Bombay.

the wino to visit and cheer tho sick , andtho oil to soothe tho wounded in heart . An appeal ia made to your liberality , Brethren , on this occasion on behalf of two institutions , each of which shelters and trains many destitute children . The Bycnlla School , the largest of the two institutions , contains 300 inmates , most of whom are on the free list , being either orphans or children of parents in very

straitened circumstances . There nro few institutions more worthy or moro time-honoured . As the Charity School of Bombay it had its location in the Fort for 100 years , in connection with St . Thomas ' s Church , now the Cathedral , and during the past 50 years it has been located at Bycnlla . It has done a great work . Tha Indo-British In . stitution has now existed for 40 years , having be « n established in the

year 1838 , for the benefit of the children of poor Indo-Bntons and Europeans not admitted into Bycnlla Schools . It has its own sphere cf usefulness , ottering an asylum to tho indigent poor , who though born in the country , aro united to its rulers by ties of blood and faith . There are 93 children iu the two schools for boys and girls , whose education and maintenance depends either wholly or in part on the

liberality of the public . Let us to-day bo worthy of our Order , worthy of the charity to which wo aro asked to contribute . Ancl you , my Brethren , whom to-day ' s ceremonial has drawn within our Masonic circle , will , I am sure , also give a helping hand to theso institutions for the poor . The collection realised about Rs . fi-10 . At the conclusion of tho Service , the Masons returned to the Masonic

Hall for dinner . After dinner , M . W . Brother Balfour gave the usual "toasts of obligation , " "the Queen , " aud "the Prince of Wales" wero responded to with the usual Masonic honours . M . W . Balfour next proposed "the District Grand Master of Bombay , and the Lodge under his jurisdic . tion . " He said tho District Grand Master under England , R . W .

Brother Gibbs , was also an honorary member of the Grand Lodgo of Scottish Freemasons in India . It afforded him great satisfaction to see R . W . Gibbs present on this occasion , and he felt great regret at the thought that they might not hare an opportunity of seeing him again on such an occasion . His term of service was fast ebbing away , and before the next rains his time would bo up , and most

probably he would have left at least this side of India . During his long career in tho Bombay Presidency , R . W . Bro . Gibbs had attained to the highest position which one in his honourable service could attain , second only to His Excellency tho Governor . In the Craft , ho had been District Grand Master ( the highest appointment under England ) for many years . As a member of the outer world therefore , and also

in Masonry , ho had attained to the highest position which it was possible to reach . And in both capacities , whether to the outer world as to Freemasonry , his conduct had given the highest satisfaction . When the time of his departure should arrive , tho ? e Lodges which worked under him would deeply mourn his loss , and Hi ? Grand Lodge of the S' -nitish Freem ison * in India would also deeply * regret

the day when li . W . Bro , Gibbs should leave the Masonic throne he had occupied so long , for he had done his utmost to co-operate with the Scottish Constitution in promoting Freemasonry , and to make those working under Scotland and under England realiio that Freeiiiatonry is the same under whatever constitution thoir Lodges wore enrolled . R . W . Bro . Gibbs hacl always done everything in his power

to show that wherever there was a good object in view ho was willing to take the lead and do all in his power to secure success . It was probable that R W . Bro . Gibbs would not bo in Bombay this timo next year , and ho could not allow the opportunity to pass without saying how much they nlladniiied and respected him as District Grand Master under England , aud how much all Masons would regret tho

time when he shonld take his departure from Bombay . R . W . Bro . Gibbs returned thanks for the very kind manner in which M . W . Bro . Balfour had proposed his health , and tho warm manner in which the toast had been accepted by the Brethren present . M . W . Bro . Balfour had alluded to his departure , which the rules of tho service necessitated , and which would take place not

