Metropolitan.

the visitors already enumerated , there were Bros . Gurney , 331 , T . Wescombe , S . W ., < J 0 o , and others whose names we were unable to glean .

Provincial.

PROVINCIAL .

DEVONSHIRE . MOHICE TOWN , DEVONPORT . —Lodye St . Aiibyn ( No . 9 Si ) . — The monthly meeting of this lodge was held on Tuesday , the 10 th inst ., when a ballot was taken for two candidates : the vote of the lodge being unanimous thoy wero duly initiated into the first degree of Masonry . The candidates for tho second and third degrees being also in attendance , and having given to the satisfaction ofthe brethren assembled proofs of proficiency , they were respectively passed and raised . Business was then closed by the proposition of two candidates for initiation .

HEREFORDSHIRE . PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE . The Grand Lodge for the Province of Herefordshire held a meeting at Ledbury , on Monday last , the 23 rd inst ., for the important business of investing the officers for the ensuing year , and other matters . Grand Lodge was opened about two o ' clock in the lodgo room of the Eastnor ( Ledbury ) Lodge . The R . W . the Grand Master of the province

, Bro . the Rev . J . Bowles , D . D ., LL . D ., presided , aud was supported and assisted by a large number of present and past provincial officers , brethren , and visitors . The lodge having been opened in due form , the ordinary business was transacted , and the R . W . Prov . G . Master installed to office , and invested tho following brethren as provincial officers for the year ensuing : —

Bro . Chandos Wren Hoskyns D . Prov . G . Master . „ Peyton Prov . S . G . W . „ H . R . Luckes „ G . J . W . „ Revs . Morish and Jukes „ G . Chaps . „ G . H . Piper „ G . Reg . „ H . C . Beddoe , „ G . Treas . ,, . T . Gardiner „ G . Sec .

„ Moore „ S . G . D . „ J . W . Laeey , G . Dir . of Cers . „ Wormington „ G . Supt . of Works . „ H . Eldred „ G . Purst . „ H . C . Jelley ~ )

;;!:lut:::::::::::::::::::::::::::I^^^-„ J . Bradford J Various matters of importance to the members of the Province were discussed , the cause of charity advocated most eloquently , and with substantial results , and thereupon the Grand Lodge was closed according to ancient and immemorial custom , and the brethren adjourned to

TUB BANQUET . Afc the banquet , which was held in the hall room , the Provincial Grand Muster presided , and was supported by a considerable number of his officers ancl brethren . On the removal of the cloth , a glee party sung 2 ? on nobis Dominie , and the Prov . G . Master proposed the usual Masonic toasts . In submitting the name of the Prince of Wales , tho Pnov . G . MASTER expressed a hope thafc he wouldat no distant

, day , follow the e . vapiplc of his illustrious maternal grandfather by becoming a brother , as it has repeatedly been stated , on very good authority , thafc his lloyal Highness has expressed hi-s desire to do so , and that ho only awaited a favourable opportunity of carrying his intention into ell ' eet . ( Applause . ) The toast of the Provincial Grand Master was proposed by Bro . PEYTON , Prov . S . G . W . iu the absence ofthe D . Prov . G . M .

, They were all glad to see him there in full vigour , and to call lip recollections of tlie many occasions on which they had been charmed by his eloquence and instructed by liis experience . They were happy to see him still amongst them as Provincial Grand Master , notwithstanding the fearful anathema which was intended to shake Masonry to its foundation . On the present occasionand after what hud recently taken placethey welcomed

, , him as one more dear to them than ever , ono towards whom the good feeling always held by them had been strengthened and increased . He begged leave to propose the health , long life , and happiness of the Grand Master of the province ol Herefordshire , Bro . the Rev . Dr . Bowles . The toasfc was most enthusiastically received .

