Provincial.

preached by II . Day , Prov . G . Chaplain , of Burton-on-lrent , to the brethren in lodge . After the service a collection was made , amounting to £ 3 14 s . 2 d ., made up to £ 10 10 s . by taking ; 81 15 s . 10 d . from the funds of the Provincial Grand Lodge . This sum was disposed of as follows : — £ 5 5 s . was presented to the Provincial Grand Chaplain for schools at Burtonon-Trent ; £ 3 3 s . to the Newcastle Bagged Schools ; and £ 2 2 s . to St . Mary ' s School , Stafford . The P . D . Prov . G . M ., Bro .

Thomas Ward , then addressed the Prov . G . M ., Bro . Col . Vernon , and said lie had been deputed by the whole of the Masons of Staffordshire to present to him an address and a testimonial of their esteem npon his resigning his position as ruler of the province of Staffordshire . The address was signed by the Df Prov . G . M ., Bro . Burton , on behalf of the brethren , and was handsomely engrossed on vellum . The plate consisted of a magnificent and costly silver epergne and candelabra , valued at £ 250 . The following is the . address : — " To Lieutenant-Colonel Vernon , Provincial Grand Master of

Staffordshire . " Eight Worshipful Provincial Grand Master and dear Brother , —The sacred and moral lessons taught us as brethren of the mystic tie would have been studied most improfitably had they failed to impress upon us that as creatures of ' finitude ' ive must in some measure expect to be prepared for a severance of those kindly and truly fraternal bonds of affection which have linked us with you in one sincere brotherhood for the last

ten years . While bowing with Masonic resignation to existing circumstances , we unitedly desire to express our sincere grief that a time has arrived when the calls of other important duties have led you to resign the Masonic rule of the Province of Stafford and the charge of us , your brethren , who for so long a period have been rendered happy and prosperous under your gentlemanly , judicious , and fraternal stray . Feeling that were our hearts bared to their inmost core you would see ( as we hope

you feel and believe ) how sincerely you are beloved by your brethren , and that you would accept that affection as the best , and to yourself personally , the most agreeable testimony we could offer to your worth ; we cannot , nevertheless , allow this occasion to pass without publicly testifying to your high merits and the esteem we have for you , both privately and as our dear brother and Provincial Grand Master . We , therefore ,

respectfully and cordially desire to put these sentiments on record by requesting you to accept at our hands the plate we now crave permission to present to you . It is the gift of the Masonic brethren of your province , who individually and collectively desire to embody in the qualities of the physical materials of which their gift is composed the symbols of the purity and endurance of those sentiments of respect and affectionate regard which have been engenderedcultivatedand watered b

, , y your own bright example in all . your communications with us , and we devoutly unite in the prayer that our bountiful Creator , the great Architect of the Universe , may long grant you health , strength , and happiness , and be pleased to permit us from time to time to enjoy the pleasure of renewing by personal intercourse our loyal , true , and fraternal sentiments . " Colonel VERNON received the beautiful present with mingled

feelings of gratitude and emotion , and acknowledged the same in his usual happy and felicitous style .. The following inscription appears on one of the pieces of plate : — " Presented with the other plate , to Lieut .-Colonel George Augustus Vernon , P . M . 317 and G 07 , Past Senior Warden of the Grand Lodge of England , and Prov . G . M . of Staffordshire , upon his resignation of the latter office , by the brethren of his Province , as a testimony of their esteem aud affection , 9 l . li October , 1863 . "

THE BANQUET . The annual banquet was held in the Assembly-room of the Shire Hall , and upwards of 100 of the brethren sat down to a splendid repast , unexceptionable in every respect , provided by Bro . Senior , of the Vine Hotel , and which was served up with promptitude , whilst the waiting was excellent . Handsome banners and emblems were lmng on the walls , and the galleries contained a good number of ladies . The Prov . G . M . ColVernon

