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a Past Grand Pursuivant ; and I will now call on the Grand Secretary to read the return of the Grand Stewards . Bro . HERVEY then read the following list of Grand Stewards : —Bros . Trego ( i ) , Brandt ( 23 ) ,

E . Lewis ( 8 ) , G . Sharpe ( 2 ) , 'Stephens ( 4 ) , Middlemist ( 5 ) , Eaton ( 6 ) , Hillier ( 14 ) , Sewell ( 21 ) , Threlfall ( 26 ) , Clarke ( 29 ) , Witley ( 46 ) , Hobson ( 58 ) , Munter ( 60 ) , Frost ( 91 ) , Stevens ( 99 ) , Glen ( 197 ) , and Bolton ( 259 ) .

Grand Lodge was then closed , and the brethren adjourned to banquet , at which the Earl of Carnarvon presided .

On the drawing of the cloth , grace was sung , and the speeches of the evening were delivered . In proposing the first toast , The Acting G . MASTER said : Brethren , the first and the oldest toast to which I have to invite your attention is that of " The Queen and the Craft . " It is a toast which often recurs on

these occasions , and let me tell you that as Masons we think that it never can recur too often . ( Hear . ) Every year that goes by ought to teach us , whether in town or country , the many and multiform advantages of the Craft , and not only every year , but this year especially it calls to our minds the lesson that in this

country it is our good fortune , as it has been the good fortune of our forefathers before us , to live under the rule of a tempered and an hereditary monarchy . ( Cheers . ) When we see the misfortunes , the evils , the miseries , which other countries have undergone where that hereditary

principle has been wanting , we may congratulate ourselves that our lot has been cast in this land , and we may trust that we may hand that blessing down unimpaired to our children as we have received it from our forefathers . ( Hear , hear . ) After this toast had been drunk and the

National Anthem beautifully sung , The Acting GRAND MASTER said : Brethren , I do not intend to allow you much time between the toasts , but I do so on this principle , that no one ought to be " weary of well doing , " and I think it is well doing to give you the next toast .

You have just now drunk the old immemorial toast of the Queen and the Craft , I now wish you to fill your glasses and pledge them to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , the Princess of Wales , and the rest of the Royal Family . We drink His Royal Highness ' s health

on this occasion , not merely as Prince of Wales , but as a Past Grand Master of England ; we drink his health as a member of our own great body ; we drink his health as that of one who has shown deep interest in all that concerns the welfare of the Craft ; and I have to remind you

that , and this is a fitting time for it , that within a few days from this time H . R . H . will fill this chair that I now unworthily occupy —( " No , no" )—and will plead , and I have no doubt plead most eloquently , for one of those great charities of our Order which are our highest

boast and honour and distinction . Brethren , I trust on that occasion , not only in honour to him , but after all in honour to something even greater still , the principle which is involved , the charity which is at issue , that this great hall will be full to overflowing—that instead of

seeing three tables before me , I , if I have the happiness to be present , shall see many more crowded in that same area , and that we shall hear a great subscription list read out in honour and in assistance of the Girls' Charity . Brethren , I have to ask you to fill your glasses , and to

drink them to " The Health of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , the Princess of Wales , and the rest of the Royal Family . " This toast having been drunk , was followed by a song . The Acting GRAND MASTER : Brethren , I

can quite sympathise with the unwillingness of any one to listen to words spoken after the extremely beautiful melody to which we have just been listening with such rapt attention ; but I have to perform a duty in proposing to you

the next toast , and it is one which you will , I am satisfied , gladly welcome : it is "The Health of our absent Grand Master . " ( Great cheering . ) There is an old proverb which warns us not to talk about the absent , and there is another which says the absent are always in the wrong .

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Well , now I intend to violate the first rule and talk of the absent ; and in the next place I am certain you will agree with me that Lord de Grey , so far from being wrong , is quite the right man , and if he can return to England having , with his colleagues—very able colleagues both

in this country and in America—if he can return having achieved satisfactorily the objects of his mission , it will be a matter of very great congratulation to men of all views and of all parties in the State . ( Hear , hear . ) Brethren , I feel particularly that my noble friend ought to be

here this evening , because to-day is the day on which not only all our great appointments are made in Grand Lodge , but on which he also ought to have been proclaimed as our Grand Master . Unfortunately he has been absent , and it seems to me rather in meeting here

today without him that it is a little lite playing the play of" Hamlet" with the part of Hamlet itself omitted . Nevertheless , our good wishes go with him , and though he is not present we accept . him as our Grand Master quite as heartily . ( Hear , hear . ) And I think this is a

fitting occasion for me to mention that recently , whilst in America , though engaged , of course , at other times on other State affairs , he has received at the hands of his American Masonic brethren a welcome worthy of them and worthy of the Craft in England , in honour of whom that

welcome was given . ( Cheers . ) I have seen few things lately which have given me greater satisfaction than to note the hearty , cordial , and fraternal spirit which was exhibited in Washington on the part of the American Masons—( hear , hear)—and if that was the case as regards them ,

