Provincial.

gratified , and , at their request would publish it . The Prov . G . M . then said that new as he was to office , he could not but congratulate the brethren of the province on the meeting held that day ancl on the attendance of so large a body of Masons from other provinces . The Grand Lodge was then closed in ancient and solemn form .

THE BANQUET AVas served in the Corn Exchange , and about 240 brethren were present . The Prov . G . M . kindly provided one , and Bro . Tomlin , M . P . for Shrewsbury , two bucks . After grace had been sung , the Prov . G . M . gave " The Health of the Queen ancl Eoyal Family , " which was received , as it always is among Masons , with hearty good will . The Prov . G . M . had a toast specially interesting to propose . No one was more sorry , and had expressed his

regret that he was unable to join the East-Anglian brethren that ¦ day— -indeed he ( the Prov . G . M . ) was authorised to say that with the most deep ancl lasting wishes for the prosperity of the Craft in that province , their M . AV . G . M ., the Earl of Zetland , was unable to be present , ^ but the toast would not be the less welcome , and he gave them "The Health of the M . AV . G . M . " ( Drank with three cheers . ) "The Health of the Earl de Grey and Ri and the rest of tho

pon ¦ Grand Officers " followed . The Eev . F . AV . FREEMAN , D . Prov . G . M ., had been acquainted -that Masonic honours would not he given , owing to the presence of -strangers , but he called upon every one not a Mason to retire . After the room had been cleared of the waiters he continued . ) There were to be no heel-taps allowed , and none but bumpers charged . He was quite aware that he was incapable to do justice to the toast , but was

under the orders of the R . AV . Bro . Hall , who thought that a brother of the province should have tho honour and gratification of proposing the next toast . He had long desired to see that day , -and thanked the M . AV . G . M ., who had at length prevailed upon Bro . Colonel Adair to accept the office of Prov . G . M . for Suffolk . ( Hear hear ) . It was not the first nor second time he had declined it , but now they had got him , he was sure that they would all be kept up to the mark . ( Hear hear ) . Their Chaplain had that clay

told them what they should do ancl gave an excellent lecture to the outsiders and he saw many at church who had got a pretty ; good dressing . Acting up to what they had been told they , as a 2 > rovince , were delighted to welcome their Prov . G . M ., Colonel Adair , and he would appeal to those who had been working with liini , for the last four years , under the Grand Eegistrar , to endorse his assertion of the happiness they felt at Colonel Adair's acceptance of his high office . ( Protracted cheers ) . That R . AV . Bro ., he

¦ felt sure , would exert the proper discipline , which they all desired , and he ( the D . Prov . G . M . ) , for his own part , would do ail in his power ? to support him . ( The toast was enthusiastically received ancl after the fire the native brethren made a most hideous discordant noise which w-e were informed was called " Suffolk harmony . " !) . The newly installed PROV . G . M . who , was received with loud and { prolonged cheers , said he was most thankful to his brethren for the kind and generous manner in which they had received the mention

of his name . He feared he had done but little , if anything , to justify the kind opinion they had formed of him ; but at any rate he hoped to be able to deserve it by a due ancl proper performance of those duties which belonged to the office , and which he also hoped to show by a long continuance therein amongst them . ( Hear , hear . ) He had not before found it in his power , although he always had it in his inclination , to accept the kind and flattering favours that had been conferred upon him from different quarters , nor to

act upon the suggestions that had been made to him in reference to the office . But he had , nevertheless , determined , w-hen the opportunity arrived for his being nominated , that ho would accept the nomination , especially when he found such acceptance would be generously welcomed , as they were good enough to say it had been , by the province of Suffolk . ( Hear , hear . ) He had felt , indeed , at times , that he scarcely dared to undertake the duties of so responsible an office—that he scarcely dared to be the exponent of the

many important matters connected with it—that , more than all , he scarcely dared to deem himself at all fitted to bo the representative of the great Masonic bodies of the province , unless lie had had prior opportunities of informing himself as to the nature of those duties , and whether he realty could find the time necessarily required for their due performance . ( Hear , bear . ) He could assure them that no other reasons but the simple ones that he had given bad ever had

place in his mind . AVhen he became convinced that it was in his power to improve , to do that himself in the Bianner he had spoken of , and which he had not previously had an opportunity;—when he found that , in his humble degree —( from accident of position , for which be was the last of all men to take the merit)—( hear , bear)—that he could be of any service to the Craft , he hesitated no longer to accept the office . Such a reception as he had met with , he never could have anticipated—a reception which would ever dwell in his mind as one of the most pleasant of those with which thev had so

