Provincial.

direction of Bro . A . J . Barber , the P . G . O ., who presided at the organ . A collection was made at the close of the sacred service . The procession was then reformed , and returned fco the lodge-room . Votes of tittmks were then passed to the reverend gentleman who had kindly allowed the use of his church . Ten guineas were voted each to the Masonic Boys' and Girls ' Schoolsand £ 5 each to the Aged Men ' s and AA'omen's

Institu-, tions . The Provincial Grand Lodge was then closeel in due form , and aboufc 150 of the brethren adjourned to the New Public Hall , where a splendid banquet was served by Bro . George Spalding , purveyor to the Alasonic Lodges , the wines being served by Bro . H . Tidbury , and where , under the presidency of Eight AA ' orshipful the P . G . AI ., harmony and good feeling pervaded .

1 he proceedings of the banquet were very much enlivened by a selection of vocal music , beautifully sung . under the direction of Bro . Montem Smith , by Bros . G . T . Carter , Montem Smith , and Chaplain Henry . Grace having been sung by the choir , The E . AA . Chairman proposed " The health of the Queen , " Md , according to ancient custom , coupled with ifc " Tlie Craft . "

The Provincial Grand Alaster , next gave a toast , the importance of which , he saiel , they could not exaggerate , that of Bro . His Royal Hi ghness tho Prince of AVales , and tlie rest of the Eoyal Family . He had one special point to bring forward in regard to this toast , and it was this—that at that very moment , or in a few moments , his Royal Highness the Prince of AA ' ales would be presented as AVorshipful Master eleet to a lodge to

which he ( the Chairman ) belonged , aud where he was invited to meet him , an invitation which he was compelled to decline on account of having higher duties to perform . AA'hen His Eoyal Highness first joined , lie ventured to prophesy that ho would become a working Mason , and that prophecy had been fulfilled . They could not pay the son higher honours than they paid to the Queen , and therefore tliey could not give him the Masonic

honours with which they would drink his health at a later period of the evening . The Provincial Grand Master saiel , the next combined toast would be acceptable to the whole of the Masonic body . The first was that of " The Grand Master of England , the Marquis of Ripon , " who , 'since his health was last drunk in the Hall , had achieved another rank in the peerage by bringing into operation tho practical working merits of the Craft , and bringing together those , who , from suspicious enemies , had , he hoped ,

become fast friends , —their brethren on the other side of the Atlantic , in lodgo and onfc of } odge . Tlie next branch of fche toast was the veteran of the Craft , who , for so many years organised and managed the whole business of the English establishment , " The Earl of Zetland . " AVith this part of the would be joined , as one of the Past Grancl Masters of England , " His Royal Highness the Prince of AA ' ales , " and they would now ive the toast with the honours of the Craft .

g The Deputy Provincial Grand Blaster , the Eev . E , I . Lockwood , next proposed , what he deemed to be the toast of the evening , " The health of their Ri g ht AA'orshipful and wellbeloved Provincial Grand Master . " He said it would be an impertinence to dwell on the assiduity with which he directed the affairs of the province , but as an instance of it he quoted the fact that at a time when he might well have been excused

from boing troubled witii the affairs of the Craft , he , in answer to a letter from him , said there was no necessity for an apology in writing to him , then , as duty must always be attended to . He proposed " The health of Sir E . A . Shafto Adair , their AA ' orshipful Provincial Grand Master , " and asked them to drink it with that respectful silence , more eloquent than the hilarity that upon other occasions would be suitable .

