Scotland.

Church , Coatbridge , which was to be laid on May 22 nd , should be done with Masonic honours , he granted the request , and the Provincial Grand Master of the district not finding it convenient to officiate on that occasion , expressed a wish aud desire that tbe stone should be laid for him by his Right AVorthy Bro . Col . Mure of Caldwell , Prov . G . M . of Ayrshire , ho was commissioned to proceed to Coatbridge on the said 22 nd of May , aud there open the Provincial Grand Lodge of Lanarkshire Middle Ward ,

and with the aid and assistance of such of the office-bearers and members of that branch of the Grand Lodge as might he present , and of such other daughter lodges of that and other provinces attending , to preside at said ceremony and lay the foundationstone according to the usages and customs , and according to the laws and regulations of the Grand Lodge of Scotland , and thereafter to close tlie Provincial Grand Lodge of Lanarkshire Middle AA ard , and dismiss the assembled brethren with

harmony . Bro . Col . Mure , after thanking the various lodges present for their attendance on the occasion , referred to the misunderstanding which had taken place with the Provincial Grand Lodge ofthe Middle AVard . Until his arrival in Glasgow that morning , he was totally unaware that any disagreement existed in regard to his appointment . He had not sought the honour himself , hut when he was asked by the Grand Master for Scotland to act upon the occasion , like a true Mason , he had cheerfully obeyed .

He had no other alternative , and the presence of the Grand Tyler , who bad been sent by the Grand Lodge , together with the commission which had been read , were his authority in the matter . He had only to ask the assistance of the lodges in carrying out the programme . Bro . Bryce , the Grand Tyler , then marshalled the lodges in inverse order , when they marched to the pnblic park . The following were the lodges represented : —Nos . 31 , 86 , 88 , 128 ,

166 , 177 , 178 , 144 , 417 , and 488 . The procession , accompanied hy the Airdrie Sax-Horn and the Summerlee brass hands , then marched through Drumpellier grounds , past the mansion-house of Col . Buchanan , thence to the public road at Langloan , and along the Main Street , Coatbridge , up John Street , to the site of the church . Along the entire route , both sides of the streets were lined by vast crowds of people , and at the church barricades had been erected to keep the crowd back , which proved a

wise precaution , as tho whole of the wide street close to the church was occupied by a large crowd of interested spectators . Every house-top had its occupants , and even the scaffolding of the new church afforded room for some of the sightseers . Arrived afc the church , tne procession took open order , and allowed the office-bearers of the St . James' Lodge , who carried the working tools and jewels of the Grand Lodge , and other emblems of the Craft required for the performance of the ceremony , along with Bro . Col . Mure , the Grand Tyler , Bro . AVylie , Prov . G . S . for Ayrshire , and the other office-bearers , to pass

into the enclosure . The Rev . William Stirling , Chaplain , having offered up prayer , the prescribed formula was proceeded with , and tho stone was thereafter declared by Bro . Col . Mure to have been laid in a proper and workmanlike maimer . Mr . Archibald Reed , tbe oldest member of session , thereafter presented Bro . Col . Mure with the silver trowel which had been used in the ceremony .

S j Colonel Mure said—The province of Freemasons over which I have the honour to preside consider themselves highly honoured in having been asked to come to Coatbridge this day . AVe have lieard of wise men coming from the East into the West , but on this occasion it appears that the men of the East have sent for wise men from the West . I am perfectly sure that there must be a feeling of gratitude in every Scotchman ' s heart to see , not only that the work of the Gospel is more and more being

propagated throughout the laud , hut that we haTe arrived at a period when instead of barns for the worship of God , we rear up worthy temples to His service . I wonder what old Ebeuezer Erskine , the founder of one section of the United Presbyterian Church , and old Gillespie , the founder of the other section of the church , if they could rise from their graves and look upon the scene witnessed by ourselves this day , would think of it . I -wonder what would be the feelings with which they would be

