Provincial.

to assist him for the coming year , would gain an equal appreciation of the brethren when their term should cease . Thanks were most liberally awarded to Bro . Admiral W . K . Hall , C . B ., for his usual urbanity and kindness , in lending the flags with which the hall was decorated . A vote of thanks was freely given to Bro . Green and Mrs . Green for their usual successful catering . Some excellent singing was given during the evening by

Bros . Fleming , Brett , Hodgson , Nixon , Barling , Fentou , and Montague . The instrumental selections were performed by Bros . Hunt , Hodgson , aud Barling , the latter of whom presided at the harmonium during the working of the lodge and the banquet .

LANCASHIRE ( WEST . ) PRESCOT . —Lodge of Loyalty ( No . S 6 . )—The regular meeting of this lodge was held at the Royal Hotel , on Wednesday the 24 th ult ., when there were present Bros . J . W . J . Fowler , P . M . P . Z . and P . G . S . B . for West Lancashire iu the chair . Prescott , S . W . ; Birchall , J . W .,- S . Morris , Secretary ; J . J . H-ill , P . M . and M . E . Z . ; Crankshaw , P . M . & c , <& e . The lodge having been

opened in ancient form j ' aud with solemn prayer , the minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed . A ballot was taken for Reginald Voting , who was unanimously elected and being in attendance , was initiated into Freemasonry . The lodge was then opened to the F . C . degree- Bros . A . Field and Rothwell , having answered the necessary questions in a satisfactory manner retired , and the lod ^ e was then opened to M . M . degreeand Bros . Field and Rothwell , being again admitted

, were raised to the sublime degree in a very solemn and impressive maimer bj- the W . M . The lodge was then closed down to the first degree , when a letter was read by the Secretary informing the brethren that the Grand Lodge of England , had nominated Bro . Fowler P . M . of this lodge , one of the Stewards in connection with the inauguration of the . new building in Great Queen-street , London , on the 14 th of April . No other business being before the lodge it was duly closed .

WILTSHIRE . CuippEsrxAir . Provincial Grand Lodge of Wilts . A Provincial Grand Lodge of Emergency was held on Wednesday last , the 31 st ult ., at the New Hall , Chippenham , for the dispatch of special and important business . The Royal Sussex

Lodge of Emulation , No . 299 , was opened by adjournment from Swindon at about half-past two o ' clock by the AV . M ., Bro . Band , for the purpose of receiving tho Prov . Grand Lodge . The Prov . G . Officers ( Past and Present ) were marshalled in proper Order , and at 3 o ' clock entered the lodge under the usual salute , and the R . W . the Prov . G . Master , Lord Methuen , and the retiring D . P . G . M ., Sir Daniel Gooch , Bart ., MP . ( now the R . W . tiie Prov . G . M . for the Province of Berks and Bucks ) , were received

with the usual honours . A very large muster of the Prov . G . Officers , and the officers and other members of lodges in the two provinces of Wiltshire and Berks and Bucks were present to honour the occasion . Want of space will pi-event our doing more in the present number than to state very shortly the business done on this very interesting occasion , and postpone until our next issue the publication of our report in extenso .

The Prov . G . Master , Lord Methuen , having opened the Prov . G . Lodge in due form , then informed the brethren that ho had appointed Bro . Samuel Wittoy , tho Prov . G . Treas ., as the D . P . G . M . of the Province , to succeed Bro . Sir D . Gooch in that important office , and he called upon the Prov . G . Sec , Bro . Henry C . Tombs , to read the patent of office under which Bro . " Wittey was appointed and empowered to act . This having been done , the Prov . G . M . then invested Bro . Wittey with collar and

insignia of his office , and he took his proper place in the lodge , and tho Prov . G . Master spoke of the signal ability which Bro . Wittey had displayed on behalf of the province , and hoped that under his care it would prosper as it had previously done under his esteemed predecessor . Masonic homage having been paid to the new D . P . G . M ., Bro . Wittey feelingly responded , assuring the brethren of his deep sense of the great honour which had been done him . To equal his predecessors in the discharge of his duties he could not hopo to do , but he wished the brethren to believe that such energies and talents as had been

given him would be freely and diligently devoted to thenservice . The election of Prov . Grand Treasurer for the remainder of the year was then proceeded with . The late Treasurer said that acting upon the permission of the R . W . the Prov . Grand Master , he had great pleasure iu naming for tho approval of the brethren a successor to the high office which be bad had the honour to fill for so many years , and in miming Bro . Richard

