Provincial.

usual loyal and l ^ Casonic toasts , which were duly honoured , and the Brethren broke up after spending a most harmonious evening . Amongst the visitors were Bros . Welch , Wykes , and H . Carson , of the Royal Sussex Lodge , No . 446 .

DEVONSHIRE . PKOVINCIAL GRAND LOD & E . Barnstaple . —The meeting of the Prov . Grand Lodge of Devon , held at Barnstaple , on the 28 th of August , afforded ample and most gratifying evidence that an increasing interest in the Craft is felt in the Province . Being so much on one side of the Province , and , through absence of a direct line of

railway , at a great distance from Plymouth , Devonport , and Stonehouse , where a large number of Brethren reside , Barnstaple has disadvantages as a place for a Provincial Lodge meeting ; but this , as the event proved , was more than compensated by the high reputation of the Lodge-room , furniture , fittings , and appointments of the Lodge No . 312 , by the members of which arrangements were in this instance made . More than one hundred Brethren attended from various

parts of the country ; many from towns at the greatest distance , and all appeared more than pleased with the arrangements and the proceedings-. The room is spacious and lofty , well situated , and admirably adapted for the purposes of Freemasonry ; and the Lodge furniture and fittings most complete and valuable . The room is of such ample dimensions as to be capable of accommodating as a working Lodge from 200 to 300 Brethren .

The Prov . Grand Lodge was tyled at 2 p . m ., so late an hour having been fixed to meet the arrangements of the railways . The following officers were in their places : —R . W . the Right Hon . the Earl Fortescue , K . Q ., Prov . G . M ., on the throne ; R . W . the Rev . John Huyshe , A . M ., Dep . Prov . G . M . ; Y . Ws . Richard Brembridge , as Prov . S . G . W . ; W . Davis Moore , Prov . J . G . W . ; Rev . John Carwithen , as Prov . G . Chap . ; James Marsh , as Prov . G . Treas . ; W . Denis Moore , Prov . G . Sec . ; M . Schlesinger , Asst . Prov . G . Dir . of Cer . ; G . H . Woods , Prov . G . Sword-Bearer ; J . Edwards , as Prov . G . Org . ; J . R . Chanter , as Prov .

Gr . Pursuivant ; James Gregory , Prov , G . Tyler ; T . Killingley , B . Dickes , C . J . Laidman , J , Browning , J . J . Clase , J . C . Wilcocks , Stewards ; and the representatives of Lodges , Nos . 46 , 83 , 122 , 123 , 129 , 182 , 185 , 224 , 312 , 610 , 650 , 719 . The Prov . Grand Lodge was opened in ( Jue form . The minutes of the Prov . Grand Lodges of the 22 nd June , 1854 , and the 4 th of December , 1854 , were read and confirmed . The account submitted for the Prov . G . Treas ., Bro . H . J . Waring , was audited , showing a balance of £ 56 . 14 s . 6 d . in favour of the Lodge . It was ordered that the Prov . Grand Treasurer be authorized to invest £ 50 at

interest in the Exeter branch of the National Provincial Bank . The returns from the several Lodges were read by the Prov . Grand Secretary . It was also reported that Lodge No . 964 was instituted at Prince Town , Dartmoor , on the 20 th , as = stated in the Freemasons' Magazine of last month . A petition from a distressed Brother was reported by the Committee of Petitions , and relief ordered . The Committee of Petitions for the ensuing year was appointed . Bro . Richard Davey Gould , Architect , of Lodge , No . 312 , was elected

Treasurer , and Bro . Gregory was re-elected Tyler . The following Brethren were proclaimed the the Prov . Grand Officers for the year ensuing , and duly invested : By patent—the Right Hon . Hugh Earl Fortescue , K . G ., Prov . G . M . ; the Rev . John Huyshe , A . M ., D . Prov . G . M . By appointment and election—Y . Ws . Capt . W . II . Jervis , R . N ., No . 224 , Prov . S . G . W . ; Capt . G . II . Woods , No . 650 , Prov . J . G . W . ; Rev . W . G . Hadow , A . M ., No . 351 , Prov . G . Chap . ; R . D . Gould , No . 312 , Prov . G . Treas . ; Arthur Jones , No . 719 , Prov . G . l \ , eg . : W . Denis

Moore ; No . 129 , Prov . G . Sec . W . Hole Evens , jun ., No . 224 , Prov . S . G . D . ; M . Schlesinger , No . 122 , Prov . J . G . D . ; W . Bros . Jenkins Thomas , No . 83 , Prov . G . Sup . of Works ; Charles John Laidman , No . 050 , Prov . G . Dir . of Cer . ; Thomas Killingly , No . 122 , Asst . Dir . of Cer . ; Bartholomew Dickes , No . 129 , Prov . G . Sword-Bearer ; John Edwards , No . 312 , Prov . G . Org . ; John Colville Rowe , No . 610 , Prov . G . Pursuiv . ; James Gregory , No . 46 , Prov . G . Tyler . Prov . ( 1 Stewards---W . Bros . John Browning , No , 46 : J . J . Clase , No . 185 ;