Entertainment By The Empire Lodge Of Indian And Colonial Brethren.

conducted to-day—a day which will standout as a red-letter day in the history of Masonry . You heard on that occasion what his Royal Highness has said about the increase of Masonry during his term of office ; but may I be allowed to go further , and mention the enormous increase of Masonry during the reign of her Majesty the Queen ? I believe I am right in stating that when her Majesty ascended the throne in 18-57 , the number of lodges under

the roll of the Grand Lodge of England was a little over 640 ; that included some Canadian lodges , and I might say an Australian one . Since that time the Australian ledge has seceded from us , for the reas on that they have a Grand Lodge of their own , and the same applies to other Australian lodges . But when we think at the present moment the roll of lodges on the Grand Lodge of England is 2200 and that the subscribing members of

those lodges at this moment are 110 , 000 , we need not fear that Masonry is in its decline . I thank the VV . M . and brethren of this lodge for having allowed me to be present on this great occasion . I am too glad to be present to meet my . brethren from different parts and to show them , if they needed showing , how thoroughly knit together we are in Masonry . There is one little thing I would like to mention and that is this : —brethren

all over the world are knit together in Charity . We , at least , I hope , we in England , look on Charity as our great watchword ; loyalty and Charity are our two watchwords and when I tell you the fact , of which perhaps all of you are not aware , that we are at the present moment educating in our Boys' and Girls' Schools 24 children , 12 males and 12 females , who are the sons and daughters of fathers who belonged to Colonial

and District lodges , I am sure you will say that our Charity does not stay at home . We have had a great meeting to-day , such a meeting as I cannot hope to see again , and never shall I forget the enthusiasm with which her Majesty ' s name was cheered to the echo , again and again , and the National Anthem sung in unison as I never heard it before . On behalf of myself and my brother officers I thank you sincerely .

Chief Justice WAY , M . W . G . M . of South Australia , P . G . W .: For many years past it has been one of the greatest sources of pride and satisfaction to me that in my connection with Masonry I have worn the jewel of the Grand Lodge of South Australia as representative of the Grand Lodge of England . To-day I have received a still greater distinction . For the remainder of my life , when the health of the Grand Lodge of England is

honoured in the far South , if I am present , it will be my pride and privilege to stand up as a member of that Grand Lodge . That distinction is all the greater because of the grand historic nation from which it is conferred . J take it to be a great compliment to myself , for it is a compliment through the individual to the great body of the solid brethren throughout Australia ;

it is not to the individual alone , but to the 25 , 000 loyal Masons who are spreading the principles of brotherly love , relief , and truth throughout South Australia . After the honour you have done me in allowing me to respond to this toast on this historic occasion , I beg the Most Worshipful Pro Grand Master will allow me to take this earliest opportunity of expressing through him my thanks and the thanks of Australian Masonry for the honour that has been done to-day to them .

Bro . E . E . HARDING , P . A . G . D . C : W . M ., and brethren , you will excuse me for saying only a few words in thanking the W . M . for the honour he has done me to-night in calling upon me to respond . The Grand Master conferred upon me Past Grand Office . It was a great honour , and yet the honour is not so much conferred upon me as an individual as upon the lodge . You may , perhaps , think that the members . of the Empire Lodge

are very enterprising and energetic for our present gathering ; but to whom are we indebted ? It is not the lodge , but to an individual , to wit , our worthy brother , Lennox Browne . There is no trouble too great for him to take on behalf of the lodge , and it is to him we are indebted for the successful gathering of this evening . . I thank you , Worshipful Master , for mentioning my name and giving me an opportunity of responding to this toast .

Bro . LENNOX BROWNE then read a telegram which it was proposed the lodge and its guests should send immediately to the Queen , congratulating her on her long and happy reign , to which a gracious acknowledgment was received . Telegrams of congratulation also came from other lodges , one as far north as Newcastle .

