Provincial.

their ranks any but those who would reflect honour upon their choice . The Prov . G . Master then appointed aud invested tho following officers , with the exception of the Provincial Grand Treasurer , who was appointed by the Provincial Grand Lodge : —Sir H . Williamson , Bart ., M . P ., D . Prov . G . M . ; Rev . G . P . Wilkinson . Prov . S . G . W . ; James Groves , Prov . J . G . W . ; Rev . G . B . Buhnan , Prov . G . Chaplain ; Rev . John Cundill , Prov . G .

Treasurer ; John Geo . Thompson , Prov . G . Registrar ; W . H . Croaker , Prov . G . Secretary ; Miles Cadlo , Prov . S . G . D . ; G . White , Prov . J . G . D . ; Wm . Nelson , Prov . G . Superintendent of Works ; R . M . Hobson , Prov . G . D . C . ; J . W . Cameron , Prov . G . S . B . ; D . Lambert , Prov . G . Organist ; P . Hoistendahl , Prov . G . Purst . At the conclusion of the business the members adjourned to a banquet in the Town Hall .

KENT . FOEEST HlH ,. —West Kent Lodge , ( No . 1 ) . —The first regular meeting of this lodge was held on Saturday , the 22 nd inst ., at forest-hill Hotel . Bro . A . P . Leonard , W . M ,., presided ; aud was supported by Bro . the Rev . Dr . Rosenthal , P . Prov . G . C ., Stafford ; Bro , H . G . Warren , P . M ., and P . G . Steward , Treasurer ; Bro . W . Watson , P . G . Steward ; Bro . George Clements . S . W . ;

Bro . Terry , J . AV . ; Bro . E . C . Massey , Secretary , and several others . Bro . Rosenthal accepted the office of Chaplain to the lodge , and was invested accordingly . Captain Augustus Ross was then introduced and initiated in the mysteries of Freemasonry , and four brethren were elected joining mem"bers ; at the conclusion of which ceremony the lodge was closed , The brethren adjourned to an excellent banquet , and spent a pleasant and cheerful evening , which was much enlivened by some superior singing and music by Bros . Donald King , "Wellington Guernsey , and Matthew Cooke .

LANCASHIRE . ( EAST ) ULVEUSTON . — Lodge of Furness , ( No . 995 ) . — The regular meeting of this lodge was held at the Masonic Temple , Ulverston , on the 21 st inst . Present : — Bros . John Case , W . M . ; Henry Barber , P . M . ; Reuben Pearson , S . W . ; Bro . F . Dodgson , P . S . W . as J . W ; R . James HonsecRoger DodsonD . ; James

, , , Paxfcon , J . D . ; Robert Carson Org . ; Matthew Wilson , I . G . ; John Robinson Tyler , and twenty-five other brethren . Visitors present .- —Bros . James Porter , W . M ., Concord , 343 , and 1256 ; F . C . Warne , Pamnure , 723 , aud St . Andrews , 1064 . The lodge was opened in due form and the minutes of last reacting were read and confirmed . Bro . Tyson was raisod to the sublime degree of M . M . bBro . BarberP . M . assisted bBro . Robert

, y , , y , who gave the lecture , & c . Bro . Hudson was also passed as F . C . by the W . M . Other business was discussed , and a notice of motion given respecting an alteration in byo-laws . A candidate was proposed for initiaion , and the lodge was closed . The visitors giving "hearty good thanks . "

YORKSHIRE ( WEST ) . LAYING THE FOTJKDATION STONE OT THE NEW CHURCH AT THORNTON . On Wednesday 26 th ult ., the Foundation Stone of a new Church at Thornton , was laid with Masonic ceremonies , by tho M . W . Grand Master , the Earl de Grey and Ripon , who is also Provincial Grand Master for Yorkshire .

