Ireland.

Bearer of Book of Constitutions ; W . Redfern Kelly , Bearer of the Great Lights of Masonry ; William M'Gee , G . S . B . ; and James Creed Meredith , Dip . Grand Master of Ireland ; supported by Bros . VVakefhld H . Dixon and James M'Connell . The Provincial Grand Lodge was opened in the usuil ceremonious way , and the routine business of the stated comminication hiving bjen duly

transacted , ths DEPUTY GRAND MASTER referred in ths most eloquent and sympathetic language to the recent unexpected demise of Bro . Thomas Valentine , after which , on the motion of Bro . Rev . Dr . Murphy , seconded by Bro . Rev . Canon Irvine , it was resolved to forward a letter of condolence to Miss Valentine ( daughter ) and other members of the family of the late Bro . Valeyitine . Bro . Lewis A . Plunkett then presented to the Provincial

Grand Lodge of Antrim , on behalf of Miss Valentine , the very beautiful chain , collar , and valuable jewel of the office of Deputy Provincial Grand Master , which had been for many years so worthily worn by her father , to be handed down from each holder of that office to his successor , so long as the Provincial Grand Lodge shall remain in existence . The DEPUTY GRAND MASTER received the handsome gift on behalf of the Prov . Grand Lodge .

On the motion of Bro . WAKEFIELD H . DIXON , seconded by Bro . W . REDFERN KELLY , both of whom spoke in most feeling terms of the late Bro . Valentine , a vote of thanks was accorded to Miss Valentine for her generous gift , and suitable inscription plates were ordered to be affixed to the insignia .

Before proceeding with the ceremony of installation , the Daputy Grand Master , Bro . J . C . MEREDITH , delivered a most eloquent and highlyinstructive oration on the duties of the Craft , and their obedience to the constituted authorities , and concluded by expressing his absolute confidence that the duties of their newly-appointed Deputy Provincial Grand Master would be rendered comparatively eisy , and more like labours of

pleasure , as they certainly would be labours of love , by the hearty co-operation which was expected from every brother in that extensive and important province . The ceremony of installation WJS next proceeded with , in accordance with the customary ritual observances of the Craft , and Bro . R . J . Hilton having been duly installed in the chair of his office , was saluted in the usual Masonic manner .

The new DEPUTY PROV . GRAND MASTER , in a very eloquent and touching speech , returned thanks to the Most Hon . the Marquis of Hertford , who had appointed him to his present exilted position ; to the Deputy G . Master , Bro . J . C . Meredith ; and those officers of the Grand Lodge of

Ireland , who specially came from Dublin to assist at his installation ; as also to the many hundreds of his brethren who thronged the Exhibition Hall on that occasion , in testimony of their appreciation of the dignity which had just been conferred upon him . The Provincial Grand Lodge was subsequently closed .

It may be of interest to the Craft in this province to learn that Bro , W , Rankin , who has occupied the position of Prov . G : and Treasurer for a period of io years , has now been elected , in succession to Bro . R . J . Hilton , to the office of Prov . Grand Secretary for the Province of Antrim , and , pending his installation , which will take place in February next , he will discharge the duties of that office by special dispensation .

Board Of Masters And Board Of Benevolence.

BOARD OF MASTERS AND BOARD OF BENEVOLENCE .

The quarterly meeting of the Board of Masters and the monthly meeting of the Board of Benevolence were held on Wednesday evening at Freemasons' Hall . At the Board of Masters Bro . James Henry Matthews , President of the Board of Benevolence , occupied the chair , and there were also present - .

Bros . D . D . Mercer , Senior Vice-President ; C . J . R . Tijou , P . Asst . G . P ., as Junior V . P . ; William Lake , Asst . G . Sec ; W . Dodd , G . S . Recknell , and Henry Sadler , G . T ., represented the Grand Secretary ' s department . The other brethren present were : Bros . F . W . Nightingale , W . Fisher , George B . Chapman , Lewis Lazarus , Henry Garrod , Walter Martin , James Bunker , George Graveley , W . Kipps , Charles Pulman , William P . Brown , W . Wills , Thomas Jones , John Read ,

Walker H . Williams , Rev . J . S . Brownrigg , Charles Henry Stone , A . W . Duret , W . Drewett , W . D . Jesseman , William C . Lane , John Oldis , Alfred Sandford , R . W . Ker , Henry A . Tobias , John Maurice Kempson ,, R . J . Campbell , W . Baddeley , C . H . Ferryman , Charles Sheppard , W . G . Adcock , Frank Surrey , Frank Todman , H . Massey , W . Holloway , George R . Langley , John Glass , Joseph H . Catten , C . J . Dymond , H . Almond , A . Bignold , E . VV . Hobbs , A . Swinford , 1 * . Smith , Snowden Kirk , C . W . Rayner ,

