Metropolitan.

and again , as it was a pleasure to receive such brethren . He coupled the toast with the name of Bro . Sedgwick , W . M . of the St . James ' s Union Lodge ( No . 180 ) . —Bro . SEDGWICK was deputed to express the thanks of the visitors for the very flattering manner their names had been received . For his own part he had heard much of the goodness of Bro . Gurton ' s working , but was somewhat surprised at the excellence of its reality . The W . M . too was no mean proficient in his duties , ancl every

officer seemed to emulate him . With such talents the lodge must prosper . The visitors also , through him as their mouthpiece , could not refrain expressing their thanks for the very warm and exceedingly elegant hospitality of the lodge , and he would say , in conclusion , that it was so grateful to all of them that the W . M . ' s kind and pressing invitation really was not sieedetl as thoy each intended to visit again if they could . —Bro . XV . WATKIXSP . M . 23 said it would be nothing wonderful if

, , they did not see him again . Living , now , in their immediate neighbourhood although , he might not , perhaps , join the lodge , liepromised to visit it on many occasions . —The W . MASTEE could not adequately explain all he desired in reference to the next toast . He felt lie could not say all he knew about the brother to which lie alluded , but all he did know of him was—everythat was good—everything that a friend should bea

Free-, mason was , and a man wished to be . ( Hear , hear ) . By his perseverance nothing had been wanting for tho good of the lodge , ancl he had brought it as near perfection as could be done in one year only . He regretted that ho held in his hand the design only of a P . M . 's jewel , and that he could not decorate

Bro . Gurton with it that night , but he hoped to do so ere long , ancl they could but show their sympathy with their worthy first P . M . by drinking his health at present , which he felt sure they would < lo heartily and lovingly . —Bro . Jon * GUETON , P . M ., said , for the first time , it was his duty to thank them in the character of a P . M . of the lodge . The W . M . had considerably ovenated his endeavours , but what he had been able to accomplish was clone with the motive that it should be for the good

of the Craft and that lodge . If ho had carried out his year of office satisfactorily it was a pleasure to him to think he had been able to do so . With respect to the jewel alluded to , he should receive it with gratitude , for although he had had several , yet that of the Strawberry Hill Lodge would be esteemed second to none by himself , and ho hoped , cherished as warmly in his family as an heir-loom . ( Hearhear ) . He was warml

, y attached to their lodge , for he looked upon it as a twin child of his own —( hear , hear)—and would do all in his poiver to increase its success . He felt he owed a debt of gratitude to the officers of the lodge who had rendered him such hearty cooperation , aud then and there he tendered them his best thanks for their uniform kind assistance . To the members ancl to the lodgo he would drinkwisking them individually health and

, happiness , ancl to the lodge prosperity . —The XV . MASTER then proposed " The Health of the Officers of the Lodge , " not omitting Ilro . XV . Piatt , sen ., their excellent Secretary . —Bro . COEEAED , S . W ., in a very few words , returned thanks , and so ended the first anniversary of the foundation of the Strawberry Hill "Lodge , which bids fair to bo " all red" both in name and success .

Provincial.

PROVINCIAL .

DEVONSHIRE . MOEICE Tows ' , DEVOXPOET . —Lodge St . Auhyn ( No . 954 ) . —The regular meeting of this lodge was held on the evening of Tuesday , the 12 th . inst ., when one brother was raised to the third degree , and two were passed to tho second . Prior to the lodge closing , the W . M . called the attention of the brethren to the fact that their next meeting was one fraught with much interestas they would be called upon to nominate

, a successor to him , as well as a Treasurer and Tyler . Notice was also given that permission would be asked to have a Royal Arch chapter attached to the lodge at the next meeting . Three candidates were proposed for initiation , ancl the lodge was finally closed at a quarter past nine . ' ESSEX .

