Provincial.

They possessed £ 23 , 000 in funded property , and in receipt of an annual income of £ 1 , 660 . The Boys'School , unfortunately , for which ho was particularly concerned , would not now have one single farthing invested in the funds , and they had had a hard struggle to obtain an improved building . He might state that on the forthcoming Saturday a resolution would probably be passed for spending the last of their funded property . The whole

would go for bricks and mortar , but it would be to raise as noble an institution as any that could be boasted of by any other charity in the country of equal proportion . From 150 to 200 hoys would be accommodated , and an outlay incurred of £ 25 , 000 , and they would not regret this large expenditure when they looked at the great good that would follow when the present brethren were all dead and gone . These Charities were tlie great pride and ornament of Masonryand the sustenance and

, maintainance of them it was very pleasing to dilate upon . He came there that day with the greatest feeling of gratification ; he had met with the most hearty reception , and he felt quite sure they would never withhold from him their support when it was properly asked for . He hoped the present prosperity of the province would long last and increase . ( Cheers . )

Bro . W . HICKMAN , Prov . G . Sec , proposed the toast of " The Lodges of Hants . " He said the lodges of the province had increased in numbers , and additions had been made to the members of each , and he could bsar testimony to the perfect unanimity and concord prevailing in them all . They had been universally ready to lend a helping hand to the various charities in connection with the Craft . On a recent occasion he had the privilege of serving with the Provincial Grand Master as a

Steward for the Boys' School , and to the greatest degree commendable was the response made by the whole of the lodges . ( Hear . ) Serenade , Bro . Phillips— " I watch for thee in the starless night . " Responses to the toast were made hy Bro . EMERY , NO . 39 , and Bro . BREWER , AV . M . Lodge Peace and Harmony . The

latter observed that his lodge was essentially a maritime one , and therefore was mainly instrumental by its members in disseminating Masonry throughout many countries on the face of the globe . A new lodge had lately been founded in South Africa and two in Turkey , which showed how rapidly and generally this institution was extending far and wide . His lodge was never without a visitor , and to all that came the right hand of fellowship was extended .

The G . MASTER then proposed " The Health of the Provincial Grand Officers , Past and Present . " ( Cheers . ) He said he had long known them well and met them in their own lodges . The late Senior Grand Warden had been recognised in Southampton as a Mason who had performed his duties well in the place he represented . ( Hear . ) As to the appointments of that day they had been made to tbe best of his judgment and ability . Bro . Sherry , a worthy P . M . of No . 76 , had for a long

period , not quite a quarter of a century , been known and respected by the . Masons of that province . ( Hear , hear . ) He believed that Bro . Sherry had always stood up strictly , and always would do so , for the ancient landmarks of the Craft . They knew that order was Heaven's first law , and no society could be satisfactorily conducted without it . Bro . Sherry's continued and zealous exertions for the Charities he would not then further allude tobut he would ask the company to drink

, heartily to the health of the Past Provincial Grand Officers and those whom it had been their pleasure to appoint that day . ( Cheers . ) He would name Bro . Douglas , and his successor in office , Bro . Sherry , to respond to the toast . Drunk with hearty applause . Part song , choir— " March of the Men of Harlech . "

Bro . Dou & LAS said he rose with very great pleasure to respond to the toast of the P . Prov . G . Officers of the Province . He must acknowledge the great kindness manifested by their most respected brother and Provincial Chief . ( Hear . ) If one man ever lived in the hearts of his brethren it was their Grand Master , Sir Lucius Curtis , Bart . He had proudly donned the blue conferred by such a worthy head . The Masonic world , equallwith the general populationwere now deepllamenting

y , y the untimely death of an exalted brother—he alluded to the departed Captain Speke—whom he considered to have been one of the most gallant men of modern times . There had been a question put as to what inscription should be placed over his tomb , and he thought the reply could not be improved

upon' * AVrite his name . " ( Cheers . ) Masonry , they well knew , was something more than a name , and the world by this time was beginning to know it . They had commenced their transactions that day by works of charity , and he knew they would also conclude them with charity ; and surely the outer world , when they heard of their doings , must say they are something better or worse than other men . It was for them to prove on which side they stood . "Ichabod" was not yet put upon themand

