Provincial.

and appreciated by every class of her Majest y ' s subjects and especially amongst Freemasons . The toast Avas received with rapturous applause . The Right Hon . LORD DE TABEEY said he had very great pleasure in proposing the next toast , " His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester , the Princess of AVales , and the rest of tlie Royal Family . " He spoke very highly of . lie qualifications of His Royal Highness , ancl said that it Avas a

• onsolafcion to know that when the time did come ( and God ' ^ rant it may be long before it did ) , we had a Prince in every way worthy to fill the throne of this country , and that if ever man was happy , tlie Prince ought to be , inasmuch as he had for his wife not only the most beautiful , but he believed , the most amiable Princess in the world , and in every Avay fitted to share the high position of the Prince of Wales and future King of this country . ( Cheers . )

The W . M . then proposed "The Army , Navy , and A olunteers , " Avhich was responded to by Bro . Major Legh . The W . M . next proposed " The Bishop and Clergy of the Diocese , " and said he Avas glad to find , that now , as always had been the case , the Clergy ancl FreemasonryVere so intimately connected , ancl hoped it Avould always continue to be the case . He took that opportunity of returning thanks , on behalf of himself and the brethren presentfor the excellent sermon which had been preached for

, them that day by Bro . tlie Rev . W . B . Garnett . ( Cheers . ) Bro . the Rev . W . B . GARNETT returned thanks for the manner in which the toast had been proposed and received by the brethren , and said his services were always at their disposal , and that he was highly gratified at the proceedings of the . day . The W . M . then proposed " The Health of the Alcountess Combermere and the Ladies . " He remarked that her ladyship was a great lover of Masonryand patronised and subscribed to

, all their charities . The W . M . next gave " The Health of the Earl of Zetland , M . W . G . M ; " " Tile Health ol the Earl de Grey and Ripon , M . W . D . G . M . "; "The Health of A iscount Combermere , R . W . Prov . G . M ., Cheshire , and the Hon . Colonel Cotton , R . W . D , Prov . G . M . Cheshire" ; " The R . W . Prov . G . M . s of East and AVest Lancashire . " Responded to by Bro . H . B . White ,

AV . M . 173 . The AV . M . said ho had now arrived at what might be considered the toast of the evening , namely , "The Health of the Right Hon . and Right Worshipful Lord do Tabley , Past Grand AVarden of England , " who , at great inconvenience , had come down from London for tlie express purpose of honouring them Avith his eompony . ( Cheers . ) His lordship was a great lover of the Craft , and had held very high office in the Grand Lodge ,

and he now took particular interest in the Cheshire lodges , of two of which he was AV . M . He hoped that his lordship would be gratified Avith the reception he had met with , and thai , he Avould he induced to visit them again . The toast was received by the brethren with loud and prolonged applause . The Right Hon . and Right AVorshipful Lord dc TABLEY , in responding , said that although he had been put to some inconvenience in coming to Runcorn , it was completely overbalanced

by the very gratifying reception he had met with that day . Everything ho had seen and heard gave him the greatest satisfaction , and be should only he too glad to revisit the Ellesmere Loclge whenever an opportunity arose . ( Cheers . ) He considered it part of his duty to do all that he could to forward the interests of Masonry , and he should continue to do so as long as possible . Before sitting down , he wished to propose a toast , which was , " The Health ancl prosperity of the W . M ' ., the

Officers , and brethren of the ESlesmero Lodge , 1060 . " His lordship said the brethren should consider themselves fortunate in having such au able and energetic WM . as Bro . Rigby , unci he had to congrate them upon their removal to the new hall . He had no doubt they would find it much to their benefit , ancl by this removal they had set a very good example to many lodges in Cheshire . The AV . M . in returning thanks to the Right Hon . Lord de

Tabley for the very handsome manner in which he had proposed the toast , said the presence of such distinguished brethren that day Avouid be a . fresh incentive to himself , the Wardens , and brethren of the Ellesmere Lodge to forward the true interests of Freemasonry , which they would now be better able to do than Avhen the lodge was held at an hotel . The W . M . then proposed " The Prov . G . AVardens and other Prov . G . Officers of Cheshire , " coupling therewith the health of Bro . Captain Cope , Prov . G . J . AV . Cheshire , who responded in suitable terms . The next toast proposed hy the W . M . was , "The Visiting

