Metropolitan.

so , he could but thank them for the toast to one of the most popular and efficient Grand Officers who had ever honoured them by accepting office . Bro . BINCKES rose and said—A good Mason must be always ready to do duty at a moment ' s notice . He had been requested to propose the next toast , which he feared he should do but scant justice to ; but he felt so confident of its merits that he was sure his own short-comings would be overlooked . He

certainly would have liked a little longer time to have made some preparation , but had been called upon to give the toast of success to the Montefiore Lodge aiid the health of its first W . M . ( Hear , hear . ) His was a position of difficulty and delicacy , for he could not say he knew what had led to the forma- , tionof the lodge , but must suppose that it was mainly intended for brethren of the Jewish faith . For his own part he had ever received great courtesy in Hebrew Lod and considered

ges , it very much to the credit of those brethren that their cosmopolitan principles proceeded on so good and hroad a platform , and that whilst they formed a lodge like that there were brethren in office who were not connected with their exclusive faith . ( Hear , hear . ) In their Hebrew Grace , followed by an English Grace , he discerned no bigotry of creed . They had opened the door of their tabernacle to its utmost width in accordance with the universal system of Freemasonry . ( Hear

, hear . ) He was one who set a great value on that broad , common platform , which , putting aside all differences of creeds or faiths , made Freemasonry a quasi religion . In that spirit , then , he gave the first part of the toast . After success to the lodge came the health of its W . M . The good he did would live after him , and be the cause of its friends being able to say

of his lodge esto perpetua . The AV . M . must be well aware that in applying for a new warrant he had incurred a heavy responsibility . By liis conduct and those of the officers he had chosen would their deeds be measured , and he only wished every new W . M . would look upon such an important trust in its proper light . From their number he was glad to see the register of England could not get below the four figures , but if lodges were numerous they ought not to look to the mere numbers of

their members for peace and happiness . ( Hear , hear . ) They must be careful of the quality of those they made brethren , and not of the quantity , or else the distinction might come to he not who was but who was not a Mason . ( Hear , hear . ) Don't let him hear that they had initiated a large but a small number , and not rest their glory on having a large lodge . ( Hear , hear . ) He had been obliged to coin a speech , as he proceeded , without

knowing any part of their plans or intentions . They had taken a name which would ever be held in rememberance , as no worthier could be found —( hear , hear)—and if worthiness was a presage of success they might rest assured they were on the high road to it . So long as they propagated the true principles of Masonry , which were the guide of him after whom they were called , there coulcl be no doubt of their progress and utility .

( Loud cheers . ) Those principles , he hoped , would find a warm upholder in their W . M ., for to have placed him iu that position they must have known him to be a chevalier sans peur , et sans reproche ; and he ( Bro . Binckes ) hoped on the anniversary of that day to find that success hail attended him and his lodge throughout his year of office . He then gave the toast of " Success to the Montefiore Lodge and Health and Happiness to its first W . M . "

Bro . BENJAMIN ALEXANDEE , the AA ' . M ., replied , and said he felt the necessity of what had fallen from Bro . Binckes ; and although hut a Freemason of five years and ten months' standing , that was the second lodge of which he had been AV . M . From that experience he had arrived at a settled conviction that men had been admitted to Freemasonry who had no business in it , and others excluded who would have done it honour . Freemasonry was not of any creed or colourbut required from its

, members just , perfect , and honourable conduct . On those principles their lodge was founded . They wished to meet those hrethren who they could he happy in associating with out of lodge as well as in it . They mustered twenty-five of such , all men of good position , and he regretted to say there were not many lodges where similar brethren could be found . He hoped every member would exert his utmost influence to keep out of

their lodge all ineligible persons , either brethren or not , and he confessed he saw no difficulty in promptly blackballing any person whose presence was undesirable . For his own part , he considered it would be his duty to black-ball , and keep out of the lodge , every one they could not associate with outside its walls , and he was compelled to say that lie liked Freemasonry itself

