Provincial.

affairs which is observed at the present time . ( Hear . ) No one could be more rejoiced than he was at the satisfactory establishment of their ancient charter , and he most sincerely congratulated them all on their success , and could only hope that those who came after them would in a hundred years more celebrate another centenary , and the lodge continue to flourish without interruption . ( Applause . ) Bro . FLEMING also returned thanks for the handsome acknowledgment of his attendance on that occasion . He congratulated

them all most sincerely upon the festival they were that day met to celebrate , and it was most gratifying to him to be one amongst them . The honoured brother concluded by expressing his earnest wish that the assembled brethren mi ght prosper in all their aims , and that the Lodge of ( Economy , now so numerous , might continue to increase in numbers and influence , and succeed in all it endeavoured to carry out . ( Applause . ) Bro . NAISH then proposed a vote of thanks to the officiating Past

Masters in the ceremony of the installation , complimenting those brethren on the able manner in which they had performed their duties . Bro . HIGGS seconded the motion , which being unanimously carried , Bro . BIGGS acknowledged the compliment , assuring the brethren that at any time when the lodge could find use for their services they ivould be only too happy to render them . The AVorshipful Master having announced that the banquet would be at half-past five o'clock , tlie lodge was closed in due form , ancl the brethren for a short time separated .

THE BANQUET took place in the Assembly Room of the Black Swan Hotel , adjacent to the lodge . It was of the most elegant description , and served most excellently ; indeed , it need merely be said that that energetic host and Mason , Bro . Sherry , was the caterer . Exactly sixty brethren remained for this appropriate finale to the day's proceedings , and the company enjoyed an evening , the comfort and unalloyed pleasures of which will long be treasured in their memories .

The Worshipful Master presided , and as soon as the cloth had been cleared and the dessert set upon the table , the toasts of "The Queen and the Craft , " "The Prince Consort , Prince of AVales , Prince Alfred ; and the rest of the Royal Family , " " The M . W . G . M . of England , the ¦ Earl of Zetland , " and "The Deputy G . _ VI . mid Officers of Grand- Lodge , " were giyen in succession , and honoured in that especial manner peculiar to Freemasonry . The W . M . next rose to propose "The Health of the Prov . G . M .

of Hants , " which drew forth a loud round of cheering from the -festive board . He said , for a comparatively young Mason like himself to attempt to dilate upon this toast would be altogether out of place . They all , more or less , knew the honours it demanded , and it was only to be wished that the worthy subject of it was oftener amongst them . He most gratefully tendered the thanks of the members of the Lodge of ( Economy to the worthy

Admiral for coming there that clay and summoning his Grand Officers to attend on so interesting an occasion . They all knew or had heard of the unflagging zeal of Sir Lucius in the cause of Masonry . It was only for them to go to the Grand Lodge , ancl the first they would see there would be their Prov . G . M . He ( the chairman ) had been there some half-dozen times , and amongst those present he had ever recognised the Prov . G . M . of Hampshire . Without further remark , he asked the company to drink with all Masonic honours to "The Health of Admiral Sir Lucius Curtis Bart . "

The toast was honoured with the most enthusiastic applause of the company . The PEOV . G . M . said he rose to return his thanks for the very kind manner in whicli the AA . M . had proposed tlie toast , and the very flattering manner in which the company had received it . He really could not have resisted , though a ssvere cold had confined him to his house for the last four or five tliysthe leasure ancl honour of them that to

., p coining among day , participate in the celebration of the Centenary of their lodge . * An e .-a such as the present could not often happen ; and it was the iirst of the kind in the Province of Hampshire . He must confess that he felt a very great interest in their celebration , because the fact of their holding such a festival tended in itself so much to show how well the lodge . had been conducted—for it bad gone on for 100 years , never relapsing in its meetings . ( Hear . ) As far as regarded

himself , he could truly say , that during the time he had been Prov . Master of tint district , he had always found the Lodge of ffieonorny of AVinchester conducted in that excellent manner ^ reflecting the greatest credit on the AV . M . on the lodge as a whole , and every individual member . ( Hear . ) He had not experienced a single difficulty with them , and such unanimit 3 ' , such fraternal and brotherl y love , had existed- among them , that he held it up to the notice of every lodge in this and other provinces . ( Hear . ) He feared that cold water had ' at first been thrown upon their pretentions , founded on their claim to the honour of lavi : i : r arrived at thoir