Brethren , ancl Bro . G . Cornwall Legh , M . P . " The W . M . in proposing this toast alluded to the long connection Bro . Legh had had with the town of Runcorn , and he hoped it would be a long time before the connection was severed . ( Cheers . ) Bro . G . C . LEGH , in responding , said he was very much , obliged to the AV . M . and brethren of the Ellesmere Lodge for inviting him to be present on this occasion . He had many friends in Runcorn , and he believed that every time he visited

the place he had increased the number , and lie was not aware that he had made an enemy or lost a friend . ( Cheers . ) He should run over oftener now for the purpose of visiting thelodge . The W . M . then proposed " The Health of Bro . Twiss , Prov . G . Org . for Cheshire , and thanks to him and the professional brethren for their entertainment . " Bro . TAVISS acknowledged the complimentand said he always

, had great pleasure in visiting Runcorn , and took that opportunity of saying he did not think there was a parish church in the county that could boast of having so good a choir as theone he had to direct that clay . The AV . M . proposed "The Health of the AV . M . S and AVardens of the Lodges in the Provinces , " coupling therewith Bro . AV . Bulley , Prov . G . J . D . and P . M . 782 , who briefly responded , expressing his gratification ut the manner in which the business

of the day hael been conducted . This brought the business to a termination , and the lodge Avas closed , some excellent music having' enlivened the proceedings .

DEVONSHIRE . PLYAIOUIII . — Inaugural Meeting of Lodge St . Aiibya-( No . 1256 ) . —The first regular meeting of the above lodge Avas held at the Brunswick Masonic Hall , Union Road , Plymouth , on the evening of Tuesday the 28 th April . Present : The W . Bro . Chappie , WM . ; Kent , S . W . ; Spry , J . AV . ; Elliott , Secretary ; Bird , treasurer ; Clemens , S . D . ; Gudridge , J . D . ; Cock .. I . G . ; Hanton and Sutton , Stewards ; Bickford , Dir . of Cers .,.

and Elliott and Rogers , Tylers . The lodge having been duly opened with solemn prayer , a ballot was taken for four candidates Avho were severally declared clear iu the E ., W ., ancl S . ; another ballot was then taken for seven joining members , VihicU also proved unanimous . The candidates Avere then severally introduced ! and initiated in the first degree of Freemasonry . The charge was ably delivered by the S . W ., and the working tools by the J . W . The newly-initiated brethren

announced their intention of becoming subscribing members of the lodge . The business having terminated , the lodge closed with solemn prayer . The brethren then adjourned to the adjoining Great Western Hotel , where a collation Avas served by the host Bro . Thomas . Among the visitors present , we observed the AV . Bro . Dr . Tripe , P . M ., P . Prov . G . S . D ., the Wardens of Loclge 185 , a visitor from Guernsey , and many other brethren from the neighbouring lodges . On the withdrawal of the cloth , the toast-cards were handed round . The 1 st "The Queen and Craft , " was drunk in the usual loyal and masonic style . " The

G . M ., the Earl of Zetland , " was then given by the AV . M ., who dilated on the Avell -known character of the nobleman who has . for so many years been at the head of the fraternity . The next toast , one now very dear to the fraternity in Devon , "Bro . Huyshe , the D . Prov . G . M ., " was then given . Bro . Chapxile gave an outline of the many virtues of the Rev-. Bro . who so well and Avisely governs the craft in the province of Devon . It Avas responded to by Bro . Dr . Tripe , Avho alluded in feeling terms

to tlie past , reviewing his connexion with the ProVo G . lodge . of Devon during a period of eighteen years , Avhen Lord Fortescue was the Prov . G . M . That inestimable nobleman having been called by the G . A . O . T . U . to the Grand Lodge above , it was felt that it could scarcely be possible for any one to fill his place . And yet another does that duty , ancl does it well , in the person of our D . Prov . G . M ., the Rev . J . Huyshe , M . A ., G . C . The W . Bro . then alluded to the fact of tlie kindness of

the D . Prov . G . M . in having aided and promoted the grant of the warrant for 1256 , alluding to the responsibility thereby placed both on his shoulders and individually on the members of the new lodge . He trusted , in conclusion , that the whole of the brethren would exercise an amount of caution in introducing candidates , rather choosing the moral poor man than the rich fast one . In conclusion he , by permission , Avould propose " Success to Lodge St . Aubyn ( No . 125 G ) , " Avhich was drank amid the loudest applause . The remainder of the toasts Avere as follows— " Our Newly-Iniated Brethren , " which AVUS responded ,