The PROV . G . MASTER , in responding , said he thanked the brethren very heartily for the kind manner in which they had . received tho toasfc that had been wifch so much good feeling proposed hy his honourable friend and brother , the Senior Grand Warden . Believe him , he always feifc it a great privilege to meet them in Grand Lodge and afc the social board , and thafc privilege was strongly enhanced by the cheering conviction that he could at all times depend upon them for that support

and for that encouragement and co-operation , without which his humble efforts to promote Masonry in that province would be unavailing . ( Applause . ) Their kindness well nigh carried him back with a freshness of feeling to his spring time , and caused him to forget for a while how near ho was to that dark valley through whose shade all good Masons hoped to pass to the full effulgence of the Creator . He had no intention

, especially in so small a company as was then present , of making a long speech—he thought all wore more pleasantly engaged in social converse with each other —('' No , no" )—but he thought he ought not to sifc down without saying a word or two upon the excommunication which had been fulminated against fchem by the pope of Rome . In the allocution , as it was called , or the formal address delivered iu secret consistory or assembly of

prelates and cardinals—and he should tell them that tbe Freemasons iu France , Belgium , Italy , Spain , and Portugal alone amount to upwards of two millions—his Holiness consigned fchem all to perdition . He said they " are a wicked association of men , full of snares and frauds ; " and their pretended charity was a delusion ; thafc they were the enemies of the Church and of God , and dangerous even to the security of

kingdoms . " The Pope further said that if they did not give up their " wicked assemblies" they must expect to be carried along into the abyss of eternal ruin ; thafc their acts were impious and criminal , and their errors monstrous ; that he " will strike and lacerate , with a sentence of excommunication as with a sword , a sect breathing crime , and attacking civil and sacred life . " He says that nothing can exhibit their

intenseiniquity in a stronger manner than thafc they have survived former excommunications , and still show themselves everywhere with impunity , aud with a most audacious front . ( Laughter . ) He ends hy bestowing upon fchem most emphatically his

apostollic curse . ( Laughter . ) Was ifc not pitiable , in this nineteenth century , to behold that Rip Van Winkle in the Vatican , standing on tbe verge of the grave , groping about in tlie darkness of past ages to find obsolete weapons with whieh to arrest freedom of thought ancl speech , to destroy the right of man and mind , and . to place an iron chain upon Italy ? ( Applause . ) Was ifc not pitiable to see a feeble old man , unconscious of the dark omens which were gathering around himclutching with

trembling-, fingers afc Papal thunderbolts , in the vain attempt to make men religious and virtuous by paralysing their minds through terror ,, and depriving them of that freedom which is essential to the intellectual , moral , and religions progress of human nature ? ( Applause . ) For himself he was shocked afc the dishonour which that allocution attempted to cast upon God and upon virtue , by its debasing conception of the moral and fche divine , by its

cruel description of the ties of human and Christian brotherhood ,, by its virulent attack upon an ancient and widespread community which flourished when Popes were not , which shall continue to flourish in uudecaying vigour when they are no more—( loud applause)—and which contained within itself the testimony of being au institution consecrated to humanity which endeavoured to realise the character of brethrenand to give

, full effect to that sublime invocation which taught them to address the Viwkcv of them all , as " Our Father . " ( Applause . ) They said that the allocution showed that the spirit of intolerance and persecution was the same in all ages . It had , indeed , been compelled to forego the branding iron , the faggot , aud the stake , but it still proved itself to exist by its attempts to impose upon them the traditions and inventions of man for

the everlasting truth of God . ( Applause . ) In pleasing contrast to the allocution of the Pope , let him call their attention to a speech , delivered the other day in one of the principal lodges in France , by Abd-el-Kader . He said : " In the persons here present I thank Freemasonry in every country . I consider Freemasonry as the first institution in tlie world . In my inion man who does not profess Freemasonry is an

op every incomplete nian . I hopo that one day the principles of Freemasonry will prevail throughout the whole world , and from that day forward all the nations will be at peace . " ( Applause . ) That opinion proved that the Mussulman , Abd-el-Kader , was far more imbued with the snirit of Christianity than the Pojeoi