Provincial Lodges.

years by one generally beloved , but whose health prevented his coming amongst them so often as they could wish ; and there had now been selected one who was most acceptable to them , as he could see from what had passed to-day —( Cheers ) . Except in passing in the train , this was the first time he had been in the Province , but the cordiality with which they had received him to-day would encourage him to find opportunities of coming again , for from what he here saw he was satisfied there was no part of the united kingdom in which the Lodges wished him better than they did

here . He could not sit down without remarking upon the spectacle before him . He was never present before when the same interest was shown by the ladies in the Craft , and , without flattering , he said on the part of the brethren generally , he looked on this as a great compliment—( Cheers ) . They might be assured that what the ladies were always desirous of promoting , they , as Masons , were anxious to assist them innamely , the good of others , and however they might set about their plans , they both equally meant well : he believed they did a great deal of good , and though the ladies

might be disappointed with the proceedings of the day , they would at least give them credit for the very best intentions—( Cheers ) . He could only consider this as a passing visit on his part , but he assured them if he could be of any assistance to them , that assistance should be freely given ; for though he could not for a moment question that the Worshipful G-M . would be inclined to listen to any reasonable proposition , yet it might happen that they could more readily approach one whom they were acquainted with than an entire stranger ; and , therefore , he -wished them to consider him as their friend , whom they could freely approach to express their wishes—( Cheers ) . Major Skinner D . P . G . M . said the emblem of office had been placed in his

hands by the P . G . M ., to entitle him to perform a pleasing duty , which was that of giving the next toast—one which he approached with some degree of diffidence , but which at all events his brethren would feel and receive in the same sincere manner as he proposed it . He had on his right side a phalanx of officers distinguished in the Grand Lodge of England , not only for their virtues as Masons , but their honour as men , and as patrons of all their excellent charities . " Ladies , " said he , " we have in our societies charities of the most benevolent kind . We have a school , as you have

been told , of girls , iu which they are taught and educated in the fear of God ; and if you could have been present yesterday you would have gone home and persuaded your husbands , brothers , and fathers to have become Masons—( cheers ) . With this toast I couple the name of a distinguished grand officer , our Rev . Br . John Edmund Cox , the G . C . of our Order—( Cheers )—and I only regret , in common with all my brethren , that he has had no opportunity of explaining in your beautiful church what Masonry is —( Outcries of ' hear , hear' ) . I have no doubt if he had the ladies here

would have been present in the house of God , and they would have heard such a sermon in explanation of true charity that they would have gone home and said , ' Thank God there is such a society' "—( Cheers ) . The toast is , "The Treasurer and the rest of the Grand Officers of the Grand Lodge of England , " and with that I couple the name of the Rev . J . E . Cox—( Cheers ) . The Rev . J . E . Cox G . C . could assure them the toast just offered to their notice had come upon him with some degree of surprise , for he was not at all prepared for it . He

knew that the health of the Grand Officers would be proposed as a matter of course , but he did not think he should be called on to respond to it , but as it had happened that the D . P . G . M . had coupled his name with it , he returned his sincere thanks , not only on his own behalf , but on that of his brethren . The D . P . G . M . had alluded to a

matter that had caused him some little pain , for he had looked forward to testifying in the house of God to-day to the character of Masonry ; circumstances over which they had no control had , however , prevented that ; but he was sure they would take his assurance here , that Masonry was of a character to promote the hi ghest interests of humanity , to excite the best feelings of charity , to strengthen virtue , and to induce brotherly love between man and man —( Cheers ) . Had he been able to address them in the church , it would have been his happiness to tell them that there could be no animosity , no antagonism between Masonry and Christianity , but that they went hand in hand , and one was the handmaid of the other—( Cheers ) . But as this