Provincial.

PROVINCIAL .

CORNWALL . PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE . The annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge for the province of Cornwall was held at Liskeard on the 23 rd ult . The Guildhall was suitably fitted up for the occasion as a lodgeroomwhere the Grand Lod was close tyled at ten o ' clock

, ge a . m . There was a large attendance of past and present officers of the province , all the lodges in the province being liberally represented at the meeting . The Provincial Grand Master , the Xt . W . Bro . Augustus Smith , presided , supported by the R . W . Bros , the Right Hon . Lord Eliot , M . P ., S . G . W . of England ; Howe , G . Purst . of England ; J . Roscorla , P . D . Prov . G . M . ;

Bros . T . Solomon , S . Prov . G . W ., Mayor of Truro ; F . W . Dabb ; J . Prov . G . W . ; Dr . J . Bannister , incumbent of St . Day ; Dr . Treffry , Place , Foivey , Prov . G . Chaps . ; W . Tweedy , Prov . G . Reg . ; E . T . Car ] yon , Prov . G . Sec ; J . 0 . Mayne , Prov . G . Assist . Sec . ; E . H . Hawke , Prov . S . G . D . ; S . Holloway , Prov . J . G . D . ; J . Miehell , Prov . G . Dir . of Cers . ; G . Kerswill , Prov . G . Assist . Dir . of Cers . ; II . BaleProv . G . Supt . of Works ; Dke

, y , Prov . G . Org . ; S . Harvey , Prov . G . Purst . ; J . G . Richards and W . H . Bickford , Prov . G . Stewards ; W . Rookes , Prov . G . I . G . ; J . Polkinghorn , Prov . G . Treas . ; Revs . J . Downes Hawksley , incumbent of Biscovey , and F . B . Paul , incumbent of St . Blazey . The business commenced with confirming the minutes of the previous meeting , held at Redruth last . The Prov . G .

year Treasurer submitted his annual statement , showing a balance in hand of £ 72 2 s . 8 d . Reports of the Cornwall Masonic Annuity fund and of the committee on petitions on relief were also brought up . Out of the cash in hand £ 50 were voted to the rVliiflnnin i nninKr -A-nirl -PI f \ no n ™ P ( - +- »» n Jtnt-tmnnA ^ l-.- ^* - " ! ,,-,.. Masonic Annuity fund £ 10 ift to distressed brother

, as a g a , and £ 10 towards the expenses of the present meeting . Bro . "W . Wyatt , of Truro , aged seventy-six , and a Mason of forty years' standing , was elected as a second annuitant on the Cornwall Masonic Annuity fund . At this stage of the business the lodge was adjourned , and about 250 of the Masonic brethren , in full official paraphernalia , with the Provincial Grand Master ' s bannerthe emblems and

, banners of the Order , and the banners of the lodges displayed , proceeded , headed by the Pensilva band , to the parish church to attend divine service . The prayers were read by Bro . Dr . Bannister , the first lesson by Bro . the Rev . J . Downes Hawksley , and the second lesson by Bro . the Rev . F . B . Paul . The sermon was preached by Bro . Dr . Treffry from the Frst Book of Kings , 6 th chap ., 7 th verse . The rev . brother , in an eloquent address ,

listened to with deep attention , pointed out the peculiar manner in which the temple of Solomon was erected . There was no labour executed ou the spot in the preparation of the materials , but the stones were all brought there ready fitted to be placed in the building—a typical figure of much mystic moment to the brethren as displayed in connection with * the tracing board handed down through the Order , and to them and to the outer

world , of the gradual building up of that temple , for which stones were being continuall y hewn forth from the quarries of sin and unbelief to be fitted , floated away , and set up in the edifice , progressing towards that day when the topstone being placed , the scaffolding will he taken away and masonry required no further . —The choral parts of the service and an anthem were rendered by the church choir , the major part of whom were very juvenile singers , in a highly creditable manner , both in voice and execution .

At the close of the service a collection was made . The brethren then re-formed in procession , and returned to the lodge-room . On business being resumed , Bros . It . Rogers was re-elected the Treasurer , and Chirgwin Secretary of the Cornwall Masonic Annuity fund ; and Bros . Holloway and Johns its auditors for the ensuing year . The Prov . G . M . next proceeded to appoint his officers for the ensuing year . Throug h the increase in

Masonry and the number of lodges in his province , he said this part of the business was becoming every year more difficult for him—he had so many brethren eligible , from among whom to select . It was , however , his rule always to select from P . M . ' s or W . M . ' sof lodges , and a great deal depended upon the manner in which the lodges thus rightly prepared the candidates for these offices . He knew it was the practice in some of the

lodges when a brother was once admitted to the lower offices , for him to always pass up in rotation to the chair . This plan he did not , however , entirely commend . The brethren should consider the fitness of the candidates for office , and always elect the most suitable brother . He then invested the following brethren : —Bros . J . Roscorla , P . D . Prov . G . M . ; the Right Hon . , 'Lord Eliot , D . Prov . G . M . ; J . H . Lawrence , P . M . 510 , S . Prov . G . W . ; Captain Kempthorne , 557 , J . Prov . G . W . ; Dr .

