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Article CONTENTS. Page 1 of 1 Article THE BANQUET TO THE GRAND MASTER AT THE MANSION HOUSE. Page 1 of 3 Article THE BANQUET TO THE GRAND MASTER AT THE MANSION HOUSE. Page 1 of 3 Article THE BANQUET TO THE GRAND MASTER AT THE MANSION HOUSE. Page 1 of 3 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Contents.
CONTENTS .
The Banquet to the Grand Master at the Mansion House 47 S Royal Masonic Institution for Girls 4 ? 7 Provincial Grand Mark Lodge o £ Tunis and Malta 477 Consecration of the Gostling Murray Lodge , No . 1871 478 Provincial Grand Council of the Allied Degrees for Tunis and Malta 4 ? Death of Bro . the Rev . John Huyshe 47 s
Funeral of the Rev . John Huyshe 47 ° Obituary 479 Craft Masonry 479 Instruction 4 81 Reviews 4 ^ t Masonic Notes and Queries 481 Knights Templar ' . 481 LEADERS 4 **
-The Toast of the "Grand Officers , " & c 4 82 CORRESPONDENCEGrand Lodge Olficcrs 4 S 3 The Ancient and Primitive Rite 4 R 3 Drill 483 Freemasonry in Durham 483 Royal Arch Masonry 4 83 Lodge Support to the Charities 483 Roval Arch 4 *' 4
Mark Masonry 484 Ancient and Accepted Rite 485 Red Cross of Constantine 485 Cryptic Masonry 485 Scotland 485 Literary , Art , and Antiquarian Notes 483 Masonic and General Tidings 485 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 4 8 I : Advetisements I ., II ., III ., IV .
The Banquet To The Grand Master At The Mansion House.
THE BANQUET TO THE GRAND MASTER AT THE MANSION HOUSE .
This year will have seen two of the most remarkable gathering's in the history of English Freemasonry—the one a meeting of the Grand Lodge of England in the remote province of Cornwall , in May last , when H . R . H . the Grand Master laid the foundation stone of the Truro Cathedral
and the other the entertainment of His Royal Highness by the Lord Mayor , Bro . Sir Francis Wyatt Truscott , at the Mansion House on Monday last . Among the many notable events which have distinguished the chief magistracy of our worthy and distinguished brother , none have been of a more imposing character , or will bc remembered
with more pleasure than the great meeting of Freemasons on Monday last . As Master of No . 1 Lodge , and Junior Grand Warden of England , the Lord Mayor saw a fitting opportunity of showing his zeal and affection for the Order by not only inviting the Most Worshipful Grand Master , the Prince of Wales , to a banquet , but by extending
his invitations to upwards of three hundred distinguished brethren in London and the provinces , including all the members of the Grand Master ' s Lodge , of which his Lordship is this year the Master for the second time , and the result must have been equally gratifying to him and to his Royal guests . The company , which included most of the Present and Past Grand Officers , and the Provincial and
District Grand Masters assembled in full Craft clothing at seven o ' clock in the Grand Salon , and awaited the Royal guests , the City of London Band , under Mr . Sibold , meanwhile playing a selection of music . The Hon . Artillery Company , of which the Prince of Wales is the Captain General , formed the guard of honour , and lined the way on both sides from the street to the salon , under the command of an officer of the Fitzroy Lodge , which is attached to the
regiment . The strains of the National Anthem , followed quickly by that of the Prince's March , announced the arrival of the Most Worshi pful Grand Master , who was met at the portal ° f the Mansion House by the Lord Mayor , attended by the ° , r Grand Officers , and escorted to the drawing room .
Here the Prince of Wales , having on his left the Duke of ^ onnaught , Past Grand Warden , Prince John of Gliicksburg , > ° before the proceedings commenced had been appointed and t ' " Vested as Past Grand Senior Warden of England , 13 Q ? or ( l Mayor , received instate every brother invited . ro . Sir John 13 . Monckton , Pres . Board of Gen . Purposes , ro- < -ol . Shadwell Gierke , G . S .. and Sir Albert Woods
tlif- r G . D . C ., making the presentations , assisted by R' h ? Dcacons » Hros . Robert Freke Gould , Frank icnardson , Col . Somerville Burney , and J . H . Scott . This anTtl ° " be ng over thc Grand Mastcr > thc L ° Mayor , wher ih Officers , passed into the Egyptian Hall , the OtllCr < 'll _ -p _ -hrpn linrl nrnrnAnrl flinm nn . l flu .
