Provincial.

WARWICKSHIRE . BIRMINGHAM . —Athol Lodge ( No . 74 ) . —The usual monthly meeting of this lodge—the head and star of Masonry in this province—was held on Wednesday last at the Masonic Hall , Severn-street . The lodge was opened at five o'clock , and among the brethren present were Bros . Charles Lee , W . M . ; W . J . WaltersS . W . ; J . W . BowkerJ . W . ; J . VaughanP . M . ;

, , , Alex . M'Ci-acken , P . M ., P . Prov . G . Sec . ; Matthew Smart , Sec ; C . J . Penn , Treas . ; Richard Hoi-ley , B . Barker , Charles Emanuel , E . Whitham , J . H . Davis , Thomas Jager , Isaac Lazarus , J . Richards , Charles , Symes , William Baylis , J . Hawkes , John Sainton , and T . Cooper . Among the visitors we noticed Bros . W . Bramwell Smith , W . M . 304 , Prov . G . Char .. ( and incumbent of St . John's , Deri tend ); W . J . Whittall , 482 ;

and Tliomas W . Coldieott , S . W . 432 . The minutes of the last regular lodge having been read and duly confirmed , the report of the bi-monthly meeting held on the 19 th ult . was received . The agenda paper contained five raisings , five passings , and four initiations . From the early hour at which it was necessary to despatch our account for the current number , we are only able to state that Bros . Davis , Hawkes , ancl Richards were raised to the sublime degree . The ceremony was pei formed by Bro . Charles Lee , W . M ., in a very impressive manner .

Elkington Lodge ( No . 1016 ) . —The first meeting of this lodge since the consecration took place at the Masonic Rooms on Tuesday last , Bro . Alexander M'Cracken , W . M . presiding . Two Craftsmen were raised to the sublime degree , and one neophyte initiated into tiie mysteries of the Craft .

BIRMINGHAM MASONIC HALL AND CLUB COMPANY ( LIMITED ) . —A special general meeting of the shareholders of this company was held on Wednesday last at the Masonic Rooms , Newliallstreot . About thirty brethren were present , Bro . C . W . Elkington , D . Prov . G . M ., Chairman of the Board of Directors , presiding . The circular convening the meeting , and a report from the directors recommending an extension of the quantity of land to be

taken on lease , ancl the purchase of the interests of several lessees and sub-tenants , liaving been read by the Secretary , Bro . D . Malins , jun ., the Chairman said that the reason they were called together that day was not that the directors felt they had not the power to deal with the subject , but that the Board wished to lay everything before the general body of the shareholders . He explained the advantages the

company would possess in increasing the quantity of land taken on lease from Earl Howe , and the purchase of several reversionary interests of tenants ancl lessees , as embodied in the report . By the purchase of these interests an extra expenditure of a little over £ 1 , 000 would be entailed , in addition to the Increased ground-rent for an additional 400 yards of land , but that they would have possession of the site on the 25 th of next December , instead of the latter end of 1865 . A coloured

plan of the respective properties ( kindly prepared by Bro . W . B . Briggs ) showed the iuteiests of the several lessees very clearly . A resolution empowering the directors to carry out the recommendations embodied in the report having been proposed by Bro . C . W . Elkington , and seconded by Bro . W . H . Bonier , was put to the meeting and carried unanimously . A vote of thanks liaving been accorded to the Chairman , the meeting dispersed . It is understood that building operations may be looked for early in the spring .

Royal Arch.

ROYAL ARCH .

SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER . The quarterly convocation of Grand Chapter was held in the Temple adjoining Freemasons' Hall on Wednesday last , Bro . Lord Sherborne , G . J ., presiding as Z . ; Comps . Gibbs , G . Supt . Bombay , as H . ; Havers , as J . ; Clarke , Scribe E . j Gole , Scribe ^ . ; Headey , P . Soj . ; Smith and Bradford , Assist . Sojs . There

were also present Comps . M'Intyre , G . Reg . ; Young , G . Dir . of Cers . ; Maudslay , G . S . B . ; Wilson , P . G . S . B . ; Matthews , P . G . S . B . ; and about twenty other companions . Grand Chapter having been opened , the minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed . The report of the Committee of General Purposes , which we

! published last week , was taken as read , and ordered to be entered on the minutes . The first question arising out of the minutes was relative to the holding meetings of the High Cross Chapter granted for Tottenham at the house of one of the members in Crutched Friarsnotwithstanding a resolution of Grand Chapter in

, February last refusing to sanction the removal . The chapter continued its meetings in London subsequent to that decision even as late as Sept . 27 th . The General Committee of Grand Chapter had suspended the chapter from all Arch Masonic functions . The G . SCEIBE E . read a letter signed by the First ancl

Second Principals and eight companions , praying that the suspension might be removed , and expressing their willingness to return with the chapter to Tottenham . Comp . GOLE said that the companions being now penitent , and desiring to return to Tottenham , in accordance with the direction of Grand Chapter , he would move that the suspension

be removed . There could be no doubt that the Principals were greatly to be blamed , whilst the companions could not do otherwise than they had in obeying the summonses of the Principals . Looking at all the circumstances of the case , the Committee hail felt constrained to suspend the chapter ; but the companions now being penitent , he thought the suspension might be removed .

Comp . WYNN seconded the motion , ancl expressed his opinion that , though there had been differences between the members as regarded the lodge and chapter , that the latter could now be returned to Tottenham , and everything satisfactorily arranged . Comp . HATERS said the letter read was the most left-handed

penitential document he had ever seen . There was no expression of regret at having done wrong in moving the chapter without authority , but the companions merely asked that the suspension might be removed , on which they promised to return to Tottenham . His own opinion was that they could not withdraw the suspension without some expression of penitence .

Every chapter was attached to a lodge , ancl ought not to be removed without the sanction both of the lodge and Grand Chapter . He would , therefore , move that the matter be remitted to the Committee , with authority to remove the suspension upon the receipt of a proper letter expressing penitence for the past and promising obedience to the laws for the future .

Comp . MAUDSLAY seconded the motion . Comp . WARREN was not going to oppose the motion , as he felt the authority of Grand Chapter must be upheld . He would ask Grand Chapter , however , to consider how far their own laches might not have led to the original offence . A reference to the official calendar would show that not one or two ,

but very many of the chapters had been divorced from the lodges to which they were originally attached . He could not profess to remember many at present , but he would particularly refer to the St . John's Chapter , which , having been granted for Hampstead , had been removed to Radley's Hotel ; and if Grand Chapter had not sanctioned it , they had done nothing to

prevent it ; and the brethren of the St . John ' s Lodge , who were desirous of having a chapter at Hampstead , found themselves precluded from applying for another in consequence of there being one nominally attached to their lodge , though they possessed no power or control over it . Comp . HAVERS stated that if Comp . Warren knew of any instance in which such an irregulaiity had been allowed to be carried out under the sanction of Grann Chapter , lie ought to