Masonic Toleration.

hardly imagine how in those dark days—those clays of feudal mechsevaliom—Masonry alone held up the candle of liberty to the oppressed of all races and all nations . From the church and state down to the lowest bigot or

mercenary in rank , all combined to put out the light , but the light would not be put out ; and , though the blood of our brothers has been shed in every country in Europe ,

yet the blood of our brothers has been the blood of martyrs , which was the seed of the Masonic church—aye , and the seed of the church of liberty throup-hout all the

world . There has not been a step of progress for tho last two hundred years that the light of Freemasonry has not shone in front , leading the way and pointing to the equality of man and to the elevation of tho human race .

The day has come when things are changed completely , and now kings , dukes , and lords , side by side with the bumble artisan , seek our altars and our shrines , desire to put on the

apron of the workman , to be classed with us , and with Fellow Crafts and Masters , to work iu the regeneration of the millions . —Charles Levi Wooclbemj .

Consecration Of Barnato Lodge, No. 2265.

CONSECRATION OF BARNATO LODGE , No . 2265 .

THIS Lodge was consecrated on Thursday , at tho Cock Tavern , Highbury , by Bro . Col . Shadwell II . Clerko Grand Secretary , who was supported by Bros . Lore ] John Taylour J . G . W . as S . W ., F . A . Philbrick , Q . C ., G . Re % as J . W ., Rev . G . W . Weldon P . G . O . as Chaplain , Frank Richardson P . G D . as D . of 0 ., W . A .

Barrett G . O ., Robert Porridge J . G . D . as I . G ., Henry Sadler G . Tyler . John L . Mather ] P . A . G . D . C , Major George Lambert P . G . Sword Bearer , VV . M . Bywater P . G . Sword Bearer , C . II . McKay P . G . S ., Richard Eve Past G . Treasurer , Frederick Binckes P . G . Sword Bearer , C . E . Sopoefc P . G . Steward , and a lar « re nnmber

of visitors . The founders of the Lodge are Bros . Joseph Da Silva ( W . M . designate ) M . J . De Leeuw and L . Kool ( the Wardens designate ) , T . Honey , M . Bash , P . Rosenthal , J . Joel , E . J . Acwonh P . G . S . Essex , C . F . Hogard , Richard Baker , and Henry Lane . The visitors included Bros . S . B . Joel 1017 , A . Goldstone 294 , J . C .

Hayes P . M . 619 , John Barnetfc jnn . S . D . 2192 , Isaac White 205 , Joseph Satin 677 ( S . C . ) , John Da Silva 205 , J . H . Gluckstein 205 , H . J . Phillips P . M . 205 , John A . Gartley P . M . 205 , Edward Terry P . M . 29 P . G . Stwd ., D . Moss P . M . 1275 , John Petch W . M . 1471 , T . Caseley S . W . 1693 , M . J . Jessop P . M . 1261 , S . Gompers J . D . 205 ,

E . J . Paton 205 , S . Genese 188 , J . Myers 188 , H . H . Room W . M . 1159 , James Wight 142 , M . J . H . Mayer J . W . 1693 , A . Levy ( Auckland ) , Morn ' s Abrahams 564 , J . B . Joel 1017 , E . IT . Norden P . M . 205 , A . Robertson 859 , Fountain Meen P . M ., A . L . Frye 1624 , J . O . Schuler 511 . B . Fuld W . M . 1668 , L . Lazarus P . M . 188 , D . Rodrigues

205 , Charles Belton 1 , C . S . Lane P . G . D . Durham , R . P . Forge P . M . 16113 , Mas Mendelssohn 212 , James Cnlverwell 261 , James Salmon P . M . 2077 P . G . R . Essex , A . J . Henochsberg P . M . 205 , 1502 , C . Varidyk J . W . 1017 , E . C . Massey P . M . 1297 , Joyce Murray P . M . 1706 , Alfred Kenningham 1706 , R . De Lacy 97 , H . J . Dutton 1706

D . S . Woolf 72 , L . Schuler | 1668 , W . W . Morgan jnn ., & c . The consecration being completed Bro . Da Silva was installed , and the officers were appointed . Propositions for initiation and joining were handed in . The Consecrating Officers were elected as honorary members and the Lodge was closed . A banquet followed , and at its

conclusion the Worshipful Master gave the usual toasts . In proposing that of the Queen and the Craft Bro . Da Silva referred to the fact that the day on which they were meeting was the fiftieth anniversary of her Majesty ' s coronation . The toast was followed by the National Anthem , and then the W . M . gave the health of the M . W .

the Grand Master , a name he was convinced would be as enthusiastically received as any he should that night submit . The next toast was one the brethren would drink with a great deal of pleasure , as it was in honour of brethren to whom the Lodge owed much for tho success of tho day . They had to thank several Grand Officers for

their great kindness in attending and starting , the Barnato Lodge , and in driuking the health of their rulers they should especially honour those of the number who bad attended as Consecrating

Officers that day . Bro . Lord John Taylour was the first to respond , regretting that Grand Lodge was not represented by some one better able to do justice to the toast than he was . With regard to what had been said as thanks to the Grand Officers who had assisted in the

consecration , he felt that what they had done had been more of a pleasure than a trouble to them , and they heartily co-operated in wishing prosperity and success to the Lodge . Bro . Rev . G . W . Weldon followed . It gave him more than an ordinary amount of pleasure to respond to the toast , as they had been so heartily received that day