^ nquet at once commenced . bear ' e nl yaddit ! onaI decorat ! onsto the hall were banners Lod " S r armS ° f the Prince of WaIes ' and of the Grand chaifall tff la"d ' eXCept that a pIume of feathers ° " the of Wal t 0 HlS R ° yal Hi £ hness represented the Prince an ann " * . crcst' Tl , e menus of the banquet were made of PPropnate shape , specially devised to represent the
The Banquet To The Grand Master At The Mansion House.
plumb-rule which is the "jewel " attached to the office of Junior Grand Warden , held by the Lord Mayor , and were printed in the light blue and silver of Craft Masonry . The scene presented by the banqueting room , with its guests " clothed" in the elaborately embroidered purple andgold aprons of Grand Lodge , the crimson collar , symbolic of Past and Present Grand Stewards , and the less gorgeous but
extremely chaste light blue and silver of the "Craft , " heightened as the effect in thc majority of cases was by the handsome jewels illustrative of the respective rank of the brethren in "Blue" or "Arch" Freemasonry , and the diligence with which they had attended the charitable festivals , afforded a tout ensemble rarely to be witnessed .
Grace having been said by Bro . the Rev . Sir J . Hayes , Bart ., the company partook of a most elegant dinner . At thc banquet table H . R . H . the Prince of Wales sat on the right of the Lord Mayor , and H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught , P . G . W ., sat on the left of his lordship ; H . R . H . Prince John of Gliicksburg ,
Pro G . M . of Denmark , and Past Grand Warden of England , sat on thc right of the M . W . G . M .,- the Earl of Lathom , R . W . Deputy G . M ., sitting next . On the left of the Duke of Connaught sat Sir W . W . Wynn , Bart ., M . P ., the n ..- — _ . , 7 .-
-, oldest Provincial Grand Master ( since thc resignation of Bro . John Fawcett , P . G . M . of Durham ) , having been appointed to that office for the Province of North Wales and Shrops on the 13 th of January , 1 S 52 . The cross table
was occupied by Provincial Grand Masters or Peers of some high rank in the Craft . These included Lord Leigh , Prov . G . M . Warwickshire , the next in age , with regard to the time of office , to Sir W . W . Wynn , having been appointed on the ist of August , 1 S 5 ? .
After dinner was over and the usual cordial greetings had been given b y the Lord Mayor to his guests in the time-honoured loving cup , the grace from thc Laudi Spiritual ! was sung by Miss Jose Sherrington . The LORD MAYOR , who was received with loud and prolonged cheering , then proposed the toast which invariably takes precedence at Masonic gatherings , "Thc Queen and
Craft . " He said : Most Worshipful Grand Master and brethren , we Masons of England arc loyal men , loyal to the Queen we serve and honour , and loyal to the Craft we love . I give you the first toast of English Freemasons , "The Queen and Craft . " The toast was drunk , as were also all the succeeding toasts during the evening , with thc honours peculiar to the Craft , all waiters and others in
attendance who were non-Masons being rigidly excluded , and thc room " close tyled . " The National Anthem was now sung by a talented party of artistes , consisting of Miss Jose Sherrington , Miss Alice Fairman , Mr . William Shakespeare , and Brother Thurley Beale , who , under the direction of Brother Wilhclm Ganz , P . G . O ., contributed greatly to the harmony of thc
evening . The LORD MAYOR then said : Brethren , our loyalty as Masons is not limited by the toast which we have j ust now celebrated . Wc also owe allegiance and we gladly and dutifully render it , to our illustrious chief his Royal Highness thc Grand Master —( loud cheers)—who , since that great and memorable ceremony of installation in the Albert
Hall , now nearly six years ago , has ruled our Order so wisely and so well . ( Cheers . ) His Royal Highness , by his ready acquiescence in my earliest wish that this grantl and unprecedented gathering should have thc . grace and sanction of his presence , has added another red letter day to those already marked by him in thc calendar of English Masonry . It is not long since I enjoyed the
privilege—one shared by many now present—of sharing in a Masonic ceremony of such importance to present and future generations kindly and abl y performed by our Most Worshipful Grand Master , the Duke of Cornwall , in Truro , my native city ; and this , brethren , is but one of many evidences of thc true and hearty interest evinced by His Royal Highness in the ancient Craft of which he is
in this country the distinguished head . Addressing now the members of No . 1 Lodge , whom I am glad to see present here to-night , I am permitted to say that His Royal Highness will allow himself to become an honorary member of that lodge—( loud cheers)—which I believe is called the Grand Master's Lodge from the fact of the Grand Master for the time being always becoming a member thereof .