Bro . LENNOX BROWNE , P . M ., Treas ,, on being called upon by the W . M . to propose the toast of " Our Indian and Colonial Guests , " said it was a big order and called , perhaps , for a big speech , but , like Canning ' s knife-grinder , he had no speech ready to his tongue , for literally he had not had time to write a speech , hardly to think of one . He could only say how glad he and all the members were to see the brethren and to express a

hope that the success of the meeting would speak for him . He was especially glad that with Indian and Colonial brethren they had been enabled to gather together so representative a muster of distinguished brethren to assist the lodge as hosts , and he desired to thank the Pro G . M ., the Deputy G M ., the Grand Masters of Ireland and Scotland , and the many other Grand Officers , representing every single grade of Grand rank , for their presence .

I hey had , moreover , to especially record their high appreciation of the gracious message addressed to the speaker by his Royal Highness the Duke of Connaught , which had been read in lodge that day , and ordered to be entered on the minutes . All who knew the Duke of Connuught were aware that he always spoke from his heart , and no one who had heard him in the Albert Hall that afternoon , could doubt it . It was with especial pleasure

lhat they welcomed the presence of the Deputy from the Province of Bom- , bay , of which his Royal Highness was the Grand Master . Beyond this , they desired to thank the Secretary of State for India , for the personal trouble he had taken and the spirit of co-operation with which he had inspired the officials of his department who were of the Brotherhood . All greatly regretted his lordship ' s unavoidable absence . As to the Colonial Office the only Masop in the department appeared to be I . ord Ampthill . and he had given most

cordial assistance , and was present with them . They had likewise derived most valuable help from the various agents general ar , d from the Colonial Institute , As a result they had been able to gather together many distinguished men , fro m whom it would be invidious to select , while to give all their names would lead to undesirable prolixity ; nor was this necessary , since all the names were to be found in the little book which had been placed in the hands of each brother as a memento of the evening . He might , however , be permitted to allude to one type of their visitors , namely , the Premiers , who , as Crown guests , were the heroes of the hour . After some trouble it had been

ascertained that of the 11 Premiers , only six belonged to the Craft ; of these lour only had arrived in London , and while two had been obliged to withdraw their acceptance in consequence of a visit to Scotland arranged for them by the Imperial Government , "the Empire Lodge" had been

Entertainment By The Empire Lodge Of Indian And Colonial Brethren.

honoured by the presence of tiie other two , namely , Bro . the Hon . Sir Kfward Braddon and the Hon . Harry Escombs . The whole list was a distinguished one , and included representatives from 20 various Dependencies of the British Crown , literally " from China to Peru . " Having spoken of the origin of the lodge , and of its first founders , among them Sir Phillip Cuiiliffe-Oven , Admiral Sir William Hewitt , and Rupert Lonsdale , of " Lonsdale ' s Horse , " the speaker mentioned that it was feature of the lod

a ge that when a Colonial or Indian brother visited this country , he was invited to attend its meetings , and the whole policy of the lodge was to bring together all that was best in Masor . ry from the C ilonies , and to give them while in England a Masonic home . On this occasion it was not only great Masons whom they were called on to honour , but great Colonists . It was their health he now invited the brethren to drink , and he would ask the Hon . Harrv Escombs , Premier of Natal , Dr . Ryley , Bishop of Perth , and Bro . Owen Dunn , Deputy District Grand Master of Bombay , to respond .

Bro . the Hon . HARRY ESCOMHE , Q . C , Premier of Natal , in reply said : Worshipful Sir , Most Worshipful Sirs , Right Worshipful Brethren , and Brethren , I beg heartily to thank you , on bshalf of your colonial guests , for the happy terms in which Bro . Lennox Browne thought fit to propose for your consideration the toast of " The Guests from the Colonies , " and this august and distinguished meeting for the enthusiasm with which they

have thought lit to receive that proposition . My knowledge of Masonry goes back to a third of a century . The universality of Masonry , as far as I am concerned , is well evidenced by the fact that stranger as I may be to most of you , I find in this room men coming from the distant quarters of the colonies to which I belong ; I find men belonging to my mother-lodge , and men from lodges in South Africa , the offspring of that same mother

lodge ; and more than that , we find that a movement on foot throughout the Empire , not connected with Masonry , a circumstance which , after all , only follows in the footsteps that M isonry has already formed , the feeling not only of brotherly love , relief , and truth which has kept together the brotherhood throughout the Empire , but has had the effect of suggesting thoughts now finding expression in the closer confederation of all the

