Metropolitan.

that from the Phoenix Lodge he took his first honours . If he had gone beyond the reply for the P . M . ' s , he trusted they would bear with him a little longer . The Secretary of the Royal Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and their Widows had applied to the lodge for a Steward for the next festival . He ( Bro . Henry George Warren ) thought the first duty they owed was to their aged brethren and their widows ; and in that idea , as no other brother had done so ,

he offered himself as a Steward for 1864 . ( Hear , hear . ) He was proud to be amongst them at all times , and both himself and the P . M . 's were ever ready to assist in any duty , and contribute towards the happiness of all the members of the lodge . —The W . MASTEE then gave " The Health of the Officers , " to which they each responded , ancl the meeting broke up , the harmony of the evening having been much enhanced by tlie exertion of the musical brethren—Bro . Coward ( who presided at the piano ) , Walker , and Distin .

WHITTINGTON LODGE ( JNo . 8 b 2 ) . —Hie anniversary ot tins lodge was celebrated in the lodge-room at the Whittington Club , on Monday last , when two brethren were raised to the third degree . Bro . Hurlstone was then installed as W . M . for the ensuing year—the ceremony being admirably performed by Bro . Brett , P . M . The new W . M . appointed and invested as his officers , Bros . Warr , S . W . ; Griffin , J . W . ; Thompson , Treas . ; CollinsSec ; Q . uiltyS . D . ; HamiltonJ . D . ; WeaverOrg . ;

, , , , Cant , I . G . We should not omit to state that the proceedings of the loclge were much enhanced by some excellent music by Bro . Weaver , assisted by other brethren . At the conclusion of the business , the brethren adjourned to banquet , and a very pleasant evening was past , the only drawback being the late hour at which the dinner was placed on the table , owing to some misapprehension on the part of tlie steward of the club .

On the removal of the cloth , the usual toasts were drunk and responded to , Bro . Wavell acknowledging the toast of tlie P . M . 's ; Bro . Hogg , W . M . 172 , that of the visitors , and congratulating Bro . Hurlstone as an initiate of the Old Concord , on his advancement to the chair of the Whittington ; Bro . Warr , S . W ., replying for the officers , and Bro . H . G . Warren , for the Charities .

Provincial.

PROVINCIAL .

GLOUCESTERSHIRE . STOW-OK-TIIE-WOLD . —Trince of Wales' Lodge ( No . 951 ) . — The first meeting , since the consecration of this lodge , was held at the Unicorn Inn , on the 26 th ult ., when Bros . Gallop , Buliock , Tipping , Thornbury , Neale , ancl Gardiner , having passed a very satisfactory examination as E . A ., were admitted to the degree of F . C . Bro . Sir Maxwell Steele Graves , Bart .,

W . M ., being unavoidably absent , Bro . Rev . W . E . Hadow , of Ebrington , P . M ., P . Prov . G . Chap , for Devon , officiated , ancl performed the ceremony in a most efficient manner . A ballot was then taken for Mr . Henry Burton Valle , when lie was unanimousl y elected , and the degree of E . A . conferred upon him . Bro . Rev . Otto Ball , officiated as Chaplain on the occasion . After the labours of the evening were over , the brethren sat down

to a superior banquet , under the presidency of Bro . R . J . Brooks , S . W . ; Bro . H . L . Grove , J . W ., filling the vice chair . The usual loyal and patriotic toasts were duly given and cordially responded to , according to the ancient usage of the Craft . The business was commenced in order , conducted in peace , and closed in harmony , and the brethren separated , highly gratified with the evening ' s proceedings . The lodge was visited by Erowett

Bros . , I . G ., and F . II . Harvey , both of St . George's Lodge ( No . 900 ) , and Bros . Smith and W . Knott , of tbe Worcoster Lodge ( No . 349 ) , who were toasted in the usual form . KENT . Vmox LODGE ( No . 127 ) , MAEGATE , —CEXTENAEY FESTIVAL . The centenary festival of the Union Lod ( No 127 )

ge . , was held at the King ' s Head Hotel , Margate , on Saturday afternoon , the 7 th November , to celebrate the completion of 100 years from the date of tbe warrant of constitution . This highly gratifying and interesting ceremony , at which a chaste and exceedingly handsome , gold centenary jewel was presented to every subscribing member of the lod ge , being of the degree of MM . ( the jewel having been provided out of the funds of the loclge ) , was attended by a considerable number of

brethren of high rank in the Craft , of whom we may mention : — Bros . Edward H . Patten , Past G . S . B . of England ; John Harvey Boys , P . D . Prov . G . M . ; Osmond G . Phipps , P . M . and P . Prov . S . G . W . ; T . Holmes Gore , W . M . of the Union Lodge , P . Prov . G . J . W ., ; Edward C . Hayward , P . Prov . S . G . D ., P . M ., and Treasurer of the lodge ; John R . Feakins , P . Prov . G . S . D . and P . M . ; J . B . Sharp , W . M . Lodge Harmony ( No . 133 ) , Faversham ; A . Cooley , W . M . of St . Augustine's ( No . 272 ) , and

