Australia.

in proposing " The Health of Bro . District Grand Mastei Arthur T . Holroyd . " The toast was drunk with all the honours , tho entire company joining heartily in the cheers . Air — "We won't go home till morning . " The R . AA . District Grand Master Holroyd said that ho bad little supposed when he came to the colony years ago , that the 20 th of May , 1 S 67 , would see him D . G . M . for the numerous

body of Masons in this colony—somewhere about -1 , 000—working tinder the Grand Lodge of England . He ( Bro . Holroyd ) had worked his way through tho various degrees of Masonry , and had now attained through tho good will of tho brothers of the District Grand Lodgo , through tho kind estimation of tho brothron generally , and tho Patent of tho MAY . tho Grand Master of England—a position which ho had novor supposed that ho would bo callod upon to fill . It occurred to him that there woro in tho

city of Sydney others nioro worthy than himself of this distinction which had boon conferred upon him . Ho was awaro o £ its responsibilities . Ho was conscious also that in undertaking tho duties ho could hardly help making somo onomios . Ho would try , howover , to avoid doing so , and ho hoped and trusted that when he loft tho District Grand Lodgo ho should havo as many frionds as ho now saw around him . In tho solection of his officors ho had looked carefully over the list , and had been actuated by a dosiro to chooso thoso who would do honour to tho Craft , and assist in carrying out

thoso principles which woro tho very foundation of thoir system . Ho would do all ho could to raiso tho standard of Masonry in this colony . Ho was exceedingly desirous of seeing not only tho English Constitution , but aH tho Constitutions in this colony 2 > nt upon tho highest footing of respectability . For many years past thoy had done much good without parado , and ho hopod that fraternal feeling which had hitherto boon displayedand thoso acts

, ¦ of charity which had boon porformod would bo prolonged and oxorcisod whenever opportunity occurred . Ho thanked thorn for tho vory great kindnoss which had boon shown to him by all ¦ classes in connection with this coromony , which had boon conducted in a most dignifiod and painstaking mannor , and of which ho bad so much reason to bo proud . If at any timo thoy woro not satisfied with his decisions , thoy had an nppoal to tho Zotland Grand Lod

go of England , and if it should happen that appeals woro made to that quarter and thoyworo doeidod against him bo would cheerfully acquiosco . and do ' all ho could to avoid a repetition of similar mistakes . In tho discharge of thoir dutios , ho would not press upon thoir timo to any greater oxtout than was necessary . Ho intondod to havo four moorings annually . Ho hoped thoy would be attended with punctuality , and ho would ondcavour so to arrange the business as to facilitate its dispatch . Ho sincerely thankod thorn for tho kind terms in which tho toast had boon proposod . aud for tho unanimity with which it had boon received .

Tho B . IV . Chairman proposod tho E . W . P . D . G . M . Bro . Williams who was , by reason of sickness , confined to his homo . For noarly a quarter of a century ho had boon tho most activo member of tho Craft in Sydney . Ho had filled offices of distinction . Ho was a vory charitable Mason , but ho did not lot his loft-hand know what his right-hand did . Ho had been regular in his attondanco , and had sot an example worthy of imitation by tho punctuality and efficiency with which bo discharged all his dutios . His brothron , however , knew him hotter than bo did , and thorefovo it was minocossary that ho should do moro than propose tho toast , with tho usual honours .

Tho toast was drunk with onthusiasm , tho band playing " For he ' s a jolly good fellow . " Bro . Moore said , ho regretted that tho R . W . P . D . G . M .. Bro . Williams , was not prosout to return thanks for himself . He sincoroly hoped that Masonry might continuo to ho earriod out iu tho manner in which it had progressed for many years past in this colony . At tho commencement of Freemasonry here , in 1 S-l-ithoy had no Provincial Grand Lod and it was throndi tho

go ; - exertion of their late Prov . G . M . that to-day thov bad a Provincial Grand Lodgo in Now South Wnlos . Ho deeply regretted thoabsonco of thoir much osteemod brother , but had much pleasure in returning thanks for tho mannor in which tho toast had boon received and responded to . Bro . E . 0 . Smith , N . AV . Doput y District Grand Master , proposed tho Prov . Grand Masters of tho Irish and Scotch Constitu

- tions . Ho expressed an earnest wish that Masonry would continuo to llourish in this colony , and that thoso lodses would work together in harmony . Ho hoped thoy would find ' hero that good-fellowship and charity which existed in every country where Masonry exorcised its legitimate influence . Tho toast was drunk with much cheering . Bro . Tremble ( S . C . ) and Bro . M . Macfarlane , Prov . P . G .

