The Royal Visit To Ireland.

our Charities ; he has laid with Masonic honour 8 the Foundation Stone of the New Schools at Reading , and he has been installed Grand Patron of the Order in each of the sister countries . But these are pleasant duties , may say some

reader . It is no great hardship to preside at a grand dinner , or make one in a pleasant outing . " But the concluding remarks of our Royal Brother's address show that he knows there is something more in Freemasonry than the

mere name . He says , " We all know how good and holy a thing Freemasonry is . How excellent are its precepts , how perfect are its doctrines . " He has evidently studied the principles and the precepts of the Royal Art , and is

able to expatiate upon them . Again he says , ** Forgive me if I remind you that some of our friends outside are not so well acquainted with its merits as we are ourselves , and that a most mistaken idea prevails in some minds that , because we are a secret society , we meet

unpolitical purposes , or have a political bias in anything we do . " The " some minds" referred to must be held to include a large number of the Roman Catholics , the head of which Church , and his satellites , have ever industriously circulated

and fostered the idea that Freemasonary has a political purpose , and that its doctrines are calculated to upset law , order and religion ; and , in the words of a recent anathema , would " drive God himself from his throne . " Now the

concluding portion of our Brother's speech before the Grand Lodge of Ireland : — "I am delighted to have this opportunity of proclaiming , what I am satisfied you will agree with me in , namely , that we have , as Masons , no politics , that

the great object of our order is to strengthen the bonds of fraternal affection , and make us live in pure and Christian love with all men ; that though a secret , we are not a political body ; that our Masonic principles and hopes are essential parts of our attachment to the Constitution and our loyalty to the Crown . '*

What an answer to those bigoted continental kings and emperors who see in Freemasonry nothing but the enfant terrible which , imbued from infancy with revolutionary principles , will grow up to overthrow their thrones and deprive them

of their birthrights , and whose growth must be kept down with an iron hand ; nay , must be exterminated as vermin .

The Royal Visit To Ireland.

The heir to the greatest throne in the world has been initiated into the secrets of Masonry . He sees nothing to fear , he becomes an active brother . In all parts of the great nation over which one day , in the natural course of events , he must reign ,

he expatiates upon the excellent precepts and th © perfect doctrines of Freemasonry ; he denounces the mistaken notion that Freemasonry is a political society , or has a political bias . He says that " we ,, as Masons , have no politics ; the great object of

our Order is to strengthren the bonds of fraternalaffection , and make us live in pure and Christian love with all men . " And finally he states that " our Masonic principles and hopes are essential parts

of our attachment to the constitution and our loyalty to the crown . " To those misguided monarchs , who suppress Freemasonry in their dominions , we would only say , take the word of your " Cousin of Wales , " as

" One who knows , " that Freemasonry is not a political society , that its proceedings have not a political bias . Encourage your subjects to become Freemasons , let them flourish under the warmth of your smiles and approbation , and when they

become , as they will , a great body , identify yourselves with the Order , and you will find that their Masonic principles and hopes will prove essential parts of their attachment to the constitution and their loyalty to your crown .

The " Prince Of Wales's Own " Lodge,

THE " PRINCE OF WALES'S OWN " LODGE ,

( No . 154 .. ) , BELFAST . The Prince of Wales has been ejected an honorarymember of the Masonic Lodge 154 , in Belfast , which , since 1813 , has borne the name of the " Prince of Wales ' s Own . '' An address , to which the resolution

of the Lodge was appended , was forwarded to his-Royal Highness , and the following acknowledgmentswere received : — " Viceregal Lodge , August 6 . " MrKnollys is desired bthe Prince of

Wales--. y to thank the Master , Wardens , and members of the Prince of Wales ' s own Masonic Lodge , CLIV ., Belfast , for their cordial address , and for their expressions of loyalty and attachment towards Her Majesty the Queen . " It has afforded his Royal Highness great

satisfaction to have been able to revisit these shores , and he will never forget the welcome which he has . received from all classes of the community .