Provincial.

Majesty to the train . He was bound as a nobleman and a gen- ' tleman to do so ; but under the circumstances it was a great act of fortitude . ( Hear , hear . ) He , as well as all other true Masons , hoped that if it should not please Almighty God to restore his grace to complete health , He might , at any rate , in A great measure , mitigate his sufferings , and spare him some time longer . ( Hear , hear . ) They had met many esteemed brethren under the banner of the Duke of Leinster , whose

health he was sure they ivould drink with enthusiasm . Ho ( Colonel Vernon ) then proposed the toast , " The M . W . G . M's of Scotland and Ireland , " and it was cordially drunk . Bro . Dr . BURTON , 1 ) . Prov . G . M ., responded on behalf of the M . W . G . M . and brethren of Scotland . Bro . Colonel HOGG , P . Prov . S . G . W ., returned thanks on behalf of the Duke of Leinster and the Masons of Ireland , whom he lauded for their hospitalitytheir true Masonic feelingand

, , their love of their brethren in England aud Scotland . He said he could not allow that opportunity to pass without expressing the regret which he , as well as other brethren of th' " . Provincial Grand Lodge of Stafford , felt at the loss which they were about to sustain by the removal from amongst them of their Prov . G . M . They wished Colonel Vernon prosperity , and they would give him a cordial reception whenever he might

honour them with a visit . ( Applause . ) Bro . DUDLEV PARSONS , whose name was also coupled with the toast , likewise returned thanks for the Duke of Leinster and the Irish Lodge . He expressed the gratitude which he felt to the Prov . G . M ., Lieutenant-Colonel Vernon , for his kindness towards the lodge , and his regret that he was about to leave the county . Dr . BURTON , D . Prov . G . M ., then rose , and said lie was about

to express a wish that the next toast had fallen into abler hands , and that it had been entrusted to some one who could have given beauty and embellishment to the sentiments of the company ; but he would not s .-y so . He did not want to talk poetical or refined language , because the subject of his toast required no adornment . The toast was " The Health of the Prov . G . M . Lieutenant-Colonel Vernon . " ( Loud and prolonged applause ) . That was probably the last time they ivould drink that toast . He would not expatiate upon the subject , which

though a painful one was not altogether unmixed with pleasure . They were not about to mourn over a dying man , or a lost friend , but they were going to drink the health of a brother who was about to leave an office which ho had long filled most worthily , and whose heart would still be with the brethren of the province , although he might himself be separated from them by a considerable distance . ( Hear , hear . ) He called upon them to drink with heartiness and sincerity the health of the

Prov . G . M . The toast was drunk right heartily by all the brethren present standing . A song to the tune of " The Old English Gentleman , " composed by Bro . Dr . Goddard , of Longton , specially for the occasion , was then sung , amidst great applause , by Bro . Glydon . Lieut .-Colonel VERKON , Prov . G . M ., on rising to respond , was again warmly cheered . He said his position that day was

a very gratifying one , and at the same time it was a painful one . He had often had to return thanks for favours and acts of kindness which he had received at their hands ; and then , after the acknowledgments be made to them at the lodge for the tangible evidence of their regard and esteem , he had again to offer them his sincere thanks tor their good wishes . It was rather painful to him to have to make a speech upon that subject , but it was gratifying to him to know and feel , as he did in

his heart—because he was certain that their expressions were cordial and sincere—that his reign over that province had been productive of mutual esteem . ( Hear , hear . ) Giving due credit to his respected brother , Henry Vernon , who was formerly D . Prov . G . M . under Col . Anson , the latter of whom was often unable to attend to his duties as Prov . G . M ., he ( Col . Vernon ) still thought much of the success of his rule was owing to his own straightforwardness and lionesfcj' of purpose ^ ( Hear , hear . )

