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post with satisfaction to them and to himself . Bro . P . M . Moat proposed the Officers of the Lodge , and tho Wardens responded . Bro . Wright proposed tho Visiting Brethren , and Bros . Hatswell and Hitchens responded . Bro . P . M . Roes , in proposing tho toast of the Installing Master , commented on tho services rendered to the Lodge during the last two years by Bro . Levy , and the able manner in which he had conducted the installation that evening . Bro . Levy responded . Other toasts followed , and a very pleasant evening was passed . ,

" Waitemata Lodge , E . C . —Tho annual installation of tho Officers took place at the Lodge Room . The room was filled , there being a very large nnmber of visitors from sister Lodges . Tbe Lodgo was opened by Bro . Hatswell , the retiring W . M , and hi 3 Officers , and on tho dais were Bros . Levy P . M . Am Lodge , Chapman W . M . Eden Lodge , J . Warreu P . M . Waitemata Lodge and * Eden Lodge , E . V .

Macdonald W . M . Rermiera Lodge , J . II . Bnrns P . M . United Service Lodge , II . G . AVado D . G . Secretary attended as Secrotary of the Lodge ; and subsequently Bros . W . Lodder D . D . G . M ., W . P . Moat D . G . Registrar and Colo D . G . Director of Ceremonies attended and took part in tho ceremonies . The W . Master having opened the Lrdge , put to the ballot the Rev . C . M . Nelson P . M . Princo of

Wales Lodgo as a joining member , and tho ballot being favonrablo , he was declared elected . Ho then introduced Bro . W . P . Moat D . G . Registrar as Installing Master , arid this old Mason conducted the succeeding ceremonies in an impressive and excellent manner . Bro . W . A . Tenton tho W . M . elect was presented by Bros . P . M . Wade and Hatswell , and having been duly installed , ho nominated

and installed his Officers as follows : —Bros . J . L . Hatswell I . P . M . and Treasurer , A . Wright S . W ., W . R . Wnddel J . W ., H . G . Wade Secretary , J . Butler S . D ., H . Evans J . D ., Charles Crozier I . G ., Charles Porter Tyler , Burcher and Brownhill Stewards . Tho Rev . C . M . Nelsou was nominated Chaplain , but not being present ho was not installed . Tho addresses to tho new Officers wero

delivered in tho most impressive reannor by the V . W . tho Installing Master Bro . Moat . Subsequently the Lodge was lowered , and three gentlemen wero nominated and seconded as fit and proper persons to bo admitted as Masons . Tho Lodgo was closed , and tho brethren adjourned to the dining-room of the hotel , where an excellent and plentiful cold spread , surrounded by all tho delicacies of tho

season , awaited tho guests who wero present . The spread was tastefully laid and well served . The heavy dishes having been cleared off to make room for the dessert , the business of tho evening commenced . Tho newly-installed Master presided , and was supported on his right by Bros . Lodder D . D . G . M ., Moat D . G . Registrar Installing Master , Wade D . G . Secretary P . M ., and Burns P . M . ; and

on the left by Bros . Hatswoll I . P . M . and T . Cole P . M . Tho toast of " The Queen and Craft" was given from the chair , and responded to with musical honours . This was followed by tho toast of "H . R . H . the Princo of Wales M . W . G . M . of tho English Constitution , " which was loyally responded to with Macduff hononrs . The Chairman then proposed the toast of " The Sister Grand Lodges of

Ireland and Scotland . " This was responded to with tho customary honours . Tho Chairman then , in eulogistic , or rather enthusiastic terms , proposed " The health of the D . G . M . Bro . Graham , aud his Deputy Bro . Lodder . " Bro . Lodder responded ; he thanked them cordially for the manner in which they had received tho toast , and regretted that Bro . Graham the D . G . M . was not able to be present .

