Address.

" High on His Celestial Throne sits the Great Architect of tlw Universe , His eye resting on the world , His lodge , ancl on us , the brethren . What though no voice from Him as of old to some of his favoured ones , strikes directly on the ear , there is the Volume of the Sacred law to guide onr actions and govern our faith . Masonry too steps in as the handmaid of religion , and in a language peculiar to itself ., would re-echo the

Apostle's advice , that , denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts , we should live soberly and righteously in this present world ; that though now we see through a glass darkly , though now the , outer world may misunderstand , and under-value our principles , we , who truly aucl faithfully act up to them , may defy the opinions of the world , and what is far better , we may be content to wait hopefully and peacefully until that glorious time , when Masonry , with all other Institutions shall have passed away , ancl all things become new , when we shall appear before the throne of God Himself , in the Temple not made with hands—eternal in the Heavens . "

Presentation To Beo. A. Edginton, Deputy Commissioner Of Police, Bombay.

PRESENTATION TO BEO . A . EDGINTON , DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF POLICE , BOMBAY .

At the regular meeting of Lodge " Concord , " ( JN o . 7 S 7 , E . G . ) , recently held a very gratifying presentation was made to W . Bro . Alfred Edgington , Deputy Commissioner of Police , of Bombay , by the brethren of that lodge , in acknowledgment of the services rendered by him during the year 1 < S 69 in his capacity of W . M . W . Bro . Henry H . Avron presided , and in honour of the

event there was an unusually large attendance , not only of the members of the lodge but of visitors . As many as twelve W . M's . were on the dais , viz : —W . Bros . Capt . B . H . Mathew , E . E . ; J . W . Hulseberg , Staff Surgeon ; E . Brunton , C-E . ; J . Dixon ; A . Swift ; E . T . Leith , LL . B . ; Dr . J . Anderson ; A . King ; W . H . Hussey ; It . Forrester ; and J . P . Leith , who has the honour of

being W . M . of lodge " Antiquity , " London . As will be observed from what follows , the presentation consisted of a handsome Past Master ' s jewel , and a silver tea service . At the conclusion of the ordinary business , W . Bro . Avron proceeded to make the presentation , and in the course of an eloquent address said that the gift he had

now the pleasure to present was offered by the officers and brethren of " Concord , " as a slight acknowledgment of the efficient manner in which W . Bro . Edginton had presided over the loclge during the year 1869 . He ( W . Bro . Avron ) was sure that he spoke but the

sentiments of every member of " Concord " when he said that it was on this occasion a far greater pleasure to them to make this offering , than it could be to W . Bro . Edginton to receive it . Too often , perhaps , the presentations of testimonials were but empty ceremonies , but he could assure W . Bro . Edg inton that in this instance the hearts of the givers went with their present . But W . Bro .

Edginton had received the assurances of the goodwill and affection of the brethren on too many previous occasions , to need being told now how much he was appreciated . To sum up the good qualities of their worshipful brother ' s character in a few words , he was a Freemason in the widest sense of the term . That was the eleventh anniversary of W . Bro . Edginton ' s Masonic career , and

the position he had attained in the affections ol his brethren was indeed enviable , but long might he bo spared to occupy it . The jewel now formally handed to him , possessing in itself an intrinsic value , was far more valuable , far more honourable to the wearer , as carrying with it the mark of the good wishes and the kindly feeling of the members of the lodge . Having presented the

jewel , W . Bro- Avron wont on to say that before closing his remarks , he had another pleasing duty to perform , for in addition to their collective gift , the jewel , the brethren were desirous of individually raising a fund for the purpose of purchasing a further token of their goodwill . With that object in view , a committee of tho

members was appointed , to whom the agreeable task of receiving the subscriptions and determining the form of the present wes referred . And accordingly , it was arranged that this second offering should consist of a silver service comprising the domestic apparatus used in the preparation of that beverage " which cheers but not inebriates . " In conclusion , W , Bro . Avron said— And now ,

Worshipful Sir , that yon may be long spared to fulfil your important public duties in this city , and to give us the benefit of your advice and assistance here , is the wish of all present . We know that our little presents are not equal to your merits , but small as their value is intrinsically , they will form a lasting memorial of our confidence in , and of our love and goodwill towards you . The testimonials having been handed over to the recipient , W . Bro . Edginton , addressing W . Bro . Avron , the Worshipful Masters and brethren present , said the

honour that the lodge had that night conferred upon him was so much in excess of his own opinion of his merits , that he could not avoid feeling a very considerable amount o ^ embarrassment in acknowledging the most flattering terms in which the Worshi pful Master had been good enough to mention him ( W . Bro . Edginton ) in connection with that lodge , and in thanking the

brethren for the very handsome and costly testimonials with which he had just been presented . He could not but remember that ver * y much of the credit which had been accorded to him for services rendered during his year of office as Master ,-was in fact due to the earnest efforts and wishes of the brethren themselves to pub an end to the unfortunate misunderstandings which had occurred ,

and which for a time had tended to injure the interests of the lodge . Those efforts on the part of the members needed but very small assistance from him , arid he should be vain in the extreme , and wanting in gratitude

to the members , were he to arrogate to himself all the credit of the success that was secured by their combined exertions . He was much i-ejoiced to learn that the last lingering spark of discord had expired in the loclge , and he was sure that none would rejoice more than the brethren themselves at the perfect love and peace now reigning over them , and he had only alluded to an unpleasant

page in the history of the lodge as a bygone , and as a thing for ever past . After thanking the officers and members of " Concord " for the ready assistance they had given him whilst Master of the lodge , W . Bro . Edginton . observed that , valuable as the presents he had received that night were , from their intrinsic point of view , he should prize them yot more highly as the exponents of

those kindly Masonic feelings which his brethren entertained towards him ; and he assured the lodge that few of the successes he had met with in life had given him greater pleasure than the knowledge that he hud gained the respect and goodwill of his fellow Masons . Such

manifestations of goodwill towards him as those now made were indeed encouraging , and hs prayed that when he had departed to that " bourne from whence no traveller returns , " these tokens of his brethren ' s regard for him might revert to his children and his children ' s children , and stimulate them to strive hopefully and manfully to achieve success in all their honest undertakings .

Without detaining the brethren any longer , he would only express the hope that "Concord" in the fullest sense of the word might ever reign among them , that the members of the lodge might have but one heart and mind , and that " Concord " might continue to be known , as it had been in the past , for its charity—that virtue , eminent aucl active , without which their Masonic

organization would be but a mere bubble , but with which it was what it was , an institution noble in itself , and ennobling those who acted in accordance with its precepts , We may add that the jewel and the plate wore supp lied by Bro- P . H . Gouiding , silversmith , of Plymouth . England .