Provincial.

Jew , Mohammedan and Christian , leaving their dissensions to the arbitrament of the G . A . O . T . U ., the common Father of them all , feeling a brotherly love which extends to the remotest tribes of man , practising a charity which stooped to the lowest depths of human woe , and exhibiting a truth as clear and as pure as the light of heaven . ( Hear . ) Such a system they had inherited , and it was their duty to hand it down to their successors , as they had received it , pure and unalloyed . The W . M .,

after thanking the brethren for the attention with ivhich they had listened to him , sat down loudly applauded . Bro . E . SHEPPARD , J . W ., said he had been entrusted with a toast , but he proceeded to give it with much diffidence . He was a still younger man than the W . M ., and less experienced in the Craft , and he approached his task with diffidence because he could not do justice to it . He wished , with their Rev . Bro . Wills and Bro . Beachthat there were more clergymen in the

, Order , and he should have been glad to have seen more of them present at that meeting . ' None had more influence on the minds of the people in advocating a good cause than the clergy , and he only wished that more of them had the sense , he was going to say , to join the Freemasons . ( Hear and laughter . ) It was said by some that their Order originated in the clays of ICing Solomon ,- others argued that it was from Adam , while

yet others would have it to be pre-Adamite , but he was content to accept it in its present shape as from the period of Solomon , the wisest of kings . He pointed out the peculiarity attached to Freemasonry , that from the reign of King Solomon down to the present day there had always been a connection between it and the priesthood . ( Hear and cheers . ) The influence of the clergy , as Bro . Wills had said , was very great ; and in regard to their assistance to Masonry , they possessed the power of

influencing the entrance of members of the right sort . ( Hear . ) He would now venture to propose " The Health of the Clergy of the Masonic body , and to connect with the toast more especially the name of the Rev . Bro . Fivmstone , at the same time not forgetting their other Rev . Brother and Chaplain , but who had already been brought to notice by his speech before the company . " The toast was handsomely received . The Eev . Bro . FIRJISTONE , in responding , said he must begin

by saying that he took shame to himself as being one of those who had neglected his duty to Freemasonry . He could state , however , that his time had been very fully occupied with his professional duties , and he had been almost a stranger to the people of Winchester up to the present , although long resident in the city . He trusted he should prove better for the future , though perhaps his time ivould not be less but rather more occupied than it had been . As to the

expediency of the clergy being members of the Masonic Craft , there could but be one opinion , though it was to be regretted that there were so many who knew not what it was . ( Hear . ) The rev . gentleman acknowledged the just , able , and deserving panegyric of the W . M . on the Order . Alluding to the seeresy attached to the ceremonies of the Craft , the rev . brother remarked on the impossibility of speaking them openly to the . public . The ritual could not be in the hands of the people , and

though certain books were to be procured touching upon Masonic principles , such were not generally possessed by the public . He believed that their assemblies were very generally , though ignorantly , looked upon as meetings of conviviality alone . The mass were not aware of the ties of universal brotherhood which existed , and which had been proved to be of such vast use all over the world . ( Hear . ) As he had already said , he took shame to himself for not having more constantlfollowed

y up the precepts and the practice of the Order . Yet , he had always been proud to have belonged to it , ancl he hoped to be able to he more with it than of late , and to see more of his brethren . The rev . brother expressed himself much pleased with the attention shown to him , and sincerely thanked the company for their courtesy and kindness . Masonic song , by Bro . C . W . Wyndham . Loudly cheered , it

being excellently sang . The W . M . next proposed "The Health of the Military Brethren in attendance . " He recognised two or three present , though unfortunately they did not often find them amongst them . But Her Majesty's officers of the army were moved p bout the country a good deal , and did not often remain long in one place , ancl besides they always had important duties

to claim their time and attention . ( Hear . ) Bro . Capt . Watson , of the Eifles , who had done the members the honour of dining with them that day , had been the means of introducing many