very much better than he did a very large number of persons connected with it . He hoped the founders of the lodge might look back with pleasure to that day in after years , and he able to congratulate themselves on admitting none but brethren of good position and social standing , and if they did err in that respect it might be from lack of ability to discriminate , but not from want of inclination to carry out their principles . The AVorshipful Master was sure it was a very pleasing

gratification people felt , when they went into a new house , to see their friends gather round them . They might be said that day to have commenced housekeeping , and were honoured by the attendance of a large number of visitors , to all and each of whom they offered a most cordial reception . They were very happy to see them , and to one they owed a deep debt of gratitude for kind services rendered to them that day . It was totally unnecessary to say how proud and delighted the lodge would always be to

see him on every occasion , and with the toast of the visitors he coupled the name of their kind brother Stephen Barton Wilson . Bro . STEPHEN BAETON WILSON , P . G . D ., could perfectly endorse everything that had fallen from the W . M . He trusted they would not look upon him as a visitor , but as a father to the lodge . ( Hear , hear . ) He would also take the liberty to call upon Bro . Binckes to speak for the Charities in his own edifying wayand to advocate the cause of that Charity he so

, ably represented . Bro . BINCKES made an eloquent appeal on behalf of the Boys' School , in which he said he had guaranteed to find * £ 1 , 000 per month for twenty months , and be hoped they would do their share in releasing him , for he was in pawn for the amount stated . It had heen said , he continued , that he was carrying matters too far in his appeals , but lie differed from that opinionaud strongly urged the claims of his own peculiar

, institution . The W . MASTEE was glad to find they had a representative of the Press present . He , Bro . Alexander , considered it one of the preservers of freedom—a library in itself—and an institution of value to Englishmen . AVith Success to the Press , he coupled the name of Bro . Cooke . Bro . MATTHEW COOKE was very glad to find the W . M . so favourably impressed by the great organ of intelligence in the

nineteenth century , but while he had done him the honour to couple his name with the Press in general , he seemed to have overlooked the fact that he , Bro . Cooke , was there as the representative of their own peculiar publication , the FREEMASONS ' MAG-AZINE . The AV . M . had said he read the leading articles in several daily papers , but would lie add to that number iu future by reading the whole of the MAGAZINE ? Perhaps their weeklywas unknown to some present ; if so , he , Bro . Cooke , begged to

introduce it to their notice . Tbe W . M . had said the Press wasa library in itself , and he , Bro . Cooke , could testify to the truth of that as far as the MAGAZINE was concerned , for Freemasons generally allowed that periodical to present the form of a permanent library — remaining on the publisher's shelves ,. ( Laughter . ) What he was desirous to see , was that it should become a circulating library , and that the Craft would support it better than they had hitherto done . A speaker who had

preceded him said he was in pawn for the good of that with which he was more immediately connected . Bro . Binckes had ' enlisted their sympathies to extricate himself from that thraldom , but whenever would the MAGAZINE get into pawn ? There was no one to take them in , and they were regularly done for by the apathy of the Craft . ( Laughter . ) If thebrethren would only put their shoulders to the wheel , they might rest assured that they would not regret itfor by

sup-, porting their own organ they were popularising , amongst their Order , the news of the Craft , and assisting to disseminate Masonic knowledge . On behalf of that excellent brother , Henry George Warren , the editor , and for himself , in connection with the toast , Bro . Cooke tendered his giateful thanks . The W . MASTEE had two very able principal officers , his Senior and Junior AVardens . The Senior Warden was an old

P . M ., and thoroughly knew his work and duties . The Junior Warden merited every encomium that could be bestowed on him . The W . M . then gave the toast of Bro . Abrahams and Eskell . Bro . ABKAHAMS , S . W ., would trouble them with very words . He felt , as a P . M ., reduced to the ranks , hut hoped for promotion . He would endeavour , to the best of bis ability , to givesatisfaction , and merit the good opinion of his bretliren . Bro . ESKELL , J . W ., said , despite all difficulties , they had in a short time overcome all obstacles with a harmony and unanimity-