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siuiorely regret to have any difference with any of the brethren ; but their duty must be performed , and if that duty did not meet with the views of any portion of the brethren it ivould be matter of regret to them . On behalf of himself and the Secretary he begged to return thanks . —The AV . MASTEE next proposed *• The Officers . " He trusted he had made a selection that would meet ivith their approbation , he thought he had reason for congratulation in having secured the services of so

¦ efficient a staff . The visitors and members the lodge had been pleased to speak in commendatory terms ot his performaee of the ceremony of installation . He must acknowledge that he ¦ was much assisted by the efficiency of his officers . Headed by Bro . Herring , as S . AV ., he was sure they would always be ready "to do all that could be required of them , and he felt sure the lodge would work ivell during the ensuing year . All they wanted

was the material to work upon . He called upon the brethren to be upstanding and drink to the health of the officers of tbe lodge . —Bro . HERRING , S . AV ., felt much honoured at being -placed in his present position , he had filled all the offices , and so worked his way up , and hoped to continue receiving the ap--probation of the AA " . M . and brethren . He ivould spare no ex--ertions to qualify himself for the duties of the chair should the brethren see fit to lace him in that position . He held it to

p Tie the duty of every Mason to observe a constant attendance at his lodge , and when appointed to office it became doubly a duty . He could not sit down without making allusion to those who were absent-. They had during the past three or fonr years initiated a large number of gentlemen ; a portion of these -attended the lodge regularly . Some have left for a foreign land ; those , perhaps , ivould remember their nights of meeting ,

and though not that day personally present , their hearts might he with them , and they should ever remember them , and ivish them prosperity Avherever they might be . Others the hand of Death has been laid upon , and they should also think of them , and hope that they had made their peace with the Grand Architect of the Universe , and had found eternal happiness in the Grand Lodge above . Many also were unable to be present on that occasion , and however laudable a punctual attendance might be when that attendance interfered with a brother's public or private avocations , a wise discretion was shown , and

they should not be too hasty in condemning those whose attendance was not as regular as their own . He wished to acknowledge the great kindness he had alivays met with from the brethren since he had been in office . Whenever he required any -assistance or instruction he always found able heads and willing 'hearts to qualify him to the performance of his duties . To Bro . Neivall his especial thanks were due . With Bro . Cobham he had been associate during the last year iu their respective

positions as AV . M . and J . W ., and he had to thank him for his invariably courteous conduct in the chair . Bro . Coombes was now his W . M ., and he hoped , and had every reason to believe , that the same good-felloivship would exist betiveen them as had been the ense with the preceding W . M . He would do all he could in his humble ability to assist the W . M . and further the in--terests of the lodge . —Bro . CHEGIVIDDEN , J . AA " ., thanked the brethren sincerely for the kind manner in which the brethren

Jhad responded to the toast of the officers . It should be his earnest endeavour to promote the interest of the Lodge , and he ivould endeavour to be punctual in his attendance and perfect himself in his duties . —Bro . GABALL , S . D ., could but assent to the remarks of Bro . Herring , S . AV ., and reiterate what he said -at the last annual meeting . Having risen to a higher and more important office , he ivould promise to redouble his efforts , and if he performed his duties in a manner satisfactory to the

brethren he should consider himself amply rewarded . —Bro . HICKS , J . D ., would simply agree with the three officers who had just preceded him . —The W . M . could scarcely find words fitting to propose the next toast , that of "The Installing Master . " Others had preceded him in terms of unqualified approval of the manner he had performed the ceremony . It -was , therefore , unnecessary for him to speak further upon that subject . In his mind it was impossible to excel . He looked

forward with confidence to successfully carrying out the duties . With such a Past Master at his elbow he could scarcely fail . He asked them—and he was sure they could readily complyto drink heartily the health of the Installing Master . —Bro . NEWALL thoughtjtlmt the ] AV . M ., like some other of the brethren , had got into the habit of looking at him through a magnifying glass , and so exaggerate his services . It had certainly been some trouble to him to re-learn the ceremony of installation at * rather short notice . If the brethren had met with any grati