( Hear , hear . ) Brethren , I propose "The Health of His Royal Highness the Most Worshipful the Grand Mastcr . " ( Loud cheers . ) A national song by Bro . Wilhelm Ganz , P . G . O ., "God Save the Prince of Wales , " dedicated by special permission to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , was then sung by Mr . William Shakespeare .
H . R . H . the GRAND MASTER , who was received with loud cheers , which were long continued , said : You , my Lord Mayor , have conferred jfreat honour upon the Grand Lodge of England in entertaining the Past and Present Grand Officers at this magnificent banquet , and in their name and in my own I beg to return you our thanks for
this kindness and hospitality on your part . ( Cheers . ) It is now thirty years since the Grand Master of England and the Grand Lodge have been entertained here , and it is particularly gratifying to them , as it is , I assure you , my Lord , to me , to have been entertained b y you during your mayoralty , as a member of the Grand Lodge itself . ( Loud cheers . ) You have been kind enough , my Lord Mayor , to
The Banquet To The Grand Master At The Mansion House.
allude to the laying of the foundation-stone of Truro Cathedral . I believe I am right in stating that such a ceremony had not previously occurred in the history of English Freemasonry—namely , the laying of a foundationstone of a cathedral with Masonic honours . ( Cheers . ) I can only say that it was most gratifying to me to perform that ceremony , and also to have been so well supported on that occasion by the Grand Lodge , whose members certainly
came from a long distince to be present on the occasion . ( Cheers . ) I sincerely tiust that the cathedral may be completed before many years , and that it may be a credit to the country in which it is built , and to the Craft which was represented in the initiative ceremony . ( Cheers . ) You , my Lord Mayor , have especially taken a great interest and concern in this work , and have started a fund which , I trust , before your present year
of office is over , may still be more largely increased , and I hope that , as a sum of £ 5000 or £ 6000 is needed , that sum may before long be found . ( Cheers . ) With regard to Freemasonry generally , I have always been received with the greatest possible kindness on the occasions when I come before you . ( Cheers . ) I regret that the many duties I have to perform do not enable me to see so much of my brethren as I should like , but of one thing you may be assured , that
I shall always take the deepest interest in everything that concerns the welfare of the Craft . ( Cheers . ) I have felt that interest from the day I became one of you ( cheers ) , and 1 hope to do so to the day of my death . ( Loud cheers . ) Brethren , I think we have every reason to say that the Craft has flourished , for the lodges arc increasing year by year , and Masons under the Grand Lodge of England are being initiated in great numbers . When my lamented
granduncle , who was your Grand Master , died , in 1 S 44 , there were not more than 500 lodges under the Grand Roll of England . There are now 1900 . ( Cheers . ) Certainly there are 400 of these in foreign countries , but they are under my jurisdiction . ( Cheers . ) Moreover , as many as 10 , 000 Freemasons have been made in these lodges every year during the last ten years . ( Cheers . ) Then , again , our Craft has especially gone forth in the world as the
greatest charitable society which exists . We have been charged with being a " secret society ; " but the great tenet of the Craft is that wc do not mix in politics as Masons , or in anything that may be detrimental to our country . ( Cheers . ) We may say that the three great Charitable Institutions of the Craft in England—those for thc Girls and for the Boys , and for the decayed Masons or their widows—are our principal Charities , which are
supported by all the Masons in the country , and I think I am not wrong in stating that annually the means subscribed to these Charities amount to more than £ 40 , 000 . ( Cheers . ) That fact speaks enough for the name which I trust we have got for charity , and which is one I trust wc shall always keep . ( Cheers ) . There are several speeches to follow ,
and therefore I will not weary you with more remarks ; but before sitting down , I wish to express the pleasure it gives me , as I know it docs the Lord Mayor , as 1 am sure it does to the Masons here present ( cheers ) , to have thc honour of the presence of a relation of the Princess of Wales ' s family here to-day . . ( Cheers . ) Brethren , you will remember that it was in Sweden I was initiated into
Freemasonry . On my return to Denmark I was first received into a lodge , and I shall always look upon my connection with Freemasonry as being a binding link between Sweden , Denmark , and England . ( Cheers . ) My Lord Mayor , I thank you once more for the kind way in which you have proposed the toast of my health , and I again thank you for the great and high compliment you have paid me and thc Grand Lodge of England . ( Loud cheers . )
"The Old , Old Story" was then sung by Miss JostS Sherrington . The LORD MAYOR then again rose and said : M . W . Grand Master and Brethren—Any diffidence or difficulty I may experience in asking you now to toast my worshipful colleagues , the Grand Officers , will disappear if those present who arc not yet of that distinguished body will but bear in mind ( their many and excellent Masonic virtues and qualifications . I mvself owe them a debt of eratitude .