frequently favoured linn . ( Hear , hear . ) But there was more than even all t his . Hour after hour , nay , minute after minute , of that short day , he had learned much that he was free to admit he had not known before;—he bad learned to appreciate the organisation of those great bodies which had been drawn together from different parts of the country—to appreciate the ready ancl prompt bestowal of their time ancl services to the great business of the ancient Craft . ( Hear . ) He liked to see the working of these lodges , ancl he

rejoiced to see the proceedings of the day . He was accustomed to " working" matters in other capacities , and he was never more pleased than he had been in witnessing the " working" he had seen that day . The Prov . G . M . then gracefully alluded to the Chaplain's discourse and said he would not hesitate to labour with care and toil to fill bis office to their satisfaction , not omit any opportunity of meeting all the lodges under his rule , ancl learning from each their wants . Such were his professionsand he should think himself unworth

, y of credit if he did not in plain and distinct terms , tell them what would be his principles of action . ( Hear , hear . ) He begged to thank them for the honour done him in the unmistakeable pleasure with which he had been received and honoured . ( Applause ) . The PROV . G . M . had next to speak of those visiting brethren of the Eastern Anglian Provinces , associated with them in being connected with the Eastern Counties , and in the closest Masonic union . Several visiting Prov . G . M ' s , and officers , high in rank ancl

service , had done them the honour to be present , and the Prov . G . M . of Cambridgeshire , the E . W . Bro . T . H . Hall , had clone him the honour of installing him that day , and no one could have performed the duties better . ( Hear hear ) . He then proposed The visiting Prov . G . Officers ancl Brethren of the East Anglian Provinces , coupling the same with the name of the E . W . T . H . Hall , Prov . G . M . for Cambridgeshire . Bro . HALL said he might well be proud to take an interest on

such an occasion . It was a great pleasure to see [ such a large meeting in so respectable a province as Suffolk . The office of a Prov . G . M . was not an elective one , but had the M . AA . G . M . come down he could not have failed to see that his appointment was one of the most popular ever made . ( Hear hear . ) If anything could add to the pleasure of that clay it was that their Prov . G . M . was a brother of his province , and he hoped it would be the means to draw Suffolk ancl Cambridge more closeltogether . They were

y border counties and as there was not yet a lodge at Newmarket , it might be , if he and their Prov . G . M . were not so well disposed to each other , and a lodge was opened there , the subject of a very pretty territorial squabble for the purpose of determining under whose jurisdiction the initiates from the Jockey Club might fall . ( Laughter and cheers ) . In the name of the visiting brethren of the East-Anglian Counties , ancl his own , he returned thanks for the toast .

The PROV . G . M . would not introduce the next toast with any commendatory remarks , as , from their knowledge of the brethren , it required none . Therefore he gave them , in a bumper , " The D . Prov . G . M . and other members of the Prov . Grand Lodge of Suffolk . " ( Cheers . ) The D . PROV . G . M . duly appreciated the kind compliment and reception of his name . He could not find words adequately to thank them . Other brethren had rendered some little

assistance , more especially the Prov . G . Secretary . He must again express his sentiments . His own real and proper duties were to attend to tho minutia ; of Masonry , and though it was his painful duty often to rate them in a severe manner , it had the effect of getting their returns properly made . But now , with a Prov . G . M ., he was sure everything would be put right . It was his own particular business to see that all was perfect for the Prov . G . M . to afford instruction ancl advice . If they

would appoint when he could meet them , he would be always at their service , and when he neglected those duties he hoped they would call upon the Prov . G . M . to discharge him . Now they had one who could and would attend to their interests , but he was a military man and would have discipline , ancl when he said " right about face , " they would have to put all to the right about pretty quick , and do what he told them . He believed this would be of the greatest service to the provinceanclknowing that they had such

, , a Prov . G . M ., it would be the means of doubling their numbers in the course of the next year . The PROV . G . M . said his next toast was "The Health of the Reverend Brother , their Prov . G . Chaplain , the Rev . E . N . Sanderson . "

The RET . BEO . was glad to have that opportunity to express his gratification * for their welcome . Their kind appreciation of his endeavours showed him his labours had not been in vain . If he had been able to convince them that Masonry was more than a social tie , that it was the real and true handmaid of religion—or if he had offered words to guide any of his brethren—he was content . He had received much kind feeling and much brotherly love from the Craft , and he warmly reciprocated the feeling .