, . , presided ; the Prov . G . W . 's , Bros . Arthur Bass and C . E . Newman , being in their respective places , aud Bro . S . Hill acting as Dir . of Cers . The usual loyal toasts having been duly honoured , Dr . BURTON , D . Prov . G . M ., proposed " The Army , Navy , and Volunteers , " remarking that those three forces were intimatel y connected , that they were equally efficient , and that if they

were put upon their trial no doubt they would prove to be equally valuable as a means of defending the country and punishing the enemy . ( Cheers . ) Bro . Colonel HOGG-, P . Prov . S . G . W ., returned thanks on behalf of the Army and Navy . Bro . HARWELL ( Captain of the Walsall Company ) responded on behalf of the Volunteers . He said he recollected that some time ago , soon after the commencement of the volunteer

movement , one of his delights was to meet gentlemen whom ho had not . before seen . At a social meeting of gentlemen interested in that movement , he made a remark that was received with disfavour at the time—namely , that now they had established a volunteer force there was no occasion to have a Freemasons ' society . His remark was received with cries of " Ob , oh . " He was not then a Mason ; but now he saw the privileges and duties of a Mason , and he thought differently . ( Hear , hear . )

He thought too much praise had been lavished on the volunteers . Let them try a week or two of hard service , and then he should be gratified if they deserved half that had been said of them .

Colonel VERNON , Prov . G . M ., then proposed the health of the excellent and distinguished nobleman who ruled their Craft—the M . W . G . M ., the Earl of Zetland . ( Cheers . ) Those brethren who had been Masons for a few years must be aware that the decisions of the Earl of Zetland had always been approved , and his lordship had been chosen for 19 years to preside over the Freemasons of England . He trusted that his lordship ivould be spared for many years to rule over the Craftand

, that he would do so with as much efficiency as he had done hitherto . ( Applause . ) He had pleasure in joining with the toast the name of the D . G . M . ( Earl de Grey and Itipon ) and other officers , past and present , of the Grand Lodge . He should call upon their respected brother and friend C . W . Elkington to resnond to the toast . ( Applause . ) Bro ^ C HAKLES W . ELKIKOTONP . G . S . B . and D . Prov . G . M . of

, Warwickshire , in the course of his reply , said that those who had met in the Grand Lodge must feel confident that a more fitting appointment could not have been made than when Earl de Grey and Eipon was chosen as the D . G . M . ( Hear , hear . ) A great responsibility rested upon the M . W . G . M ., and especially

when he had to choose a brother to fill the office of Prov . G . M . as the successor of one who was so much beloved by the brethren as Lieut .-Colonel Vernon , who was esteemed not only in Staffordshire , but also in the province of Worcestershire . ( Applause . ) His ( Bro . Elkington ' s ) G . M . requested him to say that he deeply regretted he could not attend there that day . Next to him , there was no one more beloved by the brethren in Warwickshire than the Prov . G . M . of Staffordshire . ( Hear , hear . ) Though

retiring from office , Col . Vernon would still remain an esteemed honorary member of the Provincial Grand Lodge . ( Hear , hear . ) The worthy brother who had previously spoken ( Captain Harwell , had said chat the Volunteers superseded the Masons—( Captain Darwell and others : " No , no . " ) Well , he would take it for granted that he had said so . ( Laughter . ) His ( Bro . Elkington ' s ) opinion ivas that the Volunteer force would not have been in existence but for the Masons ( Hearhear)—for

, they never saw a body of Volunteers assembled without seeing amongst them a goodly number of Masons . At the Provincial Grand Lodge of Warwickshire , on Wednesday , a distinguished officer , Bro . Binckes , said that £ 14 , 000 had been subscribed fertile Masonic Charities . Each successive year their subscriptions

were increasing , and he believed that it he lived for many more years he should find that they collected more money than they would know how to dispose of for their own Charities . The liberality of the Masons had been displayed that day by the magnificent presentation which they had made to one of the best Masons thej' had , Lieut .-Colonel Vernon . ( Applause . ) Colonel VERNON , Prov . G . M ., then rose , and said it would ill-become them on an occasion like the present to omit to drink

the health of the M . W . G . ' s of the Grand Lodges of Scotland and Ireland—the Duke of Athol and the Duke of Leinster . He was glad to say that the greatest harmony had prevailed amongst the three Grand Lodges of England , Scotland , and Ireland . ( Hear , hear . ) In proposing the toast he was reminded of a melancholy circumstance . The Duke of Athol was suffering from an illness from which it was hardly likely that

he would recover . They must all feel deeply touched by the account given of the visit of her Majesty the Queen to condole with the Duchess of Athol . When her Majesty was about to take her departure the duke , while suffering from a deadly disease , rose from his couch of sickness and accompanied her