East Lancashire.

The Masonic gathering at Preston , on the 7 th , excited greater interest than any event which has taken place since the installation of the Eight Hon . the Earl of Lathom as Provincial Grand Master of West Lancashire during Brother Edward Samuelson ' s mayoralty of Liverpool . The geniality of the

Earl of Derby , the new W . M . of the Stanley of Preston Lodge , was conspicuous during the whole of the proceedings , says the " Liverpool Mercury , " and there is no doubt that his lordship ' s renewed association with the Craft—which he only temporarily gave up when he assumed the important office of Governor of Canada—will enhance its value in this important Province .

The ladies have scored another point in connection with Freemasonry , their presence at the banquet to follow the annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Essex being permitted this year by the Earl of Warwick Provincial Grand Master , who has expressed the hope that Lady Warwick will be among the

guests on the occasion . If the ladies are ever to be admitted to a participation in the active work of the Craft it is such deservedly popular members of society as the Countess of

Warwick who will pave the way for it , by their known sympathy with , and active display of , the best principles of Freemasonrythat of rendering assistance to our less fortunate fellow creatures .

Freemasonry is very much in evidence in the locality of Hornsey just now . Within the past few months , says the local " Journal , " we have seen the foundation of two Lodges—the Crouch End and the Holloway—both of them successfully established and flourishing , and now there is prospect of a third .

A warrant will soon be applied for for the Harringay Lodge , to be held in the Church room adjoining St . Paul ' s Church . There is a considerable number of Masons in Harringay , and many of them will no doubt become members of a Lodge established in that

populous and somewhat isolated area . For years the fact was regretted that this part of the London suburbs had no home of Freemasonry , but there will be no longer cause for regret on that score .

The nomination of the Lord Mayor as Past Grand Warden of Freemasons continues , in Sir Walter Wilkin , a Masonic dignity which some of his predecessors in the civic chair have enjoyed .. As far back as 1851 Mr . Alderman Cubitt , who was subsequently twice Lord Mayor , was Junior Grand Warden ; in

1875 Mr . Alderman Stone filled the same office ; in 1880 , Sir Francis Truscott ; in 1882 , Sir Whittaker Ellis ; in 1884 , Sir Eobert Fowler ; in 1887 , Sir Eeginald Hanson . In 1890 Sir Henry Isaacs was made a Past Grand Warden—a rank which is also held in the Craft by Sir John Monckton , the Town Clerk .

Among others of the Aldermanic body , past and present , Mr . J . Ebenezer Saunders , Alderman Sir Polydore De Keyser , Mr . Alderman Green , and the late Alderman Sir John Staples were Grand Deacons , to which office Mr . H . Homewood Crawford , the City Solicitor , has now been appointed . — " World . "

There is activity in almost every Province in Scotland in response to the call from Grand Lodge for the attendance of Brethren on the occasion of laying the foundation stone of the new North Bridge , Edinburgh , on Monday , 1 st prox . The result should prove gratifying to the Grand Master , who has expressed

a desire to be supported by large deputations from Lodges in all parts of Scotland . Grand Lodge will be opened in the Freemasons' Hall , at one o ' clock . The Lodges assemble at 12-30 in the St . Andrew Square , where the Brethren will be formed in processional order , and will march to the North Bridge . The

members of Grand Lodge will join in at the rear , as the procession marches past the Freemasons' Hall in George Street . The Lord Provost , Magistrates , and Town Council will join the

procession in High Street . The old North Bridge was erected in 1772 , says " The Mallet , " in his column in the "Glasgow Evening News , " at a cost of £ 18 , 000 . The contract price of the new one is £ 90 , 000 .

"A Sprig Of Acacia.''

"A SPRIG OF ACACIA . ''

AT Truro , on Tuesday , 12 th inst ., the remains of Bro . T . C . Mack were laid to rest in St . Mary ' s burial ground , only a stone throw from his residence , where he died the previous Saturday at the comparatively early age of forty-nine years . The deceased was a member of the Fortitude Lodge , in which he had passed through the chief offices , and by the Brethren of which he was highly esteemed , as was evidenced by the large number present at his interment .

New Hall At Harwich.

NEW HALL AT HARWICH .

