Provincial.

which the Holme Valley Lodge had suffered by the death of his late much esteemed Bro . Floyd , whose striking likeness hung on the wall of the room in which he was then speaking . Then came successively " The Prov . G . M ., " " The D . Prov . G . M ., ancl the rest of the Prov . Grand Officers , " which were ably responded to by Bro . Dr . Fearnley . Bro . T . G . Nelson , Sec , then proposed the health of the " Visiting Brethren ; " Dr . Fearnley , " Prosperity to the Holme Valley Lodge ; " Bro . Harpin" The NewlInitiated" and Bro .

, y ; Thos . Dyson , " Masons' Wives , and Masons' Sweethearts , " which were all appropriately responded to . Bro . J . Wood presided at the pianoforte , which added greatly to the harmony of the eevning . INSTRUCTION . NEWCASTLE . —Lod , e of Instruction ( No . 24 . )—This lodge was opened on Tuesday , October 29 , by the W . M ., Bro . J . Symington ,

assisted by Bros . Scott , S . W ., Winter , J . W ., Oliver , Sec , Smith , S . D ., Loades , J . D ., Baily , I . G ., ancl a good muster of members . The minutes of last meeting were read ancl confirmed . Bro . Smith reacl over the list of Masonic works which the committee have decided to purchase for the library connected with this Lodge of Instruction , comprising all the best works published . Bro . C . J . Banister , P . M ., gave the lecture on the tracing boards in the first and second degrees . Several brethren were proposed as joining members . Portions of the constitutions and bye-laws of lodges were discussed , and the lodge was closed at 9 ' 30 .

Scotland.

SCOTLAND .

AYR . —The Quarterly Communication of the Ayr lodges ( Nos . 124 , 130 , 165 , and 204 ) was held under the auspices of the Lodge Ayr and Renfrew Militia St . Paul ( No . 204 ) , on the night of Monday , October 14 . The brethren met in the hall of the preceding loelge , but so numerous was the attendance , that the ingenuity of the stewards utterly failed in affording even standing-room to the visitors , long before the commencement of business , ancl as the ever recurring report from the N . W . seemed sadlto perplex the Orient

y , whose means of accommodation were completely exhausted , an adjournment was agreed upon , and a deputation sent in quest of a suitable place in which to hold the meeting . Meanwhile business was proceeded with—the only note-worthy point being the decision of the brethren , on the motion of Bro . Archibald Rae , seconded by Bro . J . Williamson , henceforth to celebrate the festival of St . John under one roof—the presidency of the meetings being held alternately by the Masters ancl Wardens of the respective lodges . In

accordance with this arrangement , the Ayr lodges will unite in holding their grand annual meeting on the evening of the 27 th December next , in the Assembly Rooms , the gavel being wielded by the Master of the senior lodge in town , to wit , Ayr Kilwinning ( No . 124 ) . The dispensation of the quarterly charities having been arranged , and other matters disposed of , the brethren adjourned , and , led by the office-bearers of St . Paul , marched in order of procession to the Wheat Sheaf Hall , where the pillars of the lodge were re-erected , ancl the brethren handed over to the special care of the " Junior" ( Bro . Stevenson } , the ring of whose travel fell like

music on the ears of the expectant F . C . ' s . All being charged S . and W ., and the standing toasts pledged , R . W . M . Teller gave , "Mother Kilwinning , coupled with the health of her Junior Warden , " which was duly acknowledged by the R . W . Jun . Prov . Grand Warden as representing the Mother Lodge , and who afterwords , in the name of the visiting lodges , proposed the toast of the evening— " Prosperity to the Lodge St . Paul , " coupling with ifc the name of the R . W . M . Teller—BroLYON was gratified at being

. . present at what mi ght not inaptly be called the inauguration , for Masonic purposes at least , of the splendid hall under whose roof his mother lodge had so very unexpectedly been called to unfurl her banner . Sfc . Paul ' s had for a long series of years been in a flourishing condition , ancl the appearance of so many old familiar faces at the reunion of that evening , the absence of everything approaching to disunion , and the hearty countenance vouchsafed by the sister

lodges , were sure auguries of the continued success of Lodge 204 ; it had ever held a respectable position among its peers , and seemed destined still to clo so , if they might judge from the number of intrants which the returns of the Grand Lodge showed as hailing from St . Paul's . In this respect it stood second on the list of A yrshire lodges . —The toast was well received , and suitably responded to by the Master , who gave successively , "Ayr Kilwinning , and its R . W . M ., Bro . Guthrie , " " Operative , ancl R . W . M . Kelly , " Royal Archand

