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BAMQUET cy ^ e rV by THEEIIPKESSIDDGE, N 9253 l , ' _ lo Commeiuorale 'mi . INAUGURATION of it-K Co / MMOH \ VE /\ LTII 1 orAUSTRALIA ,

. June I 3 ll > l 9 ol . An emergency meeting of the above lodge waa held at the Cafe Royal , Regent-street , on Thursday , the tyh instant , and was followed by a banquet held in commemoration of the inauguration of the Commonwealth of Australia . The lodge having been opened , a ballot was taken for Mr . Isidore Spielmann , F . S . A ., A . M . I . C . E ., ani on its proving favourable , the candidate was initiated .

The lodge hiving been closed an adjournment was made to the banquetinghall , where a large and distinguished company , including members of the Empress Lodge and their visitors , very many of whom were connected in some way wilh India or the Colonies , were royally entertained . The W . M ., Hro . G . D . Coleman , presided , having on his right hand Bro . the Right Hon . Earl of Halsbury , P . G . W ., Lord Chancellor of England . The

company present also included : Bros . Viscount Templetown , S . G . W . ; Sir John Monrkton , P . G . W . ; Rev . J . S . Brownrigg , P . G . Chap . j Rev . H . W . Turner , P . G . Chap . ; Sir ] . C . Dimsdal-, M . P ., P . GT . ; E . Letchworth , Grand Sec ; R . Berridge , P . G . D . ; C . E . Keyser , P . G . D . ; C . J . Kiralfy , I . P . M . ; G . Richards , Dist . G . M . Transvaal ; A . M . Simpson , P . Dep . G . M . South Australia ; Dr . Byrnr \ P . Dist . G . M . Queensland ; D . P . Cama , P . G . T . ;

Maior Woodall , P . G . T . ; J . Strachan , G . Reg . ; W . R . McConnell , K . C . P . Dep . G . Reg . ; F . Richardson , P . G . D . ; T . P . GrilTin , P . G . D . ; T . Mold , Dist . G . M . Argentine ; J . D . Langton , P . D . G . D . C ; H . Neville , P . A . G . D . C ; Imre Kiralfy , P . A . G . D . C ; T . Catling , P . A . G . D . C ; H . R . Hoyles , D . s . G . Sec . Bombay ; R . J . Maitland-Colfin , F . R . C . P ., P . M . ; Dr . Khory , P . M . ( Bombay ); Dr . Lennox Browne , P . D . G . D . C ; T . H . Gardiner , P . A G . D . C . ; J . W . Matthews , W . M . St . Asaph Lodge ( New Zealand ) ; A .

M . Hooper , P . G . S . ; W . Lowndes , J . P ., P . P . G . W . Herts ; W . A . R . Bilby , P . Prov . S . G . W . Herts ; J . A . Formey , W . M . 28 ; J . H . Dimsdale , P . M . ; Hon . H . Copeland , Agent-General for New South Wales ; B . Marks , P . M . Australia Felix Lodge , No . 1 , Melbourne ; C . P . Clarke , P . M . : Bergman , P . M . ; Lestocq , P . M . ; C . P . Carter , P . M . ; Dr . Wells , P . M . ; R . M . Meyer , P . M . ; J . Bartlett , P . M . j W . S . Hooper , P . M . ;

Hon .-Sir Horace Tozer , K . C . M . G ., Agent-General for Queensland ; Sir John Corkburn , M . D ., K . C . M . G ., Agent-General for South Australia ; Sir Montagu NeWi , K . C . H . G . ; Sir M . Bhownaggree , K . C . I . E ., P . M . ; T . Fraser , VV . M . 2488 ; R . O . Cooper , P . M . ; W . ] . Fisher , P . M . ; L . F . Gowing , W . M . 1928 ; A . J . Thomas , G . Slwd . ; also many others of inferior Masonic rank , including the following principal lodge officers : Bros . G . C . Bruce , S . W . ; J . S . Bhumgara , J . W . ; G . R . Blades , S . D . ; G . G . Kischner , J . D . ; and P . Dixon , Sec .

Apologies were received for the unavoidable absence of Bros . Right Hon . LorJ George Hamilton , Prov . G . M . Middx . ; Hon . Sir Gerard Smith , K . C . M . G ., P . G . M . West Australia ; Hon . Sir Andrew CUrke , K . C . M . G . ( Victoria ); and Hon . Justice Hodges ( Victoria ) . Copies of a clever souvenir cartoon , fr . m the talented pencil of Bro . Mai lard-Coffin , F . R . C . S ., P . M ., were dis'ributed among the guests .

At the conclusion of the banquet the customary loyal and Masonic toists were proposed and duly honoured , the W . M . calling upon the Lord Chancellor to respond . to the toast of " The Grand Officers , " and expressing the gratitude of the lodge that he should have found time among his multifarious duties to come among them .

