Municipality And Masonry.

in order to find room for the large and distinguished company who sought admission to the Lodge-room . It was necessary , in consequence of many of the brethren having other engagements later in the evening , that the meeting should be called for an early

hour , for in addition to the work set , down on the " emergency " agenda , the Lord Mayor and several of his friends were to take part in scenes of fresh enjoyment , for which the preparations had been just completed , within the Guildhall itself . A grand ball given by the Chief

Mag istrate of London to the Mayors and Mayoresses of the provincial towns , without the Lord Mayor heing present , would have afforded a striking illustration of the play of Hamlet , minns the Prince of Denmark . Accordingly , Bro . Frank Green , who has the honour of presiding over the

Alliance Lodge as its Worshipful Master this year , fixed four o ' clock as the time for labour , which consisted of electing , as a joining member , Bro . the Rev . Joseph Henry Smith , P . M . 279 , Past Provincial Grand Chaplain of Leicestershire and Rutland , who had been proposed by Bro . Sir John B .

Monckton P . M . and Town Clerk to the Corporation . The only other item on the paper was that of passing Brother Edward Thomas Rodney Wilde to the sublime degree , and it would be only fulsome adulation on our part to say that the work performed by the Master , assisted by his

excellent Wardens ( Bros . H . Wildey Wright , the well-known barrister , and G . W . Brown ) , was of the most perfect and satisfactory character . At six o ' clock there was a whisper that the Lord Mayor had arrived , and presently his Lordship entered the Lodge-room , and advancing to the Wor .

Master , shook hands with him heartily and took his seat on the right of the chair upon the dais . He was saluted with due honours as Junior Grand Warden of England , and the business portion of the meeting concluded with an

extraordinary number of hearty good wishes . The banquet , which took place subsequently , in the gilded throne-room of the hotel , was a pattern of culinary excellence , brightness , and elegance . With such a number of visitors as to wan-ant the observation which fell from

the Worshipful Master later in the evening , that they so " bewildered" the Tyler that he was unable to give a complete record of them , it was a difficult task to dispose of them satisfactorily ; but with the utmost tact and ability ,

the worthy Secretary of the Lodge , Bro . Joseph E . Turner , contrived to put all the square men into square places , and thus accomplished the almost impossible task of pleasing everybody . Under such circumstances the remainder of the

evening was a continued period of quiet , happy enjoyment . Amongst the many distinguished brethren who occupied positions near the chair may be mentioned Bro . R . H . Giddy D . G . M . of Griqualand , who , we were informed , had discharged vastly important duties in Grand Lodge , and

indeed in every part of the world in which it was possible for him to perform Masonic work . Then there was that heart y and zealous Mason , the Rev . C . W . Arnold Past Grand Chaplain , Bros . Alderman and Sheriff Hanson , Shadwell Clerke Grand Secretary , Horace Jones , the

eminent City Architect and Grand Superintendent of Works , Sir John B . Monckton , one of the founders of the Lodge , J . A . Rucker P . G . D ., Frank Richardson P . G . D ., Sir Albert Woods ( Garter ) P . G . W ., Peter de L . Long P -G . D ., Thomas Fenn P . G . D ., Captain Bedford Pim .

Alderman Staples , John Messent G . S . B ., W . T . Howes £ G : P , W . H . R . Skey P . G . J . W ., the Hon . Mark F . Napier , Deputy Edmeston , and a host of others , as the auctioneer would say , "too numerous to mention . " The post-prandial speeches , though abundant in heartiness of

spirit , were brief and to the point , and were a refreshing set-off to the long-windedness too frequently the bane of ^ tasonic banquets . The " Queen and the Craft , " ° j course , took precedence , and in giving the toast , ro . Green observed rightly that Freemasons were ^¦¦ JDgst the most of

Loyal Her Majesty ' s subjects , ^ had recentl y been shown in a memorable and , ? ln teresting manner . He referred , of course , to I deputation of Grand Officers , headed by the Most

wstnptui the Grand Master , who waited upon the Queen ^ short time since to present her with an address , voted ' n , m 0 TIS 'y at perhaps one of the greatest gatherings ever 3 ia * t in the Masonfc Temple , congratulating Her « , ' ^ f , 7 P ier providential escape at the hands of a mad

lovftit * ! f « un . There was an enthusiastic outburst of sent ' olIowin g tlie 3 e remarks which fully endorsed the ODenJ ! S ° ably a ,, ided to in the Worshipful Master ' s v g speech . Then came the healths of the Rulers of the

