Ireland.

annals of Masonry in general , and of the Grand Lodge of Ireland in particular . This feeling of distrust in my ability would be very great indeed had I assumed the task of answering to your kind wishes in the name of the Grand Orient of Italy , wdiose humble representative I have the honour to bean honour which I owe exclusively to the good feelings of many of the brethren now seated in this hall , and certainly not to my personal merits . But when I think that many other

nations have their representatives here , and many of them , —iu fact all of them , —more endowed with ability , more exalted in the Order , and more accustomed to public speaking , indeed , right worshipful Sir , I cannot help considering my undertaking rather rash , and would abandon even the thought of addressing you , were I not animated by the desire of expressing to you publicly what I have already inwardly experienceda sense of

, deeply felt gratitude for the Masonic honours already conferred on me , and for having afforded me this not less appreciated honour , of assisting at the fiftieth anniversary of the installation of our noble and dearly beloved Grand Master , bis Grace the Duke of Leinster . It is well , indeed , that we , the representatives of the grand lodges of France , America , Portugal , and Italy , should assist at the celebration of so solemn an

event—-an event that cannot be reproduced during our lifetime—an event that , while it throws a halo of religious antiquity around our institution , shrouds the venerable head of your Grand Master in that imperishable light of fame and renown that even death cannot obscure , and shall remain as a precious heirdom , to remind posperity of the merits and virtues of our present . Grand Master . Yesright worshiful sirit is with unfeigned

, p , joy I congratulate you for this great event , and I congratulate you and the Masonic brothers of green Erin , for having bad , during half a century , continually before their eyes a pattern of all social and moral virtues , equalled , perhaps , but never surpassed by any other nobleman , either here or abroad . That the Grand Masonic lodges in far distant lands may have the liappiness of possessing such a ruler , and that the Great Architect

of the Universe , in his merciful dispensation , may grant them such a leader and counsellor . Such is tho desire I now form , for , indeed , Masonic Italy , if placed under similar circumstances , would soon reach that eminence now proudly occupied by the

Freemasons of Ireland . It is only thraugh the zeal and perseverance of your noble Grand Master that the Order in Ireland has been able to stand the brunt of superstitious and ignorant foes , who , under the false zeal of religion , pretend , though they could not believe it , that a philosophical institution , having for its foundation the Book of Books , and fcr its guiding principles fraternity , liberty , and equality , could have any thing to do with the plotting schemes of bloodthirsty assassinsfilling with horror

, and consternation your otherwise happy and tranquil valleys . From hellish intolerance and mediawal bigotry sprang those societies that here and there infest and desolate some parts of this island , whilst Masonry has always proved to be the handmaid of civilisation , the offspring of philosophy , the nurse of liberty , without which the world would be trampbd under foot by the dastardly Croatian or the cruel Cossacklaying waste to the old

, bulwarks of modern civilization—Italy and the unhappy although heroic Poland . Masonry appears where freedom dwells . It is great in these happy realms , because it grows under the fostering shade of the glorious British Constitution ; it progresses in Belgium and Portugal under the protection of two enlightened sovereigns ; it has already assumed colossal proportions in Italy , although scarcely issuing from amidst the ruins of broken

sceptres and overturned thrones , and there , as here and everywhere , it inscribes in its rolls both rank and fortune , stretching its hand to the humblest and spreading its light to the remotest regions of the earth . Unassuming in its conquering inarch , tolerant in its dogmas , equitable in its laws , moral in its teaching , careless of calumny , always looking on to future peaceful conquestsand never avenging its wrongsbut with the good it

, , imparts to the human family , —such is Masonry . And why should it be otherwise ? Is it not founded on the Word of God ? And is it not the Word of God that commands us to love our neighbours as ourselves ? If Masonry should boast of any other foundation than the Bible , certainly it could not have stood so many ages , —it could not have been able to avert the would-be crushing blow of a modern Paladinwho forgot that the dark

, ages of tyrannous superstition had passed away , and could not be renewed in the latter half of the 19 th century without rasing to the ground the immense edifice of civilisation , to which Masonry undoubtedl y lent a friendly hand . But , Most Worshipful Grand Master , Right Worshipful Deputy Grand

