Provincial.

worthily distinguished . In the course of the evening a very beautiful letter was read from Mrs . Dykes , of Dovenby , in reply to au address of condolence presented to that lady by this lodge on the occasion of the bereavement of herself and family by the death ot her husband , Bro . F . L . B . Dykes , whose high standing and never-ceasing interest in the well-being of Freemasonry are so well known and justly appreciated . The address

and reply were ordered to be entered on the minutes of the lodge , and , after the proposal of three more candidates for membership , the lodge was closed , and the members present repaired to the refreshment room .

DEA ONSHIRE . IVXBRIDGE . —lErme Lodge ( No . 1 , 091 ) . —A meeting of this lodge was held on Monday , the 11 th inst ., at the Lodge Rooms , . King ' s Arms Hotel , for the purpose of installing Bro . James Hawton , the W . M . elect , as the AV . M . for the year ensuing . Among the very large and influential gathering of the brotherhood we noticed the following : —Bros . P . M . ' s Chappie 954

, ; -Spry , 954 ; Bird , 954 ; Stoneman , 105 ; Price , 202 ; AA ' elch , 202 . ; Percival J . Barratt , Sec . 1 , 091 ; Michael Patterson , S . D . 1 , 091 ; AA alter Littleton , J . D . 1 , 091 ; AVilliam May , I . G . 1 , 091 ; Dr . Alderson Newsam , Toms , Bassett , Henry Lewis , 1 , 091 ; Brown , Paul , Gudridge , Jones , Allen , Earwicker , and Quance , of 954 ; Manley , 130 ; Cooke , 514 ; -Jones , 705 ; & c . The ceremony of installation was most

impressively rendered by Bro . Horace B . Kent ., I . P . M ., assisted by Bro . Chappie , P . M ., after which the AA' . AI . presented the lodge with a volume , beautifully bound , of the " Sacred Law . " A more appropriate gift could not have been chosen . He then invested his officers as follows -. —Bros . AValter Littleton , S . AV . ; Percival J . Barratt , J . AA . ; Horace B . Kent , P . AL , Treas . ; AA'illiam MaySec ; John O . vlandSDJoseph BassettJD

, , .. ; , .. ; William Biscombe , Dir . of Cers . ; Henry Lewis and AA'illiam Frost , Stewards . The brethren then repaired to partake of the good things of the sub-luminary abode in the shape of a -banquet , prepared by the worthy host , Bro . Toms . It is worthy ¦ of comment that this young lodge has , during the fifteen months of its existence , not only provided itself with suitable furniture , but has paid every liability , which is due to the indefatigable

-energy of its officers and members . The usual loyal and Masonic toasts were duly given and responded to , not forgetting " Our Poor and Distressed Brethren , " after which the meeting broke up at an early hour , well pleased with the proceedings .

LEICESTERSHIRE . LEICESTER . —St . John ' s Lodge ( No . 279 . )—A monthly meeting of this lodge was held on Tuesday the Sth inst ., at the Freemasons' Hall , on which occasion the brethren celebrated the Festival of St . John the Evangelist , which had been postponed ¦ from the 27 th December , on account of the almost helpless state ¦ of the health of the universall-respected Provincial Grand

y Master , Earl Howe , who is now , however , happily progressing towards convalescence . Amongst those present , in addition to the W . M ., Bro . L . A . Clarke , were Bros . 'Kelly , D . Prov . G . M ., and Pettifor , P . M . ' s ; Adlard , S . AV . ; Stretton , Sec . ; Gosling , J . D . ¦ Thorpe , I . G . Visitors : Bros . Klein , P . AI . 21 , P . G . Steward ; Rev . W . Langley , J . W . 1 , 130 , Prov . G . Chap . ; Douglas , S . D . 1 . 130 ; Charles Johnson , P . M . 491 , and P . Prov . S . G . AV . Jersev Duff

A . M . , P . AI ; Major Brewin , P . Prov . S . G . AV ., P . AI . ; W . Johnson , P . M .: J . E . Hodges , J . W . ; Atkins , S . D . ; Toller , Partridge , AVardle , Aface , Sculthorpe , J . C . Clarke , Watson , Moor , Sargeant and Hack , of the John of Gaunt Lodge ( No . 523 ) . The lodge having been opened , and the minutes of the last meeting confirmed , a motion of which notice had been sriven at -the last meeting bthe DProvGMfor the addition of guinea

y . . .., a to the initiation fee , and its appropriation to a sinking fund for paying off the debt on the Alasonic Hall , was carried unanimously . A ballot was taken for Alessrs . George Edward Checkland and Oliver Burton , who were duly elected , and , being present , were initiated in a very efficient manner by the W . AL , ¦ who performed the ceremony for the first time . The charge was delivered by the D . Prov . G . M . A communication was received the decease

announcing of the venerable and learned Bro . Dr . Oliver , and inviting the members of the lodge to attend his funeral , which was to take place at Lincoln on the 7 th inst . with Alasonic honours . On fbe proposition of the D . Prov . G . M ., -seconded by Bro . Pettifor , P . M ., the following resolution was unanimously carried , ordered to be entered upon the minutes , and a copy sent to the family of the departed brother : —

