Installation Meetings, &C.

by Bro . Robert W . Couloher , of 50 Chancery-lane , and ran as follows : —

NEPTUNE LODGE , No . 23 , Presented to Brother ISAAC WILCOX P . M ., upon his retirement from the office of Treasurer , aa a token of fraternal regard , and appreciation , by the brethren , of

the valuable services he rendered to the Lodge in that capacity during a period extending over a quarter of a century . Initiated 1850 ; Master 1855 ; Treasurer 1857 . ( Signed ) JOHN HARPER S . W ., HENRY POVEY J . W ., E . F . STORU P . M . Sec , GEORGE BRITTON I . P . M ., R . W . COULCHER S . D ., W . COOK J . D .,

JOSEPH COMETT l . G . Bro . Wilcox , who on rising to acknowledge the handsome gift , was cordially received , said their Worshipful Master had been very kind in tbe observations which he had been pleased to make in regard to himself , and he thanked Bro . Povey and the brethren very much for their too flattering recognition of his very humble services dnring the

twenty-six years he had filled the office of Treaaurer . He assured them it was with considerable regret that he felt it his duty to ask them to release him from that responsibility . He was very sorry indeed to relinquish the office , because he had worked in the Lodge for thirty-three years , during the whole of which time he had served as an Officer , from LG . to W . M ., and ultimately as Treasurer . He

had throughout all that time been absent from his post only three or four times at tbe utmost , and that was saying a good deal . He thanked God for giving him health and strength to be able to continue amongst the brethren ; and he hoped he might be spared for many years to enjoy the kindly , friendly association of the brethren , such as he had experienced during the last thirty-three years . This

was a long time , and he was sorry to say he was the only member of fche Lodge remaining who was present at his initiation in 1850 . There were , be oelieved , Bro . Townsend , and tbe late Secretary of tbe Lodge , Bro . Thomas Eames , still in existence , and there was also Bro . Norman , who , he regretted to say , was a great invalid , who

joined the Lodge at an early period , and from whom he had received an affectionate letter , regretting his inability to be present on this occasion . As the W . M . had observed , many changes had taken place during the time that he had been connected with this Lodge , and he was pleased to say—not that he wished to take any credit to himself for it—there had been instilled into the minds of all the

brethren the essential necessity for good working . Without this , a Lodge lost ifcs position and prestige in Masonry . He had endeavoured , during the twenty . six years of his term of office , to keep the Lodge in a position which , he hoped , it would always maintain . He held it to be one of the essential points thafc a Treasurer should keep his Lodge free from debt as far as possible , and felfc snre that this

would be the aim of his successor , as it had beeu his in the past . He was deeply sensible of the great compliment which the Lodge had paid him . He regretted leaving the post he had held so long , bat bis time was encroached npon in so many ways , and he felt he could not consistently hold the office without being present at the Lodge meetings . That was his only reason why he

asked tbe brethren not to re-elect him . Bro . Wlicox resumed his seat amidst prolonged applause . At the conclusion of the business , the brethren and visitors adjourned to the throne-room of the hotel , where a sumptuous banquet had been provided , and the arrangements , as usual , under the personal superintendence of Bro . Henry Mills , gave the utmost satisfaction . The usual Loyal toast , ancl that

of our Masonic Rulers , having been disposed of , the Immediate Past Master said once mor . e he took the gavel in his hand , though it was with very different feelings to thoso with which he laid hold of it twelve months ago . To-night it was to him a sign of decadence , and however much he might feel ho had shed a sort of rushlight ray of light over the Lodge dnring his year of office , ifc now paled before

the sunbeams that had risen in the Masonic firmament . He must hide his diminished head , and pale his uneffectnal fire ; but really he rose with great pleasure to propose the toast of their newly-installed Worshipful Master . In doing so , he would not employ the usual platitudes , hoping the office had fallen into abler hands , and upon one who would do some justice to it , and so on , because he did not

think any one was more capable of doing justice to it than he was himself . He would explain what he meant . They could only judge of Bro . Povey by what was past ; and as he happened to be intimately acquainted with him for several years , and had studied with him in their Masonio duties , he could say thafc Bro . Povey was perfectly able to perform the task of the office to which he had been elected , from

beginning to end . Two years ago , he ( the speaker ) considered himself inefficient , and feeling that he did nofc know the ritual completely , he made up his mind to resign ; Bro . Povey assisted him at that time , and tbe way in which he prompted at times perfectly astonished him how he had acquired the knowledge . Therefore , he was qualified to let the brethren know that the prestige of the Neptune

Lodge would not be lessened in the hands of their present W . M . He knew of no one who had worked harder to perfect himself in his working , from the lowest grade upwards ; therefore , it was with the greatest pride that he found the members of the Lodge had nnanimonsly voted him to the chair . Bro . Povey had given them a slight inkling of the way in which he could perform his duties at the

social board , wbich ^ was all they could wish . Bnt as they were so particular , and considered that no man should take fche office unless he was competent to undertake it properly , —to equal , if he did not surpass , any who had preceded him , —he thought they would be pleased to know they were perfectly justified in the selection they

had jnst made . He had , therefore , very great pleasure in wishing Bro . Povey long life and happiness , to enjoy their respect ancl esteem . The toast was cordially received , ancl Bro . Povey tendered his thanks for the very kindly way in which the I . P . M . had proposed his health , and the brethren for the cordiality with which they had received the toast . He assured them that , in the future , as he had

