Gallery Lodge, No. 1928.

conclusion of the dinner whioh succeeded the Lodgo meeting , the customary Loyal and Masonio toasts were proposed , and duly honoured by the brethren present . In proposing the first toast , Brother Herbert Wright said that he rose to propose what was always on these occasions the first sentiment , namely , the toast to the gracious

lady who was at once the Sovereign of this realm and the Patroness of the Order . He gave thera the Queen and the Craft . Rising again , Bro . Wright said that the next toaBt whioh it was hia duty to honour was the M . W . G . M . After having honoured the Sovereign of the realm , it was desirable that they should honour the Sovereign of

tho Craft . He would , therefore , ask them to be upstanding to drink to the health of the Grand Master , H . R . H . the Prince of Wales . In proposing the next toast , the W . M . said it waa now hia duty to propose the toast of tho M . W . Pro Grand Master , the Earl of Carnarvon ; the Deputy Grand Master , the Earl of Lathom ; and the

rest of the Grand Officera , Present and Past . They had a Grand Officer and a Provincial Grand Officer with them on that occasion , and he ( Bro . Wright ) had hoped to see other 8 also . He was Borry that those others were unable to be present , and in proposing that toast he should couple with it the name of Bro . Dr . Barrett , P . G . of

Organist . In replying , Bro . Dr . Barrett ^ on behalf whole of the Grand Officers who were included in this comprehensiee toast , begged to return his heartiest thanks for the compliment that had been paid them . There were a number of Grand Officera of various degrees in Grand Lodge . They all having had the purple conferred

on them , were in a Masonio sense to be considered equal . But there were some who by the position they hold in the outer world wero men of greater dignity than others . Those men carried their position into Grand Lodge , and conferred a status upon it . He was proud of the office which he himself held in Grand Lodge , which he

considered to be one of great importance . He was sorry there were not other Grand Officers present , as , bad there been , more justioe would have been done to that toast . In the name of the Grand Officers , he returned his hearty thanks for the honour done to them in the drinking of that toast . Bro . Dr . Griffiths I . P . M ., in rising to

propose the health of the W . M ., said a great many years ago there was a man called David , and there waa a friend of his called Jonathan . It struck him , although it did not bear on the matter now on hand , that Mr . David knew a few more things than Mr . Jonathan knew ; at all events , his was the winning hand . But although Jonathan was the

loser he was true to David to the last , and David himself admitted that Jonathan had always been very pleasant to him , and had for him wonderful love , passing the love of women . Bro . Griffiths said he would say the same of his brother in the chair . He had known Bro . Herbert Wright for a great number of years ; they were , in faot , like

David and Jonathan . Jonathan knew that David was to be king , and he desired that it should be so , and in like manner nothing could give him ( Bro . Griffiths ) greater pleasure than to see Bro . Herbert Wright put into the chair of King Solomon , and he was quite sure that it was not only his desire , bnt the hope of every brother in the room

that Bro . Herbert Wright should have a very happy and prosperous year of office . But he wished the Master to bear in mind that it was necessary to look to the financial question in governing a Lodge j it was necessary to see that everybody paid np his dues , or trouble would come of it . Bro . Griffiths concluded by asking the

brethren to join him in drinking to the health of Bro . Herbert Wright and a happy and prosperous reign to him . Bro . Herbert Wright , in reply , said that he could not sufficiently thank Bro . Griffiths and the brethren for the very kind manner in which the toast of his health had been proposed and received . There were times

in ono ' s lifo which one was apt to say wero the proudest moments of life , and if he were now to say that that was the proudest moment of his lifo ho should have a fair excuse for using that expression . The Lodge which began under such happy auspices eight or nine years ago , when the present installing Master was placed in the chair of K . S ., had had

a worthy and prosperous career , and that career had culminated in an ovent of especial importance thai evening . And he would tell them why tbe event of that evening was of special importance . It was because he who was now installed waa the first initiate in that Lodge , so that the Lodgo had now a Mason of their own manufacture