TUESDAY , 12 th inst ., was a red letter day amongst the members of the Star in the East Lodge , No . 650 , Harwich . For some years , owing to the gradual increase in the number of members , the rooms allotted to the Lodge at the Great Eastern Hotel have become quite inadequate , and representations to that effect having been made to the Eailway Company , they kindly

undertook to adapt the portion of the Hotel known as the Eestaurant into a Masonic Hall . The work was carried out under the direction of Bros . Jones and Amendt , and the result is that the Brethren now have a well-proportioned and roomy Hall , in which to carry out the ceremonies and transact the Lodge business .

Haying obtained the new Hall the Brethren felt a natural desire that the event should be celebrated in some special manner , and accordingly the Provincial Grand Master the Earl of Warwick was approached with a view of ascertaining if he would honour the Lodge by attending the opening ceremony . His lordship , who is always ready to further the interests of the

Craft in his Province , cheerfully acceded to the wishes of the Brethren , and promised to come to the regular meeting of the Lodge on the 12 th . His lordship , who travelled from Warwick Castle , reached Harwich at 5 p . m ., and was met at the station by the Worshipful Master Bro . A . J . H . Ward ( Town Clerk of Harwich ) , and conducted to the Great Eastern Hotel . On

entering the Hall , accompanied by a goodly array of present and past Provincial Officers , under the conductorship of the Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies Bro . Albert Lucking P . G . P ., his lordship was received with the honours due to his rank in the Craft . The hymn , " Hail Eternal , by whose aid , " having been sung ,

The Worshipful Master addressed the assembly . He said this was a very happy day for the members of the Lodge , and they appreciated most highly the kindness of the Provincial Grand Master in coming amongst them on that auspicious occasion . It was an event that naturally led them to consider the history of Freemasonry in that ancient borough . From

some particulars kindly supplied him by the Provincial Grand Secretary he found that the earliest record of a . Lodge of Harwich was one founded in the year 1764 , and named the St . Nicholas , no doubt from the fact that the whole borough of Harwich was comprised in a parish of that name . In this connection it might be mentioned that when some few years ago

they started a Mark Lodge in the town , they named it the St . Nicholas , without knowing of this old Lodge , so that the title had been revived amongst them . The St . Nicholas Craft Lodge first met at the Three Crowns Inn , which probably was the Three Cups , and after one or two removals was erased in 1795 . Masonry appears to have lain dormant for about eleven years ,

when the Gothic Lodge was founded , and after an existence of twenty-two years disappeared . A feature of Freemasonry at the close of the last century was the existence of what were known as Eegimental Lodges , and one of these—the Wilts Militia Lodge—which was founded at Seaforth Camp in 1794 , visited Harwich in the year 1809 , three years after the erasure of the

Gothic , but its stay was only a brief one , the exigencies of the Service taking it from the place before the year had expired . The visit of this Military Lodge seems to have awakened the Masonic zeal of some Brethren of the 1 st Battalion Eoyal Veterans , then stationed at Landguard Fort , for they very shortly after obtained a Warrant of Constitution to hold a Lodge ,

which was designated the Veterans Lodge . It was apparently found difficult to obtain sufficient support at Landguard , for two years afterwards it was brought across the water to Harwich , and located at the Three Cups , where the Brethren met for about twelve years , when a removal was made to the White Hart . The stay of the Lodge here , however , was but of short duration ,

and it shared the fate of its predecessors , and was struck off the roll . This present Lodge Star in the East was founded in 1855 , and was first held at the Town Hall . Seven years afterwards it was removed to the Pier Hotel , where the Lodge was held for twenty-four years , when a removal was made to the Hotel in which they were now assembled . Here great prosperity had

attended them , as was shown by two significant facts . Firstly the membership had increased from 80 to 138 , secondly their votes for the Charities had risen from 50 to over 500 . Still new members were coming on , and there was certainly no prospect of the Lodge sharing the fate of its predecessors . Before sitting down he should like to say how much indebted they

felt to the Great Eastern Eailway Company for providing the new room , and as a work of this kind could not be carried out without considerable trouble to somebody , he must thank Bros . Jones and Amendt for the trouble they had taken and the interest they had exhibited in the work . He would now ask the Provincial Grand Master to declare the Hall open for Masonic nurnoses .

The Earl of Warwick , whose rising was the signal for ah ovation , said he was very pleased to be present at their