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' Christians in Syria and the Holy Land ;'" and again he said , "The Christian inhabitants of these places may well claim kindred with us , and have their claims allowed—as Christian brethren they may with confidence apply to you for sympathy , for relief in their distress , and found their claims specially upon the fact that they are afflicted , oppressed members of'the household of faith . '" After amplifying the portion of his address he proceeded , — "I must however state , by way of addition , that by far the greater number of those who are now in need of assistance are members nofc of the

Protestant or more primitive form of church , bufc of fche Greek Church , or of the Church of Rome . But primitive Christianity made made no distinction between Jewish Christians and Gentile Chvistians , '; and surely Protestants , surely Masons do not limit their charity by the narrow limits of Protestant Church , Greek Church , Roman Church ; all have One Lord , One Faith , One Baptism ,- and therefore I will with confidence assume , that the charity of evenone in this Christian congregation will be freely given to our fellow

Christians in Syria , now in distress , without requiring an answer to the question , are you a , Protestant ? Are you a Romanist ? Are you a member of the Greek Church ? On an occasion like the present , when I am asking for that which alone can be acceptable to Gocl , your freewill offerings , you may believe me when I tell you that I have not the slightest inclination to make the story worse than ifc really is . I shall simply bring before you what is stated in a paper published bthe Syrian Relief

y Committee containing a brief account of the facts connected with these unfortunate sufferers . Circumstances not hastily collected , and put forth as the truth by unknown men , without much consideration ; but stated earnestly , truthfully , by good men , wise men , men of wealth and rank , and highly esteemed for many Christian virtues . It is needless to . dwell on the tearfulness of tlie tragedy . The carnage of Lucknow ancl Oude ivas not equal to that of Lebanon and Damascus . The male Christian population iu some

places is not decimated , but exterminated . The Christian quarter of Damascus is not plundered , it is rased . Its merchant princes are begging their bread . The widows , orphans , and helpless , homeess wanderers are reckoned by thousands . Women are basely sold to unclean , savage purchasers . Compared to these scenes the chivalrous wars of Europe were very mercy . " The following statement indicates the extent and variety of the sufferings , for the relief of which the committee address this appeal to British humanit .

y 150 towns and villages have been pillaged and burnt , with tlie churches , patriarchates , monasteries , schools , the crops , silk factories , & c . ; also the whole of the Christian ' s houses in Damascus destroyed ( a city in itself ) , including the European Consulates . 16 , 000 Christians have been killed , including the men , women , and children murdered in cold blood . Also , Mr . Graham , and other Missionaries ; of their been mutilated and thrown

some corpses having into the wells . 3000 Christian women , married and unmarried , have been sold into Turkish harems for a few shillings each . 70 , 000 to 80 , 000 persons , including 20 , 000 widows and orphans , left homeless and starving . Our imagination fails to picture greater misery and suffering , and we cannot but believe that every Christian heart must cheerfully respond to so affecting and heartrending an appeal for help . No Christian can " shut up his compassion" in the face of

such revelations . AVe have no doubt that there will be substantial evidences by community that the members of " the whole famil y " —distant and unknown though they be— " do good , and especial ! v unto them who are of the household of faith . " In eiiccui-a' -in- ' --and stimulating his hearers to "do good" he cited from the paper above mimed .- — " M'e have fco clothe the naked , to feed the starving , to heal the wounded , to shelter the houseless . Her Majesty the Queenher Royal ConsortII . Ii . II . the Bnchess of Kenthave set a

, , , noble example by making liberal contributions to the Syrian fund . The great houses of the city , the merchants , trailers , and bankers of London , have taken the lend , by donations proportioned to the emergency , varying from £ ' 300 to £ 100 and less . Ker Majesty's Ministers and the leading statesmen of all parties are contributors and several are members of the committee . In this ' twice blessed ' work marked success has attended the Christian efforts ofthe committee mid

; wc are happy to learn from the preacher that the amount raised to September 17 th was about £ 14 , 000 . In his peroration he addressed himself in a particularly encouraging manner to the Masonic body present : — 'Brother Masons , I am ° proud in being able to address you in these words , —for this is the second occasion during my ministry in this parish , on which you have come forward nobly , most nobly and some at considerable ' inconvenience to to take and the

yourselves , a part , yes , leading part in charities , in which mere personal interest ; could influence hut slightly . On the occasion of the Barbados fire , you originated the scheme and on the present occasion , no sooner was it suggested that my sermon was to be for a charitable purpose than yon most readily complied with my request to be present on this occasion . . . ' . . Let i us remember what we were before we were allowed to advance a single step towards even an imperfect knowledge of the mysteries of i

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our Craft ; let us also remember what wc became when the rays of light , that first created of the Creator , dawned upon our benighted senses ; let us continually bear in mind that those duties which we as Masons are instructed in , and which are enjoined on us—on all occasions , in public and in private , to practise as well as learn ; and then let each of us give as Masons in proportion to the increase of his knowledge in the Craft , and I may only add , we may safely predict the result . I would now say , in conclusion , a few

words to you all . It is probably the last time that I shall address many of yon during the present year , but before next Sunday the new year will have commenced ; ami my wish and hope ibryou all is , that God may so bless you in the increase of your crops , in the increase of your stores , in the increase of your cattle , your flocks ancl your herds , and with every good thing , spiritual as well as temporal during its continuance , that at the end of ifc yon may each be able to say—I did at the end of last year lend somewhat to the

Lord , and behold he bus repaid it sevenfold into my bosom . " AVe-. believe over £ 10 were collected on this occasion ; we also understand that collections in aid of the above fund will be made in all the churches and chapels of the Island .

