Provincial.

Wyatt , I . G . The lodge Avas then closed , and tho brethren adjourned to Bro . Bray ' s , the Bull Hotel , Dartford , to banquet , where they were entertained with a very well appointed and excellent repast . The cloth being removed , the W . JI . proposed the usual Masonic toasts , and then gave "The Health of the Provincial Grand Officers , " coupling with it the name of Bro . G . Snow , Prov . S . G . W ., ivho , having been a Grand Officer for so short a timecalled on Bro . WaiteProvGSecwho

, , . . , was present , and a much older officer than himself , to reply to the toast . Bro . Waite , Prov . Q . See ., then rose , and after referring to the unavoidable absence of Bro . Dobson , tho D . Prov . G . M ., who would have been present but for a previous engagement with the Lodge of Freedom , 77 , remarked upon the present prosperity of Jlasonry in Kent , which he attributed to the care exercised in the selection of the officers of

the Provincial Grand Lodge . There were now twenty-seven 'lodges in the province , representing 1 , 240 JIasons , whereas , when Lord Holmesdale was appointed Prov . G . JI- by the unanimous voice of the brethren , there were but twelve lodges and ' 570 Masons . It was also very gratifying to observe that they had not only increased in numbers , but also in the amount of their charitable donations . The Prov . G . Lodge ivas now enabled

• to A'ote away nearly £ 200 annually to JIasonie Charities , to the relief of poor brethren or their widows . At the last meeting they not only voted nearly that sum to the Charities , but also £ 25 to the widow of an old brother . Bro . Waites , in an eloquent speech , then proposed the W . JI ., whom he had had the pleasure of meeting very frequently during the last few months . He felt sure the brethren would never have cause to regret the

step they had taken in selecting him to preside over them . He ( the W . MJ . ) had been invested with the crimson at the last provincial meeting , ivhieh under the present regime ivas generally looked upon as a stepping-stone to the higher preferments . He remembered well being present twelve months ago , when the lodge was consecrated in the fine old house at Belvidere , ivhere in former times kings and princes had been entertained

, and the present flourishing position of the lodge was a good proof of hoiv highly the lodge was thought of . The W . JI ., in reply , stated that it might in truth be said that he had used his best endeavours , as an officer , to promote the prosperity of the Cornwallis Lodge , and now that he had been installed their W . M ., he trusted that the Great Architect of the Universe

would give bim strength and ability to continue to do so , and concluded by thanking the brethren for tho honour they had done him , and the - confidence they reposed in him . The W . M . then proposed the health of Bro . C . T . Sutton , P . JI ., the first Master of the Lodge , who returned thanks for the kindness they had shown him during the past year . The health of the "Visitors was then proposed , and was responded to by Bros . Jlay and Adlardivho stated that Kent showed an le to the

, examp provinces by their charitable gifts , which was well worthy ol imitation in other provinces . The health of the officers of the lodge then followed , which was responded to by Bro . H . De Grey , J . W ., who said that if they gained the approbation of the lodge , at the end of this year of office , they trusted they should proceed onwards until they gained that proud position their W . M . had that day been laced in The following

p . brethren were amongst the visitors present : —Bros . Waite , P . M . 77 , Prov . G . Sec . Kent ; F . Adlard , P . JI ., P . Prov . G . Dir . of Cers . Essex ; Everest . W . JI . 20 ; Harvey , W . M . 299 ; J . Tongue , W . JI . 913 ; J . P . May , W . M . 15 ; Barlow , P . JI . 174 ; Gallienne , 192 . The conviviality of the evening was promoted by some very appropriate songs rendered by the brethren of the lodge .

SUFFOLK . PI -O VTN-CIAL GEA _ D LODGE . This Provincial Grand Lodge was held at Sfcowmarket on Monday , the 8 th inst . The day was beautifully fine , and the town was filled with visitors , ivho thronged the streets to Avitness the imposing procession , and accompanied the brethren to church . The Assembly Room , which was furnished and decorated with ' great taste , was visited by a large number of ladies and

gentlemen during the morning , as was also the Corn u- lange ' , v , lere the i ^ es were set out for the grand banquet which was to be held in the afternoon . The gathering of the members of the Order was an unusually large one , and the inhabitants of Stowmarket manifested much interest in the proceedings , for a Grand Lodge has not been held in the town for many years . The Provincial Grand Lodge was opened at one o clock by Bro . Colonel Adair , Prov . G . JI ., supported by Bros . H . Thomas and W . Lucia , Prov . G . M . ' s ; Bro . Rev . E . J .