S . J . M . Mackonochie , John Birks , J . L . Grossmith , Thomas John Cox , Alfred Taylor , P . P . S . G . W . ; ( ames W . Facey , F . W . Downes , A . F . Ensler , J . H . Clemens , A . McQueen , F . Vezey Strong , C . Jarey , A . E . Hubert , P . M . and Sec . 173 ; Henry Hester , VV . Harrop , P . M . -290 ; F . J . Smee , R . J . Waterman , H . Povev , R . Dawes , G . W . Capel , T . H . Liddington , C . Gray , W . Harper , Chas . B . Carter , R , Gillard , E . A . King , S . P . Trounce , W . C . Greaves , J . J . L . Kellom , T . B . Goodfellow , S . E . Williams , G . H . Clark , J . M . Wimble , George Mitre , E . N . Isaacs , R . Reid , E . A . W . Fritby , T . Cull , and Ben Johnson .

The paper of business for the Ouarterly Communication of United Grand Ledge of December 7 th was laid before the brethren , and the Board of Benevolence was opened . Bro . D . D . MERCER , S . V . P ., rose and said that the brethren were all aware that the present meeting was the last meeting of the year for thc Board as at present constituted , and on this occasion it was his pleasure

and great privilege to ask them to give a vote of thanks to Bro . J . H . Matthews , the President , fcr the very able way in vvhich he had conducted the business ol the Board . He ( Bro . Mercer ) was suffering from a bad cold , and could not speak much , and , therefore , was not able to give expression so fully as he should like to his feelings with regard to the President . In Bro . Matthews they had a President than whom it would be

impossible to find a better . His universal kindness to every candidate who came before the Board for relief was so well known and experienced by every member of thc Board that it was not necessary for him to say much on the subject , and in asking the brethren to pass this vote , it was not a merely formal act , it was the genuine expression of the feelines of the

brethren for the very kind way in which he had presided over the Board . The vote was .- " That a hearty and cordial vote of thanks be g iven to V . W . Bro . James Uenry Matthews for the very able , kind , and courteous manner in which he has presided over thc meetings of this Board during the past we Ive months . " That expressed , he was sure , thc feeling of every member of the Board .

Board Of Masters And Board Of Benevolence.

Bro . C J . R . TIJOU , acting Junior Vice-President , in seconding the motion , said Bro . Matthews had been in a very difficult position , for he had followed in the office of President a brother for whom they all had very , very great affection , a brother of very great business capacity who had presided at the Board . Bro . Matthews had been able to carry out his duties

at the Board with very great satisfaction to all vvith whom he had been connected . By his strict business habits he hnd been able to get through the work quicker than it had been got through on other occasions , but nevertheless , there had been no case where anyone connected with it had not had every opportunity of saying whatever he wished .

Bro . GEORGE GRAVELEY , G . P ., as a very old member of the Board , had great pleasure in supporting the motion , which was put by Bro . Henry Garrod , P . G . P ., and carried amidst applause . Bro . J . H . MATTHEWS , President , acknowledging the vote of thanks , said he was very much obliged for the kind words which Bro . Mercer had used in proposing this vote , but he was not sorry that Bro . Mercer had a

cold which prevented him from saying much because the Board had 54 cases before it . Going to another subject , he did not like that the Board should commence its work to-night without reference to that one subject for which all Masons were in such profound grief , not only those around the table , but throughout the whole kingdom—the lamented death of the Earl of Lathom , M . W . Pro Grand Master . He was pleased to see that a

resolution would be placed before Grand Lodge at the next Quarterly Communication , and , therefore , it was not necessary to propose a resolution here ; it was better that it should come from Grand Lodge itself . There was also another subject he wished to mention —the Board had to deplore the death of another brother , who was not so well known now , but years ago was well known , who was President for many years of the Board of Benevolence—he

alluded to Bro . John Moxon Clabon . Infirmity made him retire from the post of President of the Board ; it was an infirmity which increased in the last years of his life . Bro . Clabon was well known for his liberality and Charity . Few persons , even of his personal friends , knew of it ; even the recipients of his Charity did not know where it came from . He should like to place on the minutes a resolution of regret at his loss .

Bro . H . GARROD , P . G . P ., seconded the motion . Few brethren of the present day knew Bro . Clabon ; but he did , having been a member of the Board 30 years . Bro . Clabon was appointed President in 1890 as the first permanent President of the Board . He ( Bro . Garrod ) could endorse what the President had said . ¦ The motion was adopted .

