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HAMPSHIRE .

WINCHESTER . — -Lodge of Economy ( No . 90 ) . —The usual monthly meeting of this loclge took place at the rooms adjoining the Black Swan Hotel , on the evening of Wednesday , the llth inst . There ivas a very numerous lodge on this occasion , the general attendance having been greatly increased by visiting members , officers , and other brethren of the Hampshire

"Teomanry Cavalry , who wore on permanent duty in the city . Among tho brethren present were the following : —The W . M ., Bro . Alfred Smith ; Bros . Jacob , S . W . ; Sheppard , J . W . ; Levander , S . D . ; Waterman , J . D . ; Fisher , I . G . ; Huggins , Sec ; TV . TV . Beach , M . P . for N . Hants ; Capt . Wyndham Portal , P . G . W . ; Cornet Drummond ; Cornet Lamb ; J . R . Stebbing , V . P . Board of General Purposes ; Binckes , Sec . of the Boys ' School ; Naish , P . M . 90 ; Sherry , P . M . 90 ; Everett , P . M . 90 ;

Carter , P . M . 90 ; La Croix , P . M . 90 ; Hasleham , P . M . 90 ; Newman , P . M . 90 ; Oakshott , P . M . 90 ; Hulbert , W . M . 995 ; Figgins , and about forty other brethren . The lodges represented at the meeting were Nos . 90 , 152 , 3 S 7 , 42 S , 462 , 717 , 915 , 995 , 1087 , and 1106 . The loclge was duly opened with prayer , and the minutes of the last meeting read and confirmed . The W . M ., in some brief observations , bade the numerous visiting

brethren a hearty welcome , ancl said the peculiar circumstances of the evening would make it convenient to adopt a special arrangement , therefore he begged to suggest that having transacted some necessary business , they should early adjourn for refreshment , and come again to lodge ancl hear the discussion ivhich was to take place . The W . M . said there was one task to perform of a sorrowful character . A brother who hacl been the senior Past Master and Treasurer of the lodge had just been

removed by death . They could not allow such an occasion of sorrow to pass over without tendering to the sorrowing wicloiv and family the expression of their sincere condolence with tbem on the melancholy event ; ancl he read a letter which he suggested the Secretary should be directed to send . ' —Bro . NAISH , P . M . proposed , and Bro . HASLEHAM seconded , that the letter just read by the W . M ., should be sent to the widow of the late'Bro . Dnrant . This was put from the chair , and carried

unanimously . —Bro . BINCKES begged that the W . M . would allow him to delay for a short time tbe the proceedings of the eA'ening , whilst he expressed to the brethren his gratitude for the high honour they hacl conferred upon him some time before , by electing him an honorary member of the Loclge of Economy . From the peculiar circumstances of the time at ivhich the honour was conferred , he felt he was laid under a very great obligation , and he always looked upon it as a bond of union between him

and this Loclge in their exertions in behalf of Masonry . —The W . M . said that the Lodge were convinced , that in electing Bro . Binckes an honorary member , they were doing honour to themselves rather than to him ; ancl they hoped often to have the pleasure of meeting him in the Lodge of Economy . The brethren here adjourned for refreshment . On their return to the lodge room , ihe usual loyal and Masonic toasts were given . —The W . M . called upon Bro . Stebbing to address the lodge , ( as that brother was obliged to leave early ) . —BI-O . * STEBBIN & was glad to embrace this onportunity for thanking the brethren of

No . 90 for electing him an honorary member , and assured them he felt highly gratified by the compliment . He would nontouch upon another subject alluded to by the W . M . It was proposed ts alter and increase tho accommodation of the Masonic body in London . He liacl the fortune , or misfortune , to belongto the Board of General Purposes ; and therefore was tolerably well acquainted ivith tbe schemes brought forward . He must say he was totally averse to any profuse expenditure of money ,

and when he found it ivas proposed to expend £ 32 , 000 , which in the end ivould probably amount to £ 40 , 000 , he must tell the brethren that all tho money they had to spend was £ 18 , 000 . The Masonic funds belonged to charity , and he should most strenously resist any attempt to divert those sacred funds to the erection of a great Masonic Hall , or to any speculative construction whatever . He proposed that they should bo restricted to the £ 18 , 000 , and not go one shilling beyond it . It was urged

they should attain an additional income of £ 2 , 000 or £ 3 , 000 a year ; but even if that were to bo the case they ivould ivaut it for extra expenditure , The Grand Lodge possessed under the control of tho Board of Benevolence , some £ 20 , 000 ; but if that

