Provincial.

WILTSHIRE . DEVIZES . —Lodge of Fidelity ( No . 961 ) . —The installation meeting of this lodge took place on AA'ednesday , the 14 th inst ., at the Town hall , Devizes . One o ' clock was tho hour fixed , and at that time the following members were assembled , Bros . II . Calf , W . M .: D . A . Gibbs , S . AV . ; Joseph Burt , Treas . ; E . E . Guy , Sec . ; T . G . O'Reilley , J . D . ; J . Ford , I . G . ; AV . Biggs , and S . WhitteyP . M ' s . J . ' Guyand C HitchcockThe visitors were

, ; , . Bros . AY . L . Dore , P . M ., and C AV . AVyndham , P . M . 856 ; G . Finley , 1230 ; C . W . Oliver , P . M . 61 , P . Prov . S . G . AV . of Somerset ; C . F . Marshall , P . M . 420 , P . Prov . S . G . W . AVilts : Eev . C R . Daw , 420 , P . Prov . G . Chap , of Somerset ; Eev . T . F . Eavenshaw , 460 , P . Prov . G . Chap , of Oxfordshire ; C . J . Phipps , Secretary 4 S ; AV . Read . AV . M . ; E . Bradford , P . M .: AA . F . Fan-ant , I . G . ; J . Chandler , P . M ., T . Chandler , P . M ., and

AV . AVestmacott , 453 ; E . Gardner . AY . F . Gooch , P . Prov . S . G . W . AVilts ; E . T . Payne , W . M . 61 , P . M . 420 , Prov . G . Reg . Wilts ; F . S . Wilmot , S . D ., 909 ; J . Naish , ex-Mayor of AVinciiester , p . Prov . J . G . W . Hants ; M . Cooke , Sec . 23 ; J . Caster , P . M . 61 ; and several others . The business ofthe day was to instal Bro . AY . Biggs , P . Prov . G . AV . " Wilts , who had been unanimousl y elected as AV . M . of tire Lodge of Fidelity ( No . 961 ) , and the

ceremony was very ably performed by Bros . Oliver anel Marshall , for which the thanks of the lodge were voted them . Bro . Bi ggs then appointed and invested his officers as follows : — Bros . D . A . Gibbs , S . AV . ; J . Long , J . AA . ; J . Burt , reinvested Treas . ; S . AVittey , Sec , Eev . T . F . Eavenshaw , Chap .,- J . Guy , S . D . ; T . G . O'Reilley , J . D . ; J . Ford , I . G . ; and J . Knihtreinvested TlerThere being no other business

g , y . before the loelge , it was closeel , and tlie brethren sat down in the hall room to a very excellent dinner , furnished by Mr . Sloper , of tlie Elm Tree Inn . Bro . Watson Taylor liberally supplied the game , as an apology for his unavoidable absence , and Bro . AV . Biggs , AA ' . M ., provided no end of champagne * . After the doth had been removed , and the dessert placed on the table , the W . M . saiel the first toast was of a two-fold character ; a man to

bo a good Mason must be a good citizen , therefore he gave them the toast of "The Queen arid tho Craft . "—The AAsM . had next to call attention to the heir to the throne , who , though living for a time in retirement , was about to be initiated into

matrimony ; tbe AA . M . also hoped soon to hear of his initiation into Freemasonry . The first of those initiations would , he trusted , be all that the most loyal subject could desire , for the intended bride of his Royal Highness was reputed to be a Princess worthy of a people ' s love . The W . M . then proposed " The Prince of Wales and the Royal Family . "—Bro . YVIXTEY , P . M ., hael the honour to call their attention to the next toast . The country had an efficient and volunteer serviceall of which

army , navy , , hael made great pi-ogress in-preparing for the defence of their home . They had a very excellent army , a capital navy , and so many able and willing volunteers , that they could not but feel a great satisfaction that old England woulel never be deserted ; but . like her flag that had so ' long braved the battle anel the breeze , would continue to hold her own . Their brother , Captain Burtwho had seen much servicehe would le

, , coup with the former two services , and Captain Wm . F . Gooch with the latter . He then called upon them to drink "To the Army , Navy , and Volunteers . "—Bro . CAPT . BTJUT had great pleasure in having his name coupled with the army and navy , and was sure that whenever the trumpet gave the sound calling for the services of either or both of them , they would ever be found ready to do their duty to their Queen and their country . —Bro .