He had always endeavoured to do the best he could for the benefit of the Provincial Grand Lodge and of the Craft generally . They would excuse him if he spoke somewhat egotistically of himself , but what he said was retrospective , and they all knew that he had done his work as well as any of his predecessors . He had taken offices in lodges in different parts of the country , and he never asked a brother to do what he would not do himself . There had been seventeen lodges in the province , the business of which had been well conducted . There had been

occasions when he had been called upon to advise , and sometimes to admonish . He had had to take strong measures now aud then ; but he had done the best according to his ability , and they had given him credit for being right in his decisions . He felt proud to think that by his honesty of purpose he had gained their unbounded confidence , until it had become a byword in the province , " If the Colonel says so , it is all right . " He thanked the officers—the D . Prov . G . M . the Wardensthe

, , Registrar , the Secretary , and all of them—for the support which he had received from them . There was nothing like a good staff of officers , either in a regiment or a province ; and he was glad to say that he had had a good staff in that province . He assured them all that after the appointment of his successor he should be glad to come amongst them as a Past Officer whenever an opportunity presented itself . He concluded , amidst

loud applause , by repeating the expression of his thankfulness . The PROV . G . MASTER , after a short interval , again rose , and said they were aware that since his non-residence in the province he had left the greater part of his duties to be performed by his excellent deputy . He was fortunate in having such a deputy as Dr . Burton , and he congratulated them upon having had the affairs of the province so well conducted by his worthdeputy . He felt that no brother ever left the

comy mand of a province under more favourable circumstances than he was about to leave the command of the province of Staffordshire . He again acknowledged the efficient aid he had received from the D . Prov . G . M ., whose health he proposed . ( The health was drunk with much enthusiasm . ) The D . PROV . G . MASTER , in acknowledging tbe toast , said the creditable management of the various lodges in the

province had rendered his dirties light , and it was to them that the credit was due for the flourishing condition of the province . He expressed an earnest hope that the prosperity of the province would be maintained . ( Cheers . ) Bro . Col . HOGG , P . Prov . S . G . W ., briefly proposed as the next toast , " The Visitors , " on behalf of whom Bro . BINCKES , Secretary to the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Boys , was called upon to respond . He said he could not plead the old excuse that he was unaccustomed to public speaking , but he was surprised to hear his name connected with

that toast . He attributed that circumstance to the kindness of the Prov . G . M ., ' who wished to give him the opportunity of making an appeal to them thus early on behalf of the Masonic Charities , thinking ho might do so then with greater chances of success than at any later period of the evening . Last year he attended there , and made an appeal on behalf of the charitable institutions , more especially of the Boys ' School . It was his duty to endeavour to enlist their sympathy

on behalf of the Boys' School , which had formerly suffered from that want of sympathy and support which it had received during the last year or two . He had gone to different provincial lodges , ancl had successfully pleaded the cause of that Institution . He had only occupied his present post two years ; but by the kind encouragement given to his efforts , the income of the Institution for Boys had been nearldoubledand they

y , were about to replace the present building , which imperfectly accommodated 70 boys , by a magnificent structure which would perfectly accommodate 150 boys . By the 1 st December the foundation of that building would be laid , and the superstructure would be commenced on the 1 st of March next . He had given a guarantee to the committee that he would raise £ 1500 , an arduous duty , from which , however , he would not shrink ,

for he felt certain that success would crown his efforts . ( Hoar , hear . ) He renewed in more earnest terms than he had before addressed them his appeal to them for their practical aid , their active sympathy and support . Last year he received four or five almost conditional promises of stewards from the provinceof Staffordshire at their annual festival in London . Not one of these promises , he was sorry to say , ever came to anything . He hoped that at least one brother would give in his name to

represent the province of Staffordshire on such ah interesting occasion as the festival of 1 SG 4 . One brother had almost said he ivould give his name as the representative of Staffordshire , and Bro . Bass had promised a subscription of £ 10 10 s . The Institution clothed and maintained 70 boys , from 7 to 15 years of age , children of persons who in their prosperity occupied positions similar to those whom he was addressing . Two or threeboys went from the province of Staffordshire , and an application had been made for the admission of another for the same province . The Charities were the brightest ornaments of their Order , and he hoped that they ivould never languish for the