The Masonic Mirror.

THE MASONIC MIRROR .

MASONIC MEMS . The public nights of the Grand Stewards' Lodge will iu future be held on the last Wednesdays in March and November , instead of the third AVednesdays in March and December , as heretofore . This alteration has been madeto avoid interfering with tbe meetings of the Lodge of Benevolence , which are now held in the Temple

on the last Wednesday but one in the month . The next puttie night of the Grand Stewards' Lodge will be held on the 2 ftliinst ., when the Prestonian lecture will be delivered . The foundation-stone of the Ross Corn Exchange Building will be laid with Masonic ceremony by Bro . Chandos Wren Hoskyns , D . Prov . G . M . of Warwickshire , and Prov . G .. T . AV . of Herefordshire ,

on Tuesday , March I 2 th . The Prov . G . Lodge and brethren from the adjacent provinces will assemble at the Yitruvian Lodge , Royal Hotel , at ten o'clock in tbe morning , and attend Ross Church ; they will then reassemble at the hotel , form procession , and accompanied by the band of the Ross Rifle Corps , proceed to the site of the proposed building , and lay the first stone . After the ceremony ,

instead of a formal dinner , there will a dcjeiiner at the Royal Hotel , at which Ladies , as well as gentlemen who are not Freemasons , will attend . AVe have no doubt that it will be a very interesting gathering , and under the able presidency of Bro . Hoskyns , ive have no fear of the ancient land-marks of the Order being overstepped , whilst it will do good to the cause of Masonry . We may

congratulate the Province of Hereford upon having so distinguished a brother come to reside amongst them . By a reference to our advertisement columns it will be seen that the preliminary meeting , to form a working committee , for the WATSON TESTIMONIAL FUND is fixed to take place on Monday week .

United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

The quarterly convocation of the United Grand Lodge was hold in Freemasons Hall on Wednesday evening last , when there were present the M . W . G . M . the Right Hon . the Earl of Zetland , in the chair , supported by Admiral Sir Lucius Curtis . , Bart ., Prov . G . M . for Hampshire , as D . G . M . ; Bros . Hall , Prov . G . M . Cambridgeshire ; Fawcett , Prov . G . M . Durham ; Dundas , P . G . W ., as S . W . ; A .

Perkins , J . G . W . ; Crombie , S . G . D . ; Wheeler , J . G . D . ; Roxburgh , G . Beg . ; Havers , President of the Board of General purposes ; LI . Evans , Presidentof the Colonial Board ; S . Tomkins , G . Treas . ; Clarke , G . Sec ; the Rev . W . H . W . Bowyer , G . Chap . ; Bridges , G . S . B . ; A . W . Woods , G . D . C ; Harcourt , Asst . G . D . C ; Farnfield , Asst . G . Sec ; Dawkes , G . Sup . of Wks . ; Horsley , G . Org . ; Adams , G .

Purst . ; Farmer , Asst . G . Purst . ; Chev . Hebeler , representative of the Grand Lodge of Berlin ; and the following P . Prov . Grand Officers , Lord de Tabley , P . G . W . ; Bros . Fenwick , M . P ., P . G . W . ; Pattison , P . G . W . ; Bm-lton , P . Prov . G . M ., Bombay ; Scott , Savage , T , H . White , J . N . Tomkins , Slight , Potter , Udall , Hopwood , Faudel , and Wilson , P . G . Ds . ; Bro . Rev . Sir W . Hayes , P . G . Chap . ;

Bros . Spiers , Patten , Pocock , Walmesley , and Le Yeau , P . G . S . Bs . ; Bros . ' Jennings and Chapman , P . G . D . O . s . ; Bros . . 1 . Smith and Breitling , P . G . Pursts . There were also present a very large number of thc brethren . Grand Lodge having been opened iu ample form , and witli solemn prayer , the minutes of the last quarterly communication

were read and confirmed . The minute of the quarterly communication of the 7 th of September , 1839 , for the erasure of the Lodge of Concord ( No . 19 ) , was also confirmed . The M . W . the G . M . then said , before Grand Lodge proceeded to the business of the evening , he wished to intimate to them that he had reappointed Bro . Harding as Auditor ofthe Accounts of Grand Lodge . Bro . Harding had well and ably fulfilled the duties of that office ; and he ( the G . M . ) was sure that his reappointment was fully in accordance witli the feeling of the lodge .

