Metropolitan.

the benefit of the * Boys School take place , and that Bro . Beard be requested to act as Hon . Sec . thereto . This proposition being seconded , and Bro . Beard consenting , it was carried unanimously . In the course of the evening Bro . Beard read a petition from the widow of a Brother who was killed at the attack on the Redan , praying for assistance . Several strong testimonials accompanied the petition , and the Brethren unanimously agreed to the prayer of the applicant by requesting the Treasurer ( Bro . Reast ) to hand her such a sum as he might deem expedient after he had visited the applicant .

Lodge of Good Report ( No . 158 ) . —This Lodge met at Radley ' sHotel , Bridgestreet , on Thursday , 4 th December . Three gentlemen were initiated into Masonry , and there were also several joinings . Bedford Lodge ( No . 183 ) . —The monthly meeting of this Lodge took place on Friday , the 12 th Dec , at the Freemasons' Tavern , when Bro . P . M . Lee raised Bros . Morton and Jones to the Sublime Degree of M . M . It is one of the most gratifying treats we have in Masonry to hear our Bro . P . M . Lee perform the

ceremony of raising ; the whole is given in a most impressive manner ; and too much cannot be said in praise of the working of this Lodge by all its Officers . Pro . Bollinger , the S . W ., was duly elected W . M . for the ensuing year , and Bro . P . M . Cooper re-elected Treas . Dp wards of thirty Brethren retired to a most excellent banquet . Among the visiting Brethren we noticed Bros . Stewart , W . M . of No . 127 ; Abbot and Walker , No . 118 ; and Lowick , who played and sung several pleasing songs .

St . John ' s Lodge ( No . 196 ) . —A Lodge of Emergency was held on the 9 th December , Bro . R . Hazard , W . M ., in the chair ; Bros . W . Johnson , S . W . ; H . Cornick , J . W . ; G . Hart , S . D . ; G . Pritchard , J . D . ; W . Aspinall , I . G . pro tern . ; Samuel Aldrich , P . M . ; Thos . A . Adams , P . M . ; and P . M . No . 206 ; A . Hamilton , P . M . ; W . Shury , P . M . ; and upwards of twenty members of the Lodge . Bros . W . Rowe , D . Pattle , and A . Berry were severally ballotted for , and unanimously elected joining members . Messrs . Thos . Ronaldson , John Caney ,

and Charles Eagle , were ballotted for for initiation . The Lodge having been opened in the 2 nd Degree , the W . M . passed Bros . May and Giltro ( initiated at the last meeting ); also , Bro . Richard Dawes , who was initiated in the Lodge of Industry and Perseverance , No . 126 , Calcutta ., in 1843 . The Lodge was then resumed in the 1 st Degree , when Messrs . Caney and Eagle were initiated . Propositions were made for initiating three gentlemen at the next meeting ; also for two Brethren to join . The business of the evening being concluded , the

Brethren retired and partook of tea and coffee . During the evening the W . M . expressed the pleasure he felt in being placed in the honourable position he then held , and it was gratifying to him to see so many members present , especially when he announced to them in the summonses the important fact , that there would not be a banquet that evening . It was a practice that had been established by Bro . P . M . Aldrich , —it was one he should follow , when convenient to the comfort and views of the members of the

Lodge generally , which ho had no doubt their respected S . W ., Bro . Johnson , would follow when W . M . ( Hear , hear , from Bro . Johnson , and applause from the Brethren . ) Another source of j > leasure to him ( and he was sure the Brethren participated in it ) , was to know that the St . John ' s Lodge , No . 196 , was so much respected as to induce their esteemed Brother the Rev . O . F . Owen , Editor of the Freemasons' Magazine , through Bro . P . M . Aldrich , to recommend it to Bro . Rich . Dawes , for the purpose of taking the 2 nd and 3 rd Degree . Bro . Dawes addressed

a few graceful observations to the Lodge , and expressed the pleasure he felt in having the opportunity of again associating himself with those who were united together in fraternal Brotherhood . He should have much pleasure in becoming a subscribing member of the Lodge , and would unite his efforts' with those of the Brethren in sustaining its high reputation . We do not recollect a more agreeable evening spent in Freemasonry than we experienced on this occasion , and we feel that we cannot do better for the good of the Craft and the Charities than to recommend other Lodges to follow this excellent example , of "dropping" a ban-