Master , Grand Officers , and Brothers here present , I see I have already outstripped the limits of your patience . I thought I had but a few words to say . The pleasing argument before me furnished me with ample materials , roughly handled by me I confess , but not the less acceptable to my feelings as being so warmly attached to an institution so imisonant with the dream of all my life —liberty to all , fraternity and equality to each of the human family iu that walk of life it has leased our Supreme

p Maker to place us in . Again I return you my warmest thanks on behalf of your foreign brothers , and , humbly entreating his Grace the Duke of Leinster , your Most Worshipful Grand Master , to receive my good wishes and congratulations for the happy event we celebrate here this evening , I conclude by wishing his Grace many years more of happy and successful reign over his peaceful subjects—the Free and Accepted Masons

of Ireland . His Grace the DUKE or LErxsTEn said—With the permission of the Deputy Grand Master , it gives me great pleasure to propose the next toast , because , to the Deputy Grand Master and the officers of the society I am most particularly indebted , for taking all trouble off my bands . It is to them I have-to look iu the carrying on of the business in the Grand Lodge ; and I

cannot , in proposing the health of the Grand Officers , express to you too warmly what I feci for my Bro . Townsend . In all my Masonic communication with him I could not fail to be struck witli his good sense , his kind aud gentlemanly feeling , and his wish in every way to promote the good of the Order . Brethren I am particularly indebted to him . Indeed , for all that has taken place I cannot take any credit to myself . There is one

circumstance that I beg to mention that many of you may not bo aware of . In the year 1 S 3 G there was an Act of Parliament brought in to make some alteration in the Constabulary , and in that Act there was a clause inserted that no Freemason could he in the Constabulary . I very fortunately was in the House of Lords at the time , and I moved that that clause should be left out of the bill . ( Applause . ) Strange to say , several lords ,

whose acquaintance I had not the honour of , came over to me , besides some friends of mine , and they said they knew nothing about Masonry , but if I would vouch that there was no harm in Masonry they would vote for my motion . I said , " I have no

hesitation in giving that pledge ; " and when we came to the vote tho numbers were—for the motion 44 , against it , 41 . ( Cheers . ) At that time the Grand Lodge of England thought so much of what I had done , that they voted me a most handsome address . I had also an address from the Grand Lodge of of Ireland . I merely mention this because it is a curious fact , and it is the only case where I take to myself the credit of being personally of any use to Masonry . The toast I have to propose is ,

" The Deputy Grand Master , and the rest of the Grand Officers . " ( Applause . ) The DEI ' IITV GHA > . " D MASTER said—I beg leave to return thanks on my own part and on the part of tho Grand Officers , for the kind way in which you have received our names . We are well aware , indeed , that the noble Duke ' s name has been to us a tower of strength , and it has been for a long time a

guarantee to the public of the purity of our principles and the innocence of our pursuits ; and whatever may be said against us , wo have but to point to the name that is foremost on the list of our Grand Officers , and that will be a sufficient answer . I beg to express Lord Donoughmore ' s apologies that he is not able to be present on this occasion . The next in rank to him is Sir Edward Borough , whose absence is caused by a recent domestic

affliction . I have also to say that Bro . Mostyr ., G . Treas ., greatly regrets that he is not able to come in person to show to your Grace the respect which we all know he would bo among the foremost to oiler . I look upon his absence as a great loss , for he has been mainly instrumental in enabling me to carry on tho business of the Order in the manner which has elicited your approbation . ( Applause . )

The CKAUIMAX then proposed "The Past Grand Officers , " to whom the Craft owed a deep debt of gratitude . No one could speak more feelingly than he ( the Chairman ) could of those who had preceeded him . He was right glad to see bis predecessor in office amongst them . He also saw a most respected friend of the Order , who had been enabled to give them a great deal of assistance—Sir William Hort . Many of the brethren would

be able to value such services as his . He should also , before he sat down , mention the name of another of their friends who was present , but be had some delicacy in introducing his name in such an assembly as this , having been connected with him in office for many years . He ( the Chairman ) knew he shrank from