The Empire Lodge, No. 2108.

Master and with the Grand . Lodge of England , and even though some of the decisions on appeals from the Colonies were much against their own view , they felt they were bound to submit . Bro . A , M . SAUNDERS , on behalf of the brethren from the Indian Empire expressed their very sincere thanks for the great kindness and cordiality of the welcome thev had received . He had also to thank the

Empire Lodge on behalf of different nationalities . The Anglo-Indians were good Masons , and in their lodges if any of the English brethren present went to India and assisted at their Masonic entertainments they would be happy to receive them , and also to receive any of the nationalities , and show their allegiance to the Empress of India . They thanked the W . M . and brethren of the Empire Lodge for the very kind welcome they had received ,

for the happy idea that inspired the gathering , and for the very happy way in which it had been carried out . All those present from the Colonies and Dependencies of the British Crown' who were then present would return with feelings of pleasure to their native countries at being able to tell their friends and comrades there of the very hospitable reception they had had .

The Earl of MOUNT EDGCUMBE said there were many much more distinguished English brethren who were invited , and expected , who had been unaWe to attend , and amongst them were the Earl ot Carnarvon arid the Earl of Lathom . It was quite unexpected by him that he should be in the proud position of returning thanks for the English visitors . He hoped they would all stand up and join with him in returning thanks to the VV . M .

and brethren of the Empire Lodge , not only for the hospitable reception they had had , but for still more , enabling the English visitors to join with the members of the lodge in welcoming the brethren from beyond the seas , with whom they were so heartily in accord . Such a welcome came not only Irom the English brethren who were oresent , but from all the Freemasons

of England . The Craft was a Society with respect to which the sun was always at its meridian . They were also met together as members of another society—as members of a great empire—in respect to which the same might most truly be said , and he believed he might safely say they met there as men who desired to see the union of Great Britain and her

Colonies and India maintained . Those who had heard of the United Empire would not mind having the term applied to themselves . They were passing through a crisis at this moment which some thought threatened —not indeed the unity of the Empire—but the unity of the Old Country , which'was the heart of the Empire from which the life-blood flowed to its most distant members , and returned again through the veins of the great

Empire . He hoped he might be forgiven if he expressed his own opinion that , if the crisis should lead a vast number of English people to put aside for once the distinguishing badges of their own political parties , and dropped the collars which they saw upon the shoulders of their host they would still agree with him in the view which he had expressed that the Empire might be more closely united together by unselfish action . If they did this he believed that those who had brought the crisis to pass , perhaps unwillingly ,

would have done much to cement the union of the Empire of which they were all proud to be fellow subjects . Some of those who were visitors to England would no doubt be paying visits to different parts of the country . Some , perhaps , would be going into the west , but he hoped if they did they would not forget there was a place called Mount Edgcumbe , which he would like them to see , and he was only sorry that he would not be there to receive them .

Bro . A . M . BROADLEY said within six weeks they might congratulate the Colonial brethren on having achieved an amount of sight seeing which would be memorable all their lives . But they might congratulate them that in the midst of all that entertainment it had been their pleasure to witness two of the most remarkable Masonic meetings which had ever been held in this country . The meeting yesterday at Brighton was perhaps second to

none in the annals of Freemasonry , second at least only to the installation of the Prince of Wales in the Albert Hall ; and next to the meeting at Brighton the present was the most remarkable ever held in a private lodge . These meetings made them feel the reality of Masonic principles . It was a proud event in the history of this lodge to hand down to the successors of the present members t ^ at they had had around their hospitable board

representatives of English Masonry in every part of the world . It had been his privilege to be Deputy Grand Master of a place which was called the Half-way House of the Mediterranean , and he thought the Empire Lodge might be called the Half-way House of the British Empire . It had a function in the future of bringing together those Colonial Masons who happened to be visitors in the old country . He hoped that the experience of this

evening would bring them in increasing numbers , and that the record of this meeting would give the Empire Lodge an opportunity of being visited by any Colonial brethren who came here . If the hospitality of the lodge were to be a little tried in the future the lodge would only have to thank itself , for the splendid example of hospitality it had given was only a foretaste of what would follow .

Bro . TILTON , of New York , said that New York was always interested in everything done in England both in business and Masonry . He was most delighted the day before in listening to a speech of the Grand Master . Masonry in the United States echoed those words . In the 550 lodges of New York they had some 78 , 000 Master Masons . He was delighted to be

the guest of the lodge that evening to see so many Masons congregated together representing almost the four quarters of the globe . To meet like that in one lodge showed the universality of Masonry which bound together in one golden chain Parsees , Mahomedans , Eurasians , Christians , and every other creed .

Bro . H . TRUEMAN WOOD , A . G . D . C ., proposed " The W . M . " Nothing could be so pleasant than , even though expressing inadequately , but still expressing what were the feelings ol every one present , the good feeling which every one experienced of the W . M ., and more especially when the lodge was fortunate enough to have such a Master . He imagined in that

very lodge simply there was not one single person who did not know the VV . M . well . The same was the case oulside Masonry , and when he said thai , he meant that great work of which Sir P . Cunliffe Owen was the heart and soul . It was the great creed of Masons in every province ol life to promulgate union , harmony and good fellowship , and he did not know how better that work could be done than by the great undertaking , the Colonial

The Empire Lodge, No. 2108.

and Indian Exhibition . In years to come when they looked back to this year they would see that this great exhibition would have performed the great work of keeping together that great Empire of which they had already heard it was founded on the lives of their forefathers who had spilt their blood for it . The Exhibition had taught them what the colonies really were to this country and he believed it would be one of the greatest instruments for preserving the union of the Empire . Well , this was all due to the

executive skill of the VV . M . There was only one man in the world who could " run " the exhibition and that was the W . M . He was a public character , but in his presence it would be hardly fit to say what he ( Bro . Wood ) thought of him in private life . He did not believe that among the thousands that ranged under the banners of Masonry there was any Mason who carried into the practice of his ordinary life those great principles which they were all taught to revere more than their attached W . M .