He ( Bro . Lodder ) had tried to persuade him to remain , but his business engagements prevented it . Had it been possible , ho would have been present at the installation in this his mother Lodge . As to himself , he felt himself placed in this position—the duties of the offico were not so light as many of them supposed . He was often buttonholed in the street to give a ruling on difficult questions , bnt ho thought on

the whole that the District Grand Lodgo here would compare very favonrably with any in the colony . Bnt ho hoped they would soon have a better place of meeting than they had now . When ho heard in the Lodge that a fund was being raised for an organ , ho wondered where they were to put it . It was a standing disgrace to the Masons of Auckland as a body that they had no place to meet in , and if , as was

said by Bro . the Rev . Mr . Nelson at the consecration of tho Eden Lodge , they could not havo a mansion , let them havo a cottage . He thanked tho brethren heartily for the manner in which they had drunk the health of tho D . G . M . and his own . Bro . Burns P . M ., in proposing the toast of " The D . G . Officers , " complimented them highly on the manlier in which the business of tho Grand Lodge was

conducted . Bro . Warren P . M . responded ; it wonld bo alwnys a source of pleasnre to members of the D . G . Lodge to assist on occasions like the present , and referred with pleasnre to the able manner in which Bro . Moat had conducted the duties of Installing Officer that evening . Bro . P . M . Hatswell proposed the health of the V . W . the Installing Master Bro . Moat . Withont bis aid they would be wanting

in many things . He was always ready to render assistance , and the duties which he had performed that evening were done to the satisfaction of all . Bro . Moat said he could only thank those present for the kind and fraternal manner in which they had responded to the toast of his health . He was quite aware that it was not because of hi * 3 position a 3 Installing Master that this was so heartily drunk ,

becanse in every Lodge he was treated with affection and respect . Ho really did wish that the same feeling should exist between every member of the Craft as that which existed between himself and every member ho had met . Bro . Moat then proposed tho health of the newly installed W . M . He had known Bro . Fenton for several years , and no person could have paid more attention to Masonry than he had done , and ho had no doubt before the end of his term ho would

prove a most excellent master , and fulfil the duties of his station with satisfaction and benefit to his Lodge . He hoped the brethren would drink his health in bumpers , and assist him in carrying out his antics . The W . M . replied , thanking them cordially . He was not a fluent speaker , bnt lie could not refrain from thanking them for tho high honour they had conferred on him that night—an honour almos ! beyond what he expected , as a comparatively young Mason . He bad tried to press ahead , and had gained bis reward , and bis success ehould

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be an encouragement to other young Masons . He thanked them all kindly , and especially Bro . Moat for tho able manner in which he had assisted him in the duties he had that evening to perform . Bro . Colo proposed tho health of tho I . P . M ., to which Bro . Hatswell responded . The toasts of "The newlv-appointed Officers , " The "Visitors , " " Tho Ladies , " " The Press , " ' "The Host and Hostess , " and the Tyler ' s toast , " Poor and Distressed Masons , " were drunk , and a pleasant evening was spent by those present .

Amoy—China.

AMOY—CHINA .

ON Thnrsday , 22 nd January , tho members of tho sister Lodges , Ionic and Corinthian , assembled in their new hall to welcome a largo number of guests who had been invited to take part in a Masonio Ball . Passing under a huge " square and compasses" of evergreens at tho entrance gate , the visitors found themselves in the verandah of tho building , whioh had been covered in and ornamented with flags . Tho great hall was tastefully decorated with all kinds of

Masonic devices , and brilliantly lighted with chandeliers and bracket lamps ; and punctually at the appointed hour tho guests began to arrive . When tho room was tolerably well filled , tho Masons retired for a few minutes to don the regalia of their Order , and then returned in procession , marching to tho band of H . I . G . M . 's corvette Lnise , kindly lent for the evening by the courtesy of Capt . Sobering .

