Provincial.

dered an incumbrance rather than otherwise . No doubt some of the Cotton Lords would at one time have ' gladly done without the army , but they had not been able to dispense with its services ; and now circumstances were looming in the distance , they began to think and talk about it . The army would always be ready to undertake what the Queen and country required of it . On thejiart of the army he returned his sincere thanks . SIB LUCIUS CUETIS said he had not expected to be called on

to rise again so soon that evening , hut on the part of the navy he begged to return his sincere thanks ; and he was sorry that some officer of the navy was not present who could have undertaken the task and done it better . AVith regard to the navy , hehadthe satisfaction to say that heliadhailtliehonour on three or four occasions to serve with the army , and in his experience he had ever found them gallant fellowsmost willing to do their dut

, y and face the enemy . He had been intimately connected with many officers of the army , hut never had occasion to regret such intimacy . In ' 93 , at tho breaking out of the war , our army at that time had an opportunity of distinguishing themselves , and the navy did much to fill the glorious annals of the country . He trusted that our sailors had ever done their duty to their Sovereign , thencountryreliionand glorious Constitutionand should they ever

, g , ; be called upon again to fight the battles of their country , they would come out with the same feelings of gallantry as had ever actuated them . There was a great controversy going on just now about the construction of our ships ; as far as his experience went , and ^ he could boast of upwards of sixty years in his country's service , their ships were wonderfully improved ; they were better builtbetter manned and officered . He remembered clays when the

, ships were most miserably manned ; but now our men were better officered , and better fed , and they had all those little petty comforts which seamen could hardly expect ; they got a much improved diet , and besides their grog they got their sugar , tea , pepper , mustard , and vinegar . ( Cheers . ) It was carried as far as it could , well go . He remembered an anecdote of a sailor one day lately being asked hy Ids officer , " AVhat , can't you eat your dinner , then P " when the

manrexmed , "No sir , 1 am waiting for my mustard . " ( Laughter . ) He hoped to see the sailors trained to the service so that , when once wedded to it , they would never like to leave it . He would maintain that all the pressed men in the great war , his war , were the best men , and where they got used to the duties they showed no wish to leave . Economists ( self-styled ) were crying out about the expense of the navy , while neighbouring nations were building and manning large and improved vesselswith heavier They

, guns . must go on in a similar way and gradually improve the army and navy , so as to be ready to meet whatever might happen . He recollected the time of the Peace of Amiens ; then they had not a single ship fit to go to sea , and were without stores in the dockyards . Vessels went off cased inside and out with four-inch planking-, and in such a state as to require new gangways when they arrived in the Mediterranean . Englishmen must not cry out about expense .

They must keep pace with their neighbours ; they must do as they did , or they would come upon England suddenly , ancl they would be found without vessels fit to meet them . But he would give no bounty in order to get recruits ; ho would much rather increase a seaman'spay and pension . The bounty system was a bad one ; it induced young vagabonds about the country to join a ship , and at the first opportunity they would desert her and try to repeat the experiment with another . It was the same with the army ; and no doubt Capt . Macdonald agreed with him , it were better to give an increase of

pay and pension than a bounty for entering the service . Bro . PLEMI - - responded i ' or the volunteers , whom he wished to find possessing the confidence of the public , so that , when the regular forces were sent out to fight , the people should think and believe themselves safe in the care they were left in . They could make of volunteers a cheaper defence than the paid ) forces , who devoted all their time to acquire perfection . Ho agreed with Sir Lucius about the nothing would do in these days but

navy ; Warriors and La Gloires . It seemed absolutely necessary to have a reconstruction , of the navy ; but he hoped , when they had made all tl _ e _ e iron line-of-hattle ships , no further reconstruction would he wanted for some time to come . If other countries got ahead of this country , it would incur ignominy , not because of its inferiority hi men , or want of courage , hut simply from the want of a particular kind of vessel to keep pace with the advance of science .

The next toast was , " The D . Prov . G . Master of Hants , " which was warmly received . The officer in question ( Bro . DEACON ) responded for the cordial reception of the toast , expressing the gratification he felt , as an old Mason , at being so honoured in the presence of his chief . He was glad to say there was no discord prevailing in thc province , and he hoped the present happy state of things ivould long continue . There wore many institutions in that country , but very few of the age of the Lodge of ( Economy , which had the pride of antiquity on its side . Ho should continue to do all he could to promote Masonry in the province , and hoped ever to merit

and deserve the kindness bestowed on him in that city and elsewhere Bro . BIGGS , in proposing the next toast , "The Prov . Grand AVardens and Prov . Grand Officers of Hants , " said it was to have been introduced by Bro . P . Perkins , who had not been enabled to attend . Tbe members of the Lodge of ( Economy felt extremely grateful to the officers of the province for coming amongst them ; and he asked the company to drink to their healths , coupling with the toast the names of Bros . Hayward ancl Naish .