COECUESTEE . —United Lodge ( No . 697 ) . —The annual meeting of the brethren of this Military Lodge , for the purpose of installing the W . M . for the ensuing year , was held on Friday , the 8 th inst ., at the George Hotel ; and great additional

interest was given to the occasion by the presence of the founder of the lodge , Bro . Colonel Maydwell , who had arrived in England a few days previously , after five years' service in the Isl . ind of Ceylon . There was a largo muster of the brethren , and the lodge having been opened in due form , the W . M ., Bro . Major Bnrticy , of Walmer Barracks ( who occupied the chair until the installation of his successor ) , said he considered it his duty in the first instance to call upon the brethren to pay a

mark of respect and welcome to the founder of the lodge by greeting him after the manner of Masons . This having been clone , Bro . Maydwell acknowledged the compliment , ancl expressed the pleasure it afforded him to return to his native country , and to be present once more at a lodge to which he was so strongly attached . The ordinary business of the lodge was then proceeded - with ,

the W . M . elect , Bro . Colonel Freemen , S . E ., being duly installed by Bro . Peter Matthews , Prov . G . Dir . of Cers . for Essex ; after which the officers of the lodge were appointed and invested by the W . M ., as follows : — Bros . Captain Boyce , 3-lth Regiment , S . W . ; Lieutenant Skev , 38 th Regiment ' , J . W . ; Anderson , Quarter Master , 10 th Dep ' ot , Battalion , Treas . ; F . Early , Pay-Office , 10 th Depot Battalion , Sec ; Paul , Colour-Sergeant , 38 th Regiment , S . D . ; Moore , J . D . ; Doorley , Colour-Sergeant , 5 th Fusiliers , I . G . ; Witten , Tyler .

THE BANQUET . At six o ' clock upwards of thirty brethren sat down to a sumptuous banquet , provided by Bro . Guiver , of the George Hotel . The W . AI ., Bro . Colonel Freeliug , presided , supported by Bros . R . J . Basrshaiv , Prov . G . M . ; Colonel Maydwell , P . M . ; Major Barney , P . M . ; and Peter Matthews , P . M ., P . Prov . J . G . W . There were also present Bros , the Rev . W . Westall , John MannProvGSecretary for Essex ; R . S . NunnCapt .

, . . , Irby , 92 nd Regiment ; Capt . Boyce , 34-th Regiment ; Lieut . Carter , 90 th Regiment ; Lieut . Sk ' ey , 38 th Regiment ; Quarter master Anderson , 10 th Depot Battalion ; W . V . White , Purveyor ; and T . 'Qnilfcr , Mess master , all of No . 697 ; A . T . Jones , 110 , Rochforcl ; T . Hall , P . M . Nos . 59 ancl 697 ; J . Pattison , P . Prov . G . Treas . ; J . Coppin , P . M . ; W . Williams , P . M . ; N . Gluckstein , S . W . ; T . Railing , XV . Winterbon , IT . T .

Waterworth , R . Evans , ancl J . Hope , No . 59 ; W . Bishop , W . M . ; J . Bromly and P . York , Brightlingsea ; Early , Paul , Lloyd , Doorley , & c . The " toast of the Queen was followed by the National Anthem , led by Bro . Bromly . The healths of ' Earl Zetland , Grand Master , and Earl de Grey and RiponDeputGrand Master of England , were next

, y duly honoured . The W . M . said the next toast came nearer home , and he was sure would meet a cordial reception— " The Health of the Provincial Grand Master for Essex , Bro . Bagshaw . " ( Drank with honours . ) The Pitov . G . MASTEE , in returning thanks , said he felt a

peculiar pleasure in being present that evening , having always taken a deep and lively interest in all that concerned this lodge . He was present when it was constituted ; ancl he was delighted to see once more amongst them the brother to whose exertions they were mainly indebted not only for its existence but for the high position the United Lodge held in Masonry . If there was thing move than another of which as Grand Master of the Province he felt proud it was this lodge . During a residence

of some years in India he had seen the great advantage of Afasonic lodges to military men in a foreign country . Ho therefore hailed tbe formation of a military lodge in his own province , and it had more than realised his most sanguine expectations in the number of officers who , having learnt here the principle of Masonry , had carried those principles to the most distant quarters of the lobebenefitting themselves ancl

g , disseminating the system still more widely . With these feelings he could not but repeat how delighted he was again to meet the founder of this lodge ; and , having felt the greatest regret that Bro . Maydwell's sudden departure for Ceylon some five years ago prevented the carrying out of his ( the Grand Master's ) intention of giving him the highest post at his disposal—that of Senior Grand Warden for Essex —( Hearhear)—now that

, he had returned to England he should certainly apply for the sanction of the Grand Master to bestow upon him that distinction among Masons . ( Applause . ) He was also extremely pleased to meet Bro . Burney , the immediate P . M . of this lodge , whose removal to a distant station had entailed upon him great sacrifices in carrying out the duties of his mastership , which ,