Masons to the Lodge of Economy , and the members were deeply thankful to him . There was also Bro . Easty , a gentleman not long a resident in the city , but whom he ( the W . M . ) hoped to see join the lodge very shortly . These were the kind of men Masonry wanted , and by the joining of such to a local lodge , there was a strong inducement for many others of the right sort to follow . Drunk with all honour and respect . Bro . Capt . WATSON thanked the W . M . sincerely for what he

had advanced about the military men . He had enjoyed his visits to the Masonic meetings , and he was glad to assist them , and if he had clone anything of use , he should be happy iu doing more . ( Cheers . ) He might be ordered away from the place with very . short notice , and therefore they could not depend on his doing much as an active member , but he should always wish for their continued prosperity . ( Cheers . ) Bro . H . S . EASTY also acknowledged the compliment conveyed

with the toast . Although he had been many years ago connected with the army , he was not so now . He begged to return them all his most grateful thanks . ( Hear . ) The W . M . remarked that the neighbouring town of Southampton contained within it the great Masonic workers of the province ; in fact , it was a hotbed of Masonry . There were located the respected D . Prov . G . M ., Bro . Deacon ; the Prov . G . Sec ., Bro . Hickman ; the veteran ancl energetic Bro . Stebbhig ; and

many others high in the Order ; and they had an indefinite number of lodges . He wished to associate the names of some of them now present with a toast . There was Bro . J . R . Weston , the highly esteemed W . M . of the Lodge of Peace and Harmony ( No . 452 ) , and who he hoped would reply to the toast . There was also their respected friend and Bro . Biggs , who had well and often served the Winchester Lodge , and that when it was in extremity . Bro . Biggs showed the same kindness to lodges in

other places , and was much beloved . He had gone from Winchester to Devizes , and had been made W . M . of the lodge there , in compliment to his great Masonic experience , and in return for kindnesses received . The W . M . then proposed the health of the two Masters he had named , and the toast was drunk with bumpers . After a short pause , being reminded that there were two other W . M . s near his right hand , the W . M . asked the company to supplement the toast by drinking to their healths also ,

the brethren being Messrs . Hickman and Payne . This was done accordingly amidst much applause . Bro . J . R . WESION said it was extremely convenient for him that the toast had been amended , inasmuch as it gave an opportunity for four responses instead of two , and therefore each of them must necessarily he abridged , and it especially suited his convenience . ( Laughter . ) He had no idea that his health ivould be drank with so much cordiality , for he had done no

more than his duty in attending the meeting ; and , indeed , he ought to have been more frequently present at a lodge of so much importance and antiquity as that of Economy ( No . 90 ) . He had been very much gratified with the W . M . 's observations on Freemasonry as to Southampton , and could follow up those remarks by observing that no other townhad made such marked progress within the last few years . He had the honour of holding the chair of the Lodge of Peace and Harmony for the

second time , and , owing to the activity and true Masonic spirit of a few P . M . 's , the lodge had been rescued from the unenviable position of being the smallest , and become the largest in the largest in the province . They now had upwards of 100 mem . hers , and there was a great difficulty in stopping those who wished to come in . It was never desirable that a lodge should be too large in numbers ; it was always found to be inconvenient . He was bound to admit the policy of the remarks

made about the necessity of being careful in selecting new members , for often two out of three xiroposed came under the category alluded to from the chair that evening . Many who came ^ forward did not wish to be Masons from the feelings which ought to pervade their minds . Bro . Weston concluded by inviting the members of No . 90 to visit the lodge under his presidency , where he said they would be gladly received . Bro . BIGGS said he was pleased with the observations of Bro .

Weston . Respectability and fitness were to be looked to rather than mere numbers in managing a lodge , if it were desired that Masonry should occupy the position it deserved . The W . M . had spoken of him iu terms he did not , but could wish to merit . He felt no such pleasure as when he dropped in to their loclges of instruction . He had only left No . 90 because he found , as it was sometimes said of a man , that he had "too many irons in the fire . " He had joined it at a time when he thought he might prove useful to them . Lately he had re-