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now Lodges ; they saw to tho correct working of Lodges that already existed , and on them really lay the responsibility for that unity and oneness on which the Craft was formed . It was for that reason that at the banquet this toast was put one of the first .

They were the Officers who were really at the helm and guided the ship in its course . He was pleased to have several Grand Officers present , among them one whom he had had the privilege of meeting under less peaceful circumstances , Capt . Lord Skelmersdale , who had assisted him on two occasions at Easter at military

manoeuvres . Lord Skelmersdale J . G . W . said he was not going to dilate upon the good qualities of the Deputy G . Master , because all the Brethren know them as well as he did , but he must thank them again for the very kind way in which they had received the toast and his name . Ho was very proud to be there that night again—as the W . M . had

reminded them it was not the first time he had come among them ; might he venture to hope it would not be the last . The M . W . Pro G . M . had told them he was one of the oldest Masons in tho room . He was almost afraid to say he was one of the youngest ; but although he was among the youngest he was not the least energetic .

There was one bond between them all which united them , from the Entered Apprentice to the Worshipful Master , that of being a Mason . They were all proud of being Masons , and wished all the good they could to the Graft . They wished to show the world that the Graft was the finest thing in it .

Bro . MarshallI . P . M ., in proposing the W . M ., congratulated the Worshipful Brother most heartily on being installed that evening in tho chair of the Macdonald Lodge in the presence of Brethren so exalted and beloved iu Masonry . Those Brethren would be able to carry away with them the conviction that tho Brethren from the highest to the lowest had but one desire—to do their work well , and to do their duty in assisting Brethren . They knew very well

when in Freemasonry , or in other institutions , they must throw earnestness into their work , and as this was one of the characteristics of Col . Villiers , they were all proud to serve under him . They hoptd that during Col . Villiers ' s year of office tho sun , which had ris'ii with eastern splendour , would pursue its course brilliantly until it reached its greatest altitude , and , following its course , sink in the far distant west leaving nothing but the reflection of a glorious year of office .

Cul . Villiers W . M ., in reply , said , among all tho duties which were new to a W . M . on the night of his Installation , he thought there was nothing which was more difficult than to return thanks to the Brethren for the reception they gave to his name . He felt deeply tho responsibility which he had that evening undertaken . Throughout his life , from the time many years ago , when he

joined Her Majesty's Army , clown to this day , he had always endeavoured that every duty he undertook should be carried out to the best of his ability . The duties to which the members of tho Macdonald Lodge had kindly exalted him that day he had undertaken with a stern and true sense of their responsibility . Every word of that solemn oath and assurance he took came from his

heart , and to the best of his power he would carry it out during his year of office , not only to the satisfaction of the Lodge itself but of the rulers of the Craft , and of the Craft generally . All he could ask of tho Brethren was to forgive and to pardon any shortcomings or weakness he might show . The responsibilities of the Master of a Lodge were by no means light ; the W . M . was for the

time being the ruler of that Lodge , either it might be as he trusted it would be to approve of what was done , or to show his dissent or disapproval of the action of any Brother , should such a calamity arise . Whatever it might be he should not shrink from carrying out his duties . He hoped that an unfortunate eventuality would not occur ; but as to the working of the Lodge , as to the duties ,

as to the interest which should be shown by the W . M ., he could promise he would do his duty to the fullest of his power . He knew not that he could say more ; there were very few words wanted . This time next year it would be for the Brethren to say whether he had done what he had undertaken to do . He again thanked the Brethren for placing him in that high position , and tho distinguished Brethren for honouring the Lodge with a visit .

BrO . Sir John B . Monckton P . G . W ., as one of the respondents to the toast of the Visitors , said that the old Masons present that night had been reminded of their age . He was an old Mason and had seen a great deal of work , and he might say that he had never seen work better done , conducted , clothed than it was that night . The welcome had been cordial , the dinner excellent , the company

superb ; everything had been most agreeable . As Chairman of the House Committee of the Girls School for the month , ho would inform the Brethren that tho Earl of Lathom was going to bo Chairman of the 106 th Anniversary Festival of that Institution on the following Wednesday . That had not yet been spoken of as a proof of the intense interest he took in Freemasonry .

Freemasonry without its charities was nothing worth . There was no charity more thoroughly looked after than that which sheltered the little ones who needed that shelter at a home two or three miles from whore he was standing . On Monday , Lady Lathom would present the prizes to the girls , and on Wednesday they would have , he hoped , a most successful festival under the

presidency of the Pro Grand Master . They all loved the charities thoroughly . A good many years ago he was the founder of what he might term for tho moment , not a Regimental Lodge , but a Volunteer Lodge for the Volunteer Artillery of Middlesex . He believed in the discipline of a Corps Lodge ; he found it worked wi'll and did much good . This he found was the case in the Macdonald Lodge .