Bradford , he felt sure that the duties could not be performed by an abler , or more conscientious brother , not- by one better entitled to the confidence of the members of the province . Bro . W . Biggs , P . Prov . S . G . W . Wilt- - , then supported the recommendation , and the ballot having been taken , was unanimously in favour of Bro . R . Bradford . The next business , and , indeed , the business of the day , was then proceeded withviz ., the presentation of a magnificent

, suit of gold embroidered clothing , and the collar and jewels complete for a Prov . G . M ., to the R . W . Bro . Sir Daniel Gooch , as . the Prov . G . M . for the province of Berks and Bucks , by the members of the province of Wilts , on bis retiring from the office of D . Prov . G . M . of tint province . The Committee that had undertaken the management of the testimonial to Bro . Sir Daniel Gooch next requested the R . W . P . G . M . to present the testimonial . In making the presentation , his lordship spoke eloquently aud

feelingly of Bro . Gooeh ' s services to the province . But for him , he assured the brethren , the province could not have been in its present prosperous state , and though Bro . Gooch , with that modesty and kindness which w-ero his characteristics , ascribed to him ( Lord Methuen ) all the honour , he wished the brethren to know whom they ought to thank , in taking farowell of bis friend in the honourable and highly confidential position of D . Prov . G . M ., he ( Lord Methuen ) would say that the cause

of Masonry in Wiltshire would suffer a loss , but be rejoiced to think that what was Wiltshire ' s loss would be the province of Berks and Bucks gain . The province of Wilts allowed it to bo known that Bro . Gooch was regarded by them as one of the most valued brethren in the country , and that it was their earnest hope that Berks and Bucks's would long retain his highly valued services . In the name of the province of Wiltshire , he ( Lord Methuen ) had now the pleasure to presont to Bro . Sir

Daniel Gooch the insignia of the office of a Prov . G . M . The presentation was then formally made by the R . W . the Prov . G . M ., and his lordship greatly excelled , on this occasion , in the very feeling , admirable and appropriate speech which he then made , of which : —more hereafter . The R . W . Bro . Sir Daniel Gooch , who was deeply affected , acknowledged tho very handsome presentation . He said , amongst other things , that he must at once admit that he

could not hope to express what he felt . On such occasions it was impossible to call up and properly collect one ' s thoughts , and to express those thoughts in fitting words . When he looked back on the 15 or 16 years of his connection with the province of Wiltshire , and when . be remembered the generous and friendly feelings which had been shewn him by every brother with , whom he had been brought in contact , he did feel that he was certainlinadequate to the task of giving utterance to his

feely ings . They had been pleased to make to him , through the Right Worshipful Prov . Grand Master a most generous and handsome present ; but nice as that present was , he assured the brethren that he would value it less for its intrinsic value , great though that might be , than as memento of past years . No reward which could ever be offered him , no reward which he had ever received was estimated by him like the present made to him now ; he assured the brethren that between this and the grave he would

regard this as the proudest day of his life . Lord Methuen had been good enough to say that the success of the cause of Masonry in Wiltshire , was attributable to l . im ( Sir Daniel ); but he would beg the brethren to remember that , whateverlittle be ( the speaker ) might have done , could not have been done without the authority and high position of tho Right Worshipful the Provincial Grand Master . To his lordship ho bad to give his heartfelt thanks for his courteousness and his kind

assistance , but for which he could not have carried out the duties of his subordinate office . He , therefore , hoped that for many years the province of Wiltshire would have the present Grand Master , Lord Methuen to rule over it . The zeal which had been bestowed by Bro . Wittey in his previous offices , assured him ( Sii Daniel ) that the province would profit by his appointment . In concluding , Sir Daniel very feelingly alluded to the fact that some of his boya were on the roll of Masons , one or two were then present ; and he could only hope that what they