New South Wales.

NEW SOUTH WALES .

— : o : — PRINCE OF WALES LODGE E . C , SYDNEY . THB Installation meeting of this Lodge was held on Tuesday evening , 25 th September , a very numerous assemblage being present , including a number of District Grand Lodge Officers Past and Present , in their private capacity . We noticed 25 P . M . 's on the dais . Wor . Bro . Francis B . Davidson presided . The usual routine business as regards minntes , & c , havinir been performed , one

oandidate for initiation was balloted for and accepted ; the W . M . Elect Bro . A . Percival Bedford S . W . wa 3 presented and ultimately obligated and duly induoted in the ohair by the W . M . P . M . Davidson , in snoh a manner as might have been anticipated from this Masonio veteran . The following Officers were invested for ensuing year : Francis Barnard Davidson I . P . M . ; Brothers 0 . B . Airey Senior Warden ,

Kelso King Junior Warden , E . L . Hitchens P . M . Treasnrer , J . Pope P . M . Master of Ceremonies , Eev . Moore White P . M . Chaplain , N . Thallon Secretary , J . Bryant Organist , Chatfield S . D ., White J . D ., Pyman , Hogg , Kyngdon and Butler Stewards , Shaw I . G ; , Stainer O . G . P . M . E . L . Hitchens aoted as Master of Ceremonies , although the duties of that Officer wero considerably curtailed . The W . M .

was sainted in the several degrees . At the conclusion of the ceremony , the Wardens approached the dais , bearing a very handsome blue satin cushion with fringes , on which reclined a massive silver gavel , beautifully engraved , with a handle of carved ivory , which was presented to P . M . Francis B . Davidson , in recognition and appreciation of his services to the Lodge . On one side of the gavel is the

monogram of the reoipient , on the reverse the Prince of Wales feathers , while on the top is the following inscription : — " Presented to Wor . Bro . Francis B . Davidson , P . D . G . D . C ., Past Master Prince of Wales Lodge 1653 E . C , in testimony of the fraternal esteem and respect of the brethren , 25 th September , A . L . 5883 , A . D . 1883 . " P . M . Davidson feelingly returned thanks for the token of their appreciation

of his efforts , and said if he had done so well in the past such a testimonial as he had just received should prove an incentive to still further endeavours to promote the best interests of the Prince of Wales Lodge . After two Auditors had been appointed , and all business being at an end , Lodge was dosed , and the brethren sat down to banquet . The supper rooms were tastefully decorated with twenty .

four shields , evergreens , trophies , & a ., and draped with flags . Grace was said by the Eev . W . Moore White , LL . D ., Chaplain ; after which the usual Loyal and Masonic toasts were duly proposed and received . Bro . E . O . Smith spoke at some length ; he stated that although for reasons probably better known than he need explain , he did not come amongst the brethren as frequently as he formerly did , but ho could

assure them that his interest in the Craft was as warm as ever ; he further intimated that they might shortly expect a distinguished visitor , the King of Hawaii , who recently visited Europe ; he is a Mason of high degree , and will doubtless receive a fitting welcome from the Masonio body . Bro . H . Hughes returned thanks for the youngest Lodge , the Rose of Sharon , " only eight days old . " Among

the various speakers , Bro . E . L . Hitchens P . M . reminded visitors that the Old Samaritan Lodge , once so prosperous , after certain trials and tribulations , Phconix-like , had arisen , and now was identical with the Lodge they that night were enjoying the hospitality of . The D . G . Chaplain , B . C ., who had been attached to the Irish Grand Lodge at Woolwich , Kent , England , in 1846 , made an admirable speech in which he stated that the distinguishing trait in Masonry

was charity . Letters of apology for the absence of upwards of forty invited guests were received , although about eighty remained to partake of the repast , intersporsed by some excellent mnsic , causing a most enjoyable evening to be spent . The Prince of Wales Lodge is now in a flourishing position , its rapid advancement being particularly noticeable during the past twelve months . —From the Sydney Freemason ' s Chronicle , 1 st October 1883 .

