Inauguration Of The New Masonic Hall And Buildings.

The Grand Lodge was opened in due form and with solemn prayer . The following is the prayer offered up by the Rev . Bro . T . T . F . Ravenshaw , the Grand Chaplain : — PRAYER . " 0 most glorious and eternal God , Great Architect ofthe Universewho rankest all things bTh and adornest all

, y y power , things by Thy bounty , and fillest all things with Thy goodness , and sanctifiest the hearts and gifts of Thy servants ; Who iu the days of old didst graciously accept the house which our Grand Master , King Solomon , erected to Thy glory ; we praise Thee and bless Thee that Thou hast thus far prospered the handywork of us Thy Servants , who are this day met together , in Thy fear and loveto dedicate a house to Thee to the lories of Th

, g y name . " AVe humbly pray Thee that Thou wouldest vouchsafe to sanctify this house and these gifts to Thy service , by the outpouring of Thy holiness from above . Let the Sun of Righteousness ever shine here , and let the bright illumination of Thy Grace fill this place and all our hearts for ever . " That which we dedicate , do thou bless ; that which we offer ,

do Thou accept ; those who shall assemble here in Thy name , do Thou visit graciously , and with the spirit of Thy wisdom enlighten now and ever , even until the Great Accounting Day , when the trumpet of the Archangel shall summon us all to receive the due reward of our labours , in the Grand Lodge above , where Thou , Great Architect , Redeemer , Sanctifier , dost reign eternally , unto the ages of ages . " So mote it be . "

The Grand Superintendent of AYorks now approached the throne , and handed to the Grand . Vaster the plans of the new , and now completed buildings . The Grand Master said : —Brethren , we are this day honoured by the attendance of the Right Hon . the Earl of Dalhousie , Grand Master for Scotland , and therefore I shall ask that two Past AVardens , two deacons , and two Stewards , shall retire and conduct him into Grand Lod .

ge These officials accordingly retired for the purpose , and on their return , escorting his lordship , he was received with loud and enthusiastic cheering . He was conducted to tlie dais , and took his seat on the left of the Grand Master . AVhen the cheering had subsided , The Earl of Dalhousie rose , and said : —Brethren , I will not detain youor cause any interruption of the proceedingsb

, , y making a speech at this time , but I cannot help thanking you most cordially , in the name of my Scottish brethren , for the reception you have given me as their Grand Master , and I say that 1 accept it as a proof of the brotherl y love and affection which I trust will always subsist between the two countries . Loud cheering followed these few remarks . The Grand Secretary ( Bro . Hervey ) then read the summons

convening the special Grand Lodge for that day . The Grand Secretary read a letter from the Earl do Grey and Ripon , stating that he was unable to attend , having only recently received the commands of her Majesty to attend a Council at AVindsor . Therefore he could not refrain from obeying her Majesty to attend the Council , but still he would have been amongst them at a later period of the day had her Majesty not also invited him to dinner with her at AVindsor Castle . Such being the case , his lordship would be quite unable to attend .

Bro . J . Havers , P . G . W ., and Chairman of the Building Committee , then addressed the Grand Lodge , and said on the present occasion it was his duty that day to address a few observations in reference to the building they were about to inaugurate , but as he should be followed b y the Grand Chaplain , who would deliver an oration in which the subject would be fully treated , he should only give a short statement as to tlie origin and completion of the building . For a long period there had existed an

earnest desire amongst many members of Grand Lodge , that they should have a fitting home for English Freemasons , and when a committee was formed to consider that subject , they approached the task with gre » t difficulty , for as all large bodie ' s were difficult to remove , they found that the Masonic body did not materiall y differ from them in that respect . It was about ten years when the subject was first mootedbut it not

ago , was until 1862 that the committee was formed , and the work was nearly completed ( as he was understood to say ) in 1867 . He understood that the principle of competition wiis received with disfavour amongst architects , but tho execution of this work by the Grand Superintendent of AYorks had tended to rescue the

system of competition from the disfavour that was previously cast upon it , as it was believed the committee had accepted the best design . The money for the erection of the building had been borrowed on the credit of Grand Lodge , and although the committee had obtained powers to borrow an extra £ 3 , 000 for the completion of that temple , he was glad to say that their anticipations of the probable cost were correctand they were

, not required to draw the extra £ 3 , 000 . Tho committee felt that there was considerable elasticity in the Craft , they possessed their confidence , and they believed ' that they could build the building for the sum named , and that they would never miss the money . AVhen they proposed to build this new building they did not expect to get a . return for the erection of their house , but at present they received a rental of £ 1 , 200 and

a premium of £ 5 , 000 , and in a few years the rental would amount to £ 3 , 140 . It must , however , be borne in mind that this amount was not all clear profit , for there were increased taxes and other charges ; but there was one matter that he referred to with regret—there was a coffee-room and library for the use ofthe brethren , comfortable in all respects , and yet not more than 30 members availed themselves of it , although there was no entrance fee to be paid , and the whole subscription was

one guinea per annum . He was happy to say that , with the exception of some small articles of furniture still required , all bills were discharged , and all debts were paid . It was a subject of great congratulation to the Building Committee and to

himself in particular that they were approaching the termination of their seven years' labour , and they felt that , under very trying circumstances , to the best of their ability they had performed their duty ; but , at the same time , he asked the indulgence ; of the brethren for any shortcomings , and he begged to tender to his lordship for his undeviating confidence which he had from the first reposed in them . There was one great source of congratulation to them , and one of which they were very highly proud ,

that the good work had been begun , carried on , and completed during his lordship ' s term of office as Grand Master , and , although the waves of Masonry at one time ran high , all was then calm , and there was not a portion ofthe building but would , be identified with the name of Zetland , and it would also be cherished in the hearts of Freemasons . He should be lacking in gratitude if he did not also express it to everyone of bis colleagues for the kindness and support they had at all times given

to him , and particularly to his esteemed Bro . Plucknett , to whom he was greatly indebted for the assistance he had given him . In conclusion , he said he had seen carried out the dearest wish of his heart , in the separation , of tavern accommodation , from Masonry , for they then possessed a fitting temple for tho practice of their art , and long might it flourish . The following anthem was then sung , under the direction of Bro . . Tallies Coward , Grand Organist , by Bros . Barnby , Coward , Fielding , AValker , AAllbyo Cooper , Montem Smith , Theodore Distin , and AYiiin : —¦

' I HATE SUHELY BUILT THEE AN HOUSE .. ''—Boyce . " I have surely built thoe an house to dwell in : a settled place lor theo to abide in for over . ' 'But will God indeed dwell on tho earth ? behold , tho hoavon , and heaven of heavens , cannot contain thoo : how much loss this house that I have buildod . " Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servantO

, Lord my God . " That thine oyos may be opened towards this house night and day , oven toward tho place of which thou hast said , My Name shall bo there . "And hearken thou to tho supplication of thy servant , and of thy people Israel , when thoy shah pray towards this place : and hoar thou in hoavon thy dwelling placo : and when thou hoarost ,

forgive . l ; If there be iu the land famine , if their ho pestilence , whatsoever plague , whatsoever sickness there bo : ' AVhat prayer and supplication soever bo mado by any man , or by all thy people Israel , which shall know every man the plague of his own heart , and spread forth his hands towards this house :

I : Then hoar thou in heaven thy dwelling place , and forgive . " And tho Lord said to Solomon , I have hoard thy prayer : I have hallowed this house which thou has built , to put my name thoro for over : and mine eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually . "—Anion . Halleluiah .