Ireland.

has now been proposed . ( Applause . ) It is , perhaps , an incident worth mentioning on this occasion , that it is owing to one of the ancestors of the noble family in whose honour we have met this evening—one of the Lords Chichester—that fche quartering of the harp of Ireland was adopted in fche arms of England . I beg to propose " The Health ofthe Worshipful Grand Master of England . " ( Applause . ) (( The D . Pnov . G . MASTEE : The toast I have now to propose

is "The Memory of the late Grand Master of Scotland . " Brethren , respect for the memory of the late Grand Master of Scotland , will cause us to drink this toast without a salute . The D . PEOV . G . MASTER gave fche next toast— " Tho Grand Ollicers of the Grand Lodge of Ireland . " Received with due Masonic honours . Bro . PIREIE : In an assemblage such as this , ifc would be a pleasure for any man or any Mason to rise to speak . I had the

opportunity to-day , and I consider ifc a great opportunity and great pleasure to have had the honour of representing our Grand Master , the Duke of Leinster , in the Grancl Lodge of Ireland , anel , as such , I have now been obliged fco respond to the toast which has just been given . I can say for my brethren individually , and for the brethren ofthe province , that it'is with pleasure we have assembled hero this evening . Ifc has been a pleasure and a pride to myself to have had , as ifc were , the

honour of introducing our noble brother to the Masonic province over which lie has been appointed to preside . Ifc has been our first meeting with him , and I trust sincerely ifc will nofc be our last . He occupies certainly in the mind of his Masonic brethren his true position , when , as lord of the soil , he takes his position at the head of the Masons of this province . ( Hear , hear . ) I am sure I express the opinions of you all when I say he will always be received here with the respect which is due

to him as a man and Mason , especially on every occasion ho comes among us associated with his consort . ( Loud cheers . ) Brethren , on behalf of fche Grand Lodge of Ireland , I return you my most sincere thanks . ( Loud cheers . ) The D . Pnov . G . MASTEB , on giving the toast of the health of Lord Donegall , saiel before giving the toast which is next on the list , and which , in the usual language which prevails on these occasions , must be termed the toast of the evening , I think it

necessary that I should advert to the cause which has led me to occupy the chair on the present occasion . In the presence of our Worshipful Grand Master the position is rather an anomalous one ; but as our Provincial Grand Master could not act as chairman and guest on tho same occasion , and as this banquet has been originated in order to give the brethren an opportunity of entertaining his lordship , anel thereby expressing to him their thankfulness for his acceptance of the office into which he has

been installed this clay , there was no alternative . The seal of authority has been abandoned by our Provincial Grand Master for that which I am sure will be considered the more honourable iu deference to those feelings which have induced us to invite his lordship to be our guest ; and I regret much that the duty has not fallen into the hands of one more competent to do honour to fche occasion than myself . Brethren , I should be delighted to see his lordship in this chairand I sadlfeel my inadequacy

, y to fill it . Brethren , the installation of our Most Noble and Worshipful Provincial Grancl Master has this day been most gratifying to us all . He is perhaps the oldest Mason amongst us , having enjoyed that privilege for upwards of forty-five years . Independent , however , of his seniority as a Mason , there are other grounds on which I may congratulate the brethren on the installation in which , as citizens of Belfast , as well as Masons , they will , I am sure , readily concur . Our Provincial Grand

Master is head of a . family who have been most intimately connected with our town , and who have been eminent in tbe history of this country . It is , perhaps , three centuries since the noble house of Chichester first settled at Carrickfergus , and soon after in this our town of Belfast . Lord Chichester , who , for many years , was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland , held one of the first positions as soldier anel statesman . He contributed more than perhaps any other man of his day to the settlement of fche feuds

by which Ireland had been disturbed , aud to the settlement of Ulster in particular , and he did much to improve the social condition of the inhabitants , by inducing them to form villages for common defence and benefit , and to improve their knowledge in the cultivation of the soil . What a contrast must this town now present to the towns to which I refer in the rapid development which has taken place in its population and prosperity . A more prosperous town does not exist in the Kingdom , and , beyond all question , much of this rapid and enormous