Craft , to each of whom fraternal reference was made , with v well-earnied tribute of praise to all for the zeal and ability they displayed in promoting the best interests of the

destitution . Tho toast of tho evening was inevitably that with which the principal and honoured guest was associated , and in a few happily chosen sentences , Bro . Green extended to the Grand Junior Warden a sincere and

fervent welcome in the names of all the brethren of the Alliance Lodge . Bro . Sir J . Whittaker Ellis , Lord Mayor and Junior Grand Warden , must have been himself delighted and surprised at the ovation which greeted him on rising to

respond . He said there were many distinguished positions which a man might occupy , and sometimes when one looked around him , and found with whom he was associated , he felt it somewhat difficult to respond for them . On the present ocoasion he felt , as Bacon expressed it , he was

" young in hours , " and that he was surrounded by a distinguished body of Officers who for a length of time had borne the brunt and heat of the important affairs of that great Institution—the Grand Lodge of the Freemasons of

England . When he looked around he saw near him Bro Sir Albert Woods , who occupied so prominent a position , and was so esteemed by the whole of the Brotherhood ; and near him was Brother Sir John Monckton and other

distinguished members of Grand Lodge , with their excellent Grand Secretary , who was so zealous and ubiquitous—in fact he ( the Lord Mayor ) wished he was like him , for he seemed to be able at any time to bo in two places at once . No sooner had he done a good office for

one Lodge than he was , almost before they could imagine it possible , doing a good office for another . His Lordshi p went on to say he felt himself placed in a very distinguished position by the good offices of his friends , and by the kindness and condescension of Bro . His Royal

Highness the Prince of Wales , the Most Worshipful Master of Grand Lodge . He was also pleased to think that , amongst the brethren who surrounded him , and allowed him to be their mouthpiece on this occasion ,

he could claim so many good and tried friends , in whom , even long before he entered into the happy state of the Brotherhood , were those whom he could look up to with respect . He felt it would have been well if the names of some of his

brother Grand Officers had been associated with the toast , so that they might have spoken after him , and have dwelt , with that florid eloquence which they heard in G . Lodge at the Quarterly Communications , upon those useful and difficult questions which the Grand Registrar so eloquently

and so conspicuously rendered to them . But on this occasion he could only repeat that amongst the many honours he had had poured upon him the last few months , there was none he valued more highly than that of being elected Junior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of England .

Their Worshipful Master had referred to the Deputation that recently waited upon Her Majesty , and presented her with an interesting Address . He believed that was the first time on which tbe Freemasons of England had tendered an Address in person to Her Majesty , and it certainly

was a very imposing and very instructive sight . Bro . Sir Albert Woods , who had seen more than any one present of the ceremonials that had been exercised in the world , because he had been called upon by Her Majesty to invest the most illustrious of potentates with that much-desired

appendage , the Garter , was much struck with the dignity and the imposing character of the event , which afforded Her Majesty such evident satisfaction . In conclusion , his

lordship again expressed his deep sense of the honour which had been conferred upon him by the brethren of the Alliance Lodge . Amongst the Visitors it was an arduous task for the W . M . to select one who should answer for

such a galaxy of Masonic stars ; but with courtesy and tact he contrived to bridge the difficulty , and to pay a graceful compliment to Bro . Alderman and Sheriff Hanson , who , although not a Grand Officer , is nevertheless a true and zealous promoter of the interests of the Craft . The

remaining speeches were necessarily of a complimentary character , but all must admit that the accents of praise that were showered upon the Worshipful Master and his Officers , and especially his indefatigable Secretary , Bro . Joseph E . Turner , were as deserved as they were freely and sincerely

bestowed . The scene throughout was pregnant with hearty goodfel low ship and urbanity , and the company only reluctantly withdrew when the cadences of music , watted from the Guildhall , spoke of tbe opening of festivities on a larger and more magnificent scale , in which " fair women