India.

D . Prov . G . M ., Bro . J . Gibbs , having proceeded to England , without any prospect of returning quickly , the Prov . G . M . appointed Bro . G . S . Judge to be D . Prov . G . M . The other appointments for the year were also made . The formation of a new lodge , named Truth , was announced .

BOMBAY . LODGE TETJTII ( NO . 1246 . )—Masonry is progressing in Bombay . Four years ago , the Bombayites could boast of but three lodges ; one , St . George , working under the Grand Lodge of England , ancl two , Perseverance and Rising Star , the latter consisting of natives , under that of Scotland . In 1859 , however , Lodge Concord ( No . 1059 ) , was established , and has since become a very numerous and prosperous Lodge . Last saw

year the establishment of a District Grand Lodge in Bombay , a step evidently calculated to promote the spread of Masonry in a verymaterial manner . For various reasons , many of the brethren have long felt the want of yet another lodge , and a large number liaving signed the necessary petition , Bro . G . Taylor , the Prov . G . M ., immediately granted a dispensation for the lodge to commence working . The dispensation was granted on

Christmas-day , 186- . , and the petition , with the recommendation of the Prov . G . M ., ' sent home ; and on the 5 th of January , 1863 , the first meeting of Lodge Truth was held . Since that time , it has been regularly working under its excellent Master , Bro . G . S . Judge , who is now Deputy Prov . G . M . for Bombay , and is undoubtedly the best working Mason in the Province . The fourth regular meeting of the lodge was held on the 6 th of

April , when the solemn ceremony of consecration took place . The brethren met at 6 p . m ., the following brethren being present : —Bros . G S . Judge , P . M ., 265 , and D . Prov . G . M . of Bombay , AV . M . ; Alfred Eclginton , S . W . ; J . P . Cornforth , Prov . G . Treas ., J . W . ; the Rev . J . J . Farnham , P . M ., 1059 , Prov , G . Chaplain , Treas . and Sec ; J . H . Reading , S . D . ; J . C . V . Johnson , Assist . Prov . G . Dir . Cers . J . D . ; W . H . WalkerAssist . Prov . G . Sec .

, , ; J . Wynn Steward , Acting I . G . ; J . Saddle , Tyler ; H . Wickham , P . M ., 740 and 897 , Past Prov . J . G . W . of Bengal and Bombay ; A . M . Moore , P . M . 329 , Prov . S . G . W . ; W . T . Roper , W . M . 807 , Prov . J . G . W . ; Alfred Ling , W . M . 1059 , Prov . G . Sec , ; Mahockjee Carsetjee , P . M . 342 ( Scotland ); with a large number of other brethren of the lodge and distinguished visitors , among whom were Bros . M'Kinlay , P . M . 350 ( Scotland ) , R . J . Morris , WM .,

1175 , and N . W . Oliver and Frederick L . Brown , the former the senior , and the latter the junior Magistrate of Bombay . The lodge having been opened , and the minutes read , four brethren , among whom was Bro James Gibbs , first D . Prov . ° G . M . of Bombay , were ballotted for and elected as joining members . The W . M . then , in his usual solemn manner , raised Bro . C . E . Mitchell to the sublime degree of M . M . The Chair was then taken by Bro . H . Wickhamand the W . M . retiredand on

re-, , entering the lodge as Paov . 8 . M ., attended by the Prov . G . Wardens , was received with the grand honours . The Chair was then again taken by Bro . G . S . Judge , as Prov . G . M ., with Bro . H . Wickham as his deputy , the Wardens' chairs being occupied by the Prov . G . Wardens , Bros . Moore and Roper . The Secretary then read the warrant of the lodge , and the D . Prov . G . M . delivered the following oration in honour of

Masonry : — " Brethren , —It is customary at the consecration of a new lodge for some brother to deliver an oration in honour of Masonry . On this occasion that duty has devolved upon me , and , were I gifted with eloquence , I would speak the praise of Masonry in glowing terms , but as I am not , I shall , if brevity be the soul of wit , content myself with being extremely witty , for I shall he very brief . Our society is styled the Most Ancient

and Honourable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons , and I shall endeavour to prove the truth of that nomenclature . The antiquity of our Order is demonstrated b y the religion it has , ever since its origin , required of all candidates for its mysteries , namely , ' The worship of the one only true ^ God , and obedience to His divine commands ; ' for that was the religion of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden before the Fall , and in

