ; J . Conner , 1 S 69 ; P . H . Emanuel , J . W . 206 S ; and the founders of the lodge , before enumerated .

The brethren having assembled in their respective places in the lodge room , the Prov . Grand Master took the chair , and appointed his officers pro tern ., and the lodge was opened in the three Degrees , and the brethren saluted the P . G . M . in due form . The PROV . GRAND MASTER , in addressing the brethren on the nature of the meeting , said that they had met together ihnl day for a purpose which

was always of interest and importance . In constituting a new lodge it showed the great interest taken by the brethren , and gave them greater opportunity to improve their Masonic knowledge . The new lodge would be the first that side of the water , and it should be proud for the oldest lodge in the province to be able to raise an offspring , it might be said , under their banner . This new lodge , he felt assured , would not be detrimental to its

mother , but would increase Masonry in those parts , and consequently he felt it his duty to recommend the petition which had been granted that day . It was needless for him to detail the responsibilities that befal upon those who undertook the government of the lodge , as the majority were old and experienced Masons . From what he had heard , the population of that

side of the water was increasing rapidly , and he expressed a hope that many would be induced to join , as they would probably be , when brought home so close to them , but , at the same time , he must impress upon the brethren not to be too anxious , and take into their folds men who would not be worthy of the confidence reposed in them . Better wait than to do it hurriedly . He