extension is to be traced to the generous grants made by the family . There is , perhaps , no estate in fche United Kingdom where the rents are so low . It is also well known that the gratitude of the inhabitants of Belfast is largely due to our Prov . G . Master , as bufc for bis co-operation after he came of age , his father would have been unable to give a single perpetuity deed . This I allude to in order to show the entire identity of interest between the inhabitants of this great town and our

nobleguest . Ingiving you the health of our Provincial Grand Master , I shall venture to express a hope , which I am sure is nofc confined to us as brethren , bufc is the general wish of the inhabitants of this town—that his lordship will occasionally reside amongst us , and that we may have more frequent opportunities of seeing him in this chair . ( Hear , hear . ) Brethren , I trust that the enthusiasm with which this wish has been received will long continue to ring in his lordshi ' s earsand thatwhenever the

p , , thought occurs to him again of coming to pay us a visit , the recollection of the welcome reception which he has this day experienced from his brother Masons will lead him to a right conclusion in the matter . I bog now to propose to you " The Health of the Noble Provincial Grand Master of Belfast and North Down . " ( Loud cheers . ) The toast was received with fche most enthusiastic demonstrations which 'Masonry can

bestow . The Marquis of DONEGAM , the newly-installed Prov . G . M * of Belfast anel North Down , then rose amid long-continued and warm applause . AVhen it had subsided , he said : AVorshipful Master and Brethren , I really am afc a loss to find words sufficiently strong to express my thanks for the _ manner ir « which my health has been proposed , and the way it has been received bthis distinguished or to convey to you

y company , my feelings of gratitude for the honour you have conferred on , anel high position in which you have placed me . However devoted I have hitherto been to Masonry , this demonstration of the brethren will unite me more , if possible , than ever to tbe Order . ( Applause ) . The Masonic body has fortunately nothing to do with politics or strife . ( Hear ) . AVe are brethren united by the fondest bonds , ever striving to do good , bearing noexist oil

enmities—or , if such should unfortunately , casting on the troubled waters , in place of endeavouring to crush _ or to annihilate . The mystic sign has ere this saved life , for in the conflict when the bayonet was pointed to terminate existence , fche arm that was uplifted to strike the fatal blow has fallen , and the hand of friendship and succour been extended in its place . ( Cheers ) . I am not now about to enter more deeply into the subject of Masonry , but simply to indicate why we should endeavour to uphold and increase our Order , and , with the aid of tbe Great Architect of the Universe , to

guiele and shield us , it will increase , and daily is increasing , in all parts of the civilised world . It is a matter of heartfelt regret on my part that we were not enabled to meet on the day first fixed , and I assure you that it was with the greatest reluctance that I offered you my recommendation for the postponement ; bufc I felt that the rioting which unhappily existed in the town was such as to render this a matter of necessity —( hear , bear)—foralthough the probabilitwas that the evening miht

have-, y g passed off quietly , still fche possibility of its nofc doing so was apparent ; and , considering , my position as Lord Lieutenant of this county , entrusted with ifcs tranquillity and safety , and that public duties are paramount , I felfc that no other alternative existed . I am sorry to say that in this matter I found many of the local magistracy absent from the post they should have occupied —( hear)—and that only a limited number were doing available

the duty imposed upon them of applying the powersfor quelling fche rioting and restoring peace . Bufc to _ do those justice , I must say they were most zealous and active . Even these seemed to me to be too much and unnecessarily under fear of personal responsibility , which prevented them from meeting the rioters as they ought to have been met . ( Hear , hear . ) And ifc is with regret I have to remark that the the

Mayor of this town was absent during the critical time of disturbance , and in fact left tbe place after ib had commenced ; and , as the main responsibility in regard to the peace and safety of the place devolved upon him as Chief Magistrate of the borough , he ought to have been at his post exerting himself from the very outset to put down the disturbance with a strong hand . If he had , I believe the disturbances never would have lause

reached the magnitude they did . ( Hear , hear , and app . ) But , brethren , enough on this head . Nothing can be more gratifying , after a long absence , than to return and to find yon have nofc been forgotten : and I should be wanting in gratitude