presiding over it . He had always considered that he enjoyed a very high honour and distinction in being tbe first initiate in the Lodge , aud the brethren might well conceive that his cup of honour and distinction was running over when he found himself called upon to take the chair . Ho hoped that during his year of office he should be called

upon to do something that would make the Lodge even more popular than when he entered it , so that when he went out of office he might have the assurance that he had filled his position to the greatest satisfaction of those who elected him to it . He did not know that his Bro . Griffith ' s financial hints were altogether justified . For his own

part , ho bad tho greatest confidence in the Lodge—that every brother would cash up , and be had every possible confidence that at the end of hisyeor of officp , they would find themselves in even a better position than they were now . Bro . Wright then touohed upon the proceedings of the coming year in regard to its social

entertainments , and trusted that they might at least come up to the Bucccsaes achieved by the Lodge in that direction iu former years . Ho concluded by saying that there was one duty which he must discharge before sitting down , and that was to propose tho health of the Immediate Past Master , whom he hoped thoy

would long see in tbmr ever-lengtbening line of Past Masters . Jjro . Griffiths having returned thanks , the W . M . said ho would now ask them to drink a toaat which was always welcome , and that was the health of tho Initiates . They wero peculiarly fortunate in tbe initiates who had been introduced that evening into tho Lodge . Ho

thonght that they were calculated to do honour to the Lodge , and to the Craft in general . Bro . Ribbons and Bell having acknowledged tho compliment , and expressed the hope that they might never do

anything to bring discredit on the Lodgo , the Worshipful Master proposed the health of the Visitors , calling on Bros . Senior 2190 , Alborfc W . M . 1948 , and Martin 26 , to reply , and those brethren having returned thanks for their entertainment , and osprened thepleaar-o

Gallery Lodge, No. 1928.

they had had in witnessing tho interesting ceremonies of the dayj Bro . Wright rose to propose tho health of the Installing Master , in doing whioh be said they had heard encomiums justly bestowed on the admirable manner in which Bro . Massey performed the ceremonies that evening . They all honoured and esteemed Bro . Masaey

for hia intrinsic merits , bnt he had a peouliar claim on their regard , for he was not only a brother of their Lodge but the father of it as well . And whatever duty was put on Bro . Massey waa always well performed . Bro . Massey , in reply , said it waa a gratification to him that he had performed the ceremony of initiation upon the first

candidate for initiation in the Lodge , and now that initiate he had that afternoon had the further pleasure of installing into the ohair of K . S . But ho most sincerely hoped that that would prove to be tho last ocoasion upon whioh he should be called upon to perform that ceremony . He entertained that hope for the sake of the honour ,

reputation , and usefulness of the Lodge , because the Master of a Lodge ought to consider it not only an honour but a duty incumbent upon him to instal his successor . No greater honour oould be achieved by a Master than to instal hia successor . He bad always objected to there being a regular Installing Master in a Lodge , and

he hoped that Bro . Wright would instal Bro . Perkins . It would , of course , afford him ( Bro . Massey ) the greatest pleasure to instal Bro . Perkins , but ho hoped Bro . Wright would consider it to be one of the duties of Master , as Master of the Lodge , to instal hia sucoessor . Hitherto , almost every Master of the Gallery Lodge had

installed his successor , one bad not lived to do so , and the others had taken a prominent part in the ceremony . He returned hia hearty thanka for the cordial manner in whioh the toast of hia health had been received . The Worshipfnl Master proposed the health of the Past Masters , for whom Bro . Harry Bussey responded . The health

of the Officers of the Lodge waa acknowledged by Bros . Perkins S . W . and Abbey J . W ., and then the Tyler's toast brought the proceedings of a very pleasant evening to a olose . In the intervals between the speeohes some capital songs were contributed by various brethren , Bro . Alfred Smythson officiating as accompanist .

Palatine Lodge, No. 97.

PALATINE LODGE , No . 97 .

THE annnal installation meeting of this Lodge , a Lodge with whioh some of the most distinguished Masons of the Province had been connected during the past century , took place , on the 12 th inst ., at the Masonic Hall , Sunderland , in the presenoe of a large number of the brethren . The W . M ., Bro . John George Marshall presided . The W . M . elect was presented to the Installing Master by Bro . R .

