South Wales.

you , that opinion fully coincides with that of several old and experienced Masons , whom I have consulted upon the question ; but as an adverse decision has been given by the Grand Registrar aud by Bro . Spiers , of Oxford , you will , perhaps , think it worth while to throw the subjects open to discussion in your

pages . The Bute Lodge was consecrated in June of last year , and the by-laws provide that the W . M . shall be elected and installed in the month of June in each successive year , and in June last the W . M , was reelected and re-installed .

There are other circumstances , beside the desire of to be relieved of his arduous duties , which render it expedient to fix the installation for the month of December instead of the month of June . Some short time since , accordingly , the W . M . proposed an amendment of the b-law referred towith a view of

y , carry ing out the new arrangements during the ensuingseason . Your correspondent , fully coinciding with the expediency of the change , seconded that proposition , contingently upon its being constitutionally effected , but at the same time expressed a firm conviction that such a proceeding would be altogether

illegal , involving , as it necessarily would , the reelection and re-installation of a second W . M ., aud the re-appointment and re-investiture of a second complete set of officers , during the period of one

current year . The W . M . stated that the objection had not occurred to him , and promised to take the ruling of the Grand Registrar upon the subject . As already intimated , I also took the precaution to consult several eminent Masons as well as yourself , and was , in every instance , informed that such a course would be unprecedented anil unconstitutional .

My surprise was not small , to hear , at the regular lodge , an announcement from the W . M . that , having consulted the Grand Registrar upon the subject , that brother had given his intimation that he saw nothing in the " Book of Constitutions" opposed to such an arrangement . The communication was not iven

g in extenso , but it was intimated that the opinion of the eminent brother before quoted has also been taken , and that he fully acquiesced with the recognised exponent of Masonic law . Under these circumstances , I should be glad to elicit the views of some of your manyintellitand experienced correspondents

, gen , upon a matter of some importance , and upon which there is evidently a diversity of sentiment . Yours truly and fraternally , Cardiff , October 21 st , 1864 . F . W .

[ We have spoken to the Grand Registrar on thc subject , and his opinion perfectly coincides with ours , that if the Master and Wardens have not served their full twelve months the alterations could not have taken place within that period without the W . M . losing his rank as a P . M ., and the Wardens running the

risk of being placed in an unpleasant position ; hut inasmuch as they have all served eighteen months , there can be no reason for postponing the alteration in the by-laws for another twelve months . If the decision of the Grand Registrar appeared to differ , it was only because the " cases" laid before us were differently drawn . —ED .

The Masonic Mirror.

THE MASONIC MIRROR .

MASONIC MEM . The annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Northumberland ancl Berwick-on-Tweed will be held ia the Northumberland Lodge Room , Assembly Rooms , " Newcastleupon-Tyne , on Friday next , the lltli instant , at three o ' clock ..

Metropolitan.

METROPOLITAN .

FITZKOX LODGE ( NO . 569 ) . —The first meeting of this lodge for the season took place on Friday evening , Oct . 28 th , at the headquarters of the Honourable Artillery Company , Finsbury , and was well attended . Bro . Thomas Wilson , W . M ., presided ; Bro . May , P . M ., as S . W ., and Bro . Watson , J . W . Amongst the visitors were Bros . Peacock , So . 11 ; J . G . Morton , 812 ; Main ,. 813 ; C . Allen , 128 ancl 772 ; Barringer , Prov . S . W . for Herts and P . M . 194 ; Truscott , S . W . I ; Neighbour , 8 ; Cathie , 87 ;

and II . Thompson , W . M . 177 . The lodge was opened at halfpast four o ' clock-, and the minutes having been confirmed , the first business was to initiate Dr . Gowland , on the Staff of the Honourable Artillery Company , into the mysteries and privileges of ancient Freemasonry , and the ritual of that important ceremony was most impressively rendered by the W . M . Bro . Ainsworth , who had been previously questioned as to his proficiency in the sciencewas passed to the degree of F . C .. that

, , ceremony being also well performed by the W . M . There beingno further business the lodge was closed , and the brethren adjourned for refreshment , prepared by Mr . Cowney , the suttler of the Hon . Artillery Company . The cloth having been drawn ,, the W . M . gave " The Queen and the Craft , " which was duly honoured , followed by the National Anthem , the solo parts by Bro . Vernon , of the New Concord Lodge . The W . M . next gave the formal Masonic toasts , which were enthusiastically received .

—Bro . HEKHAM , I . P . M ., said he had no doubt the brethren were well aware of the toast he was about to propose , which was that of the health of their W . M ., and in doing so it required no words from him , for they all knew they had never had a better Master . He should , therefore , at once propose "The Health of Bro . Wilson , W . M . of the Fitzroy Lodge . " The toast wasdrunk with great cordiality . —The W . M ., in acknowledging the compliment , said he expressed his sincere thanks to the brethren for the very enthusiastic manner in which they had received

the toast , and to Bro . Helsham for the flattering terms in which he had proposed it ; but , at the same time , he did not deserve all that lie had said in his praise . This lie would say , that , aslong as he had been in the lodge , he had done his best to promote its prosperity , and to make every brother in it as comfortable as lie could . It was also his earnest wish to keep the Fitzroy Lodge up to its usual high state of working . He was- - su- } ported by very excellent officers , and he had also been well

supported by the members of the Fitzroy Lodge , which proved to him that he was respected amongst them . It gave him great pleasure to be' master of a lodge that was second to none in the Craft , and lie would continue , to the test of his ability , to promote its prosperity . —The AV . M . said the next toast he had to propose was one that was always received with great pleasure in the Fitzroy Lodge , as it was the health of their newly-initiated brother . He was a member of the Honourable Artillery

Company , a gentleman highly respected , ancl it was a great source of gratification to him ( the W . M . ) to see him come amongst them . That lodge , like others , had not the whole world to choose from , and could only take candidates from their own Company ; but , when a brother did join them , they ought to receive him with more than ordinary honour . He therefore had great pleasure in proposing " The Health of Dr . Gowland , their

Brother Initiate . " —The toast was enthusiastically honoured . —Bro . Dr . GOWLAKD said he was at a loss for suitable terms in which he could reciprocate the sentiments so kindly expressed towards him , not having prepared any speech for the occasion . He had done so once , when he was married ; bnt the way in which his health was proposed so knocked all lie had intended to say out of his head , that he intended never to prepare a speech again , but rather to trust to what might come into his mind at the time . He must say that he hud for some time wished—ho was infatuated with the wish—to become a Mason , and he hoped also to become a good one , and to spend a long life in the Ar-