Metropolitan.

Jiro . MUGGEMDGE , on rising , was received with loud and continued cheering . He said : Bro . chairman and brethren , —I scarcely need say that I feel great pleasure at the kind manner in which you have proposed my health , and the way in which the brethren have responded to that toast . Of course I cannot feel otherwise than delighted , but you know that there are many good actors who can well perform thoir parts and yet they make very bad speechesand I think that I feel that I am in

, that position . It would be mock modesty on my part if I for a moment were to deny that my pupils have done their work well , and I cannot help fancying that I have done my work satisfactorily to the brethren who have so kindly attended this ¦ evening ; for if Iliad not done my work well I am sure our ¦ worth y chairman would not have expressed himself as he has done . I am surealsobrethrenthat my exertions—my small

, , , services—whatever they may have been , in getting through the work , have met with your approbation , and I am pleased indeed . I have told you before that I can perform my part in the ¦ lod ge , but I am not equally successful in endeavouring to make a speech , and much more so on this occasion . I shall , therefore , not attempt to make a speech , but I shall talk to you , and although I . may be considered prosy by the older members of

the lodge on this occasion , I shall rather address the younger members of the Craft , a great number of whom are now present , by repeating an oft-told tale . I have repeated it many times ¦ before , but as it may be interesting to the younger members , I hope that will be a sufficient apology to the older members of the Craft . Now , brethren , this lodge was founded in 1817 by Bros . Philip BroadfootPeter Thomsonand Thomas Satterb .

, , y Bro . Broadfoot was a P . M . of the Lodge of Stability , and Bro . -Satterby was a P . M . of the Gehon Lodge , and I am glad to see that that lodge is well represented on this occasion . Our late Bro . Peter Thomson was a member of the Lion and Lamb Lodge , and there were many other members of lodges of that period . The lodge prospered under the auspices of Bro . Broadfoot until 1 S 35 , when he left London , having been promoted by

the government of the day to the highest position for his eminent services to the country in a certain branch of the civil gjrvice . On . his leaving London—I think Bro . Patten will correct me if I am wrong- —he was presented with a similar present to I

that which you have presented me with this night . On that occasion Bvo . Peter Thomson , who taught me , took the management of the Stability Lodge of Instruction , and held it until his death , which occurred in 1851 , when your humble servant was selected to fill his place . I have endeavoured to do so to the utmost of my ability , and I do fancy that I have succeeded , for if I had not done so I am sure that the numbers would not be present that I see now . I told at the beginning that

you I was not going to make a speech , but since I have been in the room some of the brethren have said , " What a dirty apron you have got—you ought to have a better one . " Now , I say that as long as I am a member of this lodge I will never wear any other , and I do so for this reason : When I attended the rfirst meeting after the death of Bro . Peter Thomson , at the London Tavern , Bro . Townond , whose son filled the Senior

Warden ' s chair this evening , occupied the chair , and I recollect the speech he made on that occasion , for I was only reading it the other day . Yes , I read it last week- in the FREEMASONS MAGAZINE of that period ; and in that speech Bro . Toivnend said that the mantle of Bro . Peter Thomson had fallen upon me , and I thought I wonld carry that out literally . Now , here is the mantle of Bro . Peter Thomson —( holding out a

dirtylooking apron amidst laughter and loud cheering)—and more ¦ than that , I can tell you that it was presented to Bro . Peter Thomson by Bro . John Havers . I wished to explain to those brethren who said I had a dirty apron why I wear it . I wear it -for the same reason that the soldier carries his tattered flag , for it has been employed in a noble service . I feel delighted at the manner in which you have received tho toastand I now

