Grand Festival.

must not hold them responsible for that shortcoming ( laughter ) ; but this at least I think I may say , that it seems to me high praise to accord to the success of this evening , that the dinner was of such a quality that even if we had

been involved in total darkness we might safely have eaten the viands that were placed before us . Now , if that be true I cannot pay a higher compliment to the Board of Stewards , and I shall therefore propose their health and call upon

Bro . Rucker to respond . Bro . J . A . Rucker : Most Worshipful Grand Master and brethren , the duties of a Grand Steward , if we except those duties which arc performed by the honorary Secretary , are not

very onerous ; but such as they are the Board of Grand Stewards who were presented to you , M . W . G . M ., and approved hy you last year , entered upon their business with the full determination that no effort should he wanting on

their part to give satisfaction to Grand Lodge . The terms in which you , my Lord , have expressed and thc kind way in which the brethren have expressed ) 'our and their opinion that fhe result of our labours is successful is the

highest compliment you can pay us , and is move than a recompense for thc time and care we have taken in the task . Wc hope that the musical entertainment under our Bro . Grand Organist , which will take place in the Temple

after the banquet , will be a fitting and agreeable termination to this Grand Festival . We thank you most heartily for thc manner in which you

have proposed our health , and we thank the brethren for the way in which they have received the toast with which you have honoured us . ( Hear , hear , and cheers . )

The Grand Master : Brethren , I have never risen to propose a toast at the Grand Festival under circumstances of such difficulty as those

under which I rise to propose this toast upon this occasion . It has usually been my good fortune when I have risen to propose '' The Health of the Ladies " to have had before me in

that gallery a beautiful vision which cheered me on , encouraged me in my speech , and gave Howto my words •but those unforeseen occurences which have cast a shadow even over the brilliancy of these rejoicings have deprived me

of that encouragement , and have taken from our c ) es that brilliant vision . ( Laughter . ) But whether the ladies be present or whether they be absent in the bod y , they are always present to our minds , and we can truly assure them that

we drink their health with equal enthusiasm in their absence as when they are before us . 1 therefore doubt not that on this occasion you will avail yourselves of the peculiar circumstances to shew even more than ordinary zeal in

the reception of this toast , and without further words—for what words of mine could recommend the toast to you better than the very name of the toast itself 1 give you " The Health of the Ladies . " ( Cheers . )

ills Lordsnip then proceeded to tin : Temple , where he was followed by ihe rest of Ihe company , and where a charming concert was given miller the diva ;; . x of Bro . Willieim Ganz , Grand Organist , by Mdi ! . \ Camla . Miss Hanks

Miss Adelaide Mcwton . Alatlanie Pa ley , Bros . George Pcrren , J . (' .. I' .-. iey . . Mr . Lewis Thomas , I ' ro . Payne ( solo violoncello ) , and Bro . Radclii'f .

( solo flute ) . lil'O . Goudc . hild v . as . Vi ia ; ; . . ' ;; e . xaX ..-X . i' . [ We cannot conclude our repoit v . hhout expressing our thanks to the Gram ! Stewards

Grand Festival.

for their admirable arrangements for and kindness to the press , and also our thanks to Bros . Buss , Pendlebuiy , and Dodd , in Grand

Secretary ' s office , for their courtesy and readiness in supplying us with information with regard to the peculiar orthography of the proper names of Grand Officers and Grand Stewards . ]

Consecration Of Masonic Hall, At Ballarat.

CONSECRATION OF MASONIC HALL , AT BALLARAT .

The hall built in Camp-street by the Masons of Ballarat was consecrated on the 13 th February with great ceremony , and in the presence of a large number of Masons , many of

whom came from long distances , there were some from Melbourne , and from country districts thirty miles away . The . building is commodious , substantial , and admirably suited for the purposes for which it is designed .

At five o ' clock the Provincial Grand Lodge of Victoria , I . C ., was opened tinder a special dispensation at the British Queen Hotel , by Bro . W . Scolt , P . G . D . Inspector , who appointed the following acting office-bearers : —R . W . Dep . Prov . Grand Master , Bro . H . Cuthbert : V . W .

Prov . Grand S . W ., Bro . Gibbings : V . W . Prov . Grand J . W ., llro . Aldred ; V . W . Grand Treasurer , Bro . Macartney ; V . W . Prov . Grand Secretary , Bro . Peake •. V . W . Prov . Grand Chaplain , Rev . Bro . Russell ; W . P . G . Senior Deacon , Bro . AVhitby ; W . P . G . Junior Deacon , Bro . Rowe ;

W . P . G . Superintendent of Works , Bro . H . Davies ; W . P . G . Director of Ceremonies , Bro . Robertson ; W . P . G . Organist , Bro . King ; W . P . G . Stewards , Bros . Radcliff and Trevor ; W . P . G . Sword-Bearev , Bro . Sleep ; W . P . G . Inner Guard , Bro . Ware .