Capt . AA . F . Goocit , believed and 'hoped that should their services ever be required , tho volunteers would prove themselves to be good auxiliaries , aud on behalf of the volunteers , tendered his thanks for the toast . —The AV . M . said they had drunk the health of the heads of tho state , and their next duty was to honour the heads of tire Craft , in accordance with which , he proposed the "M . W . Grand Masterand the Grand Lodof

Eng-, ge land . "—Bro . BIGGS said they had now got home , anel it was a very agreeable office to propose the health of a nobleman , the head of their province , whose heart and soul was in Freemasonry . His lordship ' s health was very bad , or they would have been honoured by his presence that day , so there was the more reason they should elo full justice ' to the toast of the R . AAs Prov . Grand MasterLord Methnen . —The AV . M . Bro . Biggshad

, , , another pleasing duty to follow . If their Prov . Grand Master ' s love of Freemasonry was strong , their D . Prov . Grand Master's was not a whit behind . Wherever he was wanted , they were sure to find him . He was ever ready to inculcate the duties of fostering the Charities , and amply practised that

which he taught . He ( the AV . M . ) deeply regretted that he was absent through ill-health ; and , as he was held in the highest estimation by all who knew him , there were none there but would strongly sympathise with him . To his speedy recovery let each one fill a bumper , and drink to the Provincial Grand Master and Grand Lodge of Wiltshire . —Bro . Captain AA " . F . Goocn felt it his duty to return thanks for his brother . It was

a source of great regret to him that he was debarred by severe indisposition from being present , but he had been enjoined perfect rest and absence from all excitement . He had himself appeared that day to apologise for his brother , at his special request , and it would afford him much pleasure to convey to him the kind manner in which his health had been proposed and received . —The W . M . said no doubt the R . AV . Bi-o . Bridges

had been subjected to some sudden call , or ho would have been present , as there always had been great unanimity of feeling between the neighbouring Provincial Grand Lodges of Somerset and Wilts . lie then proposed "The V . AA . D . Prov . G . M ., and Grand Lodge of Somerset . " Bro . PAXKU , on behalf of the Prov . Grand Officers and Provincial Grand Lodge of Somerset returned thanks . He wished he could add for a Prov . G . M . as well , for

they had been without one more than two years ; and when they asked for one , they were rewarded for their zeal by being snubbed . However , with the D . Prov . G . M . they had , they could get on very well , for it was impossible to find a better . He met their Masonic wishes with the best possible feeling , and the unity between them all was delightful to behold . He had accepted the office with diffidence , more especially as their D . Prov . G . M . came in after a Prov . G . M . who had ruled the

province above forty years ; but notwithstanding he had most happily succeeded in uniting all with the best wishes towards him . Their D . Prov . G . M . had a very good staff of Provincial Grand Officers , and he ( Bro . Payne ) could speak unreservedly on that subject , because he was not himself appointed by him . Many members of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Somerset were also members of the Loelge of Rectitude , in the province of "Wilts , and they generally felt a great debt due to the Devizes Lodge for the support they had always given to the Charities when represented by any of their province , anel which they would be happy to return ou other occasions . —

Tho AV . M . said it was not too late to rectify an error , their own Prov . G . Loelge of Wilts was omitted from the programme , but they would excuse , it , aud he coupled with it the name of a highly honoured brother , Bro . Marshall . —Bro . MABSHALL returned thanks for tho Prov . G . Lodge of Wilts ., he took it as very kind to mention his name in connection with the toast , and as an honour to bear a part in the ceremony of that clay , seeing that he had been himself initiated into Freemasonry by Bro .

Biggs . In the name of the Prov . G . Lodge he expressed his shanks . —The AA . M ., Bro . BIGGS , next proposed tho Prov . G . M . and the Provincial Grand Lodge of Hampshire , coupling the tame with the name of Bro . Naish , ex-Mayor of Winchester an old friend of his . —Bro . NAISH was pleased at the kind and hearty way in which the toast had been received . Amongst the many good Masons in the province of Hants , none were more respected than Bro . Biggs , and he was sure that the

Provincial Grand Lodge of Hants would be as happy to know he had been installed in that chair as he ( Bro . Naish ) , was to see him there , and on behalf of the Provincial Grancl Lodge of Hants and himself ho returned his best thaiiks . —Bro . Capt . Bum was glad that the next toast fell to his lot to propose . Bro . Biggs , their newly installed AA . M ., was a native of Devizes ( Hear , hear , ) and was well known there for his zeal in Masonry , and that loelge in particular . He had clone No . 961 the high

honour to accept its chair , and his efficiency would be sure to give increased prosperity to the lodge . He ( Bro . Burt ) then called upon them to fill a bumper to the next toast , which was " Success to the W . M . of 961 , Bro . W . Biggs , and his year he office . "—Bro . BIGGS , AV . M ., replied—As he had said in lodge of knew of no greater honour than that of heing the W . M . of a lodge in his own native place , particularly as he resided at a

distance , and such he most decidedly felt it to be . If he ever had a failing ( and who was there without one ?) it was in the cause of Freemasonry . He was deeply interested in everything that was for the good of the Order , and hoped that all present would have for their object the progress of the Craft in that province . There were many old Masons in Devizes , and he earnestly desired to see them all become united in the AViltshire Lodge of Fidelity , and do , as they had hitherto done , some suit and service to the Craft . If lodges did not generally combine for such objects who suffered ? The fatherless , friendless boy