Scotland.

dispute is still unsettled , lie felt that he could not any longe defer having a Provincial Grand meeting . He had therefore called them together for the installation of ollice-bearers and despatch of business having reference to the organisation of the Provincial Grand Lodge . In attempting the organisation of the head Masonic court of this important province , he was only actuated by a desire to promote the interests of the Craft within the bounds which have been placed under the jurisdiction of the

Master of the mother lodge . He saw no reason why the Provincial Grand Lodge of Ayrshire should , as regards its judicial functions , longer remain dormant . There were among Ayrshire Freemasons brethren of considerable Masonic ability , and otherwise well fitted to aid the Master in the despatch of Provincial Grand business ; and in virtue of his official powers , and with the consent of the , mother lodgebe had by commission

, appointed certain duly qualified brethren as office-bearers—the selection having been made with a judicious regard to the interests of the Order . Bro . Wylie concluded by calling upon the Prov . G . Sec . to read the names of the commissioned Provincial office-hearers , which were as follows : — Depute Provincial Grand Master—John Steven of Kilmarnock St . John Kilwinning .

Substitute Prov . Grand Master—J . G . Halket of Saltcoats and Ardrossan St . John Royal Arch . Senior Prov . Grand Warden—D . Murray Lyon of Ayr and Renfrew Militia St . Paul . Junior Prov . Grand Warden—Alex . Weir , of St . Barnabas , Kilwinning . Prov . Grand Secretary—Patrick Burns of Mother

Kilwinning . Prov . Grand Chaplain—Rev . Alex . Inglis of Kilmarnock , St . John Kilwinning . The applause with which this list was greeted having subsided , the members of the Provincial Grand Lodge then elected tbe following brethren to the offices at their disposal : — Prov . Grand Treasurer—John Whinton of Mother Kilwinning . Senior Prov . Grand Deacon—Jolm Brown of Loudoun

Newmilns Kilwinning . Junior Prov . Grand Deacon—Robert Armour of Mauchline St . Mungo . Prov . Grand Tyler—Robert Allison of Mother Kilwinning . The oath defideli having in solemn form been administered to the newly appointed office-bearers , their installation was proceeded with . Shortly thereafter the Provincial Grand Communication terminated .

CENTENARY MEETINGS OI- THE LODGE ST . MARNOCK ( No . 109 ) . —THE DISNEE . At half-past five o ' clock the programme of the St . Marnock Centenary Celebration was entered upon by the entertainment at dinner , in the George Hotel , of the members composing the deputation from Grand Lodge , and other distinguished guests of No . 109 . The company numbered about eiht The chair

gy . was filled by Bro . Hugh Shaw , banker , Master of St . Marnock . Bro . John Mackay , Master of St . John Kilwinning , Kilmarnock , acted as Croupier . Immediately after dinner—which , it may be mentioned , was quite characteristic of the usually-efficient arrangements of Bro . Walker—the party adjourned to the Hall .

THE EVENING FESTIVAL . At half-past sovon o ' clock tho lodgo was opened under the venerable charter of St . Marnoek—the fourth in point of 01 der that has been sent into Ayrshire by tho Graud Lodge of Scotland —Bro . Hugh Shaw being ably seconded by his Wardens , Bros . J , Stewart and Captain A . Gait . The walls of tho Hall were hung with the lodgo banners and a number of beautiful oil

largo paintings and engravings , some oi them of a Masonic character . Bros . Banks , pianist ' , ' Glasgow ; W . Brown ( cornet ) , and D . Moir ( Utile ) , Kilmarnock , officiated in the orchestra . After tho several deputations from sister lodges had been received , tho Grand Lodgo of Scotland was announced , upon which , the assemblage , about 150 iu number , rose and accorded full honours to the

deputation , who entered in the following order . and wero conducted lo their places on tho dais iu tho Orient : Bros . Henry Inglis , Substitute Grand Master-Fleet : James I ! allantine , Graud Bard : Alexander Hay , Grand Jeweller : Charles M'Keuzio , D . Murray Lyon , and Alexander Ballantiue . Grand Stewards : aud William 31 . Brvce . Graud Tyler—who , ivith Bros . Robert Wylie , P . G . M . of Ayrshire : Colonel Campbell , of Blvthc . sivood , P . G . M . of East Renfrewshire : Coluuel Mure , of Caldwell

