Provincial.

to have deserved the encomiums passed on him by his worthy friend and brother ; he hoped he had deserved them , and he trusted it was to the satisfnction of the brethren . The W . M ., in proposing the toast of tho Past Masters , coupled with it the name of the I . P . M ., Bro . C . Gammon , and observed that during the time that brother had been connected with the Lodge he had only been absent twice . Bro . E . Lewis , P . M ., No . 11 , responded to the toast of the visitors . Bro . L . H . Isaacs , P . M ., responded for the officers . The Tyler's toast brought the proceedings to a close .

ESSEX . MALDON . —Lodge of St . Peter , ( No . 1024 ) . —The annual Festival of this Lodge was held at Maldon ( Thursday ) July , 20 tb . The brethren assembled at the Masonic Hall , High Street , at two o ' clock , and the usual preliminaries having been gone through , Mr . Abraham Francis , farmer , of Goldhanger , was duly initiated a member of the craft . Bro . T . C . Wigg , the WM . Elect , wns then installedthe ceremony being impressivelperformed b

, y y Bro . F . G . Green , P . M . The W . M . then proceeded to invest his officers for the ensuing year , as follows : Bros . J . J . Hawkins , S . W . ; J . Quihampton , J . IV . ; W . Humpherys , Treasurer ; F . G . Green , Secretary ; J . F . Kemp , S . D . ; R . G . Coombp , J . D . ; I . Ratcliff , I . G . ; and G . Huxfcable , Tyler . JTlie business of the Lodge being over , the brethren adjourned to the Blue Boar Hotel , where a sumptous banquet was excellently served by Bro .

W . Hickford , the host . The usual loyal and Masonic toasts followed , and much regret was expressed that several counter attractions , coupled with the fact of the Prov . G . Lodge having been so recently held in Maldon , combined to prevent the attendance of many brethren either in Lodge or at the festive board . The following were present-. —Bros . T . C . Wigg , W . M . ; J . J , Hawkins , S . W . ; W . Humpherys , P . M ., Treasurer , F . G . Green , P . M ., Secretary ; J . F . Kemp , S . D ., S . C . Bastow ,

T . C . Wigg , G . Aldham , R . J . Francis , A . Francis , —Moffatt , aud G . Huxtable , 1024 . Visitors—Bros . T . J . Bailing , Secy ., and W . S . Sprent , D . C , 51 ; Jus . Nicholls , S . W . 276 ; W . Calthorpc , W . M . aud T . Eustace , J . W ., 097-ROCHFOBD . —Zrtye / True Friendship ( No . 160 ) . —The 24 th ult . ( being St . John's Day ) , in acordanee with ancient usage the annual festival of this Lodge was held at Rocliford , when Bro . John Wriht Carrthe Prov . Grand Secretarywas dul

g , , y installed as W . M ., Bro . William Pissey . P . M . 160 , P . Prov . G .. T . W ., acting officially as Installation Master . There was a good attendance of brethren from the neighbourhood ; letters expressive of regret at unavoidable asence were received from the R . W . the Provincial Grand Muster , Bro . Robert John Bagshaw ; from the Deputy Prov . G . 11 ., Bro . Andrew Meggy ; from the Grand Treasurer of the Province , Bro . Joseph Burton , and

from other distinguished Masons , The officers appointed were as follows : —Bros . John Wright Carr , Prov . G . Sec , 160 , 276 , 1 , 343 , W . U . ; Edward udd , S . W . ; Albert Lucltin , J . W . ; Thomas King , S . D . ; EoJrt Groutt , Prov . G . Sup . of Works J . D . ; Henry Wood , P . Prov . G . O ., P . M ., Treas ; George Burgess , P . Prov . G . J . D ., See ; William Moore , I . G . ; A . S . Isherwood and Bobert Brown , Steivards ; J . Allen , Tyler . About five o ' clock most of the brethren sat down at the Old Ship Inn to an excellent banquet , provided by Bro . H . D . Broivn .

SOMERSETSHIRE . PEOVINCIAL GEAND LODOE . Tin animal meeting of the Grand Lodge of this Province foi the _ appointment of Provincial Grand Officers and other business , was held at Crewkerne on Tuesday , 22 nd inst ., and was attended by a large and distinguished body of the brethren . The reception given to the Provincial Grand Lod bthe

ge y members of the local lodgo " Parrots and Axe , " 814 , was gratifying and creditable in the extreme . The li . W . the Provincial Grand Master , the Earl Carnarvon , was fully expected to have been present to preside ; hut almost at the last moment a telegram was received to the effect that his lordship was unable to come , owing to tho lateness of the debate in the House of Lords on the previous eveningThis was a

dis-. appointment , as his lordship , who is Deputy Grand Master of England , is very highly esteemed and admired among Masons ; and those especially who did not attend the recent ceremonies at Weston-super-Mare were counting with mucli pleasure upon the opportunity of meeting him .

However , the V . W . Deputy Provincial Grand Master , Bro . Cnpt Henry Bridges of Bridgwater—upon whom devolved the dutyof conducting the proceedings—presided with his well known efficiency . The Provincial Grand Lodgo was held at the Town Hall , which had been prepared as an excellent lodge room befitting the occasion , although it was hardly commodious enough for the very numerous attendance of the brethren numbering ahmlt 1 20 .

