Provincial.

his son a Mason , because he- was going to join the army in the Crimea ; and his reason he said was , ' •' I know that if my son becomes a Mason , he is sure to find friends in whatever part of the world he may go . " That war in the Crimea produced many incidents which exemplified the power of the mystic tie , and the feeling of love and charity , and constant regard which was awakened between persons who became known to each other as

brethren in Masonry . Ho ( Bro . Crew ) had been entrusted with the gavel to propose the next toast , which was the health of their Right Worshipful 1 XG . M ., Bro . Freeman . ( Loud cheers . ) He ( Bro . Crew ) had no idea until a few moments ago that he had had the honour of raising their D . G . AI . to tho third degree , but he had great satisfaction in hearing that that was the fact , and the more so at finding that it was remembered by that worthy brother when he himself

( Bro . Crew ) had forgotten it . He was proud of having had that honour , for from what ho knew and had beard of Bro . Freeman , lie -was sure that he had not forgotten the charge given to him on that occasion , either in his jirivate sphere , in his own home and neighbourhood , or in the distinguished office which he held in the Craft . ( Cheers . ) He bad given iu his oivn conduct an example of all those virtues which that sublime degree illustrated and inculcated ; and though they miht regret the absence of Bro . Roxburgh on this

g occasion , they could not but feel that bis place was well supplied by his deputy . ( Cheers . ) It must always be a source of pride and gratification to them to have brethren belonging to Bro . Freeman ' s profession , because it proved to the world that those whose duty it was to point out the path of morality and virtue to others , found nothing in Masonry which was inconsistent with that sacred duty ; but on the contrary , wore convinced that Masonry contained nothing which was not good and nobleand perfectly agreeable to the

, character of a true Christian . ( Applause . ) He ( Bro . Crew ) was always glad to see among them brethren connected with any church , for they were not a sectarian body , and their hand was given freely to either Christian , Jew , or Mahommedan . ( Hear , hear . ) The admirable manner in which Bro . Freeman discharged all the duties of his office was so well known to the brethren that it needed no

euloguim on this occasion ; and he ( Bro . Crew ) had only to add an expression of his wish and hope that the brother whom he had the honour to raise to the third degree , ivould soon be l'emovedjto even a higher position than he now occupied in the Craft , and that instead of being the deputy , he would be the Grand Alaster of this great province . ( Loud cheers . ) The toast was drunk with the greatest cordiality . The Rev . Pro . FREEAIAJ . ' 1 ) . Prov . G . M . in replingsaid that in

, , y , this nautical place , ho might well say that he was east adrift , and that all the wind had been taken out of his sails , by the very eulogistic terms in which his health had been proposed by his worthy brother , or rather , his father in Masonry , for if Bro . Crew did not introduce him into Masonry ( as ho believed he did ) he , ( Bro . Freeman ) was , at any rate , full-fledged under that brother ' s auspices . ( Laughter . ) He certainly felt that the compliments

paid to him by Bro . Crew were wholly undeserved . ( "No , no ! " ) He had , however , endeavoured , as far as his humble ability went , to do his duty , and ho was glad to find that the brethren believed he had done it . Ho had , during the past year , endeavoured tovisit every lodge in the province . It was a very large province , and he did not , therefore , require the Grand Secretary and Grand Tyler to accompany him on those occasions , but he preferred visiting them as a friend and a brother , and in a private manner . His desire was to see the lodges of this province work together in unity , and also ,

he might say , in . uniformity . ( Hear , hear . ) Only in one lodge bad be found any irregularities which called for -particular remark and reproval as being contrary to the constitutions and landmarks of the order . The practice of overstepping those landmarks and of introducing innovations had , besides the evil itself , another injurious result , from its tendency to make the brethren who did so pride themselves on their own self sufficiency , and despise dulconstituted authority . The circumstances to

y which he referred were the cause of the lodge in question not having been represented that day . He felt the circumstance deeply . Beinganxious to draw together the disunited bonds of brotherly love in the lodge in question , he undertook-, a fortnight ago , a journey of some 70 miles with the Prov . G . Sec , and had an interview with tho AV . M . of that lodge , who promised to attend to-day with the Secretary of his lodge , to hear his ( Bro . Freeman ' s ) decision on a point

on which he had to arbitrate . They had not , however , made their J appearance , and he could only say that he was deeply grieved that j the brethren of the lodge should have chosen to take shell an -atti- I tude . They would not have bad to come 70 miles to wait on him , i but ho did go 70 miles to wait on them , and he felt that being ! placed in a position of authority over tlie brethren , some deference was due to his authority when ho felt bound lo exercise it , which be did with great pain and reluctance , ( lle .-ir , hear . ) He was sure that no brother ever knew him to break anv official appointment which he made with a brother or u lodge . ( Hear , hear . ) He