because I am aware that not a few of their number havo traversed thc length and breadth of the land in order to be present this evening . 1 thank them heartily for this proof of their earnest zeal and fraternal goodwill , and in extending to them , as I do to you all , the right hand of welcome and fellowship , I am sure that 1 only echo the sentiments of Freemasons at large when 1 say that to the Grand Officers of England the fullest recognition of their important
services is due from the brethren of the Order . Such recognition we gladly accord , and in that spirit I propose to you that we drink to "Thc Health of thc Grand Ollieers , Present and Past , " and I connect with the toast the name of his H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught , Past Grand Warden , who has been good enough to honour mc with his presence this evening . The DUKI ; OKICONNAUGIIT AXD STRATIIEARN , who was
received with cheers , in reply , said -. My Lord Mayor , Most Worshipful Grantl Alaster , and brethren , it is with great diffidence that I rise to return thanks for the very important toast which has just been given . I have served the office of Senior Grand Warden , and I am very proud to have held that position . 1 only regret that my military duties have not enabled me to do as much as I would in that office . I
only wish all my brethren to believe that my heart is most fully in all that concerns the happiness and welfare of the Craft . My Lord Mayor has referred in most eulogistic terms to the Grand Officers and to their duties . I am sure that from the beginning they have always taken a leading part in Freemasonry , and have always done their utmost to show how fully alive they were to the importance of their duties . One of the most pleasurable of those was to take a
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Contents.
CONTENTS .
The Banquet to the Grand Master at the Mansion House 47 S Royal Masonic Institution for Girls 4 ? 7 Provincial Grand Mark Lodge o £ Tunis and Malta 477 Consecration of the Gostling Murray Lodge , No . 1871 478 Provincial Grand Council of the Allied Degrees for Tunis and Malta 4 ? Death of Bro . the Rev . John Huyshe 47 s
Funeral of the Rev . John Huyshe 47 ° Obituary 479 Craft Masonry 479 Instruction 4 81 Reviews 4 ^ t Masonic Notes and Queries 481 Knights Templar ' . 481 LEADERS 4 **
-The Toast of the "Grand Officers , " & c 4 82 CORRESPONDENCEGrand Lodge Olficcrs 4 S 3 The Ancient and Primitive Rite 4 R 3 Drill 483 Freemasonry in Durham 483 Royal Arch Masonry 4 83 Lodge Support to the Charities 483 Roval Arch 4 *' 4
Mark Masonry 484 Ancient and Accepted Rite 485 Red Cross of Constantine 485 Cryptic Masonry 485 Scotland 485 Literary , Art , and Antiquarian Notes 483 Masonic and General Tidings 485 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 4 8 I : Advetisements I ., II ., III ., IV .
The Banquet To The Grand Master At The Mansion House.
THE BANQUET TO THE GRAND MASTER AT THE MANSION HOUSE .
