Provincial.

ivas ivith mingled feelings of regret and pleasure that he responded to the toast , for when he remembered that at the present moment a brother whom they all so highly respected , was upon a bed of sickness , and that the result of that sickness was only within the knowledge of the great Disposer of all human events , that ifc was uncertain Avhether he ivould be restored to health and activity , and to his position as a husband , a lather , and as

a . ruler of the Craft , or whether it would please the great Architect of the Universe to remove him to the Grand Lodge above—when he remembered that this was the cause of Bro . Fox ' s absence , and that nothing but extreme ill-health ivould have prevented him from being present , he could not but entertain a deep feeling of regret in responding to the toast . If , on the other hand , he could derive any feeling of pleasure , it was from the fact that so super-excellent a substitute was acting for

Bro . Fox . He thought it only due to that brother to tell the province that at a moment's notice , ancl at considerable inconvenience to himself , lie had undertaken to be present , and that to do so he had been compelled to leave a family of distinction to whom he was paying a visit . The Prov . G . M . was a most esteemed man , but at the same time he was a very old man , and lie was sorry , deeply sorry , to say , that he was a very ailing man . Ifc would be indecorous for him to say more than that

there ivas a very old proverb , " Coming events cast their shadows before , "—but he hoped that that venerable and kind-hearted man ivho ivas now at their head of the Order in this province , would be spared for some years longer . Bro . E . Barivell said he felt much flattered hy having to propose " The Health of the Provincial Acting Master . " He felt that the Provincial Grand Master of Norfolk had conferred a very great honour upon Dereham by selecting it as the place for

the holding of the Grand Lodge of the present year , only about a year and a half having elapsed since the Dereham Loclge was established . He ( Bro . Barivell ) had not passed through a very long career in Masonry , hut he was old enough to know that Bro . the Hon . F . Waipole , who had so ably presided over the Craft to-day , was one of the most accomplished Masons in the province . The Sondes Loclge ought to feel very proud of him , not only as a visitor to Dereham , but as a brother in Masony . The toast was drunk with full Masonic honours .

The A . Prov . G . Muster , in responding , said he wished to thank Bro . Barwell and the brethren of the Sondes Loclge at Dereham , for their kind reception of him , and also to congratulate Dereham upon the way in which they had received the brethren generally . He had no hesitation in declaring that he was zealous in Masonry , for although be had been a Mason twenty-odd years , he hacl never seriously regretted having joined the Order . He had found that those professions which the

Craft made ou his first gaining admission to it had been generally and mainly the guiding and leading principles of the Order . The only credential of admission to Masonry was being free-bom ( which is common to all mankind ) and of good repute , which was gained by the advowson of the brethren at the election of members , 'lhe objects which Masonry sought to obtain , and of which they had themselves that day been part

witnesses , was to relieve brethren who were inivant . But there was another object which he thought the Craft attainednamely , that in social meetings , men of all ranks and classes could mingle together in harmony , without being disturbed by dogmas of religion , without politics , and without difference of opinion . He thought that that was a great obiect to attain , for by bringing together in social harmony men of all raiiKS ,

the move they would know of each other , IUACI the better means would they have of appreciating each other . As in the voltaic battery , th < s matter remained dormant , till the two wires were brought together , so in society , they might live near and yet not know each other till they touched the electric spark , and in the word // of Shakespeare , " One touch of nature makes the whole AVoriel kin . " The guiding principles of the Craffc were

brotherly love , relief , ancl truth , and he was divulging no secret when he said that he who followed those sublime precepts—love , mercy , practice justice , and seek to live in harmony and brotherly love with his Craft—would never do wrong . Such a society , he said , was one which they could safely commend to their children , and under whose banners they might sincerely recommend their friends to enrol themselvesTbey had spoken

. kindl y in regard to himself , and in the words of the great poet , he would conclude by saying : — I can no other answer make , but thanks , And thanks , and ever thanks . Often good turns Are shuffled off with some uncurrent pay ;

Provincial.

