The Masonic Mirror.

of a lodge warrant , for the first time , in the county town of AVestmorehi'id , as also of the union of these two counties into one Masonic province . The number of the brethren present did not exceed thirty—a fractional part of the brethren in this province owing to the still isolated position of this interesting and picturesque old town , being some thirteen miles from the nearest railway-station , 'i'he Provincial Grand Lodge having been opened ancl some preliuiinary business h procession formedand conducted b

gone throug , a was , y the Appleby brass " band to St . Lawrence's Church , where the yrayei-s were read by the A icar—tho Ilev . J . Milner , and the Serinon , preached by the Ilev . > S . . 1 . Butler Prov . G . Chaplain from the 10 th verve of the xii . chapter of Romans . On the return of the procession to the lodge-room , a unanimous vite of thanks was given to the worthy Chaplain as also to the 'Vicar of Alebfor his assistance in the Church service , The D .

ppy Prov . G . M . then , in a short address , congratulated the brethren on the occasion of the meeting for the first time of a Prov . Grand Lodge in AVestmorelaiid , which could be regarded at most , as a Festival only , inasmuch as nearly all the provincial business was transacted in the early part of each year at a meeting of the officers and members of the Prov . Grand Lodge exclusively , nevertheless in consequence of the absence of the Prov . Grand Treasurer ,

on that occasion , he would read a statements of his accounts which he was happy to say , after having incurred some recent heavy expenses in providing tho Prov . Grand Lodgo with jewels and collars for all the officers , and contributing a subscription to all the Masonic charities , as also to some of their local institutions exhibited a veryrespectable balance . He ( i ! r . Greaves , ) much regretted the absence of the Prov . Grand Treasurer who might have received thecongi-atulation

ofthe brethren thereupon . The Prov . G . Lodge was then closed in Form , and the brethren adjourned to the banquet , which was indeed most sumptuous and admirably served ; the customary routine of Masonic toasts were given in order , and responded fo , when Br . Greaves , who had occupied the chair , as D . Prov . G . M . vacated it in favor of Br . T . Mac Nay , the others being occupied by Br . Milner , the two AVardens of the Eden A ' alley lodge under whose auspices one of the most agreeable Masonic festivals known in the North of England was conducted and concluded .

HEREFORDSHIRE . rKOVINCIAI . G 1 M . XD LODGE . The annual meeting of the Prov . Grancl Lodge , was held at Hereford , on Friday , the 21 st inst . After the transaction of the business of the Prov . Grand Lodge , of which we have as yet received no particulars , the brethren adjoined to an elegant banquet , at the Green Dragon Hotel .

Amongst those present were : —The JR . AV . J . Bowles , L . LJ . D ., Prov . G . M . ; R . AV . the A en . Archdeacon ; R . L . Freer , DD . D . Prov . G . M . ; Brothers : Chandos AVren If oskyns , Prov . S . G . W . ; Capt . J . M . Aynsley , Prov . . T . G . W . ; Capt . T . Peyton ; Rev . AV . K . R . Bedford ; \ A . H . Bailey ; AV . . 1 . Clement ; T . Cholniondeley ; , T . N . Heathcote ; Rev . H . Gretton ; F . AV . Preston ; G . H . Piper ; . 1 . Cheese ; E . Gregg ; C . Price ; H . Pitt ; D . F . Collins ; T . Donne ; W . It . Minctt ;

A . Osborn ; F . Davidson ; N . Ii . AVyime ; II . C . Ueddoe ; Frederick Bodenham ; Rev . R . G . Benson ; H . . 1 . Higgiiison ; AV . E . Bellamy ; C . Denton ; , 1 . Smith ( Abergavenny ) ,- J . Williams ; H . Clarkson ; , 1 AV . Lacey ; . 1 . G . Morris ; AV . ' Phillips ; J . Gardiner ; J . II . Flannegan ; A . Myer ; C . Pritchard ; C . Geary ; AV . C . Russell ; , T . C . Russell ; J . Bosley ; H . Carless ; E . George ; 'J ' . Court ; A . Humphreys ; AV . II . AVelchman ; 0 . Shellard ; W . Burvill ; C . D .

Watkins ; Livingstone . A'isitors : Evan Pateshall , Esq . ; F . L . Bodenham , Esq . ; James Jay , Esq . ; J . Glutton Brock , Esq . ; It . Clarkson , Esq . ; 11 . Potts , Esq . ; Rev . Rowland Hill ; Messrs . Jas . Watkins ; A . Robertson ; A . Powell ; J . Bai-nby ; T . Carpenter ; & c , & c . The cloth having been removed , TheJ Pnov . G . M . said the first toast which Freemasons upon all public and private occasions proposed wasthe health of the gracious