Prov . G . J . W . ; T . S . Solomon , W . M . of Lodge of Antiquity ( No . 20 ) , and Prov . G . J . W . ; T . H . Grove Snowden , P . Prov . G . Reg ., and Lewis Finch , Prov . G . Dir . of Cers ., and P . M . 's of the Royal Navy Lodge ( No . 429 ) , Ramsgate ; George Gurney , S . W . of Old King's Arms Lodge ( No . 30 ) . The brethren having assembled at four o ' clock , the lodge was opened in due form in the first degree . The centenary jewelsabout to be distributed were placed before the W . M . The

W . M . read the warrant of dispensation , enabling the brethren towear the centenary jewels in all Masonic meetings , granted by the M . W . G . M ., the Earl of Zetland , as follows : — " To the AV . M ., Wardens , other Officers , and Brethren of the-Union Lodge ( No . 127 ) , Margate , in the county of Kent , and all others whom it may concern . ¦ " Whereas it appears by tho records of the Grand Lodge that

on the 7 th clay of November , 17 C 3 , a warrant of constitution was granted to certain brethren therein named , authorising and empowering tbem , and their regular successors , to hold a lodge of Free and Accepted Masons at Spittlefields , in the county of Middlesex , and which lodge was then numbered 306 on the register of the Grand Lodge , and was , in the month of April ,

1813 , by and with the consent of the M . W . the Grand Master , removed to Margate , in the county of Kent , and in consequence of the union of the two Grand Lodges on the 27 th day of December , 1813 , the same lodge became No . 207 , ancl at the closisg up of the numbers in 1863 , it became and now stands on the registry of the Grand Loclge No . 127 , under the title or denomination of the Union Lodge , meeting at the King's Arms Hotel , Margate ;

"And whereas the brethren at present composing the said lodge are desirous , so soon as 100 years shall have expired from the constitution of the lodge , that they may be permitted towear a jewel commemorative of such event , and have prayed the sanction of the M . W . Grand Master for that purpose , and the M . W . Grand Master having been pleased to accede to the request , cloth hereby give and grant to all and each of the actual subscribing members of the said loclgebeing M . M . ' s ,

, permission to wear in all Masonic meetings , suspended to the left breast by skyblue ribbon , not exceeding one inch and-a-half in breadth , a jewel or medal of tbe pattern ancl device of the drawing in the margin hereof , as a centenary jewel . But such jewel is to be worn only by those brethren who are bond fide subscribing members of the said loclge , and so long only as they shall pay their subscription theretoaud he returned as such

to-, tbe Grand Lodge of England . "Given at Freemasons' Hall , London , the 15 th day of July , 18 G 3 , by command of the Right Honourable the Earl of Zetland , M . W . Grand Master . ( Signed ) " WIT . GEAY CLAEKE ; " G . See . "

The AV . MASTEE then , in pursuance of resolutions which had been previously passed in open lodge , presented Bro . Edward H . Patten , P . G . S . B . of England , with the jewel , he being an honorary member of tliis lodge , at the same time referring to the vote of the lodge , and the high estimation entertained by its members of his eminent services to them , and to the cause of charity . The W . MASTEE then requested Bro . John Harvey Boys , P . M ., the P . Prov . D . G . M . of Kent ( as being tho hihest

Prog vincial Grand Officer present ) , to distribute the jewels to the brethren . Bro . BOYS , P . M ., ascended the chair , ancl explained to the brethren that this jewel was not to be deemed an individual honour by the respective recipients , but was intended to mark and reward the services which their lodge had rendered to the Craft , and to the Masonic Charities , and to remind them that it had

, for the period of a century now concluded , ever preserved its honour and integrity untarnished and unblemished , in all its Masonic duties , more particularly in reference to the punctual fulfilment of its duties to Grand Lodge ; and , therefore , the M . W . G . M . the Earl of Zetland had granted them permission to wear this jewel in testimony of his approbation , and as an insignia of the antiquity and good working of the loclge , of which they were fortunately members . He further reminded the