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noiv move that the report of the Colonial Board be received , adopted , and entered on the minutes . The resolution Avas seconded by Bro . Jos . SMITH , P . G . Purst ., and carried unanimously .

PROV . GRAND OEEICERS . —DISPENSATIONS . Bro . HENRY G . WARREN , P . M . Grand SteAvards Lodge , rose to bring forward a resolution of which he had given notice , to omit all the words after therein in article 1 " of the other Provincial Grand Masters , " page 50 of the Boole of Constitutions . In doing so , he must be permitted , in the first instance , to disavoiv any intention or wish to interfere ivith the privileges of the M . W . Grand Master , but he brought forward his resolution on the ground that a laAV

which hacl become a dead letter , or could no longer be enforced , should be expunged from the statute book . Perhaps it ivould bens well that he should inform the brethren that the lav , ' , the most important part of ivhich he proposed to repeal Avas , that all Provincial Grand Officers , other than the Prov . G . M ., and the D . prov . G . M . " must be resident Avithin the province and subscribing members therein , but the M . W . Grand Master may grant a

dispensation for non-residence . A fee of tivo guineas for Grand Wardens , and one guinea for any subordinate officer , shall be paid to the general fund of charity for such dispensation . " NOAV , he proposed to repeal all that portion of the laAv relative to the dispensations ancl fees , because it had become virtually inoperative , at least so far the provinces immediately surrounding the metropolis was concerned . He AA'as aware that in some provinces it Avas enforced ; but IIOAV ? A feAV years since he ivas at a Prov . Grand

Loclge of Wiltshire , AA'hen the question Avas raised with regard to some brethren residing in Somersetshire , and the Prov . Grand Master at once gave them a dispensation ; they Avere appointed to office , and paid the fees AA'hich he had no reason to doubt found their way to the Fund of Benevolence . But it AA'as nofc even so in every province . A few years since , on the advancement of a distinguished brother , who was then upon fche dais , to office in Grand Lodge , his son

applied for a dispensation to be enabled to succeed him as Grand Sup . of Works for a neighbouring province . His application was refused , ancl from that clay the laiv appeared to have been set at naught by the Prov . Grand Masters and brethren of the lodges of tAvo or three of the home counties ; the dispensations were not applied for ; the fees ivere not paid , yet metropolitan brethren were constantly taking offices in provinces ; the utmost stake in ivhich they ever possessed , consisting of the amount they had in their pockets ivhen they visited their lodges . ( Laughter . ) And they ceuld nofc visit a lodge without meeting some of the

brethren ivho had so taken provincial honors , nor even look around Grand Loclge without seeing them parading their peacock plumes —( Laughter . ) He did not say that brethren ivho supported lodges in provinces in Avhich they did not reside should not be allowed to partake of the honors ; but he did maintain that they should nofc be permitted to clo so illegally . Neither should a diversity of practice be suffered to exist in different provinces merely at the Avill of the Prov . Grand Masters ; what was laiv in one province

should be laAv in all . He believed thafc there were feiv districts guiltless of evading the laAv , ancl it AA-as in order to place it upon a proper foundation that he brought forward his motion . AVith these observations he should leave it in the hands of Grand Lodge , merely reminding them that the fees for dispensations went in augmentation of the Fund of Benevolence , which it ivas the duty of evory brother to protect ancl support , ( Hear . ) After some delay , Bro . WILLIAMS , P . M ., 202 , seconded the

motion . Bro . ROXBURGH , G . Reg , agreed so far ivith Bro . Warren that a laiv which coulcl not be enforced * , vas a blot on the statute book , but that was no reason Avhy , if a good laAA * , as he believed this to be , was evaded , they should clo away with it . The evasion of ifc AA-as a matter for the cognizance of the Board of General Purposes , which would doubtless know IIOAV to deal with a brother ivho took provincial grand office Avithout having obtained the necessary

dispensation , or with the Prov . Grand Lodge in which the honour Avas conferred . Bro . WARREN observed it might be so , but unfortunately there Avas no means of putting the Board in motion , except by some brother turning common informer . ( Laughter . ) Bro . SPIERS , P . G . B ., saicl there might be occasionally great injustice in excluding a brother from Prov . Grand rank merely because his residence ivas not within the particular province in Avhich his lodge AVUS

situated , and instanced a town in the provinces AA'hich he represented ivhich was in tAvo counties , so that a very worthy brother might be deprived of office because he lived a feiv yards out of the province , his lodge being situated in another part of the toAvn . He thought that the proper course for Bro . Warren to have taken would have been to try and strengthen the Grand Master's hands by proposing a fine on those breaking the laivs , and he trusted Bro . Warren would noiv withdraw his resolution .