But Avere my worth , as is my conscience , firm , You would find better dealing . The A . Prov . G . Master next proposed , in complimentary terms , " The Health of the Provincial Grand Chaplain , " to ivhich Bro . the Rev . R . P . Bent responded . Bro . G . E . Simpson , P . Prov . J . G . W ., gave " The Health of the Visitors , " which Bro . Bird , Prov . G . D . of Surrey ,

acknowledged . The toast of "The Officers of the Provincial Grand Lodge , " was responded to by Bro . Holmes , Prov . S . G . W-. ; and Bro . G . E . Simpson responded on behalf of the P . Prov . G . Officers . The A . Prov . G . Master , in proposing "The Health of the P . G . S ., " saicl thafc the toast did not require any recommendation from him , as they knew that to a very large extent the working of the programme of the clay bad been in his hands . Ifc was

not for him to comment upon the way in which the work hacl been carried out , but having known ancl mingled with Bro . Morgan a great number of years , it was with the greatest pleasure that he proposed his health . The Prov . G . Secretary replied in a neat speech , during which he remarked upon the difficulty which he experienced in recommending for appointment the officers of the Provincial Grand Lodge , owing to the excellent qualifications of so many good Masons who resided in the province ; but he added that he hacl never allowed any feeling of friendship to influence him in the least .

lhe Prov . G . Treasurer then acknowledged fche toast of his . health , which was suitably proposed by the A . Prov . G . M . ; and the brethren then separated . YORKSHIRE ( NORTH AND EAST ) . BRIDLINGTON-QUAY . —Londeshorough Lodge ( No . 734)—The regular meeting of this lodge was held on Tuesday , the 4 th inst ., at the loclge room in Garrisson-street . The were present . Bros ,

D . R . W . Parritt , W . M . ; J . Rennard , J . W . ; A . B . Brockwell , Sec ; the junior officers ancl several of the members , and amongst the visiting brethren Bros . Hay of the Humber Lodge ,, and Captain Symons , 200 , who kindly took the chair of S . W ., in the unavoidable absence of Captain Knocker . The minutes of the hist regular lodge were read and confirmed . Mr . Geldred . who had been regularly proposed ivas then balloted lor and accepted . Bro . Coventry having been satisfactorily examined

, was entrusted and retired . He afterwards re-entered the loclge and was raised to the sublime degree of a M . M . . Bro . Fox , P . M ., P . Prov . J . G . D ., then proceeded to read his promised lecture on "Masonry , its mission , " which was listened to with great interest by the brethren present , and received with marked applause . A vote of thanks was then passed to Bro Fox for his lecture , which was duly responded to . The postponed discussion of the ways ancl means to increase the relief fund for distressed

brethren passing through the town , ivas then opened by the Secretary , who gave notice of a proposition for the next regular lodge night . Two other notices of proposition were also given , and there being no further businass to be transacted fche lodge ivas finally closed at ten o'clock p . m .

Royal Arch.

ROYAL ARCH .

STOCKTON-ON-TEES . —Tees Chapter ( No . 749 ) . —A convocation of this chapter was holden in the lodge room Mason ' s Court , on Thursday the 13 th instant at 6 p . m . under the able presidency of Comp . J . G . Thompson , Z ., assisted by Comps . H . C . Knowles , IL ; M . Cadle , J . ; R . Welch , E . ; W . Best , P . Z . ; acting N ., & c . After the chapter hacl been opened and the minutes readBro . K . B . HnrpleyW-M . of the Harbour of

, , , Refuge Lodge ( No . 7 G 4 ) AVest Hartlepool , who had been proposed by Comp . Cadle , was introduced and exalted to the supreme degree of a R . A . Mason . The most interesting business of the evening then took place , Avhich was the presentation to Comp . Levy , P . Z ., Chapter of Strict Benevolence Sunderland , of a beautiful Past Principal ' s jewel , bearing the following inscription : — " Presented by the Tees Chapter ( No . 719 )

Stockton-ou-Tees to Comp . B . Levy , P . Z ., as a mark of esteem and fraternal regard , and in recognition of his services since the formation of the Chapter . " The M . E . Z . in presenting the jewel spoke in eulogistic terms of their respected companion , who is well known in the province us the able Prov . G . Dir . of Cers , as well as one "f the best working Masons in the North j of England . Comp . Levy expressed his thanks in a smart