Channel Islands.

An Anthem will be sung . An oration will be delivered hy Bro . Dr . Hopkins , W . M . of St . Aubin's Lodge , and P . Prov . G . W . of Warwickshire . The Prov . G . M . will proceed in procession as before , to scatter the corn , and pour wine and oil , the choir after each will sing " Glory to God on the Highest , " & c . A P . Prov . G . Treasurer ' s jewel , and address to be presented by the Prov . G . M . to Bro . Du Jardin , P . M . and Prov . G . Treas . A prayer by the Prov . G . Chap . The whole to conclude hy singing " God Save the Queen . "

Australia.

AUSTRALIA .

BRISBANE . CEEEJIOST OE LAVING THE FOTTNDATIOJJ-STOIIE OP THE Town HAII ,. Brisbane may justly feel proud of the proceedings on Thursday evening , February 11 . The ceremony was effective , the interest general , and nothing which forethought could provide to ensure order and success was deficient . Between four and

five thousand persons were congregated in the neighbourhood of the site ; and beyond the usual banter and sallies of wit in the crowd , there was no manifestation of discomfort , or any accident to mar the pleasure of the occasion . The proposed Town Hall will be the first public structure , worthy of the name , which has been erected in Brisbane since the advent of separata government ; and the whole of the preliminaries have been gone through so successfully as to augur

well for tho completion . On Thursday , the open space on which the hall is to be erected was fitted up for the reception of the persons who were to witness or take part in the ceremony of laying the stone . From the rear of the present Council Chamber back to Burnett-lane ran a gallery for the accommodation of 300 ladies , gaily dressed in red and white ; this , when tenanted by its fair occupants , in their many coloured garments , was the chief feature in the brilliant scene . Along the

lower end of the ground was laid down a matted floor , on wliich were placed chairs for the principal guests and performers ; and from the Queen-street front to this space was erected a barrier , dividing an avenue to be occupied by the Masonic body and guard of honour from the rest of the ground . Immediately at the north-west angle where the stone was to he laid and in front of the vice-regal seat was a table on wliich was deposited the silver trowel , the hod ( highly polished pine ) , the flask containing the coins , and two copper-plates on which were engraven

the scroll in English and Latin . From four o'clock , the spectators began to assemble near the Council Chambers . At half-past five the Brisbane Volunteer Rifle and Artillery Corps , with the detachment of the 12 th Regiment , garrisoned here , headed by the Volunteer Band , marched from the barrack-yard and took up a position in line in Queen-street . The band then proceeded to the Freemasons ' Lodge , where the brethren of the " mystic tie" formed in

procession and were played up Queen-street to the Town Hall reserve . The brethren formed into two lines , extending from the main entrance to the reserve in Queen-street down to the excavated foundation , the lane thus opened by them being lined with matting . At six o'clock his Excellency tbe Governor and Lady Bowen , accompanied by two of their children , arrived . The band struck up the "National Anthem , " the assemblage cheered , and the mayor and aldermen received the vice-regal

party upon their alighting from the carriage , and escorted them between the ranks of the Freemasons to their places on the platform . - Here , at this time , we noticed the following gentlemen : —Hon . R . Pring , Attorney-General ; Hon . T . Do Lacy Moffatt , Colonial Treasurer ; Hon . J . Bramstono , M . L . C . ; Hon . George Harris , M . L . C . ; Mr . Lilley , M . P . j Mr . Pugh , M . P . ; Mr . Raff , M . P . ; Eight Eev . Bishop Qiiinn , Rev . J . Keating , Mr . AV . Coote , Architect of the Town Hall ; Mr . L . A . Bernays ,