, lady whom God , in his great Providence , had placed upon the throne of these realms ; a lady whose character as a wife and mother had exalted the female character throughout the nation , and had extolled the face of domestic happiness in this country . He would only say that the proud foundations upon which her throne rested ancl which caused it to be the most secure throne in Europe , was to be found in the love and extended affections of her people . He

gave the heal hot' "Her Majesty the Queen . " The Pnov . G . M . then rose and said , as some of the friends present would be obliged to leave early to meet the train , ho should proceed at once with the toasts . He , therefore , gave the " Prince Consort , Albert Prince of AVales , and the rest of tho Royal Family , " observing that his worst wish towards the young Prince was , that very many years mi ght elapse before he was called upon to sit upon the mightiest and noblest throne in Europe . ( Cheers . )

The Pnov . G . M . next proposed the "Health of the Most AVorshipful Grand Master of the Order , the Earl of Zetland . " There were some Masons present old enough to remember that he succeeded to the Masonic throne after an Illustrious Prince who did him ( the Chairman ) the honour to admit him to a sluue of his personal friendship , ancl who was tho only Prince of the House of Brunswick that delighted iu , and encouraged literature . He alluded to his late Royal Hihness the Duke ol' Sussex ( Cheers )

g . . They had found a very worthy successor to that illustrious Prince in their present Jlost Worshipful Grand Master . Every Mason knew , Masonically , enough of the Earl of Zetland to have great pleasure in drinking his health , ancl those who were acquainted with , him in his private capacity as a nobleman ancl gentleman must have equal regard for him in those characters . ( Loud cheers . ) In giving the next toastthe Pnov . G . M . remarked thatas

, , Masons always felt themselves bound to do honour to their superiors in the Craft , he should propose the " Health of the R . W . D . G . M . of England , Lord Panmure . ( Cheers . ) The A cn . Archdeacon LANE FIIEEII , D . Prov . G . M ., then rose , and was received with loud and prolonged applause ; after which ho saiih , they must permit him first to acknowledge with heartfelt gratitude the honour with which they had received him his

upon first attempt to address them . Another satisfactory duty , however , devolved upon him , that of proposing the health of tho eminent individual who filled the chair that evening , " The Right AVorshipful Provincial Grand Master of Herefordshire , Dr . Bowles " —( loud cheers)—and who was alike eminent ancl well-known for his character as a gentleman , and as a scholar of great literary attainments . ( Cheers . ) That he should be laced in the elevated ' position

p ho then occupied could be no wonder to any of the brethren present , but to them ( the clergy ) it must be a subject of the greatest congratulation . ( Hear . ) They were apt to suppose—at least manydid—that a position of exalted enuiiinence was one peculiarly desirable , ancl possessed , as it were , nothing but its pleasures and its benefits . He , for one—ancl he was sure they would agree with

liim—was aware that every exalted position carried with it responsibilities , and , the higher the position was , the greater were those responsibilites ; ancl so it was with his Right AVorship f ' vl friendfor he was permitted to call him by that name—occupying , as he did , a very exalted position , he had duties to perform , sonietimes , indeed , highly pleasurable and satisfactory to himself , but , at other times , doubtless , grievous , ancl full of care and anxiety . ( Hear . ) It was hisnot onlto reward and mark out for those honours

, y which he hacl to bestow , those whom he delighted in so doing ; hut it was his to mark with reprobation , things which sometimes occurred and came under his notice , calling for disapprobation , and which were no pleasures to persons occupying tha very high position his right worshipful friend did . ( Cheers ) . He was sure , however , that in the performance of those duties , whether it wasthe reward of those deserving of reward , or the declamation which

he might feel obliged to pour forth against those deserving censure ; there were none present of their own lodge , or of any other of thelodges , who did not feel that he- fulfilled all those duties in a ; manner to give satisfaction to every member in the order . ( Loucl cheers . ) ^ He only wished the toast had fallen into other hands than his own for two reasons . First , because he should have been glad that some one posessing far greater of descanting the

powers upon Prov . 0 . M . ' s goocl qualities should have addressed them ; and next , because having bestowed upon him ( the speaker ) a signal mark of his kindness and of his good opinion , it might appear tosome that the expressions to which he gave utterance , might have the appearance of flattery . ( No no . ) But against those two reasons he would sot the fact that the toast he proposed needed no eloquenceancl he had yet to learn that the words of euologywhen

, , united with truth , might not ho uttered by a grateful" tongue , arising as they did from a graetful heart . ' ( Loud cheers . ) " lie therefore hogged to thank them for the kind attention bestowed upon himself , and called upon them to fill a bumper to the great toast of the evening- —the health of Dr . Bowles , R . AV . Prov . G . M . of Herefordshire . ( 'I'he toast was received with long continued applause . )

Ihe Pnov . G . M ., m responding , said he could not plead that liedid not anticipate this toast being given , because at every Grand Lodge their fraternal kindness had prompted them to bestow upon him a similar compliment , and he therefore at once offered his most grateful acknowledgments to the Right Worshipful Deputy Grand Master for the eloquent , brotherly , but perhaps too partial manner in which he had proposed his health , ancl likewise to them for the very kindand ho might say very enthusiastic manner in which it

, had been their goocl pleasure to receive it . ( Cheers . ) As all the JIasonie business appertaining to their province was transacted in the Grand Lodge that morning , and as there were some present who were , perhaps , what the Chinese would term " outside barbarians " —( laughter)—but whom they would call their right welcome and