The W . M ., in reply , said that in the work he had had in the Exhibition he felt Masonry had helped him very much in his official work . It had made him learn the lessons of Masonry , and he trusted he might always carry out those principals which he believed dominated all Masons in official daily life . He had endeavoured to carry them out in his work , and much of his success was due to the kind indulgence of Masons . He was

happy on this account that he belonged to the Craft , that he might shew what he believed to be the true duty of a Mason . It was a very proud moment to him to be the first Master selected for this Empire Lodge , and he only hoped his successor would be more worthy than he to occupy the chair , although he defied any of them to have greater pleasure than he to be among the brethren that night , and to have the honour of receiving

those Colonial brethren who had helped to build up the exhibition . The brethren had reason to be thankful to them for what they had done for us . They had made this grand show ; don't believe it was owing to him ; it was owing to these brethren who had worked their very insides out . The credit belonged to many of those noble men and noble brethren who were sitting now at the table , and whom he trusted the public generally would appreciate for supplying one of the finest shows in the way of Exhibitions which had

ever taken place . They knew that the Grand Masler , the Prince of Wales , had been the principal mover , and he ( the W . M . ) had only been acting as his Secretary , and he and his colleagues , the Commissioners , carried out the great work . He was glad to have this opportunity of rendering them justice , and of asking the brethren and the public generally to acknowledge the great service which these intelligent and enthusiastic men had done to bring honour lo the mother country in bringing about one of the finest exhibitions ihat ever existed .

To the toast of " The Officers Bro . C . Washington Eves , the Treasurer , and Bro . Lennox Browne , F . R . C . S ., responded ; and the Tyler's toast concluded the proceedings .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Berks And Bucks, At Aylesbury.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF BERKS AND BUCKS , AT AYLESBURY .

The Freemasons of Berks and Bucks held two important gatherings in the new Masonic Hall , at Aylesbury , on Monday last , the first being the Prov . G . Royal Arch Chapter , which was opened at half-past one , and the second , the Annual Provincial Grand Lodge of Craft Masons , which commenced an hour later , both being presided over by Bro . Sir Daniel

Gooch , Bart ., of Clewer Park , Windsor . At the latter nearly 100 brethren attended , the whole of the 22 lodges in the province being represented , namely , the Etonian , Union , Hope , Buckingham , Windsor Castle , St . John ' s , Scientific , Abbey , Greyfriars , SS . Peter and Paul , Methuen ,

Wycombe , Ellington , Watling Street , Vale of White Horse , Grenville , St . Hilda , Herschel , Wellesley , and Kendrick . The Provincial Grand Master was supported by nearly all the P . G . Officers , and by a large number of Past P . G . Officers , while nearly every seat in the body pf the hall was occupied by brethren who had not taken provincial rank .

The P . G . SECRETARY ( Bro . Robert Bradley ) read the finance report of the P . G . Treasurer , and also the report of the Charity Committee . There remained a balance on the general account of £ 144 19 s . yd ., out of which the lodge voted 25 guineas to the Charity Fund , and on the recommendation of the Charity Committee sums of £ 10 ios . and £ 5 5 s . were

voted for charitable purposes to the different lodges who subscribed to the Provincial Charity Fund . A sum of 20 guineas was also voted to a distressed brother , who for many years had rendered valuable service to the cause of Masonry in this and other provinces , and with whom deep sympathy was expressed now that he had fallen into ill-health and straitened

circumstances . The P . G . Secretary's report on the state of the lodges in the province was considered highly satisfactory , inasmuch as it showed that the present membership numbered 799 , the Past Masters numbering 185 . During the past year 160 regular lodges , and 16 lodges of emergency had been held , 18 had joined , and 47 had been initiated .

The P . G . MASTER thought that all present must feel pleased with the report just presented , because it bore testimony to the continued prosperity of the province . He congratulated the lodges on the steady , progress they had made , and hoped they would still persevere in the successful course they were now pursuing .

Bro . Charles Stephens was then unanimously re-elected to the office of P . G . Treasurer on the motion of the P . G . MASTER , seconded by the Deputy P . G . MASTER , Bro . the Rev . J . Studholme Brownrigg . Bro . STEPHENS briefly replied , expressing the pleasure it would afford him to accept the office for another year .

Bro . E . Home , P . M ., of the St . Hilda Lodge , Wallingford , was invested by the P . G . Master with the Provincial Charity Jewel , after which a discussion ensued in reference to cases brought before the Provincial Charity Committee , the result being that the following resolution was passed on

the motion of Bro . DIXON , seconded by the DEPUTY P . G . MASTER : — " That in the opinion of the Provincial Grand Lodge , only the children and widows of brethren who , at the time of death , have been subscribing members for three years , should receive the votes of the Charity Committee , and in the