Craft Masonry.

J . D . ; and P . Mac Galium , I . G . Bro . R . White , P . M . and Secretary , was absent through severe indisposition , and his duties , which were more than usually onerous this evening devolved upon Bro . Jones , Treasurer and Deacon . The charity-box of this lodge has been abolished , and a fixed subscription substituted . Several visiting brethren were present at the capital banquet which closed the evening .

PERFECT ASHLAB L ODGE ( No . 1 , 178 ) . —The installation meeting of this lodge took place on Thursday at Bro . Drapper ' s , the Gregorian Arms Tavern , Jamaica Road , Bermondsey . The chair was taken punctually at four o ' clock by the W . M ., Bro . J . W . Avery , and tlie lodge opened , and the minutes of the previous meeting , ancl the report of the audit committee read and confirmed . The second and third degrees were announced to be workedbut the various candidates being principally nautical

, men , and at present absent from England , the business of the evening , beyond the ceremony of installation , was confined to the initiation of four gentlemen into the Order , and those candidates , each arriving at different periods of the evening , had to be separately initiated from the beginning to the end of the ceremony , thus rendering the Master ' s office no sinecure . The labour having been concludedand the lodge properly

constitu-, ted , the W . M . elect , Bro . Josiah Green , was introduced and presented , and , according to ancient form and custom inducted into the Master ' s Chair , the installing master , Rro . Avery , being enthusiastically greeted by the numerous assembly at the close of his arduous labours . The ceremony was admirably done . The appointment of officers on this occasion afforded such an opportunity for rapid promotion as is seldom the case in any

lodge . The Senior Warden had been elected to the chair , the Junior Warden , Bro . Bartlett , although earnestly pressed to accept the vacant office by the W . M . and other brethren , firmly refused , and the Senior Deacon of the lodge had resigned his membership of the lodge at its last meeting , thus the W . M . had three of the most important offices of the lodge at the disposal of those who but yesterday held hut subordinate positions in it . The W . M . may be congratulated on the choice he has made , as

he has secured a thoroughly good working staff , and we trust that they may have many opportunities of proving their powers during the ensuing year . In the course of the evening , the retiring Master , Bro . J . W . Avery , returned thanks to the lodge for the very handsome vote of five guineas presented to him for the purpose of purchasing a Past Master's jewel to commemorate his year of office ; he stated , however , that as he was conscious that during his mastershihe had upheld the honour and

usefulp ness of the lodge , and that be well knew that his brethren felt and appreciated bis exertions , he required no other remembrance of the happy year he bad passed as Master of the Perfect Ashlar Lodge , and therefore , instead of purchasing a jewel with the money , he had devoted it to the Royal Masonic Girls ' School , where it would do more substantial good than if spent in a personal decoration . Tlie installation banquet was a very

excellent one , and a very interesting and agreeable evening was hrought to a close at an unusually early hour , the London division arriving in town at eleven o ' clock , every one delighted with the days' proceedings . LEBANON LODGE ( No . 1 , 326 ) . —A regular meeting of the Lodge was held on the 30 th ult ., at the Red Lion Hotel , Hampton . The chair of K . S . was occupied by Bro . T . T . Moss , when

Bro . Saville passed to the Second Degree . Bro . James Terry , P . P . G . S B ., Herts , raised at the same meeting Bros , J . T . Dalby and Watkins ( of No . 879 ) and Bro . J . Thomas . Tho W . M . called attention to his Stewardship for the . Aged Freemasons and obtained the names of most of them as bis supporters at the next Festival . The Lodge was then closed , and the Brethren adjourned to slight refreshment . Bros . J . Palmer , 27 ; Jas . Terry , P . M ., 228 ; and J . H . Moss , 169 , were present as visitors .

Provincial.

PROVINCIAL .

CHESHIRE . CEEWE . —Lodge of tlie Four Cardinal Virtues ( No . 969 ) . — The annual meeting of this lodge was held at Crewe Arms Hotel , on Tuesday , 4 th inst ., when upwards of forty brethren assembled . The lodge was opened at 3 o ' clock , and the minutes of the previous meeting having been read and confirmed , the W . M . announced that Bros , the Rt . Hon . Lord de Tabley , Prov . G . M .,

Capt . Cope , Prov . G . S . B ., and Prov . G . S . W ., Rev . F . Terry , Prov . G . Chap ., I . A . Birch , Prov . S . G . D ., were outside the lodge seeking admission , and called upon the brethren to receive them in due form . The Chair of K . S . having been offered to the R . W . P . Grand Master , who politely declined , the W . M . proceeded with the initiation of Mr . S . Heath , Junr ., of Crewe , and worked that ceremony so efficiently as to call forth the encomium of most of the members present . The Installing MasterBro .

