Scotland.

SCOTLAND .

ROTHESAY . —St . John's Lodge . —The regular monthly meeting of this lodge was held on Monday last , the 30 th November , when the brethren proceeded to ballot for the AV . M . and officebearers for the ensuing year , when Bro . D . J . Taylor was unanimously appointed fW . lf , ; Bros . Allan Gilchrist , D . M . ; AVm . Gilchrist , S . W . £ William M'Kudy , Treas . ; Sergeant John Griffiths , Sec . ROYAL ARCH .

AYR . —The first breach has been made in the walls of " x \ yr Arnot ( No . 1 )"—an irregular chapter recently opened and consecrated by Bro . Donald Campbell , of Glasgow . On Friday week , AV . R . Carr Foster , a brother of Lodge No . 165 , who had been induced to join the unrecognised chapter referred to , but who has since renounced all connection with it , was , at a special meeting of the Royal Arch Masons , admitted as a member of the Ayr Chapter ( No . IS)—First Principal Andrew

Glass officiating in the administration of the Affiliation OB . AVe understand that other brethren , who had been persuaded to join the irregulars , have applied to be affiliated into the Ayr Chapter .

KNIGHTS TEMPLAR . ATE . —A most interesting meeting of Ayr Priory ( No . 4 ) , took place on the 27 th of November last , in the Hall of the Ayr Kilwinning Lodge . Some time ago AVm . Robert Can-Foster made ajiplication to be received into the Order of the Temple as a member of the Ayr Encampment ; but , on the ground that he was a member of the irregular and unrecognised

chapter , " Ayr Arnot , " the Prior ( D . Murray Lyon ) declined to receive applicant ' s petition until he qualified himself by affiliating into a chapter holding of the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Scotland . Bro . Foster having thus discovered the awkward position in which he was placed by his connection with an irregular chapter of R . A . Masons , lose no time in obtaining affiliation into the Ayr Chapter ( No . 18 ) , and in renewing his application to be received as a Knight Templar . The suffrages

of the members of the Ayr Priory being favourable to Comp . Foster ' s admission , in due time he appeared before the outworks of the encampment , and , his pilgrimage accomplished , was dubbed a Knight of the Religious and Military Order of the Temple , whose head in Scotland is his Grace the Duke of Athole .

Ireland.

IRELAND .

ROYAL ARCH . LIMERICK . —The annual dinner of the Royal Arch Chapter , Loclge 73 , was held at their rooms , Cecil-street , on Thursday , November 26 th , when a large number of companions assembled . Bro . Comp . George AV . Pragnell , 1 st Grand Principal , presiding , and who was presented with a P . G . Principal ' s Jewel , elaborately designed ancl beautifully engraved . Comp . Pragnell acknowledged the compliment in suitable terms . The loyal and

Masonic toasts were duly given and received as Masons generally do . The health of the Prov . G . Master , Bro . Henry AVestropp , was given , and warmly received by the companions , as also the health of the ex-Prov . G . Master , Michael Furnell , 33 . Charity being always a characteristic of Masonry , Bro . Comp . AVm . Glover , P . M ., was handed a handsome collection for the benefit of the distressed aged widow of a brother Mason . The reunion of some of the oldest and long absent companions was gratifying to the brethren present , who separated in peace , love , and harmony , after one of the most pleasant evenings ever held in Chapter 73 .

Asia Minor.

ASIA MINOR .

EPHESUS . THE ELEUSINIAN LODGE , in the ancient city of Ephesus , was consecrated on the 4 th November by the A . AV . Bro . Hyde Clarke , D . Prov . G . M . of Turkey . A large body of Masons went clown by special train .

The Week.

THE WEEK .

TUB COURT . —Her Majesty and family still remain at AVindsor . On Friday last , the Queen visited Prince Arthur at the Ranger Lodge , Blackheath , and the Prince has visited his royal mother at Windsor . On Monday , the Queen came to town and visited the Duchess of Sutherland and Lady Augusta Bruce . On Tuesday , the Princess of Wales ' s first birthday in England was celebrated at AVindsor .

GENERAL HOME NEWS . —The Smithfield Cattle Show takes place at the Agricultural hall , Islington , on Monday next , and four following days . The health of the metropolis has considerably improved within the last week . The deaths from all causes amounted to 1412 , which was about 100 lower than the corrected average for the last ten years . In all the principal diseases there is a decrease . The births in the course of the

week were 1931 , which : ' s nearly 500 above the average . The Board of Trade returns for the month of October disclose upon the whole a satisfactory state of things . Our exports for the month amounted in value to £ 15 , 082 , 333 , —an improvement of upwards of half a million sterling , as compared with the returns for September . In October , 1862 , we exported goods to the

amount only of £ 9 , S » 16 , 000 , and the figures for the corresponding period of 1861 are £ 11 , 68-1 , 000 . In the first month of the present year , our exports were valued at , in round numbers , £ 8 , 000 , 000 ; but each succeeding month , with the exceptions of May ancl June , has exhibited an improvement upon its predecessor . May was about £ 600 , 000 below April , while June , as compared

with May , showed the unimportant falling off of some £ 13 , 000 . Taking the ten months ending October the 31 st , the continued prosperity of our commerce is again strikingly exhibited . Our exports in that period amounted to £ 119 , 377 , 045 , against £ 103 , 519 , 269 and £ 105 , 480 , 242 in tbe corresponding ten months of 1 S 62 ancl 1861 respectively . The imports of cotton for the

month are put clown at 552 , 311 cwt . against 534 , 104 cwt . in October , 1 S 62 , and 4 S 7 , » 136 in the corresponding mouth of 1861 ; while , taking the ten months , we find thafc in the present year

we have imported upwards of 1 , 000 , 000 cwt . more than in the corresponding period of 1862 , but less than one-half the quantity returned for 1 S 61 . A further increase of 883 has taken place in the number of persons receiving parochial relief in the cotton manufacturing districts ; and it is greatly to be feared that as the winter advances we must be prepared to meet a still larger amount of destitution . Much benefit has been anticipated from

the Public AVovks Act , but Mr . Farnell stated at the last meeting of the Central Relief Committee , that owing to the length of time required for completing the plans and making " other necessary preparations" the Act could not , in his opinion , come fully into operation until spring . Several members of the committee commented strongly upon this mischievous delay , ancl

also upon the large expense attending applications for loans , and it was resolved to call the attention of the Home Secretary to the matter , and to submit to his consideration a suggestion made to the committee that " the balance accruing to the Government in raising money under the provisions of that Act affords a means of relieving parties borrowing from the expenses complained of . "

Lord Pahnerston presided at the annual dinner of the Scottish Hospital , which took place at tbe Freemasons' Tavern , London , on Monday . The noble lord made several speeches in the course of the evening , but they contained nothing of public interest . The Metropolitan Board of Works have held a special meeting to consider the various plans proposed to them for

the utilisation of the metropolitan sewage . Some discussion took place on the different plans , and the members appeared to be unanimous on the point that none of the plans before them