Centenary . His attention had been brought to the matter , and he had joined in the correspondence with Grand Lodge on the subject in dispute . After Bro . Stebhing ' s appearance before the Board o £ General Purposes , it gave him great pleasure to receive a letter from , him announcing that the lodge were confirmed in their claim to date from the original warrant ; and he had also received a letter from the . Grand Secretary to the same effect . He felt great pleasure in being there that day , because it was an important era

that might not again happen during his life , though there might he another lodge in the province the hundredth year of the existence of which was nearly approaching . He believed the Royal Gloucester Lodge had been founded in 1764 . [ Bro . Stebbing : "The Royal Gloucester in 1762 , and the Itingwood Lodge , 1764 " ] He trusted that in the lodge minutes it would be recorded that they installed their Master on the day of their Centenary , and that a large number of the brethren of the province was present to join in the

celebration festival . He thanked them all for their attention ; he wished them all prosperity and happiness , and drank to each of their healths . ( Applause . ) Bro . AV . AV . B . BEACH , ALP ., said the AA . M . had kindly permitted him to propose the next toast , and he did so with a great amount of pleasure . He had to ask them to honour one who ruled over a neighbouring province ( cheers ) , a province with which they had

always been on the most amicable and friendly relations . They had heard of no internal disunion in the Isle of AAlght lodges , bat all had gone on with the most friendly and Masonic intercourse . No slight credit was due to the Master of a- " province when such was the case , and they could not be surprised at the present instance , for many of them had witnessed the manner in which the Prov . G . M . of the Isle of AA'ight discharged his duties . He trusted that

there were many around him at that moment who would feel disposed to make a return for the way in which Bro . Fleming had come amongst them that day , and pay him a return visit to the Isle of Wight . He thought he might fairly say that Bro . Fleminghad shown high qualities in his position as G . M . He had shown himself to possess great abilities , ancl had , in exercising his

authority , always blended courtesy with firmness . AVhen they saw the brethren under his rule hearing respect such as the brethren of the Isle of Wight did , they could only congratulate the brethren upon having such a Master . He thanked Bro . Fleming in the name of the company for coming amongst them that day , and taking part in the ceremonies of such an interesting occasion . He hoped they should all soon meet again in friendly Masonic intercourse , and he would now ask them to give Bro . Fleming such a ;

greeting as should show their appreciation of his present kind visit , ( Cheers . ) The toast was " The Prov . G . M . of the Isle of AVight " The . toast having been drank with a good deal of cheering , Bro . FLEMING said , he was sure it would require no ordinary amount of eloquence on his part to return due thanks for the complimentary manner in which Bro . Beach had mentioned his name to them . Bro . Beach had spoken of the perfect unity in which the brethren of thetwo provinces were accustomed to meet . It was

his great wish that the good feeling should never be dissolved , and it was not likely to be so ; on the contrary , the more they met the more they liked each other , and the greater was the happiness they experienced in each other ' s society . ( Hear . ) It had been a great pleasure to him to meet the brethren of the Hampshire province that day . He had an old friend in their honoured Master , and his father also had experienced in him an old and valued friend , commending his respect . He had entertained the hope of seeing the

brethren of thc Hampshire province in the Island during the pass year , but circumstances hud prevented an opportunity being seized . A gathering had been contemplated at C ' owes or Ryde , but at one period the weather had rendered it politic to put it off ; at another time the publicans and hotel-keepers had been too busy with the Yachting Company to enable them to secure proper catering ; and later in the year he had been prevented entering into it , and had left the matter with his deputy , and the time had passed away

If , on the return of spring , and they should ever get fine weather again , he hoped they would all meet together in the Island , and . not part until after having enjoyed many hours in each other's society . ( Cheers . ) The GiiAiiiMAis - next proposed thc toast of " The Army , Navy , and Volunteers , " introducing the same with a few eulogistic remarks , and coupling with it the names of Admiral Sir L . Curtis , Capt . Macdonald , and Major Fleming . The toast was received and drank

with rapturous applause . Bro . Capt . JAIACDOUALD said it devolved upon him to respond to this sentiment , and he thanked the company for the compliment they had paid to the service to which he had the honour to belong . He was sorry , however , the task had not fallen into other and abler hands ; but he must perform it in the best way he could , as those of his profession had done in many other and worse cases . ( Hear . ) He was very glad to see so great an interest exhibited in the wellbeing of the army ; he remembered the tin e when they were corns-