The brethren then proceeded with the petitions . They first confirmed the recommendations to the Grand Master made at the October meeting to the extent of . £ 320 . The list of new cases contained the names of 53 petitions , who were qualified through lodges in the London district , and at Kingsbridge , Cowes ( Isle of Wight ) , New Maidon , Liverpool , Great Crosby , Ahmednagar ( India ) , St . John ' s ( Newfoundland ) , Huddersfield , Devenport , Carlisle , Cordoba ( Argentine Republic ) , Dover , Barnet

Taunton , Gibraltar , Newport ( Mon . ) , Radcliffe , Oxford , Chingford , West Hartlepool , Kingston-on-Thames , Plymouth , Gibraltar , Woodbridge , Ilminster , and Ipswich . Five of these were deferred and four dismissed . The remainder were awarded ^ 990 . One case wase recommended to Grand Lodge for £ 75 , and two for ^ 50 each . The Grand Master was asked to sanction £ 40 each in four cases , ^ 30 in nine cases , and £ 25 in one case . Eleven grants were made of ^ 20 each ; one of £ 1 $ ; 10 of , £ 10 each ; and five of £$ each .

Consecration Of The Saint Audrey' S Lodge, No. 2727, Ely.

CONSECRATION OF THE SAINT AUDREY' S LODGE , No . 2727 , ELY .

A very distinguished party of brethren gathered at the newly adapted Masonic Hall , which formed part of the dispensary at Ely , on Tuesday last , the 22 nd inst ., to assist at the consecration of the above new lodge by Bro . Col . R . T . Caldwell , Prov . G . M . ; Bro . Rev . J . H . Gray , P . C . Chap . Eng ., Dep .- Prov . G . M ., assisted by the Prov . Grand Officers of Cambridgeshire . Amongst those present were representatives from almost every lodge in the province , in most instances the VV . M . being

amongst the number . There were also present : Bros . James Terry P . G . S . B . Eng ., Sec R . M . B . I . ; Rev . L . R . Tuttiett , P . S . G . W . ; G . W . Whitehead , P . J . G . W . ; Rev . J . F . Foakes Jackson , P . P . G . Chap . ; Oliver Papworth , P . P . S . G . W ., Prov . G . S . ; F . Dewberry , P . G . D . C ; W . J . W . Ward , P . G . Org . ; and J . Dempster , P . G . Purst .

The following were the founders of the lodge : Bros . Colonel R . T . Ca'dwell , M . A ., LL . M ., D . L ., Prov . G . Master ; Rev . J . H . Gray , M . A ., P . G . Chap . Eng ., Dep . Prov . G . Master ; Major Oliver Papworth , Prov . G . Secretary ; J . M . Harvey , P . M . 936 , P . P . S . G . W . Suffolk ; J . H . Moyes , W . M . 88 , P . P . G . Std . Br . ; W . P . Spalding , P . M . 88 , P . P . G . Supt . of Works ; W . Sindall , P . M . SS , P . P . G . Supt . of Works ; J . S .

Barnett , 37 S ; A . Burton , 441 ; E . B . Claxton , 441 ; J . G . Cowell , S . W . 2107 ; Cteake , 3 S ( S . C ) , A . J . Davis , 1567 , and C Deller , Stwds . ; W . G . Dunwoody , 55 ( I . C ); T . A . Guyatt , 1719 ; T . Keats , 1327 ; H . Kempton , 442 ; C Laceby , 196 3 ; J . C Laxton , 2107 ; W . McKelvie ; W . Merrikin ; F . VV . Peatling , Stwd . 809 ; F . H . Potts , J . D . 2107 ; J . Read , P . M . 3 S 8 ; W . Robinson , 88 ; VV . Treadway , 88 ; and H . Warne , W . M . 1500 , Prov . G . Reg . Norfolk .

The consecration service was throughout of a very solemn character , and the musical portions were admirably rendered by the Ely brethren , Bro . Burton being the soloist in one of the anthems . In the course of the consecration , Bro . FOAKES J ACKSON delivered an oration , which he commenced by saying—That "This house which I build must be exceeding magnifical" were the words of King Solomon , who was intimately associated vvith Masonic history , and where

could the words of King Solomon lind juster appreciation than at Ely , under the shadow of the great Cathedral , the token of the piety of their ancestors , thc thought of which must impress upon all Masons the feeling that the vvork which > hcy were commencing that day must be worthy of Him to whose honour both thc great Cathedral and their Masonic lodge vvere dedicated . On an occasion like the present they were reminded how solemn a thing Freemasonry was , and that in founding a lodge they were laying the foundation of a " spiritual house not made

with hands ; " ol a Society destined to be a mutual support and a strong bond of union between its members . Their Society had secrets which engendered a mutual confidence ; it was , moreover , a Society engaged in the search of truth . The union of a Masonic lodge was a reminder to all of them that men could not stand alone , and it was true of a Masonic body , as of every community , that if one member suffered all suffered with it , and if one rejoiced the whole rejoiced with it . A motto most appropriate to Masons was "Bear ye one another ' s