This year will have seen two of the most remarkable gathering's in the history of English Freemasonry—the one a meeting of the Grand Lodge of England in the remote province of Cornwall , in May last , when H . R . H . the Grand Master laid the foundation stone of the Truro Cathedral
and the other the entertainment of His Royal Highness by the Lord Mayor , Bro . Sir Francis Wyatt Truscott , at the Mansion House on Monday last . Among the many notable events which have distinguished the chief magistracy of our worthy and distinguished brother , none have been of a more imposing character , or will bc remembered
with more pleasure than the great meeting of Freemasons on Monday last . As Master of No . 1 Lodge , and Junior Grand Warden of England , the Lord Mayor saw a fitting opportunity of showing his zeal and affection for the Order by not only inviting the Most Worshipful Grand Master , the Prince of Wales , to a banquet , but by extending
his invitations to upwards of three hundred distinguished brethren in London and the provinces , including all the members of the Grand Master ' s Lodge , of which his Lordship is this year the Master for the second time , and the result must have been equally gratifying to him and to his Royal guests . The company , which included most of the Present and Past Grand Officers , and the Provincial and
District Grand Masters assembled in full Craft clothing at seven o ' clock in the Grand Salon , and awaited the Royal guests , the City of London Band , under Mr . Sibold , meanwhile playing a selection of music . The Hon . Artillery Company , of which the Prince of Wales is the Captain General , formed the guard of honour , and lined the way on both sides from the street to the salon , under the command of an officer of the Fitzroy Lodge , which is attached to the
regiment . The strains of the National Anthem , followed quickly by that of the Prince's March , announced the arrival of the Most Worshi pful Grand Master , who was met at the portal ° f the Mansion House by the Lord Mayor , attended by the ° , r Grand Officers , and escorted to the drawing room .
Here the Prince of Wales , having on his left the Duke of ^ onnaught , Past Grand Warden , Prince John of Gliicksburg , > ° before the proceedings commenced had been appointed and t ' " Vested as Past Grand Senior Warden of England , 13 Q ? or ( l Mayor , received instate every brother invited . ro . Sir John 13 . Monckton , Pres . Board of Gen . Purposes , ro- < -ol . Shadwell Gierke , G . S .. and Sir Albert Woods
tlif- r G . D . C ., making the presentations , assisted by R' h ? Dcacons » Hros . Robert Freke Gould , Frank icnardson , Col . Somerville Burney , and J . H . Scott . This anTtl ° " be ng over thc Grand Mastcr > thc L ° Mayor , wher ih Officers , passed into the Egyptian Hall , the OtllCr < 'll _ -p _ -hrpn linrl nrnrnAnrl flinm nn . l flu .
^ nquet at once commenced . bear ' e nl yaddit ! onaI decorat ! onsto the hall were banners Lod " S r armS ° f the Prince of WaIes ' and of the Grand chaifall tff la"d ' eXCept that a pIume of feathers ° " the of Wal t 0 HlS R ° yal Hi £ hness represented the Prince an ann " * . crcst' Tl , e menus of the banquet were made of PPropnate shape , specially devised to represent the
The Banquet To The Grand Master At The Mansion House.
plumb-rule which is the "jewel " attached to the office of Junior Grand Warden , held by the Lord Mayor , and were printed in the light blue and silver of Craft Masonry . The scene presented by the banqueting room , with its guests " clothed" in the elaborately embroidered purple andgold aprons of Grand Lodge , the crimson collar , symbolic of Past and Present Grand Stewards , and the less gorgeous but
extremely chaste light blue and silver of the "Craft , " heightened as the effect in thc majority of cases was by the handsome jewels illustrative of the respective rank of the brethren in "Blue" or "Arch" Freemasonry , and the diligence with which they had attended the charitable festivals , afforded a tout ensemble rarely to be witnessed .
Grace having been said by Bro . the Rev . Sir J . Hayes , Bart ., the company partook of a most elegant dinner . At thc banquet table H . R . H . the Prince of Wales sat on the right of the Lord Mayor , and H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught , P . G . W ., sat on the left of his lordship ; H . R . H . Prince John of Gliicksburg ,
Pro G . M . of Denmark , and Past Grand Warden of England , sat on thc right of the M . W . G . M .,- the Earl of Lathom , R . W . Deputy G . M ., sitting next . On the left of the Duke of Connaught sat Sir W . W . Wynn , Bart ., M . P ., the n ..- — _ . , 7 .-
-, oldest Provincial Grand Master ( since thc resignation of Bro . John Fawcett , P . G . M . of Durham ) , having been appointed to that office for the Province of North Wales and Shrops on the 13 th of January , 1 S 52 . The cross table
was occupied by Provincial Grand Masters or Peers of some high rank in the Craft . These included Lord Leigh , Prov . G . M . Warwickshire , the next in age , with regard to the time of office , to Sir W . W . Wynn , having been appointed on the ist of August , 1 S 5 ? .
