Provincial.

to give his vote to a candidate , and , on endeavouring to assist him , he was surprised to hear that his personal attendance in London was requisite for that end . AVith his very numerous engagements , of course , he could not ensure that , and so he lost the exercise of his privilege . Bro . BAILLY ( NO . 230 ) , called attention to the peculiarly distressed circumstances of a former subscriber to a loclge in AViltshire , which had become defunct . The case was recognized as one for the

Loclge of Benevolence of Grand Lodge . The R . AV . Prov . G . M . then proceeded to invest the various officers of the Prov . Grand Lodge for the ensuing year with their insignia of office . The appointments were as follows : —• Bro . Rev . G . Bradshaw Prov . G . Chaplain . „ R . Harfield , No . 152 „ S . G . Warden . „ R . Parker , No . 152 „ J . G . AVarden . J . R . AVestonNo . 642 G . Registrar .

„ , „ „ A . Heather , No . 717 „ G . Treasurer . „ W . Hickman , No . 555 „ G . Secretary . „ Hocking , No . 319 ,, S . G . Deacon . „ AV . A . Kemp , No . 152 „ J . G . Deacon . „ M . E . Frost , No . 717 „ Supt . of AVorks . ., E . Emery , No . 428 „ Dir . of Cers . L . HoweNo . 995 Asst . ditto .

„ , „ „ AA ' . Howard , No . 1025 „ G . Sword Bearer . „ H . M . Powell , No . 995 „ G . Purst . „ S . Bailey , No . 230 „ G . Standard Bearer . „ Lockyer „ G . Tyler . „ H . Grant , No . 90 „ G . ditto . Bros . Collis , Weeks , Dornan , ¦) n „ , , c , ,,. -, „ , £ „ G . Stewards . „ Stebbing , and Travers j " The R . AV . Pnov . G . M . announced that he had selected Havant

as the place of the next Prov . Grand Lodge Meeting . The Havant Lodge was a young ancl thriving one , ancl he thought it his duty on all occasions to assist the young and deserving . ( Hear . ) He believed the Prov . Grand Lodge hael met at all but at the Havant Lodge . The R . AV . PROV . G . M . moved a vote of thanks to the Past Grand i

Officers of the Province . This was seconded by Bro . F . PERKINS , who especially remarked upon the excellent manner in which the duties had been performed . Carried unanimously . Bro . HAYWARD said , on the part of the Prov . G . Officers for the past year , he begged to tender the brethren his most grateful thanks . He was sure the duties had not been arduous , and he only hoped their performance had been so satisfactory to all as it hael been to him , ( Hear . ) He believed he could say he had been generally punctual in his duty . ( Hear ) . The Grand Loclge was closed , in proper form at three o ' clock , ancl the brethren adjourned previous to the banquet .

THE DEJEUNER . At four o ' clock ( very precise time ) the Town Hall was found completely metamorphosed . In the short interval after the closing of the lodge , the large room had been most excellently fitted up for the banquet . The table was literally covered with one of the most recherche and complete spreads the brethren of the province ever had the satisfaction of sitting down to . The whole was supplied from the neihbouring hostelrythe Anchor

g , ancl Hope , prepared under the personal direction of Mrs . and the Misses Ackland . Seventy brethren sat down . The first toasts , "The Queen and the Craft , " and "The Grand Master of England , " and " The Deputy Grand Master , " were given from the chair , and honoured in the usual manner among Masons . Bro . PORTAL , after first warning the brethren to charge their columns , said that the toast he was then about to propose was , " Health and Prosperity , and Long Life and Happiness , to the

R . AV . Prov . G . M ., Admiral Sir Lucius Curtis , Bart . C . S ., " a toast which , he knew well , would be drank with perfect unanimity . It so happened that many distinguished Masons had been taken away from them since they met last year at Aldershot . The fraternity were about losing , temporarily , the services of the Deputy Grand Master of England , Fox Maule , afterwards Panmure , and , still later , Lord Dalhousie , who had heen long connected with the Grand Lod in which he began his career as S . G . W . followed b

ge , , y representing Grand Lodge in tho sister lodge of Scotland , and then , for years Deputy Grand Master . From ill health , his lordship could not give that time and attention to the business for a few months , but his interest in it continued the same . Recurring to the toast he was about to propose , Bro . Portal said he had on his loft one who , for many years Prov . G . M . of Hants , still occupied that position so much to their satisfaction . He was a brother well known to them all ; one known to bo blunt , perhaps , in

manner , but one open-hearted , whose head was good , and whose heart was as good as his head ; one who deserved well of his province , and was endeared to all the brethren his anxious wish to do the best in his power in behalf of Masonry . ( Hear ) . If he knew