Last Tuesday evening there was a Masonic banquet in connection with the Prince of Wales LHge , E . C , held at the Fr masons' Hall , which was very handsomely decorated with flags , evergreens , & c , in a tolerably gorgeous style . The ceremonies were of unusual importance , inasmuch as the occasion witnessed the retirement of Bro . Francis B . Davidson from the position of W . M ., in which he

had been succeeded by Bro . Arthur Percival Bedford . In connection with Bro . Davidson's retirement , a number of that gentleman's friends belonging to the noble Order took the opportunity of making a prosenfation of a gavel and enshion . The gavel bead is of pure •liver , brightly burnislnd and elaborately ornamented in an extremely artistic manner , and coming as it doea from the atelier of Messrs .

T . T . Jones and Co ., of George-street , it may bo regarded as a very fine specimen of colonial art . The inscription on the head of the gavel is as follows : — " Presented to Wor . Bro . Francis B . Davidson P . D . G . D . C , Past Master Prince of Wales Lodge 1653 , E . C , Sydney , N . S . W ., in testimony of the fraternal esteem and respect of the

brethren , 25 th September , A . L . 5883 , A . D . 18 S 3 . " On each side of the gavel head are the "Prince of Wales' feathers , " emblematical of the Ledge , and at the end are Bro . Davidsou ' s initials . The handle is of ivory , and the accompanying cushion is of bine quilted satin fringed with silver filagree work , and haviDg large silver tassels at each corner . —From the Sydney Daily Telegraph , 29 th September 1883 .

At the meeting of the Princo of Wales ( E . C . ) Lodge , held in the Freemasons' Hall , on Tuesday , the 25 th September , a presentation of a very elegant silver gavel was made to Past Master Bro . Francis

B . Davidson P . D . G . D . C . The gavel is of the orthodox shapo and size , and has an ivory handle . It rests upon a bine satin cushion trimmed with silver cord , and is enclosed in a large glass shade . The article , whioh is ohased in an exquisite manner , was obtained from the establishment of Messrs . T . T . Jones and Son , George Street .

New South Wales.

Tho gavel boars the following inscription : — " Presented to Worshipfnl Brother Francis B . Davidson P . D . G . D . C , Past Mastor Prince of Wales Lodge , No . 1653 , E . C , Sydney , N . S . W ., in testimony of tha fraternal esteem and respeot of the brethren . 25 th September A . L . 5883 , A . D . 1883 . " —Sydney Morning Herald .

The Master Of Horse To The Late Emperor Napoleon Iii.

THE MASTER OF HORSE TO THE LATE EMPEROR NAPOLEON III .

BKO . Alexander Gamble , a member of Mother Lodge Kilwinning , Scotland , was Master of Horse to the Emperor Napoleon III . His history , which was quite romantic , is related by our friend , Bro . Robert Wylie , J . P ., in a communication to the A'drossan Herald of 17 th Aug . last , from which we extract the following interesting particulars : Bro . Gamble was born at Saltcoats , Scotland , in 1817 . In 1845 he entered the service of Prince Louis Napoleon , in London ,

and soon became , not only his servant , but his attached friend When Napoleon was olected President of tho National Assembly , in 1848 , Bro . Gamble , who bad meanwhile been left in charge of his London establishment , received orders to join the Prince at the Elysee in Paris . It is worthy of note , in passing , that tho house which Napoleon occupied in King Street , St . James ' s , London , now

bears tho following inscription on an oval p ' . ato : " Napoleon the Third lived here in 1848 . " Tt may well be imagined that it was a happy moment in Bro . Gamble's life when , on reaohing Paris , the Prince told him that he wished to appoint him Master of the Horsa —a situation he held at first , however , not without a good deal of jealousy on the part of some of the French courtiers . He

industriously set to work to acquire a knowledge of the French langunge , and soon after was able to speak it almost as fluently as a native . To find a Scotsman Master of the Horse at the Tuileries was a surprise to not a few of the many visitors to the Emperor's stud—the finest in the world . It is worthy of note that , several years after Louis Napoleon had ascended the throne of France , the Earl of Eglinton paid the Emperor his long-promised visit , and , during his stay , he