, their glory had not- departed . The seed was in the ground , and it would grow up to reflect honour on the principles which those of their Order had in view . In conclusion , he would only observe that he know those officers that day elected in his and other ' s places , would perforin their duties as well if not better than their predecessors . ( Cheers . )

Bro . C . SHEEEY , S . G . AV ., said , —R . W . Grand Master , officers , and brethren , on behalf of the actual Provincial Grand Officers I beg to return you our sincere thanks . I trust we shall perform the duties entrusted to our keeping with credit to ourselves and in a manner worthy of the distinguished honours with which we have been favoured . For myself , I will answer that I will do my best to give satisfaction to all of you as well as to our R . AV . Grand MasterSir Lucius Curtiusof whom I can

, , only speak by echoing the sentiments of tlie brother who has just spoken , my predecessor in this chair . I can do nothing more , but say I hope other provinces are governed equally as well as onr own , thanking you for the compliment you have paid us . Bro . LA CEOIX , P . M . No . 76 , proposed the next toast— "The Visiting Brethren . " ( Hear . ) He said it was a toast that

scarcely required any remark to introduce it , as it so directly appealed to their feelings . The great object of that provincial meeting had been to gather together as many of the Craft as they could , and if they had not received assistance from their provincial friends they would not have made such a goodly show . After the glorious enjoyment they had all experienced , they could hut declare their kind and hearty thanks to those

who had come in the shape of visitors . He would beg to associate the name of one of their visitors with the toast , and he was only sorry it did not lie with one more capable of enlarging upon that brother ' s peculiar merit . Ho alluded to Bro . Briggs , who had been a member of the Winchester Lodge , and had filled high positions in Wiltshire , being at present the Prov . G . AA arden of that county . One of the neighbouring lodges

near the coast had been alluded to as a maritime lodge , and one that greatly extended the tenets of the Craft . Bro . Briggs , also , by his continual travelling of the county , was enabled to render himself extremely useful in many places , and there was scarcely a lodge in Hants , Wilts , Dorset , or the Channel Islands which he had not cheered by his presence , and benefitted hy his instruction . ( Drunk with loud cheering . )

Bro . BlGGS , who met with a most hearty reception , said he had been in hopes that he should not be left alone to respond . After the kind manner in which Bro . La Croix had proposed , and tbe company had responded to the toast , he could but return his sincere thanks for such flattering cordiality . He knew that he had always taken a warm interest in the welfare of the Masonic province of Wiltshire , but they would readily understand this when he informed them that Devizes was his native

place , and that his family had been connected with the county for nearly a century , and it was no wonder he took an interest in it . It was eight years ago he received his first purple at Devizes , and this last year he had been made the Senior Grand Warden of Wilts . ( Hear , hear . ) It was greatly to the interest of the Masons of the provinces that their members should visit each other . The position he bad held in this province had

given him experience which had been the means of gaining him honour in the province of AVilts . It had been said that if a man had done one good act in Ids life , he believed he had done one in proposing Bro . Stebbing as a member of the Lodge of Economy . He had been at that lodge on the previous evening , and he had felt like the Prodigal Son returned to his home ; he should become again a joining member of the old lodge if none

of the brethren did not give him a black ball . ( Hear , hear . ) He returned his best thanks for the way they had received the toast of the visitors on that occasion . The port of Southampton he very frequently visited , and in no one province had he , been received so warmly as he had throughout the province of Hants ; but , as he said before , the adjoining county was his native place , and claimed his interest . ( Hear , hear . ) Several other toasts were drunk , and the brethren separated .