many months heuce . He could assure the Brethren present that ho should leave Bombay , after a residence in the Presidency of more than 32 years , with the deepest feelings of regret . It was said that tho whole class of Civilians made India their home . Ho thought thoy would all agree with him that oue who had lived for 32 years in this country must feel giving it up and going back to England—though it

was going back to his own native home—pretty mnch like taking np a full grown tree by the roots and planting it somewhere else . He had been 32 years in this Presidency , and he believed , as far as he could calculate , he had been for 31 years and 9 months a Mason . He joined Masonry after satisfying himself from some friends whom be met shortly after he came to India that it was not a bad thing to

join , and he thought he might say , except he happened to be in places where there was no Masonic Lodge to attend , he had been pretty constantly a working member of tho Order from the time he joined it . Within four months , he was elected Senior Warden of a Lodge . Ho went homo on sick leave shortly afterwards , and was then made Senior Warden of another Lodge at homo . Shortly after he came out

again , ho was made Master of a Scotch Lodge , ancl afterwards Master of an English Lodge , and ho had been Master of other Lodges ( both English ami Scotch ) since . On the occasion of * a Provincial Grand Lodge tinder England being formed , he was as all present probably knew , first its Deputy Grancl Master , and afterwards ho had thi honour of being Dish ict Grand Master . He therefore conld speak from

a tolerably long knowledge of Freemasonry in this Presidency . Some of his Parsee friends ( and notably his friend on his right , Bro . Mfinet-kjee Cursetjee ) were members of the Order when he joined it . and he was chosen a member of Lodgo Rising Star , and received the Fouudator ' s medal very shortly after he joined Masonry . He had since then seen Mahommechui brethren coming to join the Order ;

and he had very great pleasure , not many months ago , in consecrating a Lodgo especially it . tended for Hindoo Brethren . His experience o Masonry in Bombay had therefore tanght him that Masonry wa > universal , and that ttiere was no limit to it except one which ho wat Bony to say he had lived to find , in one of the moat distinguished ana most intellectual nations of the world discarding tho great landmark

of Freemasonry , the acknowledgment of the one true God , the Creator and Preserver of all things . The Architect of the Universe had in tho year of grace 1877 been thrown over by the Grand Lodge of that nation ; but the acknowledgment of that great truth had nofc been thrown aiide by the Grand Lodges under which thoie present served , nor by any other Grand Lodge in tho world , and he was sure that so

long as Masonry flourished in India , the great landmark of the Order , the belief in the Architect of the Universe , the Creator and Preserver of ns all , would never be forgotten . As he had said already , he had worked under both the English and Scotch banners , and he had mot under both with equal kindness , and had found equally high principles of Masonry maintained . As M . W . Bro . Balfour had remarked , he

would not havo an opportunity of attending the Grand Lodgo of Scottish Freemasonry in India again on St . Andrew ' s Day . Ho thanked the Brethren therefore , in taking leave of them , most sincerely for tho great kindness and evidences of affection which he had received at tho hands of all Brethren under the Scottish banner . He had visited their Lodges , ho had met them in Grand Lodge , and

ho had received the high honour of having the distinction of aa honorary member of tho Grand Lodge of all Scottish Freemasonry iu India . He acknowledged all this with thankfulness , and ho assured the Brethren present that ho shonld wear the badges of the Order with pride wherever he was permitted to wear them . He trusted that Freemasonry in India would flourish and that hereafter , as in the

Dominion of Canada , a separate Grand Lodge should be formed for all India . Thoro wero difficulties in tho way , but they might bo over , come , and ho thought the best way of overcoming those difficulties waste extend Freemasonry as it was now extending , among all classes and all creeds , and so civilise the whole of India—for Freemasonry was most decidedly a groat civilisor—and bring all into one large fold .

