Notices Of Meetings.

by so numerous a gathering of good and distinguished members of our Order—many of them personal friends of members of tho Lodgeeach and all receiving a hearty welcome on honouring us with their presence to participate in the proceedings of this memorable evening . To-night we complete a century

and a half of what , I think , we may fairly claim to bave been a prosperous existence , and to-morrow we enter on a new epoch . " As the days shall make the weeks , the weeks the months , the months add themselves and make the years , the years roll on into the centuries , " let us indulge in fche hope that fche

prosperity of this Lodge may be increased , its usefulness extended , its benevolence developed , and its hospitality maintained . I think you are fully in possession of what little history there is , and whicb ia supplemented by the book before yon , containing a record ot the principal items of interest concerning our good old Lodge ,

and if you will allow me , I will couple with the toast , Prosperity to the Lodge . Let me now leave the " concrete " and proceed to the " abstract , " the mosfc difficult portion of my duty , for I am going to ask what manner of man is he who is our immediate ruler and governor ? When I venture to ask this question I will be

presumptuous enough to answer it . To start with , he is one of fche most accomplished Wor . Masters fche Lodge ever possessed . I ask those , nob only who are visitors for the first time , and have had the opportunity of listening to the ceremonials in the Lodge , there rendered by him in a manner so perfect thafc ifc is only equalled by the

ability and geniality with which he presides over us afc the banquet table , bufc those who are members of the Lodge , and whose experience will justify my not empty eulogy . Brother Josling has served every office , and has given satisfaction to every Worshipful Master , ultimately arriving at the highest position

the Lodge can bestow upon him , and we regard him as one of the brightest ornaments of whicb tbe Lodge can boast . I conld say more if he were not present . I am not guilty of idle compliment iu saying that to know him is to regard and esteem him , and that it would be impossible to have the subject of the W . M . of a Lodge

to place before a large gathering such as we see hero to-night with qualifications niore calculated to inspire confidence in submitting such a proposal than those I place before you in connection with the name of Bro . Josling . I ask you to join me in wishing him " God speed " in his after career . We indulge in the hope that when he retires

from the ohuir he fills so well we shall not loso the benefit of hia services , und that when he comes amongst , what ; without egotism I may call the honoured rank of the Past Masters , he may still retain the proud position in their estimation whioh he has always held in the Lodge . I have very few words to add .

I want you to rectify by your heartiness any imperfections of which I may have been guilty . My duty , which has not been an easy one , is now ended , and my thanks are due to fche members of the Lodge , and to the large phalanx of visitors over whom the Worshipfnl Master BO effectively presides , for the kindness with which they have listened to my remarks .

The Worshipfnl Master in reply said , that those delights were the greatest wbich were the mosfc difficult to attain , and the complication of circumstances and the proud position he occupied compelled him iu honesty to admit that the delight became somewhat modified , inasmuch as ifc necessitated au acknowledgment of compliments

which were in excess of his merits . He had also to acknowledge the eloquent terms in wbich those compliments were conveyed . Allusion had been made to the satisfactory manner in which the work had been performed during the year he had had the honour to preside . He had always upheld , and still maintained , that he who aspired to

the honour of being W . M . of a Lodge was in duty bound to capacitate himself for the proper discbarge of the duties devolving upon tbe post . Bro . Binckes had given them , in a most comprehensive , lucid and creditable manner , mauy interesting details concerning the Lodge , and he would assure them that in future years to come it wonld give

him pleasure to look back upon the year that he had presided over them , and in which three such important events had been celebrated as the Jubilee of Her Majesty ' s reign , the Silver Wedding of the Most Worshipful Grand Master , and the 150 fch Anniversary of the Peace and Harmony Lodge .

Bro . Binckes , in giving the Visitors , said he approached a difficult task , which assumed exceptional importance as the visiting brethren , greatly fco their gratification , outnumbered the members of the Lodge . They knew that as a rule Masons were given to hospitality , and he should be sorry if the Peace and Harmony Lodge proved an exception ,

especially on an occasion like the present , when they had been exceedingly anxious to properly entertain their Visitors , and he was gratified to find that their endeavours had been crowned with success . The members were delighted to see such a phalanx of visitors , to whom they extended a hearty welcome . They knew that even in the

domestic circle , however happy that circle mighfc be , ifc was occasionally enlivened by the presence of a good humoured , sympathetic guest . There was no doubt thafc the members of this Lodge , with the traditions they had inherited , in spite of penril laws to the contrary , were well able to conduct their proceedings and

social business among themselves , even if they had no visitors , amd would , in so doing , be carrying out one of the principles of Masonrythat of being happy themselves . But they would not be happy if they did not carry ont fche duty of communicating happiness to others . Ifc had been their object to gather together—and he thought fchey had

not failed—as thoroughly a representative gathering of Masons as possible , and it was a source of pleasure to the W . M aud members , although they had been disappointed by many distinguished brethren , to see at the social board representatives of the financial , legal and ceremonial branches of the Order , together with a representative

of the Charitable Institutions . Having particularised the Visiting b'ethien , a"d having made allusions to the abilities and qualifications of th- f ] K-r «! ( listiu ^ ui-hi'd of their number , Bro . Binckes called upon b- uib-i ; fl to testify , by tbe warmth of their reception , the heartiness of c * e Welcome exceuded to the Visitors , coupling with the

Notices Of Meetings.

toast fche names of Bros . Plucknett , Imberfc Terry , J . C . Parkinson , and a member of the Pythagoras Lodge of Athens . Bro . Plucknett , on behalf of the Visitors , returned thanks for the pleasure their visit had afforded them . He congratulated fche Lodge with sincerity on its antiquity , and on tbe fact fchafc it

had for so many years carried oufc the principles of Masonry . He hoped thafc the hospitality extended by the Lodge , and the prosperity ib had evinced , would continue for many years fco come , aud fchafc for centuries ib wonld enjoy fche high position it had attained .