( S . C . ) , returned thanks , remarking that although tho different constitutions woro specified iu tho toast they mot now as Masons without distinction . Bro . E . 0 . Smith , Y . AV . Dep . District Grand Master , proposed " Tho Retiring Officers of tho District Grand Lodgo . " Ho said that tho retiring officors had provoil themselves patterns of industry , zeal , and efficiency . Tho position would still bo of high importanceinasmuch as thoy would bo narrowly

, watched by their youngor brothron who dosirod to emulate thoir oxamplo . Tho toast was drunk -with , tho usual honours . Bro . Lord John Taylour i-ot-uraod thanks . Ho said it soomod a pity that so poor a speaker should bo called upon to address so brilliant an assombly . If , howovor , ho could not mako a good speech , ho could , at any rate , rnako a hriof one , aud ho would

contout himself with roturniiig thanks for tho kind mannor in which tho toast had been proposed , and tho cordial way in which it had boon received . Bro . Lord John Taylour proposod tho ninth toast , " Tho Present Officers of tho District Grand Lodge , " Drunk with all tho honours . Air— "Jolly good follows . " Tho Doputy District Grand MasterBro . E . 0 . Smithreturned

, , thanks for tho mannor in which this toast had boon roeoivod by tho company . Ho oxprossod his acknowledgments to tho D . G . M . for tho honour dono to him by tbo appointment conferred upon him , and thoso appointments with which tho othor present officors of tho District Grand Lodgo had boon that day distinguished . The selection of thorn , that day , had boon an honour to oach of thom . It would alway bo tho study of tho presont officers of tho District Grand Lodgo to discbargo thoso duties which had that

day dovolvcd upon thorn . Ho hopod that whon tho timo eanio for thorn to rotiro in thoir turn that thoy would bo followod by as much appreciation as thoso to whom thoy had succoodod . It would bo thoir duty and thoir pleasure to oxtond Masonry as much as thoy could . Thoy had all of thom an idoa that no country was anything in which Masonry did not flourish , and thoy would cortainly do their best to causo it to flourish and oxtond itself horo . r Vh /> niviirivmn in r > nOfif cnnnnli iivm-n-innr ! " TUrn Av . mr + lirt

Navy , and tho "Vbluntoors , " paying gracoful compliments to each body for thoir valua . blo services to their common country . Tho toast was drunk amid loud chcoriug . Colonel AVaddy , H . M . 50 th Regiment , returned thanks on bohalf of tho army , and in doing so alluded to tho Quoon ' s Own Lodgo , a military lodge in connection with tho 50 th llogimont . Thoir lodgo would always bo glad to co-opornto in tho common causo of Masonry with othor civilian lod . Ono of thoir b-laws

ges y was that , after refreshment , thoy woro not to bo called upon to labour , and ho trusted , therefore , that thoy would not oxpoct him to undorgo tho labour of making a long speech , because , as thoy must bo awaro , ho had boon refreshing himself for thoso four hours jiast . Tbe lodge of the 50 th would always bo glad to do what they could to advance the interests of Freemasonry , and thero woro many military lodges which ivero animated by similar

feelings . Captain Luce , R . N ., as a Mason and a naval officer , returned thanks for the way in which they had received this toast . He was glad to see that the toast of the Royal Navy was as popular here as at home . The navy would always do what they could for their country , whatever the service might be that they were callod upon to perform . On board the JEsl ; which ho

had tho honour to command , they were now about to return home from this station . They had had their fair share whilst on this station of what was pleasant , and they had also had to rough it . In New Zealand , too , thoy had borne their part in tho fighting , and had had their share in the hardships incidental to warfare .. They had lost their captain at New Zealand , and several of their officers and crow , hut he was happy to

say that the worst that had happened to them in New South Wales was this—that they had lost their hearts . In all their engagements , however , he was happy to say they bad fought like warriors , and had not onl y been victorious but successful . In Australia it had been their good fortune to capture several fair prizes , some of which they had already sent home—not to ho condemnedbut to be wortbl appreciatedHe begged to

, y . return them his sincere thanks for the manner in which they had honoured tbe toast of tlin Navy . Bro . Captain Tealo returned thanks on the part of the Volunteers . Bro . M . Israel , AV . D . Q . J . AY ., i „ a humorous speech , proposed "The Healtli of the Ladies , " to whom he paid a variety of compliments .