Scotland.

by the Secretary , Grand Steward , and the Senior and Junior Wardens . The usual loyal aud patriotic toasts wore proposed and responded to .

GLASGOAV . ST . JOHN ' LODGE . —The 801 st anniversary of this Lodge , tho most ancient iu the city , ivas held on the 27 th December , winter St . John ' s Day , in the Tontine Hotel . Shortly after live o ' clock the members met for the purpose of installing the R . AV . Master ancl office-bearers who hacl been elected to serve during tho ensuing year . At the conclusion of this interesting ceremony they adjourned to the great hallwhereafter they had taken their placesdeputations were received

, , , from the Lodges Glasgow Kilwinning , No . 4 ; Glasgow St . Mungo , No . 27 ; Kirkintilloch Kilwinning St . John ' s , No . 28 ; Glasgow St . Mark , No . 102 ; Glasgow Star , No . 219 ; Shamrock and Thistle ; Glasgow Commercial , No . 360 ; and St . Clair , No . 362 . There were also present visiting Brethren from other Lodges , who vied with one another in showing the great esteem in ivhich the St . John ' s ivas hold throughout the province ancl west country . It may not be amiss for us to give a few sentences regarding its history , ivhich we extract from a sketch of the

Lodgedrawn up by Bro . James Cruikshank , builder , lately 1 VW . M . The St . John ' s hold a charter from Malcolm III ., King of Scotland , of date 1057 . This charter has been carefully handed down from generation to generation , and is still in their possession , and , although a little defaced , is in a tolerable state of preservation . It is believed to be a genuine charter j and along with it they have a translation of the original , which shows that the Lodge and Incorporation of Masons was constituted on the petition of the operative masons of Glasgowfor the purpose of

, building tho cathedral , for keeping out unskilled workmen who hacl come to work there , and also for putting down irregular Lodges got up by them . Thoy were therefore allowed to form themselves into one incorporation , and to have a free Lodgo for ever ; not only so , but in the very words of the charter— " None in my dominions shall erect a Lodgo until thoy make application to the St . John ' s Lodgo of Glasgow . " This original charter is not the only guarantee to prove their antiquity , for we find , when Bishop Jocoline commenced to re-erect the cathedral in

1181 ( tho former having been destroyed by fire ) , he received from King AA'illiam tho Lion a charter of confirmation in favour of the Lodge . It ivould appear the Corporation and the Lodge , chartered at one and the same time , have gone hand in hand up till the union with tho Grand Lodge in 1819 . Evidence of this is given in a charter of 1628 , where it is stated—John Boyd is Deacon of the incorporation and Master of the Lodge . Their excellent and venerable Secretary , Geo . Young , Esq ., who has held tho office of Secretary to the Lodge , and clerk to the incorporationfor nearly half a centurytells ns it has been tho custom during the

, , long time he has held both offices . And ive find the last Brother who held both offices at the same time was AA'illiam York , Esq ., in 1819 . Mr . York was also Deacon-convener of the fourteen incorporated trades about the same time . It is to be regretted that tho books and records of tho Lodge have been lost up till the present century . The members have , however , belonging to the Lodge a very fine old oak box , beautifully carved , with the date lb'Sl engraved on it , ancl a fow very old sashes , with the year 1600

marked on them—those no doubt being the dates at which they were made . About ono hundred and fifty Brethren sat down to dinner , presided over b y Bro . Sir Archd . Alison , Bart ., R . AA ' . Prov . G . M ., who was supported by Bro . David AVinton , R . AV . M ., St . John ' s ; Bros . Jas . Craig of Middleton , P . M . ; Jas . Cruikshank ; J . G . Houstoun ; Bailie M'Culloch ; lvcrr , Edinburgh ; the Eev . AA ' . D . Henderson , Chaplain P . G . L . ; Deacon-convener , Morrison ; and Donald Campbell . Bro . Gavin ParkS . AVofficiated as croupierancl on either side of him wc observed BrosAV

, , , . . Yuille , Sutherland , Morrison , Hill , Robt . Craig , aud Bryce . Bro . Alex . Christie , jun ., who occupied the J . AV . 's chair , was supported by Bro . AVm . Forbes and Dr . Wilson . Bro . the Rev . AA' . D . Henderson having implored the divine blessing , the assembled Brethren sat down to an excellent dinner . Aftor the usual loyal toasts , the chairman gave the next toast ou the list , " The Grand Lodge of Scotland aud the Duke of Athole , " coupled with the health of Bro . Kerr , who briefly replied ,