Metropolitan.

Freemasonry in general . He had been for a great number of years a member of the lodge , indeed , ever since tbe demise of their respected Bro . Gilkes , aud had known their President for upwards of thirty years ; and be felt sincerely obliged to him and the brethren for the interest they had taken and the support tbey had given to the lodge . Their worthy President was an old member of the lodge , and was so during the time of Bro . Gilkeswhose portrait he had then the leasure of exhibiting to

, p them . After a few other observations , he thanked them for the honour they had conferred upon him in coupling his name with the toast . Bro . MCINTVEE , Grand Registrar , said he felt it to be a high privilege to be permitted to propose the health of tbe President who occupied the chair on the present occasion , and thoy were delighted to see him do honour to the lodge as one of its members for so many years . Tbey had on the present occasion as

their Presidant an old ancl valued Mason , who achieved distinction when the late Duke of Sussex placed him in an honourable position . He ( Bro . Mclntyre ) was glad to find that lie had not forgotten tbe lessons he had learnt in his youth , but was determined to carry them out in after life , thus showing that when once a Mason he would always be a Mason . Their esteemed Bro . Evans hud accorded to him , by tbe Duke of Sussex , tbe position of Grand Deacon , and they then saw him as President

of the Board of General Purposes . He had well achieved bis success , and be hoped that every brother would do honour to him who did honour to himself by coming amongst them , for a better man never entered within the walls of Freemasonry . ( The toast was most cordially received . ) The PRESIDENT ( Bro . Llewellyn Evans ) said he could assure them that it was with very great gratification he received that meed of praise at their handsancl it was with extreme pleasure

, that he presided at that festival of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement . Bro . Wilson taught him what little he knew of Freemasonry , and he had endeavoured to disseminate what he had learnt from him through the Craft ; but be hardly ever expected to have the honour accorded to him of presiding over the Emulation Lotlge of Improvement . He was very glad to see his preceptor in good health , and he trusted that God would long spare him to preside over tho lodge , and to continue to

live to a good old age . As to the Board of General Purposes , be ( Bro . Evans ) had sometimes an unpleasant duty to perform as the organ of conveying reproof to the brethren ; but now be was happy to say they rarely bad a complaint to consider . Never was tbe Craft so free from complaints—bringing back tho golden clays of Freemasonry . For the next Grand Lodge there was not a single notice , which showed that tho Craft were satisfied with the way in which they were going on . Thoy

were very prosperous : their finances were increasing , and they wero looked upon as tbe first Grand Lodge in the world . He hoped tbey would profit by it , and , by continuing in the same peaceful state , show to the world that Freemasonry meant peace and goodwill amongst all mankind . The PRESIDENT said tbe brethren of that lodge mot under the auspices of tho Lodge of Unions , and he thought that lodge

ought to be proud of so good a child as the Emulation Lodge of Improvement . Still , when thoy met on such occasions it was their duly to thank tho lodge under whose sanction they were assembled . He gave " Prosperity to the Lodge of Unions , " and , in the absence of the W . M . of that lodge , he coupled with it tho name of Bro . Green . Bro . GREEN , in responding to the toast , said he regretted that they had not selected Bro . Hervey to have returned thanks

for the honour conferred upon the Lotlge of Unions ; but he gathered from him that it afforded him great gratification to see the working of the lodge , which was held under the auspices of the lodge to which they had the honour to belong . For himself , he could say that he had never seen the sections so excellcntl y given as on that evening , and a most pleasing episode in it was the spontaneous working of one of the sections bBro . Pike .

