The Royal Benevolent Institution.

will not have to be saicl by the Brother , who has the honour of succeeding me in this chair . However that may be , I am convinced thafc the loyalty of the Masonic body does not depend on tho number of royal brethren lvhom ive may have among us . AVe love tho Avhole of the royal family well , bufc those Avho may be Masons better ; and I now call on you to chink Avith all the honours tho toast which I have proposed to you . The toast ivas also most enthusiastically honoured .

The chairman then said—The next toast which I have the honour to propose to you is one ivhich gives me great satisfaction , although not unmixed with regret that the object of it is not present here this evening . The toast which I ask you to drink , and that most cordially , is the health of " our M . AV . G . M . the Eight Hon . the Earl of Zetland , president of this institution . " In giving you this toast , which I assure you I will with all brevity , I merely have to say , that I wish you to drink the health of the Earl of Zetland iu a twofold capacity . The first is , that you

should honour him as the M . AV . G . M . of the Craft . Those of you who have hacl the honour of attending tbe meetings of Grand Loclge under the presidency of that most excellent nobleman will , I am sure , testify to his unvarying courtesy of demeanour and his most wonderful command of temper , under what I may call great difficulties aud provocation . Moving , as wo all do more or less , in public life , ifc is difficult for auy one of us to mention tlie name of a person who to a greater degree commands the love and respect of those placed under him than the Earl of Zetland . I

am bound to say that he rules over us most graciously ; I would rather say that he rules with us ; for you will all boar me out in saying that there never was any one in authority who ruled in a manner so unlike a despot as our M . AV . G . M . The stewards have allowed me so short a time for each toast that I am compelled to proceed from this subject to another , and point out to you his lordship ' s claims upon . your gratitude as president of this iustitution . It will be iu the recollection of the great majority of you that this society , established in the year 1842 , under His Eoyal Highness the Duke of Sussex , was greatly increased

in prosperity by tbe sanction given to it by his royal highness ' s successor , our present noble president . I have now before me a letter from his lordship , giving me his most cordial good wishes for the result of the present festival , and he not only does that , but as his motto continues to be fact a non verba—deeds not wordslie asks me to communicate to you that it is his wish to clo now as he has done before , and he accordingly encloses me a cheque for twenty guineas . In conclusion , I must be allowed to say of his lordship what has been said of Sh John Herschell— " His headalthough a good oneis not by any means the best parfc of

, , him ; his heart is better than his head . " Loud applause followed the proposal of this toast , ivhich was succeeded by a song by Miss Poole , iu ivhich that lady was most deservedly encored . The chairman , after this double enthusiasm , rose and said—Brethren , the next toast I have to bring to your notice is the health of the E . AV . the Deputy Grand Master , Lord Panmure , and that of the other Grand- Officers , past ancl present . Allow mebefore I call your attention to tho merits of this toastto make one

, , observation , which is , that I think it will greatly conduce to the convenience of those who are , as I may say , overwhelmed with business , if you will manage to practise some little self-denial , and refrain from asking for any more encores of the sweet strains which proceed from the other end of the room . You may not like to do this , but I know you will all , before the evening is over , thank me for asking you to do me this favour . Having said thus much , I now again call upon you to fill your several glasses . You who have more or less taken part in the proceedings of

Grand Lodge , know how Lord Panmure ' s coming amongst us filled us with great joy and satisfaction , for you are ii'ell aware Avhat substantial business habits and diplomatic tact he has brought ivith him into the office which he now occupies , and how much he has benefited the Craft . There is , I feel assured , no Brother among you who will nofc toast the name of Lord Panmure , as that of one ivho ^ has done good service to Masonry , and ivho will not ivish , that under divino providence , he may long continue our Deputy Grand Master . If you had with me taken parfc in the magnificent Masonic demonstration afc Edinburgh , when I accompanied him as one of your deputation , you ivould have had P