The toast was drunk with perfect silence . The Right AVorshipful Provincial Grand Alaster said it was not in tlie ordinary sense ofthe woid that he rose to return thanks now . He would repeat what he said before — how profoundly he was touched by the sympathy they had shown him . He knew it in their hearts , he saw it in their actions , and he now perceived it in the delicate consideration with which they had accepted the suggestion of the Deputy Provincia ^ Grand Master . Language could not express what he reall felt ; but Avith regard to doing duty , it must be done at aj ^

times and in all places , and it brought with it its own reward . It was that sense of having done their duty that when calamity fell upon them , enabled them to feel that while their path of duty remained ou earth , the eternal heavens , in spite of the shadow , were left bright and brilliant above . AA'ith regard to the province he hud little to sny . It knew its duty and did it . He hoped they might have many meetings of that kind , and that they might go on increasing in skill and

knowledge , though ho did not desire , aucl he did not expect to find more able officers than he had around him , and he did not expect to find brethren more ready to put a favourable interpretation on his actions . Among the proud days in his memory , this day would be one of the proudest , when he remembered that they who had been desirous to show the honours thai ; were given by gratulations , hud curbed that desire when they thought such curbing would be more desirable

to him whom it was their object to honour . The Chairman next proposed the health of the officer of Grand Lodge , who , fortunately , was with them when he ( the P . G . M . ) was obliged to be absent , who had a continual every-day interest in the craft , which he showed on all occasions , who was , in fact , the right hand and the eye , so to speak , of the Prov . G . M . j and he could only say that if he ( the P . G . M . ) were able to be present morehe ( the DeputG . 5 I . )

, y would work no less , but even more , if it were required . He found him the able interpreter of the wishes ofthe brethren , and he found him so able in his office , that he did not , perhaps , work as hard as ho otherwise should . The D . Prov . G . AI . said he woulel not detain them long in responding , though he was duly sensible of the way in which their G . AI . spoke of him . So long as he had the honour to fill his present officehe would endeavour to discharge his duties so as

, to he acceptable to himself and beneficial to the Province . He thanked the Prov . G . AI . for his kindness on this and on all occasions , and assured them that if he should in any way or at any time advance the interests of Alasonry in the Province , it would be at once his duty and bis pride . The Prov . G . M ., in proposing the next toast , said he was happy to know that they had two past members of the Grand Loelge

of England present . They had the P . G . AI . of Essex , their honoured guest , and they had the Grand Chaplain or' England , who at their last meeting did good service , and who at the next meeting would do so also , because he was happy to inform the Prov . G . Lodge that ho had offered them his hospitality next year . He ( the P . G . M . ) offered to visit that Lodge , and somewhat pressed it on him , and the Grand Chaplain received the proposal most hospitably . He begged to propose " The Deputy Grand Master of

England , the Earl of Carnarvon , and the Officers of the Grand Lodge . " E . W . Bro . Bagshawe , Prov . G . AI . of Essex , congratulated tho Lodge on its perfection , and said he seldom had witnessed anything that gave him more pleasure than what he had seen thafc day . He was not a member of Grand Lodge , but still he felt it an honour to be coupled with the toast . Brother Alartyn was an immediate past officerand he deserved a much hiher

posi-, g tion in Masonry than he now held . AVith respect to their AA' . Prov . G . AI . he hoped they might see him more in Grand Lodge than hitherto , though he had no doubt his absence was caused by great duties elsewhere . He hoped the Provincial Grand Lodge of Suffolk would continue to be a "happy family , " and he could but wish that the beautiful principle expressed in their sermon that day might be fully carried out in Masonry .

It was a pride to him to know that this day was hallowed by so noble a discourse . He concluded by hoping a strong bond of union woulel always exist between the two provinces . Bro . C . J . Martyn , P . G . Chaplain , also responded , and said with regard to to the Deputy G . AI . of England , he was one of whom all Masons might be proud , and with regard to the Past Grand Officers they were a very excellent body of men ; and whether they were past officers or present , they were at all times most

happy to give any assistance to the Craft . He thanked them for tbe cordial way they had received him , because to a certain extent he had been a stranger for many years . Now that he had come back to Suffolk , he hoped there would be no Prov . G . Lodge without his being present . He was W . M . nowinStour Valley Lodge , and if they came and visited them , they would leave no stone unturned to give a most hearty welcome to the Prov . G . Lodge . And as they were at Sudbury so very near Essex , he hoped the Prov . G . M . of Essex would come amongst them