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fication at his performance of the duty , their thanks Avere in a great measure due to Bro . Cobham ivho had solicited him to do so . It had been the intention of the I . P . M . to have done the ceremony himself , but finding it would take more time than he could possibly spare from his business , he had abandoned the idea—a proceeding that he considered judicious—as their Masonic obligations expressly precluded them from doing anything that might prove detrimental to themselves or

connections . "While he was up he must state that he was rather taken by surprise to hear tho W . M . go through his duties with the confidence of a veteran P . M . Their W . M . had spoken of the assistance he expected from the P . M ' s ., from what he had seen he did not seem to require a P . M . at his elbow , indeed he did not seem to look for one . He had always thought their W . M . to be a retiring and modest gentleman . JHe had always had much faith in modest menand now his faith was strengthened .

, He considered modesty a very marketable commodity , in fact both himself and Bro . Dickie dealt rather largely in the article —( laughter)—and it seemed to be highly appreciated . The AV . M . had not possessed the advantage enjoyed by the London brethren in being able , if necessary , to visit lodges of instruction every evening of the week . Therefore to be able , on the first occasion of occupying the chair , with , the ease and eloquence of delivery that he had shownmore than ordinary credit

, was due to him . He wished him a pleasant and prosperous year of office , ivith full confidence in the result . He thanked the brethren for their uniform kindness , and hoped long to continue his present happy associations with the Royal Union Lodge . The Tyler ' s toast brought this happy meeting to a close a little before ten o ' clock—at ivhieh time the London members and visitors , about 30 in number , returned by special train per

Great Western Railway to Paddingtou Station . The toasts were interspersed with some very able vocal and instrumental performances by Bros . Newall , Exall , Hicks , Herring , Tilly , and other brethren .

WARWICKSHIRE . NEW MASONIC HALL FOB BIRMINGHAM . An influential meeting of the promoters of the proposed Masonic Hall and Club Company was held on Friday , the 5 th inst ., at the Masonic Rooms . The R . W . Bro . Charles W . Elkington , D . Prov . G . M ., occupied the chair . It was proposed to erect a hall by a Joint-Stock Company ( Limited ) , with a

capital of £ 10 , 000 , in 2 , 000 shares of £ 5 each . The meeting ivas unanimous on the probable success of the undertaking , and 647 shares , nearly one-third of the total number , were subscribed for in the room . A Provisional Committee Avas appointed , consisting of the AV . M . ' s of the various lodges in Birmingham , the heads of the R . A . Chapters , and the trustees of the Howe and Athol Lodge Properties . Among the brethren present we observed Bros . Rev . W . K . Riland Bedford , P . G . C . ;

J . Oliver Mason , J . C . Cohen , J . B . Hibbert , S . Lloyd Foster , G . I . AA ragge , B . AV . Goode , J . Stimpson , S . A . Parker , W . B . Briggs , J . Benson , W . H . Sproston , Or . Hudson , H . Howell , G . Beech , Benjamin Hall , P . M'lnnis , C . T . Nelson , B . N . Smith , D . Malins , L . Cohen , P . Cohen , AV . H . Beaumont , J . A . Beaumont , Charles AVood , & c , & c . The meeting separated after passing a cordial vote of thanks to the D . Prov . G . M . for his kindness in presiding .

Knights Templar.

KNIGHTS TEMPLAR .

LANCASHIRE . LIVERPOOL . —Jacques de Molay Uncampment . —This conclave ivas opened on Friday , March 11 th ( being the anniversary of the Martyrdom of Jacques de Molay ) by the I . P . E . C , Sir Knt . Edward Pierpoint , in the unavoidable absence of the E . C . Comps . Sparks , Hall , and Newbery , having been balloted for at a previous conclave , were each severally installed Knight Templars , by the acting E . C , Sir Knt . C . J . Banister , P . E . C ,

& c , acting as Expert . Sir Thomas Hesketh , Bart ., M . P ., was unanimously elected E . C . for the next year . On the proposition of P . E . C . Sir Knt . C J . Banister , seconded by the 1 st Capt ., Sir Knt . H . G . AVhite , a sum of £ 5 was voted to the West Lancashire Masonic Educational Institution . Business over , the conclave was closed . The Knights adjourned to the banquet at the Adelphi Hotel , at six o ' clock , wliich was served up iu the best style of that establishment , and consisted of