Provincial.

the absence of Bro . Bridges , P . G . S . B . of England ( from whom a telegram was received stating that he was unavoidably detained ) , Bro . Middleton , Prov . G . J . W ., officiated as Installing Master . From sixty to seventy bretliren , including several visitors from other provinces , were present , aud the following appointments were made , viz .: — Bros . J . AV . Bnssell , S . W . ; R . J . ChambersJ . AV . ; Rev . S . FoxChap . ; H . Mullock' Treas . ;

, , AV . Parfitt , S . D . ; A . H . Tapson , J . D . ; R . Bond , Dir . of Cers ; H . J . Grove ? , Organist ; Dr . Butler , I . G . ; Frank Lewis and J . H . Skeats , Stewards ; and AV . McFee , Tyler . The lodge having been closed in due form , the bretliren adjourned to the AA ' estgate Hotel , where the banquet took place at six o ' clock . The newly-installed W . M . presided . Grace was chanted before and after meat , Bro . J . Groves

leading . The post prandial proceedings were inaugurated by The W . M . proposing , in appropriate and eloquent terms , "The Queen and Craft "—a toast which was received with right loyal cheers . Referring to the annals of Freemasonry , the AV . M . remarked that kings in every age had been promoters of the Art . Of this fact , the house of Brunswick furnished an illustrious example ; for it was well known our own beloved Queen was the daughter of a Freemason ; and of her several uncles—two of

whom had sat upon the throne of Great Britain—were also members of the Craft ; while a third , the Duke of Sussex , who was a good and enthusiastic Freemason , had been for thirty years Grand Master of England . Moreover , her most gracious

Majesty herself was patroness of one of the most distinguished Masonic Charities ; ancl her daughter , our own Princess Royal , was wedded to a Prince who was a Mason . The AV . M . then made a graceful and loyal allusion to the private life of our well beloved Sovereign , especially referring to the volume of extracts from her Majesty's diary , recently published , and which , he observed , would be read with the greatest interest throughout the whole world . Whatever opinion miht exist with regard to the

g par ticular time at which that record of the . inner life of Queen Victoria ' s Court should have been sent forth , there could be but one opinion as to its contents—these were deeply interesting , pathetically simple , ancl their simplicity proved their truth . The book threw a flood of light upon such a life of purity and happiness as , it did the heart good to know , could exist amidst the pompand circumstanceand litterand

ex-, , g , citement of a court , presided over by the most powerful monarch on earth , over whose realm , as over the realm of Freemasonry , the sun never set . Solo and chorus— "God save the Queen . " The AA ' . M . then guve " The Most AA' orshipful the Grand Master , the Earl of Zetland , and the Grand Lodge of England , " which was dulhonoured .

y The W . M . proposed " The Right Worshipful the Provincial Grand Master , Bro . Rolls , and the Grand Lodge of Monmouthshire . " Having expressed sincere regret at his illness , and an earnest wish that he might be restored to his wonted health , the AV . M . remarked that the R . W . the Prov . G . Master had

given many practical proofs of his zeal for Freemasonry , one of the most recent being that be bad subscribed out of his own private purse a sum which enabled tbe masters of all the lodges in his province to be life governors of one of the Masonic Charities .

Bro . R . Laybourne then gave " The Health of the AVorshipful Master , 683 . " The AV . M ., in responding , alluded in humorous terms to an article in one ofthe popular serials on "Talking" and among tbe many varieties of the species " Talker" he instanced the "" phraseological "—the man who never called a " spade" a spade . Your " phraseological talker , " were he invited to a dinner , such as they now enjoyedwould dignifit bthe style and title of

, y y " banquet ; " with liim , every physician was a son of ^ Esculapius ; and were there a phraseological talker now present he would call Bro . Groves a disciple of Apollo , ancl having heard him sing as be had sung that night , he would , without imputing to Bro . Groves pugilistic proclivities , have said he had " struck the living lyre . " Unfortunately he ( the W . M . ) was not a phraseological talker ; but he desired , in the most simple yet comprehensive

manner he could command , to return them his sincere thanks not only for the honour they had done him in rall ying around him that evening in such large numbers , but also for tbe high honour conferred by electing and installing him Master of his Lodge . The AA ' . M . then gave " The health of the Installing Master , " who had performed the ceremony with so much ability , though called upon at a moment ' s notice .