y Long might the lodge continue to prosper in the admirable working tbey had seen that night , and long might he be spared to see the excellent way in which it was conducted under tbe Lodge of Unions . Tbe PRESIDENT said lie had then to bring before , tbe brethren the toast of a sister lodge , which was the Stability Lodge of Instruction . In proposing that lodge ho was to some extent

proposing his own health , for he had for thirty years been a member of it . Ho remembered it whan they used to meet at an old pot-house at St . Mary-at-Hill , when it used to be called a " Pot-and-pipe lodge . " ( Laughter . ) They used to have a little

working , then knock-off and enjoy a pot of half-and-half , then resume , and finish up with a pot of half-and-half again . ( Laughter . ) The Stability Lodge of Instruction was now an important one , but they worked the lectures and the ceremonies in a somewhat different manner . He regretted that he did not see present the worthy preceptor of the Lodge of Stability ( Bro . Muggeridge ) , for he hoped , with the united efforts of himself and Bro . Wilson , they would bring about a uniformity of

working . Ho gave them "Prosperity to tho Stability Lodge of Instruction ; " and as he knew they had an able and learned member of that lodge present amongst the company , he would couple with the toast the name of Bro . Havers . Bro . HAVERS , P . G . S . W ., said at that late hour of tbe evening be would not detain them for more than two or three minutes . Between the Lodge of Stability and tbe Lodge of Emulation there was no material difference , except a generous rivalry as to

which could best discharge its duty . There were , however , one or two points of difference between them . The Lodge of Emulation very wisely changed their President every year , but the Lodge of Stability most unwisely always kept him in harness . ( A laugh . ) He thanked them on the part of the Lodge of Stability , and said it was alwsiys their desire to give the ritual of Freemasonry carefully and accurately . The PRESIDENT said tbe next toast ho had to bring before

the brethren was the noble Charities of their Order . The toast be had to give was "Prosperity to the Girls' School , the Boys ' School , and the Asylum for Aged and Decayed Freemasons and their Widows . " It was gratifying to them to know ho-. v Freemasons supported their Charities , for the sum annually subscribed far exceeded that subscribed by any other society of their limited number . Tbey must not be satisfied , however , until they saw the whole of their noble buildings well endowed

, lor the Charities of their Order would always commend themselves to all Freemasons . He was sure that he bad only to ask them and they would at once drink success to their Masonic Charities . ( This toast was most cordially received . ) Bro . FARNEIELD , Assistant Grand Secretary , and Secretary to the Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons , returned thanks on behalf of that institution , and said that the annual festival would take place on the 25 th of January , and be was

happy to say that 95 lodges would send stewards to it . He hoped the brethren of tbe lodges who had sent stewards would well support them , so that they might have a grand subscription on the occasion , not only for the credit of tbe lodges tbey represented , but to do honour to the Deputy Grand Master ,, who would preside . Bro . BINCKES , Secretary to the Boys' School , said the present occasion oll ' ered a great temptation to him to enlarge upon the

merits of their Charities , but he should exercise some discretion at that late hour of tbe evening , and would confine his remarks into narrow limits so as not to weary them by any such appeal on behalf of all or any of their Masonic Charities . He sincerely trusted that all Bro . l- ' -. u-n field ' s anticipations would be realised in January next , ami that success would also attend the Festival for the Girls' School ; and he felt obliged to their President for his kind allusions to the Boys' School . The

committee bad taken upon themselves a very responsible task and a great ancl onerous duty , and if he might compare great things with small , he was a sort of Atlas to bear the weight of tbe world , for the carrying on tho building at Wood Green had proved a greater task than he ever anticipated ; but he felt it to be his duty , both in season and out of season , to do all ho could to place the Boys' School on the same scale and iu the same satisfactory position as their other Charities . For tho last three

years their Charities had flourished to an enormous extent on account of the liberal , indeed munificent , support they had received . The Craft had been generally appealed to , or tbe committee of the Boys' School would not have been justified in undertaking what they were then doing . The new building was now in a rapid state of construction , and would cost a large amount , which , when completed , would be a magnificent home for 150 boys ; and when those who then sat round that table

v / ere numbered with the dead , future applicants would find that they bad laid their foundation well , and after generations would say that the Masons of the present day had not built for themselves , but had done wisely aud for all time . He was anxious to bring into the circle of their magnificent institutions those whoso purses have not yet been reached , and to stimulate them to general acts of liberality . Long might their Charities ilourisb in that generous rivalry to which Bro . Havers had alluded in providing for the young , and a home for the aged in