dependencies which constitute the Empire . Brethren , I ask you not to neglect the good things of Masonry in the great Empire to which we all belong , and of which we are all so justly proud . It will tea proud day for those dependencies to which many of the guests belong when they hear of the kind reception given to their brethren on this great occasion , and if when we return we have nothing more to say than to assure those who sent us here of the kind regard in which they are held in England and other countries ,

and that you also have a thought of them , they will say " we have done well , and we are glad you went . " I say I am glad of the opportunity you have given me of learning something of English Masonry . I thank this distinguished company for the hi ^ h compliment they have paid to the Colonies , and I b 2 lieve in my heart of hearts there is in this meeting a feeling of united concord and brotherly love , which after all is the true cement which will bind the empire together .

The Right Rev . Dr . Ru . i . v , Bishop of Perth-. It was once said "arose by any other name would smell as sweet . " I am an anomaly , 1 am a Past Grand Chaplain , never having been a Grand Chaplain ; I have never been a real one . I have got the reward of office without having had any of the labours . I look upon it as a great compliment to the colony I represent . As Bro . Lennox Browne has said , it is rather a large Order . I respond for one

million square miles . I think it is a great compliment , and a most delicate attention to ask us to come here this evening . To one who loves the old country , and cannot fail in his love for the colony , the kindest thing you can do is to ask him to a gathering like this , and show he is not forgotten by the land which he has left . We have had to-night a splendid banquet , and those who , like myself , travel about among the ' goldlieldsof a distant colony ,

and sometimes live for days on " tinned dog , " as we call it , and bread , and a little water , can very well appreciate such a grand banquet as this . No brother has appreciated this banquet more than I have . Pleasant things have been said , excellent things eaten and drunk , right real music and poetry given , which has gone to the hearts of those who have come thousands of miles , things which are in themselves cosmopolitan just as the banquet is . I thank

you on behalf of the Colonists in Western Australia . When I went out to the Colonies , it was said , " Do what you can for us . " I have tried to do what 1 can . I believe in Freemasonry . It is one of the greatest factors- it is no matter what outside people may say—in cementing the people of the world , not only Britishers , but the people of the world , in the one

great brotherhood , which I hope some day will come about . On behalf of one part of the Colonies which own the old country as their home , I return you my most sincere thanks for one of the pleasantest times I have ever spent . It is one of the evenings which I shall never forget , —and I am certain the Masons in Western Australia will never forget , because although my Premier is not a Mason , yet the Bishop is , and that , is some compensation .

Bro . G . Owns DUNN , Deputy District Grand Master , Bombay : Worshipful Master , M . W . Pro Grand Master , R . W . Deputy Grand Master , G . Officers and Brethren , as one of the representatives of the members of our Craft in our great Indian dependencies , I must tender to you our most grateful thanks for the very kind manner in which the toast of " The Indian and Colonial Guests " was proposed and responded to ; and I must at the

same time , sir , assure you of the very great pleasure that we have derived this evening from the enjoyment of your princely hospitality . That this pleasing task ha * fallen to me rather than to some other more distinguished —personally distinguished—brother , of whom many are here this evening , is due , as Bro . Lennox Browne has already told you , to my great good fortune in having the honour to hold the post of Deputy to his R lyal Highness the

Duke of Connaught , District Grand Master of Bombay , whose most gracious letter of regret for his inability to be present here this evening you heard read in open loo ' ge . Had his Royal Highness been able to be present to-day , I am sure it would have given unqualified pleasure to listen to the kindly words of fraternal greeting which , through us , their representatives , have been addressed to our brethren in every quarter of the globe ;

and if I may be permitted , I would say the same of his distinguished Pro District Grand Master , Lord Sindhurst , Governor of Bombay , who , ever since he assumed the reins of office , has done an immense amount for the good of the Craft in that district . Harass ; d as he has been by the work and anxiety caused by Ihe pestilence and famine , which have wrought such havoc with the province over which he rules , he has found time , nevertheless , to attend to his M . isoni ; duties , and his first ( Continued on l > ase 3 / 6 ) ,