India.

the civilians , I should have been so glad to have dilated on . Nothing remains for me , then , but to recall the splendid services they have performed in their own legitimate line for more than one hundred—aye , for nearly two hundred years , which have resulted in giving to the world such men , to go some years back , as Lord Metcalfe , who rose to he Governor General of Canada , and , to come to our own times , John Laurence and our present revered Lieut . Governor . In

performing the task set me , I consider it an honour that I have to do it in the capital of the Punjab , which , in Civil Government , is the model province of India . Gentlemen , I ask you to drink the health of the Civil Service , and with the toast , I am happy to he allowed to couple the name of Mr . Thornton , the more so as we can hail him as a Brother Mason . " In replying to the toast for the "Civil Service , " Bro . Thornton

said : "He thanked both the proposer and Major-General Cunynghame for the very kind manner in which they had alluded to the military service of the members of his service during the late mutiny ; if they had performed any such services , it was to a great extent owing to the noble example set them by their military brethren . Mr . Thornton then proceeded to say that he considered that one great advantage possessed by the Punjab and other similarly organized and

non-regnlation provinces , was the fact that in them the civil and military services are not kept entirely distinct , but harmoniously worked in the administrative duties ; he believed that both parties received mutual benefit from the system , and he trusted that the cordiality which existed between the two services would long continue to flourish . The seventh toast

was proposed by Bro . Jennings , P . M ., in very eloquent terms . It was the health of the new Master of the lodge . Bro . Boddam returned thanks . The eighth toast , " Our Guests , " was proposed by Bro . Field . Bro . Jennings again rose and expressed himself to the following effect : —He said he had the gratification to propose "The Press , " the Fourth estate of that glorious constitution which is our boast and glory , and at the head of which is our gracious Queen . Honour has to-niht been done

g to ' our Army ; but when have they opened the way and planted that famed old flag , that the Press has not accompanied them , to the delight of every Englishman ; for where is there one who would not feel he wanted " something" if he had not his newspaper on his breakfast table ? In all countries we regarded the Press as one of our dearest rights , —the palladium of libertythe advocate of free opinionthe chronicler of the

, , deeds of our statesmen and heroes , and our other great and good men . To us , it is what history will he to posterity , and to which history is so much indebted for truth . In proposing the Press , I beg to couple with it the name of its able representative in the Punjab , our esteemed friend Bro . Gordon . Bro . Gordon returned thanks for the Press with his usual eloquence , though , with the modesty and humility for which he is so

distinguished , he has requested us not to report it—a loss which the reader will doubtless deplore . The tenth toast was proposed by Bro . Major General Cunynghame , " The Members of Lodge Hope and Perseverance , " coupling with it the name of the senior member of that lodge . Bro . Ball , as the oldest member of the lodge , returned thanks . During the evening many glees were sung , ancl songs also , in a style which elicited the highest applause .

COLOMBO . MASONIC HALE . —A ball was given on the 26 th December by tbe Colombo Lodges and other Masonic brethren , and came olf in the council chamber with the most complete success . Not only was it the best festive gathering that has taken place in Colombo for some years , but we are justified in saying that the decorations , the supper , and other arrangements , were such as to leave nothing further to desire . Above two hundred guests

assembled on this occasion , of whom a third were of the gentler sex . The council room was tastefully and appropriately decorated with Masonic emblems and inscriptions , embodying the principles inculcated by this most ancient Craft . Prominent amongst these , we may mention a beautifully executed transparency of " Jacob's Ladder , " which , placed over the centre of the staircaseproduced a remarkablgood effect . AVe need

, y scarcely say that the bands of both regiments , under the direction of their respective bandmasters , performed their parts most effectually . At the usual hour , the guests , sat down to an excellent supper , the places of honour being taken by Bro . Col . AVaddy , of H . M . 's 50 th Regt ., the Master elect of Lodge No . 58 , 'die Queen ' s Own , and Bro . Henry Thompson , Master of the

