Provincial.

Prov . G . M ., Bro . Stephen Blair , and at one o ' clock on Thursday , the 14 th inst ., a large number of Masons , belonging to bis own and other lodges , assembled at Bro . Henry Holder's , the Rose and Crown Hotel , Pendleton , for tho purpose of carrying out the desire of the deceased brother , and of showing the respect in which they held his memory . Among those present were Bros . Samuel StathamW . M . James BoothPMJames

, ; , .. ; Perceval , P . M . ; J . L . Hine , P . M ., Prov . G . Treas . for East Lancashire ; John Thorley , P . M . 325 , P . Prov . J . G . D . for West Lancashire ; Gilbert Yorston , Treas . ; R . N . Ingle , Sec . - r John Parsons , S . D . ; E . B . Warner , J . D . ; James Poison , I . G . ; & c . The lodge having been opened in the three degrees , and tbe dispensation having been read b y Bro . J . L . Hine , P . M ., Bro . the Rev . P . C . Nicholson , Chap ., proceeded with the Masonic

service used on these occasions . The choir , under the direction of Bro . John Marsden , Org ., then sang with great effect and impvessiveness Kent ' s anthem , " The Lord is my Shepherd . " The lodge was then adjourned , and the brethren walked in procession from tho Rose and Crown to the house of their deceased brother , where they received the body . The funeral cortege was then formed by the Masters of Ceremonies , Bros . James Booth , P . M ., aud J . L . Hine , P . M . On arriving at the

church the brethren and workmen alighted from tho carriages about twenty-four in number , and were arranged by Bro . Booth in two parallel lines , through which the body was carried into the church . The usual church service was read by Bro . the Rev . P . C . Nicholson , P . M ., P . Prov . G . Chap . East Lancashire , and the intonations and Kent ' s anthem , " When the Son of Man shall come in his glory , and all the holy angels with him , then shall he sit upon tho throne of bis glory" were b- an

, sung y efficient choir , under the diiection of Bro . John Marsden , Organist of Christ Church , Salford . The assemblage then proceeded to the churchyard , where the body having been deposited in the grave , the Rev . P . C . Nicholson read the exhortation commencing " Here we view a striking instance of the uncertainty of life , " & c . The following invocations were then made by the Chaplain ,

the usual honours accompanying each : — _ Chaplain : May we be . true and faithful , and may we live and die in love .- —Answer : So mote it be . Chaplain : May we profess what is good , and always act agreeably to our profession . —Answer : So mote it be . Chaplain : May the Lord bless us and prosper us , and may all our good intentions be crowned with success . —Answer : So mote it be .

Chaplain : " Glory be to God on high ; on earth peace and good will towards men !"—Answer : So mote it be , now from henceforth and for evermore . The Chaplain concluded the ceremony at the grave by the following address : "From time immemorial it has been a custom among the fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons , at the request of a brother on his deathbedto accompany his to the lace

, corpse p of interment and there to deposit his remains with the usual formalities . In conformity with this usage , and at the special request of our deceased brother , whose memory we revere , and whose loss we deplore , we are hero assembled in tbo character of Masons to resign his body to the earth whence it came , and to offer up to his memory before the world the last tribute of our fraternal affection , thereby demonstrating the

sincerity of our past esteem and our inviolable attachment to the principles of this Order . With all proper respect to the established customs of the country in which wo live , with due deference to our superiors in church and state , and with unlimited good will to all mankind , wo here appear clothed as Masons and publicly express our submission to order and good government , and our wish to promote the general interests of

mankind . Invested with the badge of innocence wo humbly bow to the Universal Parent , implore bis blessing on all our zealous endeavours to extend peace and goodwill , and earnestly pray for His grace to enable us to persevere in the princi ples of piety and virtue . The great Creator having been pleased out of his mercy to remove our worthy brother from the cares and troubles of this transitory life to a state of eternal durationand

