Provincial.

husband , P . M ., P . Z ., and P . Prov . G . D ., to perform the ceremony . The consecrating officer was assisted by Bros . H . S . Alpa ' n , Prov . G . Sec ; Dunkley , P . Prov . G . Chap . ; Captain Mott , Prov . G . S . B . ; John Bowes , Prov . G . Reg ., Cumberland and Westmoreland , as S . W . ; Baldwin , Prov . G . Dir . of Cers ., as I . W . ; Bros . D . Finney , S . W . 148 ; J . Robinson , I . G . 148 ; W . S . Hawkins , 148 ; and about 30 other brethren . After the conclusion of tbe ceremonieswhich were ably renderedthe brethren

, , were entertained at a splendid banquet provided by the W . M . Bro . James Parr , Jun . After the cloth was withdrawn , some excellent speeches were made , enlivened by excellent music from Liverpool brethren . In responding for East Lancashire , Bro . Hinc , Prov . G . W ., drew attention to the very liberal support the great central charities in London received from bis province as compared with West Lancashire , and hoped the two provinces

would always try to rival one another in doing good . Bro . Younghnsbanel showed most conclusively that West Lancashire compared favourably with East Lancashire . She did not send her boys and girls to London , but educated them herself . The West Lancashire Education Institution bad educated hundreds of boys and girls , had now thirty-five on the foundation , and besides an ample revenue above £ 7 , 000 funded property . A very pleasant , afternoon ' s proceedings was brought to a close with tbe Tyler ' s toast . /

OXFORDSHIRE . OXFORD—( Churchill Lodge , No . 478 ) . —The regular meeting of this lodge was held on the 6 th inst ., at the Masonic Hull , Alfred-street , Oxford , when a large number of brethren assembled . The W . M ., Bro . Victor A . Williamson , P . G . W ., proposed that the sum of £ 3 3 s . be given from the funds of the loelge to the Palestine Exploration Fund , which being seconded by the

D . Prov . G . M ., Bro . Alderman Spiers , was carried unanimously . The brethren then proceeded to ballot for a W . M . for the ensuing year , and Bro . the Earl of Jersey , S . W ., was elected to fill the office . Bro . Alderman Spiers was re-elected Treas ., and Bros . Stephens and Norwood , Tylers . Three brethren were proposed as joining members ; and W . Roche , Esq ., of Christ Church ; G . A . Beecroft , Esq ., of Christ Church ( son of the

Member for Leeds ); and C . G . Browne , Esq ., B . A-, of Balliol College , were proposed as candidates for initiation . The brethren adjourned to the banquet , where , under the genial presidency of the W . M ., a most agreeable evening was spent .

Scotland.

SCOTLAND .

AYRSHIRE . TROON . —Navigation Lodge ( No . 86 ) . —The 116 th anniversary of this loelge was celebrated by the brethren dining together in the Commercial Inn , a few nights ago—a festival , to which sister lodges were invited , being held in the same place immediately after dinner . At tire former meeting the chair was filled by the R . W . M ., with the Wardens as croupiers ; and the

company numbered aboufc forty , all of whom expressed their satisfaction with the arrangements which had been made for their comfort by their obliging hostess . The communication which followed was under tbe presidency of the R . W . Bro . Andrew Auld , whose maiden effort to personify the ancient royal occupant of the Orient was creditable alike to himself and to the lod ge . The time chosen b y Bro-Imrie for election to the

declining re- post which he hael so Ion " and honourably filled is most opportune , and thc circumstances under which the Past Master ' s chair comes to be occupied by Bro . Auld are creditable to all concerned . In relinquishing the "highest badge" in No . 86 , Bro . Imrie has left the lodge in a position of unparalleled prosperity . Its finances are strong , its membership numerousits fame for Masonic charity wide-spread

, , and its position as a good-working lodge now consolidated . The unanimity that has for a series of years characterised its action , and the efficiency of its officers have in a hi gh degree contributed to place No . 86 in the honourable position it now occupies ; and in tbe appointment of Bro . Auld to the Mastership the brethren have shown a determination to sustain unimpaired the prestige of the loelge . Judging from his antecedents as occuof of the lesser

pant some chairs , and from a consideration also of tho ability and personal worth of his colleagues in office , Bro . Auld is not b y any means likely , in his direction of the lodge , to disappoint the hopes of those by whose suffrages he

Scotland.