inspired when told of tbe increasing wealth and population . They would say to us—AVhere are the green fields and the ploughed fields , and the spring light and happiness which onco we saw ? AA e would point to these gigantic works , these great

smoking stalks , the teeming population , the great number of houses , and we would say—There is our wealth . My impression is that the answer they would return is—Is there spiritual destitution among these teeming hordes ? or have you , in gratitude to God for fche wealth which he has given you , provided ample church accommodation , ample spiritual food for these masses ? It does not follow that what we have here publicly acknowledged are what are called Masonic secrets , but the products of

the soil wliich we have just poured out on the stone , and wliich we hold to be emblems of Masonry , have also been considered tlie emblems of social , and till within the last few years , a necessary prosperity . Now , we know that the nation's prosperity does not consist in the produces of the soil , but rather its wealth consists in the labour of those who work oufc these products- I always think that the year of census-taking—the year when a great nation , by numbering its population , is taking

stock of its wealth—is a very solemn one , because those who have the welfare of the country at heart ask , and I believe those at the head of this nation ' s affairs do ask themselves , were the provisions for the spiritual wants of the people equal to the blessings that God has given us ? and I may be permitted to > state that I think the rearing of this beautiful edifice to the worship of God in tbe year of the census is a good omen . The gallant Colonel then referred to the three emblems , wine , oil ,

and the fruits of the earth , as denoting —• wine — determination , persistence , strength , and power ; oil—toleration and Christian love ; and the fruits—sustenance and support ; and as an instance of how Freemasonry was intertwined with toleration and Christian love , instanced the fact that within the last fortnight it had been his lot to lay the foundation-stone of an Established Church afc Dairy , and lay the memorial stone of this new churchwhile their lodge had that day been opened

, in the Free Church . Adverting to the vast scheme of unity between the Free and U . P . Churches , while expressing his entire sympathy with the movement , he stated that he was not sure , but perhaps more good would result from their remaining apart , stirred on as each church would be by a little wholesome rivalry . In concluding a most excellent address , Colonel Mure expressed the hope that this edifice—the erection of whose memorial stone they had just completed , might be blessed of

Almighty God . The Rev . Mr . Stirling said , ho desired in his own name , and in the name of the session and managers and members of the United Presbyterian Church of Coatbridge to tender their cordial and united thanks for the great honour Colonel Mure aud his fellow Freemasons had conferred upon them that day by laying the memorial stone of their new church . Ho dared not say he was unaccustomed to public speaking , but they would

believe him and sympathise with him when he said that he never felt greater difficulty in fiuding language to express his sentiments . His heart was full of overwhelming thankfulness and gratitude to Colonel Muir and the brethren who had performed this work in such a craftsmen and workmanlike style , He assured the gallant Colonel that they felt themselves highly honoured , indeed , by the presence here of a gentleman respected and loved by rich and poor , by soldiers and civilians , by

politicians of all parties , by all Christian denominations as well as , he believed , by every Freemason throughout Scotland . They did not think they bad any right or claim to his services , and far less could tiiey return to him any reward . Their only return was their thanks , their deepest , truest , most heart-felt gratitude , and this they would desire to tender him . Although they could not repay him for bis kindness and the honour he had conferred upon himyet they knew that He who sees and

, rewards the cup of cold water given in his name fco one of his his disciples would not allow this act to pass away without its due reward . He thought they were quite in a proper and becoming position when laying the memorial stone of any Christian Church . He believed from what he knew of the signs and symbols of Freemasonry , that it was impossible for any mau to be a true , noble , faithful-hearted Mason without , at the same timebeing a consistent Christian . There wereof

, , course , bad men in every society , bad men amongst the Masons , had men iu the Christian Church ; but he did believe that the principles of Freemasonry and the principles of Christianity were identical . The rev . speaker , thereafter , proceeded to draw an analogy between Freemasonry and Christianity , and in concluding , referred at length to the important functions discharged by the Christian Church at the present time . Three cheers were then given iu the usual Masonic fashion