Installation Meetings, &C.

done in fche past , he should do his utmost to promote tha best interests of the Neptune Lodge . He was fully alive to his many shortcomings , but he felt he conld look with confidence to fche brethren to bear with his imperfections , feeling sure he should do as well as he could , however imperfectly it might be . Ho hoped the year upon which they had entered would be full of pleasure and prosperity to

them all , and again he sincerely thanked them for their invariable kindness towards him . In turn he proposed the Visitors , of whom he was pleased to see upwards of twenty on this occasion . He asso . ciafced with fche toasfc the names of Bros . Sir John Bennett aud Serjeant Robinson . Sir John , iu response , said he esteemed it a most distinguished honour , in the heart of the City , to be a guest of

this ancient Neptune Lodge . Whatever they might think of other public matters , attending as many of them did the most gorgeous ceremonials , on great occasions , he looked with the most profound reverence and respect upon the Masonio Craffc and its objects . They could not write a history of the human race without attributing to the Craft the most distinguished and honourable career during the

last 3000 years . It had run through every phase of human existence . Century after century , whatever else had changed , Masonry had nofc changed . Empires had risen and fallen ; dynasties , kings , and princes had come , had done their work , and had passed away . Even religions had changed , but Freemasonry stood where it did from its origin 3000 years ago . He said they little knew , for history could nofc

tell them —the very character of Masonic operations precluded ithistory could not tell them how much the world was indebted to the Craft . Whatever was going on in times of tyranny , whether iu tho Church or State , in all fche varied forms of kingcraft or priestcraft , century after century , there stood the Masonio Lodges , wherever civilisation appeared , doing their work ; there alone stood the Craft .

Yes , throughout the dark ages , while the great mass of the people were in intellectual darkness , Masonry was doing its work qnietly and silently , even under the aegis of the Chnrch itself . When they saw its magnificent governance , and the external and visible signs of theological authority , we know how much they were indebted to fche Craffc for their material progress ; and more than thafc , there resided

some of the brightest spirits to whom the world had been indebted for its liberty , both civil and religious . Coming down to later times , they knew how much the Craffc had done for the intellectual advancement of succeeding generations . For all this they took credit to the Craft , and he , as a most humble visitor , and Masonically an insignificant one , felt how honoured they must be , seeing all this

great progress , and how much the world was indebted for its social , moral and material prosperity to this remarkable and valuable Institution . He thanked the brethren sincerely for the hospitality they had extended to the Visitors , and wished for the Lodge a long career of future success . Bro . Serjeant Robinson and Bro . McDowall also responded . The W . M . then proposed the health of tbe Past

Masters , and Bro . Harper , in reply , said the Past Masters were invariably referred to as props of the Lodge to which they belonged . He had only been a few minutes in that position , and therefore he did not know that he need say anything aboufc it , excepting that they all bad a great interest in the Lodge , and that in future they would only be too happy to do all they could for its welfare . He trusted

those who had been initiated dnring his year of office would do justice to themselves as Masons , and be a credit to the Lodge . They must all have been delighted that evening whilst listening to the perform , ance on the violin by one of the brethren he had the honour of initiating , and others possessed equal talents , thongh of a varied character . He felt proud of having introduced those brethren , for he

was always anxious about young men . He never lost an opportunity of persuading them to do fcho best they could to perfect themselves so as to occupy the position they might be called upon to fill , and he would do all in his power to further their interests . What all should aim at was to uphold the status of the Neptune Lodgo by those who came amongst them : and he was proud to know that many brethren

who had not the chance of reaching the chair for years to come , were in a position to do so now if they were called upon . Years ago a very different state of things existed . The road to the ohair was a hard one to travel , and everything depended upon commencing early . Therefore , it behoved all who aspired to thafc office , however remote the chance appeared to be , to prepare themselves , and when

the opportunity offered , let them accept it at once . He was , of course , pleased to have passed the chair , and now to occupy the position of I . P . M . As Past Masters , they were imbued with the same feeling , viz ., the interest of the Lodge and how they could best ad . vance its usefulness and prosperity . So far as he was concerned , he did not intend to relax his energies in that direction , bnt should con .

fcinue to do all he could for the welfare of the Lodge . In proposing the health of the late Treasurer , the Worshipful Master said this was the last time the name of Bro . Wilcox would be coupled with the toast of Treasurer of the Neptune Lodge , and it would be an omission on their part if they failed to do honour to ifc on this occasion . He then formally asked Bro . Wilcox ' s acceptance of the salver and

address to which we have alluded above , as a further mark of their affection and recognition of the faithful services he had rendered fco the Lodge . Long might he live to enjoy the gifts , and when with him time should be no more , might they be handed down to his children and children's children . Bro . Wilcox , in acknowledgment , said he mnsfc confess he was afc a loss to find words to express what

he felt on the present occasion . He thonght , when he expressed himself in the Lodge-room of the compliment and high honour conferred upon him by the members of the Lodge for tbe very humble services he had rendered ; but he now felt he had the additional duty laid upon him to return his sincere thanks , because he looked upon this testimonial as a vote , or rather a spontaneous response to a call thafc

had been made upon them to present him with an additional compliment in the most elegant piece of plate which had just been placed before him . He assured them , in accepting ifc , he did So with the most heartfelt feelings of gratitude to every member of tbe Locige . As long as he lived it would be ' . treasured near to his heart , and wonld be handed down to those nearest and dearest to