" , D . M . Hunter "—each lodge receiving the usual honours . The Deput y Master ( Bro . Laurie ) , the Wardens ( Bros . W . Chambers and R . Stevenson ) , and the Secretary of St . Paul ( Bro . M'Plne ) , were all complimented for the way in which they

Scotland.

filled their respective offices . —In his remarks , Bro . HUNTER showed the power of the Press over even the Craft ; the hint given through the Ayr Advertiser by its Masonic reporter , the previous Thursday , had had a potent influence in bringing together such a large number of brethren as had met that night in quarterly communication . —A special bumper was craved by Bro . RAE , in honour of Bro . Capt . D . M'Donald , whom he characterised as " one who coulcl tread the

streets of Ayr without a stain on his character , Masonically or otherwise . —Bro . CAPT . BROWN made a tasteful response , on his health being proposed from the choir—giving expression to his feelings in language something like that of the poefc who sang : —¦

" And after many roaming years , How sweet it is to come , To the dwelling-place of former days—My first , my dearest home . " Thus with toast , song , ancl speechlet did the happy hours pass . The singing of Bros . Inglis , C . Brown , and Livingstone was much admired , while the humorous ballads of that droll son of St . Paul ,

Bro . J . Sharp , contributed greatly to the mirthfulness of the brethren , and were encored to the echo . " Absent Friends" were not forgotten—Bros . Mills ancl M'Guffie of New Zealand coming in for special notice . The rule of the lodge was shortly before low twelve transferred to the W ., the last cc . attended to , and one of the ' pleasantest Masonic meetings we ever attended brought to a happy termination . Excepting the Town and County Rooms , the hall in which the above meeting was held is the finest in Aand supplies

yr , a desideratum long felt by the community . It was built from designs drawn on the trestle-board of the Deputy-Master of the Royal Arch ; it is 38 ffc . long by 25 ft . broad , the ceiling being 15 ft . in height . The hall is well lighted , and affords ample accommodation in the shape of ante-rooms , orchestra , & c , ancl is of easy access . It would make a magnificent Masonic Temple , under whose dome the mystic rites of ? ^ - -and > J < miht be celebrated on the

, , g grandest scale ; ancl could the brethren of the four local lodges be brought to meet on common ground , it would materially lessen their expenditure for rent , & c , and tend , we think , to promote thafc cordiality and fraternal union which appears at present to exist between them . —Ayr Advei-iiser .

GLASGOW . —Lodge Union and Crown ( No . 103 ) . —On the evening of Tuesday , the 29 th ult ., the Provincial Grand Lodge of Glasgow , headed by tbe D . Prov . G . M ., Bro . Donald Campbell , visited the above lodge . The books of the Treasurer ancl Secretary of the lodge were inspected by the office-bearers of the Provincial Grand Lodge present for that purpose , and were found ordinarily well keptonly a few improvements requiring to he suggested . Bro

, . John Boyd , R . W . M ., together with his Wardens and other officebearers , discharged the duties . of their respective chairs very efficiently . This visit was the first of a regular series which the Provincial Grand Lodge has organised to take place during the ensuing three months to the nineteen lodges forming the Masonic province of Glasgow .

ROYAL ORDER . —The Provincial Grand Locigo for the West of Scotland of this order , met on Monday , the 28 th , in St . Mark ' s Hall , Glasgow—the Prov . G . M . Comp . Donald Campbell , presiding . Dr . E . W . Pritchard , acting Senior Grand Guardian ( in the absence of Comp . Reid , who was absent from family afflictions ) , F . A . Barrow , Junior Grand Guardian , C . M . Donaldson , Grand Examiner , & c . The P . G , M . explained that he had called the meeting for the

purpose of advancing to the order of H . R . M ., and promoting to thafc of the R . S . Y . C . S ., Bro . J . Mure Steele , solicitor , Airdree . Comp . Donaldson introduced the aspirant for the honour with his usual ability , ancl the ceremonial of knighting was conferred in the most solemn manner by the P . G . M . ' At the conclusion , the P . G . M . warmly eulogised Comp . Dr . Pritchard for the able manner in which he had discharged the duty of Senior Grand Guardian of the province for the first time . The members resident in the West of Scotland dine together on the Sth proximo , a reunion anxiously looked forward to as forming the means of spending a happy and deligfcful meeting .

Australia.

AUSTRALIA .

VICTORIA . MELBOURNE . —Numerous as have been the festive celebrations , ancl fashionable reunions within the walls of the Exhibition building few can hear comparison with the brilliant spectacle there presented on Aug . 15 th , the occasion ofthe " Grand Masonic Ball , " in aid of the funds of the Masonic Charities . It is undeniable , though by some it