Patrick Burns , P . G . Secretary ; and tho Rov . Alexander Inglis , P . G . Chaplain—formed quite a galaxy of Masonic uotablos . In tho west , as supporting tho Warden , wero Bros . Frazor , Soc . of No . 109 : Itovs . Loo Kerr , Chaplain of Mother Kilwinning : John Thomson , Chaplain of No . 12 . i ; Alexander Webster , Chaplain of No . lyV . ) : Robert Thomson , and J . Henderson , ex-P . G . Soc . Tho ruler iu tho south was well supported by tho sons of St . Marnock and closo lo the pedestal wo noticed clothing denoting tho

presence of members of Ayr St . Paul , and other lodges who bad not found it convouieut to send deputations . Tho following lodges wero represented : —Mother Kilwinning : St . John ' s Kilwiuuiug , Kilmarnock ( No . 22 ) : Loudoun Nowmilns Kilwiuning ( No . 51 ) ; St . Andrew , Kilmarnock ( No . 12 ( i ) ; Thistle , Stowarton ( No . 127 ); St . James Kilwinning , Tarbolton ( No . 135 ) : Royal Arch . Ayr ( No . 1 , ( . 5 ) : St . Muug ' o , Mauchlino ( No . 179 ) : St . " CTomont , Ri ' c-

carton ( No . 202 ); St . Baruabus , Old Cumnock ( No . 230 ) : St . John Royal Arch , Saltcoats and Ardrossan ( No . 320 ) ; Neptuno Kilwinning , Ardrossan ( No . 445 ) . Apologies for non-attendance wero received from Bros . Captain Spoirs . AT . P ., Prov . Grand Master of Glasgow ; Major Barbour , St . Mark ' s , Glasgow , and others . The Acting Grand Master having gracefully declined the

chair that Bro . Shaw essayed to vacate in favour of his Masonic chief , the evening ' s ceremonial was ) at once entered upon , upwards of-100 brethren taking part in what proved to be one of the most interesting and successful Masonic festivals that has ever taken place in Ayrshire . Tho presiding : Master then opened the proceedings by giving ,

in succession , "The Queen and the Craft , " " Prince and Princess of Wales , " " The Army , Navy , and Volunteers "—replied to by Captain Campbell . Bro . Shaw having , in introducing the toast of the Army , referred to the remark of Lord Combermere in the parliamentary discussion on the Secret Societies Bill , that he never knew of a good Mason who was a bad soldier , the Substitute Grand Master related an anecdote by way of illustrating the truth of

Lord Combermere's statement . An officer well known to his ( Bro . Inglis ) family had , while serving with the British army during the peninsular war , been placed in command of a storming party at the siege of St . Sebastian iu 1 S 13 . His company having , in the execution of their orders , met with considerable loss in more than one repulse by the enemy , showed a momentary hesitancy to renew the attack , when the commanding officer ,

placing himself in front of his little force , called upon all "Brother Masons" to follow him . A goodly number of Craftsmen in the ranks responded to this appeal , the non-Masons followed , and , with a united effort , the "forlorn hope" succeeded in establishing themselves within the walls of the doomed fortress . The R . W . M . then gave "The Grand Lodges of England and Ireland" which was succeeded b" Tho Grand Lod of

Scot-, y ge land , " this toast being very neatly prefaced by a few brief remarks , in the course ot which Bro . Shaw took occasion to thank tbe Grand Lodge for their many acts of kindness towards Lodge St . Marnock , the copestone to which had that night been placed by their sending a deputation to countenance the ceremony that was then being celebrated . Bro . Inglis , in a sentence or two , acknowledged the compliment

At this stage , Bro . D . I ' rascr , after a very appropriate introduction by himself , read the following sketch of the history of the Lodge St . Marnock , drawn up by Bro . Archibald M'Kay , the laureate of No . 22 : — "St . Marnock ' s Lodge is dedicated , as you are aware , to the venerable saint from whom the name of tbe good town of Kilmarnock is derived . The charter of the lodge is dated 17 th November 17 G 7 . The first Grand Master was Wm . Park

, , of Langlands , surgeon . The roll of the original members contains the names of the leading men at that time in the town and neighbourhood . In 1770 , William Earl of Glencairn was Grand Master . Tho Rev . Bro . Mutrie , of the Low Church , who figures in Bums' poem of "The Ordination , " was Chaplain ; and among the honorary members were the Hon . John Cunningham , brother to the Earl of Glencairn ; James Dabyinjile ,

younger , of Orangelield : and William Creech , bookseller , Edingburgh , who we take to be the well-known Creech who published the second edition of tbe works of Burns , and who is the subject of some of the letters and poems of the poet . Among the other members we may mention Captain Wallace , of Cairnhill : John Glen , of Assloss ; Dr . Hamilton , Kilmarnock House : Arnot , of Silverwood : Bailie Hunter , Robert Montgomery , of Bogston ; Sir Win . Cunningham , Wm . Muir , of Burlieth : Bailie Hugh Parker , George Boyd , surgeon : aud