The Congregationalists of Kipping kindly lent their school for the holding of a Provincial Grand Lodge of the West Yorkshire Freemasons , which was opened at 11 . 45 . Earl de Grey and Ripon opened the lodge as Provincial Grand Master , and no less than 50 out of 55 lodges in the province were represented . The Building Committee ( with Mr . Powell at its head ) assembled with the clergy , churchwardens , and

Sunday scholars , at the National Schools , and preceded by the Black Diko Mills Band , marched along the main street , and down to proceed the Masons . From the elevation of the new building the sight was most impressive , the Masonic procession , gorgeous in decorated and jewelled dignitarios , and respleudentbanners , asit came on slowly and solemnly . The procession embraced the most interesting ornaments of the Craft . There came successive officers bearing

the Corinthian , the Doric , and the Ionic Light , and between them tho plumb rule , the level , the Sacred Law , and the mallet ; and the rare honour was conferred upon Thornton that tire ancient mallet , which was used by King Charles II . to lay the foundation stone of St . Paul ' s Cathedral , and which , was presented by Sir Christopher Wren to the Lodge of Antiquitywas brought down bthe Graud Tyler of the Grand

, y Lodge of England to be employed in laying the memorial stone of Thornton Church . The church has been already been built on the east and north side to a height of 12 feet ; and as the memorial stone is at the south-west corner of tho chancel , a convenient platform in the chancel enabled the ladies present to be near witnesses ; whilst tho body of the churcli was filled by the procession . The officials having taken their places .

Bro . W . Foster , Acting-Deputy Prov . G . M ., addressing Earl de Grey , said , —My Lord , I have now the honour to present you with this trowel for the purpose of laying the memorial stone of the church of St . James , Thornton , and at the same time to

express to you our sincere and heartfelt thanks that , in the midst of our public duties as a minister of the crown , and the claims upon your time of a more private nature , we feel that you have conferred upon us a most distinguished honour in coming here to-day to lay the memorial stone of a building that is to be dedicated to the worship of Almighty God . We trust that the building now in progress , when thus dedicated , will be a great blessing to the neihbourhoodand that yonr lordship's

g , associations with its erection may be to your lordship a pleasing reminiscence to the latest day of your life . I have now the pleasure to present you with this trowel . The upper stone was then raised and the lower one adjusted , and after the Old Hundred Psalm had been sung , the Prov . G . Chaplain ( tho Rev . T . Flynn ) offered up prayers . Bro . H . Smith , P . G . C . then read the inscriptionwhich is incised on the west

, , front of the upper stone , so as to be " read of all men" when the church is opened , and it is to he hoped will not share the fate which , as we have elsewhere noted , has befallen the records of earlier benefactors of Thornton . The inscription is as follows : — " This memorial stone was laid with Masonic honours , on the

26 th of October , 1870 , by the Right Hon . George Frederick Samuel , third Earl de Grey and second Karl of Ripon , Viscount Goderich , Baron Grantham , and a Baronet , Lord President of Her Majesty ' s Council , Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter , Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England , and Provincial Grand Master of West Yorkshire . " The stone was then duly laid with the customary Masonic

ceremonies . Bosides the ancient mallet above described , a new mallet , made by Messrs , J no . Ingham and Sons , shuttle makers , was used , which will be stored amongst the treasures of the local lodge . The emblomatic corn , wine , and oil having been poured upon the stone , another prayer was offered up ; and The Earl De Grey and Ripon then advanced and said : —Ladies and Gentlemen , —I trust that you will now permit me—this stone haviug boon duly laid—to address to you a few words of

congratulation upon the ceremony of to-day . It does indeed appear to me a matter of deep congratulation that we should upon this occasion have been permitted to lay the first stone of this church , which I trust will rise from these walls a beautiful

edifice dedicated to the highest of earthly purposes—the worship of the Almighty God . And if I felt before I came hero to-day , that we , of the Mascnie Craft , had done well to consent to take our share in the ccremonios of this morning , upon the general ground that it was a sacred duty to aid in the erection of such a building as this , I am tho more convinced of the necessity of this church since I have passed that building , whicli , up to this time , has served you for the purpose of a church in this neighbourhood ;

for I am bound to say that anything in its external appearance , at all events , less like what a Church ought to be , it lias seldom been my misfortune to see . I should scarcely have ventured to speak so plainly upon the subject of that ancient monument if it had not been that , by the munificence of those who have contributed to this great work , we are now permitted to hope that at no distant day the discredit will be removed from this

neighbourhood , and that you will have among you a beautiful church , symbolising , in its ^ outward beauty , the loveliness of those services and of those sacred truths which will be preached , I trust , to many generations within thoso walls . Tho Right Rev . Bishop Ryan , D . D ., vicar of Bradford , then