Tho procession was closed by Worshipful Bros . Boyd P . M . P . D . G . J . D ., Sidford P . M . P . D . G . S . W ., Howard Master of the Corinthian Lodgo and D G . J . D ., and by Giles , Master of the Ionic Lodge and D . G . S . W . of Hongkong ; and , on reaching the east , the last two officers ascended tho dais , and Wor . Bro . Giles , in the name of sister Lodges of Amoy , declared the ball open . Dancing was then commenced in

good earnest , and at abont five minutes to twelve tho dance of the oveniug , the "Masonic Lancers , " was carried through with great effect . Fnll justice was done to the good things mentioned upon a neat menu card , printed in blue and gold and bearing upon it the seal of one or other of tho sister Lodges ; and thero was a considerable interval beforo any ono felt inclined to pay attention to the

toast list . With a stroke of tho gavel , Worshipful Bro . Giles rose—Tho toast of Qneen and Craft , which rightly heads tho list at every Masonio gathering held under tho English Constitution is one usually proposed and received upon its own merits , without prefatory remarks of any kind . This , it must bo freely admitted , is by far tho most fitting and appropriate method ; for he wonld indeed bo a bold

speaker who should think by any paltry trick of language to add his item of lustre to tho Crown of that noblo Lady of whom all British Freemasons aro so jnstly proud ; whilo tho Craft , that great and imperishable organisation nnder whoso banners wo meet here to-night , may well afford to dispense with the hollow compliments of an aftersupper speech . Such then , ladies and gentlemen , would have been

the course adopted by mo this evening , bnt for tho simple fact that we , tho Masrns of Amoy , numbering between fifty and sixty brothren , aro now entertaining , for the first timo in a building of our own , a large and brilliant assemblage of guests . And when it is remembered that a year and a half ago there wero barely some half dozen scattered members of tho fraternity at this Port , we , as Masons , may

fairly be excused if wo allnde with feelings of pride to the unparalleled success that has attended the introduction of Freemasonry into Amoy , and if we further claim to attribnto that success to the purity of those principles which have long ago placed the Craft as an institution beyond the reach of censure or of praise . Wor . Bro . Howard rose to propose a toast that is always received with

enthusiasm by Masons . The health of our Most Worshipful the Grand Master . This toast requires no further comment at my hands than this . May his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales live for many years to preside over our ancient and venerable Order , and may his charming wife , the Danish Princess , long be spared by his side to adorn that country she has chosen for her own . Wor . Bro . Sidford

then rose and said : —In accordance with the custom of my country I will change the order of precedence and say , " Ladies , Wor . Master , brethren , and gentlemen . I give you the health of the D . G . M . Right Wor . Bro . Linstead , who is at present enjoying a well-earned vacation in England , and wishing him a safe return to the scene of his Masonic labours and renewed health and strength to perform

them . I . must not say too much in praise of his Officers , for several are present , and I am an insignificant unit amongst them . Of thoso absent at Hongkong I am at liberty to speak in terms of tho warmest praiso , for they , with a thoughtfulness truly Masonic , have aided us in the decoration of this hall to-night by sending us a number of magnificent trophies , Masonic and otherwise . Rude

Boreas however prevented our lighting the exterior of the building so as to have attracted the whole island within the magic circle of our enchantments , and yet having dono his worst outside we have defied him here where light and beauty reign supreme . We trnst to further earn the approval of our guests in the ball-room , and I will not delay you any longer , as far as I am concerned , than by asking you to

drink the health of R . W . Bro . Linstead and his Grand Officers . The remaining toasts comprised tho Visitors , by Bro . R . H . H . Pye ; the Ladies by Bro . A . W . Bain ; and the T yler ' s , which was given by Bro . C . Killeen . Too much praise cannot be given to the tastefnl arrangement of the room , under the careful superintendence of Bros .

Kopp and Paulsen , or to the excellent catering of Bros . Moalle , Wilson and Nicholls , in both the departments of wino and food . And an opinion was freely expressed by many of tho Masons present that a hearty vote of thanks was specially duo to Bro . James Bruce , Senior Deacon of the Ionic Lodgo , for the great caro and attention bestowed by him upon tho various details of tho ball .

According to the Report for last year , the Grand R . A . Chapter of tho District of Columbia comprises eight Chapters , and a total membership of 1051 , or two less than the previous year .