New Zealand.

candle , neither light of the sun ; for the Lord God giveth them light ; and they shall reign for ever and ever . " During the service the choir of St . Mary ' s church , who had kindly attended , sang the chants and anthems in their usual excellent style , led by Bro . Morshead on the harmonium . At the conclusion of the service the brethren ( the band again playing the Entered Apprentice's Song ) proceeded to the site of

the Freemason ' s Hall , to lay the foundation pile of that building . A numerous assemblage of ladies and the inhabitants of the town were present , an awing for the use of the ladies having been put up by the builders . On arriving at the foundation pile at the north-east corner of the lodge , whicli was suspended over the hole in which it was to be placed , the brethren formed around it ; the W . M . standing in the east , the S . W . in the westand the J . W . in the southon each side of

, ; the W . M . stood the P . M . 's of the lodge , Bro . Woon , P . M ., with the corn , Bro . Black ,. P . M ., with the oil , aud Bro . Newland , P . M . with the wine , whicli they carried in silver vessels . The ceremony commenced by the Chaplain , Bro . Brown , offering up the following prayer ( the band having first played a selection of solemn music ) : —

I ' Almighty and ever glorious Lord God , Creator of all things , and the Governor of everything thou hast made , mercifully look upon thy servants , now assembled in thy name and in thy presence , and bless and prosper ' all our works begun , continued , ancl ended in thee . ' Graciously bestow upon us wisdom in all our doings , strength of mind in all our difficulties , and the beauty of harmony and holiness in all our communications and work . Let faith be the foundation of our

hope , and charity the fruit of our obedience to thy revealed will . 0 thou preserver of men , graciously enable us now to dedicate this building to the honour and glory of thy name , ancl mercifully be pleased to accept this service at our hands . May all who shall be lawfully appointed to rule in it accord ' ing to our constitutions he under thy special guidance and protection , and faithfully observe and fulfil all their obligations to thee and to the loclge . May all who come within this

building have but one heart and one mind , to love , to honour , to fear , ancl to obey thee , as thy majesty and unbounded goodness claim ; and to love one another as thou hast loved us . May every discordant passion be here banished from our bosoms . May we here meet in thy presence as a band of brethren who wove created by the same Almighty parent , are daily sustained by the same beneficent band , ancl are travelling the same road to the gates of death . May we have thHol

y y Word always present to our minds , and may religion ancl virtue , love , harmony , and peaceful joy reign triumphant in our hearts . May all the proper work of our institution that may be done in this building be such as thy wisdom may approve , ancl thy goodness prosper . Ancl , finally , graciously be pleased , 0 thou Sovereign Architect of the Universe , to bless the Craft wheresoever dispersed , and make them true and faithful to theeto their neihbours and to themselves . And when

, g the time of our labour is drawing near to an end , and the pillar of our strength is declining to the ground , graciously enable us to pass through * the valley of the shadow of death , ' supported by ' thy rod and thy staff , ' to those mansions beyond the skies , where love , and peace , and joy , for ever reign before thy throne . Amen . "

To which the brethren answered aloud , " Glory to God on high , and on earth , peace , good-will towards men . " The pile was here lowered into its final position to solemn music , after which , having been examined by the Worshipful Blaster and Wardens with their respective implements of office , the following dialogue took place : — Bro . Black , as officiating Master . —Worshipful Master , what is

the proper jewel of your office ? A . —The square , Worshipful Sir . _ Bro . Black . —Has the square been applied to the corners of the pile , which ought to be square ? A . —It has , Worshipful Sir , ancl I find them correct . Bro . Black . —Brother Senior Warden , what is the proper jewel of j-our office . A . —The levelWorshiful Sir

, p . Bro . Black . —Has the level been applied to this pile ? A . —It has , Worshipful Sir , and I find ifc correct . Bro . Black . —Brother Junior Warden , what is the proper jewel of your office ? A . —The plumb rule , Worshipful Sir .

Bro . Black . —Has tbe plumb rule been applied to this pile ? A . —It has , Worshipful Sir , and I find it perfect . Bro . Black . —Having full confidence in your skill in the royal art , it now remains that tbe , work be finished . Here Bro . Black handed the gavel to Bro . Newland , P . M ., who gave three blows on the pile , and declared it well and truly laid . Bro . Black . —And it is laid accordingly , and this undertaking

having thus begun in order , may ifc now progress in peace and be finished in harmony . So mote it be . Bro . Black here took the oil , and addressed tbe audience , saying" When Jacob , the son of Isaac the son of Abraham , fled from the face of his brother Esau , and going from Beersheba to Haran he tarried all night in a certain place , and slept on the cold ground with a stone for his pillow in great discomfort .

Here he had a vision of the gates of Heaven , and when he arose in the morning he anointed the stone on whicli ho slept with oil , and called the place Bethel , or the House of God . In like manner I anoint this foundation with pure oil , praying that in the house thereon erected none but good men may enter and men that fear Gocl . "Then may ifc truly be said , 'Beloved , how good and joyful a thing ifc is for brethren to dwell together in unity . It is like the precious ointment on the head

whicli ran down to the beard , even into Aaron ' s beard , ancl went clown to tbe skirts of his clothing , like as the clew of Hermou which fell on the hill of Sion , for there the Lord promised his blessing and life for evermore . ' » The Master Builder then produced the plans of the intended building , which were handed round to the brethren , and being approved of were returned to the builder ( Mr . T . Kelly ) with the following remarks by Bro . Black : —

"May the Most High give you wisdom , strength , and ability to execute this work according to the plans herein laid down . " The Past Masters then scattered the grains of corn , and poured the wine and oil on the pile , one of them saying" Invoking the blessing and favour of the all-merciful and gracious Creator , of whose free and universal bounty this corn , wine , and oil are the significant emblems , I consecrate this lodge

to Freemasonry , to Religion , Virtue , Science , and Universal Benevolence . Amen . So mote it be . " To which the brethren responded"The Lord is gracious , and His mercy endureth for ever . Amen . So mote it be . " In a place prepared for their reception , copies of the local papers , the current coins of the realm , and the following engrossed on vellum , were deposited : — In the Reign of Her Most Gracious Majesty Victoria ,

The foundation stone of the FREEMASONS' HAHi Was laid with Masonic honours by the W . M ., P . M ., Wardens , ancl Brethren of the Mount Egmont Loclge ( No . 670 , E . G . ) , On Tuesday , the 27 th day of December , A . D . 1864—A . L . 5864 ,

Being the Festival of St . John the Evangelist . Sir George Grey , K . C . B ., Governor F . A . Weld , Colonial Secretary W . Fitzherbert , Colonial Treasurer M . Richardson , Postmaster-General H . Sewell , Attorney-General H . A . AtkinsonMinister for Colonial Defence

, W . B . Mantel ! , Native Minister . Officers of Mount Egmont Loclge ( No . 670 , E . C . ) W . Carrington , W . M . F . L . Webster , S . W . G . W . Woon , P . M . H . W . Brewer , J . W . W . Black , P . M . J . Knight , Treasurer John NewlandP . M . E . B . LaingSecretary

, , John Bell , P . M . R . C . Hammerton , S . D . W . Perceval , P . M , S . Aaronson , J . D . W . Skinner , I . G . This Building was erected by tbe Brethren of the Mount Egmont Lodge , with money raised by shares of £ 2 each . Messrs . Watson and Brown , Architects . Messrs . Kelly and Burton , Builders .