Bro . the Right Hon . the Earl of HALSHURV , P . G . W ., Lord Chancellor , said he could hardly imagine a more appropriate celebration of a great national event over which the country rejoiced than a meeting of the brethren of the Craft . There was a time which he was , unfortunately , old enough to remember , when it was supposed the sooner we got rid of the Colonies the better , as they were a drag upon the national prosperity . He was happy to believe that that stag ; had long

{ . used away , aid later experience had shown what the Colonies could do for us , and what we felt towards them . The experience was a lesson for the civilisation of mankind in showing how much could be done by a spirit of unity and real fraternity to vards each other . It mi ght be that the federation ol our Colonies would be the first stepping-stone to a federation of mankind , as when wir with its loss of life , property , and happiness to so many would cease , and the poet ' s dream be realised , when

"The blast of War ' s great organ , No longer rends the skies , But beautiful sounds of love , And holy melodies arise . " ( Applause . ) The W . M . proposed the toast of " The Commonwealth of Australia , " coupling therewith the name of Bro . Sir John Cockburn .

Bro . the Hon . Sir J COCKHURN , M . D ., K . C . M . G ., Agent-General for South Australh , in responding to the toast , said it was one of the proudest momenlsin his lifetime to Iu called upon to respond to such a toast at a gathering at which representatives of every part of the British Empire were present to join in good wislus to that empire ' s youngest daughter , Tne Federation of the Colonies of the Australian Commonwealth hid been the supreme ambition of Australia ' s greatest statesmen , and itwas now felt that the inauguration of the

Australian Colonies was but the- prelude of a grand federation of all the scattered dominions of the British Empire . As ti how great that empire was might be seen ( roin the months it had taken a fast steamship such as the Oplur to visit only a few of its many ports ; it was an empire indeed that might almost be described as " in length from east to west , in breadth between north ani sjuth and even as high as the heavens . " The empire might also be described as having three great lights—India in the East , Africa in the West , and the newly-federated Common-Wealth ii the South . The speaker referred also to the increase in harmony

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throughout the empire during recent years and the formation of separate Grand Lodges in most of the Australian Colonies , and those who had occupied the viceregal position in those Colonies had not disdained to exchange the sceptre for the trowel , among whom he might mention Lord Carrington , Lord Brassey , and the Earl of Kintore . He also eloquently referred to the blood spilt in South Africa by Colonial soldiers in defence of the rights of the empire at large .

Bro . Sir J . C . DIMSDALE , M . P ., P . G . T ., proposed "The Health of India and the other portions of the Empire . " They felt that a great source of pride and honour to the Empire wis the homogeneity of the vast population of India which included so many different races and creeds . They had now arrived at a . momentous crisis in the construction of their Empire , but he felt that while they had bsen striving to maintain their rights in the present unfortunate wir , they were acquiring in the conquest of the Transvaal and Orange Free State , another

India . The speaker then referred in graceful terms to the wjrk don e by Masonry in general and by such lodges as the Empress Lodge in pirticular , to cementing peace and harmony in India and other dependencies of the British Etipire , and in more firmly knitting together its various countries . He referred to the fact of the lodge having been named in honour of their late Qaeen and Empress , who had ordained the visit to the Colonies now being paid by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall .

Bro . Sir M . BHOWNAGGUEE , K . C . I . E ., P . M ., responded to the toast in the absence of Bro . Lord George Hamilton , M . P . Australia , he was sure , would long recall what it owed to the statesmanship of tint great stitesman , Mr . Chamberlain , and on behalf of their brethren of India , he heartily congratulated their Australian brethren on their national existence and independence . The speaker then dwelt on the prejudices that Masonry had been the means of removing in India . Forty years ago natives of India ambitious of seeing the light had been denied admission , till one

DESIGN or FIRST i ' . u ; :: or . \ II ; . N'I \ of them had come purposely to Enf-op ; , and been nude in France ; since then their English brethren in India had never hid any ciuse to regret the admission of the natives but rather to rejoice . When the integrity of the Empire hid been threatened India had risen as one man anxious to take part in its defence , and envying those who from other colonies beyond the seas had shed their blood for the Empire .

Bro . G . RICIIARWS , Dist . G . M . Transvaal , acknowledged the kindly sympathies of the brethren with his district during its two years' war , and he hoped the time was not now far distant when England would realise that the blood of its sois was the seed of its Empiie . . . Bro . C . I . Kisuvu'Y , LP . M ., proposed " The Health of the Worship ful Master , " which was most cordially received , and gracefully acknowled ged by Bro . G . D . COLEMAN , W . M . Thn tnast nf " Thfi Visitnrs " w .-iq r _> snnnrl ,. fl in hv Rrn . A . 1 . TllOMA ' i

P . M ., G . S ., and the proceedings were brought to a close with the Ty ler 3 toist . During the evening an exceptionally good programme of songs , recitation ;*! & c , was rendered under the efficient direction of Bro . Jas . Kift , in which "J ' - ' Edith Serpell , Misa Florence Venning , Bros . H . Horsen , Jio . Josey , and Waite Churchet took part .

SOCIETY OF ARTS .-The 147 th annuil meeting fjr the purpose of receiwin ? t Council ' s report and Treisnrer ' s sUtetnjot of receipts , payments , and exp : na 1 during the past year , and alsi for ths eljction of ofli .-ers and new members , will ° - in accordaice w _ th th ; by-Uvj 01 W ; Jrusiiy , th ; 35 ; h inst ., at 4 p . m .