now wields the mallet . That his tenure of office may , if nofc as long , be at least us pregnant with good results to the lodge and satisfaction to himself as was that of his immediate predecessor , is , we are sure , the wish of every one interested in the success of Troon Navigation . Of tbe adornment of the lodge room it may suffice to say that the good taste , which for many years has characterised fche efforts of the brethren in charge of this department of lodge

labour was observable on the present occasion : the walls bore several beautiful models in naval architecture , interspersed with ships' ensigns , statuary , evergreens , & c , while the purely Masonic belongings of Navigation were so disposed as to display their beauties to the best advantage—all was in harmony , from the rough stone in the north-east angle of the lodge to the cube in front of the Orient . Associated with Bro . Auld in his

occupancy of the dais were Bros . Imrie , P . M . ; Fergusson , D . M . ; tbe Rev . John Sime , of Dundonald , Chap . ; Lockhart , P . M . ; Montgomerie , Treas . ; and Black , Sec . Crossing to the south we found the Ionic column upheld by Bro . S . Clark , in which duty he was aided by the sons of No . 86 , who had assembled in considerable strength . Supreme in his own territory the recumbent monarch of the west ( represented by

Bro . M'Neill . ige ) watched with interest the approach of the golden orb towards tho western horizon , giving the while due response to the mandate from tho east that had for a time ignored his rule in favour of his less powerful neighbour . The experience of Bro . Mourney gave effect to the well-timed attention paid to the guests by the deaconrie ; while in the prompt and oft-recurring replenishment of the loving-cup the

services of the Stewards ( Bros . M'Leod and Boyd ) were all that ; could bo desired , as was also tbe vigilance of Bro . Orr in keeping tke profane at a respectful distance from the outworks of the mystic retreat . The guests of the evening were the brethren composing thedeputations sent by Mother Kilwinning , headed by Bro . Dr . Andrew ; St . Andrew , Kilmarnock , led by its Master , Bro .

Buchanan ; St . James Kilwinning , Tarbolton ; St . Andrew ,. Irvine ; St . Barnabas , Cumnock ; and Neptune Kilwinning Ardrossan ( Bro . H . Boyd ) . Bro . D . Murray Lyon , one of fche G . Stewards in tbe Grand Lodge of Scotland , and P . G . S . W of ?'

Ayrshire , was also present ; and among other visiting brefchreD .-we observed Bro . Capfc . Withwall ( of the barque England of Bristol ) , Royal Clarence , Bristol , No . 68 , who returned thanksfor the Grand Lodge of England . The toasts were appositely introduced by Bro . Auld ; and the deputations , through their respective heads , paid tha usnal compliments to the several officers of No . 86 . " The Chaplain " was entrusted to the representative of the Grand

Lodgewho-, prefaced the toast by showing how in tbe olden time the Craftsmen of Scotland , bothbefore and alter the Reformation , contributed of their lodge funds toward the uphold of the ordinances of religion ; that in the present day clergymen of almost every denomination of Christians were to be found participating in the work of Freemasonry ; and that considering Bro . the-Rev . Sime's Masonic antecedents in the capacity of one of

the Mother Kilwinning Chaplains , and his position as the respected Minister of Dundonald , the Troon Lodge was highly favoured in having for its Chaplain one so well qualified for thatoffice . The toast wao received with great enthusiasm , and was duly acknowledged by Bro . Sime , who thanked Bro . Lyon for hisallusion tc the religious tendencies of the Scottish Craft at a

period anterior to the Reformation , as affording him an opportunity for repudiating the foul charges which the Roman Catr . olic Church now preferred against Freemasonry . The Order was indeed a secret society , but its principles were those of Christianity itself , and its loyalty to the constituted authorities was beyond question . After referring to the devotion to religion shown by the joint labours of the clergy and the

Craft in the erection of those cathedrals and abbeys where forcenturies the worship of God was wont to he observed by our forefathers , Bro . Sime concluded his very chaste and eloquent remarks by urging the brethren to diligence and perseverance iu their labours toward tbe uprearing of that spiritual templewbose builder and maker is God . The unfurling of the lodge colours by the brother

( M'Fadzean ) to whose keeping they are entrusted was the signal for the torchlight procession through the principal streets of the town—a feature in the night ' s proceedings which seems to be greatly appreciated by tbe townspeople , who turn out in great numbers to witness tbe marching and counter--