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money were spent what would become of the charities hereafter If in order to get a palace they spent the money ivhich belonged to the aged and decayed , it would bo the act of a spendthrift without the care of ? . man and a Mason . Bro . Stebbing entered into lengthened details as to the present condition of the property , and discussed the applicability of several schemes that had been brought before the Board of General Purposes . He concluded by saying that he would rather see the charities

of the order kept in a flourishing state , and the old people and the children happy , then have ; . Solomon ' s Temple . The dictate of Masonry was charity first , and splendour afterwards . — TheW . M . then called upon Bro . Binckes to oppose the opinions of Bro . Stebbing . —Bro . BINCKES said he never had been , ancl hoped he never should be opposed to Bro . Stebbing . Tbe difference between them was

merely a matter of detail . Ke was anxious to offend none b y his remarks , as he wanted tho support of all" when he should come to impress upon them the claims of that Masonic institution with which he ivas peculiarly connected . He wished other

lodges would follow the example of No . GO in discussing matters respecting the general interests of the Craft . He epiite agreed with Bro . Stebbing that the Craft should not go to an extravagant expenditure ; but be ivas clearly of opinion that something must be done witii the property in Great Queen-street . At present it was a positive disgrace to the Craft . Many country lodges had much superior accommodation to that provided for the Grand Lodge of England . He considered that tavern

accommodation was a necessary adjunct . There was scarcely a lodgeroom , properly so called , in London , being generally rooms hi taverns or hotels , without any peculiarity to show that they Avere adopted for any particular purpose . Masonry must either be a great farce or a great reality ; he thought it surpassed by nothing but religion , and that it should be carried on in homes of its own , proper rooms being provided for the exclusive performance of the ritual . Whilst opposed to any extravagant expenditure

on the property in Great Queen-street , he hoped the brethren would take a liberal view of the matter , and make some sacrifice for the sake of the dignity of the Order , to which they were attached . He believed that their income would not suffer , but that the outlay ivould be almost , if not quite , covered by

the additional receipts produced by the superior accommodation that ivould be afforded . He agreed with the limit proposed by Bro . Stebbing , since he thought that for the sum he mentioned , they coulcl have everything they at present required . What he wanted was not splendour , but dignity . Their charities weredaily increasing , and must soon come before Grand Lodge for further support ; the allowance to tiie schools had not been increased , though that to the Aged ancl Decayed Masons' Fund had .

been . It was a most difficult and complicated question , and it coulcl only be satisfactorily settled by mutual concessions for the sake of the general good . —Bro . Capt . WYNDHAM PORTAL , P . G . W . of England , in rising to reply on behalf of the Grand Master and Grand Officers , said he regretted tbat his state of health compelled him to be very brief in his observations . He hoped the time would never come when the toast would be received with less cordiality than ifc had been that evening . He congratulated ,

the brethren on being presided over by a Grand Master , in whom Masonic zeal , honour and integrity , were combined in the highest degree . He never felt so happy as when assisting in promoting Masonry , and esteemed himself peculiarly happy in being present ,

feeble as he was , on that interesting occasion . He congratulated the W . M . on the honourable position he then held in tbe loclge , and he hoped the brethren ivould never have a W . M . less deserving of respect than the one he had the honour of seeing on his right hand . —The W . M . proposed ' - ' The Health of tho venerable Provincial Grand Master , " to whom every Mason in Hampshire looked up as a child to his parent . They were all proud of him in tho provinceand lie was a credit to the countand on more

, y , occasions than one was ahoon to Grand Lodge . He called upon Bro . Beach , M . P ., to reply to the toast . Tlie toast was received with great enthusiasm . —Bro . BEACH had the honour to return thanks for Sir Lucius Curtis , Part , and himself . It hacl been his good fortune to have served with Sir Lucius iu the same province , and he could bear testimony that there could not be a more able and energetic Mason . Ho could fullbear out all

y that hacl been said of Sir Lucius by the W . M ., ancl so long as that illustrious brother presided over the province , Masonry in Hampshire would never fail in its dignity . Ho hacl listened with great interest to the observations of the brethren who had spoken on the important subject about to be brought before Grand Lodge , it ' was a matter ivhich required tho greatest