Grand Mark Lodge.

GRAND MARK LODGE .

On Wednesday evening a special meeting of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons was held at the Freemasons' Tavern , for -the purpose of

adopting addresses of congratulation to Her Majesty and the Prince of Wales , on the recover } of His Royal Higness from his late , serious ill

ness . The Rig ht Hon . Earl Percy , ALP ., Dep . G . M ., and M . W . G . M . elect , presided , supported on his right by the Earl of Limerick , as Deputy Grand

Master ; Magnus Ohren , G . S . as S . G . W .: and James Stevens , P . G . J . O . as G . J . W . Among the other brethren present were Bros . F . Binckes , G . Sec ; S . Rosenthal , G . D . C ;

70 I 111 Boyd , H . C . Levander , H . Massey , 1 . J . Sabine , Wilkins , ( 22 ) , S . Lazarus , Richard Spencer , Thos . Williams , J . W . H . Piggott , T . Cttbitt , Joshua Nunn , and Morton .

Grand Lodge having been duly opened , bro . Binckes , by direction of the G . M . on the throne , read the notice convening the meeting . Earl Percy then rose , and said : —Brethren ,

before J make any remarks about the business which calls us here to day , 1 must inform yon ol the cause of the absence of your Grand Master , who ought to have been present on this occasion ,

and to have presided over you . He has , as some of you I believe , are aware , lately suffered a serious bereavement in the loss , by death of one of his children , and he wrote to me to say

that he really did not feel equal to presiding at this Grand Lodge under those circumstances . I need scarcely say I am certain you will all sympathise with our Grand Master , and will

perfectly comprehend how his inability to come does not arise from any want of will on his part , but from events over which he can exercise no influence . Brethren , to proceed to my motion ,

I think it is hardly necessary lor me to make any remark on the cause of our assembling together to nig ht . From every Masonic body , as well , I believe , as from every other body of loyal

subjects of Her Majesty , addresses are now going up to congratulate her and her royal son upon the mercy which Providence has vouchsafed to her . The whole country is

moved with gratitude to Almighty God , and we feel a deep sympathy with the Queen in her joy , as we did with her in her sorrow . At the same time I cannot help thinking that if there is any

thing which is necessary to enhance these feelings within us we should find it in the reflection upon what a loss the death of the Prince of Wales would have been to us , had it pleased the

Almig hty that his illness and should terminate fatally . We should then remember that we would have lost not 011 I 5 ' a Prince beloved by the nation , not only our future King , but also our

brother Mason , and that Her Majesty wonldhave lost in him what is most necessary to a widow , and still more necessary to one who has to discharge her high functions , her eldest son , her

help , and her stay . I am sure that you will feel that Grand Mark Lodge , and our Order , ought not to be behindhand in congratulating Her Majesty upon this happy event , and the Prince of

upon his restoration to health , and assuring Her Majesty that the Masons of England are among the most loyal of her subjects , and that she may depend upon them to maintain her throne , and

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to sympathise with her in all the different events of her life . Brethren , I need not add more words , I think , but 1 will read you the two addresses which are proposed for your approval .

"To THE Q _ X'F , l-. \ - ' s MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY . " May it please your Majesty , We , the Mark Master Masons of England and Wales , the Colonies and Dependencies of the Rritislv Crown

in Grand Lodge assembled bey leave , humbly to approach vour Majesty with every feeling of duty and devotion to Your Majesty ' s Royal Throne and person , and to be permitted to offer

ov . r sincere and cordial congratulations on the recovery of Your Majesty ' s Son , His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales from his late dangerous illness .