thought he had a right to expect to be dealt with in the same brotherly spirit and straightforward manner , and he wished it to be known by the brethren of the lodge to which- he alluded that it was no trifling- matter to treat with discourtesy the letters addressed to them by the D . Prov . G . M . or the Prov . G . Sec ., or to make an appointment with them and then not to keep it . His motive in wishing to visit all the lodges was to see that their working was

correct , and that the brethren did not go beyond the landmarks of the order . He was aware that in some provinces the practice had obtained of obligating three or five brethren at the same time on their initiation , and it might be said that it was not forbidden b y tho constitutions . But it was obviously indecent , and an encroachment on the landmarks , and the fundamental principles of their order , and , therefore , he , like Bro . Roxburgh , was determined

to set his face against it . He read a rebuke to the master and officers of the lodge where this irregularity occurred , but nevertheless they bad defied his authority , and still continued the practice . Now , he would put this quest-ion . Supposing they were obligating five initiates together—that being the greatest number who could be initiated at one meeting' without a dispensation , and supposing , when the usual charitable appeal was made , ono

of the initiates turned out to have been improperly prepared , what would be the result ? The other four , as well as that one , would -have to go through the whole ceremony again , though they had been properly prepared . Every one must see at once that such a thing was indecent and calculated to bring the ceremonial of initiation into ridicule . He was aware that the practice came from the University of Oxford , but he hoped now

that the snake was scotched , that it would before long be totally killed . ( Hear , hear , and laughter . ) He considered that , as their D . Prov . G . M ., it was his duty not to talk about their kindness to him , though he deeply appreciated it and was very grateful for it , but to talk to them about the business of their lodge . He trusted that they should never hear again in the province of any lodge breaking in upon the ancient landmarks of the Order . Bro . Crew's allusion to the initiation of a son of Lord Salisbury's into

Masonry previous to going out to the Crimea , reminded him ( Bro . Freeman ) of an anecdote of a military friend of his who led the forlorn hope at Badajoz , where he was shot through both thighs and fell into the trenches , every Frenchman that came near him sticking a bayonet into him . He had 37 bayonet wounds . He was continually making the sign of a Mason , and at last a French officer recognised him as a brother , ordered up a file of men , had him taken into his own lodgings , and attended by a surgeon , and when

the British took Badajoz , the wounded officer , then nearly recovered , came out to meet them on crutches . That story was one of the innumerable proofs of the value of Masonry . ( Cheers . ) He ( Bro . Freeman ) had himself experienced the benefit of it when abroad , lt opened a door to many pleasures which otherwise one would not be able to participate in . In conclusion , he would only repeat his thanks for the compliment paid to him , and assure them that so long as he continued to hold the office of D . G . M . he should

, exert himself to perform his duty to the brethren and the Craft generally . ( Loud cheers . ) The 1 ) . PROV . G . AL soon afterwards rose again , and , observing that it was always more agreeable to talk of another than oneself , proposed "The Health of the Very AVorshipful Grand Chaplain of the Province , Bro . Sanderson , " who deserved every praise for the admirable sermon which he preached to them that day ; and he ( Bro . Freeman ) could only sav that , if they followed the admonitions

given to them , and profited by their rev . brother s enunciation of the sum of the wisdom of their first Grand Alaster , King Solomon , and of the principles of their own Order— "to fear God and keep His commandments " —they would find that therein they would discharge " the whole duty of man . " Bro . the Rev . It . N . S- YKIVEHSOX , Prov . G . Chaplain , said this was the third time that his humble endeavours to discharge the duties of his office hud been acknowledged in this flattering manner

by the brethren . He would only say that , if they were satisfied , he was amply rewarded ; indeed , his reward consisted more in the testimony . of their kindly and brotherly feelings towards him than in any consciousness on Ins own part of his capacity to fulfil the duties of his olhce . He hoped be should be allowed to remain amongst them a very long time ; and , whilst it was the pleasure of the Prov . G . AL for the time being to continue him in his present

office , it should be no fault of Ids if ho did not do his duty . If there were any shortcomings in his sermon that day , ho must claim their indulgence , as , owing to his time being now so fully occupied with his ordinary clerical duties , he had to sit up the whole of the previous night to write the sermon . ( Applause . ) rRESEXTATlOX 0 E PLATE TO BRO . E . D 0 RL 1 > 'C , BUOY . G . SEC . The I ) . PROV . G . AI . then proposed the health of Ilro . E . Dorling , the Provincial Grand Secretary , which was received with loud cheering . It was impossible , Bro . Freeman remarked , for any Prov . G . AI . or i ) . Prov . G . AL , to conduct the affairs of the Order in his