Masonic Festivities.

MASONIC FESTIVITIES .

MASONIC BALL AT GIBRALTAR . The Sfch January , 1861 , will be long remembered in Gibraltar , not only by the brethren , but by many of the uninitiated , and esjieciaHy by the youthful members of the fair sex . Since the visit of the Prince of Wales , nothing has caused so much excitement in the place as the Masonic Ball given by Inhabitants' Loclge , No . 178 , with the co-operation of many ofthe other Masons of the garrison .

Subscribers tickets were issued to nearly 120 of the fraternity , who were honoured by the presence of 200 guests . The Theatre Royal had been retained for the occasion , ancl tastefully deeorated . with evergreens , flags , and banners . We especially remarked the banners of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Andalusia , the Encampmentaml private banners ofthe Knights Templar , those of the Royal Arcli , of the Knights of the Red Cross , and of the Craft Loclge , No . 325 , G . R . I . The whole of the decorating was done under the

personal superintendence of Bro . AVilkinson , J . W . No . 178 . Afc 0 p . m ., the brethren formed in procession behind the curtain , which was then drawn up , whereupon the procession marched round the dancing-rooin , which was formed by laying a floor over the pit on a level with the stage , the assembled company looking on from the boxes , which were literally crowded with beauty and fashion . At a short distance , in rear of the loclge , inarched the Knights Templar of the Calpe Encampmentto the number ot *

, about twenty . The band of II . M ' s . 8 th Regiment , under the leadership of Bro . A'Tesohn , playing a Masonic march . The variety of Masonic clothing and jewels greatly excited the admiration of the Indies . On a given signal , the procession halted . The band indicated a set of quadrilles , and the brethren dispersed to the boxes in search of their partners , with whom they soon apneared ou the

floor , where dancing was kept up with great . spirit ) until 5 . 30 a . m . His Excellency Lieut .-Gencral Sir AVilliam Coclrington , Governor of Gibraltar , Mrs . Codrington , and Miss M . Coclrington honoured the . brethren with their company , as did also Colonel Lacy , Assistant-Adjutant-General , and Miss ' . Lacy ; Lieut .-Colonel Freemantle , Coldstream Guards , Assistant Military Secretary ; Colonel Shuttleworth , Commanding Royal Artillery , and Mrs . Shuttleworth ; Colonel Wilson , Commanding Her Majesty ' s 8 th Regiment ; Lieut . --Colonel Frazer 6 th

, Commanding Her Majesty's Regiment ; Major Robertson , Commanding 25 th K . O . B . ; Captain Morgan , Town Major , and Mrs . Morgan ; Captain Snycr , Police Magistrate , and Mrs . Sayer ; Captain Brome , Governor of Military Prison , Mrs . and Misses Brome ; Mrs . General Franklin and Miss Bligh ; Mrs . Colonel Steheliu and Misses Stelielin ; Mrs . Colonel Somerset , Miss Jones , anil Miss Simpson ; Major and Mrs . Carfchew ; Mrs . Julius AVilliams and Misses PowerMrsCaptain SchreiberMrsCaptain

; . , . Slade , Mrs . Captain Coopc , Mrs . Captain Dowson , Captain and Mrs . Byrne , Mr . Swain , Mrs . AVilkinson , Mrs . George Stokes , Lieutenant and Mrs . Davidson ; Le Chevalier Power , Mrs . Power ,, and Senorita La Pena ; Don Francisco Sanchei cle Pona , and Senoritas Sanchez de Pena ; Don A . Galliano and Senoritas Galliano ; Don Pablo Larios and Senoritas de Larios ; Dr . A \ ortniaiiii , Mrs . and Misses Grant , Mrs . and Misses Cairnes , Mrs . W .

Carver , Misses Patterson , Senora Onetti and Senoritas Onetfci , Mrs . Irwin , Mrs . Jackmaii , Mrs . Martin , and many others . Tbe brethren present ivere so numerous thafc an attemp t to enumerate them would be futile ; bufc we remarked some whose names may perhaps be mentioned as being well known to many readers of THE FI'E EMASONS MAGAZINE in Masonic circles at a distance ; as , for instance , Bros . Lieutenant . Colonel Poulett Somerset , C . B ., M . P ., Commanding H , M ' s . 2 nd Battalion 7 t '> Koyal Fusiliers ; Colonel