, come to the other part of it . You , brethren , have shown your approval of me in a substantial manner , and I am very much obliged to you , and all the members of the committee ; ' but on -this occasion it would appear invidious were I to mention the names of any of them in particular , but I believe every one of that committee has worked in a manner as if it was for his own interest . I am obliged to the brethren who have supported

them in carrying out this magnificent gift , and highly do I prize it . I wish I could find words to express my feelings , but I am pleased to see present Bro . Patten , the oldest member of this lodge , and who is connected with me in the institution which you have so much at heart ; and I am sure Bro . Patten has as

much pleasure in witnessing the presentation of this box to me as if it was presented to himself . Bro . Patten joined this lodge of instruction in 1825 , and he was introduced to it by Bro . Peter Thomson , and I felt great pleasure in being acquainted with Bro . Patten , with whom I have been on the most intimate and friendly terms for years past . I have not done yet , although I am not making a speech . I cannot make a speech , but I can talk . I met my old friend , Bro . M'Intyre , at the Lion and Lamb

Lodgo , when I took my second degree , and I express my gratification in seeing him here to-night . Bro . M'Intyre was a member of the Lion and Lamb Lodgo when I was enrolled as an honorary member , and there are other friends present , though I will not enumerate them . I can assure yon that if my exertions meet with your approbation I feel gratified , and I will continue those exertions to promote the prosperity of the Stability Lodge of Instruction . I havo met you to-night at its

jubilee , and I only hope that I shall meet you all at its centenary . The worthy brother sat down amidst enthusiastic cheering . Bro . LLEWELLYN EVANS proposed "The Health of the Chairman , Bro . M'Intyre , " and enlarged on the very able manner in which he had presided that evening . ( Drunk with honours . ) The CHAIRMAN returned thanks , expressing his desire to do his duty to the Craft whenever an opportunity was afforded him .

Song—Bro . Carter . The CHAIRMAN gave the next toast , " The Working Brethren , Bros . Lacey , Townend , Norman , and Goldsboro , '" which was received with cheers . Bro . TOTTOEND said lie was sorry that the task of returning thanks for tho working brethren had fallen into his hands , but he must sincerely thank the brethren for the attention they had paid to tho working of the sections in the second degree .

It was no light task to the brethren engaged in the working , but they were too modest to take the credit of the work to themselves , as it was due to Bro . Muggeridge , their excellent preceptor , who should be called not only their preceptor but a professor of the art . He hoped that Bro . Muggeridge might be long spared , that lie might not only live as ho had hoped for 100 years , but he wished with the Spaniards that he might live for many thousands of years .

The CHAIRMAN then said that he hoped the time would speedily come when there would be no difference in the working of Freemasonry . He was happy to see present Bro . Pike , the oldest member of the sister lodge of instruction , the Emulation Lodge of Improvement , which for years had been presided over with ability and zeal by none more than by their late-esteemed Bro . Stephen Barton Wilson , and he ( the Chairman ) had hoped that with the aid of Bros . Wilson and Muggeridge that there

would have been found no substantial difference between the different systems . The oldest member of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement ( Bro . Pike ) was a very active member , and was still working in the lodge . He knew that Bro . Pike had

given good instruction in days gone by , and he hoped that the brethren of that lodge would think it worth while to communicate with the members of the Stability Lodge , and thus give them an opportunity of agreeing upon some uniformity of working . In the north some of the lodges kept up the old York system which is a system very different from cither that of the Stability or Emulation , when they were spoken to upon the subject and asked to change it , they said , " Why yon have

got two or three different systoms in the south , and until you have yourselves agreed upon one , don't ask us to give up ours . When you have established one system of working in the centre of Freemasonry , then we will come and join you . " He proposed "The Sister Lodge of Instruction , " and thought that if a little was conceded on one side , and a little on the other , then they shonld have a perfect system . He gave " The Health of Bro . Pike , and the Emulation Lodge of Improvement . "

Bro . PIKE returned thanks for the honour they had done him in associating his name with the toast , and it afforded him a great pleasure that evening to visit the Lodge of Stability . He liad done so for throe years and every succeeding year with increased satisfaction , and with never more than on the present occasion , not only on account of the working , but on account of the presentation which had been made to his esteemed Bro . Muggeridge . The Craft had done their duty on that

occasion , but it would haveafforded great gratification to them if the Grand Master had been pleased to bestow some mark of recognition upon their excellent brother as a working Mason . He ( Bvo . Pike ) should be happy to lend his aid to promote a con-