Bro . HAYWAKD ( P . M . 401 , Lymington ) , said , on the part of the Prov . Grand Officers , it devolved upon him to return thanks . It was a very gratifying position to be placed in , that of a provincial officer . It was gratifying in many respects , ancl particularly to him from the manner in which the Grand Master had invested him at Aldershot and no doubt that occasion was equally gratifying to those brethren now standing up around him . He was much pleased

to be there forming a part and parcel of the influential gathering at that centenary . Perhaps it would be interesting to some of the company to know that the New Forest Lodge had not long since been resuscitated , it having been for a lengthened time in abeyance . He was happy to be able to convey the fact that now they were going on flourishingly , and succeeding to a greater extent than they had been led to expect when the resuscitation of the lodge was brought about . He was lad to find that the next provincial

meetg ing was arranged to take place in the town he had the honour to represent . Bro . NAISH said he had no lengthened observations to make , hut what passed his lips came from his heart . He was much obliged for the honour conveyed to him in the toast , and he must acknowledge that it had been most gratifying to him to have been elected to office in the Prov . Grand Lodge . He had been initiated in the Lodge of ( Economy , and of courseas it naturally should behe felt

, , more particularly attached to it and interested in its prosperity . AVith respect to the centenary , they found themselves , when they at first thought of sending out circulars to get a meeting , in a perplexity , through some unexpected doubts raised in London . In that perplexity , most fortunately , they had sent to that respected

father in Masonry , their Bro . Stebbing . ( Hear . ) That brother's advice had been given in the ready manner for which he was so famed . Happy suggestions had been made by him , he had taken infinite pains in the matter , and at last successfully advocated the cause of the lodge before the Board of General Purposes . He ( Bro . Naish ) , had really thought at one time they hail all along been acting upon a false warrant , and he was very much taken aback when its authenticity was questioned . They were , however , very

much pleased to find that the originality of their date , was acceded to after inquiry . They found that their Royal Arch Chapter was likewise getting in years , the date of that being 1803 . Bro . Naish having repeated his thanks , then proceeded to introduce the next toast , which he said he was sure the company would be happy to receive with honour , it being " The Health of the Prov . G . Chaplain . " ( Cheers . ) He had heard the rev . brother discourse with a vast deal of pleasure and edificationand he had the honour ol "belonging to

, his lodge at Lymington , within which it had afforded him a great deal of pleasure to see how well the duties of the chair were performed . ( Hear . ) Bro . BEADSIIAW returned thanks in a long speech peculiar for its fluency , and , ivith the permission of the chair , concluded by proposing a toast set much further down in the programme , but which he ( the Chaplain ) thought possessed an interest entitling it to a more forward position . The virtue called up in the mind by this toast

he believed to be the very heart and soul of Masonry ; and o ]_ posed to all aggression , their charity was a thing that had withstood the storm i ' or hundreds of years . He begged to propose the toast , " To all Poor and Distressed Masons , over the globe , and a speedy return to their native land . " The toast was drunk with solemn silence . Bro . Sir Lucius CUBTIS said he found himself deputed to propose the next toast on the list , and it was one the company ha doubt anticipated . He introduced it with very great pleasure , it

being " The Health of the AV . M . of Lodge No . 90 . " ( Loud cheers . ^ He felt quite sure that that brother ivould during the next year give him the same satisfaction as when he had been Master before ; and his election was a proof how much the members of the lodge appreciated his good qualities , and how highly valued he remained in their opinions . ( Hear . ) He ( Sir Lucius ) ' could not refer to the lodge again without bearing testimony to the able and perfect manner in which the installation of the Master had been carried

out . He had been present at many installations , hut never in the whole course of his experience had he seen the ceremony so perfectly observed . They must all certainly feel much indebted to the worthy and talented brother Biggs , who had conducted the ceremony . ( Hear . ) This Lodge of ( Economy , he must repeat—he would not say it ivas the best conducted in the province , for that ivould be casting a slur upon the working of others—but he would say there was no lodge conducted better than the Lodge of ( Economy . ( Cheers . ) After he had sat down just now , several