Dorsetshire.

Tho Deputy Provincial Grand Master briefly replied , and alluded to various matters connected with the Craft . Tho contents of tho charity box wire so'd by auction by the Deputy Pro \ incinl Grata ! Master , and wero purchased by Bro . 10 roves for £ 10 \< h , to bs handed over to Bro .

Du » dale ' a list for the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . The health of the Provincial Grand Officers was proposed by the Provincial (' rand Mas ' or , ar . d was conp ' ed with the name of Bro . II . J . Grows , P . G . S . W .

The latter , in reply , thanked tho brethren for the reception of the toast . He assured them he felt it a groat honour that , had been done him th it day in appointing him to so high an office , for which he thauked t : e Provincial Grand Master . In his speech that morning the Provincial

Grand Master had alluded to the necessity of young Masons coming forward to take the places of those who wore removod by death , and all ho could say was that if the

Bame encouragement had been offered to young Masons as had been done that day the Provincial Grand Master would have done a great deal to promote tho success of Freemasonry in Dorset .

The other toasts wero the Distinguished Visitors , the W . M . and Officers of tho Entertaining Lodge , and the Masonic Charities .

The musical arrangements wcie under tho direction of Bro . H . A . Hurdle , A . R . A . M ., who ably presided afc the pianoforte .

Staffordshire.

STAFFORDSHIRE .

npHE annual assembly of the Provincial Grand Lodge of JL Staffordshire was held ou tho 7 th inst ., under the presidency of Bro . Lieut .-Col . J . A . Bindley Past Provincial Grand Senior Warden , Deputy Provincial Grand Master , in whom the charge of the Province is now vested pending the appointment of a successor to the late lamented

Provincial Grand Master , Colonel Foster Gough , at the Borough Hall , Stafford . The brethren of the Province mustered in strong numbers , about 220 being present . Thero are now 31 Lodges in Staffordshire , and nearly all were represented .

The Deputy Provincial Grand Master and tho Officers of Provincial Grand Lodge were saluted with tho customary honours . The roll of Lodges having been called and the

attendances noted , Grand Lodgo was presented by the Provincial Grand Treasuror , Bro . Dr . Newnliam , with the statement of accounts , which was unanimously adopted . From this it was seen that tho total receipts during the year amounted to £ 212 12 s lOd , aud that the balance

brought forward from tho last account was £ 49 3 s lOd , makiug a total on tbe debit side of £ 261 8 s 8 d . The year ' s expenditure amounted to £ 145 17 s , leaving an

available balance at tho bank of £ 115 lis 8 d . In addition to this Prov . G . Lodge was possessed of investments in two and a half per cent , consols in December last amounting to £ 700 . Tho Provincial Grand Treasurer was afterwards

re-elected with unanimity . In his address to tbe Provincial Grand Lodge , the Deputy Provincial Grand Master gave a very flattering account of the slate of the Craft in the Province , and referred with much satisfaction to the fact that during the

past year new Lodges had been consecrated at Stoke and Walsall , both of which gave eminent promise of much success . He also reported that the membership and finances of the older Lodges had much improved . Tho Officers were appointed aud invested .

Auditors having been appointed , Provincial Grand Lodge was adjourned for the purpose of attending service at St . Mary ' s Collegiato Church . The brethren , vested in the clothing of Masonry , inarched in procession to the church , where the sermon was preached by the Rev . Bro .

J . Wickham Jones Provincial Grand Chaplain , who took for his text the words of the 3 rd and 4 th verses of the 1 st chapter of tho Book of Genesis . The collection realised a substantial sum , of which fonr guineas was subsequentl y voted to tho Rector of St , Mary ' s for the

special fund now being raised for tho restoration of St . Mary ' s Almshouses . The balance was voted to the Chaplain as a donation to the schools in connection with his cure . The business transacted aftor the resumption of " roviucial Grand Lodge was of an unimportant character , and was rapidly dealt with .

Staffordshire.

Tho annual banquet took place in tbe evouing at tbe Shiro Hall , tho Deputy Provincial Grand Master presiding . The attendance of brethren was large , although not so numerous as at Lodge .

Northumberland.

NORTHUMBERLAND .

TIIHE annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge J . took place on tho 30 th ult ., in the Grand Assembl y Rooms , Barras Bridge , Newcastle , under tho presidency of tho Right Hon . Sir Matthew White Ridley , Bart , M . P ., Provincial Grand Master . There was a lar » o attendance

of members , amongst those present being Bros . Alderman Richard Henry Holmes , J . P ., P . G . D . England Deputy Provincial Grand Mnster .

The roll of Lodges showed that the condition of the Province was eminently satisfactory , both numerically and financially .

The Provincial Grand Master , in the course of an interesting address , congratulated the members on the satisfactory reports received , and on tbe fact that great caro

and discretion was being exercised in the admission of persons into their ranks , and who would prove worth y Masons .

It was decided that tho uext annual meeting should bo held in Newcastle , under the banner of the De Loraine Lodge , No . 541 . In the evening a banquet was held in the hotel , presided over by the Provincial Grand Master .

Masonic Sonnets.—No. 75.

MASONIC SONNETS . —No . 75 .

BY BKO . CHAS . F . FORSHAW , LL . D . — : o : — HOPE .

" Hope springs eternal ia the human breast , " Spurs , stimulates , OD courage ? , and cheers ; And when by spetral sbadowings opprest , Banishes grief and still allays our fears .

When sad misfortune in her sombre dress Dulls the poor soul till every joy is fled , "Pis Hope evamiBhes its loneliness—And soothes the brain and lifts the drooping head . 'Tis Hope all gloom and dire dismay

dispels'Tis Hope that lends a brightness to oar life ; 'Tis Hope that fits ns for our morrow ' s strife , 'Tis nope , glad Hope , that now and ever tolls Tbe lonesome heart Despair is but a wraith , And bids the weak be strong , tho doubtful full of Faith , Winder House , Bradford , 2 nd November 1893 .

An interesting concidence was brought to light at the last meeting of the Palatine Lodge , No . 97 . At the Provincial Grand Lodge meeting held last month , Bro . J . Rob 3 on Pattison , a Past Master of the Lodge , who had filled the office of Assistant Provincial Secretary for the

past seven years , was the deserving recipient of the hi gh office and position of Provincial Senior Grand Warden . At the meeting of the Lodge the other night , Bro . Pattison was very heartily congratulated by the members , and upon Bro . J . G . Marshall P . M . P . P . G . S . D . moving that an

entry be made upon tho minutes , he incidentally mentioned that a former distinguished member of the Lodge , Dr . Tipping Brown , one of the founders of the Sunderland Literary Society , had beld the same distinguished office as

was now bold by Bro . Pattison exactly a hundi * ed years before , being P . G . S . W . of Durham in 1793 . A large company of Past Masters of tho Lodge were present to greet Bro . Pattison on the occasion . —Sunderland Eerald .

Some time ago in a Lodge in Toronto a canny old Sootchman « ai receiving the first , and wbeu asked for a contribution to the charity fnnd by the Worshipful Master , replied : " I hae na a copper aboot me , sir . " " WoII , brother , if jou ha' ' , you would willingly bestow it

to assist a needy brother Mason , would you not ? " Indeed , an ' I wad ' no , sir . I gied thirty dollars to get what ye ca' degrees , an ' so far I hav ' na seed the value o' my money . " And as he retired to the ante-room tho brother at the organ played , " This ig no my ain hoose . bonny hoosie thongh it be . "—American Tyler .