, Capt . Cope , Prov . G . S . B ., and Prov . G . S . W ., then took the chair , and Bro . Thos . E . Gibson was introduced to him as tho W . M . elect . The ceremony of installation was then proceeded with , and conducted in that admirable and impressive manner for which Bro . Cope is so justly celebrated , and which was a great treat to all who had the privilege of witnessing it . At the comletion of this the lodge being closed to the first

p ceremony , degree , and after hearty good wishes from several ledges , and other business , Bro . Whale , P . M ., gave notice that at the following lodge he should move that a further sum of ten guineas be given out of the lodge funds to the Masonic Boys' School . The lodge was then closed , and the brethren retired from labour

to refreshment . The chair was occupied by tlie WM ., who was supported on his right by the Rt . W . Prov . G . M . the Et . Hon . Lord de Tabley ; Bro . the Rev . F . Terry , Prov . G . Chap . ; Bro . the Rev . J . N . Tanner , P . Prov . G . Chap ., and Bro . " J . A . Birch , P . S . G . D ., and on the left by Bro . Capt . Cope , P . G . S . B ., and P . S . G . W . ; the Immediate P . M ., and P . Masters ofthe Lodge . Grace having been said , and the cloth removed , the W . M . proposed the following toasts-. — -The Queen ; The Prince and

Princess of Wales , and rest of the Royal Family ; The Most W . G . M ., the Right Hon . Earl cle Grey and Ripon ; ' The Deputy G . M ., and other- G . Officers , past and present . This was responded to by the R . W . Prov . G . M . Lord de Tabley . The W . M . next proposed in appropriate and eloquent terms the health of the Right W . Prov . G . M ., the Right Hon . Lord de Tabley , referring to the honour that the Prov . G . M . bad conferred upon

them as Masons and as a Lodge , and hoped that it would stimulate them to increased Masonic exertion , and hoped that the time was not far distant when they would again have the pleasure of welcoming him amongst them . His Lordship replied in a most earnest manner , thanking the W . M . and the

Bretliren for their good wishes , and expressed the sincere pleasure it gave him being present on that occasion , and the gratification it would afford him to assist the Lodge at some future occasion , anel assured them that the warm and truly Masonic welcome they had greeted him on his appearance amongst them would ever be remembered by him with feelings of gratitude . He also expressed himself very favourably impressed with the excellent working of the Loelge ; the unanimity

and concord evident amongst the Brethren , and the great hospitality and heartiness with which the visitors had been received , and conrluded by proposing the health of the W . M . The W . M . responded iu an animated aud eloquent speech , and hoped tho lodge would continue to prosper under his management as it had during the mastership of his predecessor .-. The toast of the Deputy Prov . G . M ., and other Prov . G . officers was next proposedassociated with the name of

, the Prov . G . Chap ., Bro . Rev . F . Terry , who responded , and said that they ( the officers ) had such an excellent ; Prov . G . Master that it was impossible tbey could be other than good officers ; therefore he did not think that they were entitled to so much credit as they generally received . He urged upon the Brethren the necessity of doing

more good to their fellow creatures , not only in a Masonic point of view , hut also to tho outer world ; and although they might say that " charity begins at home , " he was sure there was nothing in Masonry to teach that it should end there . The Prov . G . M . then addressing the T . P . Master , Bro . Banks , said it gave him much pleasure on behalf of the members of the Lodge to present him with a P . M . Jewel in token of their esteem and appreciation

of his service while Master of the Lodge , anel was sure from the manner in which he had worked the ceremony of initiation that he was well deserving of it . Bro . Banks very feelingly responded , and thanked the Brethren for their kindness—a kindness which he should never forget , and which lie appreciated more from the feeling of good will which it evinced than for the intrinsic value of the jewel itself . Tlie W . M . next proposed the health ofthe Installing Master , Bro . Capt . Cope , aud referred to his kindness on previous occasions . Bro . Cope briefly thanked the Brethren , and stated that the "four Carelin-. d