Treffry and Rev . J . Downes Hawksley , G . Chaps . ; W . Johns , G . Reg . ; E . T . Carlyon , Prov . G . Sec . ; J . O . Meyne , Prov . Assist . G . Sec . ; VV . H . Bickford , Prov . S . G . D . ; J . Ough , Prov . J . G . D . ; Boswetherwiok , Prov . ft . Supt . of Works ; Dr . Kerswill , Prov . G . Dir . of Cers . ; S . Higgs , Prov . G . Assist . Dir . of Cers . ; Capt , W . T . Sobey , S . B . ; T . Taylor , 318 , Prov . G . Org . ; S . Harvey , Prov . G . Purst . ; W . Rookes , Prov . G . I . G . ; W . Da we , 510 ; J . Seccombe 510 ; S . Jacob 967 ; W . J . Hughan 131 ; J . Dawe

, , , , 970 ; and W . T . Paisons , 789 , Frov . G . Stewards . Bro . W . Tweedy was re-elected Prov . G . Treas . ; and Bro . Peter Carroll Prov . G-. Tyler . The committee of three for relief—Bros . B .. Rogers , W . Tweedy , and E . J . Carlyon were also re-elected . Bros . T . Solomon and F . W . Dabb were elected the auditors . The Treasurer reported that the collection in the church had amounted to £ 11 lis . 3 d . ; of this one-fifth was given to the clergyman of the parishtwo-fifths towards paying off the

, debt of £ 300 that is owing on the parish schools recently erected by the incumbent , the Rev . Flavel Cook , and the other two-fifths to the Cornwall Masonic Annuity fund . Notice was given that at the next meeting of the lodge it would be proposed , that for the future it should be a by-law that the money obtained at those collections after sermons to of

should be divided , one- ^ tth clergyman parish , two-fifths to the local charities , and the other two-fifths to Masonic charities . The next income of £ 20 arising from the Cornwall Annuity fund should be applied to providing schooling for the son of a Mason iu the province , to be held for five years or otherwise , as might be determined , and that a committee be appointed to make the needful alteration in the rules . A P . M . of a lodge complained that a candidate that had been refused

admission into the Order in his lodge , had succeded in obtaining initiation by a lodge in the adjoining province of Devon , notwithstanding a protest had been sent , and then visited the complainant ' s lodge , to the annoyance of its members . The Provincial Grand Master said he would call the attention of his brother provincial of Devon to this matter . Candidates should never be initiated but in the neighbourhood of where they resided ; orat leastif there was a lodge there its officers

, , should be made aware of the proposed initiation , and great care should be taken that they were eligible persons . Some remarks were also made on the large number of impostors who were going about the country seeking and obtaining relief on the plea of their being Masons . The brethren were cautioned that fully ninety-nine out of a hundred of such applications were founded on imposition . At the close of the business the lodge adjourned to the butter

market , where about 170 of the brethren dined together . The market was gaily decorated with evergreens , flowers , and flags , and an excellent spread was provided by Bro . Venning , of the London Inn . After dinner tho usual loyal and Masonic toasts were drunk , and several excellent speeches made in reply . The memory of the late Bro . Sir Charles Lomon , the last Provincial Grand Master , was also drunk iu solemn silence .

CUMBERLAND AND WESTMORELAND . CARLISLE . — Union Lodge ( 310 ) . —At a lodge of instruction held on Tuesday evening , 16 th ult ., at the above rooms , the following brethren were present : —F . W . Hayward , P . M ., P . Prov . S . G . W ., in the chair ; W . Johnstone , S . W . ; A . Woodhouse , W . M ., 412 , P . G . S ., as J . W . ; J . Gibson , I . G . ; J . Barnes , Tyler ; also , Bros . J . Slack , W . M . ; G . Somerville , J . W . ; G . G .

Hayward , P . M ., Prov . S . G . B . ; Sergt .-Major W . Forde , ft . Metcalf , G . Turnbull , W . Court , Treas . Visiting brethren—S . Ramus ( 185 ) , London ; T . Gibson ( 327 ) , W . Nixon , P . M . ( 412 ) , H . Fleming , P . M . ( 412 ) , Prov . G . Assist . Dir . of Cers . ; W . H . Fryer , S . D . ( 1 , 211 ) . The lodge was duly opened in the refreshment room ; the subject of attending tho ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the Royal Albert Asylum at Lancaster , by the Right Hon . Earl Zetland , ICT ., G . M ., on Wednesday , 17 th ult ., was then discussed , and several brethren signified their intention of being present on the occasion . Bro . Woodhouse intimated that he had been honoured with a purse ,