Provincial.

could not be too highly estimated . Hd felt honoured by seeing present so many brethren from a distance , and he thought that nowhere , not even in London , could a more influential meeting of Masons have been assembled . He hoped it would not be long before he hud again to meet so numerous a gathering upon the occasion of consecrating the noble building , ivhose foundation stone they had that day laid , and that the work they had

just begun in hope would be brought to a consummation , that would be a joy and a pride to every Lancaster Mason for generations to come . ( Prolonged applause . ) Bro . Lord DE TABIET , P . G . W ., proposed "The Health of Bro . A . H . Royds , R . W . D . Prov . G . M ., and the rest of the Provincial Officers . " Although he ( Lord de Tabley ) had come to Manchester at considerable inconvenience , he had been amply repaid by witnessing the ceremony . He was convinced that

edifices similar to the proposed hall were of most essential service to Masonry . ( Hear , hoar . ) Being no Puritan , he was not insensible to the use of convivial meetings . ( Cheers . ) And he was certain that buildings set apart entirely for Masonic purpnrposcs were of signal advantage to their . ancient ritual . He trusted similar edifices ivould be speedily spread through Lancashire and Cheshire . ( Cheers . ) Bro . WRIGHT Prov . G . J . W . of Boltonresponded

, , , . Bro . STEPHEN BLAIR , Prov . G . M ., proposed , "Success to the Manchester Freemasons' Hall . " Ho hoped , with Lord de 'Tabley that this was the first of many Masonic halls to be built in the district . There ivere 53 lodges in the eastern division of Lancashire , and if the brethren would but come forward to institute such halls as the one about to be built , he would be always ready and willing to put his name down first . ( Cheers . )

They had , in connection with other lodges , charities which did an immense deal of good in the eastern division . In proposing the toast he professed his willingness to take ten additional shares in the company . ( Loud cheers . ) Bro . CALLENDER , Prov . G . W ., in responding , said he ivould briefly mention the circumstances under ivhieh they Avere assembled , the object of the Masonic Hall , and the wants which it was intended to supply . Most of those present knew that Freemasonry involved many privileges and responsibilities— privileges which they could not value too highly , and responsibibiities which they

could not feel too deeply . To those who were not Masons , and whom they welcomed among them , he would say that their quaint and mystic ceremonies contained a large body of moral truth , veiled in allegory , and illustrated by symbols . They recognised the supreme authority of the Great Architect of the Universe , took the Volume of the Sacred Law as their guide , directed their actions by the square aud level , ancl guided their conduct btbe dictates of prudencewisdomtemperanceancl

y , , , fortitude , discharging all those barriers which bigotry or intolerance had set up . ( Applause . ) Freemasons knew no distinctions of colour , creed , or clime ; but iu their dealings with their fellowmen they recognised the bond of universal brotherhood . ( Hear , hear . ) Liberal , in so far as it knew no party ; conseri-ative , since it acted according to ancient customs and old-established landmarks ; cosmopolitan , being

known and recognised over the whole inhabited globe ; social , in appealing to the highest and holiest feelings of human nature ,- —their Craft might claim the support of every man who sought to act upon the dictates of the twofold charity—love to God and love to man—which was ordained by their Divine Maker . ( Applause . ) With such a system it mi ght fairly be asked why their principles were so little known , and why their numbers ivere counted

almost by hundreds , in a population so large as tiiat of this district . He believed that the simple explanation was because Masons had no permanent abode , no known temple where the members might meet together , and ivhere their rites might bo properly performed . For reasons obvious to all , Masonic lodges were usually held in houses of public entertainment scattered over the town . Their meetings were usually confined

to members of the same lodge , and about eight or ten meetings were held in the course of twelve months . Their younger members were , therefore , without many opportunities of witnessing the Avorkings of the system ; the older members were deprived of much of that counsel and advice wliich all Masons could give and receive with advantage ; and that social element which was the great characteristic of success in the present day had been

most grievously curtailed . Beyond this the working of their degrees had been to some extent impaired , and the operation of their charities had been but little known , and consequently , they had been inadequately supported . They could hardly be astonished if their principles were little known , when they had iio