I may say also somewhat as regards my noble friend our Grand Master , that the trowel , as we all know , is the emblem and instrument of Masonry , I have no doubt that my noble friend as an operative and speculative Mason knows

how to use it ; but I am quite sure of this , that in all his dealings . in and intercourse with American Masonry he will well know how to put in that cement of friendship and brotherly feeling . Brethren , " The Health of the Grand Master . " The toast was drunk with most enthusiastic

heartiness . Bro . LEWIS , Prov . G . M . Sumatra : Brethren , you are all aware of the toast which I now have the honour to propose to you , and I am sorry it has not fallen to better hands ; but , were I on this occasion to give expression to my feelings ,

I am sure I should meet with your indulgent consideration . But , as the noble lord , whose health we are about to drink , is present , permit me to observe that he has endeared himself to the Craft , not only by attending on all occasions at our Grand Lodges , when our Grand Master

has not been able to be present , but at the last especial Grand Lodge the noble lord gave expression to feelings which were an honour to him , and raised the Craft greatly in the public estimation . I will not , in his presence , say

more than , at the same time , we hope that the day is not far distant when we shall have the pleasure of seeing him preside over the Craft as Grand Master . With those remarks , I ask you to drink his health .

The Acting GRAND MASTER : Brethren , I assure you that I labour now , as I constantly do , under the extreme difficulty , not to say the impossibility , of returning in meet and adequate language my sense of your kindness on these occasions . I constantly , I am happy to think ,

come into contact with the Masonic brethren , and I never leave them without feeling that somehow or other we have parted perhaps even better friends than we met . I hope that you will at leastdomethe justice tobelievethis , that , whenever I have had the honour of fillingthechair , and

presiding over your deliberations , I have endeavoured faithfully and fairly to do that which I conceive to be my duty —( hear , hear)—speaking without fear or favour , and keeping in view , as I hope I alwavs shall do , the interests of the Craft

apart from every other consideration , no matter what . ( Hear , ' hear . ) Brethren , if anything could give me greater satisfaction , or could be perhaps a greater compliment to me , when my health was proposed this evening , than anything , it would be in the fact that that toast was given

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you by my Right Worshipful friend , Bro . Lewis , on my right . It is forty-nine years , I think , since he received his appointment at the hands of your late Grand Master , the Duke of Sussex . I esteem it no light thing when one , I will not say burdened with years , because he carries

them so lightly that the youngest of us may well envy'matbrother , but when one who hashadsolong and so large an experience of Masonry in every clime and in every part of the world—I say I esteem it no light compliment to 11 s , the Gravid Lodge of England , when he returns , as he has

returned this evening , to take part in our councils , and I esteem it no light compliment to myself that he has done me the honour to propose this toast . Brethren , let me say one word now as to the occasion of our meeting here this evening . The revolving year brings round

with it , as we all know , at this season our appointed festival . We meet indeed upon other occasions , and for other objects . We have other duties then in view . Some of us have to plead the cause of particular charities ; others among us , and certainly not less an important task ,

have to meet that appeal by putting our hands into our pockets . I am far from saying which of the two parties discharge the most important duty . I am sure of this , however , that those who put their hands into their pockets , and go deep enough , certainly realise the most practical

advantage of the meeting . Well , brethren , these are our duties on other occasions ; to-night I have not got to vex you with any solicitations on this subject , and every man may return home with as heavy a purse as he has brought . But , on the other hand , it is my duty to congratulate you on our happy meeting here this evening ,

and to look forward , I trust , to a similar happy meeting this time next year . We have much , very much in this our Masonic England for which to feel very thankful . When we look abroad , and see the picture , but a few miles across the water , of unmitigated evil and sorrow existing there , we cannot feel , I think , too thankful for the calm and the even tenor which we

are allowed to pursue here in England . We see on every side of us our charities well supplied ; we see our lodges multiplying and growing up ; we see , as I hope and believe , the spirit of Masonry growing stronger and better from day to day ; we see our funds increasing so much

that some of the wisest heads among us think it right in Grand Lodge to repress as far as they can the desire to dip our hands into the public purse . Well , all these are good and great signs ; and allow me to say it depends upon you , it depends upon all of us , not only in our corporate

capacity as the Craft , but in our capacity as lodges , and still more in our capacity as individuals , to uphold and maintain at its highest point the Masonic standard which has hitherto been set before us , and we can only do that by persistently practising , exemplifying , illustrating ,

and inculcating the great Masonic virtues upon others . This is our duty , and this it is , and this only , which will enable us this time next year , when we meet again in this hall , to feel that the last twelve months have not gone by in vain , and that English Masonry stands , I will not

say higher , but at all events as high , as it does at present . Brethren , you have been pleased to drink the health of my noble friend , the present Grand Master ; you have been pleased now to drink mine . I cannot sit down without giving you the health of another , of one to whom

Masonry in this country is , I think , largely indebted for the high and pure standard which in his private and in his public capacity he constantly set before us . I mean your late Grand Master—( hear , hear)—who for a quarter of a century filled the chair of Grand Lodge .

( Cheers . ) Brethren , I have only to add , in proposing his name , and coupling with that the toast of " The Past Grand Masters of England , " that I personally do so with the greatest satisfaction when I look back upon the long personal

friendship and acquaintance which it has been my good fortune to enjoy with Lord Zetland . _ I trust that , though he has retired from this chair , he may long live ; and whenever the interests or the necessities of the Craft require it , that h . 2 will be found in the midst of us to give us his