Bro . Middleton returned thanks . The "W . M . then proposed " The Health of the Immediate P . M . Bro . J . Maddocks . Bro . Maddocks suitably responded . The AA . M . proposed in suitable terms " The Health of Bro . Philip Bird , W . AI . of the Bute Lodge , Cardiff , who cordially acknowledged the compliment .

Bro . Roper then gave "The Lodges of the Province , " coupled ' with the W . M . 's of the Silurian ancl St . George ' s Lodges . Bros . C . H . Oliver and S . G . Homfray returned thanks . Bro . XV . Pickford proposed "The Visiting Brethren , "coupledwith the name of a Brother whom he regarded par excellence as a distinguished visitor , who would be always welcome at Newport —Bro . H . Shepard .

Bro . Sheppard responded in ono of his characteristically genial and happy speeches , in which ho repudiated the idea of being classed among visitors , because , although removed to another and distant localitj-, ho still felt himself identified with the town of Newport . "The Officers of tho Lodge " was then given from the chair ,, and responded to by Bros . Bussell , S . W ., ancl Chambers , J . AV . Bro . Middleton proposed " Tho P . M . ' s ol the Silurian Lodge "

, which was acknowledged by Bros . B . Thomas , Coombs , Hellyer , Pickford , J . Griffiths , AA , West , and J . Hyndman . Bro . J . Griffiths gave " The Governors of tho Masonic Hall , towhich Bro . Middleton replied . "The Ladies" wes then proposed by Bro . Maddocks , and acknowledged by Bro . Frank Lewis . Bro . Pickford gave " The Masonic Charities . " The toast " To all poor ancl distressed Masons" from tho chair

, , brought tho list to a termination . The evening was spent in the most harmonious and fraternalmanner . The healths of Bro . Groves and of the brethren who had kindly rendered their services in tho musical department , were drank in a bumper : and the excellent catering of tho host was duly recognised .

¦ NORWICH . NOEWICH . — Perseverance Lodge ( No . 213 ) . —The annual ' meeting of this lodge for the installation of the W . M . elect , was held at the Freemasons' Hall on tbe 28 th ult . Among the brethren present there was a large attendance of P . M . 's and visitors , namely : Bros . B . W . Harcourt , the retiring AV . M . ; J . DawbarnP . G . Reg . ; A . M . F . MorganP . G . S . ; H . MasonP . G .

, , , , Dir . of Cers ., P . M . ; T . Campling , P . M . ; J . Boyce , P . M . ; J . Dnnsford , P . M . ; J . AV . Taylor , W . AI . ; J . English , P . M . ; G . Stevens , W . M . ; Whitwell , P . M . ; Wick , P . M . ; Gidney , P . M . ; J . Short , AA . M . ; Rev . S . Titlow , P . Prov . G . Chap . ; J . Marshall , P . AT . ; Deacon , AA ' . M ., & e . The lodge having been opened in the first degree , and an initiation hauing taken place , the ceremony of installing Bro . John Shortthe AV . M . elect was abl

, y and impressively performed by Bro . Dawbarn , who for several years past has most obligingly fulfilled the office of Installing Master in connection with Perseverance Lodge . In the course ofthe ceremony the newly installed AV . M ., appointed the following as bis officers for the ensuing year : Bros . G . Brittain , S . W . ; Harold Youngman , J . W . ; B . Quinton , S . D . ; Chatfield ,

J . D . ; AA ; AVright , I . G . ; Gidney , Sec . ; and Youngman , Ircas ., were re-appointed . There were two new appointments of officers , one having taken place in consequence of the retirement of the late J . D . ( Bro . Turnsr ) , who is about leaving Norwich . Before the lodge was closed three or four candidates were proposed for initiation , and two or three sums of money were voted for the relief of distressed brethren . Fortunately the lodge funds are in a very healthy state . About forty brethren

afterwards partook of a recherche banquet provided by Bro . AVoods , and given in compliment to Bro . Harcourt , the retiring Master . The toasts proposed were generally of the usual Masonic and complimentary character , but there was a slight divergence from the ordinary gaity of the festive board when the bretliren simultaneously rose at tbe call of tbe W . M ., and listened to a very touching address from Bro . Dawbarn upon the death of the late Bro . Colseywho lost his life whilst bathing at Yarmouth last

, summer . The health of Bro . Harcourt was proposed in laudatory terms by the W . M ., and Bro . Short had his health proposed and drank in a maimer which showed an earnest desire on tbe part of tbe brethren to rally round and support him during his year of office .