Yeovil , Ileliester , and other neighbouring lodges mustered m strong force , and Bath , Wells , Glastonbury , and the morn distant districts were well represented . Only- two lodges out of the whole province failed to answer the roll-call of Prov . Grand Secretary . There were a few visitors from Dorset , Devon , and Wilts . Tho lodge room and its approaches were beautified with groups of very fine plants in bloomferns & cknt from Mr .

, , „ Scott ' s nurseries , and the appointments generally were very tasteful and satisfactory . Grand lodge having been opened in due form , the Deputy Provincial Grand Master invested the Provincial Grand Officers for the ensuing year as follows : — Bro . J . W . Shun ) , P . M . 53 Prov . G . S . W . II . StrawsonW . M . 814 Prov . G . J . W .

„ , „ Eev . R . H . Bigsby , 1222 Prov . G . Chap . „ Rev . E . W . Gordon , 53 Prov . G- Chap . „ E . Turner Payne , P . M . 53 ... Prov . G . Treas . „ Capt . R . P . Floyd , W . M . 41 ... Prov . G . Reg . „ R . G . Else , P . M . 291 Prov . G . Sec , P . Prov .

G . S . W . „ , T . H . Farley , WM . 329 Prov . G . S . D . „ W . Thompson , W . M . 976 Prov . G . J . D . „ J . H . Smith , W . M . 261 Prov . G . Sup of Wks . „ Mitchell , P . M . 41 Prov . G . Dir . of Cers . „ J . Hurd , W . M . 1199 As _ t . Prov . G . Dir . of Ceres . „ Colonel Gywon , 53 Prov . G . S . B .

„ Dr . Sweet , 1223 Prov . G . Org . „ J . B . Sopor , W . M . 135 Prov . G . Purst . „ E . L . Hill , W . M ., 906 Asst . Prov . G . Purst . „ L . II . liicketbs , 1199 ... Prov . G . Steward . „ Captain Phayre , 53 Prov . G . „ „ S . Bragg , J . W . 1197 Prov . G . ,. B , Cox , 1222 Prov . G . This bestowal of Masonic honours was performedas usual ,

, amid hearty applause , which was enthusiastically prolonged in favour of Bros . Turner Payne ( Bath ) , and R . G . Else ( Bvidgwater ) , the Prov . G . Treasurer and Secretary . Bro . Payne has held his present office for a number of years , and is noted for bringing forward a good financial statement to the brethren every year . The distinctions conferred on Bro . Strawson , W . M ., of Crewkerne , and Bro . Parley , W . M ., of Yeovil Lodge , were also

hailed with much satisfaction by tha local brethren . The routine business of Provincial Grand Lodge was transacted , and a donation of five guineas was voted to the funds of the Crewkerne Hospital . Amongst the brethren present in lodge , besides thoso who havo been named as appointed to offices in Provincial Grand Lodge , were : Bros , tho Rev . R . J . F . Thomaf , P . JI . 329 , Past G . Chaplain of EnglandAVBButlerPProvJGW PRPrideaux

; . . , . . ... ; . . , V . Prov . G . Sec . ; F . Vizard , P . M . 1222 , P . Prov . G . S . W . ; W . F . Galpin , P . Prov . G . D . C . ; E . T . Inskip , P . Prov . G . S . B . ; W . C Brannan , P . Prov . G . O . ; J . Vincent , P . Prov . G . S . ; G . Parfitt , P . M . 076 ; W . Thompson , W . M . Royal Clarence ; E . L . Hill , W . M . 900 ; J . II . Macfarlane , W . M . 1296 ; J . Budge , P . M . 814 , P . Prov . J . G . D . ; J . JR . Ford , W . M , 53 , P . Prov . G . B . ; J . Knctt , P . M . 1197 ; T . W . Molton , P . Prov . G . A . D . C . ;

W . D . Balfour , 49 , Scotland ; M . C . J . Harris , P . M . 814 ; J . B . Ireland , P . M . 8 U ; J . Baker , P . M . 135 ; S . Jones , P . M . 112 , P . Prov . G . S . Devon ; J . Mnrlis , P . Prov . G .. I . W . ; W . Sharpe . W . M . 1197 ; E . White , P . Prov . G . S . W . ; Dr . F . H . Woodforde , P . Prov . G . S . W . ; S . G . MitchcII . P . M . 335 , P . Prov . G . J . D . Wilts ; Rev . George Thompson , W . M . 1168 ; W . Reed , P . M . 261 ; S . Toms , P . M . 706 ; C . Dyke , W . M . 6 G 5 ; L . H . Ruegg , P . Prov . G . S . W ., and P . Prov . G . S . D . Dorset ; W . S . Gillard , P . M .

1168 , P . Prov . G . D . Dorset ; B . Ativell , P . M . 976 ; E . W . Bridge , P . M . 814 , P . Prov . G . D . C ; C . Yescombe , P . Prov . G . S . Dorset ; F . Cox , P . Prov . G . S . W . ; C . P . Gibbs , P . M . 1197 ; J . H . Ryall , P . M . 329 ; S . Cross , P . M . 329 ; H . Ray-