Rev . George AVight , Mr . F . 0 . Darvall , Mr . E . AV . Lamb . The principal ollicers of the Freemasons drew near , and amongst them were several gentlemen who , in virtue of their connection with the civil service and otherwise , had received invitations . The MATOE , having welcomed his Excellency , introduced the Right Worshipful the Provincial Grand Master of the Freemasons , and that gentleman then did a similar courtesy to the Deputy Provincial Grand Master . The introductions concluded , the Mayor informed the Governor that it was the desire of

himself and the aldermen of the city to present his Excellency with au address , should he be pleased to receive it . His Excellency having assented , the town clerk , Mr . Dowse , read the address , which was as follows : — " MAT IT PLEASE TOUB EXCELIESOT , —Tho Corporation of the city of Brisbane have great pleasure in tendering to your Excellency their congratulations , that , in laying the first stone of their town hallyour Excellency is about to initiate a public

, building , which will be , not merely conducive to the interests of their constituents , hut will exhibit , as they believe , a worthy example of public spirit in the encouragement of public taste . " The Corporation remember that the reign of her Most Gracious Majesty has been specially distinguished hy an advance in every branch of art and science ; in which , under Providence , her Majesty ' s late lamented Consort was the most efficient

instrument yet granted to the empire of which this colony forms a part . " In the work so auspiciously commenced this day , the Corporation ( recognising the influence ) trust that its completion will be worthy of the impulse which they are glad to acknowledge ; and they are not the less glad to award this acknowledgment , because that , in this instance , tho building which your

Excellency inaugurates will be raised in the spirit of English independence . That no citizen of this city will be taxed towards its erection or support , and that on the contrary the revenue derivable from it will not merely defray tho cost of the structure , but provide a fund to lighten the burden of tho ratepayers in time to come . " The corporation desire to their leasure that on such

express p an occasion your Excellency is pleased to give the sanction of your presence , and gratitude for the encouragement thus afforded to similar enterprises on behalf of the citizens of Brisbane . " Dated this 2 Sth day of January , 18 G-1-. " GEOEGE EDIIOJIDSTOSE , Mayor . "

His Excellency replied in the following terms : — " Mr . Mayor and Gentlemen , —I thank you for this address , and I entirely concur witfi the views and sentiments which it expresses . I gladly acceded to your request that I should lay the first stone of your new town hall ; and I am the more gratified by your invitation , because I attribute to the loyalty of the municipal council towards our gracious Sovereign your desire to see her Majesty ' s representative among you on the

present occasion . The late Prince Consort , to whom you so aptly refer , spoke as follows on a very similar occasion in England : — ' This work , ' his Royal Highness said , ' possesses that feature so peculiar to the enterprises of Englishmen , that , strongly attached as they are to the institutions of their country , and gratefully acknowledging the protection of those laws under which their enterprises are undertaken and flourish , they love to connect themin some mannerdirectly with the

, , authority ofthe Crown and the person of their Sovereign ; and it is tho appreciation of this circumstance which has impelled me at once to respond to your call , as the readiest mode of testifying to you how strongly the Queen values and reciprocates this feeling . ' " For myself , gentlemen , I need scarcely assure you that I shall always be desirous to preserve the cordial personal relations which I have hitherto maintained with the mayor and

corporation of Brisbane ; and that it will always be my pleasure , as well as my duty to co-operate with you , to the utmost of my power in promoting the prosperity and advancement of this city . I have now lived among you for four years—perhaps the happiest—notwithstanding the cares and difficulties inseparable from my position , and certainly the most interesting years of my life . Tlie eminent statesman and scholar , Sir E . Bulwer Lyttonduring whoso administration Queensland was erected

, into a separate colony , wrote to me some time ago in the following words : — ' It is indeed a grand thing to be the first governor of so mighty a segment of the globe as Queensland , and is , perhaps , more sure of fame , a thousand years hence , than anything that we can do in the old world . It is carving your name on the rind of a young tree to be found with enlarged letters as the trunk expands . '

" Gentlemen , —I might almost say that I address this evening a different generation from that which I addressed only four years ago , when I first arrived among you . Then Brisbane was little more than a village of wood , with scarce 5 , 000—now , it is a flourishing and rapidly-growing town , with nearly 15 , 000 inhabitants ; and if such has been our progress during the early struggles of this young colony , we may confidently expect that the new Town Hall will survive , not only the inhabitants , but