After dinner was over and the usual cordial greetings had been given b y the Lord Mayor to his guests in the time-honoured loving cup , the grace from thc Laudi Spiritual ! was sung by Miss Jose Sherrington . The LORD MAYOR , who was received with loud and prolonged cheering , then proposed the toast which invariably takes precedence at Masonic gatherings , "Thc Queen and
Craft . " He said : Most Worshipful Grand Master and brethren , we Masons of England arc loyal men , loyal to the Queen we serve and honour , and loyal to the Craft we love . I give you the first toast of English Freemasons , "The Queen and Craft . " The toast was drunk , as were also all the succeeding toasts during the evening , with thc honours peculiar to the Craft , all waiters and others in
attendance who were non-Masons being rigidly excluded , and thc room " close tyled . " The National Anthem was now sung by a talented party of artistes , consisting of Miss Jose Sherrington , Miss Alice Fairman , Mr . William Shakespeare , and Brother Thurley Beale , who , under the direction of Brother Wilhclm Ganz , P . G . O ., contributed greatly to the harmony of thc
evening . The LORD MAYOR then said : Brethren , our loyalty as Masons is not limited by the toast which we have j ust now celebrated . Wc also owe allegiance and we gladly and dutifully render it , to our illustrious chief his Royal Highness thc Grand Master —( loud cheers)—who , since that great and memorable ceremony of installation in the Albert
Hall , now nearly six years ago , has ruled our Order so wisely and so well . ( Cheers . ) His Royal Highness , by his ready acquiescence in my earliest wish that this grantl and unprecedented gathering should have thc . grace and sanction of his presence , has added another red letter day to those already marked by him in thc calendar of English Masonry . It is not long since I enjoyed the
privilege—one shared by many now present—of sharing in a Masonic ceremony of such importance to present and future generations kindly and abl y performed by our Most Worshipful Grand Master , the Duke of Cornwall , in Truro , my native city ; and this , brethren , is but one of many evidences of thc true and hearty interest evinced by His Royal Highness in the ancient Craft of which he is
in this country the distinguished head . Addressing now the members of No . 1 Lodge , whom I am glad to see present here to-night , I am permitted to say that His Royal Highness will allow himself to become an honorary member of that lodge—( loud cheers)—which I believe is called the Grand Master's Lodge from the fact of the Grand Master for the time being always becoming a member thereof .
( Hear , hear . ) Brethren , I propose "The Health of His Royal Highness the Most Worshipful the Grand Mastcr . " ( Loud cheers . ) A national song by Bro . Wilhelm Ganz , P . G . O ., "God Save the Prince of Wales , " dedicated by special permission to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , was then sung by Mr . William Shakespeare .
H . R . H . the GRAND MASTER , who was received with loud cheers , which were long continued , said : You , my Lord Mayor , have conferred jfreat honour upon the Grand Lodge of England in entertaining the Past and Present Grand Officers at this magnificent banquet , and in their name and in my own I beg to return you our thanks for
this kindness and hospitality on your part . ( Cheers . ) It is now thirty years since the Grand Master of England and the Grand Lodge have been entertained here , and it is particularly gratifying to them , as it is , I assure you , my Lord , to me , to have been entertained b y you during your mayoralty , as a member of the Grand Lodge itself . ( Loud cheers . ) You have been kind enough , my Lord Mayor , to
The Banquet To The Grand Master At The Mansion House.