Singleton , and Bro . J . R . Cutter was duly installed in the chair of K . S . by Bro . Thomas Millioan Watson , tho ceremony being performed and the various addresses given with great ability by Bro . Wataon , who has rendered valuable service to the Lodge during the past ten years . The W . M . afterwards invested tho following Officers : —

Bros . J . G . Marshall I . P . M ., E . G . Wataon S . W ., W . Biroh J . W ., T . M . Watson Treasurer , A . Grundy Seoretary , W . H . Readhead S . D ., W . M . Render J . D ., R . Singleton D . C , Robert Lee I . G ., F . Woodward , B . A ., Organist , Thos . Robinson , W . W . Moses , J . W . Hopper , J Leo , and G . Lisle Stewards , and B . Swain Tyler . Tho ceremony

was choral and led by the following brethren : —J . Taylor , H . Potta , R . Copelaud , G . R . Potts , S . Oates , J . H . Young , Jas . Tate , D . W . Voss . The congratulations of the visiting brethren were expressed to the W . M ., and the various donations to the local and other charities having been passed , the Lodge was closed . The annual festival

was held in the evening in the banqueting room , which was moat tastefully decorated , tho newly-installed W . M . Bro . John Robson Cutter in tho chair , and Bros . E . G . Watson S . W ., and W . Birch J . W ., the vice-chairs . The W . M , was supported by the Mayor ( Bro . Robt . Shadforth P . P . G . D . ) , Bros . W . Brandt P . P . G . D ., Taylorson Sharp

P . M ., W . Beattie P . P . G . T ., J . J . Wilson P . P . G . Purs . P . M . 80 , Dr . Beattie , G . Terose , W . Tomkinson , Wilkinson , H . Friend , L . Groen , J . Graham 1626 , Newcastle , Imeson , G . W . L . Hudson , Dr . Brewis , Fullagher , H . Thomas , Lee . Tho toast of tha W . M . waa proposed and honoured with much enthusiasm .

Charity Lodge, No. 223.

CHARITY LODGE , No . 223 .

THE annual meeting was held on the 17 th instant , at the Freemasons' Hall , Princess-square , Plymouth , when Bro . John A . Lavers S . W ., was installed as the Worshipfnl Master for the year ensuing . This ceremony was ably conducted by the the retiring Worshipful Master , Brother W . Stenlake . The Board of Installed

Masters being closed , the Wor . Master invested hia Officers , aa follow . —Bros . Stenlake I . P . M ., G . Payne S . W ., H . Rogers J . W ., the Rov . T . W . Lemon , D . D ., P . M . Chaplain , F . R . Goodyear Treaanrer , W . Browning Secretary , Irwau A . Court S . D ., C . B . Gale J . D ., P . Haunaford I . G ., S . Yeomans D . C , S . W . Saundera A . D . C , W .

Biscombe Organist , C H . Sopor Musical Director , C H . Toxer , W . H . Hawking , J . S . Haunaford and H . Membrey Stewards , W . H . Phillips Tyler . Bro . W . Browning was elected the representative on tho Committee of Petitions , and Bro . T . C . Lewarne Charity Steward . It was proposed and unanimously adopted that the annual banquet bo

hold on Monday , 6 th January , at tho Freemasons' Hall , Princes-square , Plymouth . Prior to the installation a candidate was duly admitted into the Order . It was unanimously resolved that a P . M . ' a jewel be presented to the retiring Worshipfnl Master , Bro . Stenlake , for hia zeal in discharging the duties of his office . Bro . Charles H . Soper tho

Musical Director , presented the W . M . with a Queen Anne guinea , snitably mounted , as a mark of fraternal esteem . Tho presentation waa suitably acknowledged . The brethren , to the number of seventy , then adjourned to the refectory , where a pleasant evening wa 3 spent by all present .

York Lodge, No. 236.

YORK LODGE , No . 236 .

ON tho 16 th insfc ., the installation of Bro . C . M . Forbes as Worship . 4 ful Master took place at tho Masonic Hall , Dancombc-place ,