Bro . E . Lotchworth Grand Secretary said having been already the unworthy subject of one of the toasts he had ventured to hope ho might have passed through the evening without any further special notice . But he felt deeply sensible of the great compliment the W . M . had paid him in associating his name in their toast , and he thanked him for the more than kind words in which he had referred to him . He accepted the invitation to this meeting with mote than ordinary pleasure . Sir John Monckton he believed

Reports Of Meetings.

claimed to bo the oldest Mason in the room , but he ( Bro . Letchworth ) thought he might claim to be the oldest volunteer , for he joined the force in 1859 , and his Captain's Commission was dated the early part of 1860 . He did not profess to be much of a warrior , and ho was sorry to say after a military experience of five or six years he abandoned the force , for which he always entertained the

highest possible respect . His associations with this hall were not agreeable , because he could remember , two years since , in the Lodge Room , not without trepidation , he undertook the first duties , since his appointment as Grand Secretary , of consecrating a Royal Arch Chapter . It had afforded him great pleasure to witness the

work which had been conducted this evening , and ho had enjoyed to the fullest possible extent the kind hospitality they had afforded him in common with the rest of tho Visitors . Ho concluded by wishing the W . M . a happy and prosperous year of office . Bros . Scott-Young and Vincent also responded .

Col . Villiers proposed tho I . P . M ., and in the course of his observations said the working of the P . Ms , of the Macdonald Lodge was proverbial . There were fifteen P . Ms , present , and without reflecting for one minute on any one of them , every Brother would agree that the new addition to their number , Bro . Marshall , was well worthy of tho record they had made for the Lodge . The year of

office which had just passed , with Bro . Marshall at their head so able and well , had been a most prosperous one . Everything had gone smoothly , and a great deal of that result was due to the admirable manner in which Bro . Marshall performed the duties of the chair . Now that he had vacated it , it was with tho satisfaction and knowledge that ho had done his duty , —the proudest feeling

any man could have . Bro . Marshall was a very difficult Master to follow ; he had done more than was expected of him , the work oi the Lodge had been admirable ; his attention and energy had been all that any ono could have required , and therefore it was with confidence that he asked the Brethren to drink his health and wish him long life , prosperity and much advancement in the Craft .

Bro-. Marshall I . P . M ., to whom a handsome P . M . ' s jewel was presented in Lodge , said in response to tho toast that ho was thankful to tho Brethren for their appreciation of what he had endeavoured to do . That they thought he had done his work well was his proudest feeling . The W . M . had said it would be difficult to follow him . When ho was working his way up to the W . M . 's

chair he certainly thought he should never do it ; but he tried hard and learned his part to the conclusion , often travelling about , and reciting it as he went . He was successful . Any Brother if ho threw heart and soul into the matter would meet with success . There was a fine array of P . Ms , in the Macdonald Lodge , and they worked not only tho ceremonies well , but Charity well . That was a most difficult thing to take up . He entered Masonry lightly , but he was

checked by a Brother , and he told him he hoped to live and do his work well , and he shortly after succeeded . He went in for the Charities , and joined one or two Masonic Clubs which made life subscriberships . He approved of the plan , for the amount a Brother parted with he did not miss . Ho hoped by next October they would institute one of these associations , and let the Lodgo represent the Charities more than it had in the past .

Major Bridges , replying to the toast of the Past Masters , said there were now sixteen of those Brethren present . In the early days of the Macdonald Lodge when the first Master , Major Irvine , occupied the chair , he ( Bro . Irvine ) was one of the best workers he had ever seen , and ho worked in such careful and dramatic manner that he set an example to tho Brethren of the Lodge that had not yet died out , and he hoped never would , because each

Master in the chair had endeavoured to emulate the example set by Bro . Irvine , and hoped they had in a more or less degree been successful . The very latest addition to the ranks of the P . Ms ., Bro . Marshall , they were much pleased with , and from the exhibition he had given that night they could see ho had worthily sustained the honour of tho Lodgo . It was now some twenty-five or twenty-six years since he ( Major Bridges ) joined , and during all that time never had there been a better Master in the chair

than Bro . Marshall . Sir John Monckton said they ought not to be unmindful of tho Charities . In the old days the Macdonald Lodge was well represented , and was Vice-President of one or two of the Charities . Ho was quite sure that in the future , and another association being formed , they would bo able to send up a good list .

Bro . Easterbrook S . W . replied to the toast of tho Officers , after which the Tyler ' s toast was given , and the Brethren separated , having spent a charming evening . Tho Pro G . M . was conducted into tho Lodgo by nine P . M . ' s , representing the honour due to a M . W . Pro G . M .

Provincial.

PROVINCIAL .

—; o : — ST . GEORGE'S LODGE , No . 242 . ON tho 4 th inst ., Bro . C . H . Woodhouse was installed W . M ., and appointed his Officers . Tho usual banquet took placo .

0 o 0 WAVERLEY LODGE , No . 1322 . THE regular meeting of this Lodge was held at the Queens ' Arms , Ashton-under-Lyne , on Thursday , tho 26 th ult ., tho following being in attendance : —Bros . Joseph Riley W . M ., Albert Sumner S . W ., W . Wood I . P . M ., Saml . Grundy J . D ., Enos Andrew P . P . G . Org ., Danl . Birkby , J . Mercer Jones P . M ., Walter Eastwood '

P . G . S . Acting J . W ., John Smith P . M ., Alfd ; Cooper , Saml . Kirk Geo . E . Parry , Jas . E . Wilde , E . Hodgkiss , Saml . Travis , Geo . W . Davies , Zahn Abler , Thomas Ogden . Visitors- . —Bros . Edward Roberts P . M . Asst . Prov . G . T . ( FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE ) , Wm . T .