Lockwood , D . Prov . G . JI . ; Rev . A . Tighe Gregory , Prov . G . Chap . ; Rev . R . N . Sanderson , P . Prov . G . Chap . ; and other Grand Officers of the province . There were upwards of 120 other brethren present . The Phoenix Lodge , of Stowmarket , did everything in their power to give their brethren of other lodges a pleasing reception , and the arrangements and decorations of the lodge room in particular gave great satisfaction .

The usual business having been transacted , the Prov . G . M . presented Bro . Rev . R . N . Sanderson a jewel of his Order , ivith a suitable address in wliich he recounted the many services rendered to the Craft by the reverend brother , and having put it on his breast amidst considerable applause , the Prov . G . JI . said that the value of it was not at all commensurate , but he hoped he would wear it as a token of the esteem of all the brethren

of the province . Bro . Sanderson said he should for ever w-ear it and value it as one of his choicest treasures . Bro . Spencer Freeman was unanimously elected Prov . G . Treas ., and re-invested by the Prov . G . JI . amidst considerable applause . Bro . Sycr was then elected Grand Tyler ; after which the Prov . G . JI . appointed his officers for the year , as follow-. —Bros . Rev . Lockwood , D . Prov . G . JI . ; Huddlestone , Prov . S . G . W . ; Rev . Tighe-GregoryProv . G . Chap . ; P . B . MarriottProv . G . Reg . ;

, , E . Dorling , Prov . G . Sec . ; W- G . Ranson , Prov . S . G . D . ; JI . Abel , Prov . J . G . D . ; Cbinnock , Prov . G . Supt . of Works ; Westgate , Prov . G . Dir . of Cers . ; Pettit , Prov . Assist . G . Dir . of Cers . ; Tidd , Prov . Assist . G . Sec . ; Adams , Prov . G . S . B . ; Barber , Prov . G . Org . ; Gardiner , Prov . G . Purst . ; F . Long , G . S . Gokling , A Slicrriff , and J . Williams , Grand Stewards . The office of Prov . J . G . W . was left open .

After each officer had been invested by the Prov . G . JI . with his badge of office , the neivly-appointed officers were saluted in the usual manner . Bro . Fred . Binckes then made an able appeal to the Grand Lodge on behalf of the Masonic Charities , thanking the lodge for what they had already done . At three o'clock the grand procession issued from the

lodgeroom , and proceeded to church to attend the usual service . It was a handsome and effective show , and the band of the Stowmarket Volunteers , marching in front , performed some exquisite music in a manner wliich showed that they had taken unusual pains to be prepared for the occasion . The large church ivas quite filled . Tiie prayers and lessons ivere read by Bro . the Rev . H . Lewis , assisted by Bro . the Rev . R . N . Sanderson , P . Prov . G . Chap . Full choral service ivas performed in a careful and superior manner under the direction of the Prov . G . Org . The anthem " Behold IIOAV good and joyful" ivas effectively rendered bv JIasters Catehnole . Gurnev . and Dav . the two latter

( Ipswich boys ) singing the duet ; and the hymns were— "There high the heavenly temple stands , " and " For thee , 0 dear , dear country . " , The Rev . A . Tighe-Gregory , Vicar of Baivdsey , preached the sermon . His text was part of the 8 th verse of the 3 rd chapter of the 1 st epistle of St . Peter : " Love as Brethren . " Those words , he said , brought to mind the figure of an aged man , wise in the experience of yearsone who lias seen life at her worst

, and at her best , a man ivhose special privilege in early life . had been to rest his head on the bosom of a teacher who came from God , and therefore to be held as iviser still in the experience of eternity—a man whose latter life was prolonged beyond that of all his associates , for all the others had suffered martyrdom , a man ivhose hoary head seemed as it ivere the standard of the truth when the companions of his early life were gone—that

aged man with feeble voice ivas wont to be often heard to repeat the words , "Little children , love ono another . " He was asked why he so often repeated that exhortation , and he replied that that was everything . Was not that enough , for God is love ? and he that dwelleth in love , dwelleth he not in God ? The figure of that aged man was continually before that brotherhood , the figure of the aged man was continually before the Church ,

and the ivords of his old age -went with his brotherhood from one of their anniversaries to another . Those ivords were reechoed in the ivords of the other apostle , from whose epistle the text of that sermon was taken , jlist as one musical instrument in a room , untouched by human hand , would gently reverberate to the strains drawn from another instrument close by . It was in this brotherhood of love that we were superior to the lower animals . By brotherhood and fellowship only ivere the greatest human ends accomplished ; for without brotherhood and social combination there could be no love , and ivithout love there could be no well-being . And as it was in the family and in the