ELECTION 01- OBAND ZMASTEB , Bro . SAIIOOOD said he wished to follow up the motion which ho made at the last quarterly communication , in relation to the reelection of the M . W . Grand Master of the Freemasons of England , whicli usually took place at the present season . The very kind manner in which the brethren had received the observations which he had on that occasion offered them , assured him they so deeply

appreciated the high character of the nobleman who presided over them , that it was almost unnecessary for him to further intrude upon them in proposing bis re-election to an cilice which he had so long and so honourably filled . Those who bad watched with interest the progress which Masonry had made within the last few years , and who had likewise watched with interest the peculiarities of Masonry—he might almost say , tho marked peculiarities of Masonry—must be persuaded that there were

from time to time subjects of great importance introduced into the discussions of Grand Lodge ; and it ivas , therefore , a matter of the first consequence that their deliberations should be presided over by a brother possessed of enlarged Masonic experience , and thorough knowledge of the landmarks which bound the Order , so as to guard against those landmarks being transgressed—a personal character uninipeached and unimpeachable—and a strong moral sufficient to protect both the

courage brethren and himself in every case of emergency whicli might arise . When he said that he recognised all these qualities in their present Grand Master , they would believe that it was in the interest of the Order that he proposed the re-election of the Earl of Zetland to tho office of Grand Master of the Freemasons of England , with all its honours , with all its obligations , and with all its arduous

duties . Bro . Titos . Bons seconded the motion , which was uiiaiiimou . ly approved of . The acting D . G . M ., Bro . Sir Lucius CURTIS , then intimated to the M . W . G . M . the fact of his unanimous election , upon which Bro . Wooiis , G . D . C , in the usual form , proclaimed the noble Earl ruler of the Craft in England for the ensuing twelve months , and called upon the brethren to salute him according- to ancient form .

This having been complied with , The M . W . G . R ____ > M ASTER proceeded to return thanks for his re-election , and said lie hoped the brethren would receive his most grateful thanks for the honour which they had conferred upon him by again placing him in the high position of Grand Master of the Freemasons of England . He had so frequently , in times gone by , returned them thanks for the same honour , that he could only repeat what he had already stated so frequently , that

so long as his health and strength allowed , it would be his pride as well as his gratification to perforin the duties of the office of Grand Blaster to the best ofhis ability . It was an object of pride and satisfaction to him to feel that tlius far he had conducted the business ofthe Craft to the satisfaction of the brethren , and he hoped to the benefit of the Craft . He could only assure them that , so long as strength remained with him , he should not relax in his efforts to worthilfulfil those duties which the kindness of his Masonic

brey thren imposed upon him . It was unnecessary that he should trouble them at any length with his observations , but as he ivas on his legs , he wished to state that it had come to his knowledge that , in some parts of the country , doubts had been expressed with reference to the meaning of the form of patent which issued for the appointment of a Prov . Grand Master . He begged their attention while he made a few observations that pointas he knew what ho was about to say

upon , wonltl be taken down on the minutes , and in duo course communicated to the subordinate lodges in the Craft . He must say he was not surprised at tbe difficulty which was found in understanding the meaning of the form in question , for it was not a little ambiguous , and might be advantageously amended . He had , however , at all times felt umvillinc to make alterations in old forms which bad

hitherto worked well and beneficially . He ought , perhaps , first to read to them the passage which was misunderstood . It was as follows : — " Wc hereby constitute and appoint Bro . ¦ Prov . Grand Master ofthe province or county of ¦ , with lull power and authority in due form to make Masons , and constitute and regulate lodges , subject , nevertheless , to our approval . " The main difficulty was the use , for the second time , of the word ' ¦ constitute , " but , as he interpreted the wordit was intended to tbe same meaning as

, convoy the word consecrate , for no lodge could bo held without a warrant , and that was an authority which tiie Prov . Grand Master laid no power to issue , as it could only proceed from the Grand -Master . He again thanked them for the honour they had now , for the seventeenth time , conferred upon them , and he would assure tuem that , while he had strength to do so , his best energies would be devoted to the service of the Craft .

ELECTION OF 011 AM 'l . 'IIEASUl-1-K . Bro . HIXXIIAN then proposed the re-election of Uro . 'Tompkins as Grand Treasurer , and the motion having been duly ii . iconded by Bro . Coltelinme , ivas unanimously sm _ r . _ ved if .