Bro . Imhert Terry said ha cordially reiterated the wish expressed thafc they mighfc live to see fche 200 th Anniversary , aud if on that occasion they received the excellent enterbainmenfc and hearty welcome they had experienced thafc evening , it would be worth

living for . He ventured to thank fchem on behalf of himself and the other visitors , for the honour done them in inviting them on this occasion . In conclusion he wished every possible prosperity to the Lodge .

Bro . J . C Parkinson said his first and mosfc pleasurable duty was to congratulate the Lodge on its career for fche past 150 years The W . Master , who so ably presided over them , had testified , by the aptness of his observations and fche felicity of their expression , that the traditions of the Lodge lost nothing at his hands , and peace

and harmony were as well represented that night as in the pasfc . He was thankful to Bro . Binckes for his kindness in alluding to the circumstance that he ( Bro . Parkinson ) was indebted to him for performing the Installation Ceremony the first time he ever went into the chair of a Lodge , and from which he dated so mnch

happiness and pleasure . He was further indebted , for the pleasure of being present that evening , to the brother on his right , who was a member of a Lodgo not as old as the Peace and Harmony , but with a record of 120 years . Their membership extended over somo 30 years , and tbey were still standing shoulder

to shoulder , he in the chair lor the third time and his friend as an active membor . At thai late hour of the evening the difficulty was not what to say , but how to compress it . They had had so much presented to them , in so able a manner , concerning the historical points connected with thd past 150 years , that it would bo unnecessary

for him to dwell upon the facts which welled up in his mind as to the condition of the community when this Lodge was founded , lu the entire history of the civilised world , the last 150 years had shown more progress than any preceding period before it . There wore three especial points to which he would refer—light , the transmission

of intelligence , and locomotion . When their Lodge was founded , if a dignitary wished to illuminate his palace , he resorted to the same means as Belshazzar did—a multiplicity of candles . If a man wished to have a message conveyed quickly , he saddled a horseman and despatched him on tbe errand . The inventions in the days when this

Lodge was founded were precisely the same as those mentioned ia the Old Testament . These were pregnant facts he would leave fche brethren to dwell upon . He thanked the members for the reception given their Visitors , who had had a welcome they would nofc easily forget .

The Pasfc Masters was then given by the W . M ., and responded to by Bros . Kent and Soppet , who thanked the W . M . aud brethren for their kindness , and assured them that the P . M . ' s were animated by one idea—to promote the interest and welfare of the Lodge . In submitting the Masonic Institutions , Bro . Lay ton S . W . said he

shonld bave been diffUenfc in proposing the toasfc had be nofc known be had a sympathetic audience . He thought that all brethren would recognise thafc the Masonic Institutions were the pride of thoir Lodges . Bro . Binckes had given them a retrospect of some circumstances connected with their Lodge , and he could not help re .

membering thab he was wearing a Centenary jewel of the Universal Lodge , and had taken oufc a large number of extracts from the records of that Lodge . Amongst the old relics was a glove in which the contributions to charity were received . The records of 120 years ago proved that Masonry was charitable then , and

there were continual extracts showing that poor members had been relieved from the funds of the Lodge . He did not think they bad detracted in their Masonic charity . Unless charity bad been attached to the Lodges , he questioned if Masonry would have prospered as it had . In looking ronnd that room , he saw striking evidence of

the work being clone , by the considerable number of decorations worn by the brethren , indicative of the large number of Stewardships they had served on behalf of the Institutions . They could nob help noticing that while the Order increased , the necessity for increased charifcv also existed . The Masonic Institutions were the

grandest charitable institutions in the country , and deserved the unanimous support of fcho Craft . Some short time ago it became his duty to prepare statistics of the number of people contributing to the charities in London . He collected 20 lists of subscribers , and entirely omitting the Masonic Institutions , he found that tbe

charitable institutions of London were supported by but 75 , 000 people . It was incredible that the large hospitals should be supported by so small a number of people . He thought , however , that the Masonic Institutions were an exception , and that a larger proportion subscribed to them . Ib was well kuown bhab there were about 1 , 200

Stewards who had sent in their names to support the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , on its 100 th anniversary . He lived near the Royal Masonic Benevolent ; Institntion , so ably represented by Bro . Terry , and if the brethren visited that Institution frequently , as he did , they would find it admirably managed . He was permitted to

associate with the toast the name of Bro . Terry . Bro . James Terry P . G . S . B ., Secretary of the Royal Masonio Benevolent Institution , in response said , that the brotber who

proposed the toast had paid a great compliment to Bro . Binckes in saying he had been the pioneer of tbe great success which had attended the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys . As a colleague of Bro . Binckes , he could tell them that when he was appointed Seore-