Provincial.

severally occupying the position I Avas ambitious for , and have now attained . But I must tell them they will have to ivork , for I see a determination in the lodge only to put in office such brethren as they have strong reason to believe v .-ill perform the duties of any office efficiently , and to avoid such brethren as wiaild be content merely ivith " rule of thumb" ceremonies , such as opening and closing , and leaving the higher and more important duties of their office to the past

masters , or to our brother Secretary , who , until the last three or four years , AVUS accustomed to do nearly the Avhole of the work . I very much applaud this disposition of the lodge ; for I think , if Freemasonry he a good thing ( as I do not doubt ) , and there be . anything in Freemasonry worth doing at all , it most certainly is -worth doing well . Let this he understood , then , that those officers who do not attend to the performance of their duties are , to say tbe least , betraying trusts reposed in them , and are not the fit and

proper men to hold office in St . Peter ' s , or in any other JIasonic lodge . I thank you , R . AA ' . Sir , for the kind manner you have introduced the toast to the lodge , and to you , brethren , for your cordial support and reception of me . —The next toast ivas proposed by Bro . Dr . EDAA ' ARDS , P . JI . AA ' alsall , and was that of "The D . Prov . G . AI ., and other Grand Oiliceis of the Province , " and he said ¦ that Dr . Burton , the new D . Prov . G . JI ., AVUS the right brother in the right jihice—a round man in a round hole , and not a round

man in a square hole . —Bro . DRAKE , P . JI . of Stafford , responded for himself and other Provincial Grand Officers . —Then folloived tbe toasts of " The P . M . s of G 07 ; " " 'Tlie new Initiate , Bro . Pratt ;" "" The Treasurer , and other Officers ;"" The Visiting- Brethren ;" " Bro . Gough , Installing JIaster ; " —responded to by Bro . Lewis , P . JI . ; " The Health of Bro . T . AA ' . Cooper , " ivho bad performed efficiently the duties of S . AA ' ., and had voluntarily withdraw- ]! his claim for tivelve months to the AA' . JI . ' s chair , was proposed by Pro .

Newnham , and responded to . " The AA ' . JI . of 7 G 9 "—responded to by Bro . Humphreys . —Bro . AA ' arner proposed " The Army , Navy , and Volunteers , " and eulogised the services of Bro . Captain Gough , and the credit he thereby reflected upon Freemasonry . " The Host , Bro . Trigger , " and the Tiler ' s toast concluded the list , and the brethren shortly afteriviu-ds separated , having spent a very agreeable evening . AA ' e should not omit to mention that Bro . 'Trigger and several other brethren amused the company ivith some admirable soncs .

YORKSHIRE ( AVEST ) . BAILEY CAUR , DEIYSUIJRY . —St . John ' s Lodge ( No . 1129 ) . —The a-eguhu- meeting of this lodge was held on Jlonday , the 31 st -December , I 860 , when the AA ' . JI ., Bro . Richard Reed Nelson , and -other officers and brethren ivere present . Bros . Jonathan Day and Tom Chadivick ivere raised to the sublime degree of JIaster Jlasons . The ceremony was performed b y the AA ' . JI . in that able and impressive manner which characterises all his JIasonic proceedingsafter

, ¦ which he gave the lecture on the tracing-board . The business ! being concluded , the brethren adjourned to refreshment . AA ' AKEi-iEi . n . — Wakefield Lodge { No 727 ) . —The brethren of this lodge met on Tuesday , the 8 th instant , under tho presidency of their newly elected and highly respected AA ' orshipful Alaster , Pro . Thomas Senior , when a worthy candidate ivas balloted for , unanimously approved , and duly initiated into the mysteries of our Order .

A communication from the Prov . G . Secretary having been read , ordering mourning to be worn for three months for the liitrht Hon . the Earl of Mexborough , the late R . AV . Prov . G . JI . of AVest Yorkshire , ivho died on tho 25 th December , after liaving presided over the province above 37 years , he being installed at Wakefield , April 3 , 1823 , it was thought that as this ivas the first meeting of the lodge since the afflictive event took place , and especially as the Hon . and Rev . Philip York Savilc , P . Prov . G . C . was a member of the

AA ' akeiiehl Lodge , that it ivould be a pleasing and graceful act on the part of the lodge to pass a resolution of condolence Avith their . Hon . and Rev . Brother . It ivas therefore moved bv Pro . the llev . Dr . Senior , P . Prov . G . C . seconded by Bro . AA'illiam flatter , P . Prov . S . G . AA ' ., and carried unanimously , —That the AA ' orshipfiil JIaster , Ofiicers , and Brethren of tho AA ' akefield Lodge , 727 , do hereby tender to their beloved brother , the Hon . and Rev . Phili p York Savilc , thensincere and hearty condolence on the afflictive bereavement , ivhich

he , as a son and brother , and they , as brethren of the Province of AVest Yorkshire , have sustained in the loss of their revered Sire and Gi-. md Alaster , the Rig ht Hon . the , ' Earl of Mcxboi-ouorli . And earnestly do they pray that the special blessing ofthe ( uA . O . T . U . may rest upon their brother , and upon every member of his respected family , and that this and every chastening providence of their Heavenl y Father may teach every brother in the province to prepare the more earnestl y for admission into that glorious Loilge on high , into ivhich fhey trust that their departed In-other and Grand JIaster has now entered . The secretary , Pro . Dr . Senior , was directed to transmit the resolution to the Hon

and Rev . P . A " . Savilc , ivith the best wishes and kindest regarife' of all the brethren . Another candidate for our ancient rite was ' then proposed , after which fche lodge ,, was closed in perfect peace and harmony . Riroy . — Earl de Grey and Fipon Lodge . — The second monthly meeting of this neivty-establishcd lodge took place on Friday , the 5 th ult ., when there was a goodly muster of the Craft . '