practising that religion , they practised Masonry ; therefore Masonry is coeval with the creation of man . The secrecy of Masonry , however , commences from a later date . If the Fall had never happened , our institution would never have become a secret society , but would , doubtless , have been practised openly throughout the world up to the present time ; but , in consequence of that lamentable event , wickedness entered into the world , and it became necessary for the good to separate

themselves from the evil . This they en " "' by forming themselves into lodges , into which none br a men and true were admitted ; and in order that the s , _ u , that is to say , the members of tbe Craft , might be able to distinguish each other from the evil—that is to say , the cowans—a peculiar method was adopted , whereby we are enabled to recognise one another by night as well as by day , in the dark as well as in the light . It may be as well to remark , however , that , although the fair sex were

excluded from our lodges , they were never included in the category of cowans or evil ones ; on the contrary , they have always been looked upon by us as guardian angels sent from heaven to keep man in the right path ; and the only reason for their non-admission into the Craft that I have ever been able to discover , is , that , being already perfect , they need not the adventitious aid of Masonry to make them so . But to resume the subject . At first great circumspection was used in admitting

candidates into our Order , and well would it have been for Masonry if the same circumspection had always been practised , for then no bad men would have been admitted into the Craft , and no good men would have held aloof from it . I therefore strongly exhort the members of this new lodge to be extremelycautious as to whom they accept , always remembering that the prosperity of a lodge depends not so much upon the wealth and

number of its members , as upon their good qualities and amiable dispositions . That our society is most honourable is proved by the principles upon which it is founded— ' Brotherly-Love , Relief , and Truth , ' and I hope that these will not be mere watchwords in your mouths , but will be instilled into your hearts and influence all your actions . To show the usefulness r , f our Institution , I might point to our Charities , such as our

Girls' School , our Boys' School , our Widows' Fund , our Asylum for Aged and Decayed Masons , our General Fund of Benevolence , and the Private Fund of Benevolence of every Lodge ; but I prefer pointing to our Masonic Charity . That virtue which Masonry teaches us includes all others , and this is the top round of that ladder which reaches unto Heaven ; for the poor alone are benefitted by the former , while the latter showers blessings on rich and poor alike . Who , indeed , is there , however wealthy , and however exalted in rank he be , so free from human failings and . human sorrows as never to require forbearance for the one .

or sympathy for the other . But Masonic charity teaches us not only to love our friends , but also to forgive our enemies , and those who injure or annoy us . If , then , I am so unfortunate as to have an enemy amongst you ( which God forbid ) , I as freely forgive him his enmity , as I hope he will forgive me my offences , even to this last , the liaving inflicted upon him so prosy an oration . " The D . Prov . G . M . then proceeded to consecrate the lodgewhich ceremonyseldom as it falls to tho lot of any

, , brother in these parts to perform it , he went through with as much ease as if he had been initiating a candidate . Few of the brethren present had ever before witnessed the ceremony , but all were delighted by the deep significance of the symbols , the solemnity of the ritual , and particularly the impressive manner in which the whole rite was conducted . The anthems and other musical parts of the ceremony were beautifully rendered b

y Bros . Roberts , Cornforth , Mitchell , and Farnham , accompanied by Bro . Swonseger , Prov . G . Org ., and organist of the cathedral . The ceremony of consecration being concluded , Bro . H . Wickam resumed the chair ; when , after admistering the usual O . B . to the W . M ., he installed him into the eastern chair ; the other officers were then invested by the W . M ., and five brethren having been proposed as joining members , the lodge was closed at

10 minutes before 9 p . m ., and the brethren sat down to a banquet worthy of the occasion . The cloth being removed , the usual loyal and Masonic toasts were drunk . The speeches , though very appropriate , were like the W . M . 's oration , never long enough to tire the patience of the brethren , or to interfere with the musical treat so plentifully provided . The toasts were interspersed with songs , glees , and choruses by Bros . Vining ,

Roberts , Edginton , Cornforth , Mitchell , Reading , Farnham , and last but not least , by Bros . Cardoza ( better known on the stage as Dave Carson ) , Palin , Martinnant , Browers , and Pierce , who attended as visitors , and who have , during the last few weeks , most agreeably broken the monotony of Bombay life , by a series of entertainments they have been giving , under the name of the San Francisco Minstrels . Joy and good humour ,

unshadowed by the slightest cloud , prevailed until a late hour , when the brethren dispersed to look back , we trust for many a long year , with feelings of lively p leasure , on the consecration of Lodge Truth . Long may it prosper .