Provincial.

a remark which had fallen from him in the afternoon in the lodge . He had said that there was no difficulty in receiving all the candidates that came before the committee . Bro . Stebbing had said that there had been a greater number of candidates last time than there had been received . He might say that it was a favourite boast of a friend of his for many years that whenever an application had been made , the party had been received . An exception to this rule was very latelaud it was

y , because of a suddenly increased number of applications . The number of pupils had risen to 70 and SO , but additional provisions were now making , and there would soon be room sufficient to accommodate 100 children . Though it was not finished , it was hi the course of being done , and all the applications would then meet with an affirmative response . He wished , however , that he could say the Boys' Institution

was in an equally good position . It had been established in 1798 , and up to six years ago the boys admitted were merely clothed and educated at different schools in the neighbourhood of their homes , and then they did not reap those benefits which they now received all under one roof . Some good friends had made great efforts in 1 S 56 , and the result was , that the land and premises at Wood Green was boughtconsisting of several acres

, , and the school opened . In 1 S 59 they bad 67 boys in the Institution . They bad since made further progress , but the increase in the applications was wonderful . The present demands were got np to an immense pitch , and they could scarcely tell yet how they should be able to satisf y them . The fact was that the Boys' Institution had never up to the last year been so fortunatenor received so much attention as the other charities

, . When he had been elected to the Secretaryship of the Boys ' Institution , about two years ago , he found himself with the opportunity of putting in force a system which he had long before been advocating . Previous to that , not one-third proportion of the assistance received by the charities was gained from the country brethren , and to a great extent this was through the Craft not being sufficiently appealed to throughout the

provinces . Last year the sum of £ 3650 was collected at the festival , the largest sum ever received for either of the Institutions at one time , and half of it came from the provinces , and this effect was , to a very great part , the consequence of his

. appeals to the provinces on its special behalf . This new result showed that the brethren of the provinces had the prosperity of the institutions as much at heart as those living in London . He had found great ignorance existing in the provinces upon the subject of the institution , and he recollected an elderly 'brother sitting by his side at dinner , telling him that he did not know there was such a thing as the Boys' School in existence . It was very hopeful in Hampshire . Bros . Hay-ward

and Stebbing had represented the province at the festival last year , and had taken up the cause most successfully . Bro . Sherry , than whom a better Mason did not exist , had since given in his name to stand as Steward for the present year , whilst the name of Bro . Barnes , of Portsmouth , had been given in by Bro . Stebbing as another . He had no occasion , therefore , to come there and ask for Stewards , but he would plead for warm

assistance to the cause . Bro . Stebbing had spoken of a new wing being added to the institution , but he ( Bro . Binekes ) wanted more than that ; he wished to see four wings—a complete huilding . The Girls' School was getting everything that was requisite , and the good results which were following came as a matter of course ; plenty of money was forthcoming because of the efficiency shown . His wish was to see a fit and proper

school with full accommodation for the boys . The present building was not one exactly appropriate for the requirements of the institution ; when everything was supplied in the way of excellent dormitories and other good internal arrangements , he should then look for good results in every sense of the word , and with their new Master , only lately elected , he anticipated seeing the boys of this school competing successfully with those of other good schools , in the Oxford examinations opened of

late years . He looked forward to the boys succeeding , and in a manner worthy of the title attached to their institution of the Royal Masonic Schools . The boys who were taken into the schools were not to be looked upon -as receiving a charity ; it was what they were entitled to—a ri ght and not a dole . Without their Charities , Masonry would be as sounding brass and tinkling cymbal ; and he looked with thorough confidence to their future liberal support . He once more thanked the brethren present for the handsome reception they bad given him at that , his first meeting with the assembled province in Grand Lodge , and he could assure them that he felt grateful for what they

Provincial.

had done in the past , and also for what he anticipated he should receive from them in the future . The R . W . PROV . GRAND MASTER next proposed "The health of the Prov . Grand Officers of the province for the present year , which was warmly received . Bro . HICKMAN , Prov . G . Sec , said , on the behalf of the new officers invested chat day , he returned sincere thanks . He was

assured that they would perforin their duties with zeal and fervency , and to the best of their ability , and ho hoped the result would be perfect satisfaction to the province . The R . W . PROV . GRAND MASTER then gave "The health of the Past Prov . Grand Officers , " which was likewise warmly received , and Bro . Hawkins , P . Prov . J . G . W ., briefly responded . The next toast was " The Worshipful Masters of the Lodges

of the Province . " The R . W . PROV . GRAND MASTER congratulated the meeting upon the increase of brethren and the increase of lodges in the province . When he was first appointed to his office there were only ten lodges in the province , and not half of them were at work . Now they had increased , he believed , to sixteen , together with a military lodge . He felt rather proud of this success under his rule . He gave the toast of " Prosperity to the Provincial Lodges , " and would couple with it the name of Bro . Alfred Smith , W . M . of No . 90 , Winchester . The toast was very prominently honoured .

Bro . SMITH said he felt deeply grateful for himself and the brethren by whom he was more immediately surrounded , on account of the complimentary terms in which the toast had been introduced , and the handsome manner in which it had been received . He was afraid he was unworthily filling the mastership of the senior lodge of the province . In the Provincial Grand Lodge the discussion of the Grand Lodge "property question had elicited varieties of opinion . It was cheerful

to witness those who had enunciated contrary views in the lodge assembled around the tables in such good humor , and displaying those kind feelings one towards another so truly Masonic . Whether the amonnt of means wished to be devoted to the London property improvement was £ 1 S , 000 , or £ 20 , 000 , or £ 36 , 000 , the only desire of them all was to benefit and promote the position of the Craft , and extend to others those benefits they already had experienced and prizedand wished to bestow

, upon others . He had endeavoureel to put brethren right upon certain points when in the lodge ; but the sway of Bro . Stebhing ' s eloquence had been too strong for him , though the points of difference had not been defined very clearly . But he would not re-open this—choosing to bury the dead . The question was of great interest , and it would never be neglected . He was really delihted to experience the feelings generated at

g these assemblies ; and he wished again to convey his most earnest and grateful acknowledgments to the brethren for their conspicuous notice of himself and colleagues of No . 90 . In giving another toast , " The Military Lodges , " the R . W . PROV . GRAND MASTER mentioned tho Orthes Lodge ( 6 th Regiment ) , coupling with the toast the name of Bro . Captain Saunders .

Bro . CAPT . SAUNDERS responded in a brief speech . He was glad to see the resuscitation of his lodge , and he was the first who had represented it at the provincial assembly . The next toast was " The Scottish Lodges , " coupled with the name of Bro . Hennessy , of No . 190 , Aberdeen , who responded , and said he never could forget the kindness he had received from his Hampshire brethren . The health of the visiting brethren was duly honoured .

Another lengthened and eloquent speech was delivered by Bro . Stebbing , in the course of which he proposed the formal toast " All poor and distressed Masons , " & c . The talented brother then proceeded to address the meeting generally on the wisdom and beauty of the Masonic Order . He alluded to the wisdom of the man who provided for the poor and unfortunate out of his prosperity ; yet he thought the masonic body was not sufficiently wise in its generationbecause they

, might do much more than they did . The tree was not yet planted and watered for its perfection , its branches did not yet sufficiently cover the earth . They all knew that men shall come and men shall go ; but the poor and needy will live on for ever . He argued on the general insufficiency of the support given to the masonic institutions , and drew some beautiful metaphors of the beauty and joy of the sublime virtue—charity . "The health of the W . M . of the Carnarvon Lodge , No . 1106 , ' '