The Masonicmirror.

if he did not hold the hi ghest rank , there were few brethren who had done so much for the Craft as Bro . Wilson . ( Cheers . ) Bro . S . BAIITOS AVIXSON , P . G . D ., said he had a double duty to perforin in connection with the- toast which they had just drunk . First to acknowledge it on behalf of the Deputy Grand Master ancl the other Grand Officers , with whom he was proud to have his name coupled ; and secondly , on behalf of himself . Since the D . G . M . had been in office he had so conducted himself as to win

the good wishes of every member of the Craft—which he felt sure he would continue to enjoy . As regarded himself , he happened to have the good fortune to be placed into office at the same time as the lato D . G . M ., Lord Panmure , who had executed his duties to the satisfaction of the Craft , ancl earned for himself a name which would not be speedily forgotten . He ( Bro . AVilson ) was an old member of the Craft , ancl so long as the G . A . O . T . U . gave him strength and health he should be happy to do his best to promote

the best interests of the Order ( cheers ); ancl he would now return them his sincere thanks for the honour they had paid him . ( Cheers . ) Bro . Ransford having sung the " Lion and the Lamb , " for which there were loud demands to encore , The D . Pi ! OA . G . M . said that be was very unwilling to interfere between the harmony of the evening and the brethren , but he had a toast to propose whichhe was surewould be most harmoniousl

, , y received , as it was tho health of a brother dear to them all , " The Prov . G . M . for Kent . " ( Cheers ) . They had heard their Prov . G . M . say that every one who came into contact with the Earl of Zetland always found him kindly ancl courteous—a description which would well apply to Viscount Holmesdale himself . ( Cheers ) . Now-, they , the brethren of Kent , had proved the kindness and courtesy of the Earl of Zetland . At tho time when the

vacancy occurred in the office of Prov . G . M ., a general feeling prevailed in the province that the noble lord who now presided over them was the best man to fill the Chair . ( Cheers ) . They , therefore , recommended to the M . AV . G . M . in mild but respectful terms Viscount Holmesdale for the office of Prov . G . M ., ancl the Earl of Zetland

most courteously and readily complied with their wishes . Now , having acknowledged their obligations to the Earl of Zetland , he must be allowed to say a few words with regard to Viscount Holmesdale . ( Cheers ) . He said last year , and he would repeat it now , that they would find the noble lord was not one who would rely on his hereditary position , but one who by his own merits would gain the esteem of his fellow-men . Bro . Ransford had them the of a man

sung song with the paw of a lion , ancl the heart of a lamb , and just " such a man was Viscount Holmesdale . Though hy his birth he might if he hadchosen , cnjoyed ^ what was called a feather-bedposltion , he had chosen rather to bear arms in the cause of his country , and proceeded to the Crimea , neither did he come scatheless out of the battle ( Applause ) , in which he obtained distinction and renown ( Cheers ) . On his return home he did not' wish to be idle , ancl having been to stand

requested as Member of Parliament for the Western division of the county , he consented to do so , and though he was not going to talk polities , he might be allowed to say that having fought a fair fight he was returned to the House of Commons , where he had met with great success , and elicited the warm commendations of his constituents . ( Applause . ) Though his Lordship was rather a little man , he knew he possessed all the pluck of a lion , and , like a true-hearted Englishman , would , if attacked hy three even bigger than himself , manage to give a good account

of them . ( Laughter . ) But , withal , he possessed the most lamblike qualities , an easy , gentlemanly bearing , and the greatest kindliness of disposition ; and certainly if he was a lamb in body , he had all the spirit of the lion . ( Cheers and laughter . ) He ' had had many opportunities of coining into contact with his Lordship , and could not only speak as to his abilities and business habits so far as Masonry \ vas concerned , but could declare that from the highest to the lowest Masonin communication he had with them he

, every recognised them only as Masons , and knew no social distinctions between them . ( Cheers . ) He recognised all as his equals , and the Prov . G . M . gave to all a cordial ancl hearty reception . He would now propose "The Health of the R . W . Prov . G . M ., " trusting that he might long continue to preside over the province . ( Cheers . ) The PEOV . G . M . said , that after the high eulogiums of Bro . Dobson , and the kind manner in which the brethren had received his

name , it certainly did require a good deal of what Bro . Dobson called pluck to stand up and thank them for the toast . It certainly would be difficult for him to fill up the character as drawn b y Bro . Dobson , or even to give them a faint shadow of his fancy sketch of the- Prov . G . M . ( Laughter . ) He could only say that after the very kind manner in which they had received and supported him , he should be only doing his duty hy reciprocating their kindness , and doing his best to promote the interests of l'reemasonry m the province , ancl endeavour to excel in future anything he had yet been enabled to perform as Prov . G . M .