The Masonic Mirror.

Bro . WARREN said he should nofc trouble Grand Lodge to divide ; he had elicited an expression of opinion on the subject , and that was all he wished for . The M . W . GRAND MASTER said Bro . Warren had asked permission of Grand Lodge to withdraiv his motion , but he could not permit him to do so without expressing his obligations to Bro . Warren for having directed attention to the subject , having himself long felt

that the laAv ivas greatly abused . He could assure Bro . Warren that he did not look upon his motion as any attack upon his privileges , and he should afc any time be personally prepared to lay CIOAVU any privilege ; but he must protect those of his successors , if he did not see that an advantage would accrue to the Craft by surrendering them . He had ever been very careful IIOAV he exercised the peculiar privilege in question , ancl he hacl no hesitation in stating that as a rule he should refuse

any application for such a dispensation , and there ivere not above one or IAAO instances in AA'hich he had granted them since he hacl been Grand Master . It was a very delicate duty to perform and if he yielded and granted a dispensation in one case , hoAvever good the grounds upon AA'hich he did so , there Avas great difficulty in refusing it in another , Avithout giving offence , AA'here no such grounds existed . Though he hacl himself been very

careful of exercising the privilege , he believed it hacl been too frequently used by the Prov . Grand Masters , though he had some doubt of their right to do so . He was of opinion that the law ought to be maintained , and repeating that , he ivas glad Bro . Warren had directed their attention to the subject , he coulcl now onlv express a hope that if the laAv ivas not efficient as it afc present stood , Bro . Wan-en or some other brother would maturely consider the means of rendering it so , when he Avas sure it Avould receive every attention from Grand Lodge . ( Hear . ) The motion Avas then withdraivn , and Grand Loclge Avas closed in ample form ,

Metropolitan.

METROPOLITAN .

ROYAL OAK LODGE ( NO . 1173 ) . —This select loclge held its usual monthly meeting on Wednesday , 27 th November , at Bro . Stevens ' , Royal Oak Tavern , High-street , Deptford . In consequence of the unavoidable absence of the W . M ., Bro . W . Scott , S . W ., opened the lodge . The W . M ., Dr . Dixon , on his arrival immediately proceeded ivith the initiation of Mr . Baatz , which he in his usual stleassisted bhis

ceremony performed superior y , y officers , ' Bros . Scott , Wilton , Smyth , Stahr , Weir , ancl Walters . At the request of the W . M ., Bro . Scott , S . W ., gave a full explanation of the tracing board , to the entire satisfaction of all the brethren . Bro . Walters , Sec , ivas then requested to give the charge of the Entered Apprentice , which he did in his accustomed happy manner . The W . M . reminded the lodge that he had received the announcement that the festival of the Royal Benevolent

Institution was to be held next January . The lodge , in reply to the W . M ., voted one pound to the aged Freemasons ' , and ten shillings to the Widows' Fund . In consequence of the next loclge meeting falling on Christinas Day , the brethren were unanimous in the opinion to defer it until January . All business being ended , the loclge Avas closed in due form . The brethren then adjourned to an excellent banquet , served in Bro . Stevens' Avell-knoivn style . The cloth being removedthe usual loyal Masonic toasts were given

, and received . In responding to the health of the officers , Bro Walters , Sec , observed he regretted he had neglected to mention during lodge hours that their worthy and esteemed W . M ., Dr . Dixon , hacl presented to the loclge seven bound volumes of the FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE , a Masonic Song Book , ancl a splendid engraved likeness of the M . W . G . M ., the Earl of Zetland ; and that he hacl also the pleasure- himself of presenting the lodge Avith one bound volume of the FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE , The members of

the loclge were unanimous in their opinion of continuing their support to the FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE , SO that , in the course of a feAV weeks , another volume ivill adorn their shelf . The W . M . observed that this AVUS only a preliminary step toivards establishing a Masonic library for the use of- the members of the lodge . The brethren aftei-Avards separated , well pleased with their evening's amusement . The visitors included Bros . Spencer , P . M . 91 ; Hough ton , P . M . 172 ; Deal , P . H ; and P . Z . 172 ancl 2 'fS . ; Mackenzie , 299 ; & c .

INSTRUCTION . EMULATION LODGE ( NO . 318)—ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL . The anniversary festival of this loclge was celebrated on Friday , the 29 th ult ., under the presidency of Bro . Jennings , P . G . D . C . ( hi the absence of Viscount Holmesdale , M . P ., Prov . G . M . of Kent ,