" That this lodge has received with feelings of profound regre the intelligence of the decease of the Rev . George Oliver , D . D ., Past Deputy Provincial Grand Master for Lincolnshire , & c . A loss so important as that of the ' Historian of Alasonry , ' whose pen , during his long and brilliant career in the Craft , has so eloquently and learnedly illustrated Antiquities , the Symbolism , and the Speculative Philosophy and the Moral Teachings of the

Order , is one which must be deeply felt by the fraternity at large ; but the brethren of this lodge claim more than an ordinary interest in that loss , not only in having had the honour of enrolling the name of that distinguished brother as an honorary member , but also in the fact that seventy years ago his late venerable father , the Rev- Samuel Oliver , whilst curate of Lutterworth , was initiated into Alasonry in the lodge , and of

which he became an active and zealous member . AA'hilst now recording upon their minutes their sense of the great loss which tiie Order has sustained by the removal to the Grand Lodge above of so great and good a Alason , the brethren desire at the same time to tender to the family of the departed their sincere and respectful sympathy in the bereavement which they have sustained . " Owing to St . John's having been the mother lodge of his venerable progenitor , the learned doctor had evinced a warm interest in it , and in June , I 860 ,

after the opening of the Freemason ' s Hall in Leicester , and the formation of a library for the use of the brethren , he made a present to it , through the D . Prov . G . AI ., of copies of many of his Alasonic works , and also the original MS . of " Twelve Masonic Songs , written ( one for every lodge night ) , between St . John the Baptist's Day , 1797 , and St . John the Baptist ' s Day , 1798 , and presented to the worthy brethren of St . John's Lodge , Leicester , No . 471 , " by the Rev . Samuel Oliver , and which also

contains several other Masonic songs , hymns , & c . Some of the songs have appeared in the Freemasons' Quarterly Review , and and in the " Revelations of a Square , " ch . 14 . On the proposition of the AV . M-, a vote of condolence was also unanimously carried on the decease of the late Bro . Joseph Underwood , an Alderman , Justice of the Peace , and twice Mayer of Leicester , and who for twenty years had been an active member of the lodge and of a chapterin which for two consecutive years he

, had served the office of AA ' . AI . and AI . E . Z . There being no further business the brethren adjourned to an elegant banquet , to which an ample supply of champagne was added by the AV . AI . The various loyal and Alasonic toasts were duly honoured , interspered with songs by several of the brethren . Bro . C . Johnson kindly presided at the piano , as he had also most effectually done at the organ during the ceremony of initiation .

SOUTH AVALES ( AVESTERN DIVISION ) . AEERXSIWITH . —Aberystwith Lodge ( No . 1 , 072 ) . —Tbe usual monthly meeting of this flourishing lodge was held at the Belle A ue Royal Hotel , on Thursday , the 7 th inst . The lodge was opened iu due form and with solemn prayer by the AV . M ., Bro . G . T . Smith , when there were present Bros . Jesse Baker , S . W . pro tern . ; Stanley J . BalcombeJ . W . pro tern Rev . E . Edwards

, ; , Chap . ; J . W . Szlumper , Sec ; Gorran Clark , S-D . ; Tom S . Stooke , Acting J . D- ; John A aughan , Steward ; C . Rice Williams , I . G . ; F . R . Roberts , G . B . Cumberland , James Garland , Peter Garland , James Bennetts , B . P . Jordan , R . Hughes , Inglis Bervon , John Boundy , R . J . Jones , Morris Jones , R . Selbv , R . de la Hoyde , & c . Also visiting Bros . Fendelon , 30 ° , P . M ., P . Prov . S . G . D . Staffordshire , and Capt Davies , late

of S . S . Express . The Hon . Secretary read the minutes of the previous lodge , which were confirmed . The lodge was then opened in the second degree , and Bro . Barrett Pryse Jordan being a candidate to be raised , was examined as to the progress he had already made in the science , and his answers to the usual questions proving satisfactory , he was entrusted and retired . The lodge was then opened in the third degree , when Bro . Jordan was admitted and raised to the sublime degree of

AI . AL by the W . AI . in a most able and impiessive manner , who also gave the lecture on the tracing board , and our traditional history . The lodge was then closed down to the first degree , when the Hon . Sec . read the report of the Audit Committee . According to that report the finances of this lodge appear to be in a flourishing condition . The consideration of the report as to the furniture and regalia was adjourned to a future lodge .

The AV . M . gave notice that Bro . Paul would at the next lodge propose a revision of the by-law relating to the ballot for initiates and joining members . The AV . AI . further directed that a vote of thanks to Bros . Baker and Balcombe should be placed on the minutes for their having taken and properly carried out