He felt sure that the spread of Masonry included the spread of cm . ligation , but every high , and honourable principle which could actuate any class or sect of men in any part of the world . The District Grand Master Hon . J . Gibbs : —Brethren , —I havo great pleasure in proposing for your acceptance tho toast of the Most Worshipful Grand Master of Scottish Freemasonry in India . Among

the Scotch Freemasons ho is too well known to require mo to say anything about him on tho present occasion . Among the English Masons he is also equally well known and respected , and I therefore call upon yon all English as well as Scotch to acknowledge the toasfc which I am about to propose . Brother Balfour has now arrived afc that highest honour that ho could well arrive at—namely , tho Grand

Mastership of Scottish Freemasonry in India , and T am quite certain that his rnle over yon will be beneficial . Already Freemasonry is extending , and lam sure his thorough Masonic knowledge ancl bonhomie in the chair after dinner will tend greatly to the advancement of Masonry in this Presidency . lean speak of him myself with the ul most possible gratitude . He came forward and accepted the offica

of my Deputy afc a time when I waa very much pressed to find a good Deputy . I found in him a first-rate worker , and although I had to give him up when Scotland chimed a larger portion than I could pos sibly claim , he has ever since then given and will , lam sore , continue to give to the English Grand Lodge , as he has given to me , every pog sible support and assistance . Brethren , I call upon you to drink fcho

health of most Worshipful Brother Bulfonr . Tho Grand Master—Ri « ht Worshipfnl Sir and Brethren all , —I return you , Right Worshipfnl Sir , my very sincere thanks for tho very kind manner in which you have proposed my health , and you , Brethren , for tho manner in which you have been good enough to receive tho toa t . My career in Freemasonry is somewhat different

from that of the Right Worshipfnl District Grand Master . I was first initiat ' -d in 1847 in an English Lodge and I held to English Freemasonry , because there was nothing else in Calcutta , till I came round here and was asked to join the Scottish Lodge . Being a Scotchman I did so , but I havo never forgotten my old allegiance to England . Ifc has always been a satisfaction to me thafc I could be of any use to

English Freemasonry , and I consider it a hi' / h honour when Lodgo St . George voted me into the chair and a still higher honour when the Right AVorshipful District Grand Master asked mo to become his Deputy . That office I had the greatest pleasure in assuming , because I felt that the more tho two Constitutions could be drawn together tho more certain they were to oo-operato and work well in the interest !

of Freemasonry . The Grand Master next proposed the health of the Past Grand Master of Bombay , R . W . Bro . Captain II . Morland , remarking thafc before a month was over ho would bo amongst them once more , able and ready to return thanks when that prominent toast in their list came up again . He ( Bro . Balfour ) was sure they would all be glad

to hear that Captain Morland returned to them with restored health , ¦ ible to do his duty whether as a Mason or otherwise , and they would all give him tho warmest welcome which a P . G . M . could possibl y receive when he came once more into the Grand Lodge . R . W . Bro . Wilkinson proposed " Masonic Charities , " and in doing so said ho was happy to inform the Brethren that tho collection at Chui'ch

realised upwards of Rs . 640 , whereas last , year ho believed they onl y obtained Rs . 370 . As far as tho Masonic Charities were concerned no words were needed from him to recommend the toast to their notice . Under Scottish Freemasonry they unfortunately laboured under a very . rreat disadvantage as regards charity compared with their Euglish Brethren . Under England all Lodges were compelled , whether they

'vishedit or not , to subscribe certain amounts to tho Benevolent Fund . Under Scotland it was optional . He trusted that in the new by-laws it would be an obligation upon them . Meanwhile , they should all , whether members of country lodges or not , impress upon their irethren the desirability of bringing the roatt- r prominently forward md tell them how much the Benevolent Fund here was in want of heir donations .

Tho remaining toasts comprised " The Land of Cakes , " which was . raphioally proposed by G . M . Hon . Balfour ; " The Pious Memory of ¦ it Andrew , " drank amid solemn silence ; " The Lasses ; "" Our irand Officers ; " " The Daughter Lodges ; " and thafc frcui the T yler , which brought the proceedings to ft close ,