He had nothing to add in regard to the principles of Freemasonry to what he had said in his oration in the Lodge , but he again urged them to be true to the principles of the Craft and act up to the lessons it taught . Throughout the day he had heard frequent references to the district of Kimberley , a place which was particularly dear to him

as being tl > e spot where his dear son spent almost his last hours on earth . He hoped some day to pay a visit there , for the sake of him for whom he mourned , and if ever he did so he felt that he should find himself among friends , friends who would know him in consequence of his actions in the Barnato Lodge that day . He shonld

there find brethren of different nationalities aud creeds , but they would all meet in the same spirit and on the same grand level of universal brotherhood as that they were acquainted with in their own Lodge and in all parts of the world . He trusted that all present would go forth from the meeting benefited by what they had witnessed , and

Consecration Of Barnato Lodge, No. 2265.

that they would ever remember their meeting for the purpose of con sccrating the Barnato Lodge . The W . M . now adopted a somewhat unusual course , and proposed the health , success and long life of the gentleman after whom their Lodge bad been named , and who had been proposed as tho first candidate for initiation therein . The

toast was vociferously received , and musical honours accorded it . Mr . Barnarto thanked tho company for their kind expressions towards him . lie was very sorry he was not in a position to address them as brothers , and assured them that on tho very first opportunity ho should acquire that privilege Tho Worshipful Master

next ptoposed the ltuiltli of the Grand Secretary , whose indofutigablt ; exertions in chivying out his duties in the Craft had endeared him , he said , in the minds of all who had como in cnnh . vb with him . Bro . Clerke brielly replied , and then proposed tho healch of the Worshipful Master . Tho toast was no

doubt very dear to tho members , who , he considered h < 1 tnado a w se solection in appciuting Bro . Da Silva as their first Mitbiur . It wu . also a groat honour which had been conferred on that brother , so that they all had reason to congratulate themselves . Bro . Da Silva expressed his sincere thauks for the very enthusiastic ruauuer iu which the toast of his health had been received that

evening . He took it not so much a compliment t-i himself as a tribute to the Barnato Lodge , and he took the proposition of ib as a weleomo from the Grand Secretary to them as a new Lodge among the many already existing in the metropolis . He thought a few words were necessary to explain the reason for the

foundation of the Lodge . It had beeu formed to re-unite under the banner of Freemasonry the many brethren who bad been admitted under foreign jurisdictions , but who , on their return to this country , wished to be ranked under its Grand Lodge . They wished to re-unite in the Lodge those brethren who had spent yearn under the burning

sun of South Africa , but who had afterwards returned to their native country . They also wished to commemorate in tho name they had given their Lodge that wonderful diamond industry—of only a few years growth it was true—which had already made its mark in tho history of the world . The unbounded wealth of the mines

they celebrated was not to be expressed , it was without lituir . Thi Barnato mine was really the centre of the Kimberley diamond field , and was the largest and richest mine in the world . It had already produced riches which might be compared to tho ransom , not of princes or of kings , but of kingdoms and of nations , and yet its wealth

was so great that . it was estimated they might go on drawing from it , as they had already done , for the next twenty years and for twenty years beyond that without coming to the bottom or exhausting the supply of its jewels . Bro . Da Silva referred to the fact that they had adopted the diamond as the jewel of their Lodge ,

and hoped the members would shine with the same brilliance as the purest of tho gems they had chosen as their emblem . The toast of tho visitors was next given , and it having been acknowledged the Worshipful Master submitted that of the Charities . Charity was tho ono thine i" Freemasonry they

were taught to remember above all other things . Ifc was tho point most eloquently referred to by the Grand Chaplain in his oration , and the point forcibly impressed upon every candidate at his ii itiation . He wished those around bim to honour tho toast , not only by drinking to it , but by opening their pockets in support of it . Bio .

Binckes replied . I he toast was by many of those present that night considered most welcome , and they thanked the Worshipful Master for having found a place for it . He had much pleasure in respond , ing , and in doing so he wished it to be particularly understood that he did not desire to speak solely on behalf of the Institution with

which he was more intimately associated , but on behalf of all three of the Institutions of the Craft . Referring to all that had been said that day in regard to the diamond fields of Kmberley he could but remember that he had a material interest in one of the ventures of South Africa , the benefits of which mine had not yet

been made apparent , but after the glowing accounts he had listened to he still had hopes that there was something in store for him . They had heard a great deal that night of the riches which had been dug out of the earth , and if they were to believe the old classic writing—effodinntur opes irrimentamalorum !—they

were the attraction which led to all that was evil . He trusted that in the Barnato Lodge they would prove an attraction for good , and that the Masonic Institutions might reap some advantage from the plethora of wealth which appeared to be in the possession of those who had fonnded the Lodge . The Officers of the

Lodge was the next toast , and this having been replied to by the Secretary and by Bro . Hogard the acting I . P . M ., the Tyler wa 3 summoned aud the proceedings terminated . The most elaborate preparations had been made to ensure the enjoyment of those who attended , among

other matters being a strong musical programme . The artistes engaged acquitted themselves most efficiently , and wound up their efforts by a graud rendering of the old English glee— " The Chough andCloagb , " so appropriate for an " opening day . "

Presentation To Bro. J. Baker.

PRESENTATION TO BRO . J . BAKER .

THERE was a numerous and interesting gathering at the Cock , Highbury , on Thursday , the 21 st inst ., when a testimonial was presented to Bro . John Baker , who has retired from the management of that well-known Masonic centre , after thirteeu years service , on account of ill-health . Bro . Charles Townley ( Savage Club Lodge ) presided , being supported by Bros . VV . Hastings Miller . H . Friend , R .

Baker , J . HollymaD , S . Price C . C ., P . Forge , Potter , Perry , Phillips , J . Furlong , and a large number of gentlemen representing various societies . The testimonial , which was beautifully illnminated on vellum , was accompanied by a parse containing 100 guineas . Daring the evening a musical entertainment was given by Messrs . Lovett King , Odell , A . Combes , H . Leffler , M . Ryan , and Geoffrey Thorn ,