There being two passings , the ceremony wasvery impressively performed by P . JI . Bro . Clark , P . Prov . G . S . D ., AA ' orcestershire , ' P . JI . of the Harmonic Lodge ( 313 ) , Dudley ; there ivas also tivo propositions for the next evening , and as this lodge is a revival of the old Lodge of A ' erity , held in Ripon many years ago , it is pleasing to hear that the old members of the Craft are rall ying round the young blood that is being infused in the spirit of Masonry in this

locality . There is also an old chapter in abeyance connected wifch the defunct lodge , and it is to be hoped that , ere long , sufficient vital elements of that exalted degree will be found to resuscitate Arch JIasonry also in this very ancient city and once stronghold of Freemasonry . Amongst the visitors and members present were P . JI . Bros . Clark , of Lodge 313 ; P . JI . Bishop , the AA ' . JI . ; AA ' ordall , S . AA ' . ; Burlhison , Collinson , Morton , Dauby , . loting , Stephenson , and others . After the business of the evening was overthe

, brethren repaired from labour to refreshment , and spent a very harmonious and truly JIasonic evening . A resolution ivas unanimously carried to avail themselves of the FREEHASONS JIAGAZINE , a copy of that valuable periodical having been submitted to the approval of the officers of the lodge .

. SIIEI'V 1 E 1 , D . —Britannia Lodge { No . 1 G 2 ) . —The regular monthly meeting of this lodge ivas held in the lodge-room at tlie Jlusic Hall , on Thursday , January 10 th , under the presidency of the AA' . JL , Bro . AA'illiam AA'hite , jun . There was a large attendance of the brethren . The lodge having been opened , and the minutes of the last regular lodge and the lodge of emergency having been read and confirmed , Bro . AA'illiam Ibbotson was examined , and , proving proficient , was duly passed to the degree of a Felloiv Craft . The

AA' . JI . ably performed the ceremony , and gave the lecture on the tracing-board , and Bro . AA ' ebster delivered the charge . The lodge ii-as then resumed in the first degree , and Jlr . AA'illiam Tomlhison was admitted to the mysteries and privileges of Ancient Freemasonry . The whole ceremony of initiation , including the charge and the lecture on the tracing-board , being performed in a very impressive manner by the AA ' . JL , who then made a powerful appeal to the brethren for support for the various JIasonic charities ; and

. said that , as he had the privilege of being appointed to serve as Steivard at the approaching Festival of the Royal JIasonic Benevolent Institution , he trusted they ivould maintain the hi gh character ivhich the province of AA ' est Yorkshire at present enjoyed by placing such a sum in his hands as ivould reflect credit upon so prosperous a lodge , and prove that , amidst all the pleasures of this life , they did not forget the tears of the ividoiv and the misfortunes of age . A lecture AVUS then delivered b y Bro . E . AA ' . Shaw , C . E .,

J . AA ' . 382 , Leeds , " On Jlasons' Marks . " The object of the lecturer was to prove , by means of Jlasons' marks , the antiquity of Freemasonry , and also to SIIOAV that , in medncval and modern times , similar marks were , and still are , used by Jlasons . Beautifully

executed drawings of upivards of 1500 marks ivere exhibited ; the oldest being from the pyramids of Gizeh , ivhich ivere built upivards of 1200 years ago ; many were from AI Hadhr , in Jlesopotiimia , a circular town or city , called by Ainsivorth the "Astronomical Citv , " and supposed to have been built b y the Chaldicans about 1500 B . C .: there ivere also a number from AA ' asa i ' ada and other eastern places , those from Eski Kahn in Lycia hearing a strong resemblance to Runic characters . Some very curious marks from the " Cistern

of 1001 Columns" at Constantinople ivcrealso shoivn . Bro . Shaw , after describing IIOAV the Jlasons employed in the building of the 'Temple on Jlount Moriah at Jerusalem were divided into classes , and hoiv the stones ivere "heivn , squared , marked , and numbered " in the quarries , proceeded to give some particulars respecting the wages of the workmen , more especially alluding to the Avages of the AIark Jlasons of the Felloivcraf ' ts , who received half a shekel of silver per day—equivalent to about l . v . l . V

fee now paid at Bradford , Keighley , and other places by the Felloivcrafts on taking their marks . On the completion of the Temple , tho brethren dispersed into various countries , carrying with them their ceremonies , signs , tokens , and words . In the year 7 . 1 . 1 ls . c ., Numa l'oiup ' ilius formed the Roman artificers into separate companies or guilds , according to their different trades ; and the system appears to have been introduced into Britain early in the lirst century , as is evidenced b y the fact of a votive inscription discovered some

years ago in the remains of the ancient city of Coriniuin , near Cirencester , in AA-hich the " College of Jlasons " dedicate a temple to Neptune and Jlinerva , and to the safety of the family of Claudius Cesar , A . D ., 50 . Bro . Shaw exhibited marks from Herculaneum , from Hadrian ' s AA ' all , A . D . 125 , from the Multangular Tower at