, thereby to weaken the chains b y which we are united man to man , may we who survive him , anticipating our approaching fate , be more strongly cemented in the ties of union and friendship , and during the short space which is allotted to our present existence wisely and usefully employ our time in the reciprocal intercourse of kind and friendly acts , avid mutually promote the happiness and welfare of each other . Unto the grave we

have resigned the body of our deceased friend , there to remain until the general resurrection , in favourable expectation that his immortal soul will then partake of the joys which have been prepared for the righteous from the beginning of tho world , and may Almighty God of his infinite goodness at tho grand tribunal of unbiassed justice extend bis mercy to all of usand crown our hope with everlasting blissin the

ex-, , panded realms of a boundless eternity . This we beg for the honour of his name to whom be honour and glory now and for ever . Amen . " At the conclusion of the service the brethren gave the usual honours over the grave , each brother throwing into it a sprig o £ acacia , accompanied by the words , " Peace be unto thee . " The procession was then re-formed , and returned in the former order .

The brethren , after escorting the mourners to the residence of their late brother , again assembled at the Rose and Crown , when tbe lodge was duly closed , after which the brethren partook of a plain repast . After the cloth was drawn , the brethren united in singing " Martin Luther's Hymn : " Great God , what do I see and hear ? The end of things created :

The Judge of Mankind doth appear On clouds of glory seated ; The trumpet sounds , the graves restore The dead which they contained before : Prepare my soul to meet him ! & e .

The singing of this hymn , which was joined in very earnestly by the whole of the brethren , had a most impressive effect . The W . M . then addressing the lodge , said : Wo have again been painfully reminded of the uncertainty of life , and of the vanity of all earthly pursuits . In the inscrutable designs of an all-wise Providence it has pleased the Great Architect of the Universe , whose designs are past finding out , but who is too wise to errand too good to be unkindto remove from amongst

, , us one with whom we have often taken sweet counsel , one who has long been connected with many of our most happy associations , and still more closely endeared to us by the ties of union and friendship . And I have no doubt it has afforded you al ! a melancholy pleasure to assist me in paying our last sab office and tribute of respect to our late friend and brother Joseph Dunn . He has indeed passed away from us , but

he has left behind him a memory which will long be cherished with affection by many who had the happiness of his acquaintance . Our deceased brother , it may be said with truth , was a faithful husband , an affectionate father , and a true friend . And , holding as he did for manyyears the responsible , and at times no doubt difficult , position , of manager of a large establishment , it is no small honour and gratification to be able to say , that he was universally respected by every individual in the employ , from the highest to the

lowest . As a Mason and a brother , he was thoroughly imbued with the true principles of Masonry ; he believed that his obligation involved something more than the mere profession of its theory , and it was his constant endeavour at all times to exemplify iu his own life and actions those great principles which it is the object of our societ y to inculcate . Still , brethren , although we deplore his loss , aud sympathise most deeply with those whom he has left behind , yet we do not sorrow as thoso

without hope . We have the pleasing and gratifying assurance from our worthy Chaplain , who was most attentive in his ministrations upon our deceased brother , and which I can most freely endorse from my own personal interview with our late Bro . Dunn , that he was truly prepared for this great change and I trust wo shall all strive to meet him in that Grand Lodge above where the world's Great Architect lives and reigns for ever and ever . Brethren , these events are solemn and painfu

ones , and ought to warn us to perform ouv allotted tasks while it is yet day , aud do all the good we possibly can in OUL- day and generation , for " the night eometb , " we know not how soon , " when no man can work . " I now call upon you to drink in solemn silence to the memory of our dear departed brother , Joseph Dunn . The toast having been duly honoured , the proceedings terminated . We understand the Rev . Mr . Nicholson , preached the funeral sermon of the late brother at St . Philip ' s church .

LANCASHIRE ( WEST ) . ST . HELEN ' S . —Lodge of Loyally ( No . 897 ) . —Tho brethren of this lodge held their regular monthly meeting ut sis . o ' clock on Tuesday , the 2 Sth November , in the Masonic lodge . MOE