allude to the laying of the foundation-stone of Truro Cathedral . I believe I am right in stating that such a ceremony had not previously occurred in the history of English Freemasonry—namely , the laying of a foundationstone of a cathedral with Masonic honours . ( Cheers . ) I can only say that it was most gratifying to me to perform that ceremony , and also to have been so well supported on that occasion by the Grand Lodge , whose members certainly
came from a long distince to be present on the occasion . ( Cheers . ) I sincerely tiust that the cathedral may be completed before many years , and that it may be a credit to the country in which it is built , and to the Craft which was represented in the initiative ceremony . ( Cheers . ) You , my Lord Mayor , have especially taken a great interest and concern in this work , and have started a fund which , I trust , before your present year
of office is over , may still be more largely increased , and I hope that , as a sum of £ 5000 or £ 6000 is needed , that sum may before long be found . ( Cheers . ) With regard to Freemasonry generally , I have always been received with the greatest possible kindness on the occasions when I come before you . ( Cheers . ) I regret that the many duties I have to perform do not enable me to see so much of my brethren as I should like , but of one thing you may be assured , that
I shall always take the deepest interest in everything that concerns the welfare of the Craft . ( Cheers . ) I have felt that interest from the day I became one of you ( cheers ) , and 1 hope to do so to the day of my death . ( Loud cheers . ) Brethren , I think we have every reason to say that the Craft has flourished , for the lodges arc increasing year by year , and Masons under the Grand Lodge of England are being initiated in great numbers . When my lamented
granduncle , who was your Grand Master , died , in 1 S 44 , there were not more than 500 lodges under the Grand Roll of England . There are now 1900 . ( Cheers . ) Certainly there are 400 of these in foreign countries , but they are under my jurisdiction . ( Cheers . ) Moreover , as many as 10 , 000 Freemasons have been made in these lodges every year during the last ten years . ( Cheers . ) Then , again , our Craft has especially gone forth in the world as the
greatest charitable society which exists . We have been charged with being a " secret society ; " but the great tenet of the Craft is that wc do not mix in politics as Masons , or in anything that may be detrimental to our country . ( Cheers . ) We may say that the three great Charitable Institutions of the Craft in England—those for thc Girls and for the Boys , and for the decayed Masons or their widows—are our principal Charities , which are
supported by all the Masons in the country , and I think I am not wrong in stating that annually the means subscribed to these Charities amount to more than £ 40 , 000 . ( Cheers . ) That fact speaks enough for the name which I trust we have got for charity , and which is one I trust wc shall always keep . ( Cheers ) . There are several speeches to follow ,
and therefore I will not weary you with more remarks ; but before sitting down , I wish to express the pleasure it gives me , as I know it docs the Lord Mayor , as 1 am sure it does to the Masons here present ( cheers ) , to have thc honour of the presence of a relation of the Princess of Wales ' s family here to-day . . ( Cheers . ) Brethren , you will remember that it was in Sweden I was initiated into
Freemasonry . On my return to Denmark I was first received into a lodge , and I shall always look upon my connection with Freemasonry as being a binding link between Sweden , Denmark , and England . ( Cheers . ) My Lord Mayor , I thank you once more for the kind way in which you have proposed the toast of my health , and I again thank you for the great and high compliment you have paid me and thc Grand Lodge of England . ( Loud cheers . )
"The Old , Old Story" was then sung by Miss JostS Sherrington . The LORD MAYOR then again rose and said : M . W . Grand Master and Brethren—Any diffidence or difficulty I may experience in asking you now to toast my worshipful colleagues , the Grand Officers , will disappear if those present who arc not yet of that distinguished body will but bear in mind ( their many and excellent Masonic virtues and qualifications . I mvself owe them a debt of eratitude .
because I am aware that not a few of their number havo traversed thc length and breadth of the land in order to be present this evening . 1 thank them heartily for this proof of their earnest zeal and fraternal goodwill , and in extending to them , as I do to you all , the right hand of welcome and fellowship , I am sure that 1 only echo the sentiments of Freemasons at large when 1 say that to the Grand Officers of England the fullest recognition of their important
services is due from the brethren of the Order . Such recognition we gladly accord , and in that spirit I propose to you that we drink to "Thc Health of thc Grand Ollieers , Present and Past , " and I connect with the toast the name of his H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught , Past Grand Warden , who has been good enough to honour mc with his presence this evening . The DUKI ; OKICONNAUGIIT AXD STRATIIEARN , who was
received with cheers , in reply , said -. My Lord Mayor , Most Worshipful Grantl Alaster , and brethren , it is with great diffidence that I rise to return thanks for the very important toast which has just been given . I have served the office of Senior Grand Warden , and I am very proud to have held that position . 1 only regret that my military duties have not enabled me to do as much as I would in that office . I
only wish all my brethren to believe that my heart is most fully in all that concerns the happiness and welfare of the Craft . My Lord Mayor has referred in most eulogistic terms to the Grand Officers and to their duties . I am sure that from the beginning they have always taken a leading part in Freemasonry , and have always done their utmost to show how fully alive they were to the importance of their duties . One of the most pleasurable of those was to take a