centre of union . What success would be expected for any Institution , or for any religious body , that had no building large enough to accommodate its members . No doubt , the mere fact of assembling in houses of public entertainment had caused the most unjust and unfounded prejudices , and had produced tbe remark that many of the fraternity preferred the refreshment Avhich was the mere accident , to the " labour , " ivhieh was the

actual purpose of the meeting . ( Cheers . ) The views he ( the Chairman ) had expressed had long been held by many brethren , and various attempts had been made to induce tbe several lodges to meet in one central place , whereby , in addition to the advantages already named , a large saving of expense might be effected . The first attempts ivere unsuccessful . In March , 1857 , five of the Manchester lodges met in the Cross-street Rooms , and the progress of the order since that time had been

very marked . The aggregate number of members in the five lodges at that time , namely , the " Friendship , " "Virtue , " " Integrity , " " Caledonian , " and " Affability , " —met in the Cross-street Rooms , with an aggregate of 165 members . The number had , in March last , increased to 310 . ( Hear , hear . ) A striking instance of what might be done was afforded by the progress of the Cheetham and Compreall Lodge , which in March , 1862 , when it for the first time met at the JRooms , numbered

eight members , and now included upwards of 40 . ( Hear , hear . ) Their improvement had not been confined to this ; they had three Royal Arch chapters , ivhose numbers had increased from 25 to 80 , a lodge of Mark Masters , two encampments of Knights Templar , and one of Rose Croix , all meeting iu the Cross-street Rooms . They had also a Masonic Club of 130 members , ivherein much masonic feeling had been evoked . Lastly they had a Charity Committee who met . every iveek and investigated

applications for relief , and the Secretary , Bro . J . L . Hine —( loud cheers)—attended daily to assist the deserving . He ( the chairman ) had attended several meetings of that Committee , and was much gratified at the manner in which their business was conducted . He hoped that ivhat had been done in East Lancashire in support of their noble charities , was only an earnest of what they meant to do . Whatever share in such improvement Manchester might claim on behalf of her lodges or individual members , might be traced to the counsels which had their origin

in Cross-street Masonic Rooms . ( Hear . ) The taking of those rooms had proved a success , although there were several disadvantages connected with them . One great point of the original scheme ivas , however , to have a building entirely devoted to Masonic purposes . In October , 1861 , a preliminary meeting was held , in the following December the Hall Company was registered under the Limited Liability Act , and they had now assembled to celebrate the laying of the foundatioa stone

of the Hall . He might speak of the difficulties which the directors had met , some which were incident to all such undertakings , and others which had been aggravated by the terrible calamity overhanging the trade of the district . But notwithstanding all their difficulties , he was able to announce that the hind bad been paid for , and that they had a considerable sum in hand towards the construction of the building . ( Hear , hear . ) It now remained with the Masons of Lancashire to say whether

ivhen they met again at the dedication of the hall , it should be free from all debt or mortgage . He trusted that brotherly love , relief , and truth , —those great principles on which their Order was founded , might ever find a dwelling place within the walls of" their new building . ( Applause . ) A large proportion of the shares had been taken up , ancl there was no reason to doubt that in a short time they should call upon the Prov . G . M . to consecrate the new temple . ( Cheers . ) He ( Bro . Callender )

ivould gladly follow the example of the Prov . Grand Master in putting down his name for ten additional shares . ( Loud cheers . ) Bro . L . W . PETIT , P . M ., gave "The Mayor and Corporation of Manchester , " to ivhom , he said , they owed many thanks for the opportunity of meeting that morning in the Town Hall , and for the services of the police during their procession . Many members of the Corporations of Manchester and Salford , he was proud to claim as brethren , and to acknoivledge the

valuable assistance they had frequently rendered to the Craft in the neighbourhood . He ( Bro . Petty ) felt that the presence of the chief magistrate of so important a city as this peculiarly gratifying upon the special occasion they were then celebrating . The Chairman , in his very able address —( Cheers . )—had alluded to the unfounded prejudices entertained by some of the outer world , but he ( Bro . Petty ) considered the best means to answer such calumny was the proof that our Craft was held iu esteem by men ivho themselves were held in the highest esteem by their