The Liverpool Cathedral Chapter House.

Royal Highness , Lord Lathom , and the Lord Mayor being seated in the same carriage . The steps at St . Luke ' s Church were a most favourable point of vantage , and there Avas quite an outburst of cheers when his Royal Highness reached this portion of the journey . Although there were no very elaborate decorations to be seen , flags Avere flying from many of the

buildings on the line of route . Meainvhile , a gathering of nearly 2 , 000 spectators , mostly Freemasons and their lady friends , had assembled on the site of the Chapter House , on St . James ' s Mount , and taken their places on the specially erected stands . The arrival of His

Royal Highness in St . James ' s Road Avas heralded by the loud cheering of the people , who densely thronged one side of the thoroughfare . At the gate the Royal visitor was received by representatives of the Cathedral Committee and a deputation of Provincial officers , and a picturesque procession escorted

him to the dressing pavilion . To the accompaniment of the cheers of the assembled people and the strains of the National Anthem , played by the band of the Navy League ' s Sea-Training Home , His Royal Highness , robed in full Masonic regalia , preceded by the

G . D . C . and Swd . Bearer , and followed by the other Grand Officers , shortly afterwards ascended the platform built for the ceremony in the angle of the stands , the form of which resembled that of a Mason ' s square . The platform was covered with crimson cloth , provided with chairs for the

Photo Half toner , Limited . THE M . W . GRAND MASTER LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE .

principal participators in the ceremony , and sentinelled by tall Venetian masts , which were draped in blue and white and surmounted with crowns . In the centre of the platform was the great corner-stone , which , weighing several tons , hung from a powerful steam crane in readiness to be lowered in position . The scene was warm with sunshine , gay with ( lags ,

brilliant with the purple , gold and blue of the Masonic apparel . Behind the middle chair—that of the Duke of Connaught—floated the banner of the Provincial Grand Lodge of West Lancashire . When the M . W . Grand Master took his seat , he had on

his right the Earl Amherst , Pro Grand Master , and on his left the Earl of Lathom , Prov . Grand Master ; and among the others assembled on the platform were the Deputy Grand Master , Bro . the Right Hon . T F . Halsey , the Countess of Lathom , Lady Maud Wilbraham , the Hon . Arthur Stanley ,

M . P ., Prov . Grand Master of the Isle of Man , the Lord Mayor of Liverpool , the Bishop of Liverpool , and Sir William Forwood ( chairman of the Cathedral Committee ) . Attendant upon His Royal Highness were two Grand Deacons—Bros . Col . f . D . Murray , P . G . Treas ., and S . Gibson Sinclair , P . G . D . — Bros . Rev . Canon Ilorsley , G . Chap . ; the Karl of Dartrey ,

S . G . W . ; Lord Desborough , J . G . W . ; Louis S . Winsloe , G . Treas . ; J . Strachan , K . C , G . Reg . ; Sir E . Letchworth , G . Sec . ; A . Burnett Brown , G . Supt . of Works ; Frank Richardson , P . Dep . G . Reg ., G . D . C . ; A . D . Hansell , Dep . G . D . C . ; F . Reiss , G . D . ; A . E . Stears , G . D . ; Col . Bosworth , G . Swd . Br .

Other Grand officers present included Bros . W . Dawes P . G . D . ; R . Wylie , P . G . D ., Dep . Prov . G . M . ( Joint Hon . Treas . of the Chapter House Fund ) ; W . Goodacre , P . G . S . B . ( Joint Hon . Sec ); G . A . Harradon , P . G . D . ( Joint Hon . Treas . ) ; H . F . Burrows , P . G . D . ( Joint Hon . Sec . ) ; SirW . E . M .

Tomlinson , Bart ., P . G . D . ; T . Taylor , P . G . D . ; J . Slyman , P . G . D ., and others . The present Prov . G . Officers in attendance included Bros . E . Faulkner , S . D . ; J . H . Knowles , J . D . ; J . B . Wolstenholme , D . of C . ; Thomas A . Dickinson , Purst . ; the Rev . F . J . Powell , Chaplain ; W . D . Moore , Swd . Br ., Cheshire ; J . T .

Parry , Swd . Br . ; J . T . Jarwan , Treas . ; J . M'Kenna , Stwd . ; William J . Kelly , Treas ., Isle of Man ; Capt . W . H . Kitto , S . W ., Isle of Man ; Ward Carine , S . D ., Isle of Man ; H . Tudor Rylance , D . C , Isle of Man ; Alex . B . Mackenzie , StAvd ., Isle of Man ; J . Everard , Asst . D . C , Isle of Man ; C E .

Maples , S . W . ; A . Aflett , J . W . and Robert S . Ivz , Deputy Prov . Grand Master of Northern China . The three Past Masters who carried the cornucopia and ewers were Bros . F . Goodacre , H . C Rodewald and Dr . Richardson .

Bro . the Hon . Arthur Stanley , stepping fowrard , requested His Royal Highness to lay the corner-stone . In doing so , he said that the Freemasons of the Province of West Lancashire had undertaken to give a Chapter House to the Cathedral of Liverpool , and for that purpose to raise the sum of ^" , 000 .

Of this sum ^ " 5 , 600 had already been raised , and they were taking two-and-a-half years in which to secure the remainder . From the response which had already been made there Avas little doubt that the Avhole , and more than the whole , sum needed would be raised within the required time . He

thanked His Royal Highness on behalf of the Freemasons of the province , for having so kindly consented to come there that clay to perform that ceremony . It was the first time that the Grand Master of England had ever visited this city in his official capacity , and it was , therefore , with all the greater

pleasure they welcomed him . He would conclude by saying that it was the Avish of every Mason , not only in that province , but throughout the whole of England , that His Royal Highness would have a long life , and be spared to continue his great services to Freemasonry . The M . W . Grand Master , before proceeding with the ceremony , said : " Men and brethren assembled to behold this