Provincial.

masonic music The Committee of Petitions met at the Guston Hotel , immediately on the arrival of the train , and did some valuable aud benevolent work , considering all claims for relief which were brought before them . Meantime tbe other brethren assembled in Grand Lodge , which was duly opened by -the R . W . the Prov . Grand Master in the usual form . Br . Major Yates , Prov . S . G . AV ., filled his chair , and Br . Captain Tanner Davy acted as ProvJGAVin

. ..., the absence of Br . Prinsep , aud the other chairs were occupied by their respective officers . The new Torbay Lodge , No . 1358 , ivas then opened , and after the warrant had beeen read and the L'dge properly placed , & c . the D . Prov . G . M ., Bro , L . P . Metham , delivered the following oration , Avhich excited much applause : —Under whatever circumstances Masons meetwhether as individuals in the street or in the

, dwelling-house , whether in the lodge-room , or on au occasion of greater solemnity like the present , one sentiment alone animates them , one opinion alone prevails as to the immutability of the principles to which they owe obedience and regard . Politicians differ as to the principles by which mankind are to be governed although all profess that , in governing , they seek to confer the greatest amount of good on the greatest possible number of

individuals . Religious bodies , although they invoke the name and rely on the mercy of the same benificent God for temporal happiness and eternal salvation , have even shed each other ' s blood in their zeal for their own , and their hatred of another ' s faith . But Masons do not . cannot differ as to their principles ; they would cease to be Masons the moment that any but tbe one true view of Masonry is entertained and acted on . The methods

by which those principles are inculcated and enforced are , of necessity , antiquated , for they have been handed down from father to son , by oral tradition , through numberless generations . But being founded on Eternal Truth they are firm and solid as they are venerable . In those four words of our ritual , "Brotherly Love , Relief , Truth , " are the germ of all our principles . AVe may ornament them , we may enlarge , we may elucidate , we may practically apply them , but still they stand unaltered , the beacon light which lias shone through ages when all else was dark , the pure morning

star which is to lead the happy future to the time when sorrow and suffering shall pass away for ever at the presence of its expanded rays . AVhen we look back to the history of tbe past and reflect on the ruins of the narrow prejudices and seemingly unpassable barriers it has demolished , and of the bitter animosities it has quenched ; when AVO regard too , the movements of toleration , peace , and good-will it has erected in the minds of its disciplesthe princiles of Masonry need no argument for

, p their support . They are the embodiment of charity in its truest , amplest sense : the charity which carries comfort and consolation to every one of our fellow-creatures in the hour of their need , to the widow and the orphan , the sick , the blind , the deaf , the dumb , the halt , and the maimed . It is that charity which encourages the feeble in their stem battle of life , aids the unfortunate in their troublesand bids the despairing take heart

, again ; which protects the weak , and succours the oppressed , of whatever race or creed . It it that charity which thinketh no evil , and speaketh no evil , which gives to others the right it claims for itself of freedom ot thought and freedom of speech ; it is that charity which not only preaches but practices peace and good-will among men , and which , as the ritual of masonry teaches us , leads us so to walk through life that we may raise our

eyes in humble and devout confidence in death , —to that bright morning star whose rising shall bring peace and salvation to the faithful and obedient of the human race . Such are the words , "Worshipful Master and brethren of the Torbay Lodge , which you , however feebly I may express them , one and all acknowledge without a moment ' s hesitation , convey to your minds a correct description of the doctrines which Masonry enunciates to her children ; not a sentence will pass your lips , not even a thought