( Cheers . ) As there was a great deal in contrasts , and the prettiest women generally selected the plainest of maids , so he felt that as regarded Masonry , the beauty was all on the side of Bro . Dobson . ( Cheers and laughter . ) He had received from the Prov . G . Sec . a statement of the progress which Freemasonry was making in the province , and which he had great pleasure in reading to them . In 1857 , they had 465 subscribing members ; in 1858 , 509 ; 1859 , 567 ; 1860630 ; and this year 727 . ( Cheers . ) JSTOW though that was

, highly satisfactory , he trusted that they would not stop there ; but that with a very few years these members would be represented by at least four figures , ( Cheers . ) In a large and important county like Kent , there must be many gentlemen who wovdd gladly join them if they r but understood the beneficial influences arising from Freemasonry , and he saw the best chance of their increasing their numbers in the example s and the highly influential and respectable

position of the brethren by whom he was then surrounded . ( Cheers . ) In conclusion he | had only to thank them for the compliment they had paid him , hoping and trusting that his conduct might ever be such as to deserve their confidence ancl support so long as he had the honour of presiding over them . ( Cheers . ) As time was pressing , and many of them had to leave by train , he would now ask them to fill their glasses to the health of their D . Prov . G . M . ; and there was one thing he would impress upon them as they were assembled

in a public room , so to moderate their enthusiasm as not to bring down the roof . ( Cheers . ) He felt that he had only to mention the name of Bro . Dobson to ensure it a hearty reception ( cheers ); ancl he believed that during the short time that brother had heen in office , he had visited nearly all , if not every lodge in the province in order to make himself perfectly acquainted with their position . For himself , he could only regret that other business had prevented him having a like pleasure ; but he had found that whenever he

wanted to know anything with regard to the province Bro . Dobson had always given him the soundest ancl clearest of advice , for which he had great pleasure in publicly expressing his gratitude . ( Cheers . ) He could ' say much more did he not feel that it was unnecessary , as they were ' all impatient to drink the toast . ( Loud applause . )

Bro . DOBSOJN , D . Prov . G . M ., said his lordship had talked of fancy sketches , ancl then proceeded to draw one af a pretty lady and her maid , reminding him ( Bro . Dobson ) of Beauty and the Beast —( laughter)—though they would recollect that , according to the old fable on which , the story was founded , that when he had shed his skin , it was found that he was not such a very had beast after all . ( Cheers . ) Now , he was not going to gay that his lordship was altogether the beauty , ancl that he ( Bro . Dobson ) was

entirely the beast . —( Laughter)—though he still hoped that whilst his lordship remained as Beauty , that when the skin of praise with which his lordship had clothed him was shed , he should stand before them as the plain James Francis Dobson they had known before . ( Cheers . ) Now , in the position in which he was placed , he stood somewhat in the character of Prime Minister to the Prov . G . M ., aud it being his duty to advise his lordship on the appointments to be

macle , he felt it his duty personally to visit the various lodges and judge of their members and their working for himself . ( Cheers . ) He had not , as his lordship intimated visited all the lodges , hut had only as yet been able to visit twelve out of eighteen , though he intended shortly to visit the other six , and he should have done so before but for a severe attack of gout in the spring . As it was his duty to advise the noble lord , he hoped , if in any of the appointments made they saw any cause for blame they would attribute it

to him—whilst if they saw any cause for praise they would give it were it was justly clue , to the fountain of all honour—the Prov . G . M . ( Cheers . ) He would beg them to recollect one thing that as there were hut ten purples to give away , and there were eighteen lodges , it was impossible to meet the claims of all who were fairly entitled to honour , and all that he could do was to make the best selection he could according to his judgment . ( Cheers . ) It was all very well a few years ago , when there were hut few ivorking

lodges , and very few Masons who could work in them , but now it was quite different , ancl whilst in the last four years the number of their members had increased by 50 per cent . ; the number of good working lodges in which every office was creditably filled , had increased in a far greater ratio , and added to the difficulty of selection . ( Hear . ) He had no doubt that most men placed a high value upon themselves ( laughter ); but still they must recollect that there were but ten purples to give among eighteen lodges , so that every lodge

could not have them . At the same time he pledged himself that so long as he had the honour to hold the office he then did that he would always recommend the best men according to his judgment founded on personal observation , and that he would never be led away by earwigging or second-hand recommendations . ( Cheers . ) For fourteen years he had only acted as a Mason in his own lodge , and he could only suppose that it was to his conduct there that led his Lordship—following up an appointment made hy the Grand Registrar whilst the office of Prov . G . M . was . in abeyance