"We . feel most deeply that our heartfelt gratitude is due 10 the Great- Disposer of Life and Death , that He has been pleased to restore His Roval Highness to health and strength , and we

earnestly pray Almighty God that He will shower down His choicest blessings on Your Majesty and the Royal Family , and that Your Majesty may long be spared to reign over a loyal , a happy , and a prosperous people . ''

'To His ROYAL HIGHNESS ALBERT EDWARD VRIXCF . . OI- WALES . " " We the Mark Master Masons of England mil Wales , and the Colonies Dependencies of the

British Crown , in Strand Lodge assembled , desire to express our warmest congratulations 011 the recovery of your Royal Highness from your late dangerous illness .

" We render our hearty thanks to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe , that it has pleased Him to restore your Royal I Ugliness to health and

strength , and We earnestly pray that your Royal Highness may long be spared to be a blessing to the Royal Family and to our nation .

The Karl ol Limerick , Most Worshipful Grand Master , said , if it was a subject different from what it is , that we are met to consider , I should rise with considerable diffidence to second

the motion that had been brought forward , because , expecting as we did that om Grand Master himself would have presided to day , and that you would have seconded the address which

he would have moved . I till a few moments ago did not know that the duty of seconding the motion would have fallen on me : but in a matter like the present I am sure no words of

mine are necessary , especially after what h ; m fallen from your lordship , and I am also convinced that the smallness of the meeting this evening is not owing to any want of feeling in

the subject , but from a conviction that it was so much a matter of course that tlie Masons should feel so deeply on this matter that nobody thought his attendance would be to signify how earnest

where the emotions of his heart . I most entirely agree with the sentiment contained in the addresses that you have read . I am quite certain that those sentiments have found an echo in the hearts of all Masons in common

with the whole of the inhabitants of this kingdom . All have sympathised with Her Most Gracious Majesty in the deep grief and anxiety she must have felt . All now sympathise with her in her

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joy . AH also feel the great loss that LIis Royal Highness ' s death would have been to this country at large as heir apparent to the throne , and the Freemasons of England would have felt his loss ,

and mourned for him as a brother . I donot think that it will be necessary for me to say any thing more , and I will simply second the addresses which your lordship has proposed .

Km . La'AATUS sngggested a verbal aHeraiori vn address , to the . effect that it was at a special Grand Lodge the resolution was come to ; but Bro . Binckes explained that this was not at all

necessary , and was not adopted elsewhere . Bro . Binckes informed Grand Lodge that letters of apology for non-attendance at this Grand Lodge had been received from Bros . Kelly , Prov .

G . M . Leicester ; Rev . John Htiyshe , Prov . G . M . Devon : Lord Skehnersdale , the Rev . C . J . Martyn , P . G . C ; the Rev . T . F . Ravenshaw , G . C ; Perkins , LG Parkinson , G . S . W . - Rev .

C R . Davy , King , Copel , Hardy , Griffiths , R . J . Spiers , and Hamilton Bro T . J . Sabine said he hoped he would not be considered as acting irregularly , in sugtrestinsr O O J ' OO . s

that a practical prool of the sympathy of this Grand Lodge might be given in a sum of money being contributed by this Grand Lodge to one or

another ol the Masonic Chanties , as a thankoffering . If he was in order , he should be most happy to move a resolution to that effect .

Earl Percy said , he did not think itwas possible to take any other business than that for which the special Grand Lodge had been summoned ,

otherwise , he should have been most happy to entertain such an excellent suggestion as that moved by Bro . Sabine . Grand Lodge was then closed .

Universal Fire Insurance Company.

UNIVERSAL FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY .

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CORNWALL . —A special meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Cornwall will he held in the Masonic Hall , New Public Rooms , Truro , on Friday , March 1 st , for the purpose of passing

a vote of congratulation to H . R . H . the Prince , of Wales on his recover } -, and for the transaction of other business preliminary to the usual meeting 11 June or July .

SUFFOLK . —A special Provincial Grand Lodge of Emergency was ordered to be held at the Masonic Hall , Ipswich , on Friday , the 23 rd inst , ( yesterday ) for the purpose of voting resolutions

congratulating H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , P . G . M . of England , on his recovery from his late dangerous illness . A report of the meeting will appear in our next .