Hampshire at all , he was well convinced they would do justice to this toast . There was not one in the province but who wished long life , happiness , ancl prosperity to their esteemed ancl deservedly respected Provincial Grand Master . He would not conceal from Sir Lucius that he had told many it would accord with his and all their feelings if he would give them a longer notice of these provincial grand meetings ; and , perhaps , he might he asked why ? Influentialpowerfuland . respectable as their

, , meetings wero , they were not so much so as they deserved to be . He had told Sir Lucius that , if he would give them longer notice , the Masons of Hampshire , and surrounding neighbourhood , would rally round him in much greater numbers , and they should see double and treble the extent of visitors to their present gatherings . The toast was drunk amidst enthusiastic cheering , which continued some minutes .

The R . AV . PROV . G . M . said he never rose under greater embarrassment than he did at the present moment . His brother on his right had certainly attributed to him a good deal more of praise than he conscientously knew he deserved . ( No , no . ) He had endeavoured since , he had been G . M of that province to do his duty , truly sincerely , honestly , and impartially , and if he had succeeded in doing- that , he felt most grateful and most proud . ( Cheers . ) Hemust perhaps apologise for one thing , and thank his good brother

on his right ( with whom he believed he was on very excellent terms of friendship ) and endeavour to profit by his counsel . They were all of them open to mishaps , ancl he was one of those , who , if he had found he had not done that which he ought to have done , was very read j' to receive advice , if he considered it was good to follow it . ( Hear and laughter . ) If it pleased God to give him continued : health , he intended to fill it with the views just now expressed . Indeed he had intended to give earlier notice last time , but he had

been prevented by circumstances . It was proposed to him to put off the meeting till later , but he had fixed it for the first week in-Jury , and then he would have had it , but the sessions occurred ; ancl then hi another week the assizes would he falling in . Then he thought it the best plan to fix a day between the sessions and theassizes . But next year he ivould fix a day so as to give all the brethren of the province clue notice to attend . He had to repeat that he thanked his brother on his right for his suggestion . He knew Bro . Portal to be plain-spoken , and that what he did say came from his heart , and was true and correct . As to all he had said of his ( the G . M ' s ) good qualities , he could not agree with him .

lhey were all subject to their faults , and he was by no means perfect . It was not possible he could be perfect , they were not born perfect , but should endeavour to come as near to perfection as they could . ( Hear and cheers . ) He had now been twenty years the G . M . of the province , ancl he had got to be , if not the oldest , the oldest but one of the Prov . G . Masters of England . ( Hear . ) He was proud of his situation . He would here allude to a nobleman with whom he was , he could not say closely , ' hut intimately acquainted . He

meant Lord Dalhousie , than whom a better Mason and a better man never lived . He ancl many others deeply regretedthat the state of his lordship ' s health obliged him to resign his office , for he had been , much liked for his urbanity and readiness to give assistance . He ( Sir Lucius ) was not much given to speaking ; he could not pay compliments , but what he did say came from his heart , ancl waswhat lie meant . ( Hear . ) And he ' would rather have that than all the flowing language that could come from the human tongue in

one moment and be blown out of the window the next . He was truly plain spoken and blunt . ( Hear and laughter . ) He remembered once writing a letter ancl excusing himself for the bluntness of his style , and he received for an answer that his bluntness was preferable to a flowery letter—ancl he had ever since kept to his own plan . ( Laughter ) . He thanked them all most honestly and truly for the flattering manner in which they had received his name , aud he especially thanked his Honourable brother bhis —( looking round —•

y " Oh , he ' s gone . " ) ( Great laughter ) . Still he thanked him for the flattering manner in which he had proposed the toast , and the company for the warm manner in which they had received it . He would take care that the lecture he had had given him should have its intended effect in reference to their next Provincial Grand meeting . ( Loud cheers ) .

The next toast was " The Present and Past Grand Officers of the Province . " Drank with applause . Bro . Perkins was called upon , but made way for Bro . HAYWARD , Senior Grand ex-Warden , who said he was sorry Bro . Perkins had not responded to the toast , being enabled to do much greater justice to it than he could . He believed he was a true Mason at heartand they had given him credit for sincerit

, y . The R . AV . Prov . G . M . had entrusted him with a distinguished office some ( twelve months since at the Aldershot meeting ; he must say it was a privilege to which he had not aspired or expected to obtain , aud therefore the honour was appreciated by him in a tenfold sense . He had experienced the honour and pleasure of keeping