Avill cross your minds to protest that I have painted Masonry in colours too bright and glowing . No brother will be so great a traitor to those principles as to say , or even think , that Masonry is only a portrait of ideal excellence , meant as a pastime for poetical imagination , rather than a practice to be followed and obeyed . Its teaching is our trustiest staff in the battle of life ; it instils into us patience and perseverance , and a firm trust in the final triumph of all that is good . The best of its lessons is the duty of work , constant work for ourselves and others ; the idler in Masonry , liJce the slovenly husbandman , gets little for

his pains when he merely scratches the surface : the earnest and industrious man who digs deep finds a mine of gold which will never fail . In its salutary influences it adds to the pleasant links which Providence has provided for strengthening social and domestic ties ; to love Masonry , and to care nothing for the home constitutes a paradox which no true Mason can understand . If Masonry rightly practised conduces , as 1 contend it doesto make men

realtruthfulhonestinde-, , , , pendent , broadminded and Avarmhearted to the outer world , surely in that inner world , his home , it Avill make them kindly , considerate and affectionate to those AVIIO depend on them for happiness and comfort . At best life is not very long . A . fewmore smiles , a few more tears , some pleasure , much pain , sunshine and song , clouds and darkness , hasty greetings , abrupt fareAvellsand life ' s lay will closeaudinjured or injurerall

, p ; , , will pass away and be forgotten . Is it worth while to hate each other or to wrangle on so short a journey ? Be constant then . I pray you , Brethren of the Torbay Lodge , in the practice of active universal charity , not only the charity of alms-giving , beautiful and commendable as that is , but that higher , deeper , broader charity , Avhich ennobles and sanctifies life . The one is lovely when even holding forth a cup of cold water to the

passing weary pilgrim ; let that be your delight and daily practice ; but the other , digging a well in the desert , Avhose Avaters , once rising to the surface , shall flow on for ever , to quench the burning thirst of generations yet unborn ; let that be the one aim and ambition of your lives as Masons . Let it be your earnest and lifelong purpose to make the world better and happier than you found it . If you have done or determined to do this , Masonry is not to you only an occasion for social gatherings and

friendly recognition , it is not a sealed book , but , passing beyond the portals , you have entered the inner courts of the temple , and there you will learn the true doctrines of Masonry , the lessons which smooth and adorn the path of life and cheer the bed of death . As a learned brother and minister of the Gospel in America has well said , "Remember , all the plans of Freesonry are pacific . It co-operates with our blessed religion in regulating the tempers , restraining the passions , and harmonising the discordant interests of men breaths a spirit of

universal love and benevolence ; adds one thread more to the silver cord of evangelical charity which binds man to man , and seeks to entwine the cardinal virtues and Christian graces iu tbe web of the affections and the drapery of the conduct . " AA ' ould all Masons but practice and enforce the doctrines Masonry teaches them , how much of the misery which the world has witnessed during the last year Avould have been avoided 1 The character of a true man is to hope all things

notimpossible , and to strive for all things not unreasonable . Why should we despair of the reason which has enabled us to subdue all nature to our purposes being competent , if permitted by the providence of God , to achieve the still more difficult task of enabling the collective will ot mankind to bear down the obstacles which human shortsightedness , selfishness , and passion oppose to a " consummation so devoutly to be wished ? " To do

this it only needs that every brother should practice what he so professes to admire , aud that he should labour by night and byday , in season and out of season , to forward principles so beneficent and divine . AVhile the day hath light , let light be used , For no man can the night control ! Or ever the silken cord be loosed , Or broken the golden bowl .

May we build King Solomon's Temple AVith a true masonic soul ! Bro . AV . G . Rogers , G . S ., next read the minutes of the last Provincial Grand Lodge , and then Bro . Jew , representing a committee , stated that £ 48 6 s . 8 d . was due for fees of honour . They had received of these arrears £ 18 17 s . 8 ( 1 .. leaving a balance unpaid of £ 30 9 s ., and they regretted to have to report that owing to the death of five of the brethren , the sum of £ 9 9 s .

was irrecoverable , This arose certainl y from the want of perseverance on the part of the Treasurer , and the committee strongly recommended that all fees of honour should be paid on the appointment to office or within one month , or the P . G . S . make immediate application for tho same . Bro . Jew then , Avhile giving due eulogiuin to the conduct of the Prov . G . M ., showed that the sum of £ 71 8 s . was lost by making re-appointments to honours , instead of appointing fresh men . The Prov . G . M ., Bro . Huyshe , thanked Bro . Jew for the report ,