Sphynx Lodge , No . 107 , assisted by Bro . Col . Maydwell , Master electof No . 107 . At the supper , after the usual toasts , Bro . O'Brien rose and said : —Although in olden times Masons have been most unjustly accused of witchcraft , to which they have no pretensions , still I think that I would not be guilty of it were I to divine the thought which has been in the minds of most of tho uninitiated this evening . It is , " What is all this about ?" " AVhat is Masonry ? " I will tell you—Masonry is the word

which unites the prince with the peasant . It inculcates the practice of every moral and social virtue , and has been aptly termed " a beautiful system of morality , veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols . " For , ladies ancl gentlemen , scoff not at the badges , devices , and ceremonies you see about . They all have a meaning , to " point a moral or adorn a tale . " It is well known that , at the building of King Solomon's Temple ,

workmen from all quarters were collected . AAliatmore natural than that they should , in those days when there was no education , typify , by means of the implements of their art , the various moral rules adapted for their government , or that they should seize on this means of conveying through their art the sentiments by which they were actuated . It was thus that , by means of these guildsafterwards scattered through the worldwe see

, , in noble edifices in the east and west , be they of the Greeks or Romans , or the glorious cathedrals of the gothic era , the same symbols employed . The sentiment , however , which I would propose , is one older still than Masonry , as it takes its rise from the next act after the creation of man—the moment he felt the softening companionship of woman —it is a sentiment honoured by all , ancl above all by Masons . I would beg to draw your

attention to the transparency over the stairs , called the tracing hoard of the entered apprentice . On it you see the pillars of the various Orders , the Doric , the Ionic , and Corinthian . These are seen in every lodge , and convey sentiments which should guide every Masonic art— -they signify to us , wisdom , strength , and beauty . AVisdom to conceive , strength to execute , and beauty to adorn . And have they been neglected by us

tonight ? No 1 Looking round and seeing so many of the society of Colombo about me , I cannot pay them so bad a compliment as to say they would be guilty of a wilful act of folly , or would patronise us when committing one . This time last year , it was

the wish of many of us , myself included , to have asked you , as to-night , to participate in celebrating the festival of our patron saint ; but we lacked one Masonic element—strength to execute ; we did not number enough . This , however , through the exertions of the AV . M . 's , who took for their motto one that must be dear to at least one of them , vires acguirit eundo , has now been rectified , and we number sufficient to welcome you to-night . Beautythe Corinthian pillar of our structure . I

, may , perhaps , be permitted on such an occasion , to commit a piracy on the well known epitaph of Sir Christopher Wren , and say . Si argumenUim requires circumspice . Yes , gentlemen , look round , and I am sure no one will say that we have not beauty to adorn . One and all , let us drink the health of" The Ladies . " The Queen ' s Advocate said that he had been requested to return thanks for the ladies . He felt how unworthy he was of such

a high duty , but he was only the deputy of a gentleman unhappily absent that evening , a perfect representative of the fair sex—a Bayard , sans peur et sans reproche He was , however , consoled by the thought that there never was , is not now , and never will be , a man , intellectually , physically , or morally , wholly fit to return thanks for the lades ! Independent of the intrinsic claim that the ladies had to be toasted

, the ceremonies of that evening showed that they were peculiarly identified with Masonry , The gallant Major had said that Masonry dated from Adam ; but plainly he placed that historical fact a little too early—it must at least have dated from Eve—as it was necessary that there should be tWo persons ! the world , that one might keep the Masonic secret . And how could Adam give a Masonic ball , an essential mystery of

Masonry , until he had a lady for a partner in Eden . In the interests of the ladies , he would convey to the Masonic gentlemen the thanks of the ladies in the manner that those thanks had been entrusted to him—in the first person : " We ladies , beg to thank the gentlemen of the lodges for a very pleasant ball , and a very nice supper , and fnrther beg to exercise our female constitutional privilege of iving adviceand advise ,

g , you gentlemen of the lodges , to repeat the favour at the earliest convenient opportunity . " Dancing was resumed after supper , and kept up until four o'clock , and the company separated well pleased with the hospitality of the brethren of Lodges Nos . 58 and 107 , and those who worked with them . —Ceylon Times .