accompanied his guest of the Tournament to the Imperial Stables , who introduced him to Bro . Gamble , saying : " Allow me , Lord Eglin . ton , to introduce you to a countryman of your own . " Bro . Gamble added ; "Sire , not only a couutryman , but also , I might . say , a towns , man . " Naturally his lordship was surprised , and was still more so when Bro . Gamble told him that he was present when the youthful Scottish nobleman had gained the captaincy of Kilwinning Papingo . A horse named "Sir Walter Scott" was tho favourite horse of

Napoleon for twenty-two years , and it was a special favour to get a hair ont of its tail . Bro . Gamble received valuable presents from most of tho Crowned Heads of Europe when visiting Paris , including Queen Victoria and Prince Albert . Bro . Wylie remembers being present at St . Cloud when he was presented with a handsome and valuable snuff-box by the representatives of the London Press , for

his attention to them during the Queen's visit , in August of 1855 . In the war with Austria , in 1859 , Bro . Gamble accompanied the Emperor through the short but brilliant victories of the Italian campaign . He was in the thick of the battles of Magenta and Solferino , and held the Emperor ' s horse in charge while the treaty of Villafranca was being signed . When tho Franco-Prussian war broke

out in 1870 ho left St . Cloud with the Emperor and the Prince Imperial for Metz , and was at Saarbruck -when " Louis received hiB baptism of fire . " The bullets and balls " whistled and hummed " over him and around him , and thndded on the ground underneath his horse on the battle-field of Sedan . Only onco in his life did he disobey the orders of his Imperial master , and that was when he told

him to shelter himself from this " storm of bullets . " Bro . Gamble was at hand when that memorable interview took place between the Emperor of Napoleon and Bismarck at tho wayside house , near Douchery ; and Bismarck , who chatted with him afterwards , was surprised to find a Scotsman in charge of the Emperors war horse . Among other things , he asked him , " How he liked this game ? " Bro .

Gamble , confessed , however , that his " balls were too peppery for him . " Bro . Gamble , after the Emperor's surrender , went with him to his place of captivity at Wilhelmshohe . He next came to Chislehurst , and remained the faithful and devoted attendant of the Emperor , Empress , and the Prince Imperial . In one of his letters , of date 5 th December 1871 , he mentions that he spent the summer in

Leamington ; bnt having nothing to do , he got into a low , reflective state of mind . He returned to Chislehurst , and saw his old friend and master . He told him that he could not stay away from him ; and in his own kind way , the Emperor said , " Gamble , come and amuse yourself with a few horses I have left . " The death of the Emperor , and then

of the Prince Imperial , to whom he was equally warmly attached , deeply affected him , as one may well imagine and believe , and it is not too much to say that it hastened his own end . He died at Chislehurst , after a brief illness , in the quiet of a Sabbath morning , on the 15 th August 1880 . —Keystone .

Ad01103

VOTES AND INTEREST ARE SOLICITED FOR MRS . JANE TRIBE , aged 63 , WIDOW of Brother George Henry Tribe , who was initiated 1858 in No . 601 , Lyttelton , Now Zealand ; joined No . 609 , Christchurch , New Zealand ; was first Worshipfnl Master of No . 12-11 , Boss , New Zealand ; subsequently District Grand Chaplain Westland ; and District Grand Treasurer North Island , Now Zealand . Votes thankfully received by Mr . 0 . BEOKINGHAM , 115 Strand ; or by Bro . O . J . PERCEVAL ( V . P . ) , S Thurloe Place , S . W .

Ad01104

Tho Revised Book of Constitutions ; Critically Considered , and Compared with , the Old Edition . London : Simpkin , Marshall & Co ., 4 Stationers' Hall Court , E . C . Sent on receipt of stamps . One Shilling , by W . W . Morgan , Freemason ' s Chronicle Office , Belvidere Works , Hermes Hill , Pentonvillej London , N . ( ADVI ) .