Provincial Lodges.

P . P . G . R . ; Br . Jones , P . P . G . J . W . ; Br . Cruttendcn , P . P . G . JR . ; Br . C . Philpott , P . P . G . J . D . ; Br . Sargeant , P . P . G . S . D . ; Br . Cruttenden , juu ., P . P . G . S . B . ; Br . Gardner , W . M . 34 ; Br . Day , W . M . 741 ; Br . Mumi , W . M . 376 ; and above 150 other brethren . Grace was said before and after dinner by the Rev . Chaplain of the Order , and the cloth being withdrawn , The R . W . P . G . M . remarked , in proposing thefirst toast , that loyalty was the particular

characteristic of Freemasonry . To whatever country they belonged , whether it was governed by a despotism , a republic , or a constitutional monarchy , such as that it was then happiness to live under , attachment to that government , and unwillingness to interfere with anything constituted by the laws of the land , would be found to mark the conduct of all true Freemasons —( cheers . ) In this country , they had the good fortune , from an early period to find the sovereign friendly to their institution . Without going back to any very remote antiquityhe miht mention that FrederickPrince

, g , of Wales , in the reign of Goo . II ., the great grandfather of our Queen , was an excellent Freemason , and all Ms brothers , her great uncles , the Dukes of Cambridge , York , and Gloucester of that day . Coining down to later periods , her Majesty ' s uncles ( with one exception ) , Geo . IV ., Wm . IV ., the King of Hanover , and her own royal father , the Duke of Kent , were all distinguished Freemasons —( cheers . ) Her Majesty , he knew , was most favourable to the Craft , and nothing but her sex prevented her from being a Mason—( cheers . ) They knew quite well that it was by a

mere accident that Prince Albert was not a Freemason ; the death of another of the Queen's uncles , the late Duke of Sussex , one of the greatest benefactors of Freemasonry the Craft had ever had in this country , having occurred just at the time the Prince was to have been initiated . He thought then that he might venture to affirm that the Prince of Wales and all his royal brothers would become Freemasons in due time —( cheers . ) They would , therefore , drink with enthusiasm the health of her Majesty , who was tlie daughter , the granddaughter , the niece , and the grandniece of so many distinguished Masons —( cheers . )

"The Queen and the Craft" was then drunk with Masonic honours , and "The National Anthem" played by the band . The R . W . P . G . M , said that he had now to propose a toast which was somewhat unusual at a Masonic Meeting , but he trusted he should not meet with censure upon that account , but , should he do so , he was prepared to take all the responsibility upon himself , although the toast had been suggested to him by his friends . The men of Kent had ahvays been distinguished for their courage , and had always been ready , as

from the position of the country they would have been the first in case of invasion to meet those who , until latterly , had been accustomed to look upon them as natural enemies ; but he knew no men who rejoiced more at the close and intimate alliance which now existed between this country and France —( loud cheers . ) It was because the men of Kent bad won for themselves the reputation of bravery and courage , that they could thus rejoice ; and feeling himself iu the proud position of presiding over the Freemasons of that province which was nearest to the shores of France , and

celebrating tlie festival of that day in the town nearest to the coast of France ; and which , therefore , in a state of warfare with France , would be the first to meet and defy her legions , he could not avoid , under the more auspicious circumstances ( and , indeed , he did it with the greatest of pleasure ) proposing the health of the Emperor of the French —( cheers ) , and ho supposed he might add to that the Empress —( cheers , and cries of Oh , yes—she's the wife of a Mason I ) Yes , the Emperor was a member of the Craft , and he would , therefore , give them was " The health of the Emperor and

Empress of the French . "—( cheers . ) The toast was drunk with the Kentish fire , the band playing " Partant pour la . Syrie . " The R . W . P . G . M . said the next toast he had to propose was , "The health of the Rt . Hon . the Earl of Zetland , M . W ., P . G . M . of England . " Without enlarging on the merits of the Earl of Zetland , as a man and a Mason , as he knew they all felt towards him the deepest respect , he would mention as a proof of the success which had attended the Craft during the ten years his lordship had held his present high office , that when