At shortly after six o clock the procession was formed , and headed by the rifle band , marched up the south side of Sturt-street as far as Doveton-slreet , thence by the north side to Camp-street . In Camp-street the leaders of the procession

divided and two lines were formed , through which the brethren marched in inversed order . The members of the Provincial Grand Lodge then walked three limes round the building and entered the hall . The other brethren followed

the band playing them in . On entering the hall a very pretty sight met the eye , and not a few of the brethren who had not made themselves acquainted with the intended ceremonial were not a little surprised . Round the hall was a line of ladies seated on chairs raised on a

slight dais , and their pretty , tasteful , and in sonic instances somewhat brilliant dress lent a bright , picturesque , and perhaps , unmasonic appearance to the room . The hall was set out in form for

holding a lodge , the very elegant furniture belonging to the North Star Lodge being used . The spacious iloor was covered (> y a very handsome and costly carpet , which gave what ma ) - be termed a furnished appearance to the hall .

The acting R . W . P . G . M . took the Master ' s chair at the head of the lodge , and the acting Senior and Junior P . G . Wardens were in theii chairs . The R . W . Master was supported by P . G . Secretary , Bro . Lempriere , and Bro . Russell , Chaplain , on the right , and by the

Dep . P . G .. M . Bro . If . Cuthbert , on the left . The ceremonial throughout was of the most impressive character , as will be judged from the report below , and the R . W .. M . and all his officers showed that they were thoroughly at ln-me in their various dinks . There wes not a

hitch through a Ion ;; ' and intncax ceremonial , and all prayers anil addresses wax- ' given in an earnest a . id solemn manner , and impressed not only the brethren 1 ni gave many of the ladies a higher opinion of Masonry than the ) ' perhaps ha-1 before . No diiir . it lite slight peep into Ihe ioi'tiriei 1 n-iv make some of the fair visitors

i . iii ' i ' . 'iis . 0 . no ' . ' , in " e . :.-: it tney inn-- ' - needs res ,, i-. 'i . i ' . eia with having seen , a more thoroughly Masonic ceremony than is often witnessed by the exntle sex .

Consecration Of Masonic Hall, At Ballarat.

The Secretary delivered the following address : —Right Worshipful Sir , — Freemasonry , like many other institutions in a young country , has experienced a very varied existence : it has enjoyed periods of prosperity and suffered those

of depression . In this good city of Ballarat , in its more prosperous days , the Craft boasted of no less than six lodges , the first of which was opened on the 28 th September , 1855 , at Bath ' s Hotel . As the district became less prosperous it was deemed advisable in the interests of the

Craft to reduce the number of the lodges to two . This was successfully accomplished in April , 186 7 , and has had such a happy effect that I am proud to say , we have been enabled in our depression to carry out that which in our prosperity we could not effect , viz ., the erection of

a building which the Craft can call its own . I need not here , Right Worshipful Sir , recapitulate the action taken by the Yarrowee and St . John ' s Lodges to erect this building , it having been so fully explained at the laying of the foundationstone , on the 16 th October , 1872 , by our esteemed Bro . Past Master Henry Cuthbert

suffice it to say , that the original design , although not yet finished , is so far complete that the brethren can , without any inconvenience , pursue their labours therein . The total cost of the erection , up to the present time , including purchase of ground and all incidental expenses , amounts to ^ 1303 1 4 s . gd .

The brethren then left the hall and returned to the British Queen Hotel , where the Prov . Grand Lodge was closed . The Yarrowee Lodge was opened , and after the transaction of some little business was closed .

The banquet was given in the hall , and nine o'clock had been fixed as the hour , but in consequence of the ceremony occupying longer than had been expected , it was ten o ' clock before the chair was taken . There were then

present nearly 200 of the Craft . The Chairman , Bro . H . Cuthbert , said they had reason that day to think that Masonry was prospering in Ballarat . The erection of ahall dedicated to Masonry had been long thought of in Ballarat , but projects had failed . It was not until 1872 that

Masons , most of whom were comparatively young in Masonry , determined to have a hall erected , and that day they had seen the result in a building that was alike creditable to the building committee , to the architect , and the contractors . The Chairman brielly sketched the career of Masonry in Ballarat from the opening of the

first lodge , in which men of many nations assembled , to the present day . He was sure all had been much pleased with the way in which that day ' s ceremony had been performed , and the addresses they had heard would have a lasting effect on them . He was sure Bro . Watson ' s address inculcated lessons that would not he

soon or speedily forgotten . After referring to the principles of the Order , brotherly love , relief , truth , honesty of purpose , and , above all , charity , he proposed " Prosperity to Masonry . ' ' Bro . Scolt , chairman of the building committee , responded . The first lodge he visited

in Victoria was the Golden Lodge of Bendigo , in 1 S 53 , which was the first lodge established in Victoria out of Melbourne . Bro . Scott referred to the career of Masonry in Victoria , and trusted that in future , in Ballarat at all events , Masons would be more consolidated than they had been .

Bro . Scott proposed the W . M . of the St . John ' s Lodge , and thc W . M . of the Yarrowee Lodge , and paid a very high compliment to Bro . Little , W . M , of the Yarrowee Lodge , and Mrs . Little , to whom were due the arrangements for

having such very excellent music . They had determined to have good music at the consecration , and the brethren could bear testimony to the result . To Bro . Trevor , W . M . of the St . John ' s Lodge , was due a large proportion of the success of that day ' s ceremonial .

Bro . Little , WM . of the Yarrowee Lodge , responded . Me was ' . rlid to have an opportunity of acknowledging the gratuitous services . -, 0 readily and courteously given by the choir , some of whom it should be remembered were profession : !! musicians . Several other toasts were given , and the brethren separated short ! v after one o ' clock .