Provincial.

me to return to you my most sincere and heartfelt thanks for the very handsome present you have been pleased to make mo . I assure you , my thoughts want words , my words their free and honest utterance . By this present I see I have given you satisfaction , and I shall hand down the tea and coffee services with proud satisfaction to my family as a memento of the kindness of my Newport JIasonie brethren . I was initiated into Masonry in the Silurian Lodge in December , IS 12 , and from

that hour to this I have held some office or other . Seventeen years I have been your Secretary , and on the first return made after my initiation to the Grand Lodge , I stood as No . 30 ; now I find on the last return I stand as No . 3 , and am now tho oldest member of that lodge in this room . During the time I have been your Secretary I find I have been present at 232 initiations . Wo have held on an average twelve lodges a year , and during the whole of the above period I have been only absent

five times . I mention this , that some of my younger brethren may make a point of attending more punctually than hitherto . I know there aro honourable exceptions , and that many brothers liave come many miles to attend lodge ; and for myself I can say , next to attending a place of ivorship , there is no place on earth I would prefer attending to a JIasonk lodge . There you will he taught the duty you owe to tho Great Architect of the Universe and to yourself ; to your Maker , by

never mentioning His name without that awe and reverence which is due from a creature to his Creator ; and to yourself , by learning to rule and subdue your passions , to act on the square , and to part on the level with all mankind , but more especially with JIasons . There are few matters connected with Masonry in Newport , during the last twenty years , in ivhieh I have not taken a part . First and foremost stands our noble hall . Many good JIasons , including our highly-respected

Deputy Provincial Grand JIaster , Bro . Lyne , Bro . AV . AA . Morgan , Bro . Floyd Lewis , Bro . Edward Wells , Bro . Pickford , Bro . Collier , Bro . West , Bro . Middleton , Bro . G . W . Jones , and Bro . Hyndman , put their shoulders to tho wheel . Thoy elected me their Secretary in August , 1855 . I did my best , and the result is , we have a hall second to none out of London . The committee and trustees have managed the affair so admirably , that we aro now rapidly paying off the encumbrance thereon ,

and in a few years , if all is well , we shall ballot for and pay off the shareholders , and then the hall will be ours , free from all debt , except the ground rent , insurance , and repairs . I well recollect the laying the foundation stone of that noble building . It was , indeed , a day of great anxiety to me , but it proved a perfect success , and such a JIasonie gathering has never before , oi" sincebeen seen in Newport . The consecration of the hall

, ¦ was another important event . The parties then in office thought that , as no Masonic hall had been consecrated in Newport for nearly half-a-contury , many might never have the opportunity of seeing the ceremony performed again , and therefore I was instructed to use my "best exertions to obtain a large party . Numbers flocked to Newport from oast , west , northand southand this again was a complete success . The

, , chapter attached to the Silurian Lodgo has been revived twice or thrice , and I have always taken my position as one of the Scribes . This office I now hold , I trust , with the approval of the JI . E . Z . and tho other Principals and companions . Two or three lodges of instruction have been formed from time to time , and I have always lent a helping hand to carry them on . Another is now in progressand youWorshipful Master

, , , may book me for any berth from I . G . to the working Secretary . My kind friend , the Very AA orshipful the Deputy Provincial Grand JIaster , very kindly recommended my name to our worthy Right AA orsliipful the Provincial Grand JIaster as a fit and proper . person to be appointed Provincial Grand Secretary . I have had the honour of holding that office for twelve months , and last December I was reappointed for another year . It

appears to me it is not at all improbable I shall die in harness . I trust tho day may he far distant ; but as you approve of my services , I shall continue to place them as long as I am able at your disposal . I will not give you the particulars of the trouble I have had with Jlasonry on tho above and various other occasions , but some months I have sent out nearly 500 circulars . This may appear nothing to some

brethren , but it really is a matter requiring time and attention , and the reason why I get over so much work is , the members of my family are all JIasons at heart , and when I tell them I want such and such things done , thoy set about helping me right merrily , and everything is completed as soon as possible . And now , Worshipful JIaster , allow me to congratulate

the brethren on the cordial unanimity existing between the Silurian and Isca Lodges . Jlay it be cemented more and more closely and firmly , and may every spark of ill-feeling , if any evor existed , be extinguished for ever ; and brethren I must also congratulate you ou having such a good working JIason as our AVorshipful Master in the chair . You have also a worth y Immediate Past JIaster , Bro . II . B . Evans , you have several excellent Past JIastersyou have a Treasurer not to bo excelled

, , you admit you havo a good Secretary , you have a good Chaplain , good officers , and many good working brothers , and everything to ensure success . I wish you all God speed . Go on and prosper , and if I can aid you in any manner pray command me . Bro . MCDONALD gave " The Health of Brother Coombs , " and adverted to the earldays of Jlasonry in Newport . He had

y known Bro . Coombs working in connection with the Craft in this town for twenty-five years . ( Applause . ) Bro . Cooiras having acknowledged , other toasts followed , amongst which were the following : — " The Committee of Management ; " "The Chairman ; " "Tho Worshipful JIaster , Officers , and Brethren of the Silurian Lodge ; " "The Worshipful Jlaster , Officers , and Brethren of the Isca Lodge ; " "The '

Ladies ; " "The Press ; " "To all Poor and Distressed Brethren , " & c . A portrait of Bro . W . Pickford , by Bvo . Villiers , artist , ^ of Commercial-street , Newport , was exhibited in the room . The likeness is most striking , and the painting reflects much credit on the artist . The brother is represented in full JIasonie costume , as Prov . G . Treasurer . The portrait , which is life size , is from an enlarged photograph , obtained by means of the solar

camera . YORKSHIRE ( AVEST ) . PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGK . AA e omitted in our report of the annual meeting of this Provincial Grand Lodge , held April Wth , to give the list of the officers for the ensuing year . They are as follows : —

Bro . Bentley Shaw D . Prov . G . M . „ T . W . Tew Prov . S . G . W . „ Thomas Pcrkinton „ J . G . W . „ Rev . C . E . Camidge ) G . Chaplains . „ Ilev . A . Smith ) '' „ J . G . Berry „ G . Treasurer . John Fredman G . Registrar .

„ „ „ R . R . Nelson , G . Secretary . „ G . H . AVesterman „ S . G . D . „ Isidor Ahrens „ . T . G . D . „ John Wordsworth „ G . Supt . of AVorks . „ John Wilson „ G . Dir . of Cers . „ Jlanoah Rhodes ,, G . Assist . Dir . of Cers . ,. William Foster „ G . Sivord Bearer .

„ Jeremiah Rhodes „ G . Organist . „ A \ illiara Patmau „ G . Purst . „ T . A . Bottomley „ G . Assist . Purst . „ J . JI . Woodhead „ G . Standard Bearer . „ G . JIutley Waud ") „ J . D . Gates |

" " : ^ " : ! ¦ „ G . Stewards . „ John llurpin | „ J . E . Smith | „ Joint Denton J » * : «»* A *™ } „ G . Tyto . „ Joshua Lee i J

SIIEFEIELD . — Centenary of Vie Britannia Lodge ( Xo . 139 ) . — On Thursday , tho 27 th ult ., the members of the mystic fraternity assembled at the Freemasons' Hull , Surrey-street , to commemorate the centenary of the oldest lodge in Sheffield . This auspicious event would have been celebrated on the 19 th inst ., but was deferred to enable ihe brethren to assist their Prov . G . JI ., Earl do Grey and Ripon , to lay the foundation stone of a new Jlechauics' Institution at Hudderslield on that

day . The lodge was opened at four o ' clock , and addresses were delivered by Bros . Bentley Shaw , of Hudderslield , I ) . Prov . G . M . of West Yorkshire ; AVm . Short , AV . M . j Major AVebster , P . Prov . G . Keg . ; AVilliam Longden , P . Prov . J . G . D . ; and others . Bro . Wm . AVhite , Jun ., P . Prov . G . Dir . of Cers ., also read an interesting paper , in which he traced the history of tho lodgo from its foundation , April